Straight figure

Hugo bowed and apologized, and Joseph also bowed and apologized! This was truly beyond everyone's expectations!

In an instant, the flashlights at the scene formed a continuous sea of lights, and the crackling sound made the silence even more eerie. Faintly, a voice could be heard, "Damn it! No film!" It seemed that someone had been taking photos so enthusiastically that they had run out of film. Then the sound of their hurriedly changing the film could be heard, but apart from that, only the sound of the shutter echoed in the banquet hall.

Anthony was shocked by this unexpected turn of events. He had thought of various reactions from Hugo, but he hadn't anticipated this situation. He quickly realized Hugo's plan. Hugo intended to take the initiative to shoulder the blame and win the public's forgiveness in a pitiful manner. But Anthony absolutely couldn't let this happen. He had to regain control of the situation. In his anxious state, he hastily spoke in a trembling voice, "I really don't know what I did wrong. Please don't hit me, please...!"

Anthony tried to use the voice of a victim to redirect the attention, but unfortunately, before him stood Hugo, who was well-prepared. This time, the unintentional manipulator was Hugo and Joseph.

Hugo stood tall and saw Anthony take a step back as if he had been scared out of his wits. However, Hugo was indifferent to Anthony's poor acting skills. He bent down again and said, "I'm sorry, sincerely sorry. I'm sorry for hitting you last night. Although it was because I had drunk too much, leading to the situation getting out of control, it's no excuse. I'm sorry, I genuinely apologize." Hugo fully assumed Joseph's role, taking all the responsibility upon himself.

Amidst the intermittent sound of the shutter, Hugo's words were particularly clear. The reporters stopped what they were doing and began to observe the changes on the podium. Hugo continued, "I should have gone to the hospital to see you last night. It's truly regrettable that I'm expressing my apology only now. I will fully bear your medical expenses, compensation for mental distress, and lost wages. Although money cannot compensate for the harm you have suffered, I still hope you will accept it."

Hugo's behavior was impeccable. He apologized sincerely and showed genuine remorse. Regardless of his true intentions, on the surface, Hugo's etiquette was absolutely impeccable. After all, it was just a fight, not a life-or-death battle. Moreover, the reporters didn't miss a detail in Hugo's words: the issue of alcohol. This explained everything. Now, Hugo had taken all the blame upon himself, which eased the situation.

Anthony knew he didn't have many advantages left, but he also had limited options at the moment. He could only keep shouting, "Please don't hit me," to mask his inner anxiety. He had to quickly come up with a plan to alleviate his situation. In his desperation, Anthony finally thought of a scheme that wasn't really a scheme, "I know you're angry about the diva behavior, but everything I heard was true. I was just seeking confirmation from you, nothing more."

Anthony threw out his second bombshell. Originally, this was meant to fuel the fire when the newspaper was published tomorrow. Imagine a sequence of events: first, the assault incident, then the diva suspicions. After this series of negative news, Anthony would then fabricate some baseless speculation, which would have an unbelievably high credibility. This would drag Hugo into a quagmire ten times worse than the Razzie Awards a year ago.

But now, Anthony had to change his plans. He had to present his strategy ahead of time, attracting animosity and hoping to redirect the media's attention back to Hugo, seeking an escape.

Surprisingly, Anthony saw a hint of triumphant smile in Hugo's eyes, which completely plunged him into a fog. He didn't understand what he had missed and why Hugo, instead of being panicked, showed an expression of falling into a trap. It felt terrible.

Indeed, Hugo and Joseph had been worried about how to bring up Anthony's malicious slander. If they were to bring it up themselves, it would appear too obvious that they were trying to shift the blame, even though it was the truth. In the current unfavorable public opinion situation for Hugo, the public might condemn any action he took. Hugo and Joseph thought of a few strategies, but now they seemed unnecessary because Anthony brought it up on his own. This made Hugo unhappy, and even Joseph felt a slight sense of relief.

Facing Anthony's accusations, Hugo quickly suppressed the joy in his eyes and turned to the more than thirty reporters in front of him, showing a puzzled expression. "I'm also curious why something like this would happen, why you repeatedly defame me, Anthony. I suggest we lay everything out right here and now in front of all the reporters."

Then Hugo looked at Anthony and said, "First, you claimed that I had other thoughts about the Golden Globe Award, and then you accused me of diva behavior. I'm very curious about what exactly happened. If you have any doubts, I can clarify in front of all the reporters here."

Anthony was furious. This wasn't the Hugo he knew. Although Hugo still had his usual gentle and polite smile, the oppressive tone of his words left Anthony at a loss. This unexpected side of Hugo surprised Anthony again and again, making him now caught between a rock and a hard place.

Because Anthony knew that if he didn't speak, Hugo would speak; but if he spoke, Hugo must have prepared a counterargument. It wasn't like last night anymore, but Anthony had no choice but to speak because by speaking, he might have another chance to provoke Hugo. If he remained silent, everything would come to an end.

"I have reliable sources that indicate you were confident you would win the Best Supporting Actor award at the Golden Globe, and you were very angry when you found out that someone else won it," Anthony wanted to continue using some embellishments to increase the credibility of his words, but his brain slowed down, making his speech exceptionally feeble. Helplessly, Anthony had to summon his spirits and try to oppress Hugo with his demeanor.

But Anthony seemed to have forgotten one thing. Until now, he had always played the role of the weaker party. The submissive image of begging "don't hit me" was now gone. And Anthony had no time to spare to consider the stunned expressions of the journalists in the audience. All the reporters noticed this huge contrast in Anthony, no one was blind.

Hugo didn't raise his voice or rush forward. He calmly and warmly explained, "I am very certain that I didn't say those things. I believe Gene deserved the award, and I admire his performance. I am, however, very curious about the source of your information. Can I ask the source to come forward and confront me? Because I am certain I didn't say those things."

Hugo's composed and coherent explanation tossed the ball back to Anthony. Anthony frowned, unable to come up with a coherent response. He could only mutter phrases like "the source is secret, I can't reveal it." But he knew that the journalists in the audience would definitely investigate. He had very few advantages left in his hands. However, Anthony soon thought of the next piece of news confidently and said, "Then can you dare to say you didn't act like a diva?"

This incident did indeed happen, so Anthony was not afraid at all. He gathered his courage and said aggressively, "After Christmas, you went to Chicago to record "The Oprah Winfrey Show". You appeared at the corner of Yonghuo Street, surrounded by a group of enthusiastic and lovely fans. But you had a sour face and ignored any requests from these fans. You didn't sign autographs for them, didn't take photos with them, and didn't even greet them. You simply turned around and left. Did this happen?"

Hugo tried to speak, but Anthony, as if he had caught Hugo's weakness, continued to interrupt Hugo's words loudly, "Did it happen? You ignored the enthusiasm of the fans, even threw their heartfelt gestures into the trash can. Can you deny such a thing?"

Hugo and Joseph looked at each other helplessly. When they left Yonghuo Street, Hugo had told Joseph about this matter, and Joseph had comforted Hugo that it didn't matter. Now, the rumor of being arrogant had indeed spread!

"Yes, it did happen." Hugo admitted calmly, which immediately boosted Anthony's arrogance. "See, you started acting like a big shot as soon as you achieved a little success! I tried to verify this matter with you, but you assaulted me. This is irrefutable evidence!" Anthony even tried to show his scars, attempting to provoke Hugo.

But this time, Hugo didn't fall for it. He spoke up, saying, "Are you planning to give me a chance to explain?" With just one sentence, Anthony was left speechless, and all the journalists in the audience turned their attention back to Hugo. "Here's what happened: that night, I did go to Yonghuo Street to have dinner..." Hugo briefly explained the situation to the journalists. There's an old saying that goes, "A clear conscience fears no accusation". Hugo clarified the situation, and if anyone still accused him of being arrogant, he would accept it, because he knew the truth was enough for him.

"For the sake of personal safety and to avoid any accidents caused by the chaos at the scene, Joe and I had to leave in a hurry. That's the whole story. I'm very sorry for not being able to fulfill the wishes of those fans, but I absolutely do not believe that it was an act of arrogance." Hugo stated firmly, leaving Anthony dumbfounded.

Last night, Anthony was able to provoke Hugo because he ignored Hugo's explanations and stubbornly continued to smear Hugo's reputation with baseless accusations. But now, after exposing all the issues, Anthony couldn't ignore Hugo's explanations anymore, or else he would be seen as the one causing trouble for no reason. This sudden turn of events completely reversed the situation.

However, Hugo didn't plan to let Anthony off the hook. "If your questions have been answered, can you now answer my question? Why didn't you listen to my explanations and continuously defame my reputation? Not only did you rely on unfounded rumors to defame my opinion on the Golden Globe Awards and the big-shot rumors, but you also attempted to accuse me of plagiarism. This is something I absolutely cannot tolerate! I demand an apology from you for your defamation!"