"Of course we watched CNN's news!" Brad clearly hadn't grasped the meaning behind Hugo's words and looked at Hugo with an incredulous expression, his tone firm and angry as he challenged Hugo. "It's precisely because we watched the news that we know the truth. A white police officer abusing his power to beat an ordinary resident, and a black one at that, is absolutely unforgivable."Hugo noticed that Brad's gaze kept flickering towards Rob standing next to him. From this, it was clear that Brad's righteous reprimand of Hugo in this situation was not without some influence from the day's audition.From Brad's words, it was evident that he still saw the distinction between black and white as very serious, specifically emphasizing that it was a white person beating a black person, rather than just saying a police officer beat a resident. This was also inseparably influenced by the course of American history.Racial discrimination in America has a long history, but with the development of modern history, economy, culture, and other factors, the confrontational relationship between races has been gradually improving. In 1990, at the 62nd Oscars, this issue saw a significant breakthrough when 'Driving Miss Daisy,' a film depicting the transformation of racial relations, won the best picture Award. This also signified that for the first time, the American cultural system, dominated by white people, extended an olive branch to black people.Of course, this was just a movie. Even though 'Driving Miss Daisy' won the oscar statuette, the status of black people has not fundamentally changed. However, the fact that the Oscars favored 'Driving Miss Daisy' shows that at least in the white-dominated cultural society, there was an awareness that racial discrimination must change. Therefore, in the next twenty years, or even longer, starting with 'Driving Miss Daisy,' the conflicts between white people, black people, and jewish people have been easing in a subtle and gradual manner.So, in this context, the Rodney King incident, which was assigned a racial concept, exploded with tremendous energy. Brad having such a viewpoint is also a reflection of the general values of white people in American culture, including Rob, Martin, and Joseph.Facing Brad's aggression, Rob also looked at Hugo with a relatively cold gaze, clearly dissatisfied with Hugo's previous performance. This made Joseph, sitting next to him, a bit anxious. He wanted to say something for Hugo, but seeing Martin ready to intervene, Joseph knew that this was a contest between Actors. If he, as an agent, got involved, Martin would also intervene, and the situation would only become more chaotic. So, Joseph swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and looked at Hugo with concern.Hugo, however, remained calm and composed, not flustered by Brad's pressure or Rob's sternness. His voice became steady and firm as he said, "What I mean is, didn't you see the news CNN broadcast later? The eighty-one-second version, not the sixty-eight-second one!"Hugo's words left everyone present momentarily stunned, unable to react.KTLA television station released the video after editing it and provided this trimmed footage to major American TV stations, making the beating of Rodney King a headline news story that shocked everyone. However, it is worth noting that the American cable news network, CNN, only realized three weeks after the video was broadcast that KTLA's tape had omitted a crucial part. CNN's vice president Ed Harris immediately ordered that the omitted part be added in subsequent rebroadcasts of the news.Although the eighty-one-second version is only thirteen seconds longer, the actual footage of Rodney King's arrest is less than six seconds. However, even this is enough for people to see the truth: the police were merely enforcing the law, not what was shown in the sixty-eight-second video.However, the three major American TV networks, ABC Television, NBC Television, and CBS Television Station, as well as the local KTLA station in Los Angeles, continued to broadcast the sixty-eight-second version of the video. In America, news from the three major networks is free, as is KTLA in the Los Angeles area. CNN, on the other hand, is a paid cable TV program. Moreover, the average American has a busy lifestyle, and even if they pay for cable TV, they mainly watch sports, TV shows, and movie replays. Few people watch CNN news, and even fewer notice the slight difference between the two videos.This was 1992, an era when the internet was not yet developed, and people's sources of information were relatively limited. Mainstream media were the opinion leaders, holding absolute control over the direction of public opinion. With CNN's audience being very small, the three major commercial TV networks controlled the public opinion of this event, even misleading the American President George Bush.In this week's public opinion poll, 92% of people believed that the white police officer was guilty. This is the current situation. Clearly, Rob, Brad, and Martin are among this 92%.It was by chance that Hugo and Joseph saw the CNN news while filming in New York. In a hotel room, they happened to see this news. Hugo didn't know much about these situations at the time, but seeing Joseph's shocked expression, he learned about the Rodney King incident. Hugo was born in 1989, so the American news events of the early 1990s didn't resonate much with him. But now, being in this society, Hugo couldn't help but feel that previously, he wasn't comfortable with his white identity, but now he should be grateful that he didn't end up as a black person.After explaining the CNN news situation, Rob fell into deep thought, clearly shocked by this revelation. Brad quickly noticed Rob's expression and felt a sense of unease, realizing that Hugo was silently gaining the upper hand.Brad looked at his agent, Martin, who remained composed. Martin thought for a moment and then silently mouthed to Brad, "Media, media." Brad initially didn't understand, but he was intelligent and quickly grasped the meaning.So, Brad organized his thoughts and looked back at Hugo with a serious expression, asking, "So, you mean that the American news media, which always claims to pursue the truth, is openly fabricating news? And even judicial news that emphasizes facts? Doesn't KTLA fear inciting a riot?"Hugo was somewhat surprised that Brad was so... naive. But he quickly realized that this was the 1990s, a time when people's trust in the media was unparalleled, unlike the 21st century, where fake news is rampant. For Hugo, questioning the media was a habitual action because the era of 'truth is the first element of news' had passed with the advent of the internet. Instead, interest became the most important factor, and methods like fabricating news and creating sensational headlines were often used to the extreme.The uncrowned king—this phrase was very unfamiliar to Hugo, but for those living in the 1980s and 1990s, it was a reality of life. So, Brad could speak so righteously because he truly believed it.Hugo did not speak but raised his right hand, making a slapping gesture near Joseph's face. This startled Rob and Brad, and even Martin, who had been disdainful of Hugo, was taken aback. Joseph, though nervous and initially thinking Hugo was going to hit him, quickly regained his composure, inexplicably trusting that Hugo had everything under control."If this scene were captured by a reporter, there are a few possibilities: one with just me and Joseph, and one with all of us. How do you think the media would interpret it?" Hugo did not evade Brad's accusatory gaze and confidently said, "I can tell you that maybe 'Vanity Fair' would use the image of me and Joseph, saying I had a conflict with my agent. Meanwhile, the 'Los Angeles Times' might use a photo of all five of us, saying that Rob chose you, and I, in a fit of rage, had an unpleasant exchange with my agent. So, how do you think the 'National Enquirer' would report it?"The 'National Enquirer,' an American tabloid. America has a bunch of so-called'supermarket tabloids,' primarily bi-weekly publications sold in supermarkets. They are small in size, convenient to carry, and often discarded after reading, despite not being cheap. Often used as mats or scrap paper, people might casually pick them up to read. The front page of these tabloids frequently features sensational and outrageous news and rumors to grab attention. The 'National Enquirer' is the leader among them.Faced with Hugo's question, Brad was stunned, understanding Hugo's point but unable to refute it.Hugo did not wait for a response and continued, "I think the 'National Enquirer' might say that Joseph and I fought over Brad, coming to blows." As soon as he said this, Rob burst out laughing, and the tense atmosphere instantly dissipated. Brad and Joseph had odd expressions, amused and exasperated by Hugo's antics.As for Martin, he began to look at Hugo with a newfound respect. Although he had always shown disdain for Hugo, at this moment, Hugo displayed enough wit and composure. Regardless of his acting skills, as a man, his personal charm was truly admirable. From an agent's perspective, Martin saw in Hugo the potential to become a money-making star.
