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

Chapter 91: Battle Against Charlie Kirk

They analyzed the three debate topics one by one, identifying possible attack points and defensive strategies. Kelly contributed his rich political experience, Vincent offered a legal and logical perspective, and Matthew occasionally popped in some novel ideas.

The sky outside the window gradually brightened.

"Alright." Kelly glanced at his watch. "It's already three in the morning. We're all exhausted, let's rest for a bit. We'll continue tomorrow—no, this afternoon."

Ah, Los Angeles at 3 a.m.!

Everyone got up, preparing to return to their rooms to rest. However, due to the time constraints, they might need a day or two to adjust their sleep schedules.

"Mr. Carter," Sean called out to Vincent, who was about to leave, "Could you stay a moment? I have something I'd like to discuss with you privately."

"Of course." Vincent nodded and sat down again. "You want to discuss the campaign manifesto, Pan?"

Sean waited until everyone else had left before speaking softly, "Mr. Carter, we need to consider some of my legal risks further."

"What risks? Are they related to your past arrogance? Or the Avalon incident?" Vincent asked, squinting.

"Senator Harris Crane," Sean said, "has been secretly investigating my past, trying to find dirt on me."

"I know that," Vincent nodded. "You mentioned it back in Pennsylvania, you didn't actually sleep with a minor, did you?"

At this point, he frowned in disgust. His goodwill towards him had dropped slightly; he certainly didn't want the person he was supporting to be some kind of outrageous pedophile. Otherwise, he would personally take him to court.

Moreover, Sean's sudden re-emphasis was certainly not without reason.

"Well, he might have made some progress by now," Sean said. "Apparently, he's got his eye on two women who have posted photos of me going to nightclubs with them on social media."

"Is there a problem?"

"The problem is, they might not have been of legal age at that time."

Vincent's expression turned serious.

"What happened between you and them?"

"No, I swear on my mother's name." Sean shook his head. "It was just a normal group photo. I don't even remember who they are. But if Crane digs up these photos and adds some misleading reports, it could do a lot of damage to my image."

"I understand," Vincent nodded. "This is indeed a risk that needs to be addressed."

"What suggestions do you have?"

"First, we need to find those two women and understand their attitude. If they are willing to cooperate, we can get them to publicly clarify that it was just a normal fan photo opportunity and there was no inappropriate behavior."

"Secondly, we need to prepare some legal measures. If Krane publishes any defamatory content, we can immediately file a lawsuit."

"But most importantly—" Vincent looked at Sean, "you need to make sure you're telling the truth. If anything really happened, it's much better to tell me now than to have it revealed later."

"I'm telling the truth." Sean looked Vincent straight in the eye. "I haven't had any inappropriate behavior with any minors."

Vincent stared at him for a few seconds. "Are you still a virgin, Pan?"

This question sent chills down Sean's spine. Given the original owner's experience, how could he possibly answer Vincent? Perhaps he could only say: "Don't make your brother Pan laugh!"

"What's wrong?"

"If you're known for being a womanizer, then even if you didn't actually do it, many people will still suspect you." Vincent nodded. "Like Bill Clinton."

Although Bill Clinton did indeed do it.

"So, I need you to tell me the truth, and it's not because of my gossip," Vincent laughed. Although he felt he should gossip a bit, he never read entertainment news, but Sean was once a child star who was popular all over the country, so he should try to understand him.

"Okay, I didn't." Sean shrugged. "But I really haven't done anything immoral."

"Okay, I trust you," he said with a smile. "Leave this to me. The most important thing now is to win the debate with Charlie Kirk and then recruit more people to expand our team."

"I'll have a professional team handle the legal risks, so you don't need to worry. Although I was based in New York before, I also know some people in California, and with your current reputation, you don't need to worry about not having lawyers willing to play hardball with you."

They might be trying to attract attention or engaging in malicious hype. But it's somewhat effective.

"Thank you, Mr. Carter," Sean said.

"You're welcome." Vincent stood up. "This is my job."

He walked toward the door, then stopped and glanced back at Sean.

"Pan, there's one more thing."

"What is it?"

"No matter what happens, don't hide important information from the team." Vincent's tone was serious. "We're a team, and we need to trust each other. If there's anything you can't say publicly, at least tell me or Mr. Kelly."

"Otherwise, when the crisis truly arrives, we may not be able to protect you."

His popularity has rebounded.

Sean, on the other hand, looked like he understood but didn't quite, and after thinking for a few seconds, he nodded.

"I see."

"That's good." Vincent opened the door. "Good night, Mr. Pan."

"Good night."

And just like that, the door closed.

Sean sat alone in the empty living room, looking at the whiteboards on the wall covered with slogan drafts.

He hasn't told anyone about Green yet.

Perhaps Vincent is right; he shouldn't have kept important information from the team.

But that deal was too sensitive, involving too many people and complexities. Revealing it too early could cause unnecessary trouble. He wasn't someone who liked trouble. He wasn't even particularly fond of openness.

Three days later, Sean, who was recruiting, received a formal invitation from Charlie Kirk. It was a formally worded letter, but with a hint of open provocation, which Vincent handed to Sean at breakfast.

The group watched as Sean took the letter. Sean felt the paper was crisp and the logo of Charlie Kirk's organization was printed at the top.

He read it word by word and found that the other side had not only confirmed the three topics previously raised, but had also unilaterally finalized the time and place of the debate: just two days later, in the auditorium of a well-known private university in California.

The letter also included a suggestion at the end, stating that in order to ensure the debate was a "pure intellectual exchange," the audience would consist mainly of students from the school and some invited media, and there would be no Q&A session.

"What's this?" Matthew leaned over for a look and couldn't help but say, "They set all the rules."

Kelly took a sip of coffee, seemingly unsurprised. "Typical Kirk style," he said, setting down his cup. "He excels at defeating his opponents in a controlled environment using logic games he's familiar with. Students are easily swayed by his aggressive, eloquent style, and limiting questions eliminates any unpredictable interaction."

"He wants to trap you in his ring." Rachel shared this view. Sean gently placed the letter on the table. "It's alright, everyone, we're well-prepared. I just hope this boring debate will be over soon."

"Next, I will face Charlie Kirk!"

Upon hearing this line, which sounded like something out of a Japanese anime, Matthew clenched his fist and encouraged, "We'll win!"

Kelly nodded and said, "Yes, we will win—"