"Mr. Horner, how do you feel about today's incident?"
"Why did those three people attack you?"
"You took down three armed thugs by yourself—how did you do it?"
Late at night, outside the Los Angeles County Police Department, Matthew was surrounded by a swarm of reporters the moment he stepped out, accompanied by Helen Herman and lawyer Wilson. The entire entrance was packed with a sea of journalists, with no end in sight.
The barrage of questions felt like a swarm of flies buzzing around him.
"Did the military training you received while filming save you today?"
"Rumor has it the three attackers were Mexican drug dealers from Tijuana?"
Matthew didn't answer a single question. Four bodyguards and a team of police officers created a path through the hundreds of reporters, guiding him to a car.
Wilson climbed into the front passenger seat, and after Matthew got in, Helen Herman sat beside him.
Once the door was shut, cutting off the noise outside, Helen gave Matthew a concerned look, but in her usual calm tone, she asked, "Do you want to see a psychologist?"
She had calmed down once the police arrived at the scene, reverting to her usual composed and detached demeanor as a manager.
Matthew slowly shook his head. "No need." He smiled and added, "Don't worry, I'm fine. I felt a little sick after firing the shots, but I'm much better now."
Not long after the shooting, he had recovered, as the people he shot were all those who deserved it.
They deserved it not because they were drug dealers or criminals—there were too many criminals in this world for him to deal with them all.
They deserved it because they tried to kill him!
Anyone who tried to take his life deserved to die!
With that understanding, Matthew easily overcame the psychological hurdle. After all, he had a strong mental constitution to begin with.
Helen's phone rang. She answered and spoke for a few minutes before telling Matthew, "Bella Anderson called from the hospital."
Upon hearing this, Matthew immediately asked, "How's John doing?"
Without John's efforts holding off the two thugs, the outcome could have been very different.
"John lost a lot of blood, but fortunately, the bullet didn't hit any vital organs. He's already had surgery, but it'll take about six months for him to recover," Helen replied in her usual calm tone. "The driver's condition isn't too serious; he has a mild concussion and should recover in about a week."
"That's good," Matthew breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as they're alive."
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Find the best doctors and medical care for both of them, and make sure their families are taken care of. I can't appear publicly right now, so handle it for me. Any expenses can come from Bella and the studio's funds."
"I'll take care of it," Helen nodded lightly. After a glance at Matthew, noticing he seemed as usual, she continued, "There's also news about the three thugs."
Matthew waved his hand slightly. "I'm fine. Go ahead."
Helen kept her explanation brief. "All three were saved. None of them are in immediate danger."
"The bald one didn't die?" Matthew asked.
"No," Helen confirmed.
Matthew thought for a moment and then addressed the driver, "Wilson, you'll need to handle the legal matters from here on."
"Happy to serve," Wilson replied promptly. "There will likely be a few more routine inquiries from the police and FBI. With eyewitnesses and video evidence at the scene, and since none of the three died, you won't have any issues with excessive self-defense."
Helen, however, coldly added, "Excessive self-defense? With all those reporters at the scene, public opinion is fully on Matthew's side. If anyone tries to use that against him, I'll bury them with media pressure."
Matthew wasn't worried about himself. The LAPD and FBI had already confirmed that the bald thug and his group were Mexican drug dealers from Tijuana, key members who had escaped during a previous bust. This attack was clearly an act of revenge.
The FBI had previously stated that these two had fled to Colombia, yet here they were on the streets of Burbank. Matthew planned to have a serious conversation with the FBI.
It was clear there had been significant failures within the LAPD and FBI. If he pursued it, someone would have to be held accountable.
Matthew sighed internally, realizing that bureaucratic systems were flawed everywhere in the world.
Helen seemed to sense what he was thinking and said, "Wilson, the FBI assured us last year that the threat from Tijuana was no longer present."
Wilson thought for a moment. "I'll communicate with the FBI and keep this under wraps for now."
Matthew nodded. "That's fine, but I want a satisfactory explanation." His voice deepened. "Make sure you follow up on this case. Once it goes to trial, push for the death penalty."
He emphasized, "And quickly!"
Matthew knew California still had the death penalty, but he also understood that the process could take years, sometimes even decades. The state had the largest death row population in the country, with the process being notoriously slow.
Wilson nodded. "Understood."
Before 9/11, this case might have been more complicated, and even if a death sentence were handed down, the execution could be delayed for years. But post-9/11, any case involving terrorism was extremely sensitive. This one involved not only a public shooting but also multiple serious car crashes caused by the thugs on South Broadway.
Additionally, the LAPD and FBI had made significant errors. Although the judiciary was independent, certain matters were inevitably intertwined with politics.
As a lawyer, Wilson wasn't naive enough to believe that justice and fairness always prevailed in the so-called free and democratic system.
The influence of public opinion alone couldn't be ignored.
More importantly, these men were Mexican drug dealers and terrorists, not American citizens.
If he couldn't handle a case like this, he might as well throw himself into the ocean.
Before they reached Beverly Hills, Wilson got out of the car, leaving just Matthew and Helen.
"Is this incident making waves?" Matthew asked.
Helen calmly replied, "It's the top story on every news channel, the front page of every major news website. And tomorrow, I'm sure it'll dominate the front pages of all the newspapers and magazines as well."
Matthew didn't hesitate. "Fan the flames. I want to maximize the benefits."
Helen gave him a look and said, "Now I believe you're back to normal."
Matthew was momentarily speechless, then realized what she meant. "I was nearly killed, and I risked my life to take down three terrorists," he said, pulling up his sleeve to show her a scraped and bruised arm. "Look, I even got hurt! After paying such a price, it's only fair to use this incident for a bit of self-promotion, right?"
"Perfectly reasonable," Helen agreed without missing a beat. "With Fast & Furious 4 about to be released and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra coming out on Independence Day, I'll get in touch with Disney and Paramount. They'll definitely want to capitalize on this news."
Matthew didn't need to say more. Even if he didn't initiate contact, Disney and Paramount wouldn't pass up such a prime promotional opportunity.
Back at Horner Manor, after seeing Helen off, Matthew opened his laptop to check the news.
As expected, coverage of the incident was everywhere online. Dozens of videos of the event had been uploaded, and just on YouTube alone, there were over 20 different versions of the footage.
He turned on the TV, and every news channel had reports on the event. Networks like CNN and the major public broadcasters had reporters stationed outside the police station, hospital, and South Broadway, clearly gearing up for in-depth coverage.
By the next day, more media outlets caught on, especially print media, which started running lengthy reports.
After Helen contacted Disney and Paramount, both companies jumped on the bandwagon, eager to promote their upcoming films.
"Breaking news: Matthew Horner targeted by Mexican drug dealers for aiding police in a drug bust!"
"America's Real Hero—Matthew Horner!"
"Unveiling the real Matthew Horner: A hero both on and off the screen!"
"Our Iron-Blooded Hero—Matthew Horner!"
With so many videos circulating online and on TV, the public quickly realized that Matthew had done something remarkable last year and was now facing retaliation for it. But instead of being taken down, the would-be attackers were easily dealt with by Matthew.
The videos had an immense impact, and for several days, Matthew was the sole focus of the media.
This surge in attention catapulted Matthew's reputation to new heights.
On social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, Matthew's story was trending everywhere.
The immediate effect of this publicity was felt in the lead-up to the release of Fast & Furious 4. Theaters across North America increased the number of screens showing the film, which was now set to open in over 4,400 theaters.
At the same time, in collaboration with Disney, theaters began pre-selling tickets for Fast & Furious 4's opening weekend. In just one day, the film racked up nearly $18 million in presales.
Fans flooded social media, expressing their excitement and eagerness to see Matthew's character in the film.
Matthew, having maximized the promotional potential of the incident, was preparing to temporarily leave North America. However, this plan was met with strong opposition from Helen Herman.
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