The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 156: Twitter]

In East Los Angeles, in the San Gabriel Valley.

In a shabby office with red roofs and yellow walls, Kasim scratched his shiny forehead, looking troubled.

Across from him, a brown-haired woman named Lola asked, "Do we really only have the option of selling the website?"

Kasim replied, "There's also the option of shutting down." He looked out at three subordinates still hard at work. "How long has it been since our five-person team earned any revenue? One can't simply rely on passion. Right now, we have money to eat, but what will we do when we can't afford food or pay rent?"

Lola gritted her teeth, "That bastard Bennett transferred the shares and ran off. Now we're stuck with a tech background and no business acumen; how are we supposed to keep this going?"

"He couldn't help it; he ran out of money," Kasim didn't complain about Bennett, as he had transferred all his shares to Kasim and Lola before leaving.

Last year, the three of them saw how blogs skyrocketed in popularity, and many blog companies secured investments, which prompted them to pour in their savings to create the "Window" blog site, joining the trend.

Almost a year went by, and the reality was harsh. There were too many homogenized companies; cutting a path through this competition was exceedingly difficult -- it required capital, resources, and operational expertise.

And all three of them really only understood technology; even Bennett, who knew some operational elements, had already skipped town.

Just then, the phone rang. Kasim answered and exchanged a few words before hanging up. "They're coming."

Lola understood that this was the only viable plan to keep the website running. "I hope they're sincere and not just bored."

The two left the office, stepping toward the stairs under the uneasy gaze of the other three.

...

A short time later, a man and a woman approached up the stairs.

Clad in pricey business suits, the woman wearing either Hermes or Chanel, they looked the part.

Kasim stepped forward and extended his right hand, "You must be Mr. Hawke Osment?"

Hawke shook his hand. "Hello."

They briefly introduced themselves as Kasim led the way, "Right this way, please."

Hawke followed the two to an office door with a nameplate that read "Window Company."

The office was small, with only a couple of rooms. Outside, aside from computers and servers, there was barely enough room for three people to sit.

Inside was also crowded, and the working conditions were subpar.

Hawke directly asked, "Are you planning to sell the Window website?"

The transfer notice was already listed on the blog site, and Kasim admitted, "The company's facing difficulties. Lola and I are tech-savvy but lack business acumen. We only have one request: please don't shut down the site after the transfer."

Lola added, "This is our year's worth of effort."

Hawke observed the pair closely. They both wore glasses with greasy hair, appearing unkempt, and dressed simply.

They reminded him of typical tech geeks.

He said, "If I acquire the site, it's only natural for me to keep it growing."

Kasim scratched his oily head, seemingly embarrassed, yet he had no choice but to ask, "How much are you looking to get for a sale?"

Hawke had many options and certainly wasn't going to offer a high price. "$100,000."

"What?" Lola couldn't believe what she heard. "That amount doesn't even cover our investment in..."

Caroline stepped forward, brandishing her Hermes, lifting her chin slightly like a loyal sheep, "It seems you've forgotten; let me remind you -- Window is a company on the verge of closing!"

She quickly smiled, revealing two small sharp fangs as she began to tear into the prey. "There are hundreds of blogs like Window across America. Many close every day. You're just near the end of that line, which is why we came to see first."

Kasim and Lola were not skilled in conversation and were momentarily at a loss for words.

Caroline had gathered enough information about the companies and websites she had picked herself, "The Window blog site has been live for less than 11 months, boasting 23,300 registered users. Since last November, the average active users daily stood at 1,140, but last month it plummeted to 556."

Lola had seen the back-end data and lowered her head.

This was far beyond being dire.

Caroline's sharp horns pierced right through to the vital areas. "You've gone over 7 weeks without salaries. How are you going to survive if this continues?"

Kasim had nothing to counter, as reality was indeed brutal.

As the leading "sheep of the flock," Caroline was very self-aware, considering herself the sacrificial offering. She looked at Hawke, "Boss, $100,000 is way too generous; $50,000 would be enough."

Hawke waved his hand. "I said $100,000, so it's $100,000."

The two hadn't discussed it beforehand, but they were very synchronized.

Facing wolves and sheep, the two tech geeks were no match.

Kasim sighed quietly, "$100,000 it is; we'll take care of the transfer paperwork."

After brief contact, Hawke could see clearly that these two were relatively simple -- a type of technical staff.

He asked, "What do you plan to do after we take over the site? Exit this industry?"

Lola replied, "Not sure yet."

Hawke exchanged glances with Caroline, shaking hands with Kasim and Lola. "That's settled then; Caroline will discuss the specific acquisition with you. I have to head out."

Kasim looked at the arrogant and somewhat prickly woman, wishing to speak directly with Hawke but couldn't stop him from leaving.

Hawke and Edward exited Window Company and made their way down.

...

Edward noticed and asked, "Boss, aren't you going to bring them on board?"

"This isn't something appropriate for me to say," Hawke replied simply. "The contracts that Miss Baa signs can be steered under my leadership if they don't end up being suitable."

Edward suddenly understood, "I get it, Boss; Miss Baa can take the blame."

Hawke casually nodded, recalling his promise to Edward from before.

Edward's capability was limited, but he was trustworthy and could provide emotional value.

Sometimes, ability isn't the top priority.

Hawke directly told Edward, "You prepare a budget for the company's website investment. That'll be your share."

Edward had received numerous bonuses in the last six months, but he had also spent quite a bit, "I can probably scrape together $50,000."

"Good," Hawke replied.

...

Meanwhile, in the upstairs office.

"With your site being acquired, you'll find yourselves unemployed and possibly forced to leave your beloved field," Miss Baa said, now aboard a metaphorical sinking ship, ready to bear the blame and become a black sheep. "Why not consider this? Why don't you both join my company and continue in your previous roles? What about your salary sheets?"

Lola retrieved the documents.

Caroline glanced and replied, "Let's do this -- plus 15% on your existing salary."

Kasim asked, "Will we still be doing programming development and website architecture work?"

Caroline nodded, "Exactly."

Kasim thought about his failed startup and his uncertain future and said, "Can we have some time to discuss?"

"Of course," Caroline turned and began negotiating the specific acquisition terms with them.

Before the day was out, an intent agreement was signed.

...

Among Kasim's group, two felt this field was a lost cause, and once they received their overdue pay, they were ready to change paths.

Their passion over the past year had become nearly depleted.

Kasim, Lola, and another member had no better options and prepared to join the new company.

Hawke set aside his other tasks and focused entirely on establishing the new company.

The new company was registered in Delaware.

Hawke rented a four-story building located in Silicon Beach, right at the junction of Santa Monica and Venice, an area that was just beginning to thrive in development, which would provide rent assistance and high investment tax benefits.

Hawke also poached a young talent named Harland from Island Blog Company with a high salary to serve as the new company's technical director temporarily.

Regarding the new company and website's name, Hawke thought to keep it simple and named it Twitter, controlling it via West Coast Media Entertainment Studio and a company registered in the Cayman Islands.

Hawke himself took on the role of CEO and Operations Director, with Caroline acting as his assistant, handling internal administration and personnel matters.

The company simultaneously initiated external recruitment.

The updated website and program were of utmost priority.

...

Hawke held multiple meetings with Harland and Kasim and others. He had only a few ideas but didn't grasp the technicalities, relying on those technicians to manifest his vision into reality.

"Last year, camera phones weren't that common; now they are starting to gain traction."

In the meeting room, Hawke stood at the front of the conference table, speaking out loud, "When you capture exciting content or take photos at a travel destination, wouldn't you want those around you to know and see?"

He looked towards Caroline. "If you bought a new luxury item, would you take a picture? Would you want others to notice it?"

"Of course!" Caroline straightened her neck, extending her left hand to showcase her new Cartier watch. "The greatest significance of luxury items is to stand out and make others envious."

Hawke continued, "As far as the website goes, we need to surpass blogs in terms of interactivity. When someone you follow posts an update on Twitter, you'll get a notification in an easily spotted location!"

The tall, intimidating Harland grasped Hawke's intention. "So more focus on interactivity and user engagement?"

"Precisely, interaction and sharing are crucial aspects of human social engagement. We want to allow those seeking to boast to do just that and those wanting to share insights to have their space as well, even enabling private chats and group chats like MSN."

As for video sharing and mobile functionalities, those would wait until the network had taken root appropriately.

Progress was essential step by step.

Hawke further elaborated, "In the right sidebar, we should specifically reserve space for hot news to display trending news, establishing a popular news trending board. Our initial target will focus on entertainment and sports news, leaning more towards gossip."

Kasim, a Hollywood enthusiast, noted, "Gossip scandals tend to attract more attention."

Lola whispered, "That's just your personal preference."

Kasim quietly retorted, "You also loved watching that selfie scandal."

For these technical geeks, gossip and scandal were among the limited amusement options available.

Hawke continued, "Our users will be able to share news seamlessly on Twitter anytime and anywhere, whether in individual settings or groups."

The meeting extended through the workday.

A lot of what Hawke transmitted consisted of concepts from his previous life.

*****

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