After handing the video evidence to Eric, Lawyer Meserio rushed to the police station.
Eric watched the Neverland Ranch staff behind him with gloomy eyes; they were all in a state of trepidation.
But it wasn't their fault; facing dozens of armed police, representing the state's public authority, who would dare to resist?
He waved his hand: "You all go about your business, be careful to protect the scene, don't let anyone in casually, especially Michael's living quarters, understood?"
Everyone nodded in agreement and returned to their respective posts.
After everyone left, Eric checked the time; it was almost 11 PM.
The night was still long, plenty of time.
He directly called Chen Xing, and the call was answered instantly; he was always paying attention.
"Chen Xing, I have a few things for you to arrange, listen carefully."
"Yes, Boss, please tell me."
"First, transmit my order: immediately mobilize five open-air projection vehicles, the largest models, with all equipment, to gather at Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara."
"Boss, what time, please?"
"Right now, immediately gather the relevant staff, any problems?"
"No problem."
"Second, find out what businesses and companies are around the Santa Barbara Police Department; I need to rent their venues."
"Third, contact landmark buildings like the Nasdaq screen, Times Square, Sunset Boulevard, Fifth Avenue, and other high-traffic areas; rent me advertising spaces, don't be stingy with money, the more the better."
"Fourth, find an intermediary to hire a group of people, the more the better, to gather at 8 AM sharp tomorrow, and then protest around the Santa Barbara Police Department in batches."
"Finally, contact internet providers like Yahoo and Google, and buy advertising spaces for me there as well."
"As for why I'm having you do these things, I will send you a video; you'll know once you've seen it. After watching it, use your initiative to blow things up, understood?"
"And don't forget the major TV stations; they love chasing hot topics, don't they? This time, I'll give them a big scoop."
"Understood, Boss."
"Alright, go do it now, it's a bit of hard work."
After hanging up, Chen Xing immediately got out of bed, quickly dressed, and prepared to leave.
He sensed anger in Eric's tone and didn't know what exactly had happened.
He had been with Eric for over half a year, and it was the first time he had seen his boss go to such great lengths.
"Son, it's so late, where are you going?"
"There's an urgent company matter to handle. Mom and Dad, you two should rest early."
"Still going to work overtime? Will you be back tonight?" his mother asked with some concern.
"I probably won't be back. That's it, I'm leaving!"
At Neverland Ranch, Eric dialed a second number, this time calling Fitz Heisenburg.
"Boss, it's Fitz."
Eric didn't waste words with him: "Come to Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara immediately; I have something for you to do."
Fitz Heisenburg was bewildered, wondering what was going on in the middle of the night.
"Boss, what is it?"
"You know about my relationship with Michael Jackson, right?"
"Everyone knows, you two are good friends."
"Yes, now Jackson's home has been illegally invaded by the police. I have a video here; come over and watch it, then figure out a way. Tomorrow, I want all Facebook users to know about this."
Sensing the killing intent in Eric's words, Fitz didn't dare to delay and quickly agreed.
Hanging up the phone, Eric looked up at the sky; it was cloudy and muggy, with no stars visible.
To force public authority to yield, with the resources he currently commanded, the only thing he could leverage was public opinion.
Perfect, this would serve as a rehearsal before the war with Sony Music.
It wasn't until past two in the morning that Fitz Heisenburg arrived at Neverland Ranch.
He jumped out of the car, sent the driver to rest, and the two found a laptop to watch the recorded video.
Because it was shot at close range and Michael used high-end equipment, the video clarity was excellent, allowing every officer's face to be clearly seen.
"Fitz, right now Facebook can only send text and images; video is definitely out. But I still want to use Facebook as an excellent information dissemination platform. Do you have any good ideas?"
Before Fitz came, he had asked what needed to be done specifically so he could think of countermeasures on the way.
He was a quick-witted person and already had a plan in mind.
"Boss, as a social media platform, in principle, it shouldn't be biased. Once fairness is lost, it will inevitably annoy some people."
"Fortunately, we are on the side of justice in this matter, which will greatly reduce resistance. However, we still can't be too blatant; we need a fig leaf."
"But it's good that we are the first software of its kind, and there's no precedent, so how to operate is still in the exploratory stage. This is a very good excuse."
"My idea is to simply edit this matter briefly, then take a few surveillance screenshots, and mass-send them to all Facebook users."
"But we can't directly support Jackson; instead, we need to package it, for example, by launching a public opinion survey, with the content being whether public power can be abused."
"We can design several options below; Americans love to vote. No matter what, at least it will look much more comfortable."
Fitz finished speaking and looked at Eric: "Boss, what do you think of my suggestion?"
Eric couldn't think of a better solution at the moment and said straightforwardly: "It's hard enough for you to come up with a plan in such a short time. Let's do as you said."
"Okay, Facebook's current user base already covers almost all universities in the United States. College students are easily incited and have a strong sense of justice, so I think the effect will be good."
As he spoke, he personally took charge, writing tweet by tweet.
Eric watched from the side and found that his choice of words was very precise, seemingly neutral, but with a certain provocative and subtly critical tone.
How to describe it? It's similar to the various survey reports released by the government.
"Fitz, you even know about this?" Eric was a little surprised.
Fitz smiled slightly: "Boss, I've not only done technology, but also planning and public relations before. I just ended up choosing technology, so I know a little."
"You truly are a talent! The 21st century needs talent like you."
"Boss, you should go rest for a while. I'll call you when I'm done, and you can review it then."
Eric nodded, sighing at how good it felt to have power in hand, where a single word could make a large number of people get up in the middle of the night to serve him.
When he rose in the future, YouTube and Facebook wouldn't be enough; he'd bring out Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and all the others.
Then, it would be best to lobby Congress to amend the anti-monopoly law, though that's extremely difficult, even harder than Disney lobbying Congress to amend copyright law to extend Mickey Mouse's copyright.
A less ambitious goal would be to allow some competitors to exist, but not to allow them to grow strong; he must maintain the top dog position, and the mainstream channels of communication must be in his hands.
At that time, let's see who dares to pull any tricks. First, block your account, then unleash online bullying.
The other party would feel overwhelmed, with enemies everywhere, and even if they weren't cursed to death, they would suffer social death.
According to memory, information warfare would only become more and more important and effective in the future.
Democratic and free countries, free speech, the beacon of liberty.
He quickly fell asleep on the sofa, and after an unknown period, he heard someone calling him. Eric opened his eyes.
"Boss, I've finished writing the tweet. Please take a look."
Shaking his head, Eric checked the time; it was only past three in the morning.
He perked up and carefully read the article. After finishing, he thought even more highly of Fitz Heisenburg; the subtle sarcasm and criticism were spot on, exactly what he wanted.
Thinking about the three people he had recruited, Fitz was undoubtedly the most capable so far. Robert Millen was also good, but Howard Hughes could only do technical work; managing a company with his personality was out of the question.
"Well done. At 9 AM tomorrow morning, push it out to everyone on time. Also, don't forget the final voting results; you handle the data. We need to see this through from start to finish."
Fitz nodded: "I understand what to do. Also, Boss, I have another matter to report to you."
"Regarding the celebrity fan ranking event you arranged, I think now is a good opportunity. This matter will inevitably make more people sympathize with Jackson."
"At such a critical juncture, his fan count will definitely skyrocket; there's absolutely no doubt he'll be number one."
"However, simply ranking the top and bottom would be a waste of this event. I suggest pushing out content for the top ten candidates, compiling short biographies of their lives to help more people understand them."
This suggestion was clearly aimed at promoting, clarifying, and even mythologizing Michael.
Eric considered for a moment: "That's a great idea, but I have a concern: isn't there such a thing as too much of a good thing? Will frequent pushes cause people to rebel, ultimately backfiring?"
Fitz laughed: "At most, we'll only do this once. Compared to the rebellion of a few, isn't the understanding of the majority more valuable?"
"That makes sense. Then let's do it that way."
Another half an hour passed, and strong lights appeared outside Neverland Ranch as five large open-air projection vehicles arrived, accompanied by over a hundred ※_24_⛬ staff members.
Logistics manager Asherkin led a few people to Eric to report.
"Boss, all the equipment is here. It's the company's most advanced. Just tell us what to do."
Eric handed him a USB drive, pointing to the inside of the Neverland Ranch gate: "Have one vehicle set up in this position and play the video from the USB drive."
"The other few vehicles..."
Eric was about to call Chen Xing to ask about the progress, but just as he touched his phone, the little device rang first.
"Chen Xing, how are things going?"
"Boss, all other matters have been handled, only the landmark buildings like Times Square and the Nasdaq screen are left. I'll contact them during the day; as long as the money is sufficient, it shouldn't be a big problem."
"Well done. Keep an eye on the Follow-up matters," Eric praised.
He turned to Asherkin: "Take the remaining four vehicles to the vicinity of the Santa Barbara Police Department. Chen Xing will tell you the locations. For now, don't attract attention."
"When daylight comes, I will find a way to force the police department to hold a press conference, and then you will all act together. I'd like to see the faces of those guys then."
Asherkin took the order and left. After another while of bustling, the projection vehicles were finally ready.
A huge electronic screen was supported by several stands and lifted high into the air. Then the image changed, and the screen displayed surveillance video of police officers causing extensive damage.
Eric nodded. Very good, this was the effect he wanted.
Several hours rushed by; Michael had been detained at the police station for over twelve hours.
However, with Lawyer Meserio by his side, those cops certainly wouldn't dare to act out of line.
Generally speaking, detention for questioning must not exceed 24 hours, after which the person must be released. There was still half a day left.
As the time approached nine o'clock, the streets became crowded, and the police department began its normal working day.
But two officers, eating donuts as they walked, clearly felt something was amiss; they noticed that the crowd seemed to be intentionally gathering towards the police station.
Influential major media outlets like the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Fox News, and ABC Online also arrived one after another.
Yesterday afternoon, after Michael was detained, several local tabloids had already been blocking the police station entrance.
However, these tabloids had too little influence and couldn't get the police station's doors to open, so they could only wait, hoping to seize the opportunity to interview Michael when he was released.
And as Eric spread the news, Yahoo News, Google, and other websites successively published reports in the middle of the night about Neverland Ranch being raided and Michael being taken away.
These major newspapers keenly realized that a big story was brewing. The child molestation case, which had been dormant for a while, must have undergone a major change. They drove and flew overnight to Santa Barbara.
Behind the media, more and more people crossed the street and gathered at the police station. Some even carried simple signs with messages like "Oppose Discrimination" and "Oppose Abuse of Public Power."
The numbers grew, and the scale expanded.
One hundred, two hundred, three hundred people, gradually increasing to five hundred, and finally, the number was too large to count.
Among them were not only the people Eric hired but also many of Michael's fans who lived nearby. The open space in front of the police station and the street were blocked.
Many people strolling or going to work had to stop. Watching a spectacle is the same worldwide, and these people naturally joined in.
At Neverland Ranch, Siti, a Black woman, walked over with a tray. She was an old-timer there.
"Mr. Cooper, have something to eat. I saw you working all night without rest."
Eric looked at her, picked up a glass of milk, and drank it in sips.
"Oh! Poor Michael, someone always wants to harm him, someone always doesn't want to let him go! Mr. Cooper, why isn't Michael back yet? Will something happen to him?"
Eric shook his head slightly: "No, don't worry, Siti."
"Mr. Cooper, will you rescue him?"
Eric hummed softly, checked the time, pulled out his phone from his pocket, and sent a pre-edited message.
War breaks out!