Volume 4: White Devil Chapter 266 Where is Tommy?
"Mr. Hawke, can we have a serious talk?" Eddie Wyler, the new head of the crew who flew to Miami with Stephen, sat opposite Tommy and spoke sincerely:
"After I arrived in Miami, I have been observing and recording, and I have also accumulated a lot of footage. Of course, everyone, including you, understands that a lot of footage cannot be broadcast, but that's not important. After all, our show is not a documentary, it's a variety show. I understand that Nick always thought he was the producer of your group and he wanted to decide everything. There are some differences between him and me. Stephen chose me not because I am more capable than Nick, but because I don't like to control everything. I prefer to observe."
After Nick returned to Los Angeles, he flew to Miami with Stephen. During this period, he was like an invisible man and almost never appeared in front of Tommy or others. When Tommy asked the crew to help shoot some scenes, he would nod and agree readily. Of course, this does not mean that he is a good person who is willing to help others without asking for anything in return, but that he hopes that this kindness can be rewarded, so he did not appear until the primary election was over and Tommy could breathe a sigh of relief.
Tommy may not be responsible for the final product of the show, but he needs the job.
He didn't mind Tommy acting according to his personal ideas, but he had to reveal some follow-up ideas to him. After all, a show is a show. The name of the show is "The Apprentice". It is about Tommy who relies on fifty dollars to inspire himself to replicate his American dream, restore his million-dollar fortune, and return to the ranks of the rich. No matter how much Tommy does, the final ending will return to the word "the apprentice".
The problem is that although Tommy looks rich, he doesn't even need to use his previous income. He made a lot of money just by dealing with those weird sects in Florida, but can this way of making money represent the American dream? Of course it can. No one stipulates that the American dream must be realized according to a certain template, but the American people are hypocritical. If they really believe that Tommy made money by means of fraud and in the name of God, even if they envy Tommy in their hearts and want to try to replicate him the next day, the expression on their faces must be so angry that they want to burn him to death.
Tommy must have a successful ending that suits American tastes.
He needs Tommy to give him some ideas so that he can understand the subsequent content of the young rich man's game. He can not interfere, or even cooperate, but first he must be clear, because Tommy can do without a script, but he must weave an ending that conforms to the American dream for all Tommy's actions. This is his job.
Tommy was sitting opposite him, holding a tie and trying to tie it at the collar. Hearing what he said, he shook the plain tie in his hand, which was inlaid with many tiny diamonds. "How does this tie look?"
"It looks like you're afraid that others don't know that you're wearing a sports car around your neck." Eddie smiled and glanced at the tie and said to Tommy.
Tommy casually pulled the tie off from his neck, rolled it up and threw it aside. "It was a gift from the former mayor of Miami. It's said to be worth more than 10,000 dollars. It's an Italian brand. These diamonds, which are smaller than a mosquito's head, are inlaid one by one on silk by Italian craftsmen . The only problem is that I rarely wear this thing. Back to your question, Stephen, that idiot, invited me to vacation. Just like the person who gave me the tie, I never thought of becoming a shining new TV star, earning 500 dollars for an appearance fee, sitting on the Conan show or some other talk show, and talking about issues that everyone is interested in."
"I just said, you can do anything, but I need to be clear about the subsequent game content." Eddie repeated seriously.
Tommy lit up a cigarette, then threw the lighter back on the table. "Jeff gets elected, and he stands in Congress and takes out a solid ball and a solid wood board to prove that the earth is flat. Then he speaks for the veterans and greets the stowaways from Latin America. This is the follow-up content of the game. I calculated the time, and it will be around August. Then I will go back to Los Angeles to play a bigger game."
Eddie frowned slightly. "But you don't have any income to show for it. I mean, when the game is over, how are you going to show the audience how much you've earned during this period? Is it just from those shady political black money?"
"I was not optimistic about this show long before Stephen and that mentally ill old guy Turner came up with it. They thought FOX's 'Born to be Rich' was not good. The gimmick they designed was more inspirational and exciting. It allows the audience to clearly see the whole process of a young man starting from scratch and becoming a millionaire. This is the authentic American dream." Tommy said.
Eddie looked at Tommy and asked, "Isn't it?"
"Stephen was infected by that old guy Turner. They think that "Noble Born" is an insult to the United States. They think that the last time an aristocrat told the common people that nobility is born was probably the eve of the French Revolution. There are too many people in the United States who are self-righteous because their grandfathers made a few dollars, which has made the United States more and more decadent. So they want to tell American audiences not to listen to FOX's stupid nonsense. There is no aristocracy in the United States. There is the American dream here. Three young people who give up their identity, wealth, and status are thrown into a strange city, start from scratch, and embark on the road to wealth again. If the three of them can do it, you in front of the TV can do it too." Tommy thought for a while and spread his hands to Eddie:
"That was their idea. When the two guys came up with the idea, they were so excited that they were shaking all over. They thought this show was amazing."
"That's true, and it does sound very attractive."
"Do you want to hear the truth? Anyone who thinks this idea is great is aristocrat, upper class, or at least from a middle class family. The poor people in the United States, who are the majority, will not believe this nonsense. If it really has a chance to become popular, it will be broadcast in other countries overseas to deceive the poor people in other countries and make them believe that America is so beautiful."
“Why won’t the poor believe it?”
Tommy flicked the ash off his cigarette and said with certainty, "Because I was once poor. Poor people can believe that God really exists, that Hitler is a lizard man, and believe in all kinds of conspiracy theories, but they will never believe that poor people can become rich. Because people who really have the ability to take action will not watch such programs to fantasize, and poor people who don't have this ability prefer to fantasize about the beautiful socialites in the upper class in "Born Nobles". That program is more in line with the poor's fantasies about wealth, power, and women. An American dream that is so hypocritical that the poor can't believe it, and an absolutely real upper-class life. If you are an ordinary person, which one would you choose to watch? Stephen and Turner's ideas could not compete with FOX from the beginning. I can only use my own ideas to design more interesting scripts."
"You want an American dream that is not hypocritical, or rather, an American dream that is hypocritical but people are more willing to believe in." After hearing what Tommy said, Eddie thought about it seriously and then spoke.
Indeed, as Tommy said, poor people will not believe that this program is real. Really capable poor people will not watch such programs and waste their precious time working hard to climb up and change their destiny. However, poor people who do not have the ability to degenerate themselves would prefer to watch the presentation of the upper class on TV and indulge in fantasies.
"That's about it. So I think you are much better than that guy Nick. When I have a chance to meet Stephen, I will definitely talk to him about your salary." Tommy smiled and did not deny what Eddie said.
"So you brought Martin to Miami, so..." Eddie got Tommy's affirmation, as if he realized something. He stared at Tommy seriously and tried to speak again: "It doesn't matter whether you make money or not by the end of the program recording, but because of your help, you successfully helped Martin, Jeff or others realize the American dream. For example, Martin was just your follower before. The audience has seen him feeding laxatives to pigeons under your orders. In the material, he likes to brag that he is a big shot, but now he has opened a company, and he is a black man from the bottom of the society. And Jeff is also a silly little man. He hopes to tell everyone a truth that seems like a joke, that the earth is flat. Then, with your kind help, they all realized their wishes. You are not the realizer of the American dream."
Eddie's eyes lit up: "You want to be a dream maker who helps others realize their dreams."
"We can't let the poor believe that they can become billionaires as long as they work hard through the lame and hypocritical performances of people like me or Jason. The poor have worked hard, so why do they continue to be poor? Because making money has never been an easy thing." Tommy leaned back in his chair and looked at the photo frame on the table. It contained a photo of him and Martin when they first came to Miami and met Jeff's family. A group of people were eating at the dining table and were photographed by the Nick crew. Looking at the photo, he slowly said:
"But you can make everyone believe that the world is still beautiful. As long as you are willing to work hard for your dreams and don't give up easily, maybe one day you will meet a kind person like Martin and Jeff. That kind person has a bad temper, bad character, selfishness, greed and lust. He is a little clever and acts recklessly. He has countless shortcomings, but he did a good thing."
"That is, he can encourage Martin to become Jeff's campaign manager in order to become a big shot, and instigate him to steal Trojans from the supermarket. In order to help Jeff raise campaign funds, he can go to those messy sects to negotiate donations. When the game is over, all the truly good people have realized their dreams. Martin has become a not-so-big shot. Jeff stands on the podium of the House of Representatives and takes out his shot put and solid wood board. They have realized the American dream of rapid success. The only problem is, what kind of image should the kind-hearted man with bad character leave with?"
Eddie said excitedly: "Just like when he came, he had nothing when he came, and he left with nothing when he left, as if he had gained nothing, but he left happily because he wanted the audience to realize for themselves that he had gained inner satisfaction, and to let the audience see the kind American heart beneath his despicable shell."
"Yes, that's it. This is the plot at the end of the game. The Bible says that the righteous wicked and the sinful righteous are all hated by the Lord." Tommy laughed: "As for whether I am an American sinner or an American righteous man, let the Jehovahs in front of the TV decide."
Eddie exhaled slowly: "If you had told Nick about this earlier, he would definitely not be willing to go back to Los Angeles."
"He was not interested in talking to me about this. He even went to the square management office to report me in order to prevent us from continuing to make money by feeding the pigeons." Tommy said with a smile.
"One last question, just out of personal curiosity, Mr. Hawke, are you used to maintaining this image when you are on vacation or playing games? I mean, this kind of bad image, doing whatever it takes, but ultimately doing everything to help others. This is the image of the protagonist in Hollywood commercial movies." After Eddie figured out what Tommy wanted to express, he relaxed and asked a personal question with a smile.
Tommy smiled and said, "Why does Hollywood make so many movies with similar protagonists every year? Because people like to see this kind of image. Besides, I'm not just being conservative. I'm the kind of person who likes to help others. Have you forgotten? I just said that I would ask Stephen to give you a raise."
…
While Tommy was chatting with Eddie Wyler, Martin was also preparing for an interview in his office. The local Miami Post, seeing that Martin had invested a lot of money in advertising for Jeff in the newspaper and Jeff's performance in the primary election, decided to arrange an interview with Martin, the campaign manager, to talk about the stories behind Jeff's campaign.
At this time in the office, Marcus had a resentful expression on his face as he helped Martin apply some kind of makeup on his face. He said unhappily, "Martin, this is a newspaper interview, not a TV appearance. You don't need to put on makeup or match your clothes. People won't be able to tell what you are wearing during the interview through the text."
"Shut up! Marcus! That's the Miami Post. Most of the low-class blacks in Miami only have one chance in their lifetime to be on the news page of such a big newspaper, and that's if they are unlucky and get shot and killed by the police. But I have one more chance than them now." When Martin heard that Marcus actually thought he attached too much importance to this interview, he immediately said with dissatisfaction, hoping that the other party would realize the popularity of the Miami Post in Florida.
After Marcus helped him put on his makeup for the camera, Martin looked in the mirror, then walked out of the office, clapped his hands to the busy employees in the hall, and said loudly, "Everyone! Today, reporters from the Miami Post will come to interview us to learn about my entrepreneurial history, the company's development history, and what we have done to help Jeff's campaign. I hope that when the reporters come, they can feel how busy we are. So, if you have nothing to do, remember to knock on my office door more often, interrupt the interview, and report some work to me. In short, make the reporters think that I am as busy as the bosses of those large consulting companies."
The employees looked at each other, nodded at Martin's eager gaze, and then continued to work on the tasks at hand.
Their boss was actually worried that there was nothing to do? There was so much work to do now, especially after Jeff's primary election, arranging various subsequent public gatherings, arranging local TV interviews, visiting communities to canvass for votes, shooting campaign advertising videos, arranging for Jeff's family to attend various charity events, and so on. There were all kinds of work waiting for them to do, and even if Martin didn't ask, they would report to him normally.
Soon, the reporter from the Miami Post showed up on time, but Martin lost the smile on his face and the light in his eyes when he saw the other person for the first time.
Because the reporter turned out to be a black man. Although he wore glasses and showed his ID, Martin still felt that he did not look like a reporter, but more like a taxi driver who brought the reporter here.
"Kirk Davis, nice to meet you, Mr. Martin Hart." The reporter took the initiative to extend his hand to Martin, and while looking around the company, he praised, "It looks very busy."
Martin shook hands with the other party woodenly, and after leading the other party back to his office to sit down, he finally couldn't help but said: "The newspaper didn't say they would send a black reporter to interview me."
The reporter was stunned when he heard this and said in confusion: "I'm sorry, I don't quite understand. Will the fact that I'm black affect this interview?"
"No, it doesn't affect me at all." Martin explained, "But it does affect my mood. You know, when I show off to white people and when I show off to black people, I have two completely different feelings."
After the reporter confirmed that he had come to the right address and that Martin Hart was indeed the owner of the election consulting company, he smiled against his will and said, "I have interviewed many black entrepreneurs, but the opening remarks are rarely so unexpected. So, if a white reporter came to interview you, what would you brag about to him? You can just pretend that I am him and brag to me. Maybe I can pass it on to my white colleagues at the newspaper."
"Well, did you graduate from college?" Martin asked lacking interest.
The reporter shrugged: "Purdue University Journalism."
"I also went to college, to Dee Community College in Little Haiti, majoring in hair design. Now I'm a company owner, and my employees are all top students who graduated from prestigious universities, and most of them are white. Now can you understand why I hope a white reporter will interview me? I even arranged for white employees to come in and report during the interview..." Martin said regretfully.
The reporter turned away speechlessly and sighed: "So, you just want to show your superficial ridicule of white people? Let's get started. First question, Mr. Hart, as Jeff Lavine's campaign manager, what do you think of his performance in this party primary?"
"Very good, Jeff performed just as well as we expected."
"Many people who watched the primary election live expressed their belief that Jeff Lavine's repeated interruptions of female candidates were disrespectful to women and not gentlemanly behavior."
"This issue needs to be viewed from different perspectives. Other female candidates also tried to interrupt him many times, but their eloquence was too poor. This involves another issue. The female candidates' behavior was disrespectful to men and not ladylike enough. We cannot advocate gender equality while calling on men to shut up and passively wait for women to criticize us. Patriotism does not distinguish between men and women."
"Mr. Jeff Lavine made controversial remarks. What was the team's reaction when they learned that he was going to make such remarks in the primary election?"
"I think he should be tougher. He is too kind. He did not mention other issues during the live broadcast, such as the Cuban women giving birth in the 18th constituency and taking up public welfare benefits. He did not mention them, but not mentioning them does not mean they do not exist. The reason he did not mention them is that he is kind and does not want to hurt women and children, even if those women and children are illegal immigrants."
"As a black man, what kind of mentality did you have to help a white racist like Jeff Lavine run for election? Did he make any uncomfortable remarks to you while working for him?"
"Jeff is not a racist. He does not discriminate against black people. On the contrary, he is very friendly to them. He does not discriminate against Cubans either. He is just dissatisfied with the Cuban illegal immigrants. The reason why I accepted such a job is naturally because I think he can make this area better."
"Jeff Lavine..."
"Come on! My nigger brother, I'm sitting in front of you wearing a carefully selected Armani suit, but you keep asking about my employer? Asking me how I made my fortune is as embarrassing as asking if you have a sexually transmitted disease?" Martin heard that this guy kept asking about Jeff Lavine after he sat down, and finally couldn't help but asked back madly.
The reporter put down his notebook and said, "Mr. Hart, the problem is that the audience is more concerned about and curious about Jeff Lavine, rather than how you became the boss of the company. They just want to learn more about Jeff Lavine from your perspective. Of course, you can talk about your story, but not too much."
"I'm very compassionate. Actually, I didn't plan to pursue this career, but because I met Jeff, I sympathized with him. His previous campaign ideas were scary simple, so he planned to print some flyers and distribute them to the neighbors. I thought I wanted to help him, so I volunteered to be his campaign manager, formed a team, helped him develop election strategies, arranged for people to raise donations, and I also provided jobs for many people. This is my sense of social responsibility, this is my kindness, and what I will do next..." Martin was finally cheered up when he heard that the other party finally asked him to talk about himself. He was ready to talk in detail about the various virtues he possessed, but before he started, there was a knock on the door.
“Boom boom boom.”
Martin said, "Come in."
He thought that it was an employee who came in to cooperate with him to report on his work, but now the reporter in front of him was a black man with the same skin color as him, so there was no need for him to report again.
The door was pushed open, and it was not another employee who came in, but Louise Deville, a non-staff member. She walked in from outside and saw Martin sitting and talking with a black man, seeming to be hesitant to speak.
Martin immediately said, "It doesn't matter. Just tell me what documents I need to sign."
"Regarding your wish to find some medical experts and data to prove that the main reason for the spread of AIDS in Florida is Cuban illegal immigrants, I can help you contact them..." When Louise Deville saw Martin say this, she thought the black man was Martin's brother or other subordinate, so she spoke directly.
"You remembered it wrong, Louise. This plan was not proposed by me, and I rejected it." Martin didn't wait for her to finish. He immediately jumped up, pushed Louise out, locked the door, sat back on the sofa, and looked at the black reporter Kirk:
"That was not arranged by me. It was planned by a consultant of my company. I have righteously rejected it. And this woman named Louise is not from my company. She is an undercover sent by a rival company."
Kirk stared at Martin in amazement. “I just suspected that you were not the real boss of this company because you acted so superficially. But from what that woman said to you just now, I believe you are Jeff Lavine’s campaign manager and the boss of this company.”
“Knock, knock, knock~” Before Martin could speak, someone knocked on the door, and then it was pushed open. An employee said to Martin directly, “Boss, there is something…”
Martin looked at the subordinate who walked in with dissatisfaction: "Can't you wait until I finish the interview before reporting back, so that I can maintain my sense of social responsibility, kindness, and compassion until the end of the interview?"
"We just got the news that veterans have beaten up Cubans in multiple communities. They all said at the police station that they were influenced by Jeff Lavine's live broadcast. The worst case was outside the Republican primary venue today, where some Cubans who supported Ileana Letty were beaten by veterans." The employee looked anxiously at Martin.
Martin ignored the presence of reporters and stood up and walked out the door, asking as he walked, "Where's Tommy?"
