I looked at Yang Wei. Yang Wei looked at me too. At this moment, I didn't say anything more, just looked at her and said in a low voice, "I heard what you said just now. I was in the ventilation duct in the ceiling when you said it."
13……12……
Yang Wei's body trembled, then her face blossomed with boundless joy: "You...you've decided to die with me?"
"Hmm..." Seeing Yang Wei's hesitant expression, I shook my head: "Don't speak, I know what you want to say... but I can't think about anything else right now. If you leave me here and I have to leave on my own... I can't do it!"
As for Qiaoqiao... Yandi and the others...
Sigh. I shook my head. I had no choice!
10……9……
I suddenly walked up to Yang Wei, then hugged her tightly and kissed her hard on the lips!
Her lips were cold…mine were cold too. In moments like these, death fills our hearts…this kiss seemed to hold no sweetness whatsoever…
But... this should be the first time I've ever kissed Yang Wei on my own initiative, right?
Yang Wei's body was trembling; perhaps she was afraid... Actually, I was too.
I'm scared too. But to die alongside a woman who's willing to give everything for me... I think it's worth it.
The beeping sound was still going on, but I couldn't think about anything else anymore...
Suddenly, Yang Wei bit my lip hard! I recoiled in pain, and Yang Wei's face lit up with joy as she shouted at me with all her might!
"ring!!!!"
*******************
I think many people will never forget this day in their lifetime.
CNN's senior photographer, Mr. J, was interviewed by several media outlets afterward, asking him what he felt when he parachuted from the 62nd floor of a skyscraper while holding CNN's most beautiful and ace reporter, Phil.
"I was scared." The photographer's answer surprised everyone: "When I was in mid-air, I was worried about when the explosion would happen. And whether I would stop breathing in the next second."
As for being able to intimately embrace the beautiful Miss Phil, he felt absolutely nothing.
The photographer subsequently resigned.
*******************
For Los Angeles Police Department Constable Louis, this day was unforgettable. It was the day he handled the biggest case of his entire policing career! Afterwards, his superiors received six complaints and charges from the FBI, sparking a bitter dispute and infighting between the police system and the FBI. The issue of who was responsible and who deserved credit escalated into a major argument, which was only brought under control by a special envoy from the White House.
As a result, Officer Louis was promoted. However, he was given a month-long leave of absence.
*******************
For old Bruce, this day was unforgettable. What he remembered most vividly wasn't the moment he escaped the building alive, but the expression on Monica's face as she held his hand tightly…
To everyone's surprise, the very afternoon after his escape, this veteran Hollywood star married his girlfriend Monica in a Los Angeles church with lightning speed!
In his words, "I'm afraid I'll never find another woman who can go through life and death with me. But fortunately, I already have one by my side."
*******************
For Jessica, it was a nightmare. She ran out of the building right behind Bruce Willis. Bruce Willis left without giving any interviews, and all the media turned their guns on Jessica!
After recovering from the shock, Jessica gave interviews to several of the largest television networks and media outlets in the United States, recounting her experience during the incident… It must be said that compared to other A-list celebrities who were also abducted, Jessica's experience was more unique because she was captured twice!
The first time, under my guidance, she and old Bruce and the others almost escaped; the second time, I rescued her again. These complicated experiences attracted media attention!
Almost a week afterward, Jessica was all over the front page of every newspaper! Two interviews with *Picture* and *People* magazines further boosted her popularity to unprecedented levels! Playboy also commissioned her to shoot a series of photos—not nude, but with her made-up as a hostage, disheveled and terrified… The publication of these photos propelled her to even greater heights; almost everyone thought the look was incredibly sexy…
*******************
For Phil, CNN's top female reporter, hailed as the world's most beautiful journalist, her reaction after that day was surprisingly calm. On her way to the hospital, she made a phone call and dictated an urgent report over the phone.
Then she appeared on television that very evening, but the footage of her and her interview team wasn't broadcast. However, she did a lot of investigation afterward… and the person who did the investigation was me!
Just a week later, as the aftermath of the incident was about to subside, an article written by Phil himself was published in several major newspapers in Los Angeles and New York, with the headline "Hollywood Hero of the East".
Accompanying the photos were some pictures, including a few of me hanging outside the building trying to get in, and a picture of Lei Xiaohu and me hugging each other like "flying men" when we first escaped.
The very next night after that report was published, Phil himself hosted a television program, a reality interview show, which featured several of the hostages, including Bruce Sr. The most discussed topic that night was…
It's me!
*******************
And what about me?
I fainted. Yang Wei's final cry of "ring" brought me back to reality...
What followed was much simpler. I quickly pulled out the ring and slipped it onto my finger, then smashed the detonator open with my fist. Sure enough, inside was a large bundle of complex blue and red wires…
I have to say, that Ramuchi is a truly deranged madman!
What made me even more perverse than him was that I didn't even use any tools; I just casually tore off a few threads with my bare hands...
Even afterwards, I couldn't remember whether I tore the red or blue thread... or maybe both? God knows...
Later, the time on the monitor froze at "0".
Hansen rushed in. He saw me holding Yang Wei, who was in obvious pain. He quickly pulled me away, took out his asthma medication, and gave it to Yang Wei… As for me, severely injured, I was pulled down and fell to the ground, hitting my head on the floor. I then passed out…
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter 159: Red!
My calf was hit by shrapnel, but the injury wasn't serious. The serious injury was that a bullet pierced my left lung, which caused me a lot of suffering.
My chest aches intermittently, especially when I cough. Half of my body feels numb... To make matters worse, since my lungs were injured, I've been strictly forbidden from smoking!
I woke up in the ambulance. Yang Wei was right beside me. After taking her asthma medication, she had basically recovered. This woman stayed by my side the whole way. I lay there, and she sat beside me, always holding my hand tightly with her soft, smooth little hand.
Her gentle gaze accompanied me the whole way. She didn't say a word to me, because at this moment, words were unnecessary. Everything before had already fully expressed her feelings for me; now, her eyes said it all.
After being rushed to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment, my condition stabilized. Yang Wei then transferred me to the best hospital in Los Angeles and hired four top-tier private nurses for me.
Lei Xiaohu also lives with me. His back injury is quite severe; we both got hurt this time. After the examination, the doctor warned him that after such a tremendous force straining his back, if he doesn't take proper care of himself, it could even jeopardize his mobility for the rest of his life!
To avoid spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair, the usually lively and energetic Lei Xiaohu has become unusually cooperative, staying in bed every day to rest. Aside from doing light rehabilitation exercises with the doctor's assistance, he hardly ever touches the ground.
The very afternoon I arrived at this hospital, it caused a sensation!
It's safe to say that after this incident, I became the most famous person in Hollywood almost overnight!! People may not know who won the Oscar for Best Actor this year... but they will definitely know the Asian man who staged a real-life Hollywood action blockbuster during the hostage crisis—Chen Yang!
For a whole week, the Globe, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and so on… I occupied almost 70% of the front pages of every major newspaper in the United States! Countless newspapers used a photo of me holding a suction cup in my hand, hundreds of meters in the air, attached to the exterior of a building…
This photo was taken by a photojournalist inside the Twin Towers opposite the Torch Tower! It must be said, out of hundreds of photos taken by journalists, this one is the best, in terms of angle, lighting, and so on…
This photo makes me look my best! Especially with half my face hidden under my goggles, looking at me from the side. You can vaguely see my lips are tightly pursed, and I have a serious and determined expression.
I clung tightly to the surface of the building, making a climbing motion...
This picture was reprinted by major newspapers, and some articles even jokingly remarked in a good-natured tone: "It seems that this hero from the East has even more reason to play Spider-Man."
And then, a series of hype ensued. This incident practically wiped out all the powerful, influential, and famous people in Hollywood! Such a grand gathering… Just imagine how terrifying the American film industry and the economic sectors it would be in if all those Hollywood celebrities had actually died overnight!
Just imagining this outcome is enough to send chills down your spine! Some economists are even touting that I saved the American film economy.
According to the police, the poison gas bomb planted on the top of the building, if it had detonated, would have killed all the hostages and police officers who were evacuating from the 40th floor!
This news filled everyone with gratitude towards me... after all, I had defused the bomb.
Outside the hospital where I am staying, hundreds of media personnel are stationed 24/7, without sleep or rest!
And when I finished my surgery and was recovering, the situation reached its peak!
Besides nearly a thousand reporters from hundreds of media outlets, countless fans began to gather outside the hospital. These people included locals from Los Angeles and those from all over the United States. Knowing I was seriously injured, they all wore white and held candles. They stood quietly from night until dawn, praying for my speedy recovery…
What's shocking is that none of these people knew me before! And many of them were there out of gratitude... For example, there were fans of Bruce Willis who were grateful that I saved Bruce Willis, fans of Keanu Reeves who were grateful that I saved Keanu, fans of Jessica who were grateful that I saved Jessica... In short, these people gathered here because I saved their idols.
Of course, many crazy fans also started to appear, purely idolizing me. This is very common in the United States; celebrities always have suitors... Even when Yao Ming was playing basketball in Houston, there were still many crazy women holding up signs outside the basketball arena that said, "Yao Ming, marry me!"
This place has always been a country where freedom is rampant.
As for "celebrity", I'm afraid there's no one more famous than me in all of America until the aftermath of this incident completely disappears!
What further fueled the controversy were the subsequent reality interviews and shows in the media!
Many Hollywood stars, including Bruce Willis and Jessica Chastain, praised me highly after their interviews. Even those who witnessed my fight with the terrorists vividly described every detail… This further excited the media…
So, this hero really does know Chinese Kung Fu!
As a result, incidentally, Chinese Kung Fu became popular in the United States again... no. This time it was practically rampant! Many action directors from the East who made a living in the American film industry suddenly became hot commodities on major film sets... I have to say, this is all thanks to me.
Of course, amidst the overwhelming praise, there are also some discordant voices… which is perfectly normal. That's just how the world is; some people love you, and inevitably, some people hate you!
The FBI was the first to express their dissatisfaction with me... although they didn't say it publicly. But privately, the FBI did some things that really annoyed me.
They sent people to the hospital to try to investigate me... and then indicated that they might sue me for obstructing official business. My illegal rescue operation was also one of the reasons why the FBI held a grudge against me.
Less than five minutes after I was questioned by two FBI investigators in my hospital bed, Yang Wei rudely kicked them out of the room.
The next day, a news item appeared in the media: "The FBI is targeting our heroes!"
The report then went on to describe how incompetent and foolish the FBI personnel were throughout the rescue operation, how inefficient they were, and how they compromised with the terrorists without any principles. After praising me highly, the report concluded with the question: "Is our taxpayer money just meant to support these incompetent idiots?" Chen's great performance is admirable, but it also reflects our tragedy! In a normal country, public safety cannot rely solely on one or two heroes to save us! This time, Chen saved us… but what about next time? Given the FBI's incompetence this time, can we really place our trust in these incompetent fools?
A bomb!
This report was a bombshell!
After a week of hyping me up, the media had grown a bit tired of talking. Just when they had almost run out of juicy material, this report suddenly gave everyone a new source of excitement!
That is... to criticize the incompetent officials in this incident with all our might!
Countless media outlets have joined the fray, from the CIA to the FBI to the police, from Langley Building to the Pentagon—almost the entire government has been subjected to scathing criticism…
In this battle, almost all media polls showed that the public lacked confidence in the current administration to varying degrees... and the approval rating for the Republican Party, led by President Bush, even declined...
Politicians with a keen sense of smell immediately began to flock to me! Many media outlets controlled by the Democratic Party also started firing shots! They vehemently criticized the incompetence of the Republican Party in governing, stating that after the terrorist attacks, the Democratic Party's incompetence had dragged the country into a dangerous situation, and so on...
Then, the Democratic Party began to subtly extend an olive branch to me, because the next election was just around the corner. If they could get a newly emerged, popular idol with the highest approval rating in the United States to become their spokesperson, it would be very beneficial for the Democratic Party to regain support in the next election.
However, I carefully avoided this question and politely declined. I know perfectly well that politics is the dirtiest and most unfathomable thing! I can't afford to play that game!
Ten days had passed since the White House spokesperson publicly addressed the matter, concluding the media war. The outcome was that the White House spokesperson stated they would investigate the mishandling of some officials involved… Sure enough, the FBI later contacted me privately, using a mix of pressure and persuasion, revealing their current state of utter distress. Yang Wei represented me in the negotiations, and then declared… the matter was closed!
Of course, I gained some benefits. These benefits will manifest themselves in my future career.
Columbia Pictures has indicated it may cast Tony Stark in Spider-Man 4, potentially creating the first-ever Spider-Man with black hair and Asian skin!
The Los Angeles Times conducted an interesting poll, and over 50 percent of respondents believed that Chen should accept the role of Spider-Man.