The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 328: The Life and Death of the City]

Los Angeles, Woodland Hills.

The Ferguson family's mansion welcomed a prominent figure from Washington, D.C.

Andrew Card was currently serving as the White House Chief of Staff and was also one of the heads of the President's reelection campaign.

Paul Ferguson, the grandfather of Erica and Brian, was in his study having a secret meeting with him.

"This wildfire has a huge impact on the political landscape of Los Angeles," Andrew said, having made the trip in hopes that California would bring some unexpected surprises to increase their chances.

He looked at Paul and smiled, saying, "Sir, Los Angeles used to be the Ferguson family's territory, but the Democrats have stolen the power that rightfully belonged to your family since the mid-1990s. Don't you want to take it back?"

Paul ignored these tempting words and asked, "Who do you represent?"

Andrew Card replied, "The President, and all those united around him."

Andrew understood that Paul must have been referring to Brian Ferguson, one of the candidates for Mayor of Los Angeles.

"That's fine," he said.

...

Brian, Hawke, and Erica were practicing shooting at the range behind the estate.

Paul brought Andrew over and made the introductions.

As Andrew shook hands with Hawke, he remarked, "You're the founder of Twitter? You look younger than I imagined. The President has praised Twitter more than once as the leader in digital media."

Hawke replied courteously, "It's my honor."

He intentionally let the butt of his rifle bump into Brian's hip as he put it down.

Having worked together for nearly two years, Brian understood Hawke's hint and asked directly, "Is the President going to get involved in the affairs of Los Angeles?"

Andrew remained tight-lipped: "The city hall is controlled by the Democrats. If the President wants to intervene, he'll need a good reason."

Hawke didn't comment as he and Erica packed up their gear.

Brian glanced their way and said, "The wildfire is raging, citizens are furious, law and order are breaking down, and the Democrats' approval ratings have dropped to their lowest in five years."

Before coming over today, he had discussed this issue at length with Hawke.

"This matter involves not just Los Angeles but Sacramento as well. I'll drag the entire California Democratic Party into this to weather the storm of public opinion. I can't guarantee that we'll turn California from deep blue, but we can certainly draw their focus and energy away."

Hearing that he could also draw the Democrats in Sacramento into the fray, Andrew asked, "What's your plan?"

Brian elaborated, "We'll look at the direct victims of the fire -- the homeowners who lost everything. I've had my team gather statistics; sixty percent of them are entertainment stars, sports figures, directors, producers, and executives from entertainment companies, as well as people in the media industry. There are hundreds of well-known faces among them, each with losses exceeding $1.2 million. Some representatives have already gone to city hall to protest to Antonio, and they were apparently quite vocal. The substantial losses from this wildfire have created an irreparable rift between them and the Los Angeles Democrats.

The large farmers and plantation owners were initially our base, but in Southern California, the largest agri-business, the Resnick family, supports the Democrats. We'll use this as a focal point in our campaign narrative; it'll unite the smaller farmers who feel squeezed by them and attract those who are angry at them for the fire.

Antonio has asked the state government for assistance to divert water from Northern California to Los Angeles, but he overlooked a crucial point: earlier this year, eight environmental organizations teamed up to push for the Democrats' 'Smelt Fish Protection Act.' This proposal was vetoed by the governor, but the Democrat-controlled legislature forcibly passed it with a two-thirds majority. Under this act, water sources in Northern California are strictly protected, and the environmental organizations have been keeping a close eye on it."

With political instinct, Andrew immediately realized, "This act has created a significant pit for the California Democrats!"

Brian flashed a confident smile, "Our job now is to push the Democrats into the pit they dug for themselves."

Andrew looked toward the distant target and said, "The situation in California is much better than I imagined. The party headquarters and the President will certainly take notice."

Brian's gaze shifted from Hawke, fully aware that the current advantageous situation was all thanks to Hawke.

The Democrats had once again employed their usual tactics of focusing on environmental issues, women's rights, and Hollywood stars during an election year, but Hawke cleverly capitalized on the Democrats' strengths, leading them to unknowingly fall into their own trap.

Even when it was over, the Democrats would look back and not see the problems; instead, they'd think they simply had bad luck.

California held 55 electoral votes, and the election followed a winner-takes-all approach -- meaning that the candidate who receives a majority of the votes in California automatically gets all of its electoral votes.

The Republicans had lost California just over ten years ago, lost the Los Angeles mayoralty within four years, and had reclaimed the governor's position. With the repercussions from the Los Angeles wildfire, Andrew felt California was up for grabs. Even if they couldn't secure it, they could certainly divert their opponents' attention and disrupt their plans.

"It seems you already have a complete plan," he remarked.

The sound of a bolt-action rifle being cocked came from the other side as Hawke loaded an old-style rifle.

Brian understood and said, "Yes, my team and I have put together a plan, but we need more support."

Andrew wanted details, replying, "What do you have in mind?"

Brian said, "We'll launch a conventional media war, pinning the responsibility of the fire on the Democrats. I'll take advantage of this to propose suburb development plans and a forestry management proposal while initiating a recall election against Antonio in Los Angeles."

Andrew nodded slightly; given the current situation, Brian's chances of success were quite high.

Brian continued, "This is an election year, and the event's impact has to extend beyond Los Angeles, affecting the reputation of the Democrats across California. The Sacramento team also needs to act; they should fully leverage the environmental protection legislation the Democrats pushed."

"I'll head to Sacramento right away," Andrew declared. He then turned back to Hawke, nodding at him, "The President's election campaign is about to kick off; I hope we can partner with Twitter."

Hawke said, "Twitter welcomes every business partner."

Andrew understood the implication of the statement: "Your company will be our top choice for online advertising."

After their handshake, Andrew stepped away first.

...

Hawke aimed his rifle at the humanoid target a hundred yards away and pulled the trigger.

With ten consecutive shots fired, all ten targets fell.

He set his rifle down and asked Brian, "What's the expected budget for this election?"

Brian pondered for a moment, "It should exceed $300 million."

Erica chimed in, "Twitter is now the biggest platform for online advertising."

...

The fire still blazed in Los Angeles, with the burnt area continuing to expand, threatening even the media capital, Burbank.

Warner Bros. Studios, Universal Studios, Disney Studios, and Paramount Pictures all announced temporary closures.

The immense pressure weighed heavily on the Los Angeles Democrats. Antonio's water diversion request was denied by the Wonderful Water Bank, and his calls for water from Northern California went unanswered, leaving him to seek help from elsewhere.

Las Vegas responded by sending 50 fire engines and five firefighting planes to assist Los Angeles.

However, Hawke had prepared Brian in advance.

...

The 50 fire engines were stopped at the California-Nevada border by environmentalists, as the Vehicle Emissions Control Act pushed during the Democratic rule mandated that heavy vehicles entering California must meet emission standards.

Upon inspection, all the fire engines failed to meet the standards.

Amidst the angry protests from environmental organizations, the 50 fire engines, which would seriously "pollute" California's air, were forced to turn back.

Seeing the situation, Las Vegas canceled the flights as well.

...

Not only that, the Toronto, host to the Toronto International Film Festival, which had hoped to please Hollywood, hastily called off its aerial firefighting plans.

Canadians couldn't risk polluting California's sweet air.

...

Los Angeles was shrouded in smoke, with much of Hollywood Hills, Malibu, and Santa Monica now blackened.

Thick smoke blew southward with the northern winds, surrounding nearly a quarter of Los Angeles in ash.

Over 800,000 people faced water and power outages.

It was as if the city had fallen under a magical curse.

...

The current governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, arrived in Los Angeles. As he made an appearance on the perimeter of the Burbank fire site, he was surrounded by numerous citizens and reporters.

Pre-arranged actors cleverly weaved around the governor's security and approached Schwarzenegger, clutching children as they loudly demanded, "Why has my home become a ruin? Where are the rescue workers? Why are there no water in the fire hydrants? Why has no water been diverted from the north?"

Around a dozen cameras focused on Schwarzenegger.

"I'm a Los Angeles resident who has lived here for decades. My house in Malibu also burned down, and I empathize with your plight!" Schwarzenegger gave the citizen a comforting embrace before adding, "I came here to solve the problem and put an end to this disaster as quickly as possible."

A Fox News reporter, Harley Wayne, shouted, "You're the governor; you can't shirk responsibility!"

Schwarzenegger replied seriously, "I will not shirk responsibility. The Los Angeles city hall sold Los Angeles's water to private groups, yet they refuse to respond or take responsibility. I will speak to the Wonderful Group today and demand they release water immediately!"

He paused briefly, then said, "Water from Northern California cannot be diverted; do you remember? Earlier this year, the state legislature passed the 'Smelt Fish Protection Act,' which requires protecting its vital water sources. I've reviewed forecasts from multiple meteorological agencies predicting that Southern California will experience unusual drought this year, which is why I vetoed that act to more easily mobilize water resources. However, the state legislature initiated a two-thirds procedure and forced the act through. Although I'm the governor of California, I have no power to violate the law."

*****

/Sayonara816.