American Farmers: Facing a Cutoff at the Start

Fett answered the phone and, before the other end could speak, preemptively launched an attack:

"Mike Finch!"

"Is this what you promised us—helping to promote the farm?"

"A text message that lasted less than twenty seconds?"

"No information at all?"

On the other end of the phone, Mike Finch's voice was almost a shout, interrupting Fett's questioning:

"Don't turn off the TV! Whatever you do, don't turn it off!"

"Don't change the channel!"

"Listen to me! I just got word that that was just a routine text message!"

"The station director watched my video and thought it was excellent, so he immediately featured you in the 'Arkansas Life' segment after the news!"

"They were pressed for time and didn't know if they could even finish editing it, so they didn't tell me!"

"It's confirmed now!"

Mike took a deep breath:

I don't know if you've seen this program before.

"Its content is meant to demonstrate how resilient the people of this land are."

"So it's all about local stories, lifestyles, and community heroes!"

"Your story is a perfect fit for this show!"

"Furthermore, I guarantee with my career that your final statement about 'selling trees to pay off debts' was absolutely not cut!"

"Wait patiently, my friend."

"The best is yet to come."

Enjoy this moment!

Mike Finch's voice echoed in the quiet living room until it beeped and hung up.

Fett put down his phone and tentatively began to speak:

"How about...we trust him one more time?"

Old Frank glanced at the television suspiciously, then grunted and sat back down on the sofa.

Everyone's attention was once again focused on the flickering screen.

After a long "GG" (game over) period, the scene changes.

The screen background turned a warm amber color, a melodious folk guitar tune began to play, and a line of handwritten large letters slowly appeared—"Arkansas Life".

A studio appears on the screen.

A male host, dressed in a casual sweater, wearing glasses, and with a kind face, sat on the sofa, his expression emotional:

"Good evening everyone, this is Steve."

What are we searching for on this bitterly cold winter night?

Is it the firelight in the fireplace, or a power that can warm people's hearts?

"Tonight, we're going to take you to Eudora, a small town in the southeastern corner of Arkansas."

"There, a young man with an injured leg and a girl with a hunting rifle showed us again what 'protection' means with their blood and courage."

A melodious folk guitar tune begins to play, and the scene transitions to the camera.

Michael Fincher's slightly husky yet magnetic narration unfolds like the voice-over of an old movie.

On the screen, the footage shot that morning was edited together to look like a movie.

The grotesque boar carcass, the bandages on Fett's leg, Lyra's resolute gaze as she grips her gun, and the "King" hunting knife gleaming in the sunlight flash alternately against the backdrop of rousing music.

The camera movement is meticulously crafted, switching between shaky subjective perspectives and close-ups, which, combined with Fett's narration, vividly portrays the crisis situation at the time.

The scene then shifts to an in-depth interview.

On television, Fett has deep eyes and a calm tone, exuding a mature charm beyond his years.

Meanwhile, Leila, standing beside her, had a beautiful face and bright eyes, brimming with wild vitality.

Fett's answer was almost entirely unedited, and his excellence shone brightly on screen.

"What makes a person human is their understanding of responsibility..."

That monologue about "responsibility, bond, and resilience," paired with the desolate fir forest outside the window, perfectly rendered the indomitable atmosphere.

Immediately afterwards, the scene freezes on the moment when Fett and Lyra smile at each other in the morning sun, and the music reaches its climax.

Host Steve reappeared on screen, his eyes slightly red, his voice emotional:

"It's truly...so moving. This isn't just a story about survival; it's a hymn to love and responsibility."

"And I have to say, Fett is handsome and Lyra is beautiful. They are simply the perfect representatives of our Arkansas youth."

"Who wouldn't like a young man like that?"

He took off his glasses and rubbed the corner of his eye:

"I think they are the best embodiment of the Arkansas spirit, and we should feel lucky to have such outstanding young men and women."

"Who knows, one day a Hollywood director might actually take a liking to this story and bring it to the big screen."

"Let the whole of America see the spirit of Arkansas!"

Steve pointed to the scrolling text bar at the bottom of the screen:

"Fett and Lyra lit up this cold winter with their courage."

"If you want to support this young man and make his life easier, why not buy a Christmas tree from their farm!"

"After all, it doesn't matter where you buy it, right?"

"May this resilience stay with every Arkansas."

"I'm Steve, see you next time!"

After the show ended, the noisy car insurance guy switched in.

In the living room, everyone was still engrossed in the program they had just watched, and no one spoke for a moment.

Sudden.

"Ring ring ring—"

"Buzz—Buzz—"

It was as if someone had flipped a switch; almost at the same moment, everyone's cell phones rang—on the coffee table, in the sofa cushions—and even the landline in the corner joined in the fun.

Old Frank frantically grabbed his phone, but before he could even check the caller ID, his old comrade's loud voice came from the other end:

"Frank! Is that your son on TV? My God, he's made you so proud!"

Roy's side was also bombarded by relatives:

"That's right! It was my daughter! She's the one who fired that shot!"

Aunt Rachel was wiping away tears while answering the phone, muttering, "That's a good child."

Lyra stood close to Fett, ignoring her constantly vibrating phone, and looked up at Fett with eyes full of adoration.

Fett looked at the lively scene in the room and smiled.

"Looks like it." He silenced his constantly vibrating phone and put it back in his pocket.

"We're going to be very busy before Christmas."

Old Frank had just hung up the phone, beaming, "You were right!"

"We're sure to sell a lot of trees before Christmas."

Fett thought for a moment and suddenly spoke:

"Dad, while it's good news that business is coming in, shouldn't we first hurry up and clear out the wild animals around the farm?"

He pointed to the dark woods outside the window:

"Wild boars are social animals. The fact that that boar was able to run to the roadside means there are probably more behind it."

"If a customer gets injured while buying a tree, we won't just fail to make any money, we'll lose everything."

Upon hearing this, old Frank's joy instantly turned into seriousness:

"Yes! You're right! Safety first, this is no joke."

Fett then turned to Roy, who had hung up the phone:

"Uncle Roy, you're an experienced hunter; we can't do without you when it comes to dealing with wild animals."

"And these next few days will definitely be very busy. If you're not too busy at home, could you bring Aunt Rachel along to help us sell trees?"

"Of course, we absolutely won't let you work for free. We'll give you a commission based on the money you make from sales."