America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 268, Section 267: Eric's Overt Scheme, the Media Caught in a Dilemma

The paparazzi who had been waiting outside went wild when they saw the police enter the MGM headquarters building.

Bang bang bang bang

The flash was still blinding even in broad daylight, and the photo was quickly sent out with a pre-prepared caption.

At the same time, phone calls spread like a spider web, and hundreds of cars were rushing towards them, surrounding Eric like a giant net.

The security guards, seeing the long lenses and microphones set up at the entrance and the hundreds of paparazzi, were all on high alert with worry.

Seeing such a large crowd, many pedestrians gradually gathered around. Watching a spectacle transcends national boundaries and races; it is human nature.

"Mr. Cooper, you can speak the truth in your office. We really didn't intend to get involved in this."

"But the pressure from the media and public opinion is immense, and the state government cannot ignore public opinion. This is the only way we can do, and we ask for your understanding."

"But I can assure you that the Los Angeles judicial authorities do not have any position; we will only state the facts and report the truth."

"If you're innocent, then you're innocent, OK?"

Eric had anticipated the prosecutor's visit. He knew the six major authorities had hired countless online trolls to smear him, and with the added hype from television stations and newspapers, the government would definitely take action.

In electoral politics, you must be accountable to your voters no matter what, or you will be removed from office.

"It's for work, and I understand your situation. I also hope to clear my name with the help of official channels," Eric said, standing up.

Seeing that he did not resist, the other party breathed a sigh of relief. As a major taxpayer and a celebrity with power and influence, the police generally did not want to provoke him.

"Thank you for your cooperation. Now, let's go. Of course, you can bring your lawyer with you."

As they walked out the door, they were greeted by countless flashes of light.

Even though Eric was used to this feeling, this time it was still too much, and he found it irritating, let alone others.

The paparazzi swarmed over, trying to surround the group, but the security guards immediately formed a human wall to block them.

They bombarded him with questions, but Eric ignored them and got into his car to head to the police station.

The best course of action in this situation is to remain silent. Anything you say will be misinterpreted, a point the lawyer has repeatedly emphasized.

Seeing that they couldn't get the answer they wanted, the paparazzi could only hurriedly get into their cars and follow.

Suddenly, a lavish car chase unfolded on the streets of Los Angeles.

Leading the way was a police car, followed by a Lincoln sedan, and not far behind the Lincoln were hundreds of vehicles of various colors.

Many paparazzi went straight to the point, carrying cameras and video cameras and starting to live stream the scene in front of them.

Rumble.

Several helicopters bearing the logos of ABC, FOX, and NBC circled overhead, filled with paparazzi taking panoramic photos from an overhead view.

To get to news scenes, especially popular and urgent ones, major television stations are equipped with helicopters.

Upon receiving news of the police arrival, these guys immediately sensed bloodshed and decided they had to escalate the situation and show the entire United States the footage of Eric Cooper being taken to the police station.

At the same time, they will continue to exert pressure on the judicial authorities by leveraging the power of public opinion, so that even if Eric is truly innocent, they will still ruin his reputation.

"Boss, in all these years, I swear I've never seen anything like this in my entire career!" Pete exclaimed in astonishment as he looked at the endless line of cars behind him.

"Isn't it interesting?" Eric smiled.

"Boss, how can you still be laughing? Aren't you worried? Look at those guys, they look like they're going to eat you alive!"

"Cannibalism? That's a very apt word. Some people want to devour me alive. They want to dismantle MGM and Lionheart and drive me out of Hollywood."

Pete frowned. "I don't want that to happen. Boss, if you leave, where am I going to find a job with such good pay?"

Hahahaha

"Don't worry, I won't break down, and you won't lose your job."

"Of course, I have always had absolute faith in you!"

I glanced down at my phone; messages kept pouring in—texts from Nicole, Theron, Ashley, and Mary.

The content was largely the same, all advising him to be careful, not to talk nonsense, to follow the lawyer's instructions, and not to easily trust the police, etc.

Although they still didn't give Eric a friendly look, their attitudes softened somewhat under the man's persistent and shameless pleas, and they agreed to come to their house for dinner the following night.

"Ben, come quick! There's a great show on TV, all the major TV stations are broadcasting it live."

"What?"

"A massive car chase! Hundreds of cars are chasing each other through the streets of Los Angeles, and helicopters are even flying overhead. What's going on?"

A middle-aged white man emerged from the restroom, staring in astonishment at the television screen: "OMG! This scene reminds me of the O.J. Simpson murder case. Do you remember that day?"

"I remember, I remember it very clearly. It was a big day, 1994, that shocked the whole world."

"That day was just as lively as today. Who are they chasing?"

"Eric Cooper, a Hollywood mogul, is said to have sexually assaulted minors and done many disgusting things."

"It's this young man. I've been seeing him in the news a lot these past few days. Wasn't he said to be innocent?"

"Innocent? How could they be innocent? Those who wield power will always find ways to bully the weak; they are all villains!"

"I don't think so. Your view is clearly biased. You can't draw conclusions without evidence."

"I think the evidence will be available soon. Do you think Eric Cooper will walk out of the police station again?"

"I'd really like to see. Shall we drink some soda? We can watch while we drink."

"Alright."

During the live broadcasts on major television stations, the number of viewers skyrocketed. Even on non-rest days and during the daytime, the number of viewers quickly exceeded 3000 million and continued to surge.

After parking the car, Eric followed Leonard into the police station.

The paparazzi weren't allowed in, so they surrounded the area from the outside, pointing their cameras at the front and back doors to prevent Eric from disappearing.

Meanwhile, many onlookers continued to gather, including quite a few demonstrators and protesters.

They gathered in small groups, holding signs and wearing clothes with the words "Severely Punish Sexual Assault" printed on them, and stood outside chanting slogans.

Looking out through the glass at the scene, Eric sneered, "If these people aren't employees of the Six Great Employers, I'll rip their heads off!"

Gadot said with a worried look, "Eric, I'm feeling really bad. Luckily, I found temporary accommodation, otherwise it would have been terrible."

"What? Were you attacked?"

"No, but someone threw stones at my apartment, and the landlord called me."

Eric pulled her into his arms, and Gadot struggled a few times, but her strength seemed to have diminished compared to the day before.

"I've always been worried about this happening. Don't live there anymore. I bought you a house; you can move in."

Click, the door was pushed open, and Prosecutor Leonard walked in, the two separated.

"Mr. Cooper, Ms. Gadot, are you ready?"

The two nodded, and then, accompanied by their lawyer, were questioned separately. The questions were all routine and mainly for record-keeping purposes.

More than an hour later, the two of them underwent lie detector tests.

The lie detector test is currently the most convenient and effective method. After all, medicine can only repair that membrane; it has not yet reached the point where it can detect when that membrane was broken.

Since testimonies can be manipulated by collusion, a lie detector is the best way to distinguish truth from falsehood.

The working principle of this device is very simple: it records various physiological reactions that occur when a person experiences emotional changes, such as breathing, pulse, frequency, blood pressure, and skin moisture.

Most people experience a series of changes in their nervous system functions when they lie or are influenced by emotional words; this is a type of conditioned reflex.

Unless one has undergone rigorous training or possesses exceptionally strong psychological qualities, most people cannot control their stress response, resulting in a success rate of over 85% for the test.

However, lie detector results are not accepted as evidence in court, since even a 1% error cannot be used as evidence for conviction or acquittal.

Eric was also eager to clarify things, and since he and Gadot had nothing to hide, taking a lie detector test was a good idea.

"Mr. Cooper, Ms. Gadot, congratulations on passing the lie detector test. It seems the controversy can be put to rest."

Leonard breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the result. No one in the police department's upper echelons wanted Eric to actually be a minor sexual predator, as that would lead to very troublesome consequences.

Faced with such a super-rich man, especially with the woman's consent, the legal process will be difficult to implement, and the pressure from public opinion will be immense, making it a complete hot potato.

Everything is peaceful and uneventful; this is the best outcome.

"So it's over?" Eric asked.

"I think so. Many people want to know the outcome, and the Los Angeles Police Department is happy to clarify things for you."

Eric chuckled and said, "It's been an interesting experience. I never thought I'd have to take a lie detector test one day. To be honest, it's quite amusing."

"An unexpected answer, Mr. Cooper!"

"Because we have a clear conscience, and I suddenly had an idea: I want to create a variety show with lie detection as its theme."

"what?"

Everyone, including Gadot, was completely bewildered and didn't react at all; this leap in thought was simply too unbelievable.

Brother, do you know you're a suspect now? Do you know you're being criticized by the whole society? How did this get dragged into a TV variety show? What's wrong with you?

"A program? What program?"

"Isn't it interesting to use uncovering people's secrets as a selling point, guiding them to reveal the truth by asking probing questions?"

"Mr. Leonard, when you conduct lie detector tests, do you ever imagine using them on ordinary people to uncover their deepest secrets?"

"Well, occasionally. After all, everyone has a thirst for knowledge, and everyone enjoys exploring. Besides, my profession includes this element."

"No, this isn't exploration; it's about tearing open other people's wounds and finding pleasure in it. I think everyone would love this show."

Everyone was speechless, yet they vaguely felt that this was indeed a great gimmick.

Watching others suffer is inherently a source of amusement; isn't that how comedy movies work? The audience only laughs when the characters are unlucky.

By this time, the area outside the police station was completely surrounded, and everyone was waiting for an answer.

The uproar reached its climax when Eric and Gadot appeared.

"Sexual assault! Sexual assault! Sexual assault!" someone shouted loudly.

"Prosecutor, has Eric Cooper pleaded guilty?"

"He's a criminal who sexually assaulted a minor, isn't he?"

"The public desires social justice, and even more so, they want the law to better punish wrongdoers!"

Prosecutor Leonard took the microphone and said, "Everyone, quiet! Please be quiet!"

"We've already administered lie detector tests to Eric Cooper and Gal Gadot, and now I'm going to announce the results. Please be quiet!"

The noise at the scene immediately ceased, and tens of millions of viewers watched this moment simultaneously on television.

In the footage, Eric appears calm, giving the impression that he has everything under control and remains unfazed even in the face of imminent disaster.

"The lie detector test has proven Mr. Cooper innocent. He and Ms. Gadot are in a normal, loving relationship. That's the result!"

"No!"

Not hearing the desired result, many people immediately started shouting again.

"Oppose corruption! Oppose privilege!"

"Oppose corruption! Oppose privilege!"

"Oppose corruption! Oppose privilege!"

At this point, the police had done what they were supposed to do. Seeing that these troublemakers were still not giving up and were suspected of causing a disturbance, many police officers immediately rubbed their hands together, ready to forcibly disperse them.

"May I say a few words?"

At that moment, Eric took the microphone and suddenly spoke.

He looked at the people below with a defiant gaze: "I know what you want to do, I know why you're gathered here. You want to label me a criminal, even if it's a fake label."

"But this country is governed by law. It's not about who shouts the loudest that's right. The law proves I didn't do it, so I'm innocent. No matter how much you slander me, I'm innocent."

"On the contrary, some people and things in this society are not clean. That is the real breeding ground for sex crimes, and it even includes a large number of sex crimes committed by minors."

"Now, I will reveal it to an audience across America!"

As soon as Eric finished speaking, a large number of people carrying cameras suddenly rushed out from all directions, and within moments they had formed a counter-encirclement of reporters from major television stations and newspapers.

Under the lens, every station logo is clearly visible: The New York Times, The Washington Post, ABC, CBS, FOX.

At the same moment, Lionheart.com's live stream interface suddenly popped up, sending a notification to all users.

This feeling of being in the spotlight makes many paparazzi very uncomfortable.

They're usually the ones who expose others, but this time they feel like they're about to be stripped naked themselves.

The paparazzi with higher authority wanted to shut down the live TV broadcast directly, while the low-authority ones hurriedly asked their superiors for permission.

Seeing the flustered state of these guys, Eric shouted, "All the media outlets in the US are here now. I don't want to name names one by one, but I must tell you, you are all on Lionheart's live stream."

"The media's duty is to expose darkness and uphold justice. If you shut down the live broadcast now, you won't dare to convey what I said to the viewers in front of the television."

"So that proves you're guilty. Have you abandoned the impartial stance that a media outlet should have, or have you become a tool to attack others?"

"Now is the time to prove to the nation whether you have any credibility!"

(End of this chapter)