The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 36: Hawke Didn't Like Being Passive]

Back in the car, Hawke pulled out a special press pass and tossed it to Edward in the driver's seat. "Here's what you wanted."

Edward picked up the pass and repeatedly kissed it. "Boss, you've saved my happiness for the rest of my life. With this, I'll be full of confidence on dates. I'll soon have that woman and her two kids and move into a new place."

After completing their second challenge, Hawke realized Edward was quite useful. He simply said, "When we get back, I'll send you a $200 bonus. You can't go on a date without some cash..."

Edward was surprised. "Isn't it always the woman who pays? Why would a man be paying?"

He couldn't suppress his disdain. "Boss, your thinking is so outdated. Would you like me to take you out to learn a thing or two? With your mindset, you'll struggle to attract women. Want me to hook you up with some porn VHS tapes? Don't worry, they are free."

Hawke replied, "Shut up."

Having spent a few days with Hawke, Edward had become bolder. "You shouldn't just shut me up every time we talk about this. It makes you look weaker, like... are you still a virgin?"

Hawke thought to himself, I refresh my virgin status every day at noon. He casually remarked, "I can't settle for average. If I'm interested, it has to be someone of the caliber of a young Brooke Shields or Jennifer Connelly."

Edward frowned. "Well, that seems a bit challenging."

...

Hawke drove back to Fountain Street and parked in front of the house before heading inside.

Edward followed in with beers and snacks, having dragged it all along. Hawke put his equipment bag down, pulled out $200 in cash, and wrote a bonus note by hand, stuffing it into Edward's hands for him to sign for the money.

West Coast Media Entertainment Studio was still only registered verbally at this point; the actual registration process hadn't been completed yet.

Edward signed for the money, placing the beers and snacks on the table, then opened a can and handed it to Hawke. "It's late; can I crash at your place tonight? I promise I'll have my new place soon."

Hawke replied, "There are two bedrooms upstairs. You can take the side room."

Edward quickly raised his can for a toast with Hawke. "Boss, no man has ever treated me this well."

Hawke followed up with, "What about your father?"

"Who knows where he is," Edward said simply. "You know what the biggest trait of African American men is? Irresponsibility towards women and family. If a woman gets pregnant, the man is out the door in a heartbeat."

Hawke glanced at the time; it was almost 11 o'clock. He reached for the remote, turned on the TV, and switched to channel 11.

He commented, "A lot of women are drawn to men like that; responsible guys aren't exactly appealing."

Edward tentatively asked, "Boss, are you a responsible man?"

Hawke was vague. "Who knows?"

At 11 PM, Midnight Entertainment started right on time.

The headline news featured the videotape Hawke had sold. "Midnight Entertainment" gave it a focused report, starting precisely as Hawke had expected, concentrating on the story of the Lord of the Rings cast attacking media reporters and obstructing press freedom.

But suddenly, a live connection with a language expert caught him off guard. The host, Megan, mentioned that someone on the scene suspected Ian McKellen had used discriminatory language to attack a Black reporter during their escape and asked the expert if they could discern anything.

The language expert said the nightly video wasn't clear enough to make a determination.

Their brief connection ended, and the program drew no conclusions but did leave room for speculation, making viewers wonder if Ian McKellen had really said something harsh.

"He didn't discriminate against me," Edward put down his beer can and stated, "I can assure you of that."

Hawke responded, "The show's about getting news coverage and ratings, not the truth."

Edward scoffed, "Their moral standards are so low. We're much nobler than them; at least we're not slandering people!"

He felt superiority: "We are the ones who pursue the truth and report the truth."

Hawke, shamelessly agreeing, added, "To do that, we don't mind catering to the masses in an entertaining way; heroes can become villains and villains can become heroes."

Edward lifted his can. "Boss, you're cultured and knowledgeable; I toast to you!"

Hawke clinked cans and took a huge gulp, emphasizing, "Savior, we're still quite weak. We need to focus on collecting news responsibly, capturing video or photos to submit to the media; otherwise, we risk getting sued."

Edward, lacking in understanding, asked, "Aren't all gossip origins scandals?"

Hawke shook his head. "With images or videos, that's called a scandal; without them, that's called defamation!"

Edward nodded slowly. "I understand now -- defamation can lead to lawsuits and financial damages."

Hawke continued watching the program as it reported on the results of that year's Oscars. Most of the segment was gossip and rumors, including a recap of Eddie Murphy's solicitation scandal from the National Enquirer, reminiscing about his dating history.

Midnight Entertainment was an all-out gossip show, with a radically bold style.

By sheer style, it seemed like they wanted to strip away every secret about every celebrity.

The show lined up perfectly with Hawke's current needs; he saved Claire's contact information, knowing he could develop a reliable selling channel for video footage in the future.

Los Angeles Channel 11, backed by the Fox network, was not just financially robust; its style was wild enough as well.

Hawke tucked the $15,000 checks safely before heading upstairs to rest.

...

The next morning, he dragged Edward out for a workout. On the way back, he made a special stop to grab a copy of World News Oscar special.

The front page was emblazoned with the Oscars ceremony, while the photo of Ian McKellen that Hawke had sold made the headline on page three.

Even after the chaos of the previous night where Ian McKellen smashed a McDonald's, it was still heavyweight gossip.

After breakfast, Hawke returned to his studio, pulled out the third page of the paper, and sorted it along with previous articles detailing the affairs and solicitation scandals, neatly stowing it in a filing cabinet.

These were the studio's achievements and could serve as capital when needed.

As Hawke finished organizing, he received a call from the agency; the registration of the studio was in its final steps, requiring his signature in person.

"I have a few things to take care of during the day." Edward scratched his head, embarrassed. "Can I...?"

Being a senior cannon fodder diving into the fray, Hawke waved generously. "Go on your date."

There was another reason: Edward's snoring had been deafening last night; he couldn't stay here another night.

Edward grabbed the press pass and headed out on a date with a divorced woman.

Hawke set out alone, driving up Highland Avenue, where he signed a business license, tax registration, and other necessary documents with the help of the agency's staff, completing the last steps.

West Coast Media Entertainment Studio was officially founded.

...

After finishing up, Hawke cashed the check and found a payphone to call the private investigator, asking for updates with his East Coast accent.

The PI reported there were some leads; among Downey's entourage, there was a guy who frequently attended private card games, but more concrete details would take a few more days.

Hawke hung up, pondering where to find his next news angle and source of income while driving back.

Waiting passively wasn't Hawke's style; he could continue printing business cards and have Edward hire temp workers to distribute them.

But Hawke didn't like waiting passively.

With the challenges of entering the industry, it was hard to pinpoint suitable news; he had to figure out ways to manufacture news.

A thought crossed his mind about Robert Downey Jr., becoming clearer by the moment.

Take initiative to create incidents and capture them on tape, turning that into the money necessary to bolster his own power.

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.