The Wolf of Los Angeles.

A white van drove along Ocean Park Boulevard and stopped at the main entrance of the Coast Building.

The paparazzi who had been following them and waiting there swarmed forward, wishing they could block the open car door with their camera lenses to take pictures.

Britney Spears, carrying a Hermès bag, was the first to get out of the car, attracting all the attention.

Paris Hilton has always been by Britney's side, like a sister.

Since the bragging scandal broke, Britney Spears' exposure and popularity have skyrocketed. By gaining sympathy as a victim, she has become one of the most popular celebrities.

Paris successfully capitalized on the trending topic.

In Britney's interview, it was Paris who saved her once again.

The deep sisterly bond between them was clearly demonstrated at this moment.

The two entered the Coast Building together.

The reporter with the invitation then followed them inside.

The lobby of the building was set up as a press conference venue.

Caroline Jones, dressed in a burgundy business suit, came to greet Britney on behalf of Twitter.

Despite her notoriously scatterbrained personality, Britney Spears remains beloved by fans and young people worldwide and wields immense influence in this era.

Moreover, Twitter charges very low endorsement fees for her.

Adhering to the principle of using whatever is available, Twitter signed a two-year endorsement contract with Britney Spears.

Caroline, representing Twitter, signed a deal with Britney Spears.

She then left the stage, handing it over to Britney.

Having just escaped a quagmire, Britney is now in a slightly clearer state, with her intelligence somewhat intact.

With PR manager Rooney Chasen by her side throughout, there's unlikely to be any problems.

In the lounge on the second floor, Caroline stood behind a one-way glass window, looking into the lobby on the first floor, and asked Hawke, "The endorsement fee is just symbolic, why don't we sign a longer contract?"

Hawke walked over, stood next to her, looked at Britney, and said, "Based on what I know of Britney, in at most two years, Britney's IQ will drop completely, and she'll return to a muddled state. It's really hard to say what she'll become after that."

He thought for a moment and then added, "Britney insisted on signing only a two-year contract with Full Speed ​​PR. You used to work at Full Speed ​​PR and you understand the ecosystem of the entertainment industry. In front of a star of Britney's caliber, both management companies and PR firms are actually very passive."

Caroline, with her background as a public relations manager, naturally understood this: "There are few entertainment industries in the world like the United States."

In most countries or regions, entertainment stars are "slaves" of their management or entertainment companies.

Even so, Hollywood is still rife with scandals.

In other places, the situation is bound to be even more serious.

From his youth in his previous life, Hawke could not understand the crazy behavior of those fans, some of whom were not even human.

Caroline said, "With Rooney's abilities, it wouldn't be difficult to restrain Britney for two years, but after two years, the glamorous stars often forget the hardships they have endured. The more they are suppressed during this time, the stronger the backlash will be."

“It’s only human nature,” Hawke said, not seeing it as a problem. “Top-tier celebrities, like Tom Cruise and Madonna who have been famous for decades, have all gone through similar phases, but they are relatively clear-headed and can find ways to get through crises that truly threaten their lives.”

Caroline seemed to understand him perfectly, and automatically replied, "Britney's mind doesn't match her career."

Outside, the interview session was completed, and the signing ceremony concluded.

Rooney led Britney and Paris upstairs to meet Hawke.

Paris shook hands with Hawke and nodded with a smile.

Britney hurried over, her eyes red, and said, "Thank you for your help again this time."

Hawke didn't dislike Britney. After all, the woman was just not very bright, but she never had any intention of harming anyone. Apart from making herself look like a monster, she didn't seem to have hurt anyone else much.

When a person's intelligence is not commensurate with the fame and money they gain, the outcome is often not very good.

Perhaps having just taken advantage of Britney, Hawke, a ruthless person, showed a rare bit of kindness, saying, "You've come a long way, cherish your singing career."

Britney was really listening now, and said, "I will, I will never let you and Parly save me a third time."

How long this will last, even God doesn't know.

Caroline, worried that Hawke might catch the brain-disappearing syndrome, stepped forward and said specifically, "Ms. Spears, please restrain your behavior during your two years of working with Twitter."

Britney swore, "I promise!"

Rooney said, "I will help Booboo." She winked at Caroline, "Booboo is a kind person and is at the top of the pop music scene. There are always people who want to frame her. I will protect Booboo."

Seeing that Hawke and Paris had started chatting, Caroline realized she had achieved her goal and was no longer worried about Hawke getting infected, so she didn't say anything more.

Britney and Paris were then taken by Caroline to visit Twitter.

Rooney Chasen stayed.

With the Oscars ceremony just around the corner, Hawke asked, "How's the PR for 'Philips' going?"

Rooney's Full Speed ​​PR firm outsourced the normal lobbying and campaigning for "Philippe," and she has firsthand knowledge of the situation: "Eric won the Best Director Oscar last year, so it's unlikely he'll win it again this year. It's been many years since a director has won the Best Director award twice in a row."

Hawke nodded. In his memory of Oscars, some people had won Best Actor and Best Actress consecutively, but it seemed that no one had ever won Best Director consecutively.

Rooney continued, "The Best Picture award is basically a foregone conclusion; 'Philip' has a more than 90% chance of winning."

She smiled and said, "The Oscar judges are all opportunists; they're always flexible and adaptable when faced with societal trends."

Hawke knows this best; when California and Los Angeles were predominantly red, there was a large group of Elephant Party supporters in Hollywood.

When the Republican Party's influence waned and California shifted from red to blue, Hollywood became a propaganda hotspot for the Democratic Party.

Mr. Dong, who has experience in Hollywood, is remarkably similar to the mainstream Hollywood population in this respect, constantly shifting between different political parties. He prioritizes self-interest above all else, which is hardly shameful.

Hawke asked, "Harvey Weinstein hasn't been nominated for an Oscar in recent years?"

"Because he was kicked out of Disney, he founded The Weinstein Company." Rooney knew a little about it: "The Weinstein Company has not yet finished producing any movies. Quentin's new film, Inglourious Basterds, seems to be still in production. If all goes well, it will be submitted for next year's Oscars."

Hawke remembered this film, a Hollywood anti-Germany drama, and I think the German Nazi officer in it even won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

He didn't ask about "Inglourious Basterds," but instead asked, "Harvey has helped launch the careers of many Oscar winners. Were any of them clients who were running full-fledged PR campaigns?"

The names of important clients were all imprinted in Rooney's mind: "Renée Zellweger and Nicole Kidman are currently our clients."

Hawke was a little surprised by the next name: "Tom Cruise's ex-wife?"

Rooney smiled and said, "Nicole approached me on her own initiative. Ever since she won the Oscar for Best Actress, it's as if she's been cursed. Low-budget art films are fine, but any commercial film with a slightly higher budget loses money. Especially 'The Golden Compass,' if it had been successful, she could have become a true A-list star, but the film was such a disastrous failure that it completely destroyed her big-budget film career."

Hawke continued, "I've seen some of the information Tom gave me about Nicole. Nicole is content to be an art-house film actress; she has enough audience supporters. But she herself isn't popular with mainstream audiences in North America."

Rooney completely agreed: "Her biggest problem is that teenage audiences don't like her, plus she has poor taste in movies and roles... well, in my opinion, all her good luck was used up with the divorce."

Hawke asked, "What's going on with Renée Zellweger?"

Rooney thought for a moment and said, "This woman won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and is now considered a top star. She contacted FullSpeed ​​PR, whose main business is to help her get rid of Harvey Weinstein's control."

Hawke became interested: "Tell me more about it."

Rooney explained in detail: "Starting in 2003, the conflict between Harvey and Disney developed to an irreconcilable point. In early 2005, Michael Eisner, then chairman and CEO of Disney, ousted the Weinstein brothers from Miramax. This Disney tyrant not only stripped them of their positions but also used his controlling stake to forcibly withhold all of Harvey's film projects during his time at Miramax."

She picked up her water glass, took a sip, and continued, "Although Harvey founded The Weinstein Company, he didn't have any film projects for a while, but he didn't let go of the actors he had promoted. For example, Renée Zellweger, who didn't have any powerful backing, was often dragged by Harvey to parties to entertain important guests."

Hawke understood the meaning behind this hospitality. Renée Zellweger might not be pretty enough, but the aura of an Oscar winner would give the person being entertained a great deal of psychological satisfaction.

That kind of spiritual enjoyment even surpasses the physical enjoyment.

Rooney chuckled. "Harvey wouldn't give her roles or projects, but he kept dragging Renée Zellweger to parties. Even machines need regular oiling and maintenance, let alone an Oscar-winning actress. After a few years, Renée had had enough of Harvey's freeloading. Harvey did offer her a role during that time, but it was a minor part in *Inglourious Basterds*, a small spy role, which she rejected."

She put away her smile and said with a slightly serious expression, "Rennie has been manipulated badly. She wants to break away from Harvey, but she is afraid of retaliation. For most celebrities, Harvey is like a mountain."

Hawke nodded slightly, thought for a moment, and asked, "Is she very determined?"

“Yes, very big,” Rooney said. “Just this year, she went to a party, got caught in a pincer attack, came back to see a proctologist, and had stitches.”

She couldn't help but say, "Hollywood is a very eccentric industry, but it's far less so than the business world."

Hawke had heard Brian mention that at a celebration party after the victory in the Iraq War, a group of male generals from the Pentagon gang-raped a female general.

Generally, when such rumors circulate, they are about 80% true.

Hawke said to Rooney, "Go and talk to Renee and see if she's willing to stand against Harvey."

“If she’s not willing, go find Harvey…” Rooney hesitated, after all, she had been making a living in Hollywood for many years.

Hawke casually remarked, "Even if Harvey knew, so what?"

Upon hearing this, Rooney instantly realized that Full Speed ​​PR was not just a public relations firm, but also a company wholly owned by the West Coast Investment Fund.

Having thought of this, she was instantly filled with confidence: "That's right, Harvey is just a big shot in Hollywood."

Hawke said, "The matter with Britney won't take much time to resolve. You should focus on Renée Zellweger from now on. If you encounter any problems, contact me or the Savior immediately."

Rooney stayed there for a while, then met up with Britney and Paris, and together they left the Coast Building.

…………

Hollywood, Highland Boulevard.

The black Rolls-Royce turned onto the Walk of Fame, and Harvey Weinstein, in the back seat, turned to look at the Kodak Theatre.

The golden statue of Mr. Oscar has already been erected in front of the theater, and a long red carpet extends all the way into the tent at the entrance.

"The hottest movie this year is 'Philips,' a Tom Cruise production that has become the biggest winner at the Oscars in recent years," Bob Weinstein said from the passenger seat.

He took off his glasses and wiped them: "LGBTQ is such a disgusting thing, and some people actually use it to make a fuss, and even want to win an Oscar for this kind of trash."

Harvey said, "These are just tools in other people's hands. If the profits are big enough, those capitalists would dare to sell out America, let alone use a bunch of clowns."

Bob asked in surprise, "When did Tom Cruise develop such a brain?"

Harvey held up a finger and shook it: "It has nothing to do with Tom Cruise. The person who really controls all of this is called Hawke Osment."

Bob knew who this was: "The founder of Twitter?" He frowned: "We're coming back to compete directly with him?"

Harvey said directly, "My brother, don't joke around. What do we have to compete with someone like Hawke Osment? Hillary wants the money and influence in Hollywood that we provide, not actual participation in the Oscar game."

He sighed: "If we were to go up against Hawke alone, we would be crushed. You have to understand one thing: not everyone will follow the rules of Hollywood. Those who have reached a certain level of power can push the whole of Hollywood to follow their lead. For example, the process of 'Philippe's' Oscar run was essentially a compromise by the Academy to the general trend of society. They didn't want to be eliminated and wanted Hollywood to continue to be at the forefront of society, so they could only choose 'Philippe'."

Bob roughly understood: "This is also a public relations tactic, forcing outdated academies to innovate."

“But it’s not suitable for us.” Harvey had a good understanding of his own abilities: “All we can control is the psychology of old white men in Hollywood. We can’t control the pulse of the times like Hawke does.”

As the car drove further and further away, the Kodak Theatre and the several-meter-tall Mr. Oscar disappeared from view.

Bob said, "Our business strategy will still revolve around Oscar, and we will inevitably have to go head-to-head with Hawke Osment in the future."

Harvey sighed and said, "Don't forget, we have people backing us too. If Sila wins, none of this will be a problem."

Bob asked, "What if Cialie loses?"

Harvey and Hillary are too deeply intertwined; he can't get off that ship, and he can't promise the price of getting off.

He said, "We will voluntarily back down." (End of Chapter)