88 Acting breakthrough

Faced with Jack's mature and experienced control, Hugo calmly and slowly dug a huge trap. But when he said the last sentence "Can you explain that?", all the staff on the scene - almost without exception - turned to look at Jack.

In this brief confrontation, Hugo not only did not fall into Jack's rhythm but instead gave him a counterattack with his own. The conversation between the two did not have too many ups and downs, nor did it have too much dispute, but the lack of explicit sparks in the duel made the atmosphere on the shooting scene completely tense.

It could be said that Hugo had completely entered the state.

"The fact is there was no transfer order. Santiago wasn't going anywhere, isn't that right, Colonel." Daniel did not give Colonel Jessep time to answer directly. He keenly caught the hesitation of the Colonel and then delivered a fatal blow.

But before Colonel Jessep could speak, the prosecutor Jack stood up directly and said, "Object. Your Honor, it's obvious that Lt. Kaffee's intention this morning is to smear a high-ranking marine officer in the desperate hope that the mere appearance of impropriety will win him points with the jury. It's my recommendation, sir, that Lt. Kaffee receive an official reprimand from the bench, and that the witness be excused with the Court's deepest apologies."

The judge thought about it for a moment and actually said, "Overruled." Jack didn't want to give up, but the judge directly interrupted him, "The objection's noted." In other words, the judge wanted to hear Colonel Jessep's answer.

"Colonel?" Daniel also pressed on step by step, thinking that this was the best breakthrough opportunity. However, Colonel Jessep was not flustered at all. Instead, he showed a smile. Daniel was not afraid either, "Is this funny, sir?"

"No. It's not. It's tragic." Colonel Jessep was not influenced by Daniel at all. "I don't have the first damn clue. Maybe he was an early morning riser and he liked to pack in the morning. And maybe he didn't have any friends. I'm an educated man, but I'm afraid I can't speak intelligently about the travel habits of William Santiago." Colonel Jessep remained calm and slow, always following his own rhythm and speaking speed. Obviously, the situation was still under his control. "What I do know is that he was set to leave the base at 06:00."

"Now are these really the questions I was called here to answer?" This time it was Colonel Jessep's turn to counterattack. "Phone calls and footlockers? Please tell me you've got something more, Lieutenant." Every word of Colonel Jessep seemed to be a nail to Daniel's heart, making his firm expression appear loose as if it could collapse at any time. "Please tell me there's an ace up your sleeve. These two marines are on trial for their lives. Please tell me their lawyer hasn't pinned their hopes to a phone bill. Do you have any other questions for me, counselor?"

Although Colonel Jessup's speech was always calm and measured, the weight of his words always controlled the situation, suppressing Daniel even when faced with Daniel's sudden acceleration of questioning just now. In contrast, with just one sentence, Colonel Jessep rendered all of Daniel's previous efforts useless.

Daniel hesitated, his amber eyes wavering. The firmness and confidence in his gaze seemed to be crumbling, and the determination between his eyebrows slowly relaxed. Although he didn't speak or show any particular expression, the confusion and hesitation in his eyes made everyone uneasy.

Was Daniel going to be defeated like this? Would Hugo crumble before Jack Nicholson's old and steady acting skills? Unconsciously, the emotions of all the on-site staff were focused on Hugo. They were watching Daniel in the play, but also Hugo at the same time. Without realizing it, everyone's mood changed with the changes in Hugo's situation.

What did that mean? It meant that Hugo's performance was successful in getting everyone into the story and, in the confrontation with Jack, he held up the play with an indomitable aura and demeanor.

But Hugo's feelings at this moment were even more profound. He felt the weight of two Marines' lives on his shoulders, not the pressure of acting. In Hugo's eyes, Colonel Jessep's composure was a disregard for life. Perhaps Colonel Jessep thought his decision was to protect the country, but in Hugo's eyes, it was just an excuse for Colonel Jessep to cover up the fact that he had killed Santiago, a living person, in the name of the country!

Hugo was angry at this moment, so Daniel was also angry. Unconsciously, Hugo completely merged himself with the character. He could even effortlessly present the emotions the character needed with his inner emotions without deliberate thought.

So, just when everyone thought Daniel was going to give up, Colonel Jessep stood up, ready to leave the courtroom with contempt. But Daniel spoke up and kept the Colonel there. "Excuse me, I didn't dismiss you." Faced with Colonel Jessep's arrogant demeanor, Daniel's voice slowly settled, and the tension between his eyebrows reconvened. The amber eyes gradually emitted a light, even though his right hand, which was holding water, still trembled slightly, revealing his true emotions. But he once again drew a smile and his whole person's momentum rose again.

"Colonel, the six a.m. flight, was the first one off the base? There wasn't a flight that left seven hours earlier and landed at Andrews Airforce Base at 2 a.m.?" Daniel continued his questioning according to his plan.

But the judge was clearly dissatisfied with Daniel's repeated questioning and was the first to raise objections. Daniel finally calmed down and picked up two flight logs. "Your Honor, these are the tower chief's logs for both Guantanamo Bay and Andrews Airforce Base. The Guantanamo log lists left at eleven p.m., and the Andrews log lists no flight that landed at 2 a.m." Daniel handed the two logs to the prosecutor and the judge respectively. "I'd like to admit them as Defense Exhibits "A" and "B"."

"I don't understand." The judge said, "You're admitting evidence of a flight that never existed?"

"We believe it did, sir." Daniel said confidently, "Defense will be calling Airman Cecil O'Malley and Airman Anthony Perez. They were working the ground crew at Andrews at two a.m. on the seventh." The prosecutor naturally objected, but the assistant to the defense lawyer stood up and submitted an application on the spot based on the legal provisions.

While the two sides were battling it out in front of the judge, Daniel stood in front of Colonel Jessep, calm, steady, confident, but not overbearing, looking at the witness. This made the colonel lose his rhythm for the first time. "This is ridiculous. Check the tower logs for christ's sake." His tone was full of irritability, and his tone involuntarily rose, becoming somewhat forceful.

"We'll get to the airmen in just a minute, sir." Daniel remained unmoved, which distracted Colonel Jessep. "A moment ago said that you ordered Kendrick to order his men not to touch Santiago, but was Kendrick clear on what you wanted? Any chance Kendrick ignored the order? Any chance Kendrick left your office and said, "The 'old man's wrong"? When Kendrick spoke to the platoon and ordered them not to touch Santiago, any chance they ignored him?"

Daniel's series of questions made Colonel Jessep feel absurd, which also angered him. "Have you ever spent time in an infantry unit, son? Ever served in a forward area? Ever put your life in another man's hands, ask him to put his life in yours?" He retaliated against Daniel with a series of questions. "We follow orders, son. We follow orders or people die. It's that simple. Are we clear?" Colonel Jessep was obviously very dissatisfied with Daniel's questioning just now, and he gritted his teeth as he spoke.

Faced with Colonel Jessep's angry retort, Daniel remained unmoved. Instead, he raised his voice slightly, deliberately slowing down his speech, making his words heavy and full of weight. "Colonel, I have just one more question before I call Airman O'Malley and Airman Perez. If you gave an order that Santiago wasn't to be touched, and your orders are always followed..." here, Daniel paused for a moment, and said heavily, "Then why would he be in danger?" Daniel didn't raise his voice, still using his usual volume, but the slower speed made each word weigh heavily, making it difficult to catch one's breath. The momentum that hid between his handsome eyebrows was gradually building up to a climax, until finally, it burst out completely.

Colonel Jessep fell silent, and after a second's pause, he said, "Private Santiago was a sub-standard marine. He was being transferred off the base because..." But his words were interrupted by Daniel, who spoke abruptly and accelerated, "But that's not what you said. You said he was being transferred because he was in grave danger. I can have the Court Reporter read back your..."

"I know what I said! I don't need it read back to me like I'm a damn..." Colonel Jessep gave up explaining and began to argue with Daniel's questioning.

Daniel interrupted Colonel Jessep's words again and asked calmly but insistently, "Then why the two orders, Colonel?"

Under Daniel's pressure, Colonel Jessep lost his composure and said, "Sometimes my men take matters into their own hands."

"No sir. You made it clear just a moment ago that your men never take matters into their own hands!" Daniel approached him directly and pressed him with rapid speech. His amber eyes were terrifying, "Your men follow orders or people die. So Santiago shouldn't have been in any danger at all, should he have, Colonel?"

"You little bastard!" Colonel Jessep finally lost control. The prosecuting attorney wanted to call for a recess, but the judge refused.

At this moment, Hugo entered a special state. He was Daniel, and Daniel was him, but in the depths of his mind, the part that belonged to Hugo was still Hugo, but it merged into Daniel's body in a special way. Without losing control, Hugo controlled his tone, volume, rhythm, and speech in the most concise but effective way, expressing all of his inner convictions. He formed a massive self-confidence, and his powerful aura and Jack Nicholson were on equal footing. He not only didn't fall behind, but also brought this scene to a higher level, and the dazzling brilliance made the entire set silent.

Hugo felt it. That was bonafide acting!