The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 297: Where Are the Enemies?]

West Los Angeles, Golding's Restaurant.

After receiving a call from Hawke last night, Tom Cruise simply made an appointment with Hawke to have breakfast together.

Hawke wasn't shy and said directly, "I have a friend studying film production at USC who's about to start an internship..."

Tom Cruise interrupted, "Nightcrawler is already in post-production, so that's not ideal. After the New Year, I'm joining Spielberg's War of the Worlds crew. My company invested a small amount in that film. Just have your friend come directly to me, and I'll arrange for him to work as an assistant production manager on the set."

"Thank you," Hawke replied.

"We're old friends, no need to be so polite," Tom Cruise said. He had learned over many years that befriending people like Hawke would often work to his advantage.

Hawke moved on from pleasantries and talked about the status of Nightcrawler. The project had wrapped up filming, and director Eric Emerson was in the post-production phase.

...

After breakfast, they each went their separate ways. As Tom Cruise got into his car, he picked up a copy of The Hollywood Reporter. Upon opening it, he was greeted by a headline about Nicole Kidman.

It was a special interview where Nicole said, "To me, he's just 'Tom'. To others, he means much more. He once filled my life with love, and I still love him..."

Tom Cruise realized Hawke was right; he'd never escape Nicole Kidman's shadow.

...

Hawke got into his Mercedes and called Megan.

From the driver's seat, Edward handed Hawke a newspaper, saying, "Britney's gone crazy."

Hawke took the paper, and the front page headline showed an eye-catching photo of Britney holding an umbrella while smashing the glass door.

The news scrutinized Britney's mental health.

"Britney Acts Out, Violently Smashes Studio Doors, Police Called for Concerns Over Mental Health!"

Hawke set down the paper and said, "Jamie is fast on his feet."

...

At the Fox Television Center, in the 11th channel office.

Manninger Jenkins caught up on the news by reading the papers and surfing the internet, as well as watching the previous night's Midnight Entertainment news clip.

The headlines all focused on Britney. The pop star went berserk, smashing studio doors and pushing her assistant to the ground.

Manninger was quite satisfied; Jamie was nothing more than a fool chasing money while seeing his daughter as a tool for profit. He knew that soon, he'd have the chance to taste the sweetness of the sweet Britney.

Manninger had been craving this opportunity for years. Unfortunately, he wasn't in the upper-level management of a record label, he couldn't write songs, and he wasn't a heavyweight judge for music awards. If he wanted to taste Britney's sweetness, he'd have to to find another way.

Finally, he found out Britney's management contract was about to expire and that her manager had clashed with Jamie Spears, presenting a solid opportunity. ꞦἁℕΟ𐌱ËŜ

...

Just then, his phone rang; it was Jamie calling. Manninger picked up right away.

"Did you see the news?" Jamie's voice came through.

"I just saw it. You're doing great, Jamie. Keep this up for a week or ten days, and you'll be in court applying for special guardianship -- it'll definitely get approved."

Jamie laughed, "I'm a responsible father!"

Manninger continued, saying what Jamie wanted to hear: "Britney is yours; no one can take her away."

"Exactly, she's mine!" Jamie thoughtfully added, "For the next ten years, I'll use it every other day. Too much sensitivity might hurt Britney."

He wanted a mindless star, not just any ordinary girl.

...

After Manninger hung up, he felt he was just a step away from getting close to Britney, and taking full control wouldn't be far behind.

Manninger pulled up some videos stored on his computer and watched one of Britney's music videos. One MV, in particular, was especially provocative.

A knock came at the door.

Manninger switched off the video and called out, "Come in." His assistant, Gibbs, walked in.

"Sir, we have new intel from our competitors."

He quickly explained, "We've learned that Megan Taylor left Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and checked into Alsa Healthcare Nursing Home in Orange County. She completed her admission process just now."

Hearing this, Manninger pondered, "Megan Taylor's condition hasn't improved?"

"Yes," Gibbs continued, "I had our people bribe a nurse from Cedars-Sinai, and we obtained details of Megan's medical history. She's infected with salmonella and staph, leading to severe gastroenteritis and ulcers, with potential for cancer... Though the risk isn't extremely high, Megan doesn't want to take chances and plans to recover a bit more before she comes back."

Manninger asked, "Are you sure?"

Gibbs replied confidently, "Our people posed as visitors from Fox and spoke to Megan's doctor, and the doctor's story matched."

"Megan is leaving Los Angeles for Orange County and won't return anytime soon, which basically rules out competition," Manninger mused. "But on that night at Fox, Megan suddenly got sick and vomited in front of Roger Ailes. I've always suspected someone was out to get her."

Gibbs mentioned, "The rumors claim Cynthia recommended Megan for the director position."

Manninger shook his head, "Cynthia recommending doesn't guarantee it. My qualifications at Fox outperform Megan's, and ultimately, it's Roger Ailes who decides."

Gibbs agreed, "Of course."

Manninger continued, "We're not foolish enough to poison her or plant anything harmful; there's only one suspect."

Gibbs thought of another competitor, "Renee Russell."

Manninger said, "Aside from her, I can't think of anyone else."

The upcoming rivalry would focus heavily on Renee Russell.

But on Megan Taylor's side, Manninger would still keep tabs.

...

One floor down, in the producer's office for the 7 PM news.

Renee Russell had also heard news of Megan's deteriorating health and her move to Orange County for recuperation.

Her assistant even leveraged her feminine charm to obtain copies of all medical records and reports.

Renee glanced over and easily understood that Megan's condition rendered her unable to work.

With the competition for channel director looming, all three candidates had potential. While Megan had a slight advantage due to Cynthia's recommendation, she and Manninger also had their chances.

Before the competition even began, Megan's health had already faltered.

Renee was filled with questions; she considered uniting with Megan's sworn enemy, Gretchen, using underhanded tactics to knock Megan out of the running.

But she had only met Gretchen once, and before their discussion could develop into a plan, Megan had already run into trouble.

Renee glanced up at the ceiling, wondering if Manninger was behind this.

After pondering the situation, she couldn't think of anyone other than Manninger.

Internal competition was everywhere, and Roger Ailes encouraged it. This was a race for channel director, after all.

While being extra cautious, Renee also considered how to handle Manninger Jenkins.

Using certain competitive tactics was one thing, but if she resorted to them, she needed to ensure Manninger could never recover.

...

Renee called her most trusted assistant and associate producer into the room to strategize.

"It is impossible for us to significantly improve our level in a short period of time," Renee stated firmly. "But we can find a way to make Manninger slip up, thereby lowering his level and winning the competition."

The associate producer said, "The chairman's office hasn't revealed the candidate yet, which seems to encourage competition."

Renee turned to the assistant and instructed, "Have someone quietly spread the news about Megan Taylor's health; let it circulate widely that she won't be able to work."

The assistant, a woman, replied, "I'm quite adept at that."

Renee then directed the associate producer, "Find ways to gather negative intel on Manninger, no matter the aspect, I want it all."

She further emphasized, "Remind the team to be on guard!"

...

Beverly Hills, Beverly Drive.

With Jamie Spears out, Paris Hilton visited Britney's house to take her out.

They didn't head to Paris's nearby villa but instead went directly to the Four Seasons Hotel.

Once in the suite, Britney took out a small water bottle from her handbag and took a sip.

Paris asked, "What are you drinking?"

Britney put the water down, explaining, "It's beauty water that Dad prepared for me. He says it keeps my skin clear, slows aging, and stabilizes my mood."

She offered the water bottle to Paris, "Want to try?"

Paris took the bottle but recalled Hawke's advice, setting it aside. "What happened with you in Burbank?"

"I don't know," Britney sighed, feeling fretful and dizzy, "I just felt so agitated and impulsive; I couldn't control myself."

Paris probed, "Have you settled everything?"

"It's all cleared up," Britney rubbed her forehead, "I paid that studio some money and apologized."

Paris whipped out her cellphone, saying, "I'm going to grab something. Sit tight for a minute."

She headed to the bedroom to collect a USB drive from the notebook she had prepared.

Halfway through, someone called, and Paris chatted for a moment.

While still on the phone, she suddenly heard strange noises from outside and quickly exited the bedroom.

Britney, in a fit of rage, smashed a decorative glass vase against the carpet.

The thick carpet cushioned the impact, so the vase didn't break. She picked it up again and hurled it against the wall.

Amid a cacophony of shattering glass, Britney continued her rampage throughout the suite.

The violent scene was terrifying for Paris, who didn't dare approach. She grabbed the portable DV Hawke had given her and started filming Britney's meltdown.

*****

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