Chương 657: Chapter 657: Strengthening Oneself by Tolerating Enemies
At night, Charles lay half-reclining on the bed, casually flipping through a magazine.
Ivanka, wrapped in a towel after her bath, sat down beside him and lit a cigarette.
"Wasn't that William Daley the brother of former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley? I can't believe he's back as the White House Chief of Staff again," Ivanka said with a puff of smoke and a laugh.
"Charles, how many things are you hiding from me?" she asked.
Charles set the magazine down and slapped her long, bare legs lightly. "Didn't we meet the Daley family a few years ago when we visited Chicago?"
"Yeah, but at that time, William Daley had already left his Secretary of Commerce position and was working at JPMorgan Chase."
"You knew about the White House Chief of Staff news even before me," Ivanka inhaled another puff, "Who could know earlier than William Daley himself? By the way, if William Daley becomes the Chief of Staff, what will happen to Pete Rouse?"
"Pete Rouse was only temporary. Isn't this the right time for a change?" Charles chuckled. The Republican stronghold, Fox News, had taken a big hit; who didn't expect that reaction? Pete Rouse was just the start; the House of Representatives would definitely target the White House even more now!
As she spoke, Ivanka pulled off the towel and climbed into bed, nestling into Charles's arms.
"By the way, I heard Capet is facing some trouble. Miss Huffington said not to worry too much. The troubles for the News Corporation in the UK are far from simple; the hacking scandal isn't serious enough yet," Ivanka continued, "And they're still trying to buy Sky to divert attention and strengthen their media influence, which has annoyed the British Parliament. Very soon, there will be big news!"
Charles patted Ivanka's head. Of course, there was. There was explosive stuff in the data Molly Bloom had collected, but it lacked evidence. With pressure from the British upper class, the evidence would soon appear.
"Did you meet Rupert Murdoch when you were in New York?" Charles asked.
Ivanka shook her head, "Since returning from London, Murdoch has seldom attended events, mostly staying at Fox TV's headquarters. And he spent a few days in Washington, too."
"I see," Charles said, pressing down on Ivanka and kissing her.
...
The next day, while Charles and Ivanka were still on the yacht, they received a private meeting invitation.
"What's up?" Ivanka asked, seeing Charles spaced out by the yacht pool.
"Rupert Murdoch is back in Los Angeles. He's invited me to meet him in Santa Barbara tonight. It was Gavin Newsom, the California Senator, who called," Charles said, touching his chin. Why would Murdoch want to meet him? He should be dealing with Washington.
"Get ready; let's go to Santa Barbara tonight," Charles said, kissing Ivanka.
California's famous seaside town, Santa Barbara, had beautiful scenery and a relaxed pace of life.
That evening, at a Spanish-style villa in Santa Barbara, Charles Capet attended a private cocktail party with Ivanka.
Present were Senator Gavin Newsom, Congressman Michael Honda, California Governor Jerry Brown, and various California elites and politicians.
"Charles, Ivanka, welcome!" Rupert Murdoch greeted them with a smile.
"Good evening, Mr. Murdoch," Ivanka greeted politely.
"How's your health?" Charles asked like an old friend.
"Not bad, but certainly not as good as you youngsters," Rupert Murdoch chuckled.
"Ivanka, do you mind if I have a private chat with Charles?" Murdoch asked.
Ivanka smiled and nodded.
Subsequently, Murdoch and Charles moved to the back hall reception room.
Gavin Newsom was chatting with Jerry Brown, "After this, Murdoch probably won't be able to compete with Charles Capet in Hollywood!"
Jerry Brown laughed, "Fox is a crucial media channel for conservative forces. They won't let it go so easily."
Gavin Newsom nodded, "Maybe."
In the back hall, after the servants delivered coffee for Murdoch and Charles, they left.
"I know you were involved in Roger Ailes' case," Rupert Murdoch directly said, "Fox News has always been the platform hated by liberalists, labeled as the stronghold of conservative forces."
Charles felt confused, "What exactly are you trying to say, Mr. Murdoch?"
"Charles, you're smart. While supporting Democrats, you still maintain contact with some Republicans," Murdoch sighed, "After the millennium, Fox News beat CNN and NBC; the rising ratings put more pressure on liberals. Your rise has given liberals a stronger proponent, and you've succeeded. But my existence is the reason you can stay strong; we both enable each other!"
Murdoch looked deeply at Charles, "If Fox really falls, is there still a need for the flag of liberalism?"
Murdoch then stood up and patted Charles's shoulder, "Think about it. What would happen if liberalism runs rampant? Is that the outcome you want?"
"Brr," Charles shivered. It wasn't until after Murdoch left that Charles snapped out of it. Rampant liberalism?
In the previous life, after Disney acquired Fox, wasn't America drowning in liberalism?
Women's rights, LGBTQ+, Black rights, Jewish communities...
A chaotic Hollywood was not what Charles wanted to see. Even though he had been targeting extreme liberals and funding moderates, without the pressure of conservative forces, everything would run rampant!
Charles's eyes widened. The dual blows of the Roger Ailes incident and the British phone-hacking scandal had brought News Corporation a real crisis.
Strengthening oneself by tolerating enemies - how had he forgotten this simple principle? The News Corporation could be in trouble, but Fox News must not fall...
*****
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