Chapter 124: Principles? Do We Have Any?

[Chapter 125: Principles? Do We Have Any?]

Beverly Hills, St. Louis Private Fertility Center.

In the VIP lounge's waiting area, Hawke sat on a bench, flipping through the application rules published by the Golden Globe Awards Committee.

Compared to the Oscars, the Golden Globes were relatively simpler, with only about 100 judges. All these judges were senior figures from the media circle.

Hawke vaguely recalled that the Me Too movement had officially surfaced during the Golden Globe Awards ceremony. The event was notably more left-leaning than the Oscars.

Caroline and Sarah's new agent, Sophia, came over from the consultation room.

Hawke asked, "What's the situation now?"

Knowing she had yet to earn Sarah's trust compared to the two veterans, Sophia replied proactively, "She's in the ultrasound room, and results will come soon."

Hawke handed the documents to Caroline and said, "I'm going to the restroom."

Caroline obediently took the papers like an assistant.

Once Hawke walked away, Sophia quietly asked Caroline, "Are the rumors in the industry about the West Coast Studio true?"

"Of course, they are true. The rumors are far too conservative; the reality is even more exaggerated," Caroline replied, looking polished from head to toe and knowing how to flatter: "Why would Sarah hire Hawke at such a high salary? Because I've collaborated many times with Hawke to achieve those incredible things."

Sophia's gaze towards Caroline changed.

Although she didn't know the details, there were whispers about Steve Nutt and the Selfie Gate scandal, as well as LAPD's recent public relations and strategic planning, all stemming from a business strategy company called West Coast Studio.

How could anyone involved be simple?

Before long, Caroline's cellphone beeped, prompting her to rush Sophia toward the elevator.

As the elevator descended, Sarah Jessica Parker walked out.

Upon seeing Caroline and Sophia, she immediately asked, "Where's Hawke? Where is he?"

Hawke emerged from the restroom, saying, "I'm right here."

Sarah handed him a test report, "Good news, I'm pregnant!"

"Congratulations." Hawke looked at the report, which bore a clear diagnosis.

Sarah opened her arms and hugged Hawke tightly, "Thank you!"

Hawke thought to himself, "Isn't this going to get confusing? I'm not the one who got you pregnant!"

He turned to Caroline, "Has everything been sorted out at the hospital?"

Caroline replied, "We signed a confidentiality agreement. The clinic has a great reputation, and there's a limited number of people in the know, so confidentiality shouldn't be an issue."

Many Hollywood stars had their early pregnancy checks done here, and there had never been a leak before.

Hawke led everyone to the underground parking garage.

Edward was waiting in a van.

...

Once they got in, Sarah asked, "Are we going to share the pregnancy news right now?"

"Not yet, we're following the plan." Hawke had long prepared his reasoning: "We can't give the impression that you're deliberately going for the awards, and we definitely can't let anyone feel that your pregnancy is a ploy for the awards. You can't be the one to announce it."

Sophia agreed, "That makes sense."

Hawke reached for Sarah, "Give me the test results; I'll release them at the right time."

Sarah handed the results over, "Just give me a heads up so I'm mentally prepared."

Hawke glanced at the test results, "Once the media breaks the news, you'll need to respond publicly."

Sarah inquired, "What about other aspects?"

"First, we need to advertise through the correct channels," Hawke looked at Caroline and Sophia, "You both are better at this than I am; I won't comment."

Sarah reminded him, "With your pregnancy plan in place, as long as we handle that Jennifer Aniston situation, my chances of winning are at least seventy percent."

Hawke wanted to ensure it was much higher than that, "I need to guarantee you at least a ninety percent chance of winning."

"Really?" Sarah laughed, "As long as I can score that Golden Globe, I'll cooperate fully with you."

The implications in her words were clear, almost directly stated.

Hawke pretended not to understand and directed his attention to Caroline, "Make sure you maintain good communication with the crew."

Caroline answered, "Leave it to me."

This wasn't the Oscars; the crew had limited resources and would only follow a conventional publicity model.

Having been pregnant before, Sarah noted, "Time is a bit tight; two months is too early to show."

Hawke didn't care about that at all, "No worries, just pad your belly a bit." He waved the test report, "You really are pregnant."

Sarah smiled, "That's right."

Hawke said to Sophia, "You need to go to another city and buy a set of pregnancy disguise supplies. It doesn't have to be too exaggerated, just enough to suggest you're showing."

Sophia, who was a mother, understood, "I know what to do."

...

After dropping Sarah off in Sherman Oaks, Caroline got into Hawke's car and left.

Hawke reminded her, "What's the status on Brad Pitt? How's the collection going?"

"You ordered me to collect silently to avoid alerting Pitt, so it's been slow," Caroline explained, "Just give me a little more time."

Hawke applied a bit of pressure, "LV, Chanel, and Hermes are launching their new season soon. Is your credit card maxed out yet?"

That pushed Caroline to get moving: "Three days, I guarantee I can sort it out."

Hawke added, "Also, I need an update on Sarah's itinerary every day about her schedule for the next day. If there are any changes on the day, let me know right away."

For the past few months, Caroline had completely let her guard down around Hawke, thinking he was being genuinely responsible, and replied, "I will."

...

After Hawke and Caroline left Sherman Oaks, Edward parked the car and dropped her off.

Caroline got into her little Mercedes and immediately started making phone calls, tapping into all the networking she'd built as a publicist over the years.

After finishing her calls, Caroline paused, suddenly feeling, "Am I being PUA'd?"

But thinking about the potential $20,000 commission, she didn't care.

If every deal could earn that much, Caroline was willing to be PUA'd by Hawke every day.

...

In the van, Hawke stored Sarah's test results and said to Edward, "Put your other work on hold for now. Maintain the shooting equipment, and take the time to accompany Campos to the Beverly Beauty Center to familiarize him with the environment, so he's prepared to shoot Sarah."

Edward scratched his head, "Boss, what are we shooting her for? The pregnancy? Or with Broderick with someone else?"

Hawke corrected him, "Remember the Beverly Beauty Center?"

"Of course I remember," Edward quickly replied, "Boss, you had me keep an eye on it for a long time. Even though I can't get into the beauty center, I'm very familiar with the surrounding situation."

Hawke, through this task, had come to know everything about Sarah's situation: "Sarah is about to go for beauty injections, and I need you to shoot photos of her coming in and out, and I will find a way to get her facial photos."

He had started laying the groundwork half a year ago, and it was finally time to reap the rewards.

But Edward seemed not to understand, "Shouldn't we be helping Sarah aim for the awards? If this exposure gets out, it might be harmful for her, increasing our workload, right?"

Hawke clarified, "What I want is for our workload to increase. Crisis management holds opportunities buried within danger."

Edward had done self-promotion more than once but always with client consent.

Cautiously, he asked, "Boss, while this is also self-promotion, isn't it a bit against our principles to work against a signed client?"

Hawke asked back, "What are our principles?"

Edward could only remember one: "All news must be based on real events."

Any other principles? It seemed there were none!

Hawke continued, "The contract we signed with Sarah is to help her win the Golden Globe for Best Actress, and we must fulfill that contract. Anything else has not been stipulated."

Edward thought about it and realized that was indeed the case.

"Remember, Sarah is only a means to an end." To ensure the Savior's better cooperation, Hawke revealed just a bit, "Broderick is our real target."

Edward was even more puzzled; a producer's news was nowhere near as valuable as a star's.

Hawke jokingly said, "Just remember to get it done. If not, I'll notify the women on your reserve list..."

"Boss, you can't do that! You can't do that!" Edward's backup list was his lifeline: "I may not have major contributions, but I've worked hard!"

He recalled a detail that Hawke relished, "I caught Deborah under one of Robert Downey Jr.'s wedding photos, went to the cemetery to tell Downey, and even took the chance to fight with Downey's son during karate practice. I plan to take Deborah to the cemetery next year on Downey's death anniversary to escalate things."

That emotional value soared, and Hawke thought the company could collapse, but he could never give up on the Savior.

...

Hollywood, Paramount Pictures.

As the only traditional film company still based in Hollywood, Paramount Pictures appeared continually in films and television. Surrounding it were numerous acting training programs.

Countless men and women chasing their dreams of stardom were relentlessly harvested by these programs, as if they were chives being harvested over and over.

The Super Star Training School was one of them, and Broderick was one of the major shareholders.

The annual profits created by the school often surpassed Broderick's income as a producer.

As long as Broderick was in Los Angeles, he attended classes every session.

He would also take some time to browse the profiles of each class's students.

After today's session, Broderick walked out.

A blonde girl he had guided during the class misinterpreted the situation and immediately followed him, "Mr. Derrick, I still have a few questions I'm unclear about. Can I ask you in private?"

Broderick walked out while maintaining a presence in the public eye, "Of course, but I'm very busy, Mia. Let's talk as we walk."

Mia kept up, "Wasn't my impression of Jodie Foster good?"

"You imitated her well, but that was just imitation," Broderick pointed out the critical issue with strong professionalism, "When you step onto a set and get a script, how do you transform the words on that page into a performance? Who do you imitate then?"

Mia suddenly realized, "So I still have a long way to go."

Broderick had looked over her profile, called her out to perform in class, and had left her with a question to ponder for good reason.

He stepped out the door of the training school and added, "This is the second time I've taught you; your talent is the best among all the students I've taught this year, and your looks are also outstanding."

Mia felt a bit excited, "Thank you."

"If you have the means, don't just watch and imitate, but actively think about how you would perform," Broderick casually asked, "Do you live alone or with others? I suggest you live alone; it's better for your focused learning."

Mia replied, "I just arrived in Hollywood, and most of my money went into acting classes. I currently live alone in a motel on Knock Street."

Having heard the rumors about Hollywood, she was an open girl who had made the decision, "Mr. Broderick, if you have time, can you come over at night and guide me privately?"

This made Broderick shake his head with a chuckle, "Mia, I remember you're just 17, right? Is your father older than me?"

Mia looked down, "I just wanted to express my gratitude for your guidance."

Broderick's expression turned serious, "Don't say such things to me again. My wife is Sarah Jessica Parker, and I love her dearly. I would do anything for her."

"I'm sorry." In that moment, Mia felt there were still good people in Hollywood: "I misunderstood."

Broderick smiled slightly, "No need to be like that; Hollywood isn't as you imagine. There are many people like me who maintain their principles."

He seriously stated, "You have great talent; don't waste it. If there's an opportunity, I'll help you. Give me your contact information."

Naive and inexperienced, Mia didn't have a full understanding of the complexities of human nature.

She shared her phone number, feeling grateful: "Thank you."

Noticing more students were coming out, Broderick quietly reminded her, "Resources are limited; don't tell others about this."

Mia nodded vigorously.

"Okay, go back now; I have to get busy," Broderick crossed the sidewalk and got into a nearby car.

Mia watched the car leave her sight.

...

Meanwhile, across the street in the parking spot, the butterfly, Campos, put down his portable camera, slowly followed Broderick, and picked up a walkie-talkie, "Garcia, you keep following the blonde girl he talked to."

The reply came from the other end, "Got it."

When Mia called for a taxi, Garcia drove a common Chevrolet and followed suit.

His background was somewhat similar to Campos'. He had been a policeman in Mexico but had ruffled the feathers of local cartels and had to flee to California.

He had exhausted every means to obtain a legal identity until he met Campos, finally seeing the light of day.

...

Broderick drove through North Hollywood, stopping at a gas station. After refueling, he took a moment to pull over.

He took out his phone and dialed, "Carl, it's me."

The person on the other end spoke rapidly, "Your line is the easiest to find targets on; the bosses' new gathering is about to start, and the gifts aren't ready. If this continues, we're all going to get in trouble."

Broderick asked, "Are all the other lines good to go?"

The person replied, "We are lagging behind at the moment. The fastest bastards have brought in a lot of minors from Ukraine, Mexico, and Romania. They are the ones who have the most difficulty."

Broderick stated, "Don't worry, just speed up the process. We won't delay the bosses' New Year gathering."

For the bosses' gathering, high-quality goods had to be provided, but those people were playing too crazily, and incidents of death were not uncommon.

Broderick's typical approach was to leverage his status as a producer to target those single girls arriving from out of town to deceive and lure them.

Once people disappeared, no one paid attention.

The number of missing persons in North America each year was far too high, not to mention those illegal immigrants that went missing.

As long as there were no bodies, there were no homicide cases.

Broderick discussed Mia's situation: "The girl I mentioned the other day lives in a motel on Knock Street. Tonight, I'll call and ask her out; you send... No, your subordinates are too uncouth and likely to scare her, so you should drive there in person, pretending to be my driver to pick her up."

Carl laughed, "You always manage to tackle the hardest tasks; the ones I need to do are just small potatoes."

Broderick cautioned, "Be careful, and don't have any mishaps."

"Don't worry, I can handle it." The other end hung up.

Broderick tucked away his phone and started the car to attend a media gathering that evening.

With Sarah aiming for the Golden Globe, he had mobilized all possible resources.

Aside from his special preferences, Broderick genuinely had no shortcomings when it came to Sarah.

He could be considered Hollywood's most passionate man.

Broderick even called Melissa Ackerman to enlist her help.

...

During the gathering, Broderick found time to call Mia, telling her there's a high-end party in the film industry and there is a small supporting role perfect for her in a director's new work, but the director wanted to see her first.

The other party was in a hurry, so he sent a driver and a car over.

The 17-year-old girl dreaming of fame put on her best makeup and the prettiest clothes, eagerly awaiting the driver's call.

Mia dashed out of the motel.

A black Mercedes was parked at the entrance, with a kindly suited man standing next to it.

Upon seeing Mia come out, the suited man stepped forward and asked, "Are you Miss Mia?"

"Yes, that's me." Mia replied with a smile, "Hello."

The suited man opened the back door, "Please get in; Mr. Broderick is waiting for you."

Mia quickly entered the Mercedes.

The suited man got in and drove away.

...

Campos didn't rush and patiently waited.

Sure enough, an SUV drove from the other end and followed the Mercedes.

The following vehicle was clearly checking whether there were any trackers behind it.

Campos drove closely behind while using a walkie-talkie: "Garcia, Carlos, the three of us will cross-track; there appears to be a tail behind the target, so be careful."

"Copy that!"

"Copy that!"

...

In the Mercedes, the suited man announced, "Miss Mia, there are candies and bottled water on your left. Please help yourself if you need some."

"Thank you." Mia noticed high-end mineral water she had only seen online before.

She grab a bottle, twisting off the cap and taking a couple of sips.

Due to psychological factors, Mia found the water exceptionally sweet, with a taste she had never experienced before.

Before long, her eyelids grew heavy, and she fell asleep promptly.

The suited man glanced in the rearview mirror and slightly shook his head; these girls dreaming of being stars were too easy to deceive.

Broderick, overseeing the Super Star Training School, always managed to fill the slots effortlessly. No wonder he never rushed; the girls he provided were both young and beautiful.

After contacting his companions in the back, the suited man drove straight to Venice, entering a seaside club.

...

Campos parked at a distance, took out binoculars to observe, adjusted his camera lens to snap a few photos, and, keeping in mind Hawke's advice to not alert the target, signaled his companions to swiftly move away.

Afterward, he returned to Butterfly Consulting to organize the recorded videos and footage.

Once this was done, it was already midnight, and Campos felt it was urgent enough to dial Hawke's number.

*****

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