The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 208: Unyielding]

The Kobe incident that took place in Eagle County once again proved that the explosive gossip scandals of celebrities hold far more influence than social and political news.

As the number of Twitter users overseas surged, a global sensation of collective gossip emerged online. Twitter entered a rapid growth phase in its user base.

"Hey, the live broadcast is starting," Edward said as he walked into the office, picked up the remote, and switched on the TV to CNN. "That woman shouldn't have messed this up, right?"

Hawke had just spent the day shooting hundreds of rounds with Erica. He quickly assembled his maintenance pistol and replied, "Whether it's true or false doesn't really matter to us."

...

At precisely the hour, CNN cut into the press conference regarding the Eagle County case.

On the live broadcast, the police spokesperson announced a series of examination results related to the Kobe case. They revealed that Catherine Fybel had sustained injuries, and genetic material matching that of Kobe was found on her underwear. Furthermore, there were fresh injuries on Catherine's face, neck, and torso. While there was no other corroborating evidence, this placed Kobe in a very difficult position.

...

Shortly thereafter, the Eagle County Sheriff's Office formally issued an arrest warrant for Kobe. He posted a $25,000 bail, and his agent, Rob Pelinka, made the first public statement for Kobe, denying the accusations and asserting that everything that occurred was consensual.

But nobody believed him. More accurately, nobody wanted to believe him. Especially not the media.

In the absence of evidence to clear his name, the media craved nothing more than to see a superstar fall from grace. Even infidelity wouldn't be sensational enough.

...

As the media hype relentlessly painted Kobe as a predator, Hawke felt it was time to let Twitter continue to release news.

"There are hidden circumstances in the Kobe case. Twitter received images and videos from another informant."

This news shifted the narrative, showcasing photos of Catherine actively flirting with Kobe, appearing cozy together. The video showed Catherine giving Kobe a tour of a spa, walking hand in hand like a couple in love. At one point, she even leaned in to kiss him.

...

This turn of events left many in the media bewildered. "Does Twitter have any stance? The entire internet is branding Kobe a predator, and now you're diluting that position?" They argued that it was Twitter that first exposed the scandal.

The leaders in the media, who had been so aggressive before, now seemed to waver. This, of course, was not enough to shift public opinion, but it did drive traffic to Twitter.

Recent statistics indicated that since the onset of the Kobe scandal, Twitter was averaging 400,000 new registrations daily, with active users nearing 20 million. This was a global statistic, but in the North American social media landscape, Twitter had clearly taken a commanding lead.

...

Meanwhile, the Eagle County police reached out to Twitter for relevant materials to assist in their investigation. Hawke instructed Caroline to refuse them outright.

"Are you kidding? The police from Eagle County have no jurisdiction over Los Angeles."

...

Having secured bail, Kobe returned to Los Angeles. Vanessa did not argue with him, providing him with at least a somewhat stable support.

Pelinka, through fellow agent Biles, reached out to Hawke, expressing a desire to sit down and discuss matters. Hawke responded clearly, inviting them to meet at Twitter.

...

That afternoon, Pelinka and the Bryants came to Twitter. Hawke, Edward, and Caroline welcomed them.

Pelinka didn't want to start off at a disadvantage and went straight to the point, asking, "Mr. Osment, where did you get the news about Kobe?"

Hawke maintained a stoic face, replying, "Twitter gathers news globally, offering higher rates than other media. Freelance journalists are more than willing to collaborate with us. For this Eagle County event alone, nine different individuals sold us their footage and stories."

Upon hearing this, Vanessa shot a glare at her husband as if to say, shouldn't you be more aware with all these paparazzi around you?

Having never dealt with Hawke before, Pelinka attempted to exert pressure, "These are crucial pieces of evidence in a criminal case. The Eagle County police should have been in contact with you, and you..."

"If you want to discuss this," Hawke interrupted, "you can leave."

Kobe seemed anxious. "Do you have any photos or videos that could prove my innocence?"

Edward chimed in, "That's Twitter's trade secret. Thank you."

"You know he's going through a tough time, right?" The pressures Vanessa had faced these past few days were immense -- her husband in such a scandal, and what a woman must endure in such situations was hard to imagine.

Under immense stress, she lost her composure: "He is a father, a father of an infant who's not even half a year old!"

"So, are you saying that everything your husband is going through, everything your child is facing, is Twitter's fault?" Hawke's sharp retort pierced through the tension.

Faced with such aggressive tactics, Caroline joined the fray, ready to dismantle their illusions. "You come at us with legal threats? What evidence? According to the journalism law, materials purchased by the media are the company's property. Without a court order, no one has the right to see them. What are your procedures?"

She turned to Vanessa, "And you? Taking the moral high ground and pointing fingers? Do you want to discuss the ethics of this situation?"

Kobe held up his hands to calm the situation, turning to the three of them. "I apologize, they're just overly concerned for my situation."

Caroline coldly replied, "I believe you're not ready; when you are, we can continue the discussion."

At this point, Pelinka realized their strategy was entirely flawed. But he was an agent, not a public relations expert.

Hawke shot a glance at the agent, thinking if he had been more astute in public relations, Kobe Bryant wouldn't be tied up in this case for over two years.

The longer this dragged on, the greater the damage to Kobe's reputation and commercial viability. Given the resources Twitter and Butterfly Company had poured into acquiring this news, there was no way they'd just give it away for free.

Since they weren't willing to negotiate, Hawke nodded slightly at the three of them and rose to leave the reception room.

Caroline adopted a dismissive farewell stance. Pelinka had no choice but to leave with the Bryants.

...

As they headed downstairs to their business vehicle, a black driver awaited them.

Vanessa asked, "Do they really have something that could clear Kobe's name?"

Pelinka noted, "That guy, Edward, almost hinted that they might."

Kobe asked, "What do we do now?"

"Let's seek help," Pelinka suggested, pulling out his phone to call Biles again, speaking for a long while.

The two had a decent relationship within the company, and Biles agreed to try and set up a meeting with Steve Nutt.

Before long, the call came back, and they arranged to meet at a Beverly Hills business club. As they drove in that direction, Pelinka took a recording pen from his pocket, pressed play, and heard only noise.

He shook his head, tossing it casually back into his bag. Those people were too cautious; they had jammed the meeting room.

...

At the Beverly Hills club, they met with the renowned figure, Saint Steve.

Steve no longer looked like a professional athlete; his every movement exuded grace, and his bright eyes seemed to see into people's hearts.

Having been involved in social movements for over a year, Steve had transformed, gaining a deeper understanding of media, public opinion, and business.

While no longer playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, they still kept him under contract.

Pelinka briefly explained the details surrounding Kobe and the incident at Twitter.

"I understand," Steve noted, immediately pinpointing the crux. He turned to Kobe, asking, "You'd rather not pay a huge sum, whether to that girl, Catherine, or Twitter, right?"

Kobe remained silent.

Pelinka added, "Kobe is being framed."

Steve shook his head slightly. "What you say is meaningless. If Twitter had solid evidence proving Kobe's innocence, they'd have the upper hand; they can portray you as a predator or just an unfaithful husband."

He chuckled at that: "I've collaborated with Hawke a few times, and every partnership yielded fantastic results. He always does everything he can to get me the best outcome."

Kobe and his companions were puzzled by this statement.

Steve, familiar with being in the spotlight, spoke leisurely, "It's really simple: get Hawke on your side."

Kobe responded, "But he refuses to come over."

Steve suddenly found these athletic stars amusing: "If he refuses, why don't you make an effort to go to him?"

His words left the trio momentarily stunned.

Seeing Kobe's dark skin, Steve said, "Hawke is the founder of Twitter and also the founder of West Coast Media Entertainment Studio. From what I know, he still engages in crisis management and business strategy consulting."

He continued directly, "You need to go to Hawke, sign a public relations agreement with him, appoint him as the PR manager for this incident. Then you pay to buy the rights to the materials that can prove your innocence from Twitter, and disseminate them through Twitter's powerful platform. Wouldn't that solve everything?"

Pelinka felt a lightbulb go off in his head at this suggestion, glancing at the Bryants.

But Kobe remained silent.

Steve observed the basketball star, sighed softly, and refrained from saying more.

If his son had been born during a similar scandal, he too would have faced ruin.

Steve took his leave slowly, exiting the meeting room.

Biles patted Pelinka on the shoulder, calling him to step outside for a lengthy discussion.

With Steve's example in mind, Pelinka returned to Kobe and talked for quite a while.

After nearly five minutes of silence, Kobe made a decision: "Let's go back to Twitter."

*****

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