The Wolf of Los Angeles.

Chapter 205 BlackRock

Palisade, Los Angeles.

The mansion that occupies an entire hillside was brightly lit tonight as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver held a grand thank-you party at their home.

Hawke and Brian came together.

Schwarzenegger specifically called the two of them over and talked to them alone for a while. He also specifically instructed Daniel Ketchel to treat Hawke and Brian well.

As the new assistant to the governor, Daniel had a private chat with Hawke. Once the new state government is formed, an official Twitter account will be launched, and Twitter will be the state government's first choice for online media cooperation.

This was not empty talk. He reminded Hawke to send someone to liaise with the governor's office as soon as possible after work next week.

Watching Hawke and Brian enter the banquet hall.

Steven Zhang, the media and public relations director of the new governor's office, wondered: "This guy is very young, is he 25 years old?"

Daniel said solemnly: "He is the founder of Twitter."

Many people in the California Elephant Party know that Brian Ferguson performed outstandingly this time, opened up breakthroughs twice, and was one of the key figures in the successful recall election.

But a few core members also know one thing: behind the new mayor of Covina, there is an even more powerful figure named Hawk Osment.

Without Hawke Osment, there would be no Brian Ferguson.

Entering the banquet hall, Hawke met Roger Ailes, chairman of Fox Television Network, in a circle full of old men.

Brian also saw it and said, "We can't talk, so let's go to the young people."

He walked towards a man in his thirties and said, "Let me introduce you to a friend who is from Stanford University, just like me."

The man was casually wearing a suit, no tie, and had simple short brown hair. When he saw Brian, he hugged him.

Brian then introduced the two parties: "Hawk, this is Peter Thiel, founder and CEO of Long-Term Capital Management, and my alumnus of Stanford Law School. Peter, this is Hawke, founder of West Coast Media Entertainment Studios and Twitter Entertainment."

Hawke heard Brian mention the name of Long-Term Capital Management a few days ago. Like the Ferguson family's Pacific Investment Group, it is the first priority of the new governor's development plan.

Peter stepped forward, shook hands with Hawke, and said with a smile: "The last time I visited Pacific Investment, Mary introduced you to me solemnly. I am also a loyal user of Twitter now."

Hawke said politely: "My pleasure."

Peter asked: "Are you interested in moving Twitter to Silicon Valley? Silicon Valley has a better development environment for Internet companies."

Hawke certainly wouldn't, and said directly: "The conditions offered by Los Angeles are good, and the development prospects of Silicon Beach are also very good."

"When will Twitter raise funds?" Peter was very direct and took out his business card: "Be sure to notify me when the time comes."

Hawke exchanged business cards with him: "Yes."

Just after Peter Thiel left, a few more people came with almost the same purpose. They all expressed their interest in Twitter and were willing to participate in the investment.

Today, the Twitter pie is getting bigger and bigger, naturally attracting people who want to share the pie.

Hawke is now able to establish himself and has certain connections and power.

Only then can we discuss investment.

Emma Bateson, wearing a goose yellow evening gown, has been watching here.

With the invitation letter she got through Silicon Valley channels, she entered the banquet hall early in the morning.

Seeing the familiar faces from the investment circle and seeing how popular Hawke was, Emma knew that her mission would be difficult.

Seeing that there was no one around Hawke, she took the initiative to go over and introduced herself: "I'm Emma Bateson."

Hawke gently squeezed the hand she extended: "Hawk Osmond."

Emma smiled and said, "I know you, the founder of Twitter and West Coast Studios."

Hawke took a quick look at the woman. She looked to be about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with delicate makeup and a hot body.

Thinking of the person who came over earlier, he asked directly: "Which investment company do you belong to?"

"No, I don't invest." Emma shone brightly and said deliberately: "I am good at doing business strategy planning for people or companies."

After hearing this, Hawke became a little curious. Since the other party knew that he was the founder of Twitter, he must have known about West Coast Media and Entertainment Studios.

He smiled deliberately: "I didn't expect that we are in the same industry."

Emma said, “People who do strategic planning often find it difficult to plan themselves.”

She stared at Hawke with her bright eyes: "I'm from a Bay Area information consulting company in San Francisco. Are you interested in working with me?"

Hawke asked, "Collaboration? Do you want to do strategic planning for me or my company?"

"The Bay Area is the best consulting company in Silicon Valley." Emma seemed particularly confident: "The total added value of the cases I have handled is over 5 billion US dollars, and many company founders have become multi-millionaires and billionaires."

Hawke, who didn't know the company and wasn't sure if she was bragging, casually complimented her, "You're amazing."

Emma is very similar to Hawke in some ways, taking the initiative instead of waiting passively. She looked around the banquet hall and said, "There are at least a dozen people here with a net worth of over 100 million, and some with a net worth of tens of billions of dollars. In this battle in California, it seems that Schwarzenegger is the winner, but in fact they are the winners."

She tucked her curly red hair behind her ears, showing off her delicate profile. "They are the ones who can really sit at the table to eat. Don't you want to be one of them? Billions of dollars means going from a chess piece to a chess player, influencing California and even the entire United States."

Emma took a step forward gently, without crossing the social safety line, and further demonstrated her charm: "Women like me will have as much as they want, and Hollywood actresses will throw themselves at me like crazy."

"It sounds tempting." Hawke smelled the scent of Chanel No. 5: "But the development of a company must always be done step by step. If the foundation is not solid, it will become a sand castle."

The other party didn't understand what he was talking about, so he didn't say anything.

Emma suggested: "This place is a bit messy, why don't we find a place to chat alone?"

Hawke turned his head and looked at her. This woman had a good figure and a beautiful face, even better than Bella Sean.

This is Schwarzenegger's territory, not his office, and I don't know where the surveillance camera is.

Hawke said softly, "Let's talk about it here."

Emma couldn't force him, so she could only say, "I have connections with several investment institutions. They have plenty of money, which is beyond the reach of Peter Thiel and others. They can help Twitter expand rapidly, seize the global market, and be listed on the Nasdaq."

She knew what career-oriented men liked most and had studied Hawke's resume.

How could the son of a bankrupt small farmer from Wyoming resist the temptation of money?

Emma continued: "Given the number of active Twitter users and its growth rate, coupled with the platform and resource support from large investment institutions, it is not unrealistic for the market value to exceed $100 billion."

Hawke thought about it and simply asked, "Which investment institution do you represent?"

Emma said directly: "BlackRock San Francisco branch."

Hawke had heard of this company before and had also seen some information on the Internet in his previous life. It was an investment company spun off from a subsidiary of the Blackstone Group. It seemed that it was only listed in New York in 1999 and its scale was far smaller than that after 2010.

He also knew that BlackRock was heavily blue.

Sure enough, the donkeys saw the power of Twitter and started to move out.

Hawke was not stupid enough to refuse on the spot, and said: "What about the investment target? What about the plan? And the platform and other resource support? I haven't seen these, so I can't make any response."

If someone doesn't refuse outright, there's a chance to talk. Emma said, "There will be follow-up. This time, we're just making initial contact."

Hawke added: "Twitter is not short of investors. You have to show me your sincerity."

The two chatted for a while, and Emma exchanged business cards with him and took the initiative to say goodbye and leave.

Hawke found Brian, who was entertaining Schwarzenegger's daughter Katherine.

The latter was laughing happily the whole time.

Seeing Hawke coming, Brian ended the conversation at the right time and came over to say, "The woman just now was very beautiful."

Hawke said, "That's a black widow."

Brian asked, "What's going on?"

"It's almost time, let's go." Hawke noticed that many guests were leaving one after another: "I have something to talk to Mary about."

The two said goodbye to their host and went to the manor parking lot together.

Edward flashed his lights to alert them to the location of the car.

The black bulletproof Mercedes quickly drove out of Palisade.

Half an hour later, in a bar in Santa Monica, Hawke met Mary Ferguson and Erica Ferguson, who came with her mother.

The Pacific Investment Group controlled by the former is the second largest shareholder of Twitter. Erica nodded to Hawke, and without any extra words, she went directly to the store owner, asked for wine that suited Hawke and his mother's taste, paid to send away the boss she knew, and hung a sign at the door saying that the business was suspended.

Hawke said directly: "BlackRock approached me with a consulting firm that wanted to invest in Twitter."

Mary said: "Although this company is not particularly large, it has grown at an astonishing speed in recent years."

She paused for a moment and asked, "What do you think?"

Hawke said: "Investment is not just about money and platform, but also about position. Twitter must raise funds, but not BlackRock."

Mary nodded slightly. “I got a piece of news. BlackRock and Vanguard Group have developed a strategy with the donkeys to encourage marginalized groups to speak out and bring them into the mainstream.”

Hawke understood what was going on immediately: "Giving them privileges can not only divert conflicts, but also win their votes. Once these marginalized people seize the opportunity, their ability to stir up trouble is much greater than that of ordinary people."

Not to mention anything else, if we really accept BlackRock's investment and then bring in a bunch of LGBIQs, who can bear it?
The company must go bankrupt.

“In the second half of the year, we will conduct our first round of financing,” Hawke said.

Mary agreed: "It's about time Twitter needs more allies and platforms."

"As for BlackRock, I won't refuse for now, but I will delay it for a while." Hawke said directly: "I am worried that they will launch a high-level business war and directly attack at the physical level."

Mary is engaged in capital investment, so of course she understands the means of business warfare. As long as the benefits are big enough, she will use any means.

She reminded: "Before raising funds, try to increase the number of active users as much as possible."

Hawke nodded, "I will."

Mary stood up to leave and called Erica, "Go home?"

Erica said generously: "You go first, I won't go back."

Mary said nothing more and went straight to clear out the bar.

Erica brought over a bottle of wine: "Have a drink."

Hawke took a new cup and placed it in front of her: "Drink less, we need to ensure the body's reaction speed."

Erica nodded. “The beginning stages of starting a business are always difficult.”

The two returned to Hawke's villa together.

Erica opened her locked closet, pulled out a set of yoga clothes, and pushed Hawke outside to change into the clothes.

That night, Hawke fully witnessed Erica's body flexibility.

The next morning, after sending Erica to the detective bureau, Hawke came to the company.

He met Edward and said, "Meet Campos at ten o'clock."

Edward made a phone call.

Hawke saw that he was in a bad mood and asked, "What's wrong with you? You look listless."

Edward sighed: "Deborah has been arguing with me these past few days. She insisted that I quit my job."

"Resign?" Hawke was quite surprised.

Edward is not stupid at all: "I'm not quitting."

"Don't you have a lot of women written down in your notebook?" Hawke reminded him, "Are you really going to hang yourself on a tree?"

Robert Downey Jr. has been in the role for over a year now, and there isn't much emotional value left for Deborah and Indio Downey to offer.

Edward considered it seriously.

"Remember to carry your gun with you." Hawke reminded, put on his coat and left the office.

Edward took the car keys and followed.

The two men arrived at the safe house and Campos was already there.

Hawke asked directly: "Tiger Woods, David Beckham and Kobe Bryant, no news at all?"

Campos said: "Beckham has confirmed his transfer to Real Madrid, but the transfer window will not open until July 7. Madrid is crowded with media reporters, and he has been with Victoria. We have people following Tiger Woods, but there is no movement for the time being. He just got engaged, and apart from training and competitions, he has been staying with his fiancée."

He focused on the last person: "Kobe Bryant was not at peace after going to Colorado. Like many sports stars, he was still thinking about women during his convalescence and got close to a hotel receptionist. Our people took some photos, but no one was alarmed for the time being. I sent Garcia to provide support, as he has more experience."

Hawke nodded: "Very good, let's try to gain something."

Campos added: "He has returned to Los Angeles, but we have confirmed that he will return to Eagle County tomorrow to prepare for surgery."

Hawke said the same thing: "Keep an eye on him."

Campos has been with Hawke for more than half a year and is used to seeing the other side of celebrities. He said: "Sports stars are in better physical condition and have more active endocrines, so it is difficult for them to control their lower body."

Previous events such as the one involving Will Smith and Paris Hilton have proven that celebrity gossip and scandals can effectively increase the popularity of Twitter and cause a surge in user activity.

If Twitter raises funds, the number of active users will be an important criterion for valuation.

The old routine works, and Hawke certainly won't abandon it.

Another point is that most black sports stars come from ordinary backgrounds and pose no threat at all.

Before leaving, Hawke mentioned one more thing: "I may need a few bodyguards here. Look for someone who is good at fighting and driving, and who is particularly principled."

Campos complied.

On his side, there are many people who had to flee to California because they did not want to go along with the traffickers.

Most of these people are very principled and work very seriously.

Hawke thought for a moment and then said, "If there is a suitable candidate, you can tell them to bring their family to live in Los Angeles, and their family's legal status will not be a problem in the future."

…………

Hollywood area, Walk of Fame.

Tim, assistant to Douglas, a senior manager at BlackRock, drove by on the road.

This world-famous star road has its sidewalks almost entirely occupied by homeless people.

Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles and the traditional Hollywood area are now the two largest concentrations of homeless people in Los Angeles.

The target he came to find this time had become a homeless person and must be in one of these two areas.

Tim arrived near the Highland Center and the person he contacted was waving at the roadside.

He parked the car, waited for the man to get in, and asked, "Coulson, did you find that man?"

The man named Coulson is a private detective who has been cooperating with BlackRock: "I found it. It's hard to imagine that a former football star has become a homeless man because of one wrong step."

Tim said, "Take me over there."

"This way." Coulson pointed to the road below.

Tim drove east, passed two intersections, turned a corner, and saw the sign for the Ackerman Charity Shelter.

Coulson said, "There is a parking lot behind the aid station. Several teammates that Miller Collins used to be good friends with pooled their money to buy him an RV. He is living in the RV for the time being."

Tim drove behind the aid station and directly into the parking lot, parking in an empty space.

Coulson pointed to an old RV about ten meters away and said, "He's here."

Tim looked over there and waited for a while before a man got out of the car.

The man had an untidy beard and messy hair. He was holding a bottle of wine in one hand and a cigarette in the other, puffing away.

Tim examined it carefully for a while, then looked at the photo in his hand and found that it should be correct.

Coulson said, "We have worked together more than a dozen times. When have I ever made a mistake?"

Tim looked over there and suddenly asked, "Does this guy have no fighting spirit at all?"

"What fighting spirit does he have? After the Milkgate incident last year, he instigated the Shorty Gang to attack the host of Fox TV and was eventually sentenced to prison." Coulson investigated very clearly: "While he was in prison, his wife Maria successfully filed for divorce."

He couldn't help but shake his head: "This guy is extremely unlucky. First, he had to pay compensation for breach of contract for endorsements. In his divorce case, he encountered a female lawyer and a female judge. Most of the property was awarded to the woman because the club contract had not expired at the time. He also had to pay alimony according to his income level..."

Tim felt miserable after hearing this, and even developed a fear of marriage.

(End of this chapter)