After Alej was fired, the atmosphere on the film crew was a bit strange. On one hand, everyone was worried that Alej's tragedy would happen to them; no one wanted to lose their job. On the other hand, everyone understood that Alej had brought it upon himself, and Hugo was changing people's perceptions of him through his actual performance.Therefore, the opinions of the Staff Member on the film crew regarding Hugo were quite mixed. Some chose to stand up for Alej, making their impression of Hugo even worse; although they didn't speak ill of him, their expressions showed they were completely ignoring Hugo. Others began to be willing to approach Hugo, whether for the sake of their livelihood or because they were moved by Hugo's sincerity; overall, their interactions with Hugo became much more harmonious. Others became increasingly distant from Hugo, hoping only to stay away from the center of this whirlpool of conflict.Under these circumstances, "a few good men" welcomed the most climactic scene of the entire film: the courtroom duel between Daniel and Colonel Jessup. This scene was undoubtedly a grueling test for both Actors, and it is no exaggeration to say that half of the film's success hinged on the effect presented in this scene. If the Daniel played by Hugo was not convincing, or if he was completely overshadowed by the Colonel Jessup played by Jack, then the effect Rob hoped to present would inevitably be greatly diminished.However, recalling the warm-up duel between Hugo and Kiefer during script rehearsals, and later during the filming process where Hugo performed brilliantly, many people had huge expectations for today's scene.Some of the Staff Member on the film crew even started a private betting pool. For the proposition "Hugo can handle the arduous task of this scene," the odds were 1 to 3, while for the belief that "Hugo cannot handle this scene," the odds were 1 to 1.5. There were even odds for "Hugo will have a breakdown during this scene," which stood at 1 to 2.It is evident that the Staff Member on the film crew generally did not believe Hugo could deliver a brilliant performance in this scene; after all, Jack Nicholson was no ordinary opponent. As to whether these odds were negatively influenced by the Alej incident, it is unknown. However, over sixty percent of the Staff Member on the film crew placed bets, which shows just how much everyone was looking forward to this scene.Hugo put on his Navy Lieutenant uniform, meticulously buttoned the gold buttons, and stood in the familiar courtroom set, adjusting his breathing. Joseph stood nearby watching Hugo; wearing the uniform, Hugo looked dashing. His hair, which originally reached his eyebrows, had been cut short before filming began, leaving it just a bit longer than a buzz cut. It was now combed into a neat side part, carrying a rich 1930s retro aristocratic style that clearly presented Hugo's well-defined face. At this moment, Hugo's handsome, prominent eyebrows were completely relaxed, looking like two scabbards disappearing into his temples, making Hugo look serious, upright, and handsome, with two parts more sharpness than his usual gentleness.But Joseph's brow could not relax. "Hugo..."Hugo chuckled slightly. "Joseph, don't worry, I won't be affected by these things. Acting is acting, and life is life. If I can't separate these two parts, then I wouldn't be very professional."Hugo knew what Joseph was going to say. Ever since finding out about the betting pool yesterday, Joseph had been restless, because it felt as if the entire film crew was waiting to see Hugo make a fool of himself. Originally, he thought that after dealing with Alej, things would go smoothly, but now it seemed that every industry in the film circle had its own small cliques, and obviously, it wasn't that easy for Actors and the behind-the-scenes team to mingle."I have prepared for this scene; worrying too much won't help, right?" Hugo comforted Joseph. In fact, he was also comforting himself, because he had never dealt with such a situation before, and it was hard not to feel a little flustered inside. But seeing Joseph's worry, Hugo calmed down instead. He kept demanding himself to put all his attention on his acting, forcing himself to be focused; this was the only thing Hugo could do.Joseph looked at the calm Hugo, and then at the surrounding Staff Member. Clearly, today's scene had gathered almost the entire film crew together. Staff Member were everywhere, hiding in places where the cameras couldn't reach, waiting for the show to begin.Finally, Joseph patted Hugo on the shoulder and said, "Good luck."Hugo instead smiled brightly. "I do need a bit of luck at a moment like this." This reminded Hugo of his feelings before going on stage at the Midi Rock Festival—excitement mixed with nervousness, joy intertwined with fear. But positive emotions ultimately gained the upper hand because ahead lay the stage he had dreamed of, and he would open his arms and offer his embrace with the most passionate attitude.Joseph turned and left. The newly replaced production assistant came up to check Hugo's makeup, confirmed Jack's status, and then nodded to Rob. This scene would start filming with a wide shot. Hugo locked his gaze on Jack. Jack's calm and composed look, filled with confidence, caused Hugo a sudden, inexplicable sense of panic. But just then, Rob's shout of "Action" came through.Hugo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then Jack began to say the first line. Hugo quickly calmed down, picked up his first line, and the most important scene of the entire film successfully began."Colonel, you gave an order to Captain Kendrick at the meeting, didn't you?" Hugo—or rather, Daniel's voice was slightly tight, but he still controlled his speaking rhythm well, opening the scene in a calm manner."I ordered Kendrick to tell his men, no one is to touch Santiago." Colonel Jessup's voice was slightly low, and a beat slower than Daniel's speaking speed, steady and powerful, carrying the composure of someone in a position of authority."Did you also give an order to Lieutenant Colonel Markinson?" Daniel stabilized his emotions and rhythm.Colonel Jessup also maintained his way of speaking throughout. "I ordered Markinson to transfer Santiago off the base immediately." This unhurried speed, in contrast to Daniel's, even seemed a bit too slow, making the listener feel a subtle sense of oppression in their heart."Why?""I was worried that if the contents of the whistleblower letter were leaked, he might be in danger." Colonel Jessup remained calm."Grave danger?" Daniel's voice seemed to be suppressed, slightly dull, but his speaking speed maintained its original state."What else could it be?" Colonel Jessup deliberately slowed his speaking speed by another quarter beat, and his tone changed slightly, as if mocking Daniel. His eyebrows even twitched slightly; clearly, he didn't take Daniel seriously at all.Daniel was unmoved by Jessup's provocation. He took a document from his assistant. "Colonel, this is the transfer order signed by both you and Markinson, ordering Santiago to leave Guantanamo on a flight at 6:00 AM the next morning. Was that the earliest flight?" Daniel's speaking speed seemed to quicken slightly, though not noticeably.Colonel Jessup's answer was quick, seemingly to show there was nothing fishy, and also seemingly to suppress Daniel. "Six o'clock is the earliest flight off the base."But facing Colonel Jessup's answer, Daniel stood in place, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned as he deliberated, as if he had doubts about this answer. But immediately after, he strode toward Colonel Jessup, who was sitting in the witness stand, and shifted to another topic. "You flew to Washington this morning, right?" Daniel began to engage Colonel Jessup in conversation in a chatty manner.Under Daniel's guidance, the two talked about some trivial matters, such as what Colonel Jessup had packed in his luggage, what preparations Colonel Jessup had made for coming to Washington, and who Colonel Jessup had called before leaving. These questions seemed to have nothing to do with the case; they were entirely Colonel Jessup's private itinerary. The prosecution lawyer naturally kept objecting, and the judge repeatedly asked Daniel to clarify the scope of the questions. But unexpectedly, Daniel insisted that these questions must be answered, and Colonel Jessup didn't mind at all, answering everything in detail.But after Colonel Jessup finished answering everything, Daniel again took a document from his assistant, then slightly raised his voice, and accelerated a bit. "Your Honor, this is the phone record from Guantanamo on September 6th, and these are the fourteen letters Santiago wrote over the past nine months requesting—actually, begging—to be transferred. Upon learning that he was finally allowed to be transferred, Santiago was very excited. Do you know how many people he called?"Daniel delivered this passage very tightly. The speaking speed wasn't necessarily fast, but the transitions were very fluid. The situation where he had been slightly suppressed by Colonel Jessup was completely gone. He had taken full control of the situation, using an expressive tone to focus everyone's attention."Zero! Not a single person!" Daniel suddenly slowed his speaking speed, adding weight to the words, creating a question in everyone's mind. "Not a single phone call to tell his parents he was coming home, not a single phone call to tell a friend, 'Can you pick me up at the airport?' He fell asleep in the middle of the night, and according to you," Daniel looked at Colonel Jessup, who was still sitting in the chair as steady as a mountain, "he was supposed to get on a plane in six hours, yet all his things were neatly hung in the closet, neatly packed in the footlocker.""You were only leaving for one day, yet you packed your luggage and made three phone calls," Daniel continued to look at Colonel Jessup. The large amount of seemingly useless dialogue he had just had had silently dug a huge trap, just waiting for Colonel Jessup to jump into it. Accompanied by Daniel's fast and slow speaking rhythm, the suspense in everyone's hearts had been raised to the highest level. "And Santiago was never going to come back after leaving, yet he didn't make a single phone call, didn't pack a single item." After finishing, Daniel looked at Colonel Jessup with a smile, his bright eyes like two sharp blades piercing directly at his opponent. "Can you explain that?"
