The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 295: If Disney Can Do It, So Can I]

After hanging up the phone, Jamie Spears initially planned to leave but took a glance at his cold coffee cup and downed it in one go.

This was all his money!

Jamie set the empty cup down and exited the cafe.

...

Betty wasn't in a rush; she waited for the server to clear the cups before casually passing the table, discreetly wiping the covert listening device on the table leg before pocketing it. Once outside, she hopped into her car, started the engine, and checked the GPS display, realizing Carlos had already left Century City. She quickly followed suit.

En route, Betty used her walkie-talkie to call Carlos.

Carlos was keeping track of Jamie Spears.

When Jamie's Mercedes-Benz pulled up outside a convenience store, Juan rushed over, having been alerted by Carlos, to grab the USB drive containing the recordings, and headed straight for Santa Monica.

...

In South Santa Monica, at Twitter.

Having received the USB drive from Juan, Edward hurried upstairs and entered Hawke's office, placing the drive on the desk.

"The Butterfly just had someone drop this off," he quickly explained. "It's a recording of Jamie Spears discussing something sensitive with Britney's agent, Larry Rudolph."

Hawke connected the drive to a dedicated laptop and opened the audio file, the sound of two men's voices filling the room.

When the audio finished playing, Edward asked, "Are they fighting for control over Britney?"

Hawke responded, "That seems to be the case."

Edward shook his head. "Everyone knows Jamie Spears is unreliable. Why does Britney still trust him so much?"

Hawke pondered for a moment. "Probably because she's Britney."

He rewound the audio to replay the part where Jamie was on the phone, listening again. "Jamie seems to have serious disagreements with Larry, yet instead of reaching out to Britney, he called Manninger Jenkins, which seems odd."

Edward quickly reacted, "Could it be related to their conversation at the Hilton Party?"

Hawke asked, "Did anyone follow them?"

Edward had checked in with Juan, replying, "Carlos and Betty are tailing Jamie, while Garcia and Fiona are following Manninger."

Hawke nodded slightly. "Let's wait and see if there's any updates."

Just then, Hawke thought of Paris.

From their first collaboration, Paris had frequently mentioned Britney, subtly hinting she wanted Hawke to assist Britney.

However, Hawke wouldn't make any moves without Britney's direct request.

He asked Edward, "Is Paris close to Britney?"

"Very close." Edward brought up a particular incident. "You remember Paris's assistant, Kim Kardashian? Apparently, Kim was badmouthing Britney and got scolded by Paris, who then dismissed her."

Hawke understood.

...

In Century City, near Fox Television Center.

Carlos parked his car and was just about to put on headphones when someone knocked on the passenger window from outside. He glanced over and pressed the unlock button.

Garcia opened the car door and hopped in. "I didn't think our targets would cross paths so soon."

Carlos handed Garcia another earpiece and asked, "Is anyone watching?"

"Betty showed her face earlier, but she can't appear again," Garcia replied as he adjusted the earphone cord. "Fiona went inside to keep an eye on things."

Suddenly, voices sounded in Carlos's earpiece, urging Garcia to be quiet.

...

"I know many people in the agent circle; my sources are usually reliable." Manninger Jenkins loosened his suit jacket for comfort. "Jamie, the info I shared at the party was accurate, right?"

Jamie replied, "Larry Rudolph has ambitions and wants to push me out."

Manninger laughed, "But you're Britney's father, her most important person."

Jamie suddenly asked, "Why are you helping me?"

Manninger didn't hesitate, sounding sincere, "Because I'm a fan of Britney; I've loved her since her first single came out in 1998."

Jamie recalled Manninger's fan-like behavior when he met Britney in the Hilton ballroom and remarked, "You've helped me through a crisis."

But Manninger wasn't just being kind; he deliberately hinted, "You haven't escaped the crisis yet. How much does Larry make off Britney each year? Surely it's millions? Would he give up such a hefty income?"

Jamie projected his views onto the situation. "No way! Absolutely not!"

Taking this as an opportunity, Manninger pressed, "Larry is the one who made Britney a star; she trusts him a lot. Now that she's grown up, she can make her own decisions. What if she chooses something that's not in your favor?"

Jamie shook his head, "She usually listens to me."

"That's true, but in the past," Manninger danced around the subject. "But Larry would definitely make her review her bank accounts and transaction history; you can't stop that. I don't know how you divide the profits between you two."

Beads of sweat appeared on Jamie's forehead.

Too many parent-child relationships in Hollywood soured over money, covering the majority of child stars from average families.

Manninger wasn't finished: "As soon as someone turns eighteen, they need to manage their own income. I've yet to meet a twenty-one-year-old who hands their earnings to their parents."

Just that short exchange threw Jamie's previously stable mindset into chaos.

Currently, most of Britney's earnings were in Jamie's hands, with a substantial amount already spent.

In the future, Britney would control her income and decide how much to give him.

That's a drop from millions to just hundreds of thousands.

Jamie couldn't even vocalize his fears knowing Britney was a bit naive but far from stupid.

Manninger casually sipped his cocktail.

The bar wasn't full, and the atmosphere was relatively quiet.

Jamie couldn't accept this grim future, his gaze wandered until it settled on Manninger. "You say this to provoke me, don't you? What are you really after?"

Manninger avoided directly answering the question and emphasized instead, "I really do like Britney."

Jamie wasn't naive; he understood what that meant.

Manninger idolized Roger Ailes in some respects and had made similar moves within Channel 11, but due to Cynthia's presence, he was limited to the junior hosts, none of whom could compare to Britney.

What he said was true; because he was captivated by the Baby One More Time music video back in the day.

Unfortunately, he hadn't had the opportunity until now.

Having dabbled in the entertainment industry for years, Jamie had enough wisdom to deduce, "You're not short on women."

Manninger replied very directly like many executives, "She's Britney! The joy she brings makes the other stars look like kids!"

He had already considered this: "Why can the Mouse Club do it and I can't as an executive at Fox?"

Jamie wasn't about to give in easily: "You need to tell me how I won't lose my position."

Manninger explained, "According to the law, if an adult behaves erratically or shows mental instability, they can be deemed incapable of independence. Consequently, a guardian will be appointed -- usually a close relative -- and the guardian will have full control over all aspects of the subject's life, including financial gains."

Jamie felt he had uncovered a great discovery, but then hesitated, "Britney isn't really incompetent in areas outside music; she's not a fool."

"It's simple -- use drugs," Manninger suggested.

He referred to a new type of medication developed for athletes to treat various depression, asthma, and ADHD issues.

Manninger elaborated, "Taking this drug makes people highly aggressive, emotionally unstable, and prone to baffling behavior. If she appears erratically in public several times, you can apply for special guardianship in court, and I can help; it won't be hard to get through."

Jamie worried, "Wouldn't that affect her singing career?"

"There may be some impact, but nothing too severe." Manninger had already prepared his rationale. "Do you want a Britney making $80 million a year, completely out of your control, only giving you a small allowance, or a Britney earning $40 million a year while you pocket $30 million of that?"

That wasn't a choice at all, so Jamie responded, "I want the $40 million!"

Manninger said, "That's very attainable."

At this moment, Jamie was no longer rejecting Manninger's proposition.

Disney had done it, and record company executives had done it; adding one more instance wasn't a big deal.

Isn't this how the star road in the entertainment world played out?

Jamie scratched his head. "Can all these things you mentioned really happen?"

Manninger assured, "You can give it a try first."

"Alright! Alright!" Jamie replied. "What drugs are you talking about?"

But Manninger countered, "My payment first."

"As long as Britney is entirely under my control, would that still be an issue?" Jamie, as a father, was far more invested than Macaulay Culkin's parents.

He declared, "The Micky Mouse Club guys have done it, the record company people have done it, and so can you."

Manninger softly whispered a few names.

Fearing he wouldn't remember, Jamie quickly pulled out a notepad and jotted them down.

To him, a soaring star like Britney couldn't compare to a tightly caged golden chick.

As for his daughter's life, nothing was more important than money.

*****

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