"Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady Agrees: Luke's Short Film is Ridiculous!"
"Tom Brady Believes Luke Should Publicly Apologize!"
"The World Needs Humility: Stop the Impractical Fantasies"
"The Arrogance of a Asian Action Star: Quarterbacks Are No Big Deal?"
Soon, a flood of reports from traditional media came pouring in. These reports often used out-of-context quotes and deliberate distortion to promote their narrative, collectively fanning the flames and driving the story's heat higher.
Some of the traditional media involved in this manipulation were funded by the conservative factions that have always held malice toward Luke. They've been hiding in the shadows, opposing his path in Hollywood since he started, and this was just them popping their heads out again. Others simply love the drama—why pass up a chance to grab eyeballs and make money?
Meanwhile, the media outlets that previously supported Luke were all mysteriously silent, not uttering a single word.
What were they waiting for?
---
"What are you waiting for?"
Mr. Eisen looked at Luke, who was browsing the web in front of his computer. Luke was watching the short film he had directed and starred in, A Letter from the Future.
"Pfft!"
When he saw Anne shouting "Are you okay?" while standing in the snow, he couldn't help but laugh out loud again. That was because the English line Anne yelled was: "Are you OK?" The infectious tune of that song by a certain CEO flashed through his mind.
"Is that funny?" Mr. Eisen asked, puzzled.
"It's nothing. I said we need to wait a little longer," Luke replied. "Until the public frenzy gets even hotter."
"This media firestorm—is this what you wanted? Was this deliberate?" Mr. Eisen asked.
"To cause a splash, you have to jump into a national obsession like football," Luke confirmed, nodding.
Mr. Eisen now understood that this was all part of Luke's plan. Luke must have known that casting himself as a quarterback in A Letter from the Future would rub some people the wrong way, but he did it anyway.
The short film was like a spark that ignited the public and drew mass attention, turning into a raging fire. This immediately gave Luke huge traction. If he played this wave of attention right, the box office for Pirates of the Caribbean could skyrocket.
But what if he didn't? This was an extremely sharp double-edged sword.
"Pirates of the Caribbean is about to be released. Won't this backfire? Disney has already expressed their concern to me. They hope this issue will die down quickly so it doesn't hurt ticket sales," Mr. Eisen said.
"But I guessed you had a backup plan, so I already reassured Disney," he quickly added.
Luke replied, "Help me throw a little more gas on the fire. Let this inferno burn even brighter."
"How are you going to get out of this mess after grabbing so many eyeballs?" Mr. Eisen asked.
"I'm not getting out of it. I'm going to blow up the whole room," Luke answered with a smile.
---
The Fox News reporter was surprised. He hadn't expected Luke to willingly agree to his interview. This was the second time he had interviewed Luke face-to-face; the last time was right before the fight with Tyson.
"Mr. Luke, it's a pleasure to meet you again," the reporter said, smiling broadly.
The smile wasn't sincere at all; the hidden agenda was obvious. As someone with Master-level acting skills, Luke was unimpressed by the poor performance.
"I'm happy to see you, too. Things always seem to go smoothly whenever I run into you, so I mean that sincerely," Luke said, extending his hand for a handshake.
Wait, why does he sound so sincere? I'm starting to feel a weird sense of goodwill. The Fox News reporter suddenly realized something was wrong and quickly tried to shake off the feeling.
He got straight to the point: "Mr. Luke, I'd like to ask you a question."
"Go ahead."
"Your decision to play a quarterback in your own short film is being called an impractical attempt to glorify yourself. Many people feel you are deliberately trying to build a 'charismatic' persona for yourself, even at the expense of public sentiment. What is your response?"
The reporter's question was extremely vicious. He didn't give Luke any chance to explain or clarify; he immediately backed him into a corner.
First, he framed the action as an "impractical attempt to glorify oneself," establishing Luke's original sin. Then, he inferred the motive for this sin—that Luke wanted to steal the spotlight and would stop at nothing to brand himself as "charismatic."
This was a logical deduction that perfectly fit a conspiracy theory narrative, appealing to the public's ingrained image of a cunning scoundrel. Once this accusation was made publicly, Luke's answer didn't matter. It's not about what you say; it's about what the public believes, and what the public wants to hear.
The Fox News reporter smiled. He felt like he had finally delivered the fatal blow. He looked forward to seeing Luke's humiliated expression under the public's scorn. The last time he failed to completely ruin Luke, his boss had chewed him out, and he was nearly fired. He only kept his job because his wife was sleeping with the boss.
He had fully prepared this time, hoping to redeem himself.
Luke gave a disdainful laugh at the reporter's question. "Who says this is me trying to glorify myself? And who says I can't be an excellent quarterback?"
"It seems you have no choice but to agree... Wait, what did you say?" The reporter hadn't expected that answer. "You said you're an excellent quarterback? Have you ever even played football?"
The reporter had looked at Luke's resume. It was the typical trajectory of a Asian male actor. Before he became an action star in Hollywood, he hadn't played football at all.
"Yes. Not only am I an excellent quarterback, but I'm the best quarterback," Luke said confidently.
Oh my god! He's finished! The Fox News reporter felt a surge of ecstatic joy at Luke's outrageous statement.
He actually dared to say that? The reporter couldn't believe his ears.
If the media before were just reaching and trying to pin a bad label on Luke to ruin him, now, Luke had simply swiped aside all the hats they prepared and put on a bigger one himself.
Was he crazy?
"Mr. Luke, I want to confirm this one more time. You are saying that, in real life, you are the best quarterback, correct?" The reporter heavily emphasized the words "in real life."
"Yes," Luke answered with absolute confidence. "I am willing to undergo public scrutiny and let everyone see that a top Asian quarterback isn't some fantasy."
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