Los Angeles, headquarters of Meyers Films.
Ivanka was in Martin's office.
She placed her laptop in front of Martin, but instead of sitting in a regular chair, she casually perched on Martin's lap. As she operated the computer, she spoke:
"The online response is explosive."
"Google's trending search rankings—fifth place overall. All the top keywords are related to the school shooting. Your name is ranked first, the shooter's second. A lot of people are curious why a 16-year-old Asian boy would do something like this."
"Many netizens, after learning about this Asian boy's background, are starting to sympathize with him."
"He was bullied by those three victims for years, and he only targeted those who bullied him—didn't harm anyone else."
"In the entire United States, countless students suffer from bullying every year..."
…
One week after the school shooting.
The story hadn't faded from the news—in fact, it was gaining even more traction with the help of certain parties.
The three major North American newspapers—Los Angeles Times, New York Times, and Washington Post—were still running long reports on the incident.
Articles covered things like:
The victims' families preparing to sue the shooter.
Analytical breakdowns of how cool Martin's kick to the shooter's leg looked.
Interviews with the families of survivors.
Front pages featured large photos of Martin's airborne kick, captured in full heroic flair!
And that wasn't all.
As the incident stirred more public debate, discussions spilled over into the issue of gun control.
Two opposing camps emerged, arguing on TV, in newspapers, and across the internet:
"Why is it so hard to ban guns?"
On the set of Most Wanted, Jessica flipped through a newspaper, slightly puzzled.
"Don't those people who insist on owning guns realize that if no one had guns, we'd all be safer? You'd even save money on hiring bodyguards! Why are they so against it!?"
Martin chuckled. "Jessy, you have to understand—The National Rifle Association (NRA) is one of the most politically powerful interest groups in the country. They have 5 million members, and their unofficial support base might exceed tens of millions, mostly from the middle class. They hold enormous sway in U.S. society. Historically, eight American presidents have been NRA members—people like Nixon and Reagan…"
"And besides them, there's another major force that would never agree to gun bans: the military-industrial complex."
"These two forces together are an enormous power bloc. That's why gun ban proposals are brought up every year, but Congress never passes them."
"Even though shootings happen constantly, and there are plenty of victims and advocates for gun control, their voices can't compare to the combined might of the NRA and weapons manufacturers. The U.S. isn't a society where the minority submits to the majority—it's a society driven by capital and special interests. They'll never sacrifice those profits for public sentiment."
Jessica asked, "Then what about all these arguments?"
"Just people with ulterior motives stirring the pot," Martin said. "It's all to distract from something else. These debates are just noise—they won't change anything."
Shaking his head, he switched the subject. "Anyway, I've been really hot in the media lately—perfect time to promote Most Wanted."
...
At the front gates of Tuckers High School.
LAPD had already lifted their security measures.
From the day after the shooting, local residents began bringing flowers to mourn the victims.
Even though the three deceased boys were later exposed by the media as bullies, some still sympathized with them. More importantly—
Many people weren't mourning the victims, but the tragedy itself.
Day nine after the shooting.
A black Mercedes stopped by the school.
Dressed in a black suit and holding a bouquet, Martin stepped out of the car.
He placed the flowers at the memorial zone.
After pretending to silently mourn for a minute, he headed toward the school.
The memorial was just a pretext—seeing Elizabeth was the real reason he came.
That director Penny was an interesting one. Martin originally wanted to move the shoot to a different location, but the female director vetoed the idea.
Penny believed continuing to shoot at Tuckers High School would boost the film's thematic relevance and attract more attention.
Clearly, this woman had real box office ambition!
Since it wasn't a big deal, Martin let it go. He simply added a few more bodyguards to the crew. Whether they were meant to protect the production or just Elizabeth didn't really matter.
After waiting around set for an hour and sneaking in some cuddling time with the pretty girl, Martin left.
As he exited the school, he was suddenly surrounded by a group of reporters who had rushed to the scene.
Reporter: "Martin, did you come today to mourn the victims?"
Martin: "Yes. May they rest in peace."
Reporter: "Mr. Meyers, are you aware the deceased were actually bullies? That the shooting happened because they had long tormented Nathaniel?"
Martin: "I've heard that school bullying has become a serious issue in the U.S. education system. It deserves the attention of relevant authorities."
"Johnny and the others made mistakes, but they didn't deserve to die. If the appropriate institutions had intervened earlier to prevent bullying, would this tragedy still have happened?"
"I mourn the lives lost, but I also condemn bullying. I sympathize with Nathaniel, but I must say—he used the wrong method."
"Sacrificing your own future for revenge—is that really worth it?"
"But I also understand—maybe in Nathaniel's heart, he felt he had no other choice."
"It's a contradiction—but it's also the truth."
"Every victim of bullying is like a lost bird, unable to feel safety or belonging. That easily leads to extreme thoughts—caused by family issues, educational gaps, and social factors."
"If parents could communicate better with their kids… if schools strictly punished bullies… if society didn't normalize bullying… then maybe things wouldn't escalate like this."
"But there's no 'if' in reality. We always reflect on these issues only after a tragedy happens. And most of the time, everyone stays silent."
"In schools, workplaces, in all corners of society—both bullies and the bullied have come to accept these behaviors. Teasing, nicknames, insults, rumors, physical harm… anyone can be a bully, and anyone can be a victim."
"On a deeper level, bullying is a systemic social ecology made up of many types of people. It evolves. It's complex. Only by treating it as a whole system—through prevention and intervention—can we see real change."
"If the silent majority who witness bullying would step forward, I believe this phenomenon would decrease dramatically. The tragedies it causes would also lessen."
"When I say 'silent majority,' I mean: parents, teachers, schools, the education system, the justice system, and all ordinary citizens. Only action brings change—not empty cries about injustice after the fact."
"There have been too many blood-soaked lessons. I really hope this doesn't happen again."
"Oh, and in my new movie Most Wanted, the protagonist also faces workplace bullying—but his revenge will be much more satisfying for the audience."
That long speech?
Just a setup for that punchline.