Houston, Reliant Stadium.
Wham!
A crisp slap echoed throughout the venue.
Over 40,000 spectators in the stands from all directions and in the center of the field clearly heard it and saw the scene even more clearly on the big screen.
Everyone was stunned, dumbfounded; they looked at each other, shocked speechless by the spectacle.
This was the Super Bowl, known as America's Spring Festival Gala, the number one program watched by over eighty million people simultaneously.
Can you imagine the damage a sudden big slap on the Spring Festival Gala would cause? The consequences are simply unimaginable.
On stage, Justin Timberlake was clearly dazed by the slap, one hand covering his face, his eyes wide open, standing there foolishly, looking at Janet.
Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia)'s eyes were filled with confusion, shock, anger, and speechlessness; he was completely disoriented.
Faced with such a complex sudden situation, his mind was a mess.
"No, this isn't right, this isn't how we rehearsed! We agreed I would tear the clothes, why?"
"What the hell! What does this slap mean? What does this bitch want to do?"
"She actually dared to slap me! Oh my god! She actually dared to slap me in front of everyone!"
"FUCK! What am I thinking? What should I do? What should I say?"
"Bastard! What kind of expression is that? Why are you full of anger and embarrassment? Wasn't this a pre-arranged segment?"
"The audience saw everything, what does this all mean? Can anyone tell me? Someone is screwing with me! What should I do?"
Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia)'s thoughts were incredibly chaotic, jumping constantly.
It was like when a man is about to climax and desperately tries to recall some terrifying or disgusting images to suppress the urge, but these images always flash by, making it impossible to grasp the main point.
In contrast, Janet's expression was very thought-provoking.
She clutched her torn bra with one hand, her face full of grievance, surprise, confusion, and indignant shame, as if she had suffered a great humiliation.
The contrast in their expressions, coupled with the previous dance moves, especially Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia)'s clothes-tearing action...
It gave the impression that the woman had suffered assault and violence, and in extreme anger, finally lost control and was forced to slap the other party.
Eric looked at the expressions of the surrounding audience, everyone was incredibly surprised. Carol's hand was pinching her thigh hard, as if only that could convince her that everything happening before her eyes was not an illusion.
Not to mention them, even Michael beside him had the same expression.
"I'm going to show him a thing or two, just you wait!"
Suddenly, he recalled that phone call; that was the last thing Janet said.
She didn't say how she would teach Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia) a lesson then, so it seems this was her way of showing him.
"Awesome!"
Eric roared in his heart; this slap was well-delivered and brilliant, a revenge for the girls who had been hurt by this scumbag and pervert.
But while it felt good, a host of aftermath problems flashed through Eric's mind.
Although from the scene, Janet appeared to be the victim and her retaliation could be considered self-defense, this was still the Super Bowl, a public event.
The Republican Party had always been looking for an opportunity to make a big splash and amend laws; if this were exploited, the consequences would be equally dire.
Even if you are acting in self-defense, as long as they want to find fault, they can still find a reason.
The key now was to seize the initiative; they had to express their stance through the media first, standing on the moral high ground.
"What do you want! Why did you tear my clothes!"
Janet's sharp accusation, then without giving Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia) a chance to explain, she turned and left, covering her face.
"What! No. I didn't."
Beep!!!
"Cut the camera, quickly cut the camera! And the sound, cut it off quickly!"
The director roared in anger; the staff who realized what was happening quickly shifted their focus, hoping to salvage the situation.
Not a single word of Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia)'s explanation got through; he angrily threw the microphone to the ground and chased after Janet.
He was thinking that he had to clarify this matter quickly; he couldn't take the blame.
But to the audience, "Holy crap! This kid actually wants to continue assaulting Janet, he's too bold, he really doesn't care about the tens of thousands of us here."
"Janet! He's catching up, run!"
"FUCK! Is Justin crazy? He's a lunatic!"
"Stop him, are you just going to stand there and watch? Go stop this guy!"
"Pervert, Justin is a pervert!"
In the stands, the audience's shouts almost overturned the stadium; some cursed Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia), some urged the bewildered security guards to intervene.
Someone reminded Janet to run, and some hot-headed old men angrily wanted to enter the field and take matters into their own hands.
Janet heard the shouts, looked back to see Justin rushing towards her, and quickly fled towards the escape route.
Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia) was torn between chasing and not chasing, feeling like crying but having no tears; it was like yellow mud in his pants, whether it was shit or not, it looked like shit.
He found a staff member and asked them to turn on his mic to explain, but the staff had not received orders from the director and no one dared to turn it on for him.
Behind them, the heads of CBS and MTV watched the screen with grim faces.
"Hill, what the hell is going on? Can you give me an explanation?"
"You ask me, who do I ask? We were all at the rehearsal, Janet Jackson didn't follow the script, it was her private decision."
"Private decision? I don't think so, she doesn't have the guts. Do you think Janet Jackson dares to offend us?"
"Charles, discussing this now is meaningless, haven't you noticed the frenzied audience? We must quickly figure out how to handle this."
"What do you have in mind?"
"First, calm the audience, have the teams quickly return to the game to divert attention, and at the same time, find Janet Jackson and Justin, I need their cooperation."
"Justin will definitely cooperate, but what about Janet Jackson?"
"First, persuade her to leave the stadium, don't let her accept any media interviews and spout nonsense; we need to keep the initiative in our hands."
"That's just your assumption, what if she doesn't cooperate?"
"Then we'll pressure her, a complete ban by both TV stations, and she can forget about attending the Grammy Awards again. I don't believe Janet Jackson isn't afraid!"
On site, the cameraman looked at where Eric and Michael were, only to realize that in a blink of an eye, they had disappeared.
The two were already back in the car, Michael on the phone with his sister.
"Janet, what you did was too impulsive, where are you now?"
"Michael, now is not the time for such talk. Since they want to sacrifice me, they should be prepared to be counter-killed."
"I know, but things have gotten too big now, what do you plan to do?"
"I don't know, but Hill Caufman called me and told me to go home first, not to accept media interviews, and that they would handle it."
"But I don't trust him at all. I disrupted their plan, he will definitely retaliate."
"Oh, by the way, weren't Eric and you together? Is he nearby?"
"I'm here, Janet, do you need advice?" Eric said.
"Yes, a reliable suggestion would be best."
"A reliable suggestion is not to be fooled by them. The more they don't want you to speak, the more you should speak first."
"And you should guide the matter towards women's rights, women's oppression, and women's discrimination. This way, you can gain public sympathy, and your chances of winning will be greater."
"Janet, agree to their demands first, and as soon as you come out, immediately accept interviews. My car is outside the stadium, the exits are already blocked by reporters, many people are waiting for you to appear."
Janet hummed: "I understand."
Eric suddenly chuckled: "Also, I must commend you, that was beautifully done! How did that slap feel?"
"Very satisfying, hahaha. How was my acting? You, the great director, evaluate it."
"Oscar-level, I'm going to give you a golden statue, especially your expression, it was absolutely spot on."
"Really? Actually, I secretly practiced many times. Don't underestimate a singer's acting skills."
"Of course, your brother is the founder of MV."
MV is an abbreviation, full name Music Video.
Anything related to the words 'movie' requires the performer to have certain acting skills.
So, don't look down on a bean bun as not dry food, and don't look down on a singer as not an actor.
Outside Reliant Stadium, a large number of media reporters were waiting.
Although the game was exciting, no one seemed to care anymore; everyone's attention was focused on that slap.
"No, I still can't reach Janet Jackson's agent, their phone is off."
"Me too, can't reach them. Her makeup artist and stylist are also off."
"What do we do? Keep waiting?"
"Wait! We'll wait until she comes out, even if we have to wait forever. Anyway, we haven't seen her leave from any of the exits, she must still be inside."
"Do you guys think it was an accident?"
"Haha... whether it was or not, the buzz definitely surpassed last year's Kiss of the Century. Justin Timberlake's wish has come true."
The Kiss of the Century that the reporters were discussing happened at last year's MTV Awards.
Britney Spears and Madonna, as guest performers, shared a passionate kiss during their performance.
It wasn't a simple peck, but a deeply seductive and provocative deep kiss, almost entwined.
At that time, the director's camera even showed Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia) sitting in the audience, his face ashen, no one knew what Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia) was thinking then.
Therefore, some reporters even speculated whether this scene today was orchestrated by Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia) himself, hoping to overshadow his ex-girlfriend's popularity with this method.
Whoosh... "They're here, Janet Jackson is out, cameras, quick, get the cameras!"
Suddenly, the crowd stirred, reporters carrying long and short lenses charged forward, instantly breaking through the security line.
Dozens of microphones were almost shoved into Janet's mouth.
"Janet, what exactly happened with that slap? Please give everyone an explanation."
"Janet, please tell us what happened? Was this a pre-arranged segment or an accident?"
"Janet Jackson, why did you hit Justin Timberlake? Was it for traffic? Was it for promoting your new album?"
"Janet Jackson, have you considered the consequences of that slap? Hitting someone in plain sight, do you think it had a bad influence on children?"
Janet pressed her palms together, signaling everyone to calm down.
Her face still carried a look of indignant shame: "Please be quiet, please be quiet. I know what you want to ask, and I will make a unified statement now."
"First, this was not an accident, I mean it was not a performance accident, or rather, it was not part of the performance content."
"I think everyone saw that from the moment Justin Timberlake came on stage, he kept trying to get close to me."
"And his purpose in getting close to me, you also saw, was to tear my clothes, hoping to expose my chest."
"If it were truly exposed, everyone knows what kind of terrible impact it would have."
"So I kept avoiding it, I didn't want this to happen, but I didn't expect it to be unavoidable in the end."
"Justin Timberlake actually dared to forcefully tear twice, and after the performance ended, which was completely unexpected for me."
"That's why I couldn't control my emotions, I hit him, that's what happened."
"I am very angry, I am very ashamed and indignant. Should women endure such injustice? Should women expose themselves to gain attention? Should women please others in this way?"
"This is a humiliation, and I will never accept it!"
Following Eric's advice, Janet extended the point of conflict towards women's status and women's rights.
In the United States, the feminist movement began to germinate and erupt in the mid-19th century and has never declined to this day.
Many people think that feminism only emerged in recent years; this idea is incorrect.
By the 1990s, it had actually entered the third wave of feminism.
It's just that there was no internet before, and relevant information didn't spread across the ocean, but the tactics and techniques had already evolved through two generations.
A decade later, the feminist movement developed into its fourth generation, affecting fields closely related to ordinary people such as games, movies, painting, and stage plays.
But if you think this is terrifying, then you are wrong.
Compared to the third generation, the power of the fourth-generation feminist movement has actually not strengthened, but weakened.
Just one point can illustrate this: the third-generation feminist movement brought down many political bigwigs and business executives and propelled many women into important positions as parliament members.
Although 2004 was ten years after the start of the third-wave feminist movement, its peak was over, but its residual power was still strong; few fools dared to talk nonsense on such topics.
So, seeing Janet say this, the reporters immediately became cautious, and their questions became carefully worded.
A Female Reporter from ABC asked: "Janet, do you mean that you were not aware beforehand that Justin Timberlake would make such an indecent gesture?"
Janet hesitated for a moment: "I must tell you, Justin Timberlake did propose it; he hoped to create some eye-popping big news."
"We rehearsed for it, but I was not satisfied with the rehearsal results, so I ultimately rejected the suggestion."
"I just didn't expect him to be so bold, to still go ahead without my consent."
"So everything is Justin Timberlake's fault? Are the NFL, CBS, and MTV aware of these things?" a reporter continued to press.
Janet had anticipated this question. Although CBS and MTV were also involved, after careful consideration, Janet decided to exclude the two TV stations.
She was just one person; offending two TV stations at the same time was not a wise move and would seriously affect her career.
Leave a line in life, so you can meet again in the future.
Slandering and ruining Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia) was enough to vent her anger.
"No, they were not aware. We are all victims, and I hope everyone does not misunderstand everyone or vent their anger on innocent people."
As soon as Janet finished speaking, beside her, Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia) and the heads of the two TV stations arrived, looking at each other.