After handing the video evidence to Eric, Lawyer Meserio rushed to the police station.
Eric watched the Neverland Ranch staff behind him with a gloomy expression; they were all in a state of trepidation.
But it wasn't their fault; facing dozens of armed police officers, representing the state's public authority, who would dare to resist?
He waved his hand, "You all go about your business, but be careful to protect the scene. Don't let anyone in casually, especially Michael's living quarters. Remember that?"
Everyone nodded in agreement and returned to their respective posts.
With everyone gone, Eric checked the time; it was almost 11 PM.
The night was still long, plenty of time.
He directly called Chen Xing. 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 speak."
"First, relay my order: immediately mobilize five open-air projection vehicles, the largest models, fully equipped, and have them gather at Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara."
"Boss, what time, please?"
"Right now, immediately gather the relevant staff. Any problems?"
"No problem."
"Second, check what businesses and companies are around the Santa Barbara Police Department. I need to rent their premises."
"Third, contact landmark buildings—the Nasdaq screen, Times Square, Sunset Boulevard, Fifth Avenue, and other high-traffic areas—and rent advertising space for me. Don't be stingy with money; the more, the better."
"Fourth, find an intermediary to hire a group of people, the more, the better. They should gather punctually at 8 AM tomorrow and then protest in batches, surrounding the Santa Barbara Police Department."
"Finally, contact internet providers like Yahoo and Google; I also want to buy advertising space from them."
"As for why I'm having you do these things, I'll send you a video. You'll know once you've seen it. After watching it, use your initiative to make this a big deal. Remember that?"
"Also, don't forget the major TV stations. They love chasing hot topics, don't they? This time, I'll give them a huge scoop."
"Understood, Boss."
"Alright, go do it now. It'll be a bit tough."
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 had happened.
He had been with Eric for over half a year, and this was the first time he had seen his boss make such a big fuss.
"Son, it's so late. Where are you going?"
"There's an urgent company matter to handle. Mom and Dad, you two get some rest early."
"Still going to work overtime now? Will you be back?" his mother asked with some concern.
"Probably not. That's it, I'm leaving!"
Back at Neverland Ranch, Eric made a second call, this time to 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 completely bewildered. What on earth 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."
"Right. Now Jackson's home has been illegally invaded by the police. I have a video here. Come and take a look, then figure out a way. Tomorrow, I want all Facebook users to know about this."
Feeling 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 overcast and a bit stuffy; no stars were visible.
To force public authority to concede, with the resources he currently commanded, the only thing he could leverage was public opinion.
Perfect, this would serve as a warm-up before going to 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, arranged for 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 police officer's face to be seen clearly.
"Fitz, right now Facebook can only send text and pictures; video is definitely out. But I want to use Facebook as an excellent information dissemination platform. Do you have a good solution?"
Fitz had asked what needed to be done before coming, precisely so he could think of a strategy 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 it loses its impartiality, 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 luckily, we are the first software of its kind, and there's no precedent, so how to operate is in the exploratory stage. This is a very good excuse."
"My idea is to simply edit this matter briefly, then take a few screenshots from the surveillance footage, 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 asking whether public power can be abused."
"We can design several options below. Americans love to vote, and no matter what, it will at least look much more palatable."
Fitz finished speaking and looked at Eric: "Boss, what do you think of my suggestion?"
Eric couldn't think of a much better solution at the moment and said straightforwardly, "It's impressive you came up with a plan in such a short time. Let's do as you said."
"Okay. Facebook's user base now covers almost all universities in the United States. University 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, beginning to write the tweet sentence by sentence.
Eric watched from the side and found his wording very carefully chosen, seemingly neutral, yet with a certain Incitement (incitement) and subtle criticism.
How to describe it? It was similar to various survey reports issued by the government.
"Fitz, you know about this too?" Eric was a little surprised.
Fitz smiled slightly: "Boss, I've done more than just technical work. I've also done planning and public relations before. I just eventually chose technology, so I know a little."
"What a talent! The 21st century needs talent like you."
"Boss, you should rest for a bit. I'll call you when I'm done, and you can review it then."
Eric nodded, sighing at how good it felt to wield power. A single word could make many 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 would create Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and all the others.
Then, it would be best to lobby Congress to amend the antitrust law, though that would be 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 let them grow too big and strong. He must maintain his position as the industry leader, and the mainstream channels of communication must be in his hands.
At that time, let's see who dares to make trouble. First, block their account, then unleash online harassment.
The other party would feel surrounded by enemies, overwhelmed from all sides. Even if it didn't kill them, it would ensure their social death.
According to his memory, information warfare would only become increasingly important and effective in the future.
A democratic and free country, free speech, a beacon of light.
He lay on the sofa and quickly fell asleep. He didn't know how much time had passed when he heard someone call him, and 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 a little past three in the morning.
He gathered his wits and carefully read the article. After reading it, he thought even more highly of Fitz Heisenburg. The subtle sarcasm and criticism were exactly what he wanted; it hit the spot.
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, push it to everyone precisely. Also, don't forget the final voting results. You oversee the data; we need to see this through from beginning to end."
Fitz nodded: "I understand what to do. Also, Boss, I have something else to report to you."
"Regarding the celebrity fan ranking activity you arranged, I think now is a good opportunity. This incident will undoubtedly make more people sympathize with Jackson."
"At this critical juncture, his fan numbers will definitely surge. There will be absolutely no problem with him being number one."
"However, merely ranking them might waste this activity. I suggest pushing profiles 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. As the saying goes, too much of a good thing is bad. Will frequent pushes cause a backlash and ultimately be counterproductive?"
Fitz smiled: "At worst, we'll only do it this once. Compared to the backlash from a few people, isn't the understanding of the majority more valuable?"
"That makes sense. Let's do it then."
Another half an hour passed, and strong lights appeared outside Neverland Ranch. Five large open-air projection vehicles arrived, accompanied by over a hundred ※_24_⛬ staff members.
Asherkin, the logistics manager, hurried over to Eric with a few people to report.
"Boss, all the equipment is here. It's the most advanced our company has. Just tell us what to do."
Eric handed him a USB drive and pointed 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 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, everything else has been handled. Only Times Square, the Nasdaq screen, and other landmark buildings are left. I'll contact them during the day. As long as the money is enough, it shouldn't be a big problem."
"Well done. Keep an eye on things going forward," Eric praised.
He turned to Asherkin: "Take the remaining four vehicles to the area around the Santa Barbara Police Department. Chen Xing will tell you the exact locations. For now, don't draw attention."
"Once it's daytime, I will find a way to force the police department to hold a press conference, and then you all act together. I want to see the expressions on those guys' faces then."
Asherkin acknowledged the order and left. After another period of busy work, the projection vehicles were finally ready.
A massive electronic screen, supported by several stands, was lifted into the air. Then, the image changed, and the screen displayed surveillance video of the police 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 officers certainly wouldn't dare to act recklessly.
Generally, a summoned detainee must be released within a maximum of 24 hours. There was still half a day left.
As the time approached nine o'clock, the streets became crowded, and the police station began its normal working hours.
But two police 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, The 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 department to open its doors, so they could only wait, hoping to seize an opportunity to interview Michael when he was released.
As Eric spread the news, Yahoo News, Google, and other websites successively published reports overnight 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 significant change. They drove and flew to Santa Barbara overnight.
Behind the media, more and more people crossed the road to gather at the police station. Some even carried simple signs with slogans like "Oppose Discrimination" and "Oppose Abuse of Public Power."
The number of people grew, and the scale expanded.
One hundred, two hundred, three hundred, gradually increasing to five hundred, and eventually, the number became too large to count.
Among them were not only people hired by Eric but also many of Michael's fans who lived nearby. The open space and streets in front of the police station were blocked.
Many people who were strolling or going to work had to stop. Curiosity is universal, and these onlookers naturally joined in.
At Neverland Ranch, Siti, an elderly Black woman who had worked there for a long time, approached with a plate.
"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 sipped it absently.
"Oh! Poor Michael. There are always people trying to harm him, always people who won't 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 save him?"
Eric gave a soft hum, checked the time, pulled out his phone from his pocket, and sent a pre-written message.
War begins!