I was acting crazy in North America, and all the crazy people there took it seriously.

Chapter 86 America Does Not Welcome Black Heroes
The huge advertising effect of "King of Jailbreaks" continues.

A huge reputation may not be attractive enough, but huge profits certainly are.

The Sun's assessment of Ethan's soaring net worth has made many aspiring "heroes" on the Hall of Fame restless.

After making it onto the list and gaining fame, you can become a millionaire even while in jail. Who wouldn't envy that!

As a result, Arkham Heroes Academy welcomed heroes from all over the world, and the quality of its students improved significantly, with many now possessing impressive "achievements" and eye-catching "unique skills".

Especially after Logan, representing The Sun, came to listen to their "experience" sharing and made it clear that it was to "discover potential candidates for the next issue's hero," everyone's desire to perform was ignited.

—Hmm, I've heard there are quite a few good seedlings. Logan also wants to see if there are any worth cultivating.

That doesn't refer to the cultivation of talents on the "Heroes' List"!
"Lucky Baron" and "Chief" were also present as mentors. It was the first time Logan had seen them in person. Hmm, it was a bit strange. He felt that "Chief" looked slightly familiar.

It was just a fleeting thought, quickly forgotten, because they had already been on the list and were now considered old news. Logan was more concerned about what new talents or geniuses would emerge this time!
When it was Hugh Dylan's turn to share, the noise in the room quieted down a bit, and all kinds of eyes focused on him, with curiosity, scrutiny, and even implied contempt.

Arkham Academy does not have explicit racial restrictions for its "admission" application, emphasizing a principle that only recognizes "ability" and not personal connections. However, to date, only Hughie, a person of color, has applied.

Among this group of trainees, he stands out like a drop of ink on a white shirt.

Hughie stood up, his voice steady and low, devoid of much emotion, as if stating something unrelated to himself:

“I traveled north from New Orleans. I didn’t have any special skills, except I knew how to use a gun, which I learned in the army.”

"We encountered several groups of people on the road, dressed in white robes, carrying cross-shaped torches, who liked to 'hunt' at night."

His use of the word "hunting" made some of the white trainees frown.

Hughie paused, his gaze sweeping over the people present, and continued, "They 'hunt' my fellow countrymen, insult women, burn houses... I don't like it at all."

Hughie's tone remained calm, but the content began to take on a dramatic turn.
"So when a group of three were in the woods by the Mississippi River, surrounding a Black family and preparing to commit violence, I shot them and called their names!"

The classroom was completely silent, except for Hughie's voice echoing.

"The second group, five men, were outside a small town in Arkansas, where they were holding Black people hostage and burning crosses. I shot them and interrupted their ceremony."

"The third group, a bit larger, about seven or eight people, tried to hang me up. I used my bayonet to reason with them..."

He calmly recounted each and every incident.

Using the simplest language, it paints a picture of blood and fire: a lonely black veteran, on his way north, ruthlessly eliminates the KKK thugs who harmed his fellow countrymen.

Yes, although he didn't say it explicitly, the symbols such as "white robes and headscarves, and burning crosses" all indicate that it was the KKK, the infamous white supremacist group that originated in the South!
When he finally finished speaking and sat down, the room fell into a deathly silence.

The way the white people looked at Hughie was almost entirely filled with deep wariness and undisguised hostility.

A Black man, a race they subconsciously considered inferior, used a fighting ability they couldn't match to kill white people, even though those were scum.

No one thought he was bragging, because he clearly stated the time, place, number of people, and outcome; and also because he was so calm.

This challenged the deep-seated racial superiority of white people, triggering an instinctive fear and rejection.

Even though many of the white people in the room were of Irish and Italian descent, they were always treated as inferior white people.

Edgar Hoover, sitting in the corner, tensed up instantly as a member of the Bureau of Investigation.

He leaned forward slightly, his sharp gaze fixed on Hughie like a searchlight, determined to imprint the black man's face into his mind.

A Black man who possessed such military skills and dared to use them against white people was the deepest nightmare in the subconscious of all white people. Hoover was almost certain that this man would become a "troublemaker" in the future and must be closely monitored.

Only Logan, the "white man," rested his chin on his hand, appreciatively observing the tall black man.

The atmosphere of the exchange meeting was completely ruined.

The previous ease vanished, leaving only awkwardness and tension.

The college administrators, sweating profusely, hurried forward, reluctantly announced the end of the sharing session, and then practically dragged Hughie outside.

"Dude, you've got guts. But you'd better not reveal your real identity."

—In the academy and even on the list, it is the default to use pseudonyms or code names; no one will use their real name directly.

“And you should leave Chicago as soon as possible.” He lowered his voice. “Some of the people in there are members of the KKK. If you stay in Chicago, we might not be able to guarantee your safety…”

Hughie said nothing, only gave Arkham Academy a deep look before turning and leaving.

When Logan returned to the editorial office and half-jokingly remarked that only one Black hero was worthy of being on the list, but unfortunately he left too quickly, it was as if a powder keg had been ignited!
"Absolutely not!"

Almost everyone in the editorial department jumped up at the same time and shouted in unison!
The reaction was far more intense than Logan had imagined.

"A Black person on the list of heroes? Absolutely not!" Richard's face turned ashen. "Have you forgotten the race riots in Chicago in 1919?"

"How many people died? How much blood was shed? All because a black man accidentally drifted out of bounds on a white beach! And now you want to glorify a black man who killed a white man as a 'hero'? Are you trying to incite another riot in Chicago?"

—That happened before Logan crossed over. Because the swimming area used by white people strictly prohibited black people from entering, a black boy was a little exhausted and inadvertently swam across the boundary that black and white people could not cross. The white people on the lakeside started throwing stones at him, and then the black boy drowned.

—Then the flames of racial hatred were ignited, and groups of black people in Chicago poured into white neighborhoods to loot and burn. The whole city was filled with serious confrontations. It was the real Chicago Civil War!
—That was the Chicago Civil War started by Black people. If it were truly the victory of Black heroes, then it would be the turn of white people to start a civil war.

So others chimed in, agreeing, "America! From top to bottom! From the law to the people! Absolutely does not welcome any 'black heroes'!"

"Yes, any achievement of a Black person, no matter how legendary, will only be seen as a crime and a provocation, and will never be legendary or heroic..."

"This will only ruin our list of heroes!"

Logan was stunned, because he didn't recall there being any racists in the editorial department.

Richard and others said, "Yes, we're not that prejudiced against Black people, but we have to consider the readers' feelings."

One Black hero can ruin a thriving list of heroes.

Finally, Richard sighed, patted Logan on the shoulder, and said, "Perhaps only in the generation of my great-great ...

Logan thus learned the extent of discrimination against Black people in America during that era—white people, excluding racists, generally accepted that there was no place for Black people under the sun.

Logan's rebellious streak immediately kicked in.

It's not that I would go against the editorial department's wishes and force a Black hero onto the list, but rather—

Okay, okay, America doesn't like Black heroes, huh? What about Black leaders?
If Black leaders aren't enough, then what about Black mythology?

If one doesn't work, try them all; surely one of them will satisfy America.

……

(End of this chapter)