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

Chapter 84 Charlie Kirk

Kelly scratched his head awkwardly, facing the complete silence in the room.

Are young people of this era no longer able to understand his humor?

Obviously not. Matthew and Sarah awkwardly separated, wiping away their tears.

"He's not dead yet. Hopefully, the police can find out who's behind this," Sean sighed. He then looked at Kelly, "Mr. Kelly, what are you holding?"

"It's a plan," Kelly said casually, walking to the bedside and placing her briefcase on the bedside table. "Or rather, it's a travel itinerary. About what you're going to do in California."

He glanced around at everyone in the ward.

"However, this matter is rather sensitive. I would like to ask everyone to leave for a moment; I need to speak with Sean privately."

O

"no."

Vincent and Rachel spoke almost simultaneously.

“Mr. Kelly,” Vincent frowned, “we’re part of the team too. We should be involved in any important decisions. We can’t be doing this kind of conspiracy.”

"I agree," Rachel chimed in, "especially in the current situation. Any action needs careful consideration, and we have the right to know what you're planning."

Kelly looked at their determined expressions and then shrugged: "Alright, since you insist, I won't say anything more."

After saying that, he opened his briefcase, took out a stack of documents, and spread them out on the bed.

"This is the California travel guide I designed for Sean."

The document contains a detailed itinerary, complete with various charts and data analysis.

"Phase one, Los Angeles," Kelly said, pointing to a page. "This is your hometown, and the media hub of California. You need to rebuild your image here and fight back against the negative reports. I suggest you do some interviews with major media outlets and launch some interactive campaigns on social media."

"Phase Two: San Francisco and Silicon Valley." He turned to the next page. "This is where the tech elite gather, and also the stronghold of Democratic Party financiers. You need to establish connections with these people, not necessarily for their money, but at least to let them know you exist. Your mysterious financier—though he's annoying—should help you."

"The third phase is California college campuses," Kelly continued. "Berkeley, Stanford, Caltech—these places have the most active young voters in the country. You need to win their hearts."

"The ultimate goal," Kelly's tone turned serious, "is to establish a solid base of support in California to prepare for the November presidential election. Although California is a Democratic stronghold, if you can get even five percent of the vote here, the impact on the whole country will be enormous."

Sean listened quietly to Kelly's explanation without immediately expressing his opinion.

He turned to Vincent: "Vincent, I don't have any legal troubles with me, do I?"

"Not at the moment," Vincent confirmed. "Since that attack, the police have stopped suspecting you. Although Dwayne Jackson died without confessing, all the evidence points to him acting on his own initiative, not at your behest."

"But that's precisely the scary part," Sean sighed. "That guy's a suicide bomber. He'd rather kill himself than not kill me. A person like that can't act alone. There must be someone behind him."

He recalled Richard Brennan's cunning face.

"I don't know if it's related to Richard. But whoever it is, the fact that they can mobilize such assassins shows that their methods are far more ruthless than I imagined."

"Don't worry," Kelly said calmly. He was the only person besides Sean who had spoken to Richard, and he felt that such petty squabbles would ruin his own political career or that of a few scapegoats. "If you're timid and hesitant, you won't achieve anything great. Political struggle is inherently a game of swords and shadows. You might escape one danger today, but there will be new ones tomorrow. Rather than cowering in Philadelphia like a tortoise, it's better to take the initiative."

"No, I object," Rachel said.

"Sean just nearly died in that attack. He needs rest and safety, not to rush off to another place to be a target."

She looked at Sean, her tone as firm as could be.

"Human life is the most important thing! If there are not enough security measures and if your safety cannot be guaranteed, I absolutely will not agree to you going to California."

To be fair, their team isn't a democracy, and Sean, the dictator, has the right to oppose her views.

"Miss Jones is right." However, Vincent also expressed his support, "Mr. Pan, your life is the core of the entire movement. If anything happens to you, everything is over."

"But—" Kelly wanted to argue.

That's enough.

Matthew suddenly spoke up, interrupting the argument.

He had recovered from his earlier emotional outburst, and his eyes now appeared calm and clear.

"Everyone, calm down," Matthew said. "We've gone off-topic by arguing like this. The important thing isn't whether or not to go to California, but how to go, when to go, and in what way. Let's get back to the original topic."

The ward fell silent.

"Matthew is right." Sean thought for a moment, then said, "And I won't give up California because of the danger. But I also won't risk my own safety."

He looked at everyone and explained his plan: "Considering the legal risks and my personal safety, I've decided to keep my itinerary confidential for the time being. When I arrive in California, where I'll be staying, and what activities I'll be attending—all this information must be kept strictly confidential. Only members of my core team will know."

Kelly nodded: "That was a wise decision."

"However—" the old man changed the subject again, pulling a piece of paper from the pile of documents, "there's an event that, if you want to participate, will have to be made public."

"What activity?" Sean asked in surprise. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Because I don't recommend you participate."

Kelly then handed the paper to Sean.

Sean took it and saw that it was a formal invitation.

"It's an invitation from a social media influencer. He happens to be touring California recently, mainly hosting debates at several universities. Around the time of the Screen Actors Guild Awards, he'll be giving speeches at several universities in Los Angeles. He wants to invite you to participate in a public debate—" Kelly rambled on.

Sean looked at the signature on the invitation and a thought flickered in his mind.

His name is Charlie Kirk.

Charlie Kirk.

This name is a household name in American politics.

He is the founder of TurningPointUSA, an organization dedicated to promoting conservative ideas on college campuses. He is also known for organizing radical debates on campuses, often clashing violently with left-wing students and professors.

He is a darling of the Republican right wing and a thorn in the side of liberals.

His most famous skill is using an aggressive approach to corner his opponents in debates.

“If you accept this invitation,” Kelly’s tone turned serious, “you will be facing not only Charlie Kirk himself, but also the entire conservative media. They will do everything in their power to humiliate you and defeat you.”

"But if you can win—"

Kelly paused, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"If you can beat him on his home turf, it will be a historic victory."

Of course, he's remembered in history not because he defeated Charlie Kirk, but because he defeated him as an independent candidate. After all, there are quite a few people on this planet who could out-argue him.

However, the ward fell silent once again, as if silence was the defining characteristic of Philadelphia today.

Undoubtedly, everyone looked to Sean, who truly held the final say, and they were all waiting for his decision.

Sean simply looked at the invitation in his hand, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Charlie Kirk————"

He murmured the name as if savoring a glass of aged whiskey.

"I want to meet this conservative battle angel! So, let's say yes!"