Bab 131: Chapter 106. A Conversation
"Michael Jackson!"
Eric was surprised to see the message and immediately dialed the unfamiliar number.
The call was answered instantly, and a soft voice—just as it had been in the interviews—came through:
"Hello, this is Michael Jackson. Is this Mr. Cooper Jr.?"
After hearing those words, Eric was sure it was indeed Michael Jackson, as the voice was identical to the one he'd heard in interviews.
Everyone who knew Michael understood that on stage he could be explosive and passionate, but in real life, he was quite different. Even when facing slander, he rarely lost his temper, and his voice only became softer and quieter.
Hearing Michael's voice for the first time, Eric felt a thrill:
"Yes, it's me, Eric Cooper."
There was silence on the other end. After a few seconds, Eric asked with concern:
"Michael, are you okay?"
Michael's voice came through again:
"I'm fine, I just wanted to ask—Mr. Cooper, have we met before?"
"No, a lot of people asked me that today. But I've only seen you on TV."
"Oh, thank you. I thought I might have forgotten about our meeting," Michael said, his voice noticeably relaxing.
"This afternoon, a friend showed me your interview. I'm very grateful to you for believing in me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Mr. Cooper."
"No need to thank me, Michael. I'm just doing what any fair person should do. You're a good person, and please, call me Eric. While we may not know each other, I'd very much like to be your friend," Eric replied quietly.
On the other end, there was another pause. Then Michael sighed:
"Sorry, I thought I knew what to say, but the words suddenly slipped away. This is a difficult time for me, but your support has warmed me. Thank you, Eric."
"But I have one request."
"Anything, Michael," Eric replied.
"Please don't say such things anymore. It might bring trouble to you. Many crazy people will not only attack me but might also harm anyone associated with me."
Eric laughed:
"Michael, do you think I'm afraid? I'm not a star and don't need to appear in public often. I'm not even 22 yet—I've got youth and strength. If anyone tries to attack me, let them. I'll kick their butts myself!"
Michael laughed as well:
"Eric, you're very pleasant to talk to. If you ever have the time, come to Neverland. You can bring friends along."
"Hold on, let's wait for now. There are journalists around here all the time. If they see us together, it could cause problems," Michael said.
Eric replied firmly:
"No problem. I've been wanting to visit Neverland for a long time. How about this weekend? I could use a break."
Although Michael wasn't visible, Eric could sense his joy:
"Wonderful, I'd be delighted to have you visit!"
That very day, Eric's support spread across the internet, and by the next morning, the first articles appeared in print. Dozens of newspapers featured stories about Eric's interview on their entertainment pages.
However, many publications took a biased approach, cutting out crucial parts of the interview. The headlines were filled with insults:
The Independent: "Confessions of a Fan Obsessed with a Pedophile!"
San Francisco Entertainment: "A Clown Dreaming of Replacing God: A Pathetic Man Who Can't Find His Place"
New York Times: "Despises Youth and Insults Peers: Such is a Michael Jackson Fan"
Salt Lake City Weekly: "Who Mythologizes Michael Jackson? His Praise Only Fuels More Hatred!"
These newspapers didn't bother to provide a single full answer from Eric, and their articles were filled with conjecture and speculation.
Fuming with anger, Eric called his assistant Chen Xin into the office:
"These vile worms! Publish the full video of the interview on the MGM website and contact all major TV stations and newspapers to send them copies of the video."
"Understood, boss!" Chen Xin replied.
Although this interview couldn't fully dispel the rumors about Michael Jackson, they couldn't allow the paparazzi to continue to slander him.
After these newspapers released their stories, those who supported Michael faced criticism and insults. Among them were Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, and Macaulay Culkin. The MGM site was also hit with a wave of negative comments.
Michael's haters, particularly the most radical ones, wouldn't be convinced otherwise. The MGM site was flooded with insults and calls to boycott the company's products.
The technical department asked Eric if they should disable comments, but he refused. He knew that haters were a normal occurrence, but he also believed that Michael Jackson had many fans.
When MGM reached out to major TV stations and newspapers, many agreed to broadcast Eric's interview in full, even leaving in his questions about racism. After all, the media also competes with each other, and while slander attracts audiences, truthful accounts can do the same.
By evening, Fox TV, NBC, San Francisco Times, and America Online had released the full video of Eric's interview along with their own commentaries. Unlike The Independent and New York Times, these outlets took a neutral stance.
By night, Michael Jackson's supporters were showing up on the MGM website. Led by fans from Michael's website, a large number of people began a counterattack, flooding the sites of newspapers that had published negative articles with angry comments. Slogans like "Don't Mock a Fallen God," "The Media Should Be Fair and Impartial," and "Say No to Racial Discrimination" became the most popular.
Newspapers, lacking Eric's resilience, simply shut down their comment sections, unable to withstand the pressure.
The internet was abuzz, and the entire situation descended into chaos.
At A.K. Films, Warren and Bema Hardy noticed the situation and suggested to Eric that he hire trolls. But after careful consideration, he declined, believing that standing for the truth was more important than using such methods.
On the MGM site, comments were divided into three camps. Some demanded Eric retract his statements, calling him a fool and an idiot, accusing him of being as much of a pedophile as Michael, and even cursing the MGM brand.
Others supported Eric, calling him a just and brave man, promising to back MGM films, and condemning those who spoke against him, labeling them racists and societal outcasts.
In between were the neutral viewers, who just wanted to enjoy The Walking Dead and Transformers without worrying about issues of fairness or racism. For them, the quality of the content was what mattered, not the personal qualities of the actors.
A few days passed, and by Saturday, the intensity began to die down, along with the wave of online insults.
During these days, the third episode of The Walking Dead aired, where zombies attacked the survivors' camp. Several hundred zombies surged under the cover of night, creating a bloody and thrilling spectacle, which boosted the show's ratings to 11.7 million online viewers.
So all the boycott talk turned out to be empty. When the quality is high, viewers will choose you, even if they criticize you. They may rant, but they'll still watch!
Meanwhile, on the road to Santa Barbara, a Lamborghini was speeding along. Michael's Neverland was located in Santa Barbara, just 150 kilometers north of Los Angeles.
Early that morning, Eric picked up Gadot and young Elizabeth, and the three of them set off together for Neverland.
"No, honey, if we keep kissing, the police will find us."
Only then did Gadot's lips leave Eric's mouth, her sultry eyes fixated on him.
"In two days, it'll be April 30th, my birthday, Eric!"
"Yes, dear, I know what that means, but there's a little girl behind you, so you'd better restrain yourself a bit."
Gadot turned around and looked at Elizabeth, who was sitting in the back seat, and smiled at her.
Despite being only fourteen, Elizabeth, due to her experience in show business, was more mature than her peers. She more or less understood what the adults were talking about.
Elizabeth looked at Gadot with a hint of envy. "Don't worry, go ahead and continue. Just pretend I'm not here."
Although she said that, there were still certain decorum rules to follow in the presence of a child.
Gadot resumed a casual conversation with Elizabeth. Learning that her parents had divorced when she was very young, Gadot patted her head sympathetically.
"Actually, it's not that bad; I'm used to it. Even though Dad and Mom can't be together, they both still love me."
"Sometimes one of them spends time with me, sometimes they both play with me, and I have Ashley and Mary, so I live a fun and happy life."
"You have a very good attitude towards life, Elizabeth."
Gadot admired the young girl.
"Gadot, how's the filming going on Happy Death Day? You barely had a break after Transformers, how are you holding up?"
Eric didn't ask without reason. It had only been a few days since Transformers wrapped, and she was already working on a new movie.
Initially, he hadn't given her much advance notice, and Gadot had planned to spend some time with her family since she hadn't been home for over half a year, which naturally caused some conflict.
Ultimately, Eric's persuasion won her over, and she agreed to the role.
For Hollywood actors, one film a year or even every two years is the norm, and two films a year is considered high output.
For example, Jessica Chastain, shooting five films in one year, earned the nickname "workaholic," while Alicia Vikander, also appearing in five films, became known as the "best workaholic."
It's perfectly normal for Hollywood actors to take a month or two off after filming one movie.
"I'm okay, I'm healthy. However, the crew has only just started working together, so it's going to take us some time to find our rhythm, which is why we haven't made as much progress this week."
"Director Russo is very demanding; I have to meet his expectations."
"From your tone, it sounds like something's off. Don't you like working with the Russo brothers?" Eric squeezed her thigh with a slight smile.
Gadot let his hand slide into the tear in her jeans, blinked, and replied, "It's not that I dislike it; it's just that he makes me reshoot scenes over and over until he's satisfied."
"I feel more at ease filming with you or Patty. At least, you two don't walk around with such a grim expression like Director Russo."
Eric chuckled quietly, "Gadot, most directors are like that. They're not like me; some have a softer touch, and some are tougher. Take James Cameron, for example. He's famous for being a tyrant on set, but there's no shortage of actors who want to work with him."
"You can't just film in my movies. The Russo brothers are only the beginning. There will be many different directors in your career. Some of them like to put actors through the wringer, so you need to learn how to adapt and find common ground."
Gadot nodded, "I understand. I just thought it would be nice to only act in your movies. You're the director, and I'm the leading lady, like in Transformers."
"Heh-heh."
Elizabeth, observing their cheerful conversation, couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. "When will I get to act with Eric? I wonder if he'll direct the movie he mentioned."
An hour later, the Lamborghini slowly came to a stop in front of iron gates. The gates looked luxurious and beautiful, with yellow tulips blooming along both sides of the road.
Eric called Michael, and shortly afterward, a tour vehicle arrived, driven by none other than the King of Pop himself – Michael Jackson.
As the gates opened, Michael, dressed in red, spread his arms with a smile, "Welcome, welcome to my home!"
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