Dare to face the music

"So, there's no other way?" Alex asked reluctantly after laughing. Although he knew it was wrong for Joseph to beat up the journalist, the thought of apologizing to the journalist made him feel disgusted.

Karl glanced at Joseph. As agents, both of them had received training on how to handle such situations. They understood that, although Karl was reluctant to admit it, Hugo's approach was indeed the wisest. "Indeed, it's currently the best solution we can think of. As Hugo said, the fact of the assault won't change."

"Damn it!" Alex angrily punched the pillow on the sofa, venting his frustration.

Hugo also felt his anger rising. "I should have beaten up that journalist more earlier." If they had to apologize, they should at least get something in return. What a pity.

Joseph chuckled, "You were the one who stopped me early." This sentence made Hugo laugh lightly as well.

"Anyway, we should first show our attitude of apology," Hugo said pensively, trying to calm his emotions. "In handling this matter, the attitude is the most important." In other words, even if Anthony insulted and defamed him, he shouldn't have hit Anthony. That's the core principle. "This society is damn messed up." Hugo didn't know if he could do it well, but he had to do it this way. Otherwise, both his and Joseph's future would be difficult. The hard work they had put in over the past year could be ruined in an instant. So, even if he felt unwilling, he had to do it.

"Don't worry, bowing your head now is only temporary. One day, that disgusting journalist will come to you like a dog wagging its tail, begging for your forgiveness," Karl said, taking a more long-term view of the situation. "Because you are the artist, and he is the journalist. Right now, you are at a disadvantage, but once you achieve enough success, you will have the advantage. Artists and journalists are like two ends of a balance, and this balance won't stay at one level forever."

Hugo let out a long breath. He also understood the reasoning behind Karl's words. Look at Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson. They didn't need to care about journalists' opinions now. On the one hand, they had been in the entertainment industry for a long time and had enough wisdom to deal with these dirty waters. On the other hand, their status put them in an advantageous position, making it easier for them to handle things.

Hugo clenched his fist tightly. He would never back down; he would never bow down to those damn paparazzi! Absolutely not!

"Rest now, we have a tough battle tomorrow," Karl stood up, looking at Joseph, who was gradually calming down. After experiencing the adrenaline rush, it was now time to clean up the mess. Karl pointed at Joseph's disheveled shirt. "At least you should tidy yourself up. Otherwise, people might mistake you for a serial killer."

"Hmph, it's Eugene who looks like a serial killer. He disappears every day, roaming around like a ghost," Joseph rolled his eyes and finally regained some vitality. He waved goodbye to Hugo and Karl and walked upstairs, chattering away. "Oh, by the way, don't wash this shirt. We have to keep it until we deal with Anthony..."

"I don't mind, as long as you keep it in your room and pray that spring doesn't come too soon, otherwise the smell of the shirt..." Karl's voice faded away as he entered the front door. At the same time, Alex also stood up, shouting, "I'm taking a shower first," and ran towards the direction of the bathroom.

Uma finally came to her senses and stood up, pretending to be relaxed as she said, "You should rest early. I'll head back first."

This surprised Hugo, and he frowned. "It's so late. Let's rest here tonight." He held onto Uma's shoulders and could feel her frailty. Although Uma usually appeared very brave, she was still a woman after all. It was inevitable for her to feel uncomfortable in the face of violent and bloody scenes, and Hugo was concerned.

"No, there's no need." Uma averted her gaze uneasily, tucking her hair behind her ears. Her eyes looked slightly embarrassed as they shifted away. But then Uma's eyes met Charlize's calm gaze. Charlize was watching her quietly, her eyes bright and serene. However, this made Uma feel very uncomfortable. There was an inherent clash of energy between the two women and today, Uma felt it particularly strongly.

Uma averted her gaze, avoiding a direct confrontation with Charlize. She lowered her eyes, adjusted her breathing, and then looked at Hugo with a serious expression, meeting his concerned gaze. "I'm fine. I have no problems compared to you and Joseph. You need to rest well today, and so do I. After everything settles down, I'll make you dinner."

Hugo kissed Uma's forehead, feeling the coolness of her skin. He looked out the window; it was almost 2 a.m. He rubbed Uma's thin coat with his hands. "Let me walk you home."

"What's the point of me going back? I just hope you can rest well," Uma chuckled softly. "My home isn't far from here, I can manage on my own. Well, you should rest early."

Hugo accompanied Uma to the door and put his coat on her, quietly instructing her, "When you get home, take a bath and rest well. Remember to give me a call."

After seeing Uma off, Hugo turned around and noticed Charlize's meaningful gaze. He furrowed his brows slightly. "What's wrong? Is there something not right?"

Charlize had many speculations she wanted to share, but upon careful consideration, they were just her intuition as a woman. Speaking them out now would only make things worse. So she hesitated for a moment and swallowed the words on her lips. "No, I was just thinking, why didn't that journalist report to the police? Joseph's actions constituted an illegal assault, and he could file a lawsuit."

Upon Charlize's reminder, Hugo also realized the situation and took a sharp breath. "Could there be some conspiracy behind this?"

Charlize shook her head weakly. "We're currently in a passive position, and there's very little we can speculate. We'll have to take it step by step. Are you prepared to face the journalists tomorrow? The situation on-site may change, and we can't predict it."

"I am prepared. Why wouldn't I be?" Hugo exhaled deeply, looking at the gradually quieting living room. The moonlight on the floor sent a shiver down his spine. It made him realize that he had given his coat to Uma just now. "This is the path of growth, isn't it? We stubbornly do what we want and end up getting hurt. After each injury, we learn how to face difficulties and grow from them."

Charlize heard the helplessness in Hugo's words and chuckled lightly, "Don't you worry about your own edges being gradually smoothed out? Society always has its own way of making everyone the same. Aren't you afraid of becoming like that too?"

In fact, Hugo had also thought about it. If he could spend his whole life like a baby, crying when he was hungry, tired, or in pain, expressing his emotions freely through crying and achieving his goals, but that was impossible. The price of growing up was that his wilfulness and individuality would gradually be smoothed out by society in various ways. Even in the Western world that advocates individuality, it was an inevitable process.

When he was fifteen, Hugo left home regardless of everything, chasing his musical dreams. But at the age of twenty-five, he learned the importance of family and continued forward with regret. So, what about at the age of thirty-five or forty-five? Would Hugo still have the same courage? Perhaps not.

Hugo shrugged, "I don't know, maybe yes, maybe not. But let's cherish the present moment. Before all our edges are smoothed out, I plan to beat up that Anthony again." As he spoke, Hugo rubbed his fists and seemed eager to try, which made Charlize burst into laughter.

That night, Hugo slept soundly. Since he had made up his mind and was mentally prepared, there was nothing to worry or be afraid of. Even if there were unknown conspiracies and countless obstacles ahead, Hugo wouldn't be frightened. On the contrary, he needed to rest well, preserve his energy, and face these difficulties in his best condition.

The 50th Golden Globe Awards ceremony was quite boring and dull. Since there was no television broadcast, when people saw the list of winners, they didn't feel much surprise. Although Hugo and Jack Nicholson, both hot favorites with dual nominations, went home empty-handed, and the highly regarded "A Few Good Men" also didn't win any awards, it couldn't be considered a major upset. The final winners were all deserving of the trophies.

But compared to the pale ceremony, the celebration party afterwards was exceptionally lively. Just one piece of news ignited the headlines of major newspapers and magazines on January 25th.

"Hugo Lancaster Brutally Attacks An Innocent Journalist!" such sensational headlines appeared on the front page of the National Inquiry, with crimson-colored words that were too gruesome to look at directly. The accompanying photo was that of a journalist covered in bruises, presenting ironclad evidence, but still making people question the authenticity of the news.

Everyone knew that National Enquirer, the best-selling tabloid supermarket in the United States, was also a gathering place for fake news. More than 80% of the news published in this newspaper would be met with skepticism, often seen as a joke. They had even previously published absurd news like "Twelve U.S. Senators Are Extraterrestrials", which was laughable.

But this time, the authenticity of the news quickly gained recognition from many newspapers. Surprisingly, the first confirmation came from Nicholas Allum, a journalist from the Los Angeles Times. Just when people thought that the Los Angeles Times greatly appreciated Hugo, Nicholas broke their fixed mindset with a report titled "The Ugly side of Hugo Lancaster".

Subsequently, authoritative media outlets such as The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Chicago Sun-Times confirmed the event, causing a huge uproar across the United States. In an instant, Hugo found himself caught in a moral whirlpool. The person involved in the incident, Anthony Stewart, even held a press conference at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, where he strongly condemned Hugo.