Chương 118: Chapter 118: The Greatest Strategist
[Chapter 119: The Greatest Strategist]
Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium.
Since the morning, crowds streamed into Dodger Stadium.
Everyone was wearing the Dodgers' newly launched charity gear, featuring Steve kneeling and anti-discrimination slogans on their baseball jerseys.
Just from the clothing, the Dodgers had already raked in over a million dollars.
By the afternoon, over fifty thousand people filled the stadium. Other than the reserved safety area, every seat was taken.
Hawke and Caroline settled into their box.
As the game was about to start, players began to enter the field. When Steve Nutt stepped out of the player tunnel, the stadium erupted with deafening cheers, followed by a long round of applause.
Without Hawke having to look for anyone, countless fans spontaneously paid tribute to Steve in that wondrous land of California.
The applause lasted several minutes.
Steve was completely lost in the moment.
He walked to the front of the field, raised his arms, and surveyed the crowd before kneeling once more.
The Dodgers players and the Caltech baseball team mirrored his gesture.
The two teams knelt on one knee in support of equality and anti-discrimination.
The live camera first zoomed in on Steve before capturing the panoramic view of the stadium.
At that moment, the equality pioneer Steve looked like a saint descending from the heavens.
Even Jesus would have jumped down from the cross to give his place to Steve.
...
Hawke looked down from the box and saw many fans leaving their seats, also kneeling in solidarity on the stands like Steve.
Caroline shook her head. When the noise died down, she leaned closer to Hawke and said, "This society is getting more surreal."
Hawke laughed, "Surreal is how we make money. If it weren't surreal, why would Steve be pulling out his wallet?"
"By the way, Steve asked me to ask you something." Caroline inquired, "What kind of car do you like?"
Hawke replied without hesitation, "Something more business-oriented."
Caroline took note.
At that moment, someone from the adjacent box waved over to them.
Though it was a bit far away and the stadium noise was chaotic, Hawke smiled and nodded in response.
Steve's wife, Daisy, sat in the stands holding their African American baby.
As the camera panned over, her face beamed with a radiant smile.
Hawke figured that this couple wouldn't be getting a divorce anytime soon.
The game began, but Hawke and Caroline couldn't make heads or tails of it; most of the time, they were just making small talk.
To Hawke, the most important part was the pre-game ceremony.
Caroline was in a fantastic mood. "Did you notice how well we work together? We can handle all this nonsense perfectly."
"Do you know why we work well together?" Hawke didn't wait for her to respond. He continued, "Because you just need to follow my instructions. The rest of the time, you can go 'baa baa baa.'"
Thinking about the generous commissions they could earn from working with Hawke, Caroline swallowed her sarcasm and responded flatteringly, "Don't worry, I can also help you bring in clients."
Hawke asked, "Who? Johnson and Steve are already my regular clients. Bringing them back won't earn you a commission."
Not only was he pushing Caroline to find new clients, but Hawke also wanted her to lean closer to his targets.
After getting to know Caroline over the past few months, Hawke learned about her key clients.
Caroline thought for a moment, "Award season is coming up soon; do you know much about how to push for awards?"
Hawke recalled her mentioning it once before. "Last time you said Sarah Parker was aiming for the Golden Globe? Is it her?"
"Exactly, it's Sarah," Caroline said. Over time, every time she got a commission from Hawke, along with their friend-like jabs at each other, she felt cautiously trusting of him. "I remember mentioning that Sarah wanted to go for the Best Actress in a Comedy Series at the Golden Globes."
Hawke put on a serious thinking face, "Let me think about it."
Caroline added, "Forget the usual PR stuff. My company and I will handle that. You stick to what you do best."
By now, she fully endorsed Hawke's unconventional ways: "Times really have changed. Those old methods really needed an update."
Hawke pointed to the stadium and casually remarked, "Look at this, with this trend, those unconventional methods you speak of will soon become mainstream."
Caroline lowered her proud chin, "What about unconventional PR for Sarah during the award season? Can you come up with something?"
Hawke pondered briefly and said, "I have an idea, but I need to discuss it with Sarah Parker in person. Broderek can't know about it for the time being."
He reminded her, "Last time you approached me for PR, Sarah knew who I was. How do we calm her fears? You need to handle that."
"That shouldn't be hard. Sarah is a refined self-interested person. Once she learns what you've done, she'll make the right choice," Caroline said, thinking of the commission she could grab from this deal. "I'll definitely set up a meeting with Sarah."
Hawke asked, "How's Broderek and Sarah's relationship lately? Are they not having any issues?"
Caroline thought of the unique couple. "Better than I can comprehend. From what I know, they go out at least once a month to seek some outside company. Given how long this has been going on, Broderek not only hasn't developed any grievances against Sarah, but he has grown to love her even more."
Hawke confirmed, "It wouldn't be an act, would it?"
Caroline shook her head, "Not at all. Sarah occasionally mentions how much she loves Broderek. It doesn't even come close to what Broderek feels for her."
The baseball game turned out to be painfully dull. About halfway through, Hawke and Caroline decided to leave.
...
As they distanced themselves from the stadium, Caroline waited until the phone signal was clear, then called Sarah, "Got a moment? With award season approaching, I want to discuss Golden Globe PR with you."
On the other end, Sarah asked, "Oh really? Have you thought of a good idea?"
"I've found a talented PR strategist for you," Caroline said directly. "Steve Nutt last time, and now with Josh Hartnett and Allison Faith's selfie scandal, as well as the LAPD taking down the Mule Gang, all of that was planned by him."
These were recent hot topics in Los Angeles that Sarah had seen on TV and in the papers. Now that she heard the mastermind was a professional, she quickly asked, "Where's he now?"
Caroline added, "He had a run-in with us. He's the one who shot those photos of you and Broderek."
Sarah's voice instinctively rose, "You mean Hawke Osment from West Coast Media Entertainment Studio?"
Caroline hadn't expected Sarah would remember, "That's right, it's him."
"Isn't he a paparazzo?" Sarah jumped in. "How did he switch to PR work? I remember he charged me a lot of money last time."
Caroline explained, "That was when he just arrived in LA and hadn't found his footing yet. He's not doing that paparazzi stuff anymore. Sarah, you know I also PR for Steve Nutt. I watched him pull off two major operations for Steve. They were absolutely brilliant and unexpected. He turned a sports star about to be disgraced by a scandal into a white version of Martin Luther King!"
Sarah fell silent on the other end of the line.
Caroline added, "Hawke Osment gets the job done. Every client he has worked with speaks highly of him. Feel free to find out for yourself."
"Sweetheart, it's not that I don't trust you," Sarah said. "I just need time to think it over."
...
After Caroline hung up, Sarah made several calls. From her agency to friends in the LAPD, and then acquaintances in the media industry, she used connections to gather information.
In these past few months, Hawke had built not just wealth but also prestige and credibility.
Before long, Sarah received multiple responses praising Hawke's abilities and professional ethics from those involved in the incidents.
Her agent got in direct contact with Steve's agent, who bluntly stated that without Hawke, there wouldn't be a Steve today.
Sarah decided to first meet and see how it went.
Then she called Caroline back.
They agreed to meet the following afternoon.
...
After returning, Hawke reviewed Sarah Parker's profile and this year's potential competitors for the Golden Globe.
...
That evening in prime time, with Hawke orchestrating it, Steve Nutt and his wife appeared together on Ace News, sharing their journey throughout the past week.
Though constrained by the nature of the show, the segment wasn't very long, but that night Ace News had record-breaking viewership.
The champion of equality in America had arrived.
...
The next morning, the media and newspapers were flooded with coverage of the charity game.
The two teams made the front page headlines.
Half of Los Angeles was talking about Steve kneeling.
The topics of atonement and equality had become the hottest conversation in the country by late September.
Steve's name had topped Google's trending searches for several consecutive days.
This brought him not just fame but immense respect.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the city hall's email inbox was overwhelmed, with at least tens of thousands of emails urging Los Angeles to establish a day of atonement or a Steve Nutt Day.
Los Angeles city hall had no choice but to respond, stating they were considering it.
At the routine White House press conference on Monday, the spokesperson also mentioned Steve.
Even with the current administration being from the Republican Party, they still graciously praised Steve on such issues.
...
At 10:30 in the morning, Hawke rode in Edward's Cadillac and returned to Dodger Stadium once more.
After Edward parked, he accompanied Hawke toward the team's office.
He pointed to the sidewalk outside the park, "Boss, look over there."
Hawke's gaze crossed the floral fence separating the driveway and saw a Black man standing across from a White man.
The Black man was saying something, but it was too far away for Hawke to hear.
Moments later, the White man stepped back, kneeling on one knee in front of the Black man.
The Black man left, seemingly satisfied, and the White man appeared very pleased.
Edward witnessed all of this and remarked, "Is this still the world I know?"
Hawke turned and continued walking forward, saying, "That kind of White person is still a minority."
"No way, when we get back to the studio, I'm going to make Frank watch the news and the footage," Edward declared passionately. "I want that old guy to apologize to me."
Hawke quipped, "Savior, trust my judgment. Frank will definitely pull out his Taser and zap you down."
Up ahead, the tall and slender Caroline had been waiting for a long time. When she saw them approach, she complained, "You two are late."
Edward reached forward, revealing his Jaeger-LeCoultre watch almost in Caroline's face, pointing to the hands, "We still have three minutes left until our planned time. You're the one who came early."
Caroline rolled her eyes, "Don't show off to me. When I was making my way up in this world, you were still eating dirt in Compton."
Hawke walked ahead first. When he heard the sound of high heels closing in, he asked, "Any new updates I should know about?"
"TIME magazine reached out to me," Caroline said while walking. "They want to do an exclusive interview with Steve. If everything goes well, Steve will be the cover story of the next issue."
Hawke said, "Go on."
Caroline continued, "The Oprah Winfrey Show sent an invitation for Steve to come to Chicago to record an episode. Los Angeles is considering granting Steve an honorary citizen title, and the NAACP is looking to help Steve secure the Presidential Medal of Freedom."
"This is crazy. The whole world has gone mad," Edward, a Black man himself, couldn't believe it. "I seriously doubt we are living in a real world!"
Before Caroline could finish, she added, "The Dodgers are planning to erect a statue for Steve, with the initial design being Steve kneeling."
Hawke thought for a moment and asked, "Does Steve have plans to retire?"
"Not yet," Caroline replied, confused why Hawke cared about that.
Hawke said no more and reached the meeting room. A team staff member opened the door for him.
"Look who's here," Steve's voice exaggerated a bit, "Our greatest strategist, Hawke, has arrived!"
Hawke chuckled, "From your mood, it's clear my plan worked."
"Very successful!" Steve replied.
Team manager Maduke approached to shake Hawke's hand, "In this regard, you are a genius!"
He added seriously, "The team has decided that you will always have a box at Dodger Stadium. Whenever you want to come watch the game, you can, or if you don't have time, you can share it with your family and friends."
If calculated based on the market price of Dodger tickets, this was indeed a great gift.
Hawke took the two cards Maduke handed him and said, "Thank you."
Having worked with Hawke before, Steve knew how to cater to him and said, "Before you came over, I called the accountant. You'll receive the final payment soon."
Maduke added, "I've made the final payment on my end as well."
Steve knew he would still need Hawke's help in the future. He ushered everyone out of the meeting room and into the office area.
While walking, he made a phone call.
As they stepped off the stairs, a new second-generation Audi A8 drove up.
The driver got out and handed the car keys to Steve.
"Now it's yours," Steve said, handing over the keys to Hawke, "The car has all the paperwork. You just need to complete the final registration."
Hawke accepted the keys, "I won't be polite."
He figured if he didn't take the car, Steve wouldn't sleep well that night.
Caroline looked on in envy from a distance, glancing at her red Mercedes, thinking it was time to upgrade, too.
But no one was offering her a car.
At that moment, Hawke received a call from the bank that the final payment had arrived.
...
As Hawke prepared to leave, Caroline quietly approached him, "I still need to accompany Steve for a media interview. I've set up a meeting with Sarah for this afternoon. I'll call you when I'm done."
Hawke nodded slightly.
Maduke and Steve had more activities planned next.
Hawke didn't linger, got into the Audi, and headed to a nearby auto shop to finalize the registration paperwork.
Edward received a call from the agency stating that the registration for Butterfly Consulting was in the final stage. He went to pick up Campos to finish the last registration.
While Hawke waited, he called Campos, "Try to track down Matthew Broderick. Ask the Savior who exactly it is."
He instructed, "Remember, it's better to find nothing than to alert him."
Campos understood, "I know what to do."
Hawke hung up the phone, waited for the paperwork to finish, and asked a worker to help him hang the license plates. After tipping, he left the auto shop.
...
He called Erica, finding out she hadn't gone out for field work today, and drove over to the detective agency nearby to take her out for lunch.
They entered a Spanish-style restaurant.
Once their meals were served, Erica curiously asked, "Is it you who has been working the Steve Nutt story?"
Hawke nodded, "It's pretty much wrapped up."
Erica gazed curiously at Hawke, asking, "I don't quite get it. How do you always come up with these strange methods?"
Hawke jokingly said, "Maybe I'm a strange person?" He then asked, "When do you plan to take your vacation? I can be ready to go at a moment's notice."
"Within this week," Erica thought for a moment and said, "Wyoming... I'll ask around to get a hunting license, and then I'll apply for a concealed carry permit."
Hawke informed her, "I won't need that. Wyoming has pretty lenient gun laws. Local residents typically don't face limitations, especially someone like me who owns a ranch."
Erica replied, "I'll take care of it promptly; once it's done, I can take my vacation."
Hawke said, "Call me when it's done. I'll book the tickets. Don't worry; it won't be a red-eye flight."
Erica started to argue, "Red-eye flights are fine. We can take a nap on the plane and wake up at our destination."
"I've said it, expenses on me this time." Hawke said seriously, "Of course, I'll make sure you eat well, drink well, and have fun."
Erica smiled, "Alright, I'll leave it to you." She then asked, "Have you ever hunted a bear?"
Hawke slowly shook his head, "No, I've only hunted coyotes and wild boars. Those are pests everywhere, the scourge of ranchers and farmers."
Erica was particularly interested in bear hunting. "I hope we can take down a bear!"
Hawke replied, "When that happens, I'll grill you some bear paws."
"Can you eat that?" Erica expressed her disbelief, "I heard my grandpa say he once tried cooking bear meat after he hunted one, but it didn't taste good at all."
Hawke confirmed, "It's not tasty because you lack an authentic chef."
Before they finished their meal, Erica's phone rang. After answering and exchanging a few words, she looked apologetic, "There's a developing case. I have to leave."
Hawke nodded, "It's alright, hurry and go."
Erica smiled at him before hurrying out of the restaurant.
Hawke finished his meal alone, and as he left the restaurant, he received a call from Caroline.
"I'm done here. Sarah is getting ready," Caroline said. "Where should we meet?"
Hawke thought for a moment and said, "Same place, Beverly Business Club. I'll head there now; come with Sarah."
*****
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