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

The past five days have been a period of great success for Sean Penn.

First, there was a complete collapse of the Pennsylvania prosecutors' office.

Following that hearing, Pennsylvania was forced to issue a statement announcing the withdrawal of all charges against Sean Penn. The statement also "recommended" that no further federal investigation was necessary.

On social media, the hashtag "#SeanPenWins" topped Twitter's trending list for three consecutive days.

In addition to his previous remarks in California and his contributions to Chinatown, various media outlets published commentaries, with some praising him as a "fighter against the system" and others comparing the whole incident to a modern-day "David versus Goliath."

Meanwhile, Sean's social media followers surged by one million in five days. His Twitter account now boasts nearly three million followers. This is far more impressive than his previous account, which was controlled by his agent.

Now, every piece of content he posts can receive tens of thousands of reposts and comments within minutes.

This explosive growth made even Sean feel somewhat unreal.

What excited him even more was the support he received from all over the country.

A Chinese community organization in California sent him a banner that read "Voice of Justice, Light of the People" in both Chinese and English; a group of veterans in Texas launched a crowdfunding campaign online to "Support Sean Penn"; and even in a small town in Alaska, people published a letter to the local newspaper expressing their support for him.

Of course, not everyone was cheering.

Those enemies lurking in the shadows are still watching us intently.

The subpoena from the New Jersey prosecutor's office was like a sword hanging over Sean's head, reminding him that the battle was far from over.

But at least for this moment, victory belongs to Sean Penn.

……

Early February, North Philadelphia campaign headquarters.

The office was packed with people, all making final preparations for the upcoming trip to New Jersey.

Sean stood in the center of the office, looking around.

Matthew is checking the list of volunteers with Sarah.

Several other newly recruited volunteers are also busy in their respective positions.

This makeshift team is slowly transforming into a real team.

"Mr. Pan," Matthew approached, holding a document, "I need to confirm something with you regarding the petition."

"explain."

"The signatures must be handwritten by registered voters in the state, and must include the address and date. The deadline for submission is mid-April," Matthew said. "In other words, we have about two and a half months."

Matthew continued, "I've already developed a preliminary plan. We'll be setting up signature collection points in major cities like Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, while also sending volunteers to communities and shopping malls for mobile collection."

"Of course, first in Philadelphia. After all, the mayor has already said he would help us."

Primarily, their manpower is also concentrated in Philadelphia.

"What's the projected completion rate?" Sean asked.

"Conservatively speaking, if everything goes smoothly, we can reach our goal of 5,000 signatures by early March." Matthew paused, "But I suggest we collect more, at least 10,000. Because after the signatures are submitted, the state government will verify them, and those that are not valid will be rejected. Collecting more will give us some leeway."

"Okay, that's settled then." Sean patted Matthew on the shoulder. "Matthew, I'll be in New Jersey for the next few days, so Philadelphia is your responsibility. Signing petitions is of utmost importance; there can't be any mistakes."

"I understand, Mr. Pan." Matthew nodded solemnly.

Just then, the office door was pushed open.

An elderly man with a full head of white hair walked in; it was George Kelly.

He was wearing a plaid shirt with an old jacket over it, looking more like a retired university professor than a seasoned politician who had been navigating the political arena for decades.

"Mr. Kelly?" Matthew asked, somewhat surprised. "What brings you here?"

Kelly smiled, waved, and walked toward Sean.

"Pan, I have some good news for you." He pulled an old-fashioned flip phone from his pocket, awkwardly tapped the screen a few times, and then handed the phone to Sean. "Take a look at this."

Sean took the phone; the screen displayed a simple webpage—a small donation platform. The title at the top of the page read:

"Support Sean Penn - Donate to America's Future"

Below are options for donation amounts, ranging from $5 to $100, and there's also a "Custom Amount" option. At the bottom of the page is a real-time updated donation statistics section.

"Raised: $47,832"

Number of donors: 2,156

"It's only been online for less than 24 hours," Kelly said with a hint of pride. "It's all thanks to the incredible enthusiasm of your fans. Some people donated $20 at a time, and some donated $5 several times in a row."

As Sean looked at the numbers, a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him for the first time.

This money came from ordinary people. They may not be wealthy, but they are willing to give to someone they believe deserves support.

Even someone as thick-skinned as him was quite moved.

"Mr. Kelly, thank you," Sean said sincerely.

"Don't thank me yet." Kelly took the phone, frowning. "I have a question for you. Who came up with the name of this donation platform?"

"A name?" Sean paused for a moment. "Oh, you mean 'Waterdrop Crowdfunding'? I named it. What's wrong?"

Yes, it's a really quirky name, okay. It's Sean's clever idea!

“No good,” Kelly said bluntly. “The name comes to mind ‘trickle-down economics,’ which is Reagan’s era. You’re labeling yourself as conservative, which isn’t good for attracting left-wing voters.”

"Uh..." Sean chuckled awkwardly, "I just thought the name was catchy..."

"Catchy name? Do you want a catchy name or votes?" Kelly retorted bluntly. "Don't worry, leave this to me. I'll change to a more neutral name; it won't affect the fundraising progress."

"Then I'll have to trouble you." Sean readily agreed.

He walked towards the window and, hearing faint voices outside, asked:

"Mr. Kelly, how many people are outside?"

“A lot.” Kelly walked to the window and pulled back a corner of the curtain. “Probably two or three hundred people. There are reporters, supporters, and some enthusiastic people holding signs. They’re all waiting to take you to New Jersey.”

Sean took a deep breath and straightened his collar.

"Then I can't let them down."

……

The entrance to the North Philadelphia campaign headquarters.

The moment Sean pushed open the door and walked out, a cheer erupted from the crowd.

Two or three hundred people gathered on both sides of the street. Some held up signs that read "Support Sean Penn," some waved the Stars and Stripes, and a group of reporters carrying cameras and microphones pushed their way forward.

Sean, protected by two bodyguards, stood on the steps and waved to the crowd.

The flashes went off incessantly, like a light show.

"Mr. Pan, what are your thoughts on the New Jersey case?"

"Mr. Pan, do you think the New Jersey prosecutors are targeting you?"

"Mr. Pan..."

Faced with a barrage of questions from reporters, Sean smiled and raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I know you have many questions to ask." His voice carried throughout the street through a portable megaphone, "but before answering your questions, I'd like to say a few words first."

"The past week has been an unforgettable experience for me. I proved my innocence in court, and I also saw support from all over the country. Every message, every share, and every donation from you has deeply moved me."

"But today, I'm not here to celebrate victory."

Sean's tone turned serious.

"I'm going to New Jersey. Because there's another battle waiting for me there. The prosecutors in New Jersey claim I instigated a riot, and they want to use that charge to put me in jail."

To that, I only have one thing to say: Bring it on!

A cheer erupted from the crowd.

"But the New Jersey case isn't just about me personally," Sean continued. "You may have heard of a name: Kevin Chen."

"He was an ordinary young Chinese American who grew up in Philadelphia and lived in New Jersey. He was among the hundreds of citizens who gathered to protest outside the 76ers' training center in January."

"Yes, out of anger, he shot Morey in the shoulder. Violence is certainly wrong, but we must know what circumstances forced us to use violence?"

"We all know that in most cases it's because people can no longer tolerate it."

"Yes, the New Jersey police arrested him. They charged him with 'illegal shooting,' 'endangering public safety,' and even 'attempted murder.' Yes, I have no objection to that, but what this whole incident exposes is not the sanctity and fairness of the law, but rather the New Jersey government's desire to display its tyranny! They could have prevented this tragedy; Morey wouldn't have been injured, and Kevin Chen wouldn't have gone to jail! But they didn't!"

Sean's voice grew louder and louder.

"Today, I'm going to New Jersey, and not just for myself. I'm going to seek justice for Kevin Chen. I want the world to see that in America, justice shouldn't just belong to the powerful and wealthy, but to every ordinary citizen!"

At this point, Sean paused, his gaze sweeping over the excited faces in the crowd and the ocean of numbers above their heads.

[75], [80], [82]...

"Friends, I don't know what kind of verdict the New Jersey court will give me. I also don't know what other tricks those enemies hiding behind the scenes will pull," he said. "But I know one thing: as long as you stand behind me, I will never back down!"

Thank you everyone. See you in New Jersey!

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in cheers.

"Sean! Sean! Sean!"

Cheers rose and fell, merging into a deafening roar.

Sean waved goodbye to the crowd, then turned and walked towards the black SUV parked by the roadside. Vincent was already waiting for him in the car.

The moment the car door closed, the noise of the outside world was shut out.

"Ready?" Vincent asked. "Pan?"

"Let's go." Sean leaned back in his seat and sat up straight. "It's time to show New Jersey the spirit of Philadelphia."