Reese and Cleopatra's films were released in theaters and met with audiences one after another.
As a die-hard fan of the Lucy franchise, Vincenzo naturally watched both films and quickly shared his thoughts on Internet.
First was Reese's movie, Royal Knight. This film was shot with a strong sense of suspense, and the plot was highly engaging, revolving around the hidden secrets and conflicts within the royal family, as well as the people's resistance against a tyrannical ruler. Although Reese was a knight serving the royal family in name, logically bound to stand by their side, he ultimately chose to stand with the people on the side of justice.
Vincenzo saw the character's internal struggle throughout this process and also understood why Rean's superpower was light.
After watching the film, Vincenzo felt that Rean's character had truly come to life on screen, appearing more three-dimensional and relatable.
On the other hand, Cleopatra's solo movie, The Queen, depicted Egypt's ancient heritage and her struggle to resist an arranged marriage.
Independence, autonomy, and allure—these were Cleopatra's personal trademarks and the most striking aspects of her personality.
Vincenzo had not expected Greta to direct the film so well. Not only were the visuals stunning, but the storytelling was on par with Royal Knight.
Although these two films lacked a grand narrative background and their core themes fell short compared to Ethan's Lucy, superhero solo films were precisely suited for this style of filmmaking.
As a result, both movies performed remarkably well at the box office.
Royal Knight grossed $400 million worldwide, while The Queen earned $700 million globally.
Even though neither film crossed the billion-dollar mark, compared to their production budgets, they were still considered massive hits.
However, Norton's Eye had spent $100 million on marketing for these films.
Even in the realm of blockbuster film promotions, this was considered extravagant.
But for Ethan, this investment was necessary. Directors like James Wan and Greta were mainly known for genre films, and without strong advertising, many audiences might not have been interested in Lucy spin-off films.
Yet, with the bombardment of advertisements and the additional storytelling these films provided, audiences were becoming more familiar with the Lucy universe.
This growing fan base would eventually explode when the Lucy finale arrived, boosting its box office numbers.
Thus, Ethan spared no effort in promoting these two films—and the data he received proved that his approach had worked.
Meanwhile, just as the films were hitting theaters, another event was unfolding.
A hacker had breached Epstein's email and uncovered a trove of evidence linking various celebrities to his island. Driven by curiosity, the hacker decided to investigate the islands Epstein had purchased.
During his investigation, he discovered that one particular island was exceptionally well-protected.
No hacking method could reveal what was happening on the island.
With no other choice, he resorted to a more straightforward method—analyzing the transportation of goods to and from the island.
Regardless of whether the island was inhabited, supplies were necessary, and by examining the materials being delivered, one could infer who—or what—was living there.
However, investigating alone was overwhelming, so he teamed up with others who shared an interest in the case.
Yet, the more they uncovered, the more baffling the situation became.
According to clothing shipments, the island's inhabitants were predominantly under the age of 15. Moreover, the demand for clothing was significantly higher than that of an adult population.
This indicated that a large number of minors were present on the island.
Digging deeper, the hackers traced the clothing sources—and what they found was even more disturbing.
Many of the garments came from lingerie and adult novelty stores. At first, they couldn't understand why minors on the island would need such attire. But after cross-referencing names from the leaked emails, a chilling theory emerged.
Could this island be involved in providing illicit services using minors?
The hackers were horrified by this thought, but there was no other logical explanation for why so many revealing outfits were being sent to an island populated by minors.
Determined to expose the truth, they published their findings online, backing their claims with evidence and documentation.
The revelation quickly caught the attention of internet users.
In North America, religion, LGBTQ+ rights, abortion, and gun control—known collectively as the "3G1A"—were the most critical issues for any presidential candidate.
Political stances on these topics often played a decisive role in swaying voters in swing states.
Beyond these, child welfare was another issue that no president could afford to ignore. Minors were legally regarded as the most protected demographic in America, with their rights constantly expanding through legislation.
Now, with claims surfacing that a remote island was involved in illicit activities involving minors, online forums erupted with intense discussions.
Sensing a major scoop, some sharp-eyed journalists began reaching out to the hacker group for more information.
Ethan had been following the incident closely but remained extremely cautious. At this point, all the evidence released by the hackers had been gathered independently. Even if authorities traced the hackers, there was no direct link back to Ethan.
Still, he was wary of law enforcement using other means to uncover clues. Thus, he had already instructed his private investigators to physically destroy all computers and relocate immediately.
Thanks to his vigilance, Ethan managed to stay out of trouble as the situation escalated.
First, a small newspaper broke the story about Epstein's island, sparking public discussions. However, prosecutors and police swiftly intervened, arresting the journalist responsible.
Shortly after, all online discussions and evidence related to the case were erased, and the hacker group realized the looming danger. They quickly disbanded and went underground.
But then, the FBI stepped in. It wasn't long before several hackers were "caught."
Two of them didn't survive the encounter, as they were executed on the spot with emptied magazines.
Although the public expressed outrage over the FBI's heavy-handed actions, the government quickly regained control over the narrative. Within days, Ethan noticed that the entire story had been wiped from public consciousness.
Behind the scenes, the FBI subjected the captured hackers to intense interrogations, tracking down every lead they had uncovered on the dark web.
Following the trail, it didn't take them long to locate the source of the scandal. However, the problem was that this source was located overseas.
With no immediate jurisdiction, their hands were tied. In the end, they reported the hacker group as the primary offenders to their superiors.
As for whether someone had deliberately used this situation to muddy the waters, that remained unknown. The FBI decided to keep the case open and continue investigating in secret, ensuring that no loose ends were left untied.
But none of this had anything to do with Ethan anymore.
By this point, he had already shifted his focus back to preparing for the next round of superhero solo films. The only issue was that he had yet to finalize the director lineup.
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