The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 320: No Morals to Speak Of]

On Ocean Park Avenue, in the office of the chairman at Twitter, Edward rushed in and exclaimed, "Boss, it's happening! It's happening!"

Hawke, having just signed a document, looked up and asked, "What's going on?"

Edward replied, "Firefighters in New York were protesting peacefully when they were provoked by some people, leading to a physical confrontation. Many were arrested by the NYPD. The arrested claim the firefighters called them racially derogatory terms. Many 9/11 firefighters might face accusations of racial discrimination."

Hawke said, "Hire some cannon fodder to provoke them, addressing sensitive issues to distract from the protesting crowd, or use discrimination attacks."

"Those in power in New York sure are decisive," Edward remarked in admiration. "Their hearts are cold, and their methods are ruthless."

Hawke was unfazed and replied, "These tactics have escalated compared to when they openly suppressed protesting veterans back in the day."

It wasn't easy to organize a rally in America; aside from needing prior approval, every successful demonstration usually had hidden forces backing it.

Edward asked, "What do we do next?"

Edward inquired, "Not just Los Angeles?"

"All firefighter users in North America," Hawke stated with grandeur. "We can't just stand by and watch American firefighters get hurt without doing anything. America has its own circumstances across states. The easiest solution is to raise awareness among firefighters nationwide. When faced with danger, they shouldn't rush in recklessly. Property may burn, but their lives are their own."

His words made too much sense, even for Edward, who enjoyed stirring the pot.

This was a decisive move to cut off the sense of responsibility within the firefighter community.

...

Edward left to find Caroline in the operations department to relay the situation. Caroline, overwhelmed but remembering what Hawke needed, took charge in the backend.

All firefighter users logging into their Twitter accounts were greeted with news push notifications concerning the New York and Los Angeles firefighters.

For them, these messages only generated negative impacts.

...

After Caroline finished, she received new intel that during a press conference that day, the Los Angeles City Hall announced a new appointment. She had it reposted on Twitter.

...

Meanwhile, Hawke was formulating plans to challenge his adversary.

In the important elections across America, counterproposal strategies were crucial, directly affecting outcomes.

Brian was vulnerable in many areas.

Hawke disliked being on the defensive; his current actions were an offensive maneuver.

Brian's weaknesses could also be exploited proactively.

Hawke planned to create a point of focus for the opposing side.

...

At the headquarters of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Chief Morgan stood by the window, watching women arrive for interviews outside the office building.

Prior to this year, women were a rare occurrence in such positions, but now they accounted for nearly thirty percent.

Morgan frowned, feeling helpless. He decided to leave the window, taking a seat at his desk to avoid being stressed by the view.

He was older now, losing energy, and nearing retirement. Today would mark the last day for this chief's position, with a new appointee taking over.

Morgan had delegated daily operations to the newly appointed female deputy chief who had started just last month, showing a semblance of responsibility only because he needed to fulfill his final duties.

He picked up a copy of the Los Angeles Times and glanced at the reports on the firefighting industry. In the news, the 9/11 firefighters were labeled the most unfortunate group in the world, and the local departments from New York were seen as heartless.

Flipping to the New York Times, he saw them seizing on a few cases of California firefighters to mount a fierce backlash, many of whom were linked to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Morgan felt something was off but with retirement looming, he couldn't be bothered to think too deeply about it.

...

An old friend called, urging him to check the news video just released on Twitter.

With its increasing influence, even Morgan had become a user. Upon logging in, he was immediately greeted with news from New York.

He felt sympathy for the firefighters involved in 9/11 who had been arrested, but that was as far as it went.

Next was a video from the Los Angeles City Hall press conference.

Mayor Antonio, as anticipated, announced Morgan's early resignation from the fire department, with Karen Crowley taking over as chief.

But as Morgan continued to watch, his expression darkened.

A reporter questioned about several former firefighters in Los Angeles who had been forced to leave due to injuries, claiming they had not received adequate compensation and benefits.

Antonio quickly deflected the blame onto Morgan: "Chief Morgan hasn't performed some of his duties well, which is why I chose the more capable Ms. Karen Crowley to lead the fire department. She will address these issues properly."

Morgan's hand trembled on the mouse; he was old, nearing retirement, and now being cast aside, only to be buried in a heap of accusations?

These politicians had no morals!

...

At that moment, a notification blinked on the internal office system.

He opened it to see that the HR department had sent out a new appointment. Christina, the former head of administration, would now serves as the chief training officer for the fire department.

Of the five top executives in the fire department, three of them were now women.

"He's lost his mind!" Morgan shook his head. "Antonio has gone mad for votes!"

Christina was skilled, having worked at the fire department for over ten years, but her expertise was in administration, not frontline firefighting.

A spark of conscience prodded him, urging him to leave the office. He got into his car and sped toward City Hall.

...

By the time Morgan arrived, the press conference had concluded, and Antonio had returned to his office.

Morgan found the mayor's aide, Gordon, and pressed him to arrange for a meet.

Five minutes later, he stood face to face with the current Mayor of Los Angeles.

"I have a serious issue with what you said at the press conference," Morgan, facing retirement, got straight to the point. "Your remarks were irresponsible and defamatory, severely damaging my reputation!"

Antonio glanced at him without saying a word.

Morgan continued, "I demand the city hall restore my good name!"

Antonio sighed, "It's just a damaged reputation; I won't pursue other matters anymore. The three new fire extinguishing helicopters' parts that needed replacing aren't done yet; I won't even mention the inadequacy rate of fire hoses and hydrants. And you think it's secretive that a single ordinary bolt costs $299 to procure?"

Raising his voice, he added, "Do you think this is hidden?"

Being called out like this left Morgan feeling humiliated and outraged. His resentment towards Antonio only grew stronger: "Am I the only one making money off this? Everyone in this city hall, including your son's business, what do they get? Where do you think those bolt purchases are coming from?"

Antonio looked incensed at this remark.

Morgan tried to calm his own temper as he said, "What you're doing now, it'll backfire in the long run. Does Karen Crowley understand firefighting? The deputy chief only knows how to push for special treatment for women, and the chief training officer comes from an administrative background. Can they handle firefighting?"

"Firefighting is just one of many public services in Los Angeles!" Antonio slammed his hand on the desk to emphasize. "We need to serve the bigger picture."

He leaned back slightly, "You've been part of the party for a while. Don't you understand the current dynamics in Los Angeles and California? The Republicans are making a comeback, more aggressive than ever, and aiming to turn California red again! Last year, they forced a gubernatorial recall election, with a pivotal player being a guy named Brian Ferguson!"

Morgan recognized the name: "Your election opponent."

"Exactly," Antonio confirmed. "He is a formidable opponent, with a powerful team backing him. If I don't do everything I can to rally votes, I could genuinely lose. The Republican Party isn't as weak in California as we thought; my predecessor was part of that party!"

He emphasized, "Women's votes are still votes, just as valuable as men's. Do you understand?"

Morgan fell silent, realizing that when it came to political interests, none of the fire department's matters were significant.

Antonio added, "We're not just seeing this kind of action in the fire department; the water and power departments and several others are similarly affected."

Morgan fully grasped the situation; in pursuit of votes from women, Antonio was shamelessly pandering.

He chose to remain silent and left the mayor's office quietly.

...

Later, Antonio reflected on Morgan's words and called his son, advising him, "You need to lay low for a while!"

Given his son's tendency to cause trouble, he added, "Leave Los Angeles this week. Get out of California, even North America. Go travel the world until I call you to come back."

His son acknowledged and hung up.

Antonio contemplated whether there were any major vulnerabilities left in his plan.

He summoned his assistant, Gordon, instructing him to find weaknesses in competitor Brian's strategy.

Since the beginning of the year, Antonio had been careful, ensuring that unsavory deeds were executed discreetly.

Typically, the election campaign would not begin until the following year.

However, since Republicans tasted victory in the recall last year, it was hard to dismiss the prospect of them trying again in Los Angeles.

He could initiate a recall election early.

...

After leaving City Hall, Morgan got into his car. From his pocket, he pulled out a voice recorder and pressed play.

This latest model was highly resistant to interference.

He listened intently as his conversation with Antonio played back in the car, both their voices clear and distinct.

Having spent a life in politics, Morgan felt a deep-seated anger simmering inside him after what had just happened.

He didn't plan to do anything to Antonio just yet but knew all too well that politicians would do anything for self-interest.

To protect himself from any blame shifted by the opposing side, he came with a set plan for countermeasures.

As Morgan drove home, he reached for his computer and carefully made two copies of the recording to ensure protection against damage.

*****

/Sayonara816.