America 1982

Delia walked out of the guest bedroom's bathroom naked, and faced Tommy who was reading information and basking in the sun in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and asked:

"Does your fiancée care if other women use the toiletries in the bathroom?"

"Don't worry, Delia, my fiancée has never entered this guest bedroom. This bedroom is for guests to stay overnight, and every time she comes back, the entire villa will be cleaned twice by different cleaning companies. Clean carefully, don't say you used this deodorant that she didn't even know about. Even if you kill someone here, you won't leave any traces." Tommy lowered his head and looked at the black lawyer Delia brought over. material:

"You helped me find a black lawyer. It took nearly two months. He better not let me down, otherwise I will be disappointed in your efficiency."

Delia came over and stood naked in front of the sunny floor-to-ceiling windows with Tommy. She tilted her head and reached out to take out the cigarette from Tommy's mouth, took a sip in her own mouth, and blew out the smoke ring out the window. , talked about what he knew:

"Earl Rush was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1946. When he was 7 years old, his father's whereabouts were unknown. His mother took him and other children to settle in Oakland, California. In 1963, he dropped out of high school to join the army and joined the U.S. Army. The garrison base was located in his His hometown, Chicago, had a strange fate. His mother took him away from there, and God sent him back. There, he went AWOL and joined the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party founded by the well-known black activist Fred Hampton. , served as head of the armed defense force for the local chapter of the Black Panther Party.”

"In 1969, Fred Hampton was drugged by an informant arranged by the FBI and fell into a coma in his apartment. The investigation report showed that a total of fourteen people from the Chicago Police Department's tactical team and FBI field agents opened fire on the apartment and the people inside. He fired more than a hundred shots, and then told the judge in a serious manner in court that it was the people in the apartment who shot first..."

“After the massacre, Earl Rush spoke at the Black Panther Party’s national convention and said that it is impossible to lead black people to seek racial equality with just a few guns. Black people cannot arm themselves with weapons alone, but also need to understand the power game. If you don't play by the white people's rules, you will end up like Fred Hampton. There is clear evidence that he was drugged into a coma, but he is still slandered as a shooter. Later, he held a press conference to officially announce his withdrawal from the Black Panthers. Party and disbanded the armed defense forces. In 1975, he received a doctorate in law from the University of California, Hastings School of Law. He then joined the Miller \u0026 Gallagher Law Firm and became a lawyer, often providing pro bono legal aid to black people. .”

"I don't need a black saint..." Tommy listened to Delia's introduction and said after flipping through the information in his hand:

"I remember that you were very understanding, Delia. You knew exactly what I wanted."

Delia turned around, looked at Tommy, and said firmly: "He meets your requirements."

Tommy looked into Delia's eyes and nodded slightly: "Continue."

"In 1976, Earl Rush ran for a seat on the Oakland City Council. He was the first black man with a former Black Panther identity to seek political office in Oakland. Unfortunately, he lost to his Republican opponent, but he immediately Call on your fans to support white Democratic candidates and cooperate with the Democratic Party. You also know that the Democratic Party is actually more changeable than the Republican Party. It can be more conservative or more radical. Whatever voters want to see, the Democratic Party will do whatever it is, Earl - Rush cooperated with the smooth Democratic Party, which made many black people very dissatisfied, but he said it very beautifully. He said that racial equality cannot only be promoted by black people, but needs white people to participate. He must act as the seat of mutual trust between black people and white people. Bridge." Delia flicked the ashes of her cigarette and said:

"The Democratic Party responded to his overtures, he joined the Democratic Party, and the California Democratic Party headquarters office subsequently gave him the title of Communications Coordinator."

Tommy nodded understandingly: "He took the initiative to defect, and the Democratic Party gave him some small profits, which can be regarded as giving him a chance within the party. But what happens next depends on his ability to prove himself. After all, his choice is too bold, and the Democratic Party I'm not sure whether this guy can still help the Democratic Party absorb the votes of those black people, so for the time being, I just give him the status of a communications coordinator, so that he can move in and out freely. If he has outstanding abilities, the Democratic Party may support him in running at any time, but if His ordinary abilities may keep him in this position until he dies of old age.”

"Yes, he now needs the black group to regain their trust in him, let the Democratic Party see his influence among the black group, and give him a chance to run. So when he heard that there was a financial backer to start a black TV station, he also hoped to find a sponsor. When a black man with a lawyer background helped him manage the TV station, he was very interested," Delia said to Tommy.

Tommy continued, "How's his appetite?"

"Having both fame and fortune, you are as greedy as when I first met you, but I want to remind you that I was just carelessly scorning you, and he still made such a choice after learning about your situation." Leah recalled the past when she was plotted by Tommy because of her greed, and said with a smile.

"The Bible says, I will grant whatever you ask of me." Tommy laughed lightly, and his face instantly became brighter than the sunshine outside the window. He looked at Delia:

"Where is he? I can't wait to meet this interesting, high-level black man."

"He? Maybe he is helping black criminals fight lawsuits to earn fame... and money." Delia stubbed out her cigarette butts on the glass, leaving an ugly gray stain: "He is not only greedy for you, he is greedy for everyone." In this way, sometimes people think he is ugly, like this gray stain. I am also curious, why do you want to find such a black man? Isn’t it better to find a black manager who is willing to listen to you, loyal to you, and willing to be a puppet? Okay?"

"I'm not looking for a puppet, I'm looking for an opportunity." Tommy stretched out his finger and gently wiped away the smoke stain, making the window spotless again.

…

Earl Rush got into the back seat of his Ford business car. He first took out a small and exquisite medicine bottle, shook out a few prescription pills from it, and drank it orally with bottled water. At the steering wheel, Charlie, the white driver and bodyguard waiting for him to give orders, said:

"Charlie, send me to Fruitvale. I'm going to meet Russell from BGF."

The driver started the car and took Earl to the black community in Oakland. The so-called BGF, whose full name is the Black Guerrilla, is a black street organization established in California in 1966. It can be considered that like the Black Panther Party, it was born under the influence of the black equal rights movement. However, this organization is completely different from the Black Panther Party. They have no ideological program, only pure violence. They only know how to rob, sell books, etc. under the banner of black equal rights. They even kill the most black people.

This is also the reason why the Black Panther Party was wiped out early, and the black guerrillas have grown from about fifty people at the beginning to thousands now.

As long as they are not like the Black Panther Party, who purchased more English versions of Mao Zedong than weapons and ammunition, and almost everyone has a copy, they will always use Marxism-Leninism and end the capitalist plunder of the United States to let American capitalists with conscience listen. It doesn't matter to the white gentlemen in the American government that they can rob some things, sell some drugs, and kill some good people, but they can all be tolerated and understood.

Fruitvale is an old black community in Oakland. As soon as a vehicle drives into the neighborhood, you will immediately feel like you have stepped into another world. Unknown graffiti is sprayed on the walls of the street, and black people gather in twos and threes on the street. , looking at this business car that was unlikely to appear in this neighborhood with dull but greedy eyes. Some even simply followed the car and walked slowly, trying to figure out where the car would park in the end. .

After driving a few hundred meters along the road, Charlie parked the car on the side of the road. Earl did not let Charlie get out of the car and open the door for him. He got out of the car on his own initiative and walked towards a two-story house on the street. The door When the five or six black people gathered outside saw Earl, they all smiled, and the leader, a strong man with eyes hanging from his eyes, opened his arms honestly:

"Earl, I..."

"Hey~ don't touch me! This is an Armani handmade suit. Even if you kill the whole neighborhood, you won't get enough money to buy the suit I'm wearing! Watch my car, I don't want to wait until I finish talking to Russell When they came out, both Charlie and the car disappeared!" Earl said impatiently, ignoring the other party's enthusiasm.

A black man took the initiative to open the door for him. Earl loosened his tie and walked in. Before he could step in, the pungent smell of hemp, alcohol, sweat, etc. mixed together made him lean back. He raised his head.

"Earl, my dear brother, the angel of black people, every time I see you..." At this moment, on the sofa in the center of the living room, a shirtless and muscular black man stood up and said with a smile, next to him On the seats were several pistols with the safety open.

Seven or eight black men were distributed in various corners of the living room, looking at Earl Rush, who looked completely different from black men in suits and ties.

"Russell, I hope you call me to come see you and just buy me a drink, do you understand?" Earl looked at BGF's boss in this area, Russell, and said dissatisfied: "Don't... "

"Malcolm has been arrested, Earl, you have to help him." Before Earl could finish speaking, Russell had already taken the initiative to tell the reason for meeting him.

Earl Rush turned his head impatiently: "Why did the U.S. government design the position of public defender? Russell? It is to provide basic defense for people who do not want to pay. I am a senior lawyer, and I know that senior lawyers are What do you mean? Just don't have enough money, don't think I'm going to stand up in court and help you, you niggas always do that, what am I? A free lawyer for all black people in America? That nigga named Malcolm did it What?"

"It's nothing. He used the names of his mother, sister, aunt and others to get a loan from the three Big Jack brothers in Los Angeles, then bought a batch of goods and started a business. That guy has a brain, and we also I lent him money to expand his business, but that bastard was caught driving his girlfriend's car to deliver goods last week, and ten kilograms of crack were found in the car." Russell walked to the refrigerator. He took out two cans of beer, opened one with his own hands and handed it to Earl, then introduced the situation.

Earl took the beer and stared at the other person suspiciously: "That's it?"

"No, his girlfriend is the wife of the black policeman who happened to arrest him...so..." Russell sighed: "We just want to expand the scale."

"There are more than 700 police officers in the entire city of Oakland, and among them there are less than 30 black people. And then these black people were not bullied to death by their white colleagues, but were first stimulated to the point of committing suicide by their lovely compatriots?" Earl Rush was dissatisfied. roared: "Do you know that every black police officer is my friend? Do you know? Do you know how much it costs me to protect these friends of mine? Black people should be united! But what did you do!"

"Of course we know unity, this is just an accident, Earl, we are brothers, you were the Black Panther Party, I am the BGF, we are revolutionary brothers, you have to help us, you and those white juries and white judges can If you can speak up, you have to help us."

"I am no longer a Black Panther, and I am no longer a revolutionary, but for the sake of you being black compatriots, I am willing to give it a try." Earl took a sip of beer and said, "Fifty thousand yuan."

Hearing this number, the black people in the room took a breath.

"You can't help Malcolm for free. After that guy comes out, I guarantee that he will sell goods as soon as possible to make money to make up for your expenses." Russell said awkwardly.

The BGF in their area does not have very strong financial resources, so 50,000 yuan is already a big sum for them.

"I'm free. Are you sure that the black policeman whose wife he married will also be free? Don't I need money to settle this most important role? Fifty thousand yuan, and it's clean money. I don't have time to waste washing your money." The dirty money handed over." Earl said with a gloomy face: "I even hope you don't have money, because then I don't have to get myself involved in this mess, both parties are my friends!"

Russell was silent for a moment, and finally said to Earl: "I will collect it for you as soon as possible. I will ask the brothers to go to Big Jack's bank for a loan. In short, I will give it to you cleanly."

"Is his girlfriend involved in selling goods? Tell me the truth." Earl asked after hearing that the other party was willing to pay.

Russell explained with a serious expression: "No, the original plan was to drag her into the water, and then use her to drag her husband into the water, but not yet... I promise not, the woman has no idea at all."

After hearing this, Earl took out a business card from his arms and threw it on the coffee table: "After the money is transferred to my account, call me to inform me."

At this time, his mobile phone rang. After he answered the call, Delia's voice rang in his ears: "Tommy Hawke agreed. His TV station needs someone with both leadership and charisma." Excellent black manager, and on my recommendation, he believes you are the one.”

"Of course, Ms. Delia Keys, thank you for your recommendation." Earl said without changing his expression.

"He wants to talk to you in person, tomorrow afternoon."

"I'll be there on time."

After hanging up the phone, Earl looked at Russell: "Let me explain in advance, this fee is not my consulting fee, I am providing help for free, and I do not guarantee that I can save Malcolm, but whether he can or not , you have to pay this money, are you sure?"

"Make sure, Malcolm is my brother, and you are also my brother. We trust you." Russell said seriously: "Sorry, Earl, I have to ask you again..."

"Goodbye, if you feel guilty, don't let me take on this kind of business for free next time." After Earl said that, he simply turned around and walked towards the door.

After taking a deep breath of fresh air outdoors, he walked to his car, opened the door, got in, and said to the driver: "Go home, Charlie, pack up, we will go to Los Angeles tomorrow."

"I thought Russell wanted you to defend him."

"He did ask me this, but I don't have time to waste on these scum." Earl sat in the back seat and closed his eyes:

"I can accept their money and find two rookies to follow the case. In the end, it will be nothing more than me standing in the court, waiting for the court to pronounce the verdict, telling everyone with a heavy expression that I tried my best, but I am sorry, and then I will personally Thousands of dollars were nominally given to Malcolm’s family to support them through this difficult time.”