"Darling, what's wrong? Your brows are so furrowed."
Theron didn't know when she had walked behind Eric, gently rubbing his temples. Last night's exertions had been long, and Theron knew her man hadn't fully recovered his energy.
Feeling the warm, delicate skin, Eric sighed: "Dream-disturbing, nothing good ever happens first thing in the morning."
"In Massachusetts, yesterday, an extreme anti-gay individual set fire to a movie theater."
"My goodness! Did anyone die?" Theron's eyes widened in surprise.
"Fortunately, over a dozen people suffered injuries of varying severity, but no one was burned to death. The movie theater, along with surrounding buildings, was reduced to ruins."
"That serious? Why did he set it on fire? Was it because of a movie?"
Eric shook his head slightly, helplessly: "We have to admit, there are just a group of lunatics in the world whose minds have been twisted."
"After this guy set the fire, he didn't flee. Instead, he waited openly at the scene, just waiting for the police and media to arrive."
"When the reporters came, he held up signs and shouted slogans like 'Homosexuality is shameful,' 'Oppose homosexuality,' and 'Homosexuality is an act of blasphemy against God.'"
"He also ranted that it was because this movie theater was showing blue is the warmest color that he had to set it on fire, to burn those homosexuals and the perverts who supported them."
"Crazy! Absolutely crazy! God certainly didn't teach him to commit arson and harm others."
Theron sighed: "If it's Massachusetts, I'm not too surprised. Did you hear about what happened last month?"
"What happened?"
"November 18th. Oh, that was when transformers premiered, you were busy then."
"Also in Massachusetts, the State Supreme Court heard a case regarding same-sex marriage. Julie and Goodrich, along with seven other same-sex couples, filed a lawsuit against the Department of Public Health, demanding to be allowed to register their marriages like normal couples."
"This matter caused a huge uproar, and many legislators got involved, including President Bush, who explicitly opposed same-sex marriage. To this day, the State Supreme Court has not yet issued a ruling."
"If you pay more attention to the news in Massachusetts, you'll find that there are demonstrations and protests every few days there, both supporting and opposing same-sex marriage."
"At such a sensitive time, blue is the warmest color was released, which must have stimulated the nerves of the anti-gay community, leading to this extreme incident."
After listening to Theron, Eric pondered privately.
"Darling, with the arson incident, the media will certainly report it extensively again. Someone will definitely try to smear you."
"I know. At least The Independent will definitely not miss any opportunity to blacken my name."
"So what are you going to do?"
Eric looked up at Theron: "My beautiful lady, tell me, do you have an idea?"
"My suggestion is, since you can't escape it, you'd best strike first."
"You want me to fly over and visit the patients?"
"Yes, and it would be best to cover their medical expenses. It might cost one or two million dollars, but it could earn you, the movie, and MGM a good reputation."
"Standing on moral high ground, you can legitimately criticize others."
"I didn't say the second half, but at least it can shut up many people who attack you, and it helps with the movie's promotion. Turning around public opinion is also good for the box office, isn't it?"
Eric couldn't help but pinch her pretty face: "Clever woman, interested in working for my company? Promotion, public relations, or other positions?"
Smooch!
Theron kissed Eric on the forehead: "Can the position be reserved? I'll go when I'm older and tired of acting."
"No problem, always reserved for you."
Ahem.
The two kissed passionately, and feeling Eric's little brother perk up again, Theron quickly got up and dodged away.
"You've only slept for just over 3 hours, don't you ever get tired?"
"Hehe. With you, there's no such thing as being tired."
"I give up on you. Stop messing around, let's go now, the sooner the better."
"Mmm."
Around noon, Eric, accompanied by the Olsen Sisters, arrived in Boston, the capital of Massachusetts, and then headed straight for the hospital.
On the way, Eric received a call from Chen Xing.
"Sure enough, public opinion has already fermented. The media and the internet are all hyping this matter, and some media outlets have already started criticizing us."
"What did those guys say?"
Mary's tone was filled with anger; she and her sister had been woken up by anger early this morning.
"The usual. They say we shouldn't have filmed such a movie during a sensitive period, demanding that MGM pull it, that major movie theaters refuse it, and that audiences consciously boycott it."
"Then they also demand that we publicly apologize. That's roughly the gist of it."
"Bastards! These demands are too unreasonable. We didn't set the movie theater on fire. Shouldn't the culprit be severely punished instead?"
"Don't pay attention to them. You can't reason with these people. When we get to the hospital, just follow the procedures, then accept interviews, and don't make any overly aggressive statements."
"Understood. We are business people, not politicians. To make money, business people cannot offend any group. Doing what we should do is the right thing to do."
An hour later, the car arrived at the hospital gate, which was surrounded by vehicles from various TV stations.
When Eric and the two stepped out of the car, they instantly attracted the attention of all the reporters. A group of people, like sharks smelling blood, swarmed over and surrounded them, shoving cameras and microphones in their faces with questions.
"Mr. Cooper, at this time, why are you coming to the hospital?"
"Ashley, can you answer a question? Do you think the arson is related to the movie?"
"Mr. Cooper, what exactly prompted you to make this movie, and to use biological sisters as the two leads?"
"Mary, look here, look here! What is your attitude towards homosexuality?"
"Ashley, Mary, it is now rumored that you two sisters have a friendship that goes beyond familial affection. Can you explain this?"
Fortunately, Eric had anticipated that this operation would not be smooth and had hired five bodyguards in advance. The media was secondary; the main concern was another attack by extremists.
As a transmigrator, he had no system, no superpowers, and was still a bit weak.
Eric said loudly: "Please be quiet, everyone. Upon learning of this unfortunate news, we are very distressed and deeply saddened, so we immediately flew over from Los Angeles. Please allow us to go in and visit the victims first, okay?"
After he finished speaking, five burly men forcefully parted the crowd, clearing a path for the three of them.
Upon entering the building, they were first led by the hospital to a lounge, where the victims' families were gathered.
Seeing the three of them, many people had complex expressions.
Eric knew that some of them must harbor resentment towards him. After all, if you hadn't made this movie, my child wouldn't have gone to see it, and wouldn't have suffered this misfortune.
"Everyone, I hope you understand that I am very sorry for what happened. This was not our intention."
"We just wanted to make a movie, nothing else. We are deeply sorry for what you have endured!"
"Of course, we understand that no amount of apologies can compensate for the suffering you have experienced, so in the spirit of humanitarianism..."
"MGM and Dual Star Entertainment have decided to cover the medical expenses of all victims, hoping that this will alleviate your pain and burden."
Upon hearing this, a friendly look finally appeared in everyone's eyes.
While money cannot prevent tragedy, it can at least mitigate the pain caused by it.
The three stayed in the lounge for a while, then met with the less severely injured victims one by one, taking photos, signing autographs, and giving small gifts, saying many encouraging words.
Three of the more seriously injured were still in critical condition, but the hospital stated that they would do everything possible, and the chances of successful treatment were still very high, which reassured Eric.
If no one died, public opinion would not worsen, which was for the best.
After completing these tasks under the cameras, Eric and the Olsen Sisters walked out of the building to formally accept interviews.
A Fox reporter was the first to step forward and pose a bombshell question.
"Mr. Cooper, did you choose to make this movie because you support homosexuality?"
Eric did not answer directly, but instead asked: "Mr. Reporter, have you seen blue is the warmest color?"
"Not yet," the other party replied somewhat awkwardly.
"Then I suggest you watch it carefully. After watching it, you will find that blue is the warmest color only borrows the perspective of same-sex lovers. The core of the movie is actually love and life."
"It has nothing to do with whether you are homosexual or heterosexual. As long as you are human, you will have love, isn't that right?"
Not getting the desired answer, The Independent reporter continued to provoke, asking: "Mr. Cooper, what is your view on homosexuality? Do you think it violates the Bible?"
Eric shook his head: "I'm sorry, I'm not a believer, so I can't answer this question accurately, but I respect everyone's beliefs."
"Just briefly talk about it, everyone wants to know," the reporter pressed.
"Alright, actually my mother is a devout believer. She goes to church every week to worship, and sometimes she drags me along."
"She often teaches me that God created us in His own image, that God created humanity in His own image."
"Then I can't help but wonder, if we are all, in some sense, manifestations of God, doesn't that mean same-sex affection is also a part of God?"
"After all, people's sexual orientations are innate, don't you agree?"
A rhetorical question left The Independent reporter speechless, and he couldn't help but inwardly marvel at Eric Cooper's sharp tongue.
He had long known this kid was difficult to deal with, but he hadn't expected his skill level to have reached such a point.
Every time he tried to cause trouble for the other party, he never succeeded, only managing to outright smear him, and then he would get scolded by users himself.
"Of course, I am not a devout believer, so this interpretation might not be correct. If it's wrong, my mother will definitely scold me and give me a good lecture when I get home."
Ha ha ha ha.
Eric added another sentence, which caused quite a few people to chuckle, and the subsequent questions also became more harmonious.
After accepting interviews for more than ten minutes, the three reiterated their stance: we represent love, not a specific group.
After completing these tasks, the three hurried back to Los Angeles.
That same evening, reports appeared online. With an impartial attitude and the initiative to cover medical expenses unrelated to themselves, the actions of the three earned widespread praise.
Even media outlets at odds with Eric dared not report recklessly this time, for fear of what might happen if another extremist emerged.
Subsequently, the victims' families began to accept interviews, and the less severely injured victims also successively posted updates on Facebook, publishing photos of themselves with the Olsen Sisters and the small gifts.
Various words of praise further solidified the good deeds.
Several Republican Party congressmen expressed their praise for this, and Democratic Party congressmen also praised MGM and Dual Star Entertainment's humanitarian spirit.
Within a few days, public opinion took a major reversal. The police also began to increase patrols around movie theaters, and the few remaining extremists who continued to shout could not make much of a splash.
The improved public opinion was most directly reflected in the box office.
When the weekly box office for blue is the warmest color was released, many people exclaimed that they didn't understand it.
Many people, even if they were not interested in art-house films, still went to movie theaters under the influence of public opinion. Watching it seemed to have become a trend, and many people began to urge their local movie theaters to release it quickly.
500 movie theaters grossed nearly $21 million in one week, with an average of over $40,000 per theater, ranking second in the weekly box office chart.
The first place, of course, went to the lord of the rings: the return of the king, with Middle-earth Knights grossing $108 million in one week. Although it unfortunately did not break the records of transformers and spider-man, it still ranked third in North American film history, and its staying power was even longer.
The third place, naturally, was still transformers, which achieved an impressive box office of $16.6 million, while its overseas box office reached $41 million, bringing its global total box office to over $850 million, only half a step behind finding nemo.
Just as everything was looking up, the Massachusetts Supreme Court delivered its ruling.
By a vote of 4 to 3, the 7 judges ruled that the state government did not have sufficient reason to prohibit same-sex marriage, and that the current marriage law violated the freedom and equality clauses of the state constitution. The Supreme Court gave the state legislature 180 days to amend the law.
This meant that in half a year, Massachusetts would not only allow same-sex cohabitation but would also legally recognize their marriages, making it the first state in the United States to permit same-sex marriage.
The ruling, once issued, was like a bolt from the blue, immediately sparking discussion across the entire United States.
However, due to the recent vicious incident, the voices of opposition were noticeably reduced this time. The Massachusetts Supreme Court had definitely seized the opportunity to make this decision.
The Olsen Sisters also expressed their congratulations on Facebook and in media interviews, stating that it was about love, regardless of gender, and that this was great love.
The LGBTQ+ community and its supporters celebrated, with supportive voices and laughter heard everywhere.
Someone launched an event, calling on everyone to watch blue is the warmest color to celebrate this joyous occasion.
It was clear to discerning eyes that although the series of influences brought about by the movie were not the decisive factor, they did objectively promote the passage of the ruling.
The Olsen Sisters' Facebook account followers surged, increasing by over 1.8 million in one day, more than doubling their number.
Many people declared themselves ardent fans of Ashley and Mary, and calls for them to win the Golden Globe Awards and Oscar Winner became rampant.