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

Yes, it's a lie, and this kind of talk is nothing new.

But what happens when a dream is repeatedly delayed? Does it wither away? Or does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or does it fester like a wound and then burst?

No one knew the answer, but Sean's voice continued to echo across the empty base.

"The truth is, this system was designed from the beginning to make us fail. It doesn't exist for us; it exists for those who have already succeeded."

"It protects the wealth of the rich through complex provisions, prevents the poor's children from rising up through high education costs, and makes us believe through media propaganda that our failures are our own responsibility."

"But I won't accept it."

"I don't accept those people telling me that I should be grateful, content, and shut up."

"I do not accept that people tell me this is fair, reasonable, and unchangeable."

"So, I decided to stand up!"

"It's not for the election, nor for power or fame."

"The main reason I stood up was because I had had enough."

"I've had enough of those lies, enough of the hypocrisy of those elites, enough of this system that treats us all like pawns."

"I stand up because I want to tell you: we are not pawns. We are the masters of this country."

"This country does not belong to bankers, financiers, or those lords!"

"This country belongs to you. It belongs to those who get up at six every morning to go to work, to those who scrimp and save to pay for their children's tuition, and to those who have been hurt by reality but still believe that tomorrow will be better."

"But now, some people want us to shut up. They want us to accept the status quo, to accept the fact that we can never change anything."

"I absolutely refuse!"

Sean's voice reached its climax.

"I cannot accept that those people can do whatever they want while we can only silently endure it."

"I don't accept that those people can get away with it while we can only accept our bad luck."

"I do not accept that the future of this world should be decided by those people, while we can only stand by and applaud."

"Therefore, I will rebel!"

"I want to let those people know that they can no longer do whatever they want."

"I want to let those swindlers, including myself, know that they will have to pay back their debts one day."

"I want everyone in this country to know that we are not fuel, we are fire."

"Therefore, I am standing here today not to ask for your forgiveness, nor to gain your sympathy."

"I stand here to invite you to join me."

"Join this fight against injustice, join this fight to reclaim our country, join this fight to make those bastards pay the price."

I know you hate me. I know I don't deserve to stand here.

"But if even a disgraced bastard like me dares to stand up, what are you waiting for?"

"If even a piece of trash like me, abandoned by the system, dares to rebel, then what are you afraid of?"

"What this country needs is not perfect heroes, nor noble saints."

"What this country needs are madmen who dare to speak the truth, bastards who dare to overturn the table, and people who dare to shout 'fuck it' when everyone else says it's impossible."

"And I am that person."

Sean's voice echoed through the base, lingering for a long time.

A deathly silence fell over the scene, while the numbers began to jump wildly as if boiling.

[-48] became [-20].

[-40] became [-10].

【12】 became 【35】.

Even the old man in the wheelchair, his number changed from -45 to -15.

Musk's number jumped to [58], it's unclear whether he genuinely supported his statement or thought Sean's deception was too sophisticated.

Then, a voice broke the silence.

"On what grounds?"

That was a middle-aged woman sitting in the front row, the one holding the photo in her hand.

"What gives you the right to stand here and say these things? You swindled our money, ruined our lives, and now you say you want to lead us in a revolution?"

She stood up, her voice trembling with tears.

"My husband committed suicide because of this. He invested all our savings in that project because he believed in you. He believed that the boy who once brought us joy wouldn't lie."

"But you lied. You lied to everyone. Now you're telling me it's not your fault, it's the system's fault? Do you think that will absolve you of your sins?"

Sean looked at her, at the photograph in her hand. It was a picture of a man, probably in his fifties, with a kind and gentle smile.

Her favorability rating is -35.

Sean stepped down from the podium and walked up to her.

"You're right. I lied to you. I lent my name to a liar, and I made you believe a lie."

"I am responsible for your husband's death."

"But I'm standing here today not to shirk responsibility."

"I stand here to take responsibility."

"Madam, I cannot bring your husband back to life, but I can do one thing." He paused, "I can make those who truly deserve responsibility for this pay the price."

Let those bastards who are even worse than him eat shit!

"His sacrifice was not in vain. I will make sure everyone in this country knows who killed him."

Sean looked into her eyes.

"Give me a chance. Not a chance to forgive me, but a chance to atone for my sins."

"Let me spend the rest of my life hunting down the real killers. Let me use my life to seek justice."

The woman looked at him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Her favorability rating began to rise.

[-35]……[-28]……[-15]……[0]……

She finally slumped down, as if collapsing, and whispered, "God, please forgive me."

Sean nodded, turned around, and walked back to the podium.

"I will."

"I promised everyone here that I would make that list public."

"I will make sure those big shots hiding behind the scenes have nowhere to hide."

"I will show this country who the real enemy is."

"And if I can't do it, if I die in the process, then at least I died for the right thing."

"This is far more meaningful than me dying of a drug overdose in my Hollywood mansion."

The first round of applause rang out.

Then comes the second tone, and then the third tone.

The applause gradually grew into a chorus.

Those numbers are still rising.

[-20] became [5].

[-10] became [18].

【35】 became 【52】.

Musk stood up and began to applaud.

His favorability rating jumped to [65].

Sean looked at the crowd below the stage, at the faces that had gone from anger to thought, and from thought to agreement.

He knew he had won.

However, he only won over a small group of people. He could see the goodwill of those in front of him, but he didn't know how people further away viewed him. Perhaps to more rational people, all they saw was a person skilled in rhetoric making excuses for himself, nothing more.

But at least he took the first step.