America: From a Fallen Child Star to the Head of the University of the West

"Philadelphia community support center suspected of fraudulently obtaining federal funding; netizens uncover shocking inside story..."

Inside the state attorney general's office in Philadelphia, Robert Harrison's spirits plummeted as he read the headline aloud.

He stared at the headline for a full thirty seconds before slowly leaning back in his chair.

"These bastards," he muttered through gritted teeth, "they're making money without me, aren't they?"

As Pennsylvania's Attorney General, he was not unaware of the various gray interest groups within the state.

He had long heard about how those community organizations were embezzling government funds for personal gain. But he had always turned a blind eye because those organizations were often backed by various political forces, and taking action against one would implicate many others.

And most importantly, nobody is giving him a share of the profits!

In their words, Harrison himself was a complete coward, always mindful of his own safety, whether doing good or bad, which is why he often couldn't find a way to abuse his privileges.

But now, trouble has come knocking on our door. There will definitely be many more cases to handle, and a deluge of complaints from the public is about to arrive.

Harrison clicked on the relevant link and began browsing the detailed report.

The person behind that Philadelphia community support center was connected to James Watkins. And James Watkins was one of the people on the list that Sean Penn presented at the hearing.

"This is getting interesting, ha..." Harrison muttered to himself.

He continued scrolling down and found that netizens had already dug quite deep into this clue.

Watkins owns a charitable organization called the Pennsylvania Community Development Foundation, which provides funding and operational support to various community organizations. The Philadelphia Community Mutual Aid Center is one of them.

Even more coincidentally, this foundation has a cooperative relationship with the Philadelphia City Committee for the Protection of the Vulnerable.

"Tsk."

Just then, a new message popped up on Harrison's screen.

That was a notification from YouTube, alerting him that a channel he followed had released a new video.

"Sean Penn".

Harrison paused, taken aback. When did he start following this guy's channel?

He thought about it and realized that he had probably followed the account a few days ago to find out more about it, and then forgot to unfollow it.

Forget it, let's see what kind of trouble he's up to this time.

He clicked on the video.

The video is titled "From Thomas's death to community funding: an overlooked clue".

In the image, Sean Penn sits behind a simple desk, with a wall covered in sticky notes and printed documents behind him. He's wearing a plain gray sweatshirt and looks like he just woke up, completely lacking the glamorous image of a former star.

"Ladies and gentlemen, yesterday I released a street interview video. My intention was to record the views of ordinary Philadelphians on the Thomas case. But I never expected that attentive viewers would discover some details that I hadn't noticed at the time—it's truly unbelievable!"

The screen then switched to a screenshot of the gray building, along with discussions among netizens in the comments section.

"The Philadelphia Community Support Center, a seemingly deserted community organization, receives nearly $300,000 in grants annually from the federal and state governments. Where does this money go? How many people does it serve? I don't have the answers to these questions right now."

Sean's tone was very restrained, with no emotional accusations.

"But what I want to talk about isn't this one institution, but a much bigger problem. Last night, my team and I did some preliminary research and found that similar situations are not isolated cases in Pennsylvania. From Allentown to Pittsburgh, from Latino communities to African American communities, there is a problem of inefficient use of funds."

The screen switched again, displaying a relationship diagram.

At the center of the image is the "Pennsylvania Community Development Foundation," surrounded by more than a dozen community organizations of varying sizes and names, including Watkins's name.

Sean's face reappeared on screen.

"I'm not accusing anyone. I'm just presenting public information so everyone can judge for themselves. But there's one thing I can say for sure."

He paused deliberately, then looked directly at the camera.

Thomas Reynolds, an ordinary man whose life was ruined by the Avalon Fund, ended his life in the bathtub. But what about those who profited from the Avalon Fund? Are they now continuing to extract profits from the system in another way, with impunity?

"This is not a coincidence, it's a pattern!"

And that's how the video ends.

Harrison remained silent for a long time after reading it.

"Looks like this kid was behind it all."

Sean Penn played that move brilliantly.

In this way, it will be difficult for anyone who wants to sue him for defamation to find a starting point.

The information he released was enough to fuel public opinion and encourage more people to dig deeper into the shady things.

What's even more remarkable is that he cultivated an approachable image, creating a stark contrast with those politicians in suits who pontificate in gilded halls.

"This guy is definitely not someone to be trifled with," Harrison shook his head.

Just then, his phone rang.

The caller ID showed it was from the governor's office.

Harrison hesitated for a few seconds before answering the phone.

"Attorney General Harrison?" came the governor's secretary's voice from the other end of the phone. "The governor would like to remind you that your attendance at tonight's charity dinner has been confirmed."

"What charity gala? When did I confirm this?" Harrison didn't react for a moment.

"It's the annual fundraising gala of the Pennsylvania Children's Education Foundation, held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia. Your invitation was sent out last month."

Harrison then remembered that there really was such a thing.

But he originally planned to find an excuse to decline. Lately, he really didn't want to appear in any public places.

"I might have something to do tonight..."

"The governor specifically instructed," the secretary interrupted him, "that, given the recent public opinion, he considers your presence very important. The state government and the Philadelphia government need to project an image of unity."

Harrison pondered for a moment. Indeed, Harrisburg was the capital of Pennsylvania, and the nominal political center and administrative institutions were also located there. He wouldn't have lingered in Philadelphia for so long if it weren't for dealing with Sean Penn's matter.

In Philadelphia, he was the only one qualified to represent the state government.

"Who else will participate?" he asked.

"Philadelphia Mayor Patricia Howard... City Councilwoman Katharine Donovan... Philanthropist James Watkins... and other business and political figures."

The secretary read the list aloud incessantly.

But Harrison could tell that this was no ordinary charity dinner.

Watkins is currently at the center of public debate.

"What big news is this going to cause?" Harrison wondered to himself.

"There's one more thing," the secretary said, a hint of something unusual in her voice. "The governor asked me to tell you that a special guest will also be attending tonight's dinner."

"Who?"

"Mr. Sean Penn."

Harrison nearly dropped his phone.

"What?" His voice involuntarily rose a few decibels. "How could that guy be invited? Is he here to cause trouble?"

"As far as I know, Mr. Pan was invited as a social activist," the secretary explained. "The board of directors of the Children's Education Foundation believes that inviting people from all walks of life demonstrates the foundation's openness and inclusivity."

Openness and inclusiveness?

Harrison was about to lose his temper.

"The governor really agreed? I'm still handling his case; the perpetrator who attacked the police escorting evidence still hasn't been found!"

"Ahem, the governor believes this is a good opportunity to clear up misunderstandings and promote dialogue," the secretary said in a still very official tone. "Moreover, Mr. Pan is currently in the spotlight, and his attendance may bring more attention to the entire dinner."

Harrison knew that the purpose of this dinner was not to "resolve misunderstandings and promote dialogue," but rather a power struggle among various forces.

Watkins and others need to demonstrate their innocence and confidence under public pressure, so they will attend.

The mayor of Philadelphia needs to make a statement at this sensitive time, so she will also be present.

The governor wanted to maintain a balance between the two parties, so he requested to attend as well.

As for Sean Penn...

That bastard is obviously here to cause trouble.

But the question is, what gives him the right to stir up this mess?

"Alright," Harrison finally spoke, "tell the governor I'll be there on time."

After hanging up the phone, he leaned back in his chair and looked out the window at the sky; Philadelphia was still bathed in sunshine.

But tonight is destined to be an unsettling night.