"Michael Jackson!"
Eric was a little surprised to see the message, then dialed the unfamiliar number.
The call connected instantly, and a gentle voice, just like his during interviews, came from the other end.
"Hello, this is Michael Jackson. Mr. Cooper Jr.?"
After he finished speaking, Eric was even more certain. The voice was exactly the same as MJ's during interviews; it was definitely him.
Those who knew him understood that while Michael's stage presence was explosive with passionate dances, in real life, it was quite the opposite.
Even when facing those who maliciously slandered him, he rarely yelled in anger, often only making his already gentle voice deeper.
Hearing MJ's voice for the first time in person, Eric felt a little excited: "Yes, I am Eric Cooper."
The other end fell silent for a moment, a few seconds of quiet, which made Eric wonder: "Michael, are you alright?"
Michael's voice then resumed: "I'm fine, I just wanted to ask, Mr. Cooper, have we met before?"
"No, many people have asked me that today, but I've only seen you on television."
"Oh, thanks, I thought I had forgotten you." Michael's voice clearly relaxed.
"This afternoon, a friend showed me your interview. I'm very grateful that you're willing to believe me. Truly, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Mr. Cooper."
"No, don't say that, Michael. I'm just doing what a person with a sense of justice should do. You are a good person, a truly great person. And please, just call me Eric. Although we didn't know each other before, I would be very happy to be your friend," Eric said softly.
After Eric spoke, there was another ten-second silence from the other end, followed by a soft sigh.
"I'm sorry, I had already planned what to say in my mind, but those words suddenly wouldn't come out."
"This is a difficult time for me, but I feel warmth from you. Thank you, truly, thank you very much, Eric."
"However, I also have a request."
"What is it? Speak freely, Michael," Eric asked.
"Don't say such things anymore, because it will bring you trouble. Many crazy people will not only attack me but also harm those associated with me."
Eric laughed heartily: "Michael, do you think I'm afraid? I'm not a celebrity; I don't need to constantly be in the public eye. And I haven't even had my 22nd birthday yet. I have muscles and hot blood in my body. If anyone wants to attack me, let them come. I'll beat them until they're crawling on the ground!"
"Haha."
Eric's response made MJ laugh as well.
"Eric, it was great talking to you. If you have time, why don't you come to Neverland Ranch? You can bring your friends to play."
"Wait, never mind. Reporters often block the way here now; it would be troublesome to be photographed."
No matter how bad things were for him, he never wanted others to be harmed—that was MJ's character.
Eric said resolutely: "No problem, I've long wanted to visit Neverland Ranch. Let's make it this weekend. I could really use two days to relax."
Although he couldn't see Michael's face, he could tell his mood had visibly lifted: "Okay, I look forward to your visit!"
Eric's supportive remarks only spread online that afternoon; by the time he woke up, print media coverage had officially begun, with over a dozen newspapers publishing articles in their entertainment sections.
However, some newspapers did choose to omit parts, which was their usual practice, especially after Eric's on-the-spot confrontation—it would be a miracle if they gave him a good impression.
This was evident from the various disgusting headlines.
The Independent: "A Fanatic's Confession: How Crazy They Get for That Pedophile!"
San Francisco Entertainment News: "A Clown Delusional Enough to Replace God, a Poor Soul Who Can't Find His Place."
The New York Times: "Disrespecting Juniors, Insulting Peers: These are Michael Jackson's Fans."
Salt Lake City Entertainment: "Who is Mythologizing Michael Jackson? Praising Him Will Only Make More People Hate Him!"
These dozen or so newspapers almost all used a full page to report on MJ's situation, including Eric's interview and many other people's interviews, but without exception, none of them had anything good to say.
And regarding Eric's interview, hardly a single complete answer of his was used; the entire article consisted of the reporter's own speculations and assertions.
Seeing these reports, Eric was naturally furious, slamming them onto his desk and calling Chen Xing into his office.
"These disgusting maggots! Publish yesterday's interview video on MGM's official website. Also, contact major TV stations and newspapers and give them a copy of the video."
"Yes, boss!"
Although this interview video wouldn't do much to clarify the rumors about MJ, he couldn't let those paparazzi slander him unchecked.
And after these newspapers came out, those who spoke up for Michael naturally faced criticism and abuse.
Including Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Macaulay Culkin, and others, MGM's official website also experienced a wave of cyberbullying.
Those who hated MJ, especially extremists, were beyond reasoning. The website was flooded with all sorts of trash talk and insults, and there were even calls to boycott movies produced by MGM.
The tech department asked if they should disable comments, but Eric refused.
Having a few haters was normal, but he believed MJ's fans would be just as numerous.
As MGM contacted various TV stations and newspapers, many were willing to broadcast the interview unedited, not even cutting his final question about racial discrimination.
After all, media outlets weren't all in cahoots; they also had a competitive relationship.
Especially when it came to attracting traffic, if slander could bring traffic, clarification often could too—like yin and yang, the media wouldn't lose out either way.
So, by evening, Fox Television, NBC Television, the San Francisco Times, Americans Online, and other media outlets all released the original video of Eric's interview, accompanied by their own commentary.
Unlike The Independent and The New York Times, having chosen to cooperate, these media outlets naturally adopted a neutral stance, neither praising nor criticizing.
Therefore, by night, MGM's official website welcomed MJ's supporters.
Especially under the leadership of MJ's official fan leader, a group of people launched a counter-attack, and the official websites of the newspapers that had reported haphazardly began to be flooded with cyberbullying.
"Those who ascend the mountain should not mock the descending god," "Media should be fair and just," and "Reject racial discrimination" became the three most common slogans.
The newspapers didn't have Eric's resilience and were forced to disable their comment sections due to the onslaught.
For a time, the internet was abuzz, and the entire Shanxi Northwest was in utter chaos.
At AK Films, Warren and Bema Hardy, noticing the situation, suggested Eric hire internet trolls.
However, after careful consideration, he refused. He was currently on the side of justice, and it was best not to use such methods for now.
Hiring internet trolls was too easily exposed and lacked discretion.
The comments on MGM's official website now displayed three completely different styles.
The top comments were critical, demanding Eric retract his statements, calling him a fool and an idiot, a pedophile like MJ, and even criticizing MGM's century-old brand.
These haters threatened to stop watching any films or TV series produced by MGM and called on their friends and family to join the boycott.
Below were messages of support, praising Eric as a just person, someone who dared to speak the truth, and expressing their intent to lead their families and friends in supporting MGM's movies.
At the same time, they angrily denounced the people above as racists and social scum.
And in between were many neutral observers. These people had no stance; their attitude was 'whatever.' As long as the walking dead and transformers were exciting enough, they would definitely watch them.
As for justice or racism, what did that have to do with them?
As long as the movie was good, even if the actor was truly a scumbag, it wouldn't hinder the joy the work brought them.
Time passed amidst this back-and-forth, and by Saturday, the fighting power of both sides had somewhat weakened, and the abusive voices online gradually diminished.
And during these few days, the third episode of the walking dead aired.
This episode featured a zombie attack on the survivor camp, with hundreds of zombies swarming in under the cover of night.
Blood, guts, and screams flowed freely, and the thrilling grand spectacle once again pushed viewership up a notch, with concurrent online viewers reaching 11.7 million.
So, all talk of boycotts was nonsense; as long as your quality was high enough, the audience would naturally choose you.
Watching while cursing, their mouths said one thing, but their bodies did another!
At this moment, on the highway to Santa Barbara, a lamborghini was speeding freely.
Michael's Neverland Ranch was located in Santa Barbara, not far from Los Angeles, about 150 kilometers north along the highway.
Early this morning, Eric picked up Gadot and little Elizabeth, and the three of them headed to Neverland Ranch together.
"Mmm, that's enough, my dear. If we keep kissing, the traffic police will come looking for us."
Gadot's lips finally left Eric's mouth, her gaze so intense it seemed to drip with water.
"In two more days, it'll be April 30th, my birthday, Eric!"
"Yes, baby, I know what that means, but there's a little one in the back, you'd better be more reserved."
Gadot looked back at Elizabeth in the backseat and smiled at her.
Although Elizabeth Olsen was only 14, the general environment of the entertainment industry made her more precocious than her peers; she vaguely guessed what the two were talking about.
Elizabeth looked enviously at Gadot: "It's okay, you can continue, just pretend I'm not here."
Although she said that, in front of a child, they definitely had to be more proper.
Gadot chatted casually with Elizabeth. Upon learning that her parents had divorced when she was very young, she felt a pang of sympathy and gently stroked her head.
"Actually, it's nothing. I'm used to it. Even though Mom and Dad can't be together anymore, their love for me hasn't lessened."
"Sometimes one of them accompanies me, sometimes both take me out to play, and there's Ashley and Mary, so I'm very happy and content."
"You have such a good attitude, Elizabeth," Gadot said, somewhat admiring the little girl.
"Gadot, how is happy death day filming? You just rested for a short while and went back to set. Can your body handle it?"
Eric asked this for a reason; it had only been a little over ten days since transformers wrapped, and she had already joined the happy death day crew.
At that time, Eric hadn't communicated with her in advance. Gadot had originally planned to go home and spend some time with her family, as she had been away for over half a year, so the two things naturally conflicted.
Finally, at Eric's persuasion, she still took on the role.
For Hollywood actors, one film a year or one film every two years was normal; two films a year was considered prolific.
Someone like Jessica Chastain, who made five films a year, was called the 'Labor Model Sister,' and Alicia Vikander was also called the 'Labor Model Sister' for making five films a year.
For Hollywood actors, taking a one or two-month vacation after finishing a film was common.
"I'm fine, my body is very healthy, but the crew has just started working, and perhaps it needs time to adjust, so progress this week has been slow."
"Director Russo is a very strict person, and I must meet his demands."
"You sound a bit down. Are you not getting along well with the Russo Brothers?" Eric asked, squeezing Gadot's thigh.
Letting the man's hand slip into the ripped hole of her jeans for him to explore, Gadot blinked and replied, "It's not that I'm not happy. He doesn't scold me, but he makes me retake scenes repeatedly until he's satisfied."
"I think filming with you and Patty is more comfortable. At least you two don't have cold faces like Director Russo."
Eric chuckled a few times: "Gadot, this is how most directors are. They're not like me. Some have good tempers, some have bad. For example, James Cameron is famously a tyrant on set, but countless actors want to appear in his films."
"You can't just act in my films. The Russo Brothers are just the first. In your career, you'll encounter many more very different directors. Some just love to torment actors, so learn to adapt, learn to adjust."
Gadot nodded gently: "I understand. I just keep thinking how great it would be if I could always act in your movies, with you as the director and me as the lead actress. It would surely be as enjoyable as filming transformers."
"Haha."
Watching the two of them chatting and laughing, Elizabeth in the backseat couldn't help but feel a surge of envy: "When will I be able to act with Eric? I wonder if he'll direct that movie he mentioned."
More than an hour later, the lamborghini slowly stopped in front of an iron gate. The gate was magnificent and beautiful, and there were bright yellow tulips blooming on both sides of the road.
After a call to Michael, a sightseeing cart quickly drove over, driven by none other than the King of Pop—Michael Jackson.
The gate opened, and MJ, dressed in red, smiled and spread his arms: "Welcome, welcome to my home!"