Chương 203: Chpater 203: Focus Of The Public
Not only did Thomas successfully negotiate an agreement between the LAPD and Martin, but Warner TV also struck a deal with the LAPD.
All major television networks were in a frenzy, reporting on the incident, but only Warner TV possessed exclusive footage.
Helen's video, which was captured on-site, contained nothing objectionable to the LAPD. In pursuit of ratings and popularity, the video was skillfully edited into segments and broadcast at various times on TV news.
Warner TV was making headlines for its coverage.
Helen, who hosted the show herself, found the perfect excuse: due to her hasty escape, her DV camera had sustained damage, and technicians were working around the clock to repair the storage disk.
Warner TV seized this opportunity and featured a headline on their 6 o'clock evening news: "Los Angeles Hero: Martin Davis!" The video showcased Martin's heroic act at the school convenience store.
Helen, credited with filming the video, personally presented the news report. Her voice trembled with emotion as she mentioned Martin several times. "I don't know how to thank him. Anyone who can bravely face a gunman deserves the title of hero. He saved sixteen people, including me!" There was no need for excessive praise, as the video captured by Helen spoke volumes.
All four major television networks followed suit, with various news channels providing ongoing coverage.
Before leaving the scene, Martin willingly stood before the media reporters, allowing them to photograph his blood-stained body.
Today, each of his live photos was worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Martin Davis's name rapidly spread across North America as the media reported tirelessly.
Many European outlets, including the BBC and Sky TV, immediately picked up the news. Videos and images of Martin during the incident reached both North America and Europe, causing significant waves.
Martin's connection with Helen led to multiple related videos surfacing on the internet that night.
From fleeing in fear when faced with armed assailants to bravely fighting back when confronted with a dire situation.
Among these, the most widely circulated segment was Martin picking up a gun from the ground, charging out of the school convenience store, and shouting, "My brother is outside!" Internet users went wild with comments.
"This line brought tears to my eyes!"
"I want a friend like that brother!"
"I would never say a bad word about Martin in my life!"
Martin Davis's name skyrocketed to the top of Google's most searched keywords that night.
Countless netizens flocked to Martin's blog to leave messages.
"I saw the news video. Even though I'm not a fan of your movies, you are truly a hero!"
"Originally, I thought it was just an exaggeration of film art when someone took down a criminal, but now I know it was all about you, a true hero!"
"Martin is a genuine hero!"
The blog comments section filled with thousands of similar remarks, surpassing 50,000 comments by around 10 p.m.
Some of the surviving cheerleaders were interviewed as they left school.
NBC broadcasted an interview with an ordinary girl. She described the terrifying experience, how Martin had bravely intervened, and even how he had used a Coke bottle as a weapon.
NBC News held an emergency meeting to discuss the matter in the office. One executive shouted, "I want every detail about Martin Davis! And get in touch with him, but not for some frivolous entertainment show; I want him on our news program, the most serious news program!"
CNN, headquartered in Atlanta, went so far as to call Kelly Gray to invite Martin for an interview.
ABC established connections overnight, reaching out to WAM's Ari Emmanuel.
Ari had already communicated with Thomas about Martin's high visibility. Rashly participating in certain programs might have an adverse effect, and some invitations could be declined.
Furthermore, an official press conference from Los Angeles was expected soon.
At 10 o'clock in the evening in Los Angeles, Warner TV's evening news achieved record-breaking ratings. Tens of millions of viewers across the United States remained glued to their televisions, awaiting the latest footage of the shooting.
This footage depicted Martin and the others cornered by the gunmen. With the LAPD on the way, they had cooperated to distract the assailants, according to the news story.
Martin's charismatic performance was on full display.
"Because I am the leader of the Coke Cult, I can control Coke bottles to launch attacks!"
These words resonated across the United States through television broadcasts.
Recalling Martin's use of a glass bottle of Coke to incapacitate one of the gunmen, it was clear that the title of Coke Cult leader was well-deserved.
The news footage spread like wildfire across the internet, swiftly gaining widespread attention.
The internet quickly established the reputation of the Coca-Cola Cult in just one hour.
Despite Martin's usual silence on the internet to avoid misinterpretations, enthusiastic netizens couldn't help but worship him as their "leader."
"How can I join the Coke Cult?" they tentatively asked at first, but soon actively sought to join.
"Leader, please accept me into the cult!"
"I want to join the Cola Cult!"
"Begging to join the cult!"
Some even went as far as to ask, "Is there still a position for a deputy cult leader or high priest? Can you save one for me?"
Due to the time difference, it was still early morning in Los Angeles, while people in Atlanta had already begun their workday.
At Coca-Cola headquarters, Marketing Director Brody had just arrived when his supervisor, Justin, entered his office with a USB flash drive.
"Boss, big news!" Justin exclaimed, holding up the USB drive. "Take a look, there was a shooting in Los Angeles."
Brody inserted the USB flash drive into his laptop. "I heard about it. Burbank Middle School, right? Terrible casualties."
Justin continued, "Martin Davis, a Hollywood star from Atlanta, saved more than ten people. He even knocked down a gunman using a bottle of our Coca-Cola!"
Brody's interest was piqued. "Really? Can we leverage this for marketing?"
Justin added, "Also, Martin Davis claimed to have established a Coca-Cola cult and declared himself as the leader..."
Brody clicked on the videos to watch. One showed Martin subduing a gunman with a Coca-Cola bottle, and the other featured Martin using the so-called Coca-Cola cult to distract another gunman.
The more Brody watched, the more intrigued he became. Was there truly a Coca-Cola Cult?
Justin informed him, "The online response is exploding."
Brody opened his browser and saw that Martin Davis and Burbank High School were among the top five most-searched keywords on Google. Surprisingly, "Coca-Cola Cult" ranked fifth.
He clicked on the entry and saw numerous webpages filled with comments from netizens eager to join the Coke Cult. He couldn't help but wonder, "Is this Coca-Cola Cult real, or is Martin Davis just mentioning it casually?"
Justin replied, "We're not certain yet. A friend mentioned a rumor in the Atlanta beverage industry that someone calls themselves the High Priest of Coke cult and has been buying Coke produced in 2003."
Brody was puzzled. "What's the point of acquiring 2003 Coca-Cola? It's surely expired by now."
He then refocused on the matter at hand. "Can we use this for endorsements?"
Justin said, "He's Hollywood's hottest young star under 25, and he recently played the lead role in a movie that grossed over $100 million in North America. Last week, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo announced that he would star in their new film, 'The Departed.' He's a perfect fit to be our spokesperson."
Brody shared similar thoughts. "With the video of Martin subduing the gunman, Coca-Cola's visibility is skyrocketing."
Justin continued, "Martin Davis comes from Atlanta, Georgia the birthplace of Coke! Just think about the advertising opportunities!"
Brody made a decision. "You handle gathering information about Martin Davis. I'll propose him as the spokesperson for our new Coke campaign at the next meeting. Given the momentum from this incident, it's likely to be approved. Your team should also prepare for negotiations."
Justin replied, "Boss, I've got it covered."
At the subsequent meeting, the proposal to contact Martin Davis and invite him as Coca-Cola's spokesperson received almost no resistance and was approved.
...
The following day, the front pages of North America's three major newspapers—the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and the Washington Post—were dominated by the Burbank High School incident.
The government aimed to shape public opinion, with large close-up images of Martin saving people taking center stage. Mainstream media tactfully reported the tragedy, highlighting Martin's heroic actions in bold black fonts while minimizing the mention of casualties.
The Los Angeles Times featured the headline, "Los Angeles' Urban Hero: Martin Davis!"
The New York Times declared, "Martin Davis, a Hero Beyond the Silver Screen!"
The Washington Post went even further with, "Martin Davis: America's Spiritual Hero!"
Warner TV News ran a special report early in the morning, featuring Helen as an eyewitness who discussed why Martin was able to defeat the gunmen.
"In every tragic event like this, innocent lives are often lost," she began. "But this time, someone stepped forward, and he's none other than Martin Davis, a Hollywood star."
"Thanks to his film training," Helen continued, "he was in the right place at the right time. Initially, he panicked like anyone else, but as he fled, he remembered to alert others to run for their lives. When cornered by the gunmen, Martin took action."
The shooting and Helen's story led to record-breaking morning news ratings.
Helen added, "Martin is preparing to star in an action-packed gunfight film based on the comic book 'Wanted.' His extensive firearms training enabled him to react in high-pressure situations and subdue the gunmen effectively."
The wanted poster was on everyone's lips.
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