America: Child stars start with The Shining

Sinclair Oil Company.

As Sean watched the live television broadcast, his face gradually darkened.

In the video, Reagan is standing in front of a bustling crowd, wearing a dark suit, with one hand on the podium, looking very composed.

As expected of a politician who started as an actor, he showed no signs of panic in this situation and exuded a very charismatic presence.

At this moment, he is publicly expressing his views on the minors' bill:

"This country keeps talking about order, about family, about protecting the next generation, but what I want to ask is..."

"If a child who is not yet a minor is not properly protected by their guardian, and is exploited by the media under the spotlight, or even used as a tool to be manipulated at will by some people with ulterior motives."

"So, where exactly is this protection we're talking about?"

A round of applause quickly erupted from the audience.

For Americans in the 1980s, these kinds of issues always had a strong appeal.

Whether it's education, welfare, or the protection of families and minors, mentioning these issues in public often quickly wins the favor and support of voters.

Reagan waited until the applause subsided slightly before continuing:

"A country's attitude toward minors determines its attitude toward the future."

"Children should not be used as bargaining chips in commercial games. Look at that child star in Hollywood recently! As far as I know, he lost both his parents at a young age, became a child laborer at a young age, and was even involved in a shooting..."

At this point, Reagan suddenly raised his voice, waved his hand emphatically, and shouted:

"Ha! Is this how our country treats children!?"

"All that has happened recently proves that we are far from doing enough! This is fake news! This is a complete and utter mistake!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the audience erupted in even more enthusiastic applause than before, and some people even began to shout Reagan's name.

"Make America Great Again!"

The camera then cut to the audience, where several middle-aged women were clapping excitedly, and young students were holding up signs with slogans such as "Protect our children."

Sean stared intently at the scene, his face extremely grim.

He could tell, of course, that Reagan's words, while ostensibly discussing a minor protection bill, were actually a way of making a big fuss about Shire's situation.

In this way, he can win over centrist and conservative family voters, launch a political campaign to "protect minors," and even turn the tables on those who manipulate the media and resources behind the scenes.

That's killing three birds with one stone.

To make matters worse, Sinclair Oil Company was also unwittingly drawn into the mess.

After such a speech, the company's stock price will inevitably be affected. If the board of directors investigates, he, as the president's assistant, will definitely be implicated.

Thinking of this, Sean's face grew even more grim.

Fuck, the Elephant Party is best at doing this kind of disgusting stuff!

How exactly did that brat Charles get involved with Reagan?

Sean's first thought was that they had been set up.

Someone must have leaked this information to Reagan beforehand, allowing him to seize the opportunity and exploit it extensively.

He couldn't have imagined, no matter how hard he racked his brains, that this was actually a counterattack orchestrated by Charles.

Just then, a subordinate sitting next to him finally spoke up in a low voice:

"Mr. Sean, should we contact those television stations and newspapers to try and suppress the dissemination of this speech?"

Sean didn't answer immediately; after a few seconds, he said coldly:

"It's out of control! Are you fucking an idiot? Didn't you see this is a live broadcast from CNN? The whole country has seen it!"

"What we need to do now is deal with the consequences of this speech immediately, otherwise, when the higher-ups come after us, we'll both be fucking fired!"

On television, Reagan's speech was nearing its end.

The applause continued in waves, and the camera kept panning across the excited audience and the enthusiastic reporters on the sidelines.

Sean watched the scene on the television and slowly closed his eyes.

Fake!

He now regrets doing those things for such a scoundrel as John.

But the problem is, who could have imagined that such an insignificant little thing would be targeted by the Elephant Party and even brought up in a nationally televised speech?

Fuck! What's Ciel's background?

Didn't we agree that he was just an ordinary child star who had lost both parents and had no powerful connections?

What exactly are those useless people in charge of background checks doing?!

......

On the other side, Ciel watched the scene on the television screen and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Reagan's speech was even more effective than he had anticipated.

Even through the television screen, he could still clearly feel the infectious energy emanating from the other person; this kind of charisma made people unconsciously believe what he said.

This is what makes these politicians, who are deeply entrenched in the upper echelons of American society, so terrifying—they can influence public opinion with just a single speech.

While this speech may not immediately help Shire reverse the current situation, it is enough to give Sinclair Oil Company a headache for some time.

Since that's the case, he doesn't need to be distracted by this matter for the time being.

Moreover, with Reagan's public statement as evidence, his application for the Juvenile Liberation Act will most likely be resolved soon.

Thinking of this, Charles withdrew his gaze, looked at Ovitz sitting beside him, and asked:

"How's it going on Broadway?"

Ovitz flipped through the documents in his hand, quickly pulled out a page, and handed it to Charles.

Charles took it and glanced at it. When he saw one of the names clearly, he raised an eyebrow slightly.

Oliver Twist.

This is a classic Broadway play, adapted from Dickens' novel.

Both the quality of the script itself and the effect presented on stage are top-notch.

Moreover, the protagonist Oliver Twisted Fate's age and background unexpectedly match his, sharing many similarities...

Ovitz added from the side:

"This play is currently preparing for a new round of revival, with a considerable investment, and it also has the backing of several foundations and old money families in New York."

"If you can get a role in it, even if it's not the lead, it will be very beneficial for you."

Charles thought for a moment, then immediately said:

"This is the one!"

His goal, of course, is the male lead of this drama!

......

Three days later, on Broadway in New York.