Chapter 148: Concept for a New Media Website

[Chapter 149: Concept for a New Media Website]

Los Angeles, Woodland Hills.

Erica drove her Cherokee up the hill.

After passing the last intersection, she quickly turned her head to Hawke, deliberately asking, "Aren't you even a little nervous?"

Hawke smiled, "Why should I be nervous?"

"That's true," Erica said, reaching out her right hand to hold Hawke's left hand, "We've faced life-and-death tests together; what could be scarier than facing death itself?"

Hawke never said sweet nothings, but some words meant more than sweet talk: "You're mistaken; I'm not nervous because Paul Ferguson is your grandpa, and you're my biggest support."

Suddenly, Erica stopped the car and said directly, "Hawke Osment, if you keep this up, I won't be able to resist asking you to marry me."

She restarted the car and drove toward a luxurious estate halfway up the hillside, where the gates slid open automatically.

The residence was spacious, with an older building style; it looked like it had been constructed for a long time.

Erica parked the car in the fountain square.

A butler came over to open the car door.

Hawke brought the gift Erica had prepared for him and stepped out, politely saying, "Thank you."

The butler smiled and nodded to both of them, "Please, this way."

...

The three of them entered the villa through the front door, walking all the way through to the back door.

As they passed the garden, Hawke heard gunfire, sounding like a lever-action rifle being fired.

He then saw a shooting range with an old man in a cowboy hat standing on it.

Paul Ferguson was tall, slightly overweight, holding a Winchester lever-action rifle.

Erica introduced both parties.

Hawke stepped forward to shake hands and presented the gift.

Paul opened it casually, and inside was a classic Colt revolver.

He handed it to the butler, glanced at Erica, and said, "When I was young, I loved playing with guns. I grew up on a ranch, where coyotes and black bears were dangers, and whether you are strong or weak, the only way to survive is to have a gun."

Hawke naturally replied, "I grew up between ranches and mountains in Wyoming, and I've had guns as companions since childhood. I've killed at least a hundred coyotes with my gun."

Paul tossed the rifle toward him, "Let me see your shooting skill."

Hawke was familiar with such old firearms; he skillfully loaded the bullets and aimed at a target several dozen meters away before pulling the trigger.

The gunfire rang out rhythmically.

Hawke quickly emptied all the bullets.

Paul lowered his binoculars, "Perfect ten on every shot, good shooting!"

"My father used to say, when the wolves come, you must greet them with a gun!" Hawke recognized the meaning behind Paul's words; his philosophy was somewhat similar: "Only when you hurt them or scare them will they retreat for a while."

Paul nodded slightly, saying, "This Winchester is a gift for you."

"Thank you," Hawke replied, and just then, the butler came over to package the gun.

Paul walked toward the lounge, and when Hawke and Erica caught up, he said, "I heard from Brian about the situation. You did excellently."

Hawke gave a polite response, "One person can't do it; it's the entire team's cooperation that matters."

Paul, with clarity, dispelled that notion: "You could have done the same with another team, but without you, it would be hard to achieve the current level."

His tone suddenly grew serious: "Brian is just a puppet in your hands."

Hawke responded, "In fact, without him standing in front, no matter how good the planning is, it's still just fluff. Many things are about strength."

Paul took a seat and directly asked, "What are your plans next?"

This was a question Hawke had expected.

Though she'd never asked it before, Erica was also listening intently.

Hawke responded calmly, "Besides the current crisis management and business strategy consulting, I'm preparing to venture into the internet media industry."

He clearly wanted to demonstrate his value: "This collaboration with Brian revealed a serious issue -- American media... temporarily focusing solely on California, most mainstream media is either blue or deep blue. I felt oppressed in public opinion along with Brian; even if we obtained the video, they still manipulated media reports to deflect public attention, weakening the impact of the video."

Paul observed quietly, fully aware that what Hawke was saying was true.

The weakness in media opinion prevented them from expanding on their victories quickly.

Hawke continued, "Internet media has a quick response time and fewer restrictions..."

Paul had some understanding of the internet: "Portal sites?"

Hawke explained, "Somewhat like blogs, but with more interactivity and media functionality."

Paul slowly remarked, "Based on my impression of the internet, the key lies in the users."

"Hollywood is crucial," Hawke stated simply: "People in the entertainment and sports circles are mostly blue supporters. These guys, with their notoriety, can often inadvertently support blue initiatives. For instance, Leonardo getting engaged recently -- everything they do easily draws public attention."

He shifted gears, "But these stars are also scandal factories. I'm good at utilizing scandals; as long as the juicy gossip is explosive enough, attention and user engagement won't be an issue."

Essentially, what Hawke aimed to do was a combination of TMZ, Twitter, and TikTok, creating a platform where users could interactively engage in entertainment online, officially ushering in an era of universal entertainment.

But at that time, the cell phone camera era had just started; mobile phones hadn't even popularized basic photography functions, while home camcorders were pricey -- TikTok was still a future prospect.

Currently, a combination of the first two aspects seemed more realistic.

However, launching new online media faced the biggest challenge: attracting users.

The public's fascination with celebrity gossip far outweighed their interest in social-political scandals.

By leveraging celebrity scandals that could become super hot topics, the aim was to draw in users.

Although celebrity scandals were relatively safe, they still held substantial risk given the potential conflicts of interest.

Hawke needed a certain degree of influence to support this.

Paul pondered for a moment: "It's great for young people to have ideas and drive. For legal issues, you can frequently consult Brian; for business matters, you might want to discuss with Erica's mother."

With that said, Hawke knew it was time to take his leave.

He and Erica took the Winchester rifle Paul had gifted them and departed.

...

Before the shooting range, Paul sat for a moment and said to the butler, "Have Erica's mother keep an eye on him."

The butler promptly made a call.

For Paul Ferguson, a small investment from Mary Ferguson would suffice.

If Hawke Osment succeeds, they would benefit greatly.

Should he fail, that minor loss wouldn't even count as a drop in the bucket.

...

As the Cherokee drove out of the estate, Erica was a bit excited, saying to Hawke, "When my mother came to visit for the first time, grandpa also gave her a Winchester as a gift."

"Looks like I'm getting the good treatment here." Though he said that, Hawke knew it wouldn't be that simple.

Thinking from a negative angle, this kind of mass-produced rifle was like some sort of heart-shaped stone.

Capitalizing on it was never easy.

What happened to Wagenen was not only a test for Brian but also for him.

"Starting a business is tough, right?" Erica sighed as she drove. "I don't know much about it and can't really help you."

Hawke chuckled, "I've said it, you're my biggest support."

Erica smiled back, deliberately asking, "Do you have an estimate of the results?"

At that question, images of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg flashed in Hawke's mind, along with an image of a homeless person on the street. He said, "Success might turn me into a millionaire; failure means I'll be on the street with a bucket."

Erica replied sincerely, "Failure doesn't matter; I can take care of you."

...

It was Monday, and they had work to handle.

Erica dropped Hawke off at Silver Lake, agreeing to resume their handwork that evening, and drove to the detective bureau.

Hawke tidied up his tools, grabbed a long gun, and put it in the Benz before heading back to Fountain Street.

Both Edward and Caroline were already there.

Hawke began delegating new tasks, handing an envelope to Caroline, "About what we discussed last time, you'll take care of it this week. I've prepared all the relevant materials; if you need anything, just come find me."

Caroline received it and handed Hawke a copy of Hollywood Reporter, "The nominations for this year's Golden Globe Awards were announced this morning; Sarah snagged a nomination, but Jennifer Aniston didn't make the list."

Hawke noticed Sarah Parker's photo on the cover, her pregnant figure standing out among the other celebrities.

Edward leaned over to take a look, asking a crucial question, "Does she want to terminate it or keep the baby?"

Hawke and Caroline instantly turned to stare at the Savior.

Edward raised his hands defensively, "I'm just asking out of pure curiosity, nothing else."

Hawke patted his shoulder, asking, "You want to manage her with another man?"

"Absolutely not," Edward quickly shook his head, thinking of the horrifying scenario, "I won't ask anymore."

...

Caroline was out finding an intermediary company to handle the paperwork.

Hawke instructed Edward to open the computer and browse blog-like websites to compile statistics.

Since 9/11, blogs had proliferated rapidly, with hundreds of different types of blog sites established across the U.S.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say there were new blog sites being registered weekly while others shut down.

Building a site from scratch was far less cost-effective than acquiring a soon-to-close small blog.

...

In the afternoon, Hawke received a call from Erica; her mother, Mary Ferguson, wanted to discuss the establishment of the new media website with him.

As Erica's mother, Hawke was quite aware of the importance of this meeting. He went to downtown Los Angeles and entered an investment holding company in the recently renamed Federal Bank Building to meet Mary Ferguson.

The two talked all afternoon; despite some disagreements, they reached a consensus on cooperation.

In the following two weeks, Hawke focused on business matters for the new company.

Additionally, Erica had encountered another case, and the two of them hadn't had time to practice shooting at the Artel Mountain range for a long while.

This raised concerns for some people.

*****

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