All Guns Blazing!
Harry-Percy, without hesitation, ripped off his mask, revealing his vicious and brutal nature. He sank his teeth into Sony Columbia's leg, determined to drag them down with him in a suicidal move.
"A dog bites another dog, and it's all fur."
In this era of entertainment overload, anything is possible. Things were becoming increasingly absurd and surreal, as chaos reigned over the summer. More and more people joined this whirlwind, while the rapid twists and countless suspense left everyone dizzy.
Indeed, people disliked Harry-Percy, but now, in the face of Sony Columbia's ugliness and filth, Harry didn't seem as repulsive.
Of course, a small minority insisted that Harry's exposé was just a distraction, much like Sony Columbia's previous ploy of bribing Jason Owen to take the fall.
"Neither side is any good."
This sentiment had its supporters, but in the end, they were swayed by the argument that "no matter what, Anson is innocent," and began angrily lashing out at the tabloids and Wall Street, expressing deep sympathy for Anson's plight.
The cacophony of voices exploded—Hollywood news had never been this lively. Even the media frenzy surrounding "Bennifer" hadn't reached this level.
And TMZ emerged as the biggest winner, striding onto the historical stage with a bang.
After this, regardless of interest in Hollywood or curiosity about gossip, the name TMZ became etched into the eyes and ears of millions of ordinary people, solidifying the association between TMZ and gossip.
It was unimaginable—one moment, people were attacking Harry, and the next, they were cheering him on.
After all, it was "Harry-Percy vs. Sony Columbia."
If people wanted to see Sony Columbia act in good faith to protect innocent Anson, they had to rally behind Harry-Percy.
Thus, a spectacle was born.
Television. Radio. Newspapers. The Internet. Every media outlet you could name covered the story, leaving no one untouched by this news.
And, either explicitly or subtly, the media stood overwhelmingly behind Anson, the only truly innocent victim in this drama.
When "The Today Show" and "Good Morning America" reported on the story, when major TV stations jumped into the fray, when Blair opened her web browser, the whole world seemed to spin out of control, plunging into chaos.
Blair froze for a moment, then began to gasp for air.
It was only then that she realized she had been holding her breath, staring at the computer screen, forgetting everything else.
Sadness. Anger. Bitterness. Frustration.
Words could hardly capture her emotions. A tangled web of feelings twisted within her, evolving into a kind of painful inner conflict.
What had Anson done wrong?
Nothing.
Not only was he innocent, but Anson was the real victim. He was also the key to Spider-Man's historic breakthrough. And all he ever wanted was to return to the "Spider-Man 2" set.
So, what did he get in return?
Blair was so devastated that she forgot to cry. It felt like her heart had been shattered into pieces.
No. She couldn't cry. She couldn't be weak or surrender.
She had to fight for Anson. Against a giant like Sony Columbia, Anson alone didn't stand a chance. Blair had to make sure that Sony Columbia knew Anson wasn't fighting alone.
For the first time ever, Anson needed them.
With this thought, a surge of courage and determination erupted inside her. No despair, no sorrow, no breakdown. Blair took a deep breath and forced herself to be strong.
Unconsciously, Blair thought back to that afternoon in New York when she witnessed Anson and his band performing on the streets, singing their hearts out in front of a bustling crowd, as if there were no audience at all.
They sang:
"Hey, they say I'm young and foolish, they say I'm chasing dreams, if I don't wake up soon, life will slip away, but I don't care."
"Wake me when we reach the end."
Blair clenched her fists, her resolve growing even stronger. The more dire the situation, the more resolute she became. She immediately called her friend Karen Fox.
It was clear that Karen was also furious, and the two started a heated exchange over the phone, but Karen's anger still wouldn't subside.
"...Anson should quit. Let that movie and Sony Columbia go to hell."
"Even without Spider-Man, Anson is a hot commodity. Any random movie he does will be a hit. But without Anson, Spider-Man is nothing. We'll boycott the film and make Sony Columbia regret it."
Karen was livid.
"Damn it. Damn it, damn it!"
Karen's rage couldn't be contained.
On the other end of the line, Blair grew calmer and, unable to hold it in, started laughing.
Karen: ???
"Blair! How can you be laughing? Jesus Christ, do you even realize what's happening?"
Blair: "Of course I do. That's why I called you. I think we should fight back."
Karen: "Damn right. We should quit 'Spider-Man 2' and let Sony Columbia and their so-called grand plans go straight to hell."
Blair: "No, I disagree."
Karen: "What?"
Blair: "I think quitting without a fight is exactly what Sony Columbia wants. If we just walk away, they don't even have to go through the trouble of dealing with Anson. They can replace him with no consequences."
"Sure, we aren't worried about Anson's future. He'll succeed without Spider-Man, and we'll still show up at theaters to support him. But what about Sony Columbia?"
"We wouldn't be able to affect Sony Columbia at all. They'd issue a half-hearted apology and keep moving forward. Spider-Man won't stop being made without Anson."
Karen was stunned. She couldn't grasp Blair's logic. "But, but..."
"But if Anson keeps filming Spider-Man, doesn't that mean we're just helping Sony Columbia make more money? Why should we?"
Karen was about to explode.
Blair knew it was a hard pill to swallow, but it was the truth. A harsh, cruel truth. "Because Sony Columbia is still one of the top movie studios in Hollywood."
Blair took a deep breath, trying to calm Karen down.
"Karen, we can boycott Sony Columbia. We can boycott 'Spider-Man 2.' Anson can walk away from the Spider-Man franchise. That's all fine."
"But even without us, others will still go to the theaters. Sony Columbia will still make money from someone else's tickets. 'Spider-Man 2' won't bomb at the box office."
Karen wanted to argue that Spider-Man was nothing without Anson, but the words stuck in her throat. She knew Blair was right.
"From Superman to Batman, no matter if a film flops or an actor leaves due to conflicts, the studios always keep making movies. Giants like Sony Columbia don't get hurt. In the end, only we and Anson suffer."