Chapter 47: The Jenkins Act

  The villa's tone is mainly beige, looking a bit cold, just like Nicole's temperament. The bedrooms of the two are on the second floor, but it is unknown whether intentionally or unintentionally, they are separated by a considerable distance.

  Ryan's bedroom is now three times larger than before, and it also has a large walk-in closet. Although the newly purchased piano, desk bookshelves, and glass display case for small golden men have taken up quite some space, there is still some emptiness.

  After tidying up the manuscript and musical instrument, Ryan placed the photo of him and Nicole in the most conspicuous place, and hung that white gold necklace on the frame. Perhaps for other orphans, this necklace would have an extraordinary meaning, but to him, it was just a very beautiful necklace. As for who his parents were in this life, he had no interest at all.

  A separate phone was also installed in the room, so that it would be more convenient to argue with Natalie later, and Nicole wouldn't think they were fighting again every time they hung up.

  Ryan thought of Natalie and dialed the New York number, after hearing Mrs. Shelley's yell came a flurry of footsteps, followed by Natalie's voice.

  "Ryan? Why didn't you answer when I called you?"

  "Nicole and I just moved, this is our new phone number and address, remember it."

  "It's like that." From the other side came Natalie's voice asking for paper and pen, followed by "Haven't congratulated you yet, Best Supporting Actor!"

  Although it was a congratulatory message, the sour taste in it could be felt by Ryan even if they were thousands of miles apart.

  "Come on, Nate. Haven't you read the papers today? They're all crying foul for Jo Paci. They're practically saying I don't deserve this little gold man and that my win was due to PR."

  "Those tabloids have always liked to attack you, isn't it normal for them to say that? Haven't you seen the three major newspapers? They're all praising your achievements last year." It was extremely rare for Natalie to comfort him with a sentence.

  Ryan was just joking, every year after the Oscars there are such voices, people naturally sympathize with the losers, besides, even God can't get everyone's praise, let alone him.

  "Nate, if I wrote a script for you, would you act in it?" Ryan asked casually after some small talk, after all Natalie had her own pride and ambition, and he needed to test the waters before making his move, or else it might end up being counterproductive.

  "Hmm..." The other end of the phone seemed to be in thought, and it wasn't until a while later that Natalie spoke up, "If it's something like 'Home Alone', then I guess it's okay."

  "I guarantee, absolutely not."

  It's rare for the two not to quarrel over the phone, hang up, and Ryan thought back carefully. Natalie is still too young now, and it caused quite a stir in her previous life, so let's wait a little longer.

  However, if this work were to come from my own hands, it would definitely invite a torrent of criticism. But that's okay, at least I can take some bullets for the idol of my previous life.

  Fine! He admitted that in his past life, he was a brain-dead fan of hers. He had watched all the movies she'd ever been in, more than once, even if she was just an inconspicuous supporting actor, even if it was one of those artsy films he hated the most. For a time, her image haunted him like a nightmare, swirling around his mind until she stepped onto the Oscars stage, holding that little gold man, and he saw her bloated body alongside the French guy, at which point all his dreams woke up.

  Of course, he may be a bit crazy and obsessed, but he would never shoot his idol like John Lennon's fan did, nor would he assassinate the US president to get his idol's attention like Jodie Foster's fan did.

  Although the villa was filled with a lot of furniture, it was still quite empty with only him and Nicole living there, but the advantages were also obvious. Not to mention that Ryan wouldn't disturb the neighbors when practicing his instrument, let alone those paparazzi bothering them much less.

  The villa's gate is equipped with a surveillance camera system. If those guys dare to trespass, they'll be waiting to go to jail. Moreover, this is Beverly Hills, where the rich and famous are everywhere, and it's easy to divert most of the firepower.

  ……

  When facing conglomerates and capital, whether it's journalists or paparazzi, they are extremely cautious. They are very aware of the power that money holds in this country. However, when their opponent is a director of an orphanage, or even more so, a black director, the energy they can muster up is imaginable.

  If it were the government or police who took action, they might need to consider the legitimacy of the procedure, but these guys who are willing to go to hell for the sake of chasing news, using methods such as bribery, disguise, and subterfuge, sparing no effort, what's more, most people know what kind of places welfare institutions in the US are.

  In just three days, all the past misdeeds of the Nortons' Orphanage were dug up and published in the newspapers for the entire American public to see.

  To put it simply, before 1986, there were not many problems with this orphanage, but after the old director retired and a new one took over, this place became hell for orphans.

  Child abuse, embezzlement of funds, trampling on adoption laws and child protection laws, arbitrary misappropriation of other people's property... one by one, all these crimes fell on the head of Black Pig Maisie, the director, in just one day. And this woman, whose heart is as black as her skin, became notorious throughout America overnight.

  As the relevant reports came out one after another in the newspaper, people soon remembered that article from California Independent. They immediately understood why Ryan Jenkins didn't thank the dean; if he still wanted to thank her after such an event, then he wouldn't be a super genius but a super idiot.

  At the same time, The California Independent became an object of criticism from all media, even though some were comrades in the same trench.

  On this blue planet, political correctness is indispensable in any country, let alone involving 'freedom' and 'human rights'.

  The reporter who wrote the article was forced to slink away from the newspaper, while the editor-in-chief of the California Independent personally apologized to Ryan on the front page.

  The police quickly took control of Mrs. Messi and several black helpers, who were not just apologizing, but facing multiple felony charges.

  The incident did not end here, and many major media outlets began to discuss the current situation of orphanages across the United States and adoption laws, calling on society to give more care to orphans. The Supreme Court should re-examine the existing adoption law, make up for the loopholes in it, and prevent others from taking advantage of them.

  It was no longer just print media, but all three major television networks joined in as well, making the topic a national focus.

  Although Ryan single-handedly triggered the incident, its subsequent development was completely beyond his expectation. He never thought that such a seemingly simple matter would trigger a nationwide discussion in the US, and he also gained a lot of benefits from it.

  The most direct one is the aspect of fame. If his influence was previously only in the film and literary circles, now he has become a national celebrity across America, surpassing even the US military who had just won the Gulf War in a short period of time.

  Under the overwhelming discussion and pressure across the United States, a revised version of the Adoption Act was quickly released. To distinguish it from the old version, the media and the public simply called it the "Jenkins Act"!

  The naughty boy thus left his unique mark in American history.

  After the incident had slightly subsided, Ryan let Ms. Jin Silie donate one million US dollars to the American Orphan Charity Fund in his personal name. The money was not a lot, but it could earn him a good reputation, so why not?

  Sitting in the living room in front of the piano, Ryan's slender fingers fell on the black and white keys, "Moonlight Sonata" seemed exceptionally cheerful, just like his mood at this moment.

  He admitted that he had never been a broad-minded person, and those who were truly good to him would be grateful, such as Nicole. However, if someone offended him, he would take revenge without hesitation, even if it took several years.

  In this land of extreme pursuit of personal freedom, there is a half-cut-off famous saying - "Repay kindness with grievances, how to repay kindness!"

  The media is in an uproar over the welfare institution and orphan issue, and he is at the center of this incident. At this time, he can only hide at home; otherwise, as soon as he appears anywhere in Los Angeles, it will take no more than a few minutes for him to become surrounded and intercepted.

  To say, this semester is even more excessive than the previous one. Last semester, to put it another way, there was still a month spent in school, while this semester's time in school can be counted on two palms. If not for the school looking at his donation sponsorship, I'm afraid he would have received an expulsion warning long ago.

  Last year was a busy year, and it was also a year of great harvest. Not to mention him, but just talk about Nicole Kidman. Because of his relationship, she is no longer seen as a flower vase, but as an acting talent, and has successfully entered Hollywood and stood firm.

  Of course, no one would ignore her stunning appearance. With the nomination for Best Supporting Actress and the huge success of "Sleepless in Seattle", many advertisers came knocking on her door with checks in hand. Although it was far from the exaggeration that she earned millions of dollars by shooting a four-minute commercial in her previous life, it still made her wallet bulge up completely, and her salary gradually reached the standard of Hollywood's first-line actresses.

  "Ryan, are you ready? We should get going." Nicole walked into the living room wearing a bright red evening gown.

  "Nicole, I've been ready for an hour." Ryan sighed as he looked at Nicole, who was finally dressed and made up. It took women so much time and effort to get ready; this was relatively quick compared to the four hours he had waited for her on Oscar night.

  They were going to attend a charity dinner, organized by Gerald, the Warner executive in charge of film business. Most of the invitees were from the entertainment and media circles, and as last year's hottest couple, they naturally received his invitation.