Meanwhile, Little Sheldon had visited several supermarkets in the neighborhood, but none of them carried the specific whole wheat bread he was looking for.
As dinner time approached, he trudged back to his front door, thoroughly depressed.
"Excuse me, kid. Do you know the girls from that pop group?" A female reporter, who had been staking out the Cooper house, approached Sheldon the moment she saw him.
"Of course. I've seen their performance. They used to come here often to see Mike..." Sheldon, currently wallowing in his bread-less misery, answered honestly without a second thought.
"The Mike you're talking about... is that the songwriter Mike? The one who writes for them?" The reporter's eyes lit up. She realized she had accidentally stumbled onto a scoop.
Seeing this, several other reporters swarmed over like sharks smelling blood.
"Excuse me, do you know what the relationship is between Mike and the group?"
"Is he dating one of them?"
Sheldon, who had a mild phobia of crowds (ochlophobia), felt his head start to spin as the barrage of random questions hit him. He felt a panic attack coming on.
Feeling nauseous, his immediate instinct was to escape.
However, just as Sheldon was about to make a run for it, he noticed the press badges hanging around their necks.
"We can talk about Mike later..."
Sheldon fought back his discomfort and stopped. A brilliant plan formed in his mind. "I have a major issue concerning public health. Are you interested in reporting on that?"
Yes, he decided to use the power of the press to expose the "unethical" behavior of a food corporation.
Unfortunately, Sheldon's age made his declaration lack gravity. After all, what kind of breaking news could a kid possibly have?
Among the reporters, only the female journalist kept her curious expression. She decided to play along. "Oh? What kind of major issue?"
She had a bit more finesse than the others. She figured if she built a rapport with the kid first, she could trick him into spilling the beans about Mike later. In her eyes, a naive child was easier to manipulate than an adult.
"I want to file a complaint and condemn the 'Camel' Food Company. Their sweet bread is endangering people's health..." Sheldon, completely unaware of the treacherous nature of adults, proceeded with his exposé.
"Could you elaborate?"
The Camel brand was huge. Sensing a potential scandal, the reporter fanned the flames.
"The packaging on Camel's whole wheat bread used to say—'Energy for your Health'..."
"But now, without public consent, they've secretly changed the formula. They're using refined flour, saccharin, and artificial coloring—unhealthy raw materials..."
"For the sake of everyone's health, I strongly suggest that Camel immediately revert to selling their original whole wheat bread."
Oblivious to the severity of what was happening, Sheldon poured out all his grievances and demands against the food giant.
Camel Food Company had built its empire by catering to the working class. From a democratic standpoint, Sheldon's request wasn't exactly radical.
However, reporters are masters of taking things out of context.
"So, what you're saying is... a private company should be forced to listen to your demands?" a different reporter asked. He had picked up on a different angle—a much more sensational one.
"Yes. I've studied their corporate history. Camel Food grew because they had a strong foundation with the people, so they should maintain that..." Sheldon lectured confidently.
"So, can I interpret this as you supporting Communism?" the reporter asked sharply.
The history of the United States isn't long, and currently, driven by capital, the country was in a period of rapid growth. However, across the ocean, another superpower with a completely different ideology was also rising.
This situation created a deep sense of insecurity from the top down in America, making the "Red Scare" and "Great Power Competition" hot-button issues.
On a small scale, it's a difference in lifestyle. On a large scale, it's a clash of nations.
Given the political climate, the reporter's question was clearly malicious.
Sheldon might be socially awkward, but he was a certified genius. He quickly realized something was wrong.
But, adhering to his strict logical rigor, Sheldon answered, "Collecting public opinion to satisfy the needs of the people isn't wrong..."
---
While Sheldon was pontificating, Little George (Georgie) was in the living room, peeking through the window. He noticed the commotion.
"Hey, looks like Sheldon's in trouble," Georgie said, looking thrilled at his brother's misfortune. He, too, failed to grasp the seriousness of the situation.
"Shut up, Georgie." Mary, who was waiting to serve dinner, ordered her eldest son, "Go get your brother inside."
Georgie, who had suffered enough at the hands of reporters before, wanted to watch Sheldon squirm a bit longer. But seeing his mother's darkening expression, he wisely headed out.
However, moments later, he ran back in, looking panicked.
"What is it now, Georgie? Where's Shelly?" Mary asked impatiently.
"It's... it's bad," Georgie stammered, genuinely anxious. "You guys need to go out there. Sheldon has really stepped in it this time."
Georgie might be a goofball, but he wouldn't joke like this, and he certainly wasn't a good enough actor to fake that panic.
Worried about her "Shelly-bean," Mary grabbed her husband and headed for the door.
"Let's go. We should all take a look." Meemaw (Connie), knowing how tricky reporters could be, put on her serious face.
---
"What is your view on the American government?"
"What do you think about that regime across the ocean?"
Outside the Cooper house, the reporters were in a frenzy, realizing they had struck gold.
They fired strange, loaded questions at Sheldon one after another.
Mary, having just stepped out, felt her legs go weak when she heard what they were asking.
These questions were traps.
One wrong answer, and you'd be branded a traitor to the country.
"What do we do, George?" Mary felt a surge of fear as she watched her youngest son being led down a dangerous path by the media.
"Don't worry, maybe it's not that serious..." George Sr. held his wife steady, whispering reassurances. But his trembling hands betrayed his own lack of confidence.
"This is big trouble..." Paige, who had followed them out, assessed the situation.
"Alright, let's figure out how to get through this." Mike patted the little girl on the head and walked toward the yard.
Strictly speaking, the reporters were only here because of Mike. Sheldon was just collateral damage.
Furthermore, this was no longer just Sheldon's problem. If this escalated, the entire Cooper family—and even Meemaw—could be implicated.
"Sheldon, get behind me." Mike pushed through the crowd and pulled Sheldon behind his back.
Even if he couldn't solve the problem instantly, he had to stop the bleeding. Getting Sheldon away from the microphones was the first step.
Sheldon, who had no idea how to handle the press, obeyed Mike's command and bolted back into the house like a frightened rabbit.
The reporters, seeing their target escape, turned their aggression toward Mike, throwing all their previous questions at him.
"Everyone, calm down. Sheldon's comments were just the ramblings of a child. You can't take them seriously..." Mike didn't take the bait. He stayed on message, trying to cover for Sheldon.
Luckily, Sheldon's age provided a layer of protection. The phrase "he's just a kid" still carried a lot of weight.
"Who taught the child to say those things? Is there a problem with his home education?"
But there's always a puppet master behind a bratty kid—or so the logic goes. Realizing Mike was deflecting, the reporters cleverly pivoted the attack toward Sheldon's family.
"There is nothing wrong with Sheldon's upbringing. He simply has an opinion about bread..." Mike calmly circled around the reporters' traps.
---
Meanwhile, back inside the house, Sheldon was being grilled by Mary.
"Alright, stop blaming Shelly. We need to solve the problem at hand..."
Meemaw, who had weathered many storms in her life, grasped the key to the solution. "Mary, George, come with me. We need some props..."
A few moments later, under Meemaw's direction, George Sr. hung a massive Star-Spangled Banner on the porch.
The entire Cooper family changed into clothes covered in American flags and patriotic symbols.
Sheldon, in particular, was wearing a top hat, essentially cosplaying as Uncle Sam.
Then, they lined up neatly at the front gate and began to sing The Star-Spangled Banner.
It turns out, if you use your brain, there are always more solutions than problems.
As the anthem rang out, the reporters fell into a respectful silence. You can't attack patriotism.