lcionline Chapter 154 A Bold Script
Chapter 154 A Bold Script
Chapter 154 A Bold Script
The morning breeze drifted across the villa's terrace, carrying the faint warmth of spring.
However, Qin Han stood on the edge of the railing, looking at the flashing system notification in front of him, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
Someone actually wants to assassinate Nixon?!
After the initial shock, he quickly analyzed what this intelligence could bring.
In this land that prides itself on freedom, presidential assassinations are nothing new.
President Kennedy, whose imagination ran wild, was jokingly called "Melody" by netizens in later generations. It has only been less than ten years since his assassination.
In the future, President Reagan, a former Hollywood actor, will also be shot in full view of the public.
The highest seat of power in the United States has always been accompanied by a strong stench of bloodshed.
Qin Han closed his eyes and tried his best to search for useful information in his vast memory bank. Finally, a long-forgotten memory of light and shadow gradually emerged.
In his past life, he had watched an independent film starring Sean Penn.
The film tells the story of a tire salesman whose life has fallen into despair and who has suffered a mental breakdown. In order to take revenge on this unjust society and a government full of lies, he plans to board a Delta Airlines passenger plane with a bomb and a handgun, and attempt to hijack the plane and crash it into the White House.
He had always thought it was a fictional script full of Hollywood-style political metaphors, used to vent the dissatisfaction of the lower classes with the government.
So that was based on a true historical event!
Taking two deep breaths, Qin Han looked towards the airport: Nixon absolutely cannot die at this critical juncture.
He had just used the port attack incident to drop a media bombshell about Bruce Lee's assassination into Washington with a military sniper rifle.
In order to quell public discontent and save his precarious presidency, Nixon was forced to completely sever ties with the "Japan clique" and even ordered the ambassador to be summoned in preparation for sanctions against Japan.
Once this president runs into problems and a new person takes office, the entire political landscape will be reshuffled.
Those conservative zaibatsu and Japanese right-wing forces driven to the brink of despair will inevitably take advantage of the chaos during the power transition to launch a frenzied counterattack.
At that time, Bruce Lee's safety and the expansion of Hans Brothers Film Company will face unpredictable setbacks.
"We must save him," Qin Han muttered to himself.
Theoretically speaking, this assassination attempt should have been resolved naturally through the efforts of all parties, just like in the movies. After all, in his previous life, Nixon ultimately resigned because of the Watergate scandal, not because he died in office.
However, the "American Graffiti" incident made him realize that his influence on the entire history was taking place in a subtle way, and no one could guarantee the outcome of this attack.
However, now that he had obtained this intelligence in advance, he could naturally become more deeply involved in this incident.
If people realize that the president survived an assassination attempt but bravely fought back against the terrorists, could it save his precarious political career?
If Hans can become the core force to save the president at this critical juncture, this achievement will become his super pass to Hollywood and even the whole of the United States.
But how should I break this deadlock?
Should he just pick up the phone and call General Bill? Tell the Pentagon that someone is planning to crash a plane into the White House?
This is absolutely absurd.
In the 1970s, before the Internet existed, even the director of the CIA could not have sat in his Los Angeles villa and accurately predicted a hijacking plan that was far away.
The source of the intelligence is simply inexplicable.
Once he arouses the suspicion of the military and intelligence agencies, he will go from being a "prophet" to the "prime suspect".
.
We must find an impeccable reason, using an extremely plausible "coincidence," to expose this conspiracy.
Qin Han turned around and strode back to the bedroom, ripped off his bathrobe, and put on a well-fitting dark gray business suit.
As he put on his watch and tied his tie, the script was already formed in his mind.
An hour later, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios.
Fred Weintraub's office was filled with the rich aroma of Cuban cigars.
"Qin, try this. President Ashley just brought it out of his private wine cellar yesterday. I know you don't drink, but a sip shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Fred poured some wine into a glass and handed it to Qin Han, his face glowing with a rosy hue.
The post-production of "Enter the Dragon" has been successfully completed, and the initial promotion has begun with very positive results. In the eyes of this chubby producer, Qin Han is already a walking gold mine.
Qin Han didn't touch the wine glass, but leisurely crossed his legs and said to him, "Fred, we can save the drinking for the celebration banquet of 'Enter the Dragon'."
"I'm here today because a brilliant new idea has popped into my head. An idea that could allow Warner Bros. to create another box office miracle."
Fred immediately stubbed out his cigar and stood up excitedly: "A completely new script? Tell me quickly, what kind of story is it? A kung fu movie or a horror movie?"
"Neither," Qin Han shook his head. "I watched the news all night last night."
"The shooting at Long Beach Harbor, the protests in Washington—the public's panic has reached its peak. Everyone is afraid, afraid that unseen terrorists will appear next to them at any moment."
He stared intently into Fred's eyes: "This extreme panic presents a fantastic market opportunity for us. I plan to make a brand new anti-terrorism film based on the recent spate of terrorist attacks."
"Anti-terrorism?" Fred pondered the term, then nodded after a moment's thought. "That's certainly a very insightful angle. Catering to public sentiment is the best guarantee for box office success. How do you plan to film it? Will the protagonist be a lone detective like John Wayne?"
"The detective's perspective is too narrow." Qin Han shook his head impatiently. "I saw the headlines in the newspapers. The World Trade Center in New York, those two towering skyscrapers, are about to officially open, right?"
"That's right, it's a miracle in American architectural history, a new landmark in Manhattan, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony is said to be next month."
Qin Han laughed and said seriously to Fred, "What if a group of vicious terrorists, armed with heavy weapons, hijacked a large commercial airliner full of passengers?"
"Without making any demands or asking for ransom, they simply piloted that plane loaded with aviation fuel and crashed it head-on into this newly built building. What do you think of that?"
With a "clang"—
Fred slammed the crystal wine glass in his hand onto the table, splashing bright red wine all over a large area of the documents.
He stared at Qin Han as if he were a madman, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets.
"Qin—you, do you know what you're saying?" he stammered. "To crash a passenger plane into those two new buildings?!"
This is insane!
Hollywood screenwriters often like to write disaster movies, which usually involve earthquakes, tsunamis, or buildings on fire.
But using terrorist attacks to destroy national landmarks? This kind of plot is completely beyond the imagination of filmmakers in the 1970s.
"Isn't this plot—too exaggerated, too—absurd?" Fred pulled out a few tissues and haphazardly wiped the wine on the table. "I mean, with the Civil Aviation Administration's security checks being so strict, how could terrorists possibly bring weapons onto a plane? The audience will just think this is third-rate science fiction."
"Exaggerated? Absurd?" Qin Han leaned back in his chair, sneering, "A few days ago, did you think anyone would dare to assassinate Bruce Lee with a military sniper rifle right under the noses of hundreds of reporters?"
This statement directly shattered Fred's rebuttal: Yes, reality is often more absurd than movies.
Qin Han continued to offer his ideas: "After the massive disaster, the president was furious. The military dispatched its top agents to infiltrate the enemy country and uproot the terrorist stronghold amidst the desert and smoke of war, making them pay for their crimes in blood."
"An extreme visual spectacle of destruction, coupled with a lone hero's revenge story of swift retribution."
"Fred, there's conflict, there are highlights, there's emotional catharsis. If it's filmed, it will be an even more exciting 007 series. It will definitely make Warner Bros. a fortune."
Fred's breathing gradually became heavy.
As a seasoned producer, the horrific images of the collision with the building and the shock this news caused across the United States involuntarily flashed through his mind.
If this scene could actually be brought to the big screen—the box office would absolutely explode!
“But,” Fred swallowed hard, “the script has to be logically sound. How do we explain to the audience how the hijackers managed to breach airport security?”
"Good question." Qin Han stood up abruptly, straightening his suit buttons. "That's also the main reason I came to see you today. You can't write a good script by working in isolation. To find the most authentic inspiration, let's head to Los Angeles International Airport now for some research."
"Now?" Fred was stunned.
"Yes, right now. We need to conduct an on-site inspection of the current airport security procedures to see if there are any loopholes that can be exploited in the script. As a Warner executive, contacting the airport management for cooperation shouldn't be a problem, right?"
In Los Angeles, it's common for Hollywood to conduct on-site research at public facilities in preparation for film projects.
Major organizations are also very willing to cooperate with the big studios, after all, this is also a form of indirect publicity.
"No problem, I'll call the airport's operations director right away." Fred immediately grabbed the phone on his desk and started dialing.
Watching Fred's busy figure, Qin Han's eyes were as deep as an ancient well: he had a legitimate reason.
By using the guise of a field trip, he could appear openly at Los Angeles International Airport without arousing anyone's suspicion.
While Fred was on the phone, Qin Han walked to another phone in the corner of the office and dialed the security base's number.
The call was quickly connected, and Zhou Ruofei's voice came through: "Master."
"If not, immediately gather ten of the most skilled brothers."
"Change into casual clothes, no suits, no uniforms, dress up as tourists, business people, or family members picking up passengers at the airport."
Proceed immediately to the departure lounge of Los Angeles International Airport.
"I need to go to the airport for research, but it's a public place and could be dangerous. The Long Beach shooting just happened recently, so I need you all to spread out and lurk around me."
"Remember, no one is allowed to reveal their identity without my hand signals. Carry only short-range weapons and ensure uninterrupted communication."
"Understood! Deployment completed within twenty minutes!" Zhou Ruofei hung up the phone cleanly and decisively without asking any further questions.
Los Angeles International Airport.
Although the security procedures at airports in the 1970s seemed quite rigorous to most people, they were child's play compared to those of later times.
There are no full-body X-ray scanners, no cumbersome procedures of taking off shoes and belts; family members seeing off their loved ones can even walk directly to the boarding gate and hug and kiss them goodbye across a simple barrier.
In the bustling departure hall, a calm female voice announced over the loudspeaker that boarding for the flight to Washington, D.C., was about to begin.
"Mr. Qin, Mr. Weintraub. As you can see, our security procedures are among the best in the United States."
A portly airport security supervisor, wearing a name tag around his neck, was proudly introducing himself to the two men.
He pointed to a metal detector gate in front of him: "That's the latest magnetic detection equipment. It's still being tested. In the future, no gun or knife will be able to escape its watchful eye."
Fred was taking notes in a small notebook, occasionally asking questions about baggage check-in.
Qin Han followed beside them, a pen in his hand twirling unconsciously between his fingers, seemingly nonchalant, but actually scanning the bustling crowd quickly.
Passengers of all skin colors and attire passed before his eyes.
White men in suits, vacationing families in floral shirts, a singer carrying a guitar —
Suddenly, "Thump!"
A slightly muffled impact sound entered Qin Han's ears.
Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw a heavy canvas backpack placed on the floor.
How heavy must the contents of such a small backpack be to make such a sound?
Qin Han looked at the owner of the backpack.
It was a white man sitting on a corner waiting chair less than 30 meters from the security checkpoint, wearing a brown baseball cap pulled low.
His hat brim almost completely covered the upper half of his face. He was wearing a slightly oversized military green flight jacket and was neither reading a newspaper nor looking around.
Qin Han noticed that although he appeared relaxed, his eyes, hidden under the brim of his hat, were constantly scanning the airport security personnel and the passengers.
He walked past casually, and as he passed the man, he pretended to trip and grabbed the man's shoulder.
"Ouch!" the man cried out in pain.
"Oh my god, sir, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—" Qin Han quickly reached out and pretended to brush the dust off the man's body.
"Get out of my way!" The man waved his hand impatiently, signaling Qin Han to leave.
"Okay, I'm sorry—" Qin Han left the man's side with a flushed face.
As soon as he turned around, his eyes changed instantly: there was a noticeable bulge on the man's arm, and combined with the painful sound he had just heard, he was certain that it was a thick bandage!
At the port's gantry crane, Zhou Ruofei emptied her magazine and hit the fleeing sniper!
There's a very high chance this person is the assassin!
He's the one who wanted to attack the White House!
"Qin, what's wrong with you just now?" Fred asked, puzzled when he saw Qin Han walk over and turn around inexplicably.
"It's nothing, Fred, let's continue the tour." Qin Han patted the corner of his clothes, signaling the security supervisor to continue his process.
"If not, I've discovered a problem!" He pressed his earpiece the moment the two turned around.