The Wolf of Los Angeles

Chapter 357 - 357: Beach Lifeguards

[Chapter 357: Beach Lifeguards]

East Hollywood, Silver Lake Community.

Hawke brought four glass cups and placed them in front of everyone.

Erica opened a bottle of wine and poured some for each.

"Willie Brown hid in the hospital, and we've got no good way to deal with him," Jennifer Huey lifted her glass, took a sip, and continued, "If it were a regular person, the FBI could drag him out at will, but he's not just anyone."

Hawke thought to himself that all political players had their talents, and he replied, "Send a few people to guard the outside of the ICU and let him lie in there. If George wins, he could be stuck in there for four years."

Brian remarked, "You're a master at dealing with these lowlifes; we all ought to call you 'teacher.'"

Hawke jokingly replied, "I only take female students, preferably attractive ones."

"Don't you care about your boyfriend?" Brian looked at his cousin Erica, "He's about to let loose."

Erica raised an eyebrow and clinked glasses with Jennifer, "Can you stop something like that? Grandpa, Dad, and Uncle -- how many affairs do you think they have?"

Jennifer, hailing from a notable family herself, added, "On my father's side alone, I know of at least two."

Hawke cleared his throat seriously, redirecting the topic, "What's the situation with Barack Bernanke? Normally, they wouldn't let him survive much longer."

Jennifer replied, "The security is tight. My people are on shifts, and they haven't found an opportunity yet." She set down her glass and frowned slightly, "But there are some at the FBI who are being quite animated. Some bastards are using my relationship with Brian against me, trying to get me transferred out of Los Angeles."

Erica had encountered similar situations at the LAPD: "They want to get rid of you, and get a loyalist in to quietly drop the case."

"It's been over three years since the president took office, and the red faction has the upper hand in the FBI, but the opposing forces shouldn't be underestimated either," Jennifer said with a fierce look. "That second deputy director has returned..."

Hawke thought for a moment and suggested, "Let's set a trap; maybe we can catch a big fish."

Erica understood his line of thought and chimed in, "Using Barack Bernanke and the evidence we have?"

Hawke nodded, "The footage that's been leaked is just part of the case. We're not the only ones who know this; the opposition is aware too. It's like a custom bomb that can explode whenever needed, and they surely want to get their hands on it back."

Jennifer chuckled, "In fact, they've been pressuring me, but I've rejected their unreasonable demands, claiming the investigation is ongoing."

Hawke said, "We should transfer Barack Bernanke and the evidence to a different location, away from tight security. They'll likely crack under pressure, and such actions will definitely involve trusted people and reliable hands. If not, the information leaking out will be worse."

Erica added, "Just in case, let's use fake evidence."

There was intense infighting within the FBI as well. Jennifer's backers in Washington had been wanting to eliminate a rival for a while. She said, "I'll ask the higher-ups; let's see what happens."

Brian brought up another angle: "Right now, the situation in California is chaotic because the Ackerman family incident has involved many key figures in the Democratic Party, and the internal divisions and confrontations within their ranks are serious."

Hawke wasn't surprised, "As long as a team keeps winning, all problems seem small. But once they hit a significant setback, internal issues will turn into major ones."

"Exactly, that's the truth," Brian explained in detail. "Among California's current two senators, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein are both Democrats. Barbara is running for re-election in November, and her opponent is Secretary of State Bill Jones. Now the Republican Party is gaining momentum, and to continue appealing to female voters, Barbara has positioned herself against the Kerry faction."

He laughed, "This woman is calling for a thorough investigation of the case and a crackdown on crimes against women and children."

The so-called party interests were not as significant as personal interests.

The four of them weren't surprised by this dynamic.

With common interests between the two parties, there were numerous instances of collaboration among certain groups.

As it was late, Jennifer and Brian bid farewell and left.

...

Erica tidied up the meeting room briefly and went upstairs to take a shower.

Before long, Hawke came in.

During this time, the two had been tense and hadn't had any deep contact.

Now they could relax and get a good workout in.

...

Afterward, they chatted for a while.

Erica told Hawke that she might be getting a promotion, which would lead to her being reassigned from the detective bureau.

"Congratulations!" Hawke kissed her heavily. "The youngest female captain in LAPD history."

He asked, "Where are you going?"

Erica replied, "Nothing's been determined yet, but I might go to the Special Operations Bureau."

---

The next morning, Hawke drove Erica to the detective bureau before turning to Santa Monica, deliberately taking a detour to City Hall to take a look.

In downtown Los Angeles, there were still crowds of protesters.

At the side of the road in front of the district attorney's office, there were still hundreds of "relatives" of the missing.

Upon arriving at the office, Hawke handled some work before asking Edward to bring in the day's newspaper. Amidst the relentless media coverage, even the heavily Democratic leaning Los Angeles Times was now reporting on the Ackerman incident.

Twitter was also riding the election's coattails, continuing to take the third spot in the trending news list related to Edwards's video while also conducting a regional party popularity poll.

In terms of internet influence, Twitter's immense presence played a significant role, especially here in California, where the Republican network support reached as high as 53%, while the Democrats slipped nearly ten points.

The remaining support belonged to the Reform Party.

With the election fast approaching, the situation in California was becoming clearer.

...

At this moment, Edward reminded him, "Boss, we just got news that John Edwards reached a settlement with the two victim girls from the video."

Hawke quickly typed on the keyboard, searched the news, and said, "He got lucky; both girls are still alive."

Twitter had just released related news stating that John Edwards's lawyer had come to an agreement with the lawyers representing the two girls after several rounds of negotiation regarding the settlement.

As for the specific details, especially the financial amounts, both parties had not disclosed them.

Edwards also announced that he would not participate in the November Senate election, which was tantamount to resigning.

Those from California weren't so fortunate.

The girls appearing in the video had all gone missing, and no bodies had been found.

Hawke paid attention to the news, then began handling the work at hand.

...

Twitter was about to hold a shareholders meeting to discuss development plans for the next year.

The Coast Building on Ocean Park Avenue was already undergoing full renovations.

It was expected to move in around February or March of next year.

Several investment groups were also inquiring about Twitter's next funding round, etc.

...

Hawke was busy all morning. As noon approached, he looked up to see Edward sitting on the sofa in the guest area, flipping through his notebook.

Hawke recognized the notebook from his time working as a freelance journalist and strategic consultant at the Fountain Avenue studio. It was the Savior's notes.

Taking a momentary rest, he asked Edward, "So, you broke up again?"

Edward looked troubled, "Mary Collins proposed to me, but I didn't accept."

Hawke thought for a while before remembering, "Miller Collins's ex-wife?"

"Yes, that's her," Edward said, quite helplessly. "Once she learned I was a Twitter shareholder and vice president, she developed delusions, thinking I could marry her. How could that be possible?!"

He elaborated, "Mary Collins is a former model. When her ex-husband Miller ran into problems, she not only divorced him but also managed to drain him of all his assets. Although Miller is our enemy and met a tragic end at Covina, from a male perspective, I think he failed miserably in handling women and lost both his life and his wealth."

Hawke mused while navigating the mouse, "You have a point there."

Edward replied sincerely, "By leaving Compton, I escaped the ingrained survival tactics of underprivileged black life. After meeting you, my boss, I got rich, and my old ways of surviving just don't apply anymore. Now I should be more worried about them taking advantage of me than the other way around, instead of the previous dynamic where I was freeloading off divorcee women."

"Buddy, you're evolving quickly; that's impressive," Hawke had to admit, "No wonder you're a man who came out of Compton."

Edward flashed two rows of bright white teeth, "She wants to marry me not out of love but because she sees me as a way to elevate her lifestyle. I consulted Frank, that old bastard, and even with a prenup, she could still claim a portion of the man's assets acquired during the marriage in a divorce. Twitter is rapidly growing; if she divorces me down the road, she can simply sit back and win."

Hawke turned to look out the window; from here, he could see Frank's RV parked on the beach.

He said, "You should consult Frank more about these matters. He has plenty of experience."

Edward stifled a laugh, "Having been burned multiple times by his ex-wives, with his precedent, I'll definitely be cautious."

Hawke asked, "Haven't seen much of Frank lately?"

"He said he taught everything he could to Ms. Baa," Edward replied briefly. "Ever since I rescued Mary Collins's daughter, Dorothy, there have been many accidents at Venice Beach lately. Santa Monica decided to tighten beach management and replaced the entire lifeguard team. Maybe to attract tourists, this new lifeguard team is mainly composed of attractive women who run around the beach in bikinis every day. That old bastard Frank went to volunteer with the lifeguard team."

Hawke was intrigued and asked, "Just like what was portrayed in Baywatch?"

Edward said, "Not as exaggerated as Pamela Anderson, though."

Hawke nodded slightly, "Let's check it out sometime."

---

By afternoon, Hawke called Caroline, Harland, and others to check on the renovation progress at the coastal building nearby.

Later, they returned for a meeting to discuss some internal company affairs.

Besides Twitter's matters, Hawke also carefully reviewed the business of West Coast Environmental Technologies Group.

A large shipment of firefighting equipment had already been resold to the Los Angeles Fire Department by the West Coast Company.

Fire-damaged areas were also being cleaned up in an orderly fashion.

Expecting around $27 million in profits this year from just these two businesses, Hawke's Osmond Charity Foundation could serve its purpose right now.

*****

/Sayonara816.