[Chapter 667: What's Meant to Happen, Will Happen]
"Master, it seems we're in trouble. Just a moment ago, the Los Angeles District Court reached a verdict on the Rodney King case." Tanner's expression was grim, and he noticed more and more people were gathering around the courthouse.
"If I'm not mistaken, the cops were acquitted," William White said with a bitter smile. What was bound to happen, had happened; nothing would change. Since everyone loved chaos so much, they could enjoy it to the fullest. A city without management was far more dangerous than the wild.
"Yes, Master, the black community is furious. Many are kneeling and crying. They keep reciting Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches."
"Ahem, well, these guys are certainly educated. But arguing right and wrong at this point is pointless. Notify the security department that the holiday is canceled, and everyone must return to their posts. Also, inform all my companies to cancel any plans in Los Angeles."
"Are you leaving here, Master?"
"Just a bunch of nobodies. Tell Max to disperse the emergency response team immediately."
...
In all honesty, the timing of these two cases was incredibly close together. They had let the Soon Ja Du, the Korean shop owner go in the case of that black girl who robbed and assaulted the shopkeeper. And Rodney King? They beat him to the brink of death while arresting. It was simply outrageous.
Clearly, these two events had shattered the morale of the black community. In their eyes, this was nothing less than blatant bias and outright discrimination.
What they couldn't stand the most was the incident involving the Korean. Primarily, the victim had been just a kid, even if she didn't look like one.
Being bullied by whites was one thing; the white population in Los Angeles wasn't large, and no one was really looking for trouble. White discrimination went much deeper than surface-level interactions.
Then to add fuel to the fire, even Koreans were bullying us; that was just unbearable. It was just stuff taken casually from a supermarket, not a robbery at the cash register. You idiots wouldn't shoot over that, would you? See, you think you can pick on us because we're unarmed.
By around six in the evening, the situation had completely spiraled out of control.
Typically, gatherings of the black community ended like this. It had become an alternative tradition.
...
"Master, breaking news! The black gangs in Los Angeles are collaborating. Just now, they surged towards the Los Angeles District Court, armed with a lot of firearms."
"Oh my God, they're treating Los Angeles like a war zone. Damn it, where are the police?"
"Ahem, Master, they have just evacuated the courthouse. There are too many people, and emotions are running high."
"Great, I hope our mayor knows what he's doing. Sympathy for his fellow citizens? That's rich! By the way, Tanner, have our people pulled back?"
"Most have returned, except for those reporters."
Stuck with a bunch of reckless employees, William White was at a loss. They could snap as many pictures as they liked, but the Pulitzer Prize would never be awarded to them. It was the most glaring example of political incorrectness.
Watching the live coverage on television, William White felt a sense of disconnection. How in the world did Los Angeles become a war zone?
"William, are you in Los Angeles?"
"Yeah, George. It's like a live-action gunfight movie here. What are the guys at Washington doing? This is going to blow up."
On the other end, Bush Jr. was hesitant, unsure. Typically, when William White spoke like this, it was a bad omen. But judging by what he'd heard, it didn't seem that serious.
"William, is it serious?"
"Ha, Los Angeles can't calm down anytime soon, George; you'd better pray that other areas don't erupt. If it comes to that, don't even think about your pops getting re-elected. And don't say I didn't warn you; the second Herbert Hoover is waving goodbye to your family."
"Is it really that serious? The information I'm getting isn't matching yours."
"George, just now, the gangs in Los Angeles have merged. Essentially, they are robbers who don't care about whether you guys are biased; they just want to make a big score. My Disneyland, the 4S car dealerships, and White Bank have all shut down. How serious do you think it'll get?"
"I get it now, damn it, that guy deserves to be strung up."
William White didn't know who he was referring to, but it was either the mayor of Los Angeles or the big boss of California.
...
The night for this city of angels signified a new beginning. A beginning filled with debauchery.
Unfortunately, no such luck today. All one could see were the flickering flames of chaos. All one could hear were sporadic gunshots.
Under the cover of darkness, everyone shed their disguises. The strong and burly began to stir restlessly.
Damn, I've wanted to buy stuff from that game store for ages; it seemed like I wouldn't need to spend money now. If they could rob, why couldn't we? We Latinos also faced discrimination. Better grab something before it all gets snatched away.
Within just a few hours, the nature of the event had fundamentally changed. Those politicians finally shut their arrogant mouths.
They realized the situation was completely out of control. Aside from Beverly Hills and a few central districts, Los Angeles was in absolute chaos.
Terrified people started packing their valuables. Even the antique guns used for decoration were being taken down; at critical moments, the only reliable items were the weapons in their hands.
...
"Master, a group of guys tried to break into Beverly, and they were met with heavy resistance. Things are different now; nobody will accept this situation."
"Beverly? These idiots must be blind; a majority of California's wealthy are here. How could they think they could get away with this?"
"Master, maybe you should head to Houston. It's too chaotic here right now."
"Ha, it can't get any worse. Beyond Beverly, do whatever you want. This is essentially the line; if you don't want to be held accountable later, it's best to tread carefully." William White's face darkened; these bastards needed to learn a serious lesson if they truly had no bottom line.
...
Bush Sr. was losing his mind. Another Hoover, really?
In the short history of the United States, there had been many idle presidents. But one who had completely messed up like this was something else.
Not being able to get re-elected was one thing; bringing shame to the family was another. If this situation didn't come to a resolution, the Bush family would be history.
"Dad, those bastards just attacked Beverly."
Upon hearing this, old Bush felt a splitting headache. If anything went wrong, it would spell trouble.
"What happened next?"
"They were defeated, and there's no further information at this time."
"Bastards! How did a simple legal dispute turn into this mess? What's Tom Bradley doing?" Bush Sr. was furious; he had better things to worry about. But if things escalated further, all his efforts would be for naught.
"Dad, if we don't deploy the troops now, this situation could spiral completely out of control."
"Deploy troops?" Bush Sr. smiled bitterly; it wasn't that simple. This wasn't William White's security firm.
"William White is still in Los Angeles? I thought he was afraid of his own shadow. What changed?"
"Dad, it's with the help of his security that Beverly has stabilized." Bush Jr. thought, he had the manpower, so why would he worry about those guys?
*****
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