The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 728

"Mr. Horner, what are your thoughts on today’s events?"

"Why did those three men attack you?"

"You took down three armed assailants by yourself. How did you manage that?"

Late that evening, Matthew had just stepped out of the police station, flanked by Helen and his lawyer, Wilson, when a massive crowd of reporters swarmed him.

The scene at the police station entrance was pure chaos, with a seemingly endless sea of reporters.

A barrage of questions flew at him from every direction, buzzing like persistent flies.

"Was it the military training you received for your films that saved you?"

"Is it true that the three assailants are drug traffickers from Tijuana, Mexico?"

Matthew ignored the questions. Four bodyguards and a cordon of police officers held back the throng of several hundred reporters, carving a path for him to his car.

Wilson slipped into the car first. Helen waited for Matthew to get in before sliding in beside him.Once the car door was shut, sealing them off from the cacophony outside, Helen glanced at Matthew with a flicker of concern, though her voice was steady when she asked:

"Do you want to see a psychiatrist?"

The moment the police had arrived on the scene, her composure had returned, and she was once again the unflappable agent.

Matthew slowly shook his head. "There's no need." He offered a small smile and added, "Don't worry. I'm fine. It was unsettling right after the shootout, but I feel much better now."

It hadn't taken him long to regain his composure, because the men he had shot deserved to die.

But in his mind, they didn't deserve to die because they dealt drugs or engaged in other criminal activities—the world was full of people who committed crimes.

They deserved death because they had tried to kill him. Anyone who wanted him dead would not get off lightly.

With that line of thinking, Matthew found it easy to overcome any mental hurdles.

Just then, Helen's cell phone rang. She answered, spoke for a few minutes, then hung up and told Matthew, "That was Bella, calling from the hospital."

Hearing this, Matthew immediately asked, "How are John and the others?"

If John hadn't risked everything to hold back two of the gunmen, it's hard to say what would have happened.

"John lost a lot of blood. Fortunately, the bullet missed his vital organs. He's out of surgery now, and they estimate his recovery will take about six months." Helen's tone remained perfectly level.

"The driver wasn't seriously injured. He has a mild concussion and should recover in about a week."

Matthew let out a sigh of relief. "That's good."

After a moment of reflection, he added, "Arrange for the best doctors for both of them, and ensure their families have the best possible care as well. I can't visit them just yet, so please convey my support. Have Bella handle all the expenses directly; the studio will cover everything."

Helen gave a slight nod. She studied Matthew for a moment, and seeing that he truly seemed to be his usual self, she continued, "Regarding the three assailants..."

Matthew gave a small wave of his hand. "I'm fine. Go on."

Helen kept her answer concise. "All three survived. Their lives are not currently in danger."

"The bald one didn't die?" Matthew asked.

"No," Helen replied.

Matthew considered this for a moment, then said, "Wilson, I'll leave the upcoming legal matters to you."

"My pleasure," Wilson said readily. "There will likely be police and federal investigations. But there were witnesses at the scene, as well as video footage. And since all three assailants are alive, there shouldn't be any issues with excessive force in self-defense."

Helen, however, remarked coolly, "Excessive force? There were dozens of reporters at the scene. Public opinion is entirely on Matthew's side. If anyone even tries to make an issue of it, I'll mobilize the media and drown them out completely."

Matthew wasn't worried. The LAPD and the FBI had already confirmed the men were drug traffickers from Tijuana. The bald man was a key member of a trafficking group who had escaped from there. This was clearly retaliation.

The FBI had claimed the men fled to Colombia, yet here they were on the streets of Burbank.

There was no question that both the LAPD and the FBI had seriously dropped the ball. Someone would have to be held accountable.

Matthew sighed to himself, realizing that bureaucracy was pretty much the same everywhere.

Helen seemed to guess Matthew's thoughts. She said, "Wilson, the FBI explicitly informed us last year that the threat advisory from Tijuana had been lifted."

Wilson considered this for a moment. "I'll contact the FBI."

Matthew nodded. "Good. I expect a satisfactory explanation." His voice dropped. "And follow the criminals' case closely. When it goes to trial, do everything in your power to push for the death penalty."

He added, "And make it quick."

California still had the death penalty, something Matthew knew a bit about. The process was notoriously slow, with legal appeals often dragging on for years, even decades. As a result, California currently had the largest death row population in the United States.

Wilson nodded. "Of course."

Before 9/11, a case like this would have been much more difficult. Even if they secured a death sentence, the execution could have been delayed for years. But in the post-9/11 world, anything related to terrorism was handled with extreme sensitivity. This wasn't just an attack on a celebrity; the assailants had also caused several major traffic accidents.

Furthermore, both the LAPD and the FBI had made major blunders. And while the judiciary was technically independent, certain people and circumstances were always inextricably linked.

As a lawyer, he wasn't naive enough to believe that the so-called independence of a free and democratic judiciary was truly fair and impartial.

Not to mention the undeniable influence of public opinion.

Besides, the men were Mexican drug traffickers—terrorists, even—not American citizens.

Before they reached Beverly Hills, Wilson had the car pull over and got out, leaving just Matthew and Helen in the back seat.

"So, I imagine this is a huge story?" Matthew asked.

"It's the lead story on every news channel and the top headline on every online portal," she confirmed. She paused for a moment, then added, "Tomorrow, it will likely be the front-page story for every major newspaper and magazine as well."

Without hesitation, Matthew said, "Fan the flames. I want to get the maximum possible leverage out of this."

Helen glanced at Matthew. "Now I'm certain you're back to your old self."

Matthew was momentarily speechless at that, but then he retorted:

"I was nearly killed. I risked my life fighting them." He rolled up his sleeve and gestured at his arm in front of Helen. "Look. Bruises, scrapes, skin torn off from the fall. Is it really too much to ask to use this for a little self-promotion?"

"No," Helen agreed, seemingly without reservation. "That makes perfect sense."

She stated matter-of-factly, "'Fast & Furious 4' is coming out soon, and 'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra' is scheduled for an Independence Day release. I'll contact Universal and Paramount. They'll be more than happy to spin this."

Matthew said nothing more. He knew that even if she didn't reach out, Universal and Paramount would never let such a golden publicity opportunity pass them by.

Back at his estate, Matthew saw Helen off and then went straight to his computer.

As he expected, the online coverage of the incident was staggering. Countless media outlets had photographers on the scene, and there were already more than thirty different videos of the event circulating.

Turning on the television, he found that every news channel—CNN, the big four networks—was covering the story. Reporters were broadcasting live from the police station, the hospital, and the street where it all happened.

The following day, the media frenzy intensified, with print publications, in particular, running detailed, in-depth reports.

After Helen made her calls to Universal and Paramount, both studios eagerly jumped on board, amplifying the publicity for their upcoming releases.

"Headline: Matthew Horner Targeted by Mexican Cartel in Retaliation for Aiding Police Drug Bust!"

"Matthew Horner: A True Hero in Our Midst!"

"The Real Matthew Horner: A Hero On and Off the Big Screen!"

"Matthew Horner: Hollywood's Iron Warrior!"

The countless videos circulating online and on television painted a clear picture for the public: Matthew Horner had helped apprehend criminals last year, and this was their revenge. But the assailants who came seeking vengeance had not only failed—they had been single-handedly defeated by Matthew himself.

The impact of the footage was immense. For days, Matthew was the sole focus of the media's attention.

As a result, Matthew's public reputation soared to an all-time high.

Across social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, news about Matthew dominated everyone's feeds.

The incident had a direct impact on the upcoming release of "Fast & Furious 4." Major theater chains across North America increased the film's screen count, scheduling it for a massive domestic release in over 4,400 theaters.

Simultaneously, theaters coordinated with Universal to open advance ticket sales for the film's first week. In a single day, pre-sales reached nearly eighteen million dollars.

Fans flooded social media, expressing their eagerness to see Matthew's character on the big screen.

Matthew, for his part, did everything in his power to ensure the event received maximum exposure.

He was about to leave North America for the international promotion tour, but Helen was adamantly opposed.