[Chapter 82: Fame and Connections]
In the fifth-floor hallway, Hawke sat on a bench, watching Steve embrace his teammates one by one, excitedly chatting as he took a sip from his coffee cup. He had only slept a little the night before, but it hadn't affected him much.
The Dodgers' manager had arrived, first offering Steve encouragement before conferring with Caroline. Edward returned with a cup of coffee and sat down next to Hawke.
His thought process was different. He said, "Boss, no one is paying attention to us. It feels like we've been forgotten."
Hawke slowly sipped his coffee and responded softly, "Savior, do you know about puppetry?"
Edward thought for a moment before pointing toward Steve and saying, "They're the puppets, and we're the ones pulling the strings?"
...
Things quieted down a bit, and Steve, Caroline, and Biles came over.
Biles said, "The team wants Steve to make a public statement with Wilson."
"That's fine," Hawke replied, having already planned with Caroline and discussed it with Steve. "In the morning, Steve and Daisy will go to the Agatha Fertility Center to express their gratitude."
He turned to Caroline, saying, "Have Amanda prepare a wheelchair; the doctor approved some moderate activity for Daisy."
Caroline fetched Daisy, and Hawke told Biles, "There's a hotel near the hospital; rent their largest banquet hall and invite all the media and fan representatives for a press conference at three this afternoon."
Biles replied, "I'll get on that right away."
Hawke looked at Steve and said, "Familiarize yourself with the new script Caroline wrote and transform into a warrior to fight."
"I will," Steve said as he took the script back to his hospital room.
...
Out in the common area, newspapers that Biles bought were scattered everywhere, all featuring Steve's image on their front pages.
This was California, and almost all the headlines praised him.
"Steve Nutt, a true civil rights champion in sports!"
"Facing social injustice, Steve Nutt has made the strongest statement through his actions."
"Steve Nutt has showcased the best model of a new American family."
Not to mention the liberal press, even the conservatives did not directly attack him. Although civil rights hadn't reached the heights of the Black Lives Matter movement yet, after entering the new century, very few openly expressed views related to racial discrimination.
Steve's teammates chose to stay, deciding unanimously to head to the hotel press event in the afternoon to support him.
...
Hawke found a quiet spot and called Agatha. "Doctor, we'll arrive punctually at ten-thirty."
Agatha replied, "Everything is ready on my end." She didn't forget to ask, "What about the media?"
Standing in front of the window, Hawke looked at the crowd of reporters outside the hospital, saying, "I guarantee there will be over thirty."
Agatha laughed, "Please send my regards to Steve and his wife."
After hanging up, he turned to Edward. "Savior, want to earn some extra cash?"
...
A few minutes later, Edward borrowed a hospital janitor's uniform and snuck out through a side door, heading to the front entrance.
Before he had the chance to find someone, a reporter with a Sports Illustrated press pass approached him.
"Are you from the hospital?" the reporter asked.
Edward tugged at his uniform and said, "I'm a janitor in the patient tower. I've just received an important tip regarding Steve Nutt."
The reporter, looking to develop a scoop, immediately asked, "What's the tip?"
Edward grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth.
The reporter said, "100 bucks!"
Edward held up five fingers.
The reporter hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, and said, "Alright, 500 bucks."
Edward replied, "I want cash."
The reporter, having come prepared, pulled out 500 dollars.
Edward whispered, "I overheard Steve Nutt's PR team on the phone saying they're preparing to go to the Agatha Fertility Center."
The reporter, recalling last night's news that Steve's child was a test-tube baby, knew it was accurate. He handed Edward the cash along with his business card.
He called for a photographer and a car, rushing off to the Agatha Fertility Center.
Edward quietly returned to the hospital, exited through another door, and circled back around to find another reporter. "I have the latest scoop on Steve Nutt."
As the clock neared nine-thirty, Edward had sold the news five times, netting him 2300 dollars.
...
At ten o'clock, Hawke drove a van carrying Steve, Daisy, Caroline, and Amanda out of the hospital front entrance.
As they left, Steve rolled down the car window to answer the fans' support.
Soon, dozens of media vehicles followed the van as it headed towards the Agatha Fertility Center.
Seeing the crowd, Dr. Agatha nearly beamed as she came out with a few aides to personally greet Steve and Daisy Nutt.
There wasn't much to discuss; Agatha quickly summoned someone to take their picture together.
After just a short visit, Steve and Daisy bid farewell.
Once they left, Agatha thought of Hawke's idea and immediately ordered, "Have that photo framed and put it in the most visible spot in the lobby as fast as possible."
She also instructed the security at the entrance and the front desk, "If any reporters try to sneak in and take pictures, act like you didn't see them."
Though Steve and Daisy had gone, a large group of media reporters remained. Agatha stepped outside, confidently accepting interviews to endorse Steve and Daisy while riding the wave of publicity.
Within half a day, the name of the Agatha Fertility Center spread across the nation.
...
While having lunch, Hawke received a call from Agatha.
"I'm very satisfied with your arrangements, Mr. Hawke Osment. If you ever need to have a test-tube baby in the future, the center will waive the fees for you."
Upon hearing this, all Hawke could say was, "Thank you."
He put away his phone and asked Caroline, "Has the news conference information been released yet?"
Caroline replied, "It's already out. Over sixty media outlets will be attending."
Hawke said, "The impact is getting bigger."
Caroline had been keeping an eye on the media dynamics. "The buzz is through the roof; it's the hottest news in recent times."
Hawke asked, "Is it alright for us to be on Midnight Entertainment?"
"They agreed," Caroline replied, then jokingly asked, "What, did Megan Taylor sleep with you?"
Hawke's expression didn't change a bit as he said, "Because it has the highest ratings among entertainment shows right now."
...
Close to three o'clock in the afternoon, Edward drove the van, bringing Steve, Wilson, and Caroline from the hospital to the hotel entrance.
Near the entrance, hundreds of Steve's supporters had gathered.
These fans wore Dodgers baseball caps, held up large posters of Steve, and shouted the Dodgers' exclusive cheer slogans.
Steve, Wilson, and Caroline squeezed toward the hotel entrance.
Once the crowd thinned out, Hawke entered the hotel alone, accompanied by Biles to the back of the banquet hall, finding a spot to sit down.
Inside the hall, hundreds of reporters had convened, with live cameras set up by various stations, including Channel 11 and Channel 9.
"This was initially a huge crisis," Biles, not particularly skilled in crisis management, was nonetheless deeply impressed. "Now it's not only been smoothened out but it has also skyrocketed Steve's reputation."
Hawke took out his business card and handed it to Biles. "If any of your other clients need anything, don't hesitate to have them call me."
Regardless of whether they are entertainment stars or sports figures, they tended to create scandals. Biles accepted the card and took it seriously. "We'll cooperate when the opportunity arises."
...
Cheers erupted from the crowd.
It was Steve who walked out with his teammates.
Facing numerous media representatives and fans, Steve delivered a speech titled "Me and My Black Son."
Besides explaining the origins of the test-tube baby, Steve highlighted the various injustices faced by his Black teammates both on and off the field, passionately declaring:
"Black lives matter as much as white lives; we are all part of America, and African Americans are also the future of society. We cannot demonize our own people... Just yesterday, I became a father, welcoming a Black son into my new family, which will thrive, while countless families like mine will build a greater nation!"
Dodgers teammates gave Steve thunderous applause.
The fans and media joined in enthusiastic applause, cheers ringing out.
Even in that era, California had seen an influx of white liberal activists.
Surrounded by applause, Steve felt like a hero for everything he had done and the new family he was advocating for.
He became emotionally charged, suddenly realizing that this path would bring him even more fame.
At that moment, Steve decided to transform into a civil rights warrior.
As the press conference drew to a close, a leader from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Sesko, rushed up to embrace Steve, their big hands -- one Black, one White -- raised high together.
At that moment, no one cared about how Steve's Black child had come to be.
...
The next day, with the doctor's consent, Wardell, the business deputy editor of People magazine, led a professional photography team to St. Joseph's Hospital to take a family portrait of Steve, Daisy, and their Black baby.
Normally, such a young child wouldn't be suitable for a photo shoot.
But both the Nutt couple and People magazine didn't want to miss the opportunity.
This group photo would feature on the cover of the next issue of People.
Wardell privately approached Caroline, saying, "This situation is unusual. While I don't know the details, this isn't the style of your PR company."
Caroline forced a smile. "Sorry, but there's nothing I can tell you."
Wardell wasn't surprised. "Let's introduce each other."
Caroline pulled out her phone, called Hawke, and led Wardell into a temporary office.
She introduced the two men, "This is Hawke Osment, founder of West Coast Media Entertainment Studio; and this is Wardell Bell, the business editor of People magazine."
Hawke shook his hand, offering his business card.
To his surprise, Wardell said, "I've heard of you. Where? Oh right, from Cynthia at Fox 11."
Hawke also got Wardell's card, realizing that through all the news operations, he had gained not only money but also fame and connections.
*****
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