America 1982-Chapter 539 - 108: Where is Tommy?
"Mr. Hawk, can we have a serious talk?" Eddie Wyler, the new head of the production team who had flown to Miami with Stephen, sat across from Tommy, earnestly beginning the conversation:
"Ever since I arrived in Miami, I’ve been observing and recording, and I’ve gathered a lot of material. Of course, everyone, including you, knows that much of the material can’t be broadcast, but that’s not important. After all, our show isn’t a documentary; it’s a variety show. I understand Nick used to think he was the producer for your group, and he wanted to make all the decisions. I’m different from him. Stephen chose me, not because I’m more capable than Nick, but because I don’t like to control everything. I prefer to observe."
After Nick returned to Los Angeles, he came to Miami with Stephen. During that time, he was like an invisible man, hardly ever appearing in front of Tommy or others. And when Tommy asked the production team to help shoot some footage, Eddie would readily nod in agreement. Of course, this didn’t mean he was a good Samaritan who asked for nothing in return; he hoped his kindness would be reciprocated. So, he only showed up at the right moment when the preliminaries were over and Tommy could breathe a sigh of relief.
Tommy might not be responsible for the final product of the show, but he needed this job.
He didn’t mind Tommy acting on his personal ideas; he just needed Tommy to share some of his plans for the future. After all, a show is a show, and the show’s name is "Leap to Success." It’s about the Tommy in front of him striving to recreate his American Dream with just fifty US dollars, to rebuild his million-dollar fortune and rejoin the ranks of the wealthy. No matter what Tommy did, the ending had to reflect the phrase "Leap to Success."
The problem was that, although Tommy appeared very wealthy, he didn’t even need to tap into his previous income. Just dealing with the odd sects in Florida had netted him a large sum. But could this way of making money represent the American Dream? Of course, it could; no one dictated that the American Dream had to follow a template. However, Americans are hypocritical. If they truly believed that Tommy had made his money through deceitful means, particularly in God’s name, they might envy Tommy in their hearts and want to try replicating his success, but their facial expressions would surely show anger and the desire to burn him at the stake.
Tommy had to have a "Leap to Success" ending that matched the American palate.
He needed Tommy to give him some ideas to help him understand the continuation of this young millionaire’s game. He could refrain from interfering and even cooperate, but first, he needed to be clear because even if Tommy didn’t have a script, Eddie had to weave an ending for all of Tommy’s actions that fit the American Dream. That was his job.
Tommy sat across from him, fiddling with a tie, trying to tie a knot at the collar. Hearing Eddie’s words, he shook the plain yet diamond-studded tie in his hands, "What do you think of this tie?"
"It looks as if you’re afraid people won’t realize you’re wearing a sports car around your neck," Eddie said with a smile as he glanced at the tie.
Tommy carelessly pulled the tie from his neck, rolled it into a ball, and tossed it aside, "The former mayor of Miami gave this to me as a gift. It’s said to be worth over ten thousand dollars, an Italian brand. These tiny diamonds smaller than a mosquito’s brain were all hand-set by Italian craftsmen on silk. The only problem is, I seldom wear the thing. To get back to your earlier question, that fool Stephen called me here to ’vacation,’ and just like the person who gave me the tie, I never planned on becoming a glittering TV star, sitting in Conan’s show or some other talk show, discussing topics of general interest for a five-hundred-dollar appearance fee."
"As I said, you can do anything, but I need to be clear about the continuation of the game," Eddie repeated earnestly.
Tommy lit a cigarette and then tossed the lighter back on the table, "Jeff gets elected, stands in Congress with a solid ball and a wooden board to prove the Earth is flat, speaks out for the veterans, and incidentally greets those Latin American immigrants. That’s the continuation of the game. I’ve calculated the timing; it should be around August. That’s when I’ll head back to Los Angeles for an even bigger game."
Eddie frowned slightly, "But you don’t have any legitimate income to show for it; I mean, when the game is over, how will you demonstrate to the audience the money you’ve made during this period, just with that shady political ’dark money’?"
"Way back when Stephen and that crazy old guy Turner were concocting this show, I never had a good feeling about it. They thought FOX’s ’Born Aristocrat’ wasn’t good to watch. The gimmick they designed was even more inspirational and spectacular, letting viewers clearly see the entire process of a young person starting from scratch to become wealthy, the authentic American Dream," Tommy explained.
Eddie looked at Tommy and asked back, "Isn’t that the case?"
"Stephen got infected by that old guy Turner’s thinking. They took ’Born Aristocrat’ as an insult to America. Both of them thought the last time a noble told the commoners that nobility is inborn might have been the eve of the French Revolution. It’s because America has too many of these fellows who think they’re somebody after making a few bucks by their grandfathers, that the country is increasingly deteriorating. So, they wanted to tell the American audience not to listen to FOX’s nonsense. There are no nobles in America, only the American Dream. Three young people, who have given up their status, wealth, and social standing, are thrown into a strange city to start from zero and embark on the road to wealth again. If they can do it, so can the viewers in front of the TV," Tommy said. He paused, then spread his hands toward Eddie:
