A visit from a beauty

The filming of "A Few Good Men" went very smoothly, and Jack Nicholson quickly completed all his scenes and left the set. Although Hugo and Jack's relationship couldn't be described as intimate, they could only be considered ordinary friends. However, Hugo learned a lot from Jack, which was truly a rare experience.

With his breakthrough in acting, Hugo felt a sense of ease and proficiency when performing other scenes. He continuously confirmed his insights through practice, which was the best way to hone his acting skills. These days were truly enjoyable for Hugo.

Entering April, the entire United States focused its attention on Los Angeles because the Rodney King case was about to go to trial. After the jury in the state court watched the complete video footage, they announced that the four officers were not guilty. Within just a few hours, a raging fire ignited throughout Los Angeles, with black smoke filling the air and gunshots echoing. Many people took advantage of the chaos to engage in looting, rushing into stores to plunder. At that moment, law and order completely collapsed, and a quarter of the city was engulfed in flames. The extent of the damage far exceeded the riots in black cities at the end of the 1960s. Even more serious was the spreading trend of the riots, with signs of unrest appearing in major cities across the United States. This forced President George Bush to mobilize tens of thousands of federal troops and the California National Guard to restore order in Los Angeles.

After the riots broke out, blame and insults were directed at the jury. The jurors were called racist extremists. Amidst the chaos and anger, no one was willing to listen to the true accusations regarding the incident. As this was an election year, President Bush's mind was completely clouded. As the head of the federal government's executive branch, he brazenly interfered. Even before the federal grand jury held a hearing or made a prosecutorial decision on the case, he announced that the federal government would re-prosecute the white police officer.

On one hand, Bush had no understanding of the cause and effect of the situation. He was also one of the people deceived by the media. On the other hand, due to the circumstances of the election year, the Rodney King incident had become a political event. The worried federal government had to get involved and even demanded the conviction of the white police officer no matter what, completely losing control of the situation.

This was the first time Hugo stood in the long river of history, feeling the weight of history. Previously, when watching movies and hearing about the severity and exaggeration of racial discrimination in the United States or the complexity of the culture and traditions of this immigrant country, Hugo never truly felt it. It was a world that was distant from him, both geographically and temporally.

But now, Hugo found himself in the United States of 1992. Although the entire crew of "A Few Good Men" had come to Washington, D.C. on the East Coast to film, luckily they were not affected. However, witnessing the city he had been living in just a week ago turn into a sea of fire, the shock in his heart was indescribable.

In fact, the reason the Rodney King incident triggered the Los Angeles riots was extremely complex. Globalization of the U.S. economy led to mass unemployment among the black working class in major cities, depriving them of basic livelihood guarantees. During the presidency of Ronald Reagan, welfare programs were drastically reduced, exacerbating severe wealth inequality. Neglected for a long time, black poverty-stricken communities experienced high crime rates. Systemic flaws in the justice system were prevalent, with police officers frequently breaking the law and abusing their power on the scene.

However, the most important reason was the media's manipulation and sensationalism. For their own interests, they did not hesitate to manipulate the edited footage to mislead the course of events. They controlled the outcome of the incident even before the trial began. The "uncrowned king" played the role of God's judgment, effectively directing this unprecedented urban riot!

Now, this incident is far from over, and one could even say that it has just begun. Under the attention of the president and the stimulation of the election year, the Rodney King incident remains a fuse that could explode at any moment. Nobody knows where the incident will ultimately lead.

"Freedom of speech and fair trials are the two most precious things in our civilization, and it's truly difficult to choose between the two," Hugo repeated this sentence in a low voice, then nodded slightly in agreement. The many issues reflected in the Rodney King incident were a true depiction of the difficulties between these two aspects. Hugo looked up at Kevin Bacon next to him and asked, "Who said this?"

"Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, who shares the same name as you," Kevin smiled and then saw a hint of shyness on Hugo's face. He couldn't help but pat Hugo's shoulder and said, "I was thinking, maybe this is one of the reasons why Rob ultimately chose you."

Hugo mentioned the Rodney King incident not only because it was the hottest topic in the past week but also because he had been contemplating this case within the story of "A Few Good Men". From Colonel Jessep's perspective, he made a series of decisions to protect his country. However, from a legal standpoint, Daniel couldn't agree with the Colonel's viewpoint. But the problem was, the Colonel didn't personally kill Santiago. So, understanding this case and analyzing it from a legal perspective required careful consideration for Hugo.

Just as Hugo and Kevin were chatting, Joseph suddenly ran over and said, "Hugo, Uma came to visit you..."

Hugo didn't react immediately and looked over at Joseph, who had a worried expression on his face. "What? Who did you say?" Hugo didn't understand at all and had to ask again.

"I said Uma came to visit. She's at the entrance of the set right now," Joseph repeated. He didn't know the current relationship between Hugo and Uma. After their intense pursuit and sudden abandonment, followed by the kiss at the premiere of "Final Analysis", and the unexpected overnight stay at Hugo's place, Joseph wasn't sure if Hugo welcomed Uma's arrival.

Hugo was momentarily stunned and subconsciously looked towards the entrance, but he couldn't see anything since he was still inside. He only saw the staff members looking at him with teasing eyes. Such playful gazes never appeared before, but now everyone treated Hugo with much more warmth as if saying, "The beauty has come to your doorstep. Let's see how it plays out."

Hugo couldn't help but feel a headache. He didn't know what kind of relationship he had with Uma now. They hadn't contacted each other since that night, and he had been busy with the "A Few Good Men" filming. And now, Uma had come to visit directly. Hugo didn't know what was going on, but at this point, he could only go with the flow. "Let me go out and greet her." If a beautiful woman personally came to the Washington set, it wouldn't be gentlemanly for Hugo not to go out and welcome her.

Hugo handed the lunch box to Joseph and then walked towards the entrance with measured steps. Meanwhile, his mind was occupied with thoughts of what to say as the first words when they met.

"Hello?" It didn't seem right. How about, "Hey, long time no see"? That might seem too casual. "I didn't expect you to come for a set visit. It's such a nice gesture." That... seemed too enthusiastic. "A beauty coming to visit, it's an honor for me." Was that flirting?

His mind was filled with various thoughts and musings, and he unconsciously arrived at the entrance. Then, Hugo saw Uma, who looked lovely and fresh, and his steps involuntarily slowed down. Uma was wearing a simple white shirt and light blue jeans, paired with black flats. It was a plain and clean outfit without any extravagant embellishments, but it showcased the most captivating and pure side of Uma's temperament.

Uma also noticed Hugo and a bright smile appeared on her face. She waved at Hugo and approached with light steps. "I'm shooting nearby Washington, and I heard you were here too, so I decided to drop by when I had some free time." Uma greeted him casually as if they were familiar friends. Her relaxed and comfortable demeanor made Hugo's nervousness seem unnecessary. "So, what's this? If I came empty-handed, does it mean you won't welcome me?"

Hugo couldn't help but chuckle and replied with a smile, "I was at least hoping for some coffee."

Uma shrugged and touched the pocket of her flat jeans. "Once I get my paycheck, everything will be possible."

"Bread? Or milk?" Hugo continued to joke as they walked side by side towards the set, following Uma's lead. But as soon as the words left his mouth, Hugo realized it wasn't a good idea. The innuendo was too obvious.

As expected, Uma gave Hugo a meaningful glance, pausing her smile for a moment before resuming it with relief. "I thought pizza was the most popular food for set visits." Uma didn't point out the implied meaning in Hugo's words but cleverly deflected it with a simple joke. However, that glance was imprinted in Hugo's eyes.

"Fried chicken is actually the best choice." Hugo's eyes flickered, and he didn't continue to dwell on the topic. Instead, he followed the flow of Uma's conversation.

After entering the set, Hugo briefly introduced Uma to people like Rob, Demi, Kevin, and others. Then the two of them sat down near the makeup station. Hugo pointed to the messy lunch boxes in the corner. They had Chinese takeout for lunch today, but it didn't have the taste he remembered. "I heard someone was coming to visit, and I was hoping to escape today's lunch. How about trying our set's lunch?"

"Oh, trust me, your lunch can't compare to the 'lethal' lunches we have on our set," Uma said playfully, crossing her legs gracefully with her hands resting on her knees. She appeared like a proper lady, but her raised eyebrows and lively expression revealed a mischievous side. "When my stomach starts growling, and I see a simple sandwich on the makeup table, I really want to say, 'Damn! Is this lunch? Even if it's not a feast, it should at least be a hamburger, but it's just a sandwich? Come on.'."