The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 222: Medical Miracle]

Since Tom Cruise had taken the audio, Hawke quickly noticed that the negative media coverage against Cruise had significantly decreased. Nicole Kidman also hadn't mentioned her ex-husband's name in her recent interviews.

It seemed both sides had reached an unspoken agreement.

Tom Cruise called Hawke and said, "We achieved our first phase goal. Now it's time for phase two."

With a fee of $3.5 million, Hawke wasn't about to decline, responding, "I'm drafting a detailed plan and I'll notify you as soon as it's finished."

Tom Cruise reminded him, "Don't take too long. Spielberg's new movie project, that $150 million War of the Worlds, will finalize its cast before October. I need to turn public opinion around quickly."

Hawke had already started preparing and assured him, "I'll give you a definite answer in three to five days."

The success of phase one boosted Tom Cruise's confidence in Hawke, as he said, "I'm looking forward to your good news."

...

Hawke's planned phase two aimed not only to reshape public opinion regarding Tom Cruise but also to get Twitter involved, leveraging Cruise's fame and influence to ignite a new wave of online discourse.

He had been contemplating this plan for days, combining it with memories from his past life, eventually selecting a strategy that would suit both Twitter and Tom Cruise.

Preparation for this plan had already begun.

Hawke made a phone call and waited for Edward to come in, and asked, "Did you find the patients with the disease and the medical institutions?"

"I found them," Edward replied, clearly familiar with Los Angeles. He pulled out a stack of documents and placed them on the desk, saying, "This medical institution specializes in treating and researching ALS cases. They currently have dozens of patients hospitalized."

Hawke looked through them and realized the institution was the renowned Cedar-Sinai Medical Center, one of California's most respected medical research facilities.

He was somewhat familiar with this place; it was the same hospital where Dwayne Johnson was treated after staging a car accident to secure a role.

After reviewing the materials, Hawke asked Edward, "Find a Tom Cruise fan among the patients, preferably a child or a girl, whose wish is to meet Tom Cruise, or to have a photo taken with him, or to get his autograph."

Edward thought for a moment and replied, "There are many Tom Cruise fans; it shouldn't be difficult to find one."

Hawke nodded, "For patients in such conditions, survival requires not only courage but also a significant amount of money. If we can bring Tom Cruise to meet the patient, it can help alleviate many financial burdens -- this point needs to be clearly explained to the hospital."

"I'll head over right now," Edward said, preparing to leave the office.

Hawke considered it and took the plan book with him, saying, "We should go together."

This was an opportunity for Twitter as well.

Soon after, Edward contacted Cedar-Sinai on behalf of Twitter.

The relevant person quickly returned the call, and both parties agreed to meet in the afternoon.

...

After lunch, Hawke rode in a bulletproof Mercedes directly to Beverly Hills.

While Edward drove, he scanned the area behind them, realizing that unless one looked closely for an extended period, it would be hard to notice Raul and his crew following closely behind.

Twitter's reputation was still strong, and when Hawke arrived at Cedar-Sinai, Dr. Kurt, the head of ALS research, greeted him.

In the meeting room, after brief introductions and pleasantries, Hawke got straight to the point: "Doctor, Twitter is a media company with a social responsibility. Recently, some employees brought up issues faced by ALS patients, so I had my assistant Edward do some community research."

Dr. Kurt glanced at Edward; he remembered him from a previous visit focused on understanding ALS patients.

Hawke continued, "Through Edward's research, I noticed that patients' medical lives and the studies you conduct are facing substantial difficulties."

Dr. Kurt knew what to say and immediately displayed his traditional skills: "The main issue is a lack of funding. Without adequate funds, the patients' living and medical conditions, along with many of our research topics, cannot be resolved."

Hawke slightly nodded, "Whether it's an individual, an institution, or a company, resources are limited. I have an idea: Twitter can collaborate with you to jointly host a media event to raise awareness for ALS patients, encouraging more individuals or charitable organizations to support ALS research."

Dr. Kurt, not a newcomer to such discussions, immediately understood that Twitter intended to leverage this situation for media visibility; he was aware of what media was all about.

Hawke then went for a big reveal: "Tom Cruise will participate in this event. If possible, can he visit the Cedar-Sinai Medical Center to meet the patients?"

"Of course!" Dr. Kurt wouldn't hesitate; doing so could jeopardize future funding and show a lack of respect for his research team and the patients.

He immediately replied, "Let me know how I can assist."

Hawke directly asked, "Do you have any particularly devoted Tom Cruise fans among the patients?"

Dr. Kurt had a good understanding of his patients and responded promptly, "Yes, many -- Tom is America's most beloved movie star."

"Great, that makes things easier," Hawke said as he presented the preliminary plan he had drafted.

Dr. Kurt read it seriously.

After discussing for a while, they reached a consensus.

Then, Dr. Kurt, along with a few staff members, took Hawke and Edward on a tour of the ALS patient ward.

...

Many patients had already lost basic bodily functions -- standing or walking was out of the question, and even eating and drinking presented challenges.

Dressed in a suit, Edward accompanied Hawke and Dr. Kurt along the long hospital corridor, his eyes peering through glass doors at the patients without saying a word.

The few doctors accompanying them also kept mostly silent, occasionally providing updates on the patients' conditions.

As they continued viewing patient after patient, Edward suddenly realized that his boss's work, beyond the surface fame and fortune, also concealed a kind-hearted nature towards society.

For instance, many of these rare disease patients had been neglected, some with conditions poor not only medically but also economically.

If his boss could bring Tom Cruise over to call for public attention, it would undoubtedly help many of them.

Edward felt that his boss actually wanted to be a good person.

But the society was so twisted that to be a good person, one must often be worse than the bad ones.

Otherwise, how could one deal with the evildoers?

...

As they exited the patient area, Dr. Kurt told Hawke, "Even though we have tried our best, many patients still leave us; sometimes, we can only lament how unfair fate is towards them."

He sighed, "Most patients often can't last five years, and only a few manage to survive a decade."

Hawke said, "Hosting this event is also to try to raise awareness so that they receive more help."

Dr. Kurt shook Hawke's hand firmly, saying, "On behalf of everyone here, I express our thanks."

Hawke's expression turned serious, "You're welcome."

Dr. Kurt escorted Hawke and Edward out.

As they walked out of Cedar-Sinai, Edward posed a question that had been on his mind: "Doctor, I have a doubt and I'm not sure if I should ask."

Dr. Kurt encouraged, "Feel free to ask."

Edward inquired, "As far as I know, some people have lived with ALS for decades and are still alive. Is there something special about the medical techniques here?"

Dr. Kurt was momentarily taken aback by this question, then forced a smile: "That may be a medical miracle."

Realizing it was probably not appropriate to say, he added, "After all, that's an exception and doesn't have widespread research value."

Edward said no more and got into the Mercedes with Hawke.

...

Returning to the office, Hawke adjusted the plan based on what he observed at Cedar-Sinai and his discussions with Dr. Kurt, calling in Caroline and Sasha to supplement it according to Twitter's needs.

Before the close of business, he called Tom Cruise.

Tom was very enthusiastic on his end and quietly arrived at Twitter early the next morning.

...

Hawke handed him the complete plan, saying, "Take a close look."

Given the stakes involved in reshaping his public image, Tom Cruise reviewed it carefully.

This plan focused on ALS advocacy and Twitter's charitable outreach, starting with Tom's personal involvement. The more participants there were, the greater the benefits he might reap.

Tom Cruise raised a few key questions: "Have you made contact with Cedar-Sinai?"

Hawke replied, "It's all set." He handed Tom the information about Dr. Kurt and the fax he'd just received that morning: "They're getting limited attention and charitable donations, so they're severely underfunded and will fully cooperate with us."

Tom Cruise reviewed everything meticulously; having learned a lesson from Pat Kingsley, he wanted to avoid any missteps again.

"Do we need to establish a charitable foundation?" he asked.

Hawke emphasized, "This time, we're only seeking visibility and reputation; the charity's accounts will be fully transparent and open to social scrutiny."

Tom understood Hawke's intent: "That's fine. You can be assured that with my income, I won't touch that money."

With his wealth sprawling into the hundreds of millions, Tom Cruise certainly had the confidence to back that up.

As for Twitter, they were aiming for online traffic and societal attention.

Translating this interest into revenue could far exceed the amounts typically donated to charity.

After Tom Cruise thoroughly reviewed the plan and contemplated his decision, he affirmed, "Let's proceed as per your plan."

*****

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