Chapter 78: White and Black

[Chapter 79: White and Black]

In the temporary office suite, Hawke opened the briefcase he had just picked up, carefully checked the camera inside, and added a mini external microphone.

Edward brought over the power cord and plugged it in to charge the battery.

Hawke said, "I just went down to check. The break room in the medical building connects to the coffee shop, and it's relatively quiet there. We'll set up the spying location there."

Edward rubbed his hands in anticipation, "Boss, don't worry. I've trained for so long; there won't be any problems."

Hawke waved his hand, "Relax. If it doesn't work out this time, we can always try again."

Edward thought about it and realized it was true; the thrill was gone in an instant.

This spying operation was neither tense nor stimulating.

Hawke looked at the time and said, "I will step out for a bit. You assist Miss Baa. Don't let Steve and Wilson get into a fight."

There was a knock at the door.

Hawke opened it to find Caroline.

Caroline had finished drafting the copy and wanted him to take a look.

Hawke reviewed it carefully, pointing out two areas that needed changes. Once Caroline made the adjustments, he instructed Steve and Wilson to memorize their lines.

Both men were public figures, having faced cameras many times before, so they managed well.

Hawke put on his jacket, grabbed his bag, and headed out.

Caroline followed him outside and asked, "Where are you going?"

Hawke simply replied, "The in-vitro-fertilization program still needs an endorsement. I'm going to find a professional institution to fill that gap."

...

He went downstairs and drove to the Irvine Medical Center based on the information provided by the nurse.

After taking a quick look, Hawke turned around and left.

It was a huge comprehensive medical group, with six tall buildings occupying several floors.

Steve wasn't significant enough to matter here.

...

Soon after, Hawke found the Agatha Fertility Center.

This place resembled a large clinic more than anything else.

Hawke observed for a moment; there seemed to be no one coming or going. Once inside, the atmosphere was relatively quiet.

The enthusiastic nurse had already inquired for him, noting there were fewer than 50,000 in vitro births in the entire country each year. Compared to the massive Irvine Medical Center, the more specialized Agatha Fertility Center was doing just okay.

Hawke approached the front desk and pulled out a business card, "I represent Steve Nutt and Daisy Nutt; I have an important matter for your manager."

The receptionist asked cautiously, "Steve Nutt, the star player for the Dodgers?"

Hawke confirmed, "That's right."

The receptionist reported to her superior, who then made a phone call. After waiting five or six minutes, the receptionist received a response and led Hawke to the second floor.

...

In a large office, he met Dr. Agatha, the founder and head of the center.

She was dressed in a sharp women's suit and wore black-rimmed glasses. After shaking hands with Hawke, she said, "I saw the news today; the Nutt couple is at St. Joseph's Hospital waiting for their baby to be born."

"The baby has already been born," Hawke replied, pulling out Steve's authorization letter and his own business card from the briefcase and placing them in front of Agatha. "Doctor, you can verify this at any time."

Agatha remained composed and asked, "What do you want to do?"

Hawke said, "Steve and Daisy Nutt have tasked me with expressing their gratitude to you for helping their angel arrive through IVF."

Agatha frowned, not recalling any past cases of their in vitro births at her center.

Hawke continued, "Right now, numerous fans and media reporters are gathered at the entrance of St. Joseph's Hospital. Steve and Daisy cannot come in person, but once they handle all these matters, they will personally come to express their thanks. A lot of media will be present, so please prepare accordingly."

He smiled politely, "Steve also wants this opportunity to let couples in California and across the country who want children but cannot have them know that Agatha Fertility Center can help them fulfill their wishes."

At this point, Agatha understood, eyeing Hawke up and down, then called in her assistant to verify the information.

Hawke relaxed slightly, pleased he didn't have to go find another place.

The assistant quickly provided a positive confirmation.

Agatha stated directly, "We cannot have fewer than twenty media representatives on-site, and at least five need to be from mainstream outlets."

Hawke wasn't afraid of her demands; he was more concerned if there weren't any. "That's doable," he replied.

He proposed his own request: "I will notify you ahead of time, but I ask that you personally meet and receive the Nutt couple."

"I will wait for the Nutt couple to come," Agatha replied, trying to gain more benefits. "When Steve comes to express his thanks, I would like to take a photo with the couple, and I will display the photo prominently in the clinic's lobby."

Hawke said, "No problem, but you cannot use the photo for promotional purposes in the media directly, as that would infringe upon Steve's portrait rights."

Agatha frowned.

If one wants someone to take risks for support, they need to offer a benefit, but Hawke wouldn't have to provide it. He suggested, "Media reporters can snap photos of the wall picture and press it in the media; you won't be able to control that."

Agatha chuckled, took out her business card, and handed it to Hawke. "Just let me know when the time is set; you can call me anytime."

Hawke accepted the card, packed away the authorization letter, and stood up to shake hands with Agatha again. "Pleasant cooperation."

Agatha escorted him out of her office.

...

With that settled, Hawke immediately returned to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he encountered Caroline at the ward's entrance.

Miss Baa asked in surprise, "You got everything wrapped up in less than half an hour?"

"The Agatha Fertility Center is on board with us. Based on Daisy's recovery status and media coverage, we'll set a time for the Nutt couple to visit." Hawke delegated the follow-up communication to Caroline, instructing her to speak with the Nutt couple after the spying operation concluded.

...

In the temporary office, Steve and Wilson began rehearsing according to the script.

The first part went fine, but the latter half of the script, which involved anti-racism, caused the two of them to break into laughter frequently.

"Gentlemen, please be serious; this is a very serious topic." Although Hawke never took this matter too seriously, he couldn't say that aloud.

He picked up a sports magazine that Edward had found, turning to an article about last year's Boston incident, saying, "Have you both forgotten last year's game with the Boston Red Sox? How those guys insulted you!"

Wilson glanced at the pictures in the magazine, noticing images of fried chicken, watermelon, and bananas, and his laughter instantly faded.

A strong team had to have a sense of collective honor. Steve was the core star of the Dodgers and commented, "I will always remember that moment."

The two of them focused on rehearsing earnestly.

After listening for a bit, Hawke felt something was off and asked, "Is there a lot of vulgar or insulting talk among teammates when you chat privately?"

Steve suddenly realized, "No wonder I find it awkward talking to Wilson."

Edward, standing by the door, muttered to himself, "Awkward is because he got with your wife and gave you a little black kid in the process."

On the other hand, Steve and Wilson's conversation was peppered with their everyday slang and coarse language, and they found their groove.

...

After rehearsing a few more times, Hawke sent Edward to grab the briefcase camera and called Biles, who was waiting in the coffee shop, saying, "Gentlemen, it's time for action."

He first instructed Wilson, "You hurry to the medical building coffee shop and find a quiet place to wait."

Wilson left first, followed by agent Cobb.

Hawke glanced at his watch and told Steve, "You leave in two minutes. Savior, now take the bag downstairs, and start following Steve from outside the main entrance. Stay sharp; don't get caught by hospital security."

Edward grabbed the bag and replied, "No one can catch the Savior; not even the T1000."

Once they all left, Hawke was the last to go.

Caroline tried to follow but was stopped by Hawke, "You stay here and guard the ward. Don't let anyone sneak in; if someone snaps a picture now, you'll lose your cut."

"Who dares!" With the mention of her cut, Caroline's face turned fierce as she pulled a taser from her bag. "If someone dares to come over, I'll make sure they can only stare at the ceiling!"

...

A few minutes later, Hawke went downstairs and arrived at the coffee shop adjacent to the medical building. Standing outside the glass door, he observed for a moment before spotting Steve and Wilson.

At a table diagonally behind them, Edward ordered coffee and dessert as if enjoying afternoon tea.

The briefcase was placed diagonally on the table, with the camera facing Steve and Wilson.

Hawke ordered a lemonade and quietly walked over, taking a seat behind the two men.

"Buddy, after coming back from Boston last year, you said your sperm was too poor and insisted on using mine to help Daisy with the in vitro," Wilson spoke casually. "Well, for the sake of brotherhood, I fucking agreed."

He questioned, "Now that the baby is born, you bastard, you won't even let me take a look!"

Steve replied, "I didn't say I wouldn't let you see the baby. The doctor said it's not convenient for the baby to see anyone for the time being. Newborns often have varying degrees of jaundice, and the baby's levels are a bit high, so just wait a little longer."

Wilson shook his head, "I don't understand all this jargon." He then asked, "What about the baby's skin tone? Is it like yours, or mine?"

Steve responded, "The complexion is like yours."

Wilson whistled, "My friend, you will have troubles in the future." His tone suddenly turned serious, "You and Daisy won't be rejecting him, will you?"

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Steve momentarily lost his words; after a brief silence, he said, "You know nothing; you know nothing at all."

Wilson raised his chin, "Don't underestimate me!"

Steve recalled the gist of the lines, "I have so many friends; why did I choose you? You have no idea!"

Wilson showcased his talent for rap, "How would I know if you didn't say anything?"

Steve added, "Remember last year's game against the Red Sox in Boston? Those extremists brazenly attacked us in the most vile and insane ways, insulting you and the other black brothers on the team. They weren't just insulting you; it was an insult to the entire Dodgers!"

His voice grew more passionate, "This kind of thing has happened over and over again, previously in Arlington and in Seattle; similar incidents have occurred. And what can I do as captain? All I can do is comfort you, saying this is the behavior of a minority, that everything will get better, but in reality? I can't do a damn thing!"

Wilson said, "Steve, you've done a lot..."

Steve, afraid of losing his words, took the opportunity to speak, "After coming back from Boston last year, I've been thinking about how to support you all, how to raise awareness, and then Daisy reminded me. After careful consideration, I felt that as a pure white couple like Daisy and me, if we could raise a black child, we could set an example and perhaps help you all!"

*****

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