The Wolf of Los Angeles.

Chapter 65 Find a breakthrough

Santa Monica Mountains, Palisade Community.

In a rented luxury car, Hawke turned the camera lens and took pictures of the mansion opposite.

The white houses are hidden behind trees and black walls, blocking any prying eyes from outside.

A patrol car drove up from a distance.

Hawke took back the camera and said to Edward, "Go back."

Edward accelerated the car and drove forward. He said, "Miller Collins must have a secret. He rented a house like this in addition to his own home. It must be something shady."

Hawke thought it made sense. He was a practitioner and had two safe houses besides his studio.

There was a slight traffic jam ahead, so the car slowed down. It turned out that an aerial work lift truck occupied nearly half of the road.

In the raised bucket stood a worker wearing a reflective vest, repairing the street light.

Hawke took two photos.

Edward said, "Boss, last time we had this equipment, you wouldn't have to climb the light pole."

Hawke put away his camera and casually said, "It's okay, you can climb next time."

Edward turned his head quickly, glanced at the lamp post, and flattered his boss: "Boss, you must be very good at that. You climbed up and slid down very easily. You must have practiced it countless times, right? You must have calluses, right?"

A real man takes the lead at this time. Hawke is full of confidence: "I wonder which women are lucky enough to enjoy it..."

Back in the studio, Eric called. Hawke waited for a while, and Eric came in with a backpack.

Edward took out the newspapers and magazines he had collected over the past few days and placed them on the table.

Hawke categorized the photos and videos he had taken and said a few more words.

The three of them got busy, picking out things that they thought were valuable.

The work lasted from day till night, and finally came to an end when Hawke turned on the lights.

Edward went out and brought back takeout.

The three of them quickly finished their dinner and had another meeting.

Hawke sorted out the information at hand and said, "Tell us what you found out about the background check on Miller Collins."

Eric started first: "Miller Collins entered the San Diego Chargers through the draft seven years ago. During this period, he was transferred in and out. In the past three years, he has been hailed as one of the best active wide receivers in the NFL. He is currently in the contract year and is negotiating a new contract with the Chargers. He wants to get another big contract before retiring. The annual salary is expected to exceed 1000 million US dollars."

He posted some more photos on the whiteboard: "Maria Collins and Dorothy Collins are Miller's wife and daughter. The family has a very good public image, and Miller is also a well-known model husband in the NFL."

Having said this, Eric felt nauseous and almost vomited.

Hawke handed him a bottle of water and asked, "Does he have any commercial endorsements?"

Eric took a big sip of water, suppressed the urge to vomit, and said, "Miller has five commercial endorsements, four for men's products, and one for a household product that he and his wife endorse together."

Hawke looked through them one by one and said, "For these endorsements, the first four require him to be a sunny, tough, real man, and the last one requires a harmonious family."

Eric asked, "We just expose him?"

Hawke shook his head: "Without real evidence, we will not only face Miller's defamation lawsuit, but also the club and brand behind him."

Edward didn't understand and asked curiously, "What are you talking about?"

Eric said, "I found out this asshole is gay."

Edward was quite surprised: "He's gay? A gay man marries a wife and has children. He has no sense of public morality!"

He made a circle with one hand, stretched out a finger with the other hand, and asked, "This way, or this way?"

Eric thought about what happened in the locker room and made a circle with his hands: "This possibility is more likely."

"No wonder." Edward quickly searched through the pile of documents on his side and found a pile of newspaper clippings and pasted them on another whiteboard. He said, "I checked all the news and magazines about Miller in the past three years. He is an NFL star with a relatively high exposure rate. In some of the real street photos, male friends often appear. I thought they were the star's playmates."

Hawke leaned over to look at the pictures carefully and asked Edward, "Have you checked who they are specifically?"

Edward pulled down the picture of three people: "I found the three of them."

He took out another USB drive, plugged it into his laptop, clicked on the photos, and said, "This one is Sean Howard, an advertising model who has shot ads with Miller; this one is Smith Wood, a painter; this one is Quinn Dennis, a member of the ballet company."

Eric was surprised: "You also took pictures?"

Hawke explained simply: "Celebrities' playmates are often closer than their partners. The news I got in the past was more than once revealed through playmates."

Eric understood: "Professional people do professional things. This saying is true."

Hawke said: "I learned some information from the media I cooperated with, especially Channel 11. Miller is from Southern California, born in an ordinary white family. He relied on sports to advance to college and change his social status. His social relationships are a bit complicated. Some of his childhood friends were mixed in white gangs and had close contacts with Miller."

Edward said, "We might face gang threats?" Hawke reminded the two: "Be prepared for this."

Eric thought of the humiliation he suffered that day, and he was not afraid at all: "Then let's have a high-level business war with them!"

Hawke nodded slightly and continued, "Two months ago, Miller bought a mansion on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica for his family to live in. A little later, Miller rented a smaller house in Palisade. He would change cars when entering and leaving the latter, probably to do something secretive."

Eric immediately started to think: "Specially for dating?"

"Very likely." Hawke added: "Miller is also good friends with many celebrities. I am sure that there are Beckham and Tom Cruise."

"Wow, we're going to be rich!" Even if he didn't watch football, Edward knew the name of Beckham, not to mention Tom Cruise.

Hei Xiaoshuai rubbed his hands excitedly: "If we can take a picture of Miller doing that with them, the news will definitely sell for seven figures!"

Hawke said: "Beckham is fine, he's not American, if it's Tom Cruise, you might be silenced by Scientology, it seems they have done something similar."

Edward immediately changed his words: "You have to have a life to spend your money. There are so many divorced women with children waiting for me to save them."

Eric suddenly realized: "No wonder your nickname is the Savior."

Edward smirked.

Hawke said: "Putting Beckham and Tom Cruise aside, even if they were in a relationship, it would be difficult for us to shoot them. This kind of passive waiting is not the style of the West Coast studio."

Eric wondered, "Where is the breakthrough?"

Hawke looked at Edward and said, "The title of savior is not for nothing. He has found a breakthrough for us."

"Miller has a wife and children..." Edward thought too much: "The problem is that they are not divorced."

Hawke took the mouse and displayed all the photos of the three people taken by Edward on the screen, and asked, "What do they have in common?"

Eric said: "Browny hair, thin, with a little beard."

Edward said: "He looks to be around 30 years old, with a rather long face and a melancholy look in his eyes."

Hawke added: "They all work in the arts."

Eric touched his stubble and said, "Listening to these descriptions, I feel so familiar."

Hawke's and Edward's eyes turned to him at the same time.

The latter took a mirror and handed it to Eric: "Take a look."

Eric looked at himself in the mirror, with his stubble, melancholy eyes, brown hair, long, weather-beaten face, and the job of director.

"Fuck!" He cursed in a low voice, then suddenly realized: "No wonder."

Edward wondered again.

They rely on each other at work, and Eric briefly talked about his experience.

"I hate gays the most!" Edward said, "The gays who fuck my friends are even more hateful. No doubt about it, fuck them!"

Eric corrected: "I wasn't fucked by him."

Hawke quickly brought the topic back and said, "Our style is to take the initiative and create possibilities from the impossible."

"The more complicated the plan, the more likely it is that something unexpected will happen, so I have a simple and easy plan." He pointed to three photos on the screen: "Find a gay man of this style and let him work for us."

Eric was worried: "That bastard has more money than us, and it's easy for something to go wrong."

Hawke has considered it: "We can give him what Miller can't give him. Eric, you are a director, and your next film will be funded by Castle Rock Pictures. It shouldn't be difficult to find a gay actor with a similar style in the circle."

Edward said, "There are a lot of gays in Hollywood."

Eric thought for a moment and said, "Is there anything I can do under the guise of recruiting actors?"

"Sure, I'm sure many people in Hollywood would be willing to give it a try." Hawke thought for a moment and asked, "In your new project, are there any major roles that you can decide on?"

Eric said: "The project has been approved. Since Castle Rock Pictures is involved in the investment, I can only decide the supporting actor or actress."

Hawke suggested: "You audition in advance and choose an actor. The conditions..."

Eric knows the actors: “There will be a lot of people willing to give it a try.”

Accompanying a man or a woman, or even someone who is neither male nor female, is the most basic and easiest thing to do in this circle.

Edward then asked, "Boss, he has a team and sponsors, will it be like last time?"

Hawke has been looking through the information: "It's possible, but the chances are slim. I've done some statistics here. Once a spokesperson is exposed to a huge scandal, the first to cut ties with them are the sponsors."

(End of this chapter)