The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 155: Hollywood's Exemplary Couple and Showdown]

Faced with Megan's question, Hawke laid the blame squarely on someone else's shoulders. "Someone's cursing us."

Megan was confused by the statement, "Cursing? Are we talking about mysticism now? Did you not only provoke Mexican traffickers but also anger voodoo practitioners?"

Hawke clarified, "In the face of absolute firepower, those are minor issues."

Megan didn't say much more, quickly calculating and giving the highest copyright transfer fee. "$300,000. Any more than that will get me into trouble."

"Deal." Hawke agreed. "Let's complete the paperwork."

He stressed, "Don't forget our stance."

Megan nodded, "I'm no stranger to collaborating with the LAPD; I'll call Suzy shortly."

Assistant Aisha arrived in the office to handle the copyright transfer. After Hawke signed the transfer agreement, the $300,000 quickly transferred into the West Coast Media Studio's account.

Afterward, Megan completed her exchange with Suzy. There was nothing special -- just broadcasting the surveillance video and adding voiceovers during key stages.

The video wasn't long, only about five minutes.

Megan took the storage drive and called a meeting with her team.

...

Hawke didn't linger much longer; he exited the set and took the elevator down.

As he came out of the elevator, a woman walked out of the adjacent elevator -- Gretchen.

Hawke had heard from Megan that Gretchen had been reassigned to the Fox news station to host the morning news show, Fox & Friends.

Gretchen glanced at Hawke but didn't show any intent to engage, quickly walking past him to the front of the Fox building.

Just then, a Rolls Royce Phantom pulled up, stopping in front of the entrance.

Gretchen stepped forward to open the door, and a Black man wearing a white baseball cap stepped out.

He shook hands with Gretchen before they both entered the building.

Hawke paused and scanned briefly, recognizing the man's familiar face -- Hollywood's only Black superstar, Will Smith.

Hawke got into his Mercedes and drove away from Fox.

...

Inside the building, Gretchen accompanied Will Smith to the elevator.

His agent followed closely behind.

They had come today to discuss the details regarding the program's interview scheduled for three days later.

Three of them arrived on the upper floors, entering a meeting room.

The agent emphasized, "The interview is strictly limited to entertainment and films; no political topics. Will's political inclinations don't align with Fox."

This was part of the promotion for Bad Boys II.

Getting Will Smith on board was quite a feat for Gretchen; she knew he wasn't particularly fond of liberal views and promised, "All topics will center around Will's career and Bad Boys II."

She specifically asked, "Can we touch on Will's family matters? Like his everyday interactions with Jada?"

Will Smith flashed a charming smile. "Sure, but don't get too personal."

"A few questions about your relationship." Gretchen said with a smile. "You are the most famous exemplary couple in Hollywood."

Will felt a bit sarcastic at the description of "exemplary couple," but he didn't say much.

Because Gretchen was making a concession, the conversation proceeded smoothly.

The agent went off to discuss the script with the show's editor, leaving only Gretchen and Will Smith in the room.

Will Smith patted the space next to him. "Come sit."

To entice Will Smith, Gretchen made several concessions, standing up and adjusting her short skirt slightly before sitting next to him.

Will Smith extended his hand towards Gretchen's thigh. "Is this okay?"

"Of course." Gretchen smiled back.

Will Smith's hand moved down, exploring, "You know, I was in the audience when you won Miss America. You were breathtaking back then, leaving an indelible impression on me. Even now, I can still picture you wearing that crown."

Gretchen asked, "Am I not beautiful now?"

"Very beautiful," Will Smith laughed. "So I accepted your invitation."

Few women rejected him, so he was very direct, "When will you fulfill your promise?"

"Tonight." During this time, Gretchen had not only accompanied Roger Ailes of Fox but also attended other events on his behalf.

Once a woman's boundaries are crossed, proceeding with further interactions feels entirely justified.

Gretchen thought it was a worthy sacrifice to secure Will Smith for an early morning interview.

After the agent finished discussing the script, Will Smith temporarily left Fox and sent Gretchen a text from the car, giving her the address of a non-public property in Los Angeles.

Both Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith owned secret properties, and they usually didn't interfere with each other's lives.

On the way back, Will Smith called his wife, "I won't be home tonight."

Jada Pinkett Smith replied, "Exactly; I won't be home tonight either."

This couple had established a mutual understanding in certain aspects.

...

In the capital of Baja California, Mexicali.

Cars rolled into a manor in the city.

High-ranking members of the Mule Gang gathered in Mexicali because the media in Los Angeles had just reported a significant event.

Many talented gang members had perished in Los Angeles.

They needed to come up with a solution quickly moving forward.

From the outside, the manor appeared unremarkable.

Inside, however, the individuals were heavily armed, resembling a fortified stronghold.

As time grew late, suddenly all the lights in the manor went out. Explosions were heard in the power distribution room and generator locations, flames erupted into a bright inferno.

Voices shouting "attack" in Spanish echoed continuously.

At the same time, gunfire erupted without warning. Security guards within the manor were systematically picked off by more than one sniper from a distance, with blood gushing from their bodies.

All three gates were simultaneously breached as pickup trucks and SUVs with makeshift machine gun mounts stormed in from the outside.

Although some members of the Mule Gang consisted of former Mexican officers, they had long since become corrupted, and the most elite among them had already died at the villa in Silver Lake.

In the face of the elite mercenaries, the battle tilted heavily from the start.

Furthermore, the mercenaries were leaving no survivors and went on a slaughtering spree.

Inside the villa, the leader of the Mule Gang, Herlault, was making a phone call to a senior officer at Mexicali Police Department when his call was abruptly cut off.

Following that, he attempted to call a senior officer in the local army, but that call also failed to connect.

...

At the Mexicali Police Department, the officer sat in his office, fully armed with several trusted henchmen guarding outside.

On the desk opposite the officer sat an open suitcase filled with U.S. dollars.

In the face of the choice between cash and offending a big shot from America, he remained loyal to his instinctive choice.

In the ever-changing cycle of drug cartels across the Mexico-U.S. border, it wasn't unusual for some individuals to become rich and others to be taken out; the hands behind such operations were clear.

He was well aware that the true dominators hailed from America.

Better to offend anyone than a big shot from America.

...

Inside the manor, the gunfire gradually ceased, and a fire that had originally just burned in a corner suddenly became an inferno, consuming the entire estate.

Even before the smoke cleared, the stench of burning bodies wafted in the air.

The mercenaries came swiftly and left even faster; they rapidly distanced themselves, disappearing into the night.

Most of the Mule Gang's leadership perished in the assault.

The following morning, the Mexicali police arrived at the scene, reporting after an inspection that a gang showdown had occurred at the manor, resulting in multiple fatalities and subsequent fires.

Gang showdowns occurred all too frequently along the Mexico-U.S. border, with people on the other side of the border occasionally climbing to high floors to watch the unique fireworks set off by Mexicans on the other side of the border wall.

...

In Los Angeles, at LAPD headquarters in the Parker Center.

The LAPD's Media and Public Relations Office held a press conference regarding the shooting incident in Silver Lake community.

Because last night's Ace News aired the surveillance footage, expectations for the news conference had significantly lowered.

The atmosphere only brightened when LAPD's top star, Erica Ferguson, took to the stage.

Erica described the incident of that night in an orderly fashion and replied to several reporters' questions before using fatigue as an excuse to exit.

...

After the press conference, Erica followed the routine protocol to receive psychological counseling and then processed her administrative leave.

Stepping out of the office building, she got into the Mercedes in the parking lot and said to Hawke, "We can leave now."

Hawke started the car and drove out of Parker Center, asking, "Any plans for the leave?"

Erica replied, "I can't leave Los Angeles; I have to assist with the investigation whenever needed. Today I'm heading to your place, and tomorrow I'll be at Woodland Hills, where my grandparents want me to accompany them."

As Hawke drove west toward East Hollywood, Erica informed him, "I received word from the police department about a gang showdown in Mexicali last night. Most of the key members of the Mule Gang were killed in that clash."

Hawke wasn't surprised by the news but doubted the statement, "Was it really a gang showdown?"

Erica shrugged, "That's the information I received."

She teased, "You didn't sneak away to Mexicali overnight, did you? That you kept it to yourself?"

"I don't have such an appetite," Hawke joked back, "If I really aimed to take out that Mule Gang, I couldn't do it without your remote assistance."

He continued to joke, "Once we have enough money, we can support our elite followers. Anyone who dares to provoke us will be met with artillery fire."

Erica laughed brightly, "I love this style."

While Hawke seemed to be joking, he was genuinely considering it; America was too simple, and some matters couldn't be overlooked.

Once at a certain level, actions must be taken without hesitation.

...

Arriving at Fountain Street, they entered the studio where Caroline and Edward were on the first floor.

Erica greeted them, grabbed a laptop, and headed upstairs to avoid disrupting Hawke's work.

Hawke sat at his desk, asking, "How's the progress on the work you're handling?"

Edward spoke first, "I've mobilized a lot of people, including our ugly trio, and once the website launches, we can have them spread the word in gossip columns so people know there's a new news sales channel in Los Angeles."

Caroline placed a document before Hawke. "This is the consulting document from the real estate company."

Hawke waved his hand, "Send that over later."

Caroline returned with another document, "I found a suitable acquisition target for the website."

*****

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