Chapter 52: Public Opinion Surge

[Chapter 52: Public Opinion Surge]

In the morning, Hawke changed out of his workout clothes and came downstairs. Edward entered carrying a stack of newspapers and was about to close the door when a big foot slid in from behind.

Frank shamelessly chimed in, "I'll take the newspapers once you're done reading."

Edward was unwilling to part with the newspapers he bought with his own money. "Have a little dignity, will ya? You old beggar, barging in like that. Careful, or I might call the cops."

Frank snickered, "What? Did your ancestors plant the cotton that these newspapers are made from?"

Not getting anywhere with that tactic, Edward switched gears and delivered a lethal blow: "Don't make me find out who your kid's mother is!" He flashed a set of big white teeth with a grin. "Otherwise..."

Frank felt like he might have an aneurysm.

At that moment, Hawke came over, took several newspapers from Edward, and flipped through the entertainment pages. Almost every paper prominently featured articles about Dwayne Johnson.

"Dwayne Johnson bravely fought off three thugs to rescue a woman being robbed!"

"True Hero Dwayne Johnson!"

"Fighting villains is just the same for The Rock both on-screen and off!"

Frank glanced over Hawke's shoulder at the news and asked, "Is this related to you?"

Hawke, of course, didn't tell the truth. "I managed to get my hands on the news."

"You didn't get duped, did you?" Frank pulled over a newspaper and read it carefully, furrowing his brow slightly. "Something feels off. Isn't this the timing for the premiere of The Scorpion King? His perfectly timed heroics, huh?"

"That really happened." Hawke tucked an entertainment headline into the same folder as the earlier headlines. "I just sold the video to Channel 11; it aired as the lead story on 'Midnight Entertainment' last night."

"Congrats, you made a quick buck again." Frank coughed lightly. "No treat?"

Hawke wasn't about to let Frank take advantage of him and replied bluntly, "You bring your ex-wife along, and I'll treat. We'll throw a big party."

Frank wasn't at all concerned about losing respect and continued on, "Let's find a weekend, set up the party right in front of the trailer. You guys with girlfriends can invite them over."

Edward seized the opportunity, "Just tell me your ex-wife's name, and I'll help you bring her."

Frank ignored him completely.

Hawke glanced at the time and said, "Gotta go, time to work."

He patted Frank on the shoulder and pulled out a battered ashtray. "You should be heading to work too; get out of the way."

Frank scoffed, taking the ashtray and the newspapers, heading outside.

Hawke and Edward followed him out.

Frank stopped, turned back to look at the studio door, and asked, "Where's the surveillance camera around here? I haven't seen it. Is it really installed?"

Hawke simply replied, "Discreet, on the outside. Too easy to vandalize otherwise."

Frank, ever shameless, went to the sidewalk, set up the old ashtray and newspapers, then plopped down onto them.

As for whether passersby would contribute, it was purely a matter of luck.

Edward, taking pleasure in his mischief, pulled out a dime and tossed it into the ashtray. "No need to thank me."

"Thanks," Frank mumbled.

Hawke couldn't help but comment, "You two are real talents."

He went over to the passenger side of the Mondeo and called Edward, "Drive."

Edward hurried off to the driver's seat.

...

They left East Hollywood and headed straight to Beverly Hills, quickly arriving at William Morris.

When Hawke got out of the car, he found Dwayne Johnson surrounded by a throng of reporters in the parking lot.

Not far away, Caroline stood by a Mercedes watching the scene.

She waved when she spotted Hawke.

Hawke strode over and asked, "How did the show go?"

Caroline lightly kicked at her high heels and replied, "Twelve media outlets sent reporters, including Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, Vanity Fair, Variety, and People."

The first part sounded fine, but the latter part had a different flavor, "All legitimate entertainment media, not those toilet newspapers like National Enquirer."

Hawke caught the jab and shot back, "You actually use newspapers as toilet paper? Impressive, very impressive. Aren't you worried about getting a paper cut?"

Caroline pretended not to hear, sticking her neck out and raising her head, adorned in a light red Chanel, looking like a flamingo.

Thanks to last night's lead story on 'Midnight Entertainment' and today's extensive media coverage, Johnson had become the center of attention, with reporters swarming to scoop the latest on him.

Many photographers were snapping pictures of the bruises on Johnson's face.

Johnson displayed his injuries proudly, seeing them as medals for his bravery.

Yet he remained humble, repeatedly telling the reporters, "I just did what any man should do."

...

After nearly an hour of chaos, Dwayne Johnson finally made his way into William Morris.

Hawke followed him inside.

As soon as they reached the meeting rooms, Johnson called out to Hawke, "You were so right; this injury will at least grab two headlines."

Hawke checked Johnson's schedule. "Hold off on treatment; don't you have a stand-up show this week? Go on stage with your wounds."

Johnson threw an arm over Hawke's shoulder. "I'm all ears."

Caroline nudged, "I reminded you earlier, before him."

Psychology is strange; sometimes, an outsider's advice resonates more. Johnson responded earnestly, "But you're not as comprehensive and flexible as Hawke."

At that moment, Dany Garcia entered from outside, handing Hawke an invitation. "For you."

Hawke glanced at it: "The premiere invite and ticket for The Scorpion King."

Dany smiled, "Dwayne specially prepared this gift for you."

Hawke passed it on to Edward for safekeeping. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Johnson joked, "But you can't walk the red carpet with this; just head straight to the theater."

Hawke was uninterested in the red carpet, saying, "How about you introduce me to a few clients instead?"

Johnson thought for a moment and realized he did have a friend who needed help in that area. The usual routes weren't going to cut it.

He agreed, "No problem."

Dany took out a laptop and sat down at the conference table. "The online buzz is really high."

Hawke and the others gathered behind her to take a look.

Numerous websites, blogs, and forums had shared the video of Johnson rescuing someone, and if there was an award for brave deeds in America, given the media coverage, Johnson would definitely be a candidate.

The online comments were overwhelmingly positive:

"Great, this is so Dwayne; The Rock truly lives up to his name."

"Dwayne is someone you can rely on in real life, not just on-screen."

"Strong and brave, it's admirable."

"Even though Dwayne got hurt, he's even more lovable now."

"The movies are fake, but Dwayne Johnson is the real deal."

Seeing this, Caroline remarked, "BWR Public Relations Company did a professional survey, and a significant portion of the public's enthusiasm for actors often translates into interest in their movies."

Dany added, "The production team will also ramp up promotions for Dwayne."

"Let's let public opinion ferment for a bit." Hawke had a strategy, "Tomorrow, I'll arrange for the rescued person to publicly thank him, but she doesn't want her personal life disrupted, so she won't show her face."

Caroline agreed, "Sounds good, let's try to maintain this momentum for as long as possible."

Dany was still online when she chimed in, "Good news, Google search popularity has shot Dwayne's rescue news into the top three."

Johnson was beaming with joy.

In the afternoon, Stephen Sommers, the producer of The Scorpion King, called Johnson, "Well done! Ticket pre-sales for the film are up twenty percent today."

...

The next morning, Hawke met with Jacqueline and had her record a video message, thanking Johnson.

This was a matter that didn't require someone else to take the lead; the heroic rescue video had premiered on 'Midnight Entertainment,' and it was naturally required that the production team locate the involved parties.

Hawke also called Megan Taylor.

*****

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