The Wolf of Los Angeles.

The four people in the study slowly sipped their black tea, all considering the potential impact of this matter.

The Walker family has been prosperous for over a century, starting with George Walker's great-grandfather, Samuel. If we include George Walker's two terms as vice president, the family has been sworn in at the White House five times.

Tom Emmer, on the other hand, was a first-generation politician who rose to prominence, but he served as a Minnesota senator for many years and was also a long-time party whip. After entering the White House, he became known for his strong leadership and cultivated his own power base in several key departments within two years.

The latter may seem weaker in comparison, but no one can ignore the power of a sitting president who has the support of Congress.

Even the Walker family would avoid a direct confrontation in a real, open battle.

The brothers George Walker and Pierce Walker did not travel all the way to Wyoming to ask Hawke and Brian to act as intermediaries in the peace talks.

Both of them were well aware of this, and they were testing each other.

George Walker's topic then shifted to the broader situation: "The Donald Party and the Elephant Party have been competing for more than two hundred years. Throughout these two hundred years of history, both sides have experienced periods of prosperity and decline. However, the transitions from prosperity to decline share commonalities: internal conflicts lead to serious opposition and infighting, allowing the more united opponent to turn the tide and thus enter a new period of decline."

He pointed out the events that have occurred in recent years: "California went from red to blue in the 1990s, and then back to red in recent years, which is very representative."

Brian said calmly, "We've been building up our strength for a long time, and then we turned the tide in one fell swoop." He then looked at Hawke: "The rise of Twitter played a key role in this."

Hawke needs no explanation; the series of events he spearheaded and led are verifiable.

George Walker continued on this topic: "This situation is not in the interest of either of us. Since my second term, we have been cracking down on and attacking the Democratic Party, which has led to investigations of several key Democratic figures, including Hillary Clinton. If the Democratic Party finds an opportunity to regain power, will they retaliate?"

Hawke and Brian had already discussed these matters, so they decided to sit back and watch the fight unfold, and would make their move when the time was right.

George added, “Laldon seems to be lying low on his farm in Little Rock, no longer concerned with the situation in Washington, but he can come out of retirement at any time when the opportunity arises. If the people he supports gain power, the more ruthless our crackdown on Hillary will be, the more intense the retaliation will be.”

Hawke picked up his black tea, took a small sip unhurriedly, and said, "We've been working together for many years. If you have anything else to say, you can just say it."

Brian glanced at Hawke as usual and said, "Open communication is beneficial for our future cooperation."

Pierce Walker remained silent for a long time, handing over the reins entirely to his brother.

George appeared very cautious, having mentally prepared himself, before slowly saying, "Tom Emerson is destroying the great momentum of the Elephant Party, splitting the cornerstone of the Elephant Party's development, and harming our and your interests. Such a person is not suitable to remain in the position of President."

Hawke remained calm, but he wasn't surprised at all; he had envisioned this scenario during his previous conversations with Brian.

Regardless, Tom Emmer is the President of the United States and has considerable support in Congress. If he were to serve another four-year term and continue to suppress the Walker family, it would be very difficult for anyone to accept.

George knew very well that to get these two to lend a hand, he had to offer something that would sway them: "Next year is an election year, and the Donald and Elephant parties are about to engage in another fierce battle. Tom Emer's reckless behavior will increase our chances of losing the election, and he is no longer suitable to represent the Elephant Party in the general election."

Brian and Hawke exchanged a glance and saw the same unsurprised look on each other's faces.

But they didn't respond. Sometimes, the effect of bringing things up proactively is completely different from that of the other side bringing them up forcefully.

Because this would break with convention, it would be best to have an established family like the Walker family initiate it.

George's intense gaze fell on Brian, and he said, "You served as mayor of Los Angeles and governor of California. Your achievements are evident to the entire nation. You are one of the best among the new generation. With the support of us older generation, it's time to launch an assault on the White House!"

Brian, neither surprised nor agitated, remained calm and said, "According to convention, the first-term president should be the one to run for office."

"This is a preferred option, not a necessary one." George is unlikely to be re-elected, none of his brothers are in politics, and his son is just starting out in politics and will not receive any support.

Tom Emer's series of actions not only severely damaged the Walker family's interests, but also made George feel humiliated by betrayal.

He even felt like he had become a laughing stock in the political arena.

During the last election, George strongly supported Tom Emmanuel and believes he played an extremely important role in Emmanuel's successful election.

As a result, what awaited them was a bloody injury.

This led to criticism of George even within the Walker family.

Faced with Tom Emmer's retaliation, George's so-called peace talks were nothing but delaying tactics; his real aim was to directly destroy Tom Emmer's second term.

Without the status and power of the Grand Master, how can Tom Emmer stand up against the Walker family?

George couldn't find a better choice than Brian, who had the experience of being the mayor of the second-largest city in the United States and the governor of the state with the strongest economy. He was the leading figure among the new generation of the Elephant Party, and his allies included the Ferguson family and its traditional forces, as well as tech upstarts like Hawke Osment, Peter Thiel, and Elon Musk.

A blend of old and new, outwardly glamorous, but with Hawke, adept at causing trouble, providing cover in the shadows.

The only drawback is that he's a little too young.

If all goes well, at 38 years old, he will become the youngest president in American history, breaking Theodore Roosevelt's record of 42.

George speculated that Brian's path would inevitably be designed this way: wait until his two gubernatorial terms were over, around the time of the 2016 election, and then he would run for office again.

Under normal circumstances, the Ferguson family and Hawke's Twitter network will become even stronger.

To dispel Brian and Hawke's so-called concerns, George simply cited examples: "In the 1930s, Hoover faced enormous pressure and chose to withdraw from the election; in the late 1960s, Lyndon Johnson faced opposition within his party and had to give up seeking re-election; in the 1976 election, Reagan challenged incumbent President Ford and almost won the party nomination; and without exception, the subsequent presidents all faced severe challenges within their parties when seeking re-election."

It's not really meaningful to talk about things from even further back, but it's not uncommon for incumbent presidents to lose to other candidates in party primaries during their second term.

George added, "If you step forward and compete with Tom Emer for the next nomination, the Walker family will fully support you."

Hawke asked calmly, "And the reward?"

“Completely suppress Tom Emmot.” George seemed to adhere to the so-called rules, saying, “Make him like some of the most silent predecessors in American history, a figure with almost no influence.” Stripped of his status as president, and abandoned and suppressed by the California Group, it would be much easier for the Walker family to deal with Tom Emmot.

Although Hawke had discussed the topic with Brian, he couldn't make the decision for Brian, so he deliberately said, "George, you've given us a huge problem."

George smiled and said, "America is sluggish and needs young people like you to stop its decline and allow America to continue its post-World War II glory."

Hawke, however, was thinking about how to extract more benefits from America.

Think back to President Dong in his previous life, how he used his position as the Grand President to make his family's assets increase more than tenfold.

When the incumbent president sues the Department of Justice for damages, the final signature rests with the incumbent president.

Hawke has always believed that he must humbly learn from his predecessor, Mr. Dong, in this regard, summarize his advanced experience, and apply it to the development of his own business.

They work so hard to develop new products and exhaust themselves trying to expand the market, but compared to Mr. Dong, they are really nothing.

Hawke finally understood why financial opium was so addictive, even causing the world's leading industrial sector to abandon it.

George stated clearly, "Before I came here, I spoke with my father. He said that if you are willing to run for the nomination, the Walker family and allies will fully support you."

Brian eventually had to respond to the topic, but he didn't give a direct answer, saying, "That would disrupt my plans. I can't give you a definite answer right now. The election involves too many resources and relationships, and it's not something Hawke and I can decide on our own."

George understood: "Hopefully it won't drag on too long. I need to focus all my efforts on countering Tom Emmer's attacks and launching a targeted counterattack. I can wait until June at the latest."

If I really do run for office next year, California will inevitably have to coordinate relationships with all parties involved and inquire about the level of support from the forces behind me, so it's impossible to make a decision in a short period of time.

Brian thought for a moment and said, "I will give you a clear answer in mid-July."

George, having served as president, knew very well that this kind of thing couldn't be coordinated in a month or two, and immediately replied, "Hopefully it will be good news."

Pierce picked up his white porcelain teacup and said, "I propose we have a drink to commemorate our meeting."

The other three also picked up their cups and each took a sip of black tea.

Hawke wanted to get some firsthand information from those involved, so he asked, "Is the situation in the Middle East very tense?"

George said, "In special circumstances, the White House can directly mobilize the Marine Corps. The counterterrorism military operation in Iraq has not been officially declared over yet, and counterterrorism is still at a high level. In the name of counterterrorism, too many things can be directly intervened. Even though the Walker family's influence in Iraq is relatively stable, it has still been greatly impacted."

Pierce added, "Our oil fields, which are controlled by the Cheney family, have basically come to a standstill, and some of our Iraqi employees and dispatched workers have been detained under the pretext of counterterrorism."

He said with a sense of helplessness, "There are some things you should understand. How can doing business in a place like that be as pure as drinking water?"

Hawke recalled media reports that the Walker family had long-standing ties with Middle Eastern extremist groups such as Bin Laden.

Despite the 9/11 attacks, like Hillary Clinton, the Walker family cannot completely abandon the influence they have cultivated in the Middle East.

Brian said, "It's obvious he's been planning this for a long time."

George has been having a terrible headache lately: "Tom Emmer is, after all, the legal supreme commander of all the U.S. military, which is why we have to get rid of him from the White House."

Following Pierce's most impulsive idea, he simply dispatched gunmen from overseas...

The three of them talked for a long time about the conflict.

As darkness fell, Erica knocked on the door and came in to inform the group that dinner was ready.

The banquet featured game hunted by Hawke and Brian from the mountains as the main ingredients, prepared by an Eastern culinary team. The bear paws and deer tails were cooked to perfection.

Instead of discussing heavy topics like politics, the group started talking about recent celebrity gossip and the fiercely competitive Hollywood awards season.

At the recently concluded Golden Globe Awards, "Sugar Baby" triumphed over all other films, winning three major awards: Best Actress in a Drama, Best Director, and Best Picture.

The Directors Guild Awards for Best Director and Best Picture also went to "Sugar Baby".

With The Weinstein Company's "The King's Speech" withdrawing from the competition, "Sugar Baby" has become the biggest favorite of this awards season.

After dinner, George and the Pierce brothers didn't stay long at the farm. They returned to Jeffrey City that evening and took a business jet to New York.
The Walker family's businesses are facing investigations and charges from multiple powerful federal agencies, and there are too many things waiting for them to deal with.

The matter discussed during the day was of great importance, so Hawke directly instructed Raul: "Notify the crew to apply for a flight to Los Angeles tomorrow morning. This vacation is going to end early."

Raul left the lobby to make a phone call.

Jennifer said with some regret, "I haven't had a vacation like this in years, and I didn't expect it to end so soon."

Erica said, "You can take your annual leave, and I'll take you hunting in Africa."

Jennifer joked, "I'm worried about being kidnapped by terrorists."

Brian wasn't in the mood for jokes. He turned to Hawke and asked very seriously, "Old man, what's your opinion?"

Hawke had been thinking: "The outcome of this matter will not only depend on our side, but also on the Walker family and Tom Emer. If their conflict becomes irreconcilable and there is a continuous and intense clash, then we should step in."

He also considered another possibility: "Although it is unlikely, we cannot be complacent. If they reach a private agreement and deliberately stage a performance, and we rush to step forward, we will become the target of public criticism."

Brian had also considered this: "The resources we control will likely make many people envious; it's not impossible that this is the case." (End of Chapter)