[Chapter 739: The Feast of Liars]
The Super Bowl of '93 marked Michael Jackson's peak mont. On that day, his music ignited excitent among the Arican public. We Are the World could practically be considered Arica's anthem.
That sa year, the morally bankrupt Chandlers began plotting their sche.
"Sweetheart, this is truly terrifying. Could he really be that kind of person?"
"Ha, do you believe if that little boy stayed at my house, your husband might end up worse off?"
Seeing the contempt on this guy's face, the lovely Michelle Reis looked a bit odd. Now, she understood why there were so many rules at ho. Without family around, they wouldn't invite those kids over for birthdays.
"Can you believe these people? How could they be like this?"
"Why not? If MJ really wanted to keep things under wraps, he could easily satisfy their greed. Ha! You wouldn't believe how many others planned to do the sa."
So argued, "But MJ had plenty of money! He could hire a whole team of lawyers. Even if he did sothing, nothing would happen."
Well, that wasn't entirely wrong. However, the laws protecting minors were absurdly unreasonable. It didn't matter if you hadn't done anything; even harboring certain thoughts could be a problem.
What made it revolting was that they weren't accusing you of what you did; they were accusing you of what you intended to do.
Legally speaking, even if he was found guilty, the worst-case scenario would just be community service for a few hours.
But here's the catch: not only was he a public figure, but he was also a ga superstar. Forget about being found guilty; if things couldn't be resolved quickly, his entire image would be shattered.
Good heavens, if his endorsent fees had been outrageous before, the compensation he'd have to pay later would be even more outrageous. Albums wouldn't sell, and concerts wouldn't happen.
Cough! And that was under the assumption he remained innocent. If found guilty, it would be best for him to declare bankruptcy. He would never be able to pay back any of that money, unless he was gone for good.
"Darling, the level of darkness in people is unbelievable. How could this happen?" Michelle Reis's face showed sheer disbelief.
"Yeah, it's absolutely outrageous. That child, he really knew what all that ant." Suzuki seed more mature, thinking that if it were in so low-tier place, the court wouldn't even consider it.
"Cough! Well, Suzuki, you're not that young anymore. You might be underestimating these kids. If I rember correctly, all that stuff usually happens before they're sixteen. So co on, tell about it."
"Ugh, I'm not talking to you."
Suzuki left with a bright red face; she truly had no way to argue. Yes, that was the nature of the culture. If they still acted that way after turning eighteen, they might very well bring things to a definitive end themselves.
The reasoning? They didn't want to scare their boyfriends away.
I must say, the girls from Japan really were thoughtful, planning things out in advance. As for carrying a little raincoat or whatever, that was common sense.
At an intense mont, if the other person suddenly handed over a raincoat, there was no need to be surprised; that was standard practice there. Not preparing ahead of ti would be incredibly rude.
...
"Sir, how do we handle this? You know our MTV channel has the highest requests for MJ, and now we've received a mountain of complaints."
"It can't be like this. The judge hasn't made a ruling, yet this bunch... Jason, there's no need for intentional propaganda here at NBC, just keep it low-key. As for MTV, pull it down for now. If anyone asks, just refuse to reply. Oh, and Jason, issue a gag order: no one can speak on behalf of the company. If soone really wants to say sothing, they should resign first."
"Got it." Jason didn't ask William White how to face the situation if MJ really did sothing.
No need for questions there; anyone with a normal IQ knew exactly what had happened. Frankly, the con artist's tactics weren't that clever, and such situations would never happen to William White.
Not knowing how to protect oneself and opening up to strangers? Good heavens, you could have ten lives and still be in danger.
Why were class distinctions among Aricans so stark?
Forget dealing with the underprivileged; if your assets were insufficient, the billionaires' club wouldn't even let you in.
Was it discrimination against the poor?
Cough! MJ didn't discriminate; many kids who ca to see him ca from relatively poor families or had congenital diseases.
So what was the return for him?
You have all this money while I'm struggling; if you give a little, it shouldn't be a big deal, right?
Clearly, that's what the Chandlers thought, mixed in with a morally bankrupt lawyer, and MJ fell into their trap.
Rest assured, this wouldn't be over. If the judge found him guilty, a whole bunch of people would rush in for the bite.
Settling out of court? Great! So how about you give sothing too, or we'll see each other in court.
An album could sell over a hundred million, and people like that ended up near bankruptcy. Just think about how many people were scheming to get a part of him. Even after MJ passed away, they still didn't give up on their efforts.
William White was curious; just how many poor people did you provoke? My heavens, unless you got rid of this crowd completely, God wouldn't save you.
Twenty million in compensation would surely thrill the Chandlers. It would undoubtedly set off a chain of greedy individuals following in their wake.
Ha! That's Arica for you.
...
Despite all the noise surrounding MJ's situation, White dia remained largely unresponsive.
Continuing to play MTV might cause a ruckus, so simply not broadcasting it was an option. As for other matters, NBC's response was quite representative. "Hey, everyone, you planning to moonlight as judges? The judge hasn't said a peep, and you all intend to interfere with judicial integrity?"
No support, no opposition, no promotion; once those three principles were established, the Arican public was in uproar.
Where was your dia's supervisory role?
Sorry, based on the information we have, Mr. Jackson appears to be innocent. At least, there's no evidence to suggest he did anything immoral. If you have proof, feel free to co to the press and expose it. Please, don't view this situation with a biased lens.
Once NBC said that, the noise quieted down. Accusations of discriminating against black folks wouldn't go over well, either.
White dia prided itself on fairness and justice. Accusations against such a company required a certain amount of guts.
...
"Sir, we looked into it, and that couple definitely has issues. Their financial situation is dismal. If they lose this lawsuit, they might end up sleeping on the streets."
"Ha, it's not about winning or losing. They need money, and they will get it. As long as that kid stays tight-lipped, this lawsuit won't ever end. You say you didn't an it, but I think you did. That's just how it goes."
"This is just too outrageous."
"Shaless, huh? Well, that isn't the point. Shaless people are always around, no matter when."
*****
spatreon/Sayonara816.
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