Chapter 50: The Influence of a Big Man
[Chapter 50: The Influence of a Big Man]
Judy, who had been tossing and turning, worried for days, finally shed tears of joy in the new rented house and congratulated her son, "You don't know how worried I was, but I didn't dare to disturb you. I couldn't do anything but watch from afar."
Born and raised in Memphis, Judy was very familiar with the sharp struggles of the Black Panthers and Black civil rights.
Memphis was once a famous Black trading ground and a stronghold of the Confederacy during the American Civil War.
Back in 1968, when Judy was a teenager, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated at a public event in Memphis.
At first, when Judy learned that her son was caught in these riots, she nearly fainted.
Judy grew up in a region sharp with civil rights activism but was obedient from the start. She was completely at a loss, not knowing how to help her son.
When she contacted her late husband's father, although that old man was furious, he casually said, "Don't be afraid, Judy. My grandson is a brave warrior. With the help of his dad's comrades, they are capable of carrying out a special strategic operation! The Panthers hiding in the sewers are just waiting for death!"
Afraid for days, Judy finally felt relieved now.
Being an ordinary citizen, she didn't know the specific current situation of the Panthers.
But she knew that her son, who suddenly rose to become a publicly influential figure and looked like a big company owner, would no longer be used as cannon fodder as before.
...
Through maneuvers, Charlie instantly transformed into a capitalist.
Even if he was a small capitalist and somewhat hollow inside, his social status and influence immediately became prominent.
Not to mention, the employees of Corleone Entertainment Group regained their vigor and confidently got back to work.
East and West Coast hip-hop crews who watched the press conference angrily smashed things around them immediately.
Death Row Records boss Suge Knight shouted foul language, "Son of a bitch, why would Fox and Miramax support him? Now the police departments in Las Vegas and Los Angeles can't keep letting us get smeared."
What annoyed Suge more was Charlie's rapid rise.
In just over three months, he went from a street-level punk to a big boss.
Envy, jealousy, hate, and a little fear at once.
Suge didn't want to admit that the Godfather was smarter than him, nor that his methods were so powerful they induced terror.
Others in the company shouted complaints, blaming the Crips gang and their own Bloods gang factions.
They argued for a long time until Suge grabbed the big black-bearded man and said, "Listen, it's time to change tactics. I should have realized earlier that we can't depend on those shameless white guys and just treat business as business. Cut ties with the Bad Boys immediately, declare Wallace the murderer, attack him, and quickly release a Tupac memorial album!"
"But they already gave us twenty million."
"That only proves they're the killers, trying to buy off trouble." Suge glared, turning hostile.
Guys who struggled out of the chaotic black streets weren't fools.
After realizing nothing was feasible, Suge chose to lay low and decided to make one last profit.
The competition between the two record companies and the resulting conflicts were inevitable, and Suge foresaw the end result: both would decline.
Because he understood this clearly, Suge originally planned to divert the conflict.
...
Meanwhile, people at the Bad Boy Records also felt things spiraling in a bad direction.
It's a shame they couldn't do more.
Wallace didn't yet realize his death countdown had started.
In the company, he argued fiercely with the boss, refusing to hold a memorial press conference or kneel pitifully to mourn Tupac, or denounce the alleged real culprit.
Radical fans' actions could not only destroy an idol's reputation but actually drag the idol down to hell, at the cost of life.
...
As for the Panthers in hiding, they made a last stand.
They sent Hutton to Louisiana to contact Tupac's godfather, Jamal Joseph.
They hoped to persuade him to publicly express anger over his godson's death and blame Charlie.
Jamal, once violent and lacking real resistance ideas or beliefs, sternly rejected them, "Go find someone else. I am no longer affiliated with the Panthers. Or you can try to find Tupac's godmother, that stinking bitch hiding in Cuba, busy writing books to make money."
"Why?" The elderly Hutton yelled, accusing his former brother, "You are the defense vice head of our Southern California chapter; we fought shoulder to shoulder."
Middle-aged Jamal, having lost courage and sharpness, calmly replied, "I was confused before; most so-called brothers who fought alongside me were bullies. Now I'm old and don't want trouble. I got beaten up in the Los Angeles jail and scared. I'm busy suing the other side with lawyers, might get a million-dollar compensation!"
The Panthers' struggle failed!
Or from the start, their whole plan was doomed, only causing a little trouble for Charlie.
The development was clearly predicted by those guys.
...
Two days later, Los Angeles, Las Vegas where Tupac was attacked, and the FBI cooperated to act quickly.
They summoned Wallace first, listing him as one of the principal suspects in the shooting.
Then they arrested Crips member Orlando Anderson, who had a heated conflict with Tupac before the incident, along with twenty-one other accused individuals.
Compton Police Department detective Tim Brennan solemnly declared, "Orlando is the suspect!"
Things completely returned to the course they originally were on.
...
With the help of the ever-chaotic media, multiple violent conflicts occurred privately within the Crips and Bloods gangs.
The East Coast hip-hop crews, who originally didn't want such chaos, had to cooperate with the overwhelming public opinion, their mutual antagonism escalating the conflict.
Suge personally took part in an ABC late-night TV interview, furiously condemning Wallace on television.
...
Completely uninvolved, Charlie quietly donated one million dollars.
At the event, Mr. Royle, the LAPD director, casually complained to Charlie, "Tupac was very famous; this case is hard to solve. Our investigation will be scrutinized by many; frankly, I knew days ago this shooting would never be solved. Without you attracting attention, though we are wasting money, we still have to show effort in public to demonstrate we're working on it."
Charlie could tell Royle was explaining previous actions as a kind of apology.
"Oh, of course, I see you all are dedicated people. Hope the one million helps a little."
On the surface, Charlie was polite and seemingly indifferent.
'You fucking bastard, you were afraid of trouble, so you almost got me killed!' In his heart, Charlie cursed Royle harshly.
Angry as he was, Charlie wouldn't rage like crazy over this; after all, everyone was an adult.
Haven't you seen the top people in the world smiling and forgiving even their father's killers?
Charlie couldn't go that far yet, but on his climb, he kept a big-picture mind for long-term benefits.
Only Royle, the old man, better pray he doesn't fall from grace.
Otherwise, Charlie would definitely bite off a big chunk.
How much anger a person can hold is how big a business they can build.
Of course, one must act humble but never be broken to become a true pushover.
By borrowing the banner of Fox and Miramax, Charlie suddenly strengthened himself.
The life-threatening crisis easily faded away.
After the banquet, Charlie didn't waste time on Royle.
He needed to taste the fruits of his labor and mobilize resources for Corleone Entertainment Group to show its teeth.
First, he accepted an interview with Variety magazine, personally coming forward to hype up the company.
*****
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