Chapter 226: Hot Topics in Public Opinion

That night, many people found it hard to sleep.

Some couldn't sleep because of Martin's heroic actions, others because of the damages caused by the parade, and some because their plans had failed—like young Nathaniel.

"Damn it, why? Why did this happen?"

"It was supposed to be a peaceful parade. Why did so many crimes occur? Didn't I warn them? The parade was supposed to showcase the unity and strength of our Black community, not our capacity for crime!"

"Damn fools!"

"Amelia, have those guys contacted us yet?"

"No, they aren't answering their phones. They might be hiding. After all, this parade was their plan, and with everything that happened, they probably fear being arrested," Amelia, Nathaniel's beautiful blonde assistant, replied calmly.

"Hiding, huh? Well, that's fine. It keeps me out of it."

"How's the preparation for the Cincinnati city center redevelopment project?" Nathaniel asked.

"We've basically secured all the land over the past three months. The Black community still trusts you a lot."

Nathaniel proudly responded, "Of course, I'm their leader."

He then continued, "At this rate, my plan is halfway done. Once Charlie Luken is out of office, I'll be able to put the plan into full motion! I'll become the first Black mayor of Ohio!"

The middle-aged Black man became confident again.

He didn't notice the brief look of mockery in Amelia's eyes.

But since this isn't a business drama, we won't delve too much into the political struggle in Cincinnati. The outcome was that Charlie Luken managed to take over Nathaniel's carefully crafted "Cincinnati city center redevelopment project" and reaped the rewards.

In 2003, still as Cincinnati's mayor, Charlie Luken established the Cincinnati City Center Redevelopment Company, gaining full control over the city center and Over-the-Rhine (OTR), the Black community area.

In the end, this achievement propelled him from mayor to state senator.

Meanwhile, Nathaniel's name completely disappeared from the city.

The next day, while Martin, Gordon, Jessica, Dorothy, and Lindsay were at the police station for questioning, the bank robbery incident that had taken place the day before was making waves across the United States.

The media repeatedly covered Martin's brave actions.

However, the two other heroes in the event—the two security guards who had died in the line of duty, and the families grieving their loss—received no attention from the media.

Everyone was more interested in the heroic story of Martin rescuing the girl, and no one cared about the unsung security guards.

Every TV station was frantically airing reports on the incident, with Fox News holding exclusive footage.

This short ten-minute live broadcast was something the public could never get enough of. Whenever it aired, the viewership would skyrocket.

For ratings and buzz, Fox News even split the video into several segments and aired it at different times.

It was almost shameless.

Martin's agent, Jeff, also appeared at the police station.

He had arrived on the first flight out early in the morning.

Upon seeing Martin, he first scolded him for taking such risks, but then quickly became excited.

"Martin, you really did something big this time. Your impact is just as great, if not bigger, than when you saved Michael last year."

"You know, I got a call from the White House before I even boarded my plane. You might be getting a medal."

"From now on, your influence will extend beyond Hollywood and into the political arena."

Aside from TV, the newspapers and online media outlets weren't about to let such explosive news slip by.

The New York Times ran a headline reading: New York's City Hero: Martin Myers, Just Like Spider-Man, Protects the City!

Because Martin had referenced the famous line from Spider-Man during the rescue, this iconic quote was deeply etched into people's minds.

"With great power comes great responsibility."

At the same time, countless people began eagerly awaiting the release of the Spider-Man movie.

Not just Spider-Man, but also The Lord of the Rings and The Matrix, both of which also gained popularity thanks to the media buzz.

With the media frenzy, Martin Myers' name echoed throughout North America, and this time, he was almost a legend!

In Europe, major media outlets like the BBC, Sky TV, Deutsche Welle, Milan News TV, and The Times quickly picked up the story.

Martin's heroic actions in the bank robbery were shared in Europe, causing a huge reaction.

The most widely spread part of the story were Martin's two sentences while in the helicopter: "With great power comes great responsibility," and "My friends are in the bank, I need to save them."

The online posts about Martin were nothing short of insane.

"Oh my God, when I heard 'My friends are in the bank, I need to save them,' I was moved to tears."

"Humility, integrity, compassion, bravery, justice, sacrifice, honor, soul! Martin is a true knight!"

"I want a friend like him!"

"He's a real hero. From now on, I'll never speak ill of Martin. If anyone dares to, I'll make sure they regret it!"

"Martin's fighting skills are impressive! I'm a professional fighter, and I think I might lose to him."

In London.

The Harry Potter cast was gathered around, reading the news.

Emma Watson: "Oh my God, Martin is so cool! He's a real hero."

Daniel Radcliffe: "Martin is incredible at fighting! Do you think I could ask him to teach me some combat skills?"

"Stop dreaming," Rupert Grint immediately shot down his friend's idea. "Martin doesn't have time for that. He hardly comes to the set, and—"

He changed the subject, puffing out his chest: "If anyone should be taught, it should be me, after all, I'm his friend!"

"Friend? Martin just signed your autograph," Emma Watson shot back, annoyed by Rupert's constant claiming of friendship with Martin.

"So what? You were there when I asked for the autograph. He remembers me! If we weren't friends, why would he remember someone who just asked for an autograph?"

"Heh, that shows what? It shows Martin acknowledges me!"

"Shut up, Rupert. Martin has a great memory. He's a genius, so stop deluding yourself."

"Hey, who are you calling delusional?"

"Alright, enough, you two. Do you want to keep reading the newspaper or not?"