[Chapter 728: Misconceptions]
Well, Nastassja had probably overthought things. In William White's world, no one was irreplaceable. While he certainly had his flaws, he never forced anyone to stay.
As for Tom Cruise, William White had carefully weighed his options and decided it was best not to stir up that trouble. That so-called Church of Scientology wasn't so uncomplicated; Tanner had discovered they were actively targeting Hollywood.
William White didn't really care if someone made a bit of money off him. As long as they didn't pull a scam on his people, he could overlook it. Even if someone did trick him, as long as it wasn't too excessive, he would just chalk it up to a lesson learned. Essentially, he didn't want any messy entanglements.
"Nastassja, it's not what you think. The best fit is still Tom Cruise. But haven't you noticed that this guy has been acting a bit weird?"
"Ha ha ha! You're not the only one who thinks he's strange. If you don't like him, then whatever."
"By the way, did you come looking for me about this?"
"Of course not! There's a charity gala tomorrow. Do you mind joining me?"
"Ugh, I got an invitation too. If I remember correctly, you don't really care about politics. Who made such a big fuss? You know, Nastassja, I don't have the best relationship with animal rights organizations."
"Ha ha ha! Haven't they stopped on you? You boiled a lobster to death; that was quite the imagination of yours."
William White shook his head in exasperation. If they wanted to fuss over how animals died, he might as well cook up a story for them. Millions of black folks might be starving, yet they were concerned about how one lobster met its demise. It was truly absurd.
"Hey, are you wearing that leather jacket?"
The beautiful lady shot him a glare. Though it wasn't made of animal hide, it wasn't quite appropriate for such an occasion.
"Are you going or not?"
"Okay, okay, I'll go. But you have to make it up to me in some way. I've got too much on my mind lately -- I'm really feeling down."
When animal rights activists sought him out, it was essentially a peace offering. The wealthy had gone off to protect African elephants; it really wasn't any fun to keep harping on it.
The American public wasn't foolish. What William White was doing felt a lot more meaningful. After all, without customers, there were no casualties -- a mantra that was pretty lofty.
In fact, that saying applied to fur, too. As long as those bigwigs didn't buy mink coats, those poor animals wouldn't die.
But take a look at those animal rights warriors; they clearly weren't getting the point.
As for whether William White would reconcile, that wasn't hard to predict. He was a public figure who really didn't want too many enemies. Being trashed casually by others wasn't all that bothersome.
Nastassja understood this very well; she didn't mind people from the outside using her as a go-between with William White. Naturally, she needed some reasons to communicate with him as well. They said turning thirty was like turning into a wolf -- there was some truth to that.
...
Watching women try on clothes was actually quite entertaining. They dressed up all pretty, mostly to charm him. William White relaxed with a cup of coffee, but his assistant wasn't so happy. The boss lady was coming back soon, and someone else had swooped in to steal her thunder -- who could possibly be happy about that?
"Lisa, why don't you pick out a couple of outfits, too?" William White rubbed his head; he couldn't really manage these types of situations. When two women got together, they naturally ended up clashing -- it was in their nature.
"Sir, how about I give you a massage? I learned some techniques recently, want to give it a shot?"
"Cough, cough. Fine, fine, let's save that for another day. We'll go check out the clothes first, and once we're done here, we can cruise around Koreatown."
The assistant was curious about what was new in Koreatown. It was probably the slowest recovering area, indeed.
...
William White was out shopping with the women, but of course, he had his own agenda. The chaos in Los Angeles had settled down, and now he wanted to see if order had returned to the market.
Through the store windows, he could still see a few paparazzi trying to get a rise out of the bodyguards. William White chuckled and shrugged it off -- he'd seen this scene far too often to let it bother him. Everyone needed to earn a living; as long as they didn't go too far, he really didn't mind.
Sitting there lost in thought, William White suddenly recalled a plot twist. "Oh, right! How could I be so foolish -- The Departed."
In recent times, he'd felt increasingly restrained. His security company was top-notch; everyone knew that. Because of this, many things had become difficult for him to get involved in.
Once he figured that part out, his mood brightened considerably. Heck, he would have Tanner take care of it when he got back. With his backing, what were a bunch of punks?
"Red looks nice, but Nastassja, you're an animal rights activist. Even if you don't like green, you should at least get something darker. However, that one can be packed away."
Nastassja shot him another glare, rolling her eyes. Deep down, she thought it was because he had been so flustered he forgot the most important things.
"Miss, can I get that silver-gray one?"
"Sure, just a moment please."
When one's spirits lifted, everything seemed better. With a smile on his face, William White had quite the charm. The good-looking store clerks had already started throwing him flirtatious glances.
Unfortunately, William White never believed in such cliched Cinderella tales. The circles people ran in were simply different, and they engaged in different games. There was hardly a common language to find.
What? A spark? Instant love at first sight?
Nonsense. Ninety-nine percent of people were only thinking about how to get in bed with someone. As for the rest? Who knows what ulterior motives they might have.
So, why did William White stay in Hollywood?
As a big shot, did he really think there was that much enjoyment in it?
Sure, if one threw caution to the wind, that could indeed be fun. But if that wasn't the plan, the social circles got pretty small.
And Hollywood?
It was a magical place; you could have been a bit player yesterday and then become a star overnight. If you didn't believe it, try getting involved with William White and see what happened.
Truth be told, William White had plenty of allure. There was no need for fancy red sofas or anything like that. He didn't even have to lift a finger; someone would come running over sooner or later.
Honestly, dealing with socialites was far more complicated than Hollywood. The reasoning was simple -- everyone had different expectations. Starlets just needed an opportunity, and with two film companies in his pocket, William White wouldn't run out of chances.
As for those socialites, they sought a happy future. That was something William White couldn't or wouldn't provide.
...
As the car cruised around Koreatown, although the garbage had been cleaned up, the rebuilding progress remained sluggish.
"Tanner, does that place not plan to hold on to it anymore?"
"Master, many people wish to leave. The black community is hostile toward them and doesn't want to patronize their shops."
"Of course! Any misunderstanding could easily lead to shooting. With their nerves so tightly wound, who knows what they might do?"
"Honestly, there are some benefits; those small-time thugs don't dare to cause trouble anymore since there's a revolver right under the counter."
"Heh, the risk doesn't match the reward. By the way, how's the situation in the black community?"
"Master, it's best not to go there. Max keeps saying Africa is chaotic; the black community is just as messed up."
*****
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