The Wolf of Los Angeles-Chapter 393: Hunting

[Chapter 393: Hunting]

Beverly Hills, North Sunset Boulevard.

Hawke pressed the electronic key, and the gates of the mansion opened. The security personnel had already started their shift in the security booth at the entrance.

Erica drove into the estate, following the spacious main road through the front hall, and arrived in front of the villa, parking in the fountain plaza.

They got out of the car and entered the villa. The decor had been mostly updated, aligning more with modern aesthetics.

After checking the upstairs and downstairs, they went to the annex. The two bulletproof vehicles that Hawke had ordered were already parked in the garage. There was a Mercedes S-Class and a Cadillac Escalade. Both offered VR10 level protection.

In the back garden, they had planted irises and hydrangeas, along with peonies and chrysanthemums at Hawke's request. The helicopter landing pad remained unchanged, as Hawke had no plans to buy a helicopter at the moment; too many wealthy individuals and celebrities had met their end in helicopter accidents.

The most significant change was transforming the golf course into a shooting range, complete with a firearm room built next to it.

Erica reached the door of the firearms room and swiped her fingerprint to unlock the security door. Hawke stepped inside, taking in the variety of firearms.

The firearms room was as spacious as the largest gun shop in Los Angeles.

Erica said, "I moved some of the firearms from the Santa Monica and Silver Lake villas over here; we've stored over half of our inventory here in the last two years."

"Still not full." Hawke picked up a newly released HK416, fiddled with it a bit, then set it down. "Once I have more time, we will go on a big firearms shopping spree."

Looking at the gun cabinets and the wall racks, he added, "Most of these are NATO standard firearms; the world isn't just NATO." Erica, recalling the recent espionage case, replied, "The Russian AK series isn't bad either."

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Hawke grabbed a common AR15, loaded two magazines, and said, "Let's go shoot some." Erica picked up the HK416 and followed him.

The estate occupied the entire hill, with no neighbors nearby, allowing them to shoot freely.

After finishing the two magazines, Hawke remarked, "This place is really nice." Erica agreed, "There's plenty of space, and no one to disturb us."

...

Hawke returned to store the guns and noticed he had missed a call. It was from Tom Cruise.

He called back and asked, "Tommy, what's up?"

Tom Cruise replied, "The Oscars are this weekend. Are you interested in attending? I can get you a great VIP invite."

"I have too much to do, so I won't make it," Hawke replied, having done what he needed to. "Good luck, I hope you win."

Tom Cruise added, "Eric Emerson's script is almost finished; let's discuss it when you have time."

Hawke responded, "Let's wait until after the Oscars. If you guys have time, you can come over to Twitter anytime."

Tom Cruise confirmed, "I'll give you a call then."

...

Hawke hung up the phone, and Erica had already put away the guns.

She said, "I heard from Brian that Tom Cruise won the SAG Award for Best Actor. He's likely a contender for the Oscar this year."

Hawke placed the gun in the cabinet and replied, "He has a strong chance."

The Blackrock espionage case had surged to the headlines, overshadowing the debates on LGBTQ+ rights and feminism. Still, a series of incidents had already eliminated two competitors.

The Alice affair had set a precedent for others; too many had come forward to accuse Jamie Foxx. The actor had spent a fortune reaching settlements with the so-called victims.

Online, especially on Twitter, a new narrative emerged claiming that Jamie Foxx discriminated against Black women, as none of the women accusing him or his confirmed ex-girlfriends were Black. Luckily, Jamie Foxx had skin color protection.

...

Hawke and Erica didn't linger, quickly getting back into their vehicle. They planned to air out the place for a while before Hawke moved in. Before moving in, he also wanted the professional team from the security company to conduct thorough checks.

It was no secret that Hawke had acquired this mansion. Those bastards who dared to install listening devices in Coastal Building would also likely tamper with the renovations here.

...

The red Mercedes G-Class pulled out of North Sunset Boulevard, followed by two vehicles with bodyguards.

On the roadside parking spots on the west side of the community, several cars were parked. One Audi had Alexander waiting, having watched the three cars depart.

The driver, Anthony, asked, "Aren't we going to follow them?"

Alexander raised a hand to interrupt him, "Don't make unnecessary moves. If we could follow, I wouldn't be stuck here keeping watch."

Another vehicle exited from the west side of North Sunset Boulevard. Anthony inquired, "Is that also...?"

"Very likely," Alexander replied. "Given our limited strength in Los Angeles, launching a military action would only make us the hunted."

He understood his superiors' mindset: there was division among the higher-ups regarding policy and routes. The new czar and his close allies had differing attitudes towards the West. The former sought limited rapprochement, while the latter believed in a full swing towards the West.

This time, it was the latter handling related matters. He didn't need to give explicit orders; just showing a certain attitude below would get the job done.

Alexander had spent some time in his homeland secretly after the dissolution. The intelligence department had been jumping back and forth between professionalism and political showmanship since then.

The agents were competent, but the politicians ran the intelligence agencies. To show the West their hospitable stance, those pro-Westerners occasionally took steps that made no sense, focusing on the abstract.

The most typical was a leader who fervently expressed a desire to integrate into the West, yet, when he accompanied the U.S. president, he suffered a public humiliation at the global media's hands.

---

Santa Monica, Infolytika Network Information Company.

This company handled telecommunication outsourcing services, primarily operating in the beach towns of Santa Monica and Venice. Russell was in charge of one of the fieldwork teams, currently working at Coastal Building to connect external cables to Twitter's switch.

Twitter was in the process of replacing servers, and the connecting fiber optics were also being updated. Russell gathered his team to head over to Coastal Building.

The company's business president was uneasy and personally came to remind him, "Once on-site, follow Twitter's instructions completely, don't make executive decisions, and don't go to places you shouldn't be, understand?"

Russell replied, "Sir, don't worry, we know what we're doing."

The business president patted his shoulder, "This job pays well, and a long-term collaboration with Twitter will guarantee our company substantial long-term returns. Keep your team focused."

"Listen up everyone, if anyone steps out of line, I'll kick his butt!" Russell warned.

A chorus of agreement echoed from the dozen subordinates, and they followed him downstairs, splitting into two vehicles headed for Twitter.

...

Upon arrival at Coastal Building, they showed their work IDs to security personnel, entered the building, and quickly arrived at the switch room on the first floor.

Twitter's technical department was handling the server room connection, led by someone named Lola, someone Russell had been coordinating with for quite a while.

Lola approached, outlining the installation requirements and instructing Russell, "We're connecting the G17 switch line today, and it must be completed within three days."

Russell glanced it over and said, "No problem."

Lola replied, "Let's start working. I've arranged beverages; you can grab some in the break room across the hall."

"Thanks." Russell moved to get his team working.

...

The dozen members were a representation of Los Angeles's social makeup, with immigrants from various backgrounds: Mexican, Black, Western European Whites, Eastern European Whites, and even some Arab descent.

Lola, a mixed-race woman who grew up in Los Angeles, found it all quite normal.

She came from the first company acquired by Twitter, understood this technology, and was present on-site with two assistants constantly monitoring the work.

Russell also supervised his team, occasionally chatting with Lola. He didn't ask her work-related questions but, as before, discussed everyday fun.

Since the establishment of Twitter's server room, Russell had frequented Coastal Building, and most of his interactions had been with Lola.

They were quite familiar.

...

When Lola stepped out to take a call, a Black subordinate leaned in to whisper to Russell, "Boss, are you pursuing Lola?" He adopted a knowing look, "If you want to pursue her, just ask her out boldly, tonight!"

Russell chuckled, stroking his bushy beard in amusement, "Get back to work."

The subordinate chuckled as he returned to his tasks.

Russell glanced at the door; if everything remained normal, casting aside identity and nationality and pursuing Lola could lead to a good outcome.

He sensed that Lola had some fondness for him.

With that in mind, Russell found himself resenting those bastards in Moscow even more.

Russell sighed internally; during the dissolution, the upper crust must have splintered, kneeling and begging America, even as the flames of chaos erupted in Los Angeles.

...

"What are you thinking about?" Lola returned.

Russell regained his thoughts, smiling as he said, "Thinking about inviting you out for dinner after work."

Lola turned her head to scrutinize him.

Russell had no other choice but to follow orders from his superiors. He remembered that Lola held a relatively high position among Twitter's mid-level managers and said, "There's a new Italian restaurant on 17th street. Their seafood is exceptional; do you have time tonight to enjoy some Italian cuisine with me?"

Lola pondered momentarily and said, "I can't guarantee when I'll finish, but I'll reply to you at four this afternoon."

To Russell, it was clear she wanted to go.

Once a decision was made, it must be acted upon, and Russell smiled, "I'll be waiting."

Russell treated everyone well, perhaps the others sensed his attitude; that day's work went especially smoothly.

By 4 PM, they had completed the day's tasks.

Lola inspected the work, confirmed everything was fine, and accepted Russell's invitation.

*****

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