[Chapter 488: A Dog in Hollywood]
The reach of Pacific Electric Company extended towards LinkedIn, which naturally warranted Hawke Osment's special attention.
He summoned his assistant, Lukat, instructing his team to quickly gather all publicly available information on Pacific Electric Company.
That afternoon, a carefully curated set of materials was delivered to Hawke's desk. He meticulously reviewed them and quickly found a potentially useful document.
Hector Cooper, the vice president of Pacific Electric Company responsible for California, Oregon, and Hawaii operations, had recently led a technical team on a trip to Hawaii.
On islands like Maui, Pacific Electric's pipelines and electrical infrastructure were outdated and frequently malfunctioned. The Hawaii state government had repeatedly negotiated with Pacific Electric's subsidiary, Hawaii Electric Company, but the issues remained unresolved.
Due to pressure from the state government, Hector Cooper and his technical team traveled there and proposed a plan for inspection and maintenance.
Recalling another recent major fire incident, Hawke pressed the communicator and spoke to Lukat, "I want all data on Hawaii's electric and gas equipment, local building conditions, and any fires in the past year."
...
After a while, Lukat brought the newly collected information.
Carefully examining the details, Hawke discovered that the electric lines and gas pipelines on several Hawaiian islands mostly dated back to the 1960s. They had remained untouched for nearly fifty years.
Take the electric system for example: on Maui, with a native population of 160,000, the main lines still used old wooden, low-hanging utility poles with bare wires. In town areas, electrical wires were tangled and haphazardly strewn.
As for buildings, Hawaii resembled Los Angeles, with most houses constructed of wood.
In his previous life, some media had widely promoted that American West wood had better fire resistance than reinforced concrete, claiming it was among the best fireproof construction materials globally.
However, a big fire in Los Angeles proved otherwise, as wooden houses burned completely, while a few brick-and-concrete buildings survived the inferno.
Hawke focused on the situation in Maui, as hundreds of 911 calls and firefighter dispatches were due to electrical faults causing fires. However, due to the detached house structures, large-scale fires had not occurred.
He also researched Maui's vegetation and weather patterns online. The island was densely wooded and faced occasional strong winds during summer.
After all, Hawaii was isolated in the Pacific Ocean and faced annual storms.
Hawke finished reviewing the materials and pondered briefly. He felt certain preparations were necessary ahead of time.
Twitter did not have business conflicts with Pacific Electric, and there seemed to be no direct financial disputes between them.
However, both sides stood on opposing sides regarding the gubernatorial election, which directly influenced financial interests.
Once their preferred candidate won, the fiscal subsidies alone could amount to hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars.
...
Hawke called Edward and handed over all materials on Pacific Electric and the state of Hawaii. "Take this to the security company and tell Campos to send a team to Hawaii, focusing on Maui to inspect local electric and gas equipment. Ideally, they should have expertise in electric systems."
"Got it." Edward accepted the folder and swiftly headed to the Butterfly Consulting security company.
...
After Campos received Hawke's call, he thoroughly reviewed the documents, and called Hierro, an expert in electronic and electric equipment.
After meticulous preparations overnight, Hierro and his team boarded different flights, using various identities and cover stories, to Hawaii.
---
San Francisco, Pacific Electric Company headquarters.
Elliot hurried into the company, rushing upstairs through the long corridor to the CEO's office, where Hector Cooper sat. "Sir, I just got an important update."
Cooper put down his pen. "Go on."
Elliot quickly explained, "People at LinkedIn called. Reid Hoffman visited CEO Konstant yesterday. They're not sure what exactly was discussed, but it's almost certain they talked about Twitter acquiring LinkedIn."
Cooper took notice. "Isn't Reid Hoffman a Twitter shareholder and board member?"
"Hawke Osment has tightly controlled Twitter's majority shares." Elliot briefly summarized, "Hoffman and Peter Thiel started investing during Twitter's first funding round. Hoffman and LinkedIn's founder and CEO Konstant are longtime friends and Stanford alumni. Konstant once invited Hoffman to invest in LinkedIn, but Hoffman chose Twitter instead."
Since 2001, Pacific Electric had gradually invested in LinkedIn, and Cooper was optimistic about LinkedIn's prospects in certain areas.
After considering, he said, "Call Konstant. I want to meet with him personally."
"Understood." Elliot was about to leave.
"Wait." Cooper stopped him. "I heard a Hillary representative is coming to San Francisco. Let me know when they arrive -- I want to meet."
Elliot acknowledged and got busy.
...
Cooper pulled out information about Hillary and reviewed it.
Pacific Electric was founded in San Francisco and used Northern California as its base for years, consistently supporting the Democratic Party over the last decade.
With the gubernatorial race effectively decided, Twitter's rapid rise put Pacific Electric at a disadvantage.
The LinkedIn acquisition was non-negotiable -- not just about pride and profits, but critical for the federal election landscape.
The media industry held immense sway in elections.
The American elections ultimately were the world's biggest reality show.
The two main Democratic contenders had emerged as a Black candidate and a female candidate.
America had never had a Black president or a female president. But the female was white.
Pacific Electric chose to back the white candidate.
Cooper had devised a special plan specifically for cooperation with Hillary. As for the Black candidate, appropriate investments could be made.
...
At noon, Cooper left the company and went to Atherton in the Bay Area. After delivering an invitation, his car turned into a sprawling luxury estate.
This was the main residence of the Newsom family.
The somewhat old estate was freshly decorated with abundant flowers and greenery.
Cooper was there to attend the lavish wedding of Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Siebel, who had taken the Newsom surname.
In American high society, especially politicians, it was customary for women -- even strong ones like Hillary -- to adopt their husband's surname.
Upon arriving at the gathering, Cooper was greeted by a large man in a gray suit who shook his hand warmly.
"Good afternoon, Hector."
The man was Harvey Weinstein, face beaming with a smile.
Cooper recognized him as a Hollywood insider loyal to the Clintons and responded with a smile, "Long time no see, Harvey."
Harvey whispered, "We're planning a gathering soon. If you are interested, reach out anytime."
Cooper was no novice and caught the hint. His eyes lit up. "Will there be Hollywood stars attending?"
Many in the North American tech and wealthy circles married Hollywood actresses.
Harvey knew this. When Dimension Films made Dawn of the Dead, he had boosted Mexican actress Salma Hayek.
He had invited Salma to parties back then. Later, Salma broke free from his control, leveraged her Oscar nomination to endorse French luxury brands, and successfully married a French magnate.
Harvey's backers valued Cooper highly, so he told Cooper, "If you come, I guarantee Oscar-winning actresses will be at the party."
Cooper, wanting to get closer to Hillary, agreed immediately. "Let me know the time and place."
Harvey nodded, already planning how to lure an Australian Oscar winner to the event.
They parted ways to pursue other social targets.
...
The wedding ceremony soon began. Afterward, the newlyweds received blessings from friends and family.
Harvey, seeing Jennifer in her pristine white gown, recalled intimate moments in a suite at the Four Seasons Hotel -- Jennifer giving him a foot massage, then him pushing her onto the bed and did whatever he wanted.
At the time, he hadn't noticed anything special about Jennifer. But seeing her today next to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Harvey realized how striking she looked.
Married Jennifer Newsom, the mayor's wife, was on a different level compared to struggling actress Jennifer -- her charm was incomparable.
Harvey's feelings flared, wanting to rekindle their past. But knowing her status, manipulating her through film roles no longer seemed realistic.
Still, he didn't see their past as a severe issue.
Hollywood was like that -- starlets lacking backing often had to make compromises, and star children aiming to rise did the same.
Friends in the circle have a rumor that a certain someone specifically takes in some goddaughters...
One such goddaughter, after becoming wildly popular, spiraled into drugs, promiscuity, and a wild lifestyle. As a result, even that particular godfather hesitated when pursuing her again, fearing disease risks.
...
Pondering these unpleasant matters, Harvey approached Gavin and Jennifer to extend his blessings.
Gavin shook his hand and chatted briefly.
Jennifer showed a flash of discomfort but quickly regained her smile.
During the routine handshake, she felt uneasy recalling Harvey's greasy, grasping hands, triggering nausea.
But knowing today affected the Newsom family's dignity, she swiftly composed herself with a radiant smile.
Harvey lingered after talking with Gavin. "Jen, your leaving Hollywood was a huge loss."
Jennifer smiled and politely responded, "Thank you for your support during my Hollywood days."
Gavin, unaware of their history, asked, "You two were close?"
Harvey laughed, "Jen was in some Miramax films. The casting director clearly lacked vision, giving her only minor roles."
These words stirred unpleasant memories for Jennifer -- Harvey had promised her the lead in Hollywoodland but gave it to the more provocative Diane Lane instead.
Gavin added, "If Jen decides to revive her film career, she'll definitely come to you for help."
Harvey perked up, "No problem. For movies, just call me. I guarantee I can deliver."
Jennifer maintained a courteous smile, "Thanks."
"We're friends, no need for formalities," Harvey said like a gentleman. "Though I might not help with other matters, in movies, I'm an expert -- no one could disagree."
The newlywed Gavin cared deeply for Jennifer.
In conversations, she often expressed her lingering desire for a film career.
Gavin, with his resources, could help fulfill her dreams and warmly added, "The Oscars your movies won could fill a whole room, right?"
Harvey wasn't modest: "Every year I've competed at the Oscars, I score wins."
Curious, Gavin asked, "The Oscars are coming soon. Which categories are you aiming for this time?"
"No films of mine are in this year's race," Harvey candidly replied. "This edition is a battle between The Departed and The Los Angeles Fires."
Hearing The Los Angeles Fires, Gavin frowned slightly but quickly relaxed and exchanged polite words.
The Los Angeles Fires performed spectacularly in North American box office and worldwide. The film was a significant blow to California's Democratic stronghold.
...
Harvey didn't stay long and soon left.
Jennifer's smile faded instantly.
Gavin sensed this and asked, "You don't like him much?"
Jennifer, not wanting to cause trouble, smiled and replied, "He's domineering, like a tyrant at work."
Gavin reassured her, "You're not a struggling actress anymore. If you return to Hollywood, your status will be exceptional."
Jennifer squeezed his hand, "Thank you for supporting my dreams."
After Harvey disappeared into the crowd, Jennifer averted her gaze, trying not to dwell on unpleasant memories.
...
When the wedding officially ended, someone whispered to Gavin and Jennifer. They excused themselves and went to the mansion's villa where Cooper awaited.
They discussed matters for a long time, focusing on the Silicon Valley acquisition and Hillary issues.
Hillary's base was feminism, which was also a core part of the San Francisco group's foundation.
Both sides had natural grounds for cooperation.
If Hillary's terms were reasonable, the San Francisco group would support her.
...
Meanwhile, after leaving Atherton, Harvey Weinstein met famous producer Graham King, who had rushed from Los Angeles, at a Bay Area business club.
Harvey feigned ignorance, "What's so urgent that you came to San Francisco?"
"I've wanted to talk to you." Graham managed Scorsese's productions, having started with Gangs of New York and promoted by him.
He smiled, "You were searching for film projects in Europe and Asia, and now you're back in North America, so I had to find you."
Harvey half-joked, "Weinstein Productions just started and desperately needs projects. I'm hunting worldwide. If you have any, send them my way."
"I'll recommend anything suitable," Graham quickly got to the point. "Scorsese asked me to seek your help."
The four major directors were arrogant, and Harvey had little direct contact with them. If Spielberg came, it would've been more natural.
Seeing Harvey's lack of reaction, Graham continued, "You have strong influence at the Oscars. Could you support Scorsese in Best Director voting? We'll return the favor."
Harvey wasn't involved in this year's Oscars, so he hadn't paid much attention. Curiously, he asked, "I heard The Departed dominated early awards, and Scorsese won the Golden Globe for Best Director."
Graham hesitated, "Though results aren't out, we expect the Directors Guild Award to go to Eric Emerson."
Historically, over 90% of Oscars align with the Guild.
Because many Oscar judges were also Guild judges.
Harvey understood the key: "Because the fire happened in Los Angeles? And many judges live there?"
"Yes, plus PR efforts painting The Departed as a tedious remake. They said Scorsese was just campaigning for the Oscar."
"What about Leo? Why didn't he come to me?" Harvey was the Clinton couple's white glove in Hollywood.
Graham gave a casual reason, "This is Best Director, not Best Actor."
Harvey fell silent and realized The Los Angeles Fires was backed by the Ferguson family and Twitter. Their power was unquestionable.
They were strong enough to clash with Hillary, combining political dynasties and emerging business groups.
Hillary could clash with them, but that didn't mean the white gloves could.
Harvey declined, "I know little about this year's Oscars. I'm afraid I can't help."
*****
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