Chapter 61: The Green Hornet
The movie The Green Hornet is a film of interesting significance to superhero history.
It was one of the first superhero properties to transition from radio to television, and the 1960s TV series featured Bruce Lee in the supporting role of Kato!
At the time, Bruce Lee was relatively new to Hollywood, and his portrayal of Kato even overshadowed the Green Hornet himself with his incredible martial arts skills.
However, in 1960s America, a show like The Green Hornet, with its less distinctive protagonist, struggled to compete with superheroes with more vibrant personalities, such as Batman and Spider-Man.
The world Jake entered this time wasn't the Bruce Lee version of The Green Hornet. That series was too old; he had only a basic understanding of it, and neither the technology nor the plot were particularly useful for his purposes. The only reason he'd visit that version would be to meet Bruce Lee himself.
Perhaps due to the vast time gap, this martial arts legend was more of a historical figure than someone Jake felt personally connected to.
This Green Hornet was the 2011 film starring Seth Rogen, with the role of Kato played by international action star and musician Jay Chou.
When Jake first heard about this movie, he went to see it because of the promise of cool action sequences and gadgets, but the result was utter disappointment. He had to watch it in multiple sessions.
He was grateful for the fast-forward function, and though he'd paid for streaming access, he still felt like he'd wasted his money.
The plot was incredibly clichéd: a rich heir to a major Los Angeles newspaper empire, along with his highly capable assistant Kato, disguise themselves as the superhero Green Hornet to fight crime.
This is a common plot in many superhero movies, but this film's execution was messy and dragging, and the Green Hornet had absolutely no appealing characteristics—just a manchild, a slacker, and an opportunist. Seth Rogen's comedic style didn't translate well to the superhero genre.
The 3D effects added to the movie were also laughable.
However, the action sequences featuring Kato were genuinely impressive, completely outshining the lead, but unfortunately, the sidekick can never eclipse the main character in Hollywood, so he was destined to play second fiddle despite being far more competent.
This is a mediocre movie that Jake would not recommend watching.
But it had one thing he wanted: the Black Beauty.
In the world of The Green Hornet, Los Angeles…
At a crowded press conference, a Los Angeles media tycoon suddenly dies. The cause of death is a bizarre allergic reaction; he had a severe bee allergy, and a dead bee was found beside him.
The biggest media mogul in Los Angeles has died so unexpectedly, yet no one seems to sense anything sinister. Ordinary people, hearing that the tycoon was severely allergic to bees, consider this a tragic accident and offer their condolences. And what can anyone do, even if they suspect foul play?
Jake stands outside the crowd, watching the unfolding events and the chaotic scene. He has no desire to get involved. If he were to step forward and point out that the protagonist's father's death wasn't an accident, but orchestrated by the current mayor, he believes he could probably leverage that information.
But he chooses not to interfere, turning his gaze to the enormous estate behind the crowd, and walks toward the Green Hornet's home.
Britt Reid is currently just an entitled rich kid, far from the Green Hornet superhero he'll eventually become. Jake felt that even by the end of the movie, this guy barely qualified as a hero.
The enormous estate was massive, covering well over ten thousand square feet.
This was in the heart of Los Angeles, where property was incredibly valuable!
A perfectly manicured lawn, a huge sun-drenched swimming pool, impeccably dressed staff members…
Everything the wealthy could enjoy was here.
Using his superior agility and training, Jake skillfully avoided several passing staff members as he searched for the garage.
Because the main house was so large and had so many rooms, finding the garage alone took considerable time.
Casually taking a grape from a fruit bowl under a parasol by the pool and popping it into his mouth, his relaxed demeanor made him seem less like an intruder and more like he owned the place.
Perhaps due to the sudden death of the owner, most of the estate's staff had taken the day off, which sped up Jake's search considerably.
However, Jake's infiltration wasn't entirely without complications.
At a corner, he finally found a garage door that matched the one from the movie.
Black Beauty hadn't been created yet, but that didn't matter; he just needed to know where it would be kept once it was finished, and to scout the layout.
"Hey! Who are you?!" A voice suddenly rang out from behind Jake.
He paused, about to step into the garage, and turned around to see a very familiar Asian face, wearing a red jacket and looking every bit the skilled mechanic and driver.
"Not going to answer?" The man's eyes scanned Jake up and down, but he quickly frowned. If this guy was a thief, wasn't his outfit a bit too expensive? And way too formal for breaking and entering.
"You ever heard of the Fast and the Furious?" Jake suddenly said with a grin, testing the waters.
Kato tilted his head, looking confused. "What?"
In the movie, Kato was an incredibly talented employee, skilled in making gourmet coffee, martial arts, and building or repairing virtually any vehicle.
His official job was driving for the Green Hornet's father and maintaining his car collection.
Jake started humming a few bars from a popular rock song, but Kato just looked more bewildered.
"You're weird, man," Kato frowned. "Who are you? What are you doing near the garage?"
Jake, however, changed the subject entirely. "Your boss never appreciated you. He couldn't see your talents. His son's even worse. So... how about working for me instead?" He extended an offer, completely unprepared for actually recruiting someone.
Kato hesitated for a moment, then said, "Sorry, I'm pretty happy with my current job."
"Fair enough." Jake wasn't bothered by the rejection. He would've been hesitant to accept if Kato had actually agreed, since Kato was clearly a loyal and principled person.
It was just a shame Kato had no idea he'd lose his job soon because of his boss's son's impulsive decisions.
As for Britt Reid, Jake never considered him a real hero. His actions fighting crime were more like a spoiled rich kid playing dress-up, more about his own ego than actually helping people.
Of course, Jake was also someone who prioritized his own interests, but at least he didn't pretend to be some noble hero.
"Hey!" Kato called out again. "You still haven't answered my question. Only authorized personnel are allowed here. Who are you? What are you doing here?!"
"I'm just looking around. Got turned around," Jake said with an apologetic smile. "Could you point me toward the main entrance?"
"Go out that door, turn right, and walk straight ahead," Kato pointed out the direction.
"Thanks," Jake nodded slightly in gratitude and calmly followed Kato's directions.
He didn't want to clash with Kato. The Kato in the movie possessed extraordinary fighting skills and lightning-fast reflexes, far surpassing normal people. It was hard to say who would win in a real fight, and regardless of the outcome, Jake wouldn't gain anything from it.
Plus, he actually respected Kato's skills and loyalty.
Watching Jake's retreating figure, Kato muttered, "Looking around? In a private garage? Yeah right." But as a driver and mechanic, Kato didn't have the authority to do more than keep watch; his job was simply to protect his boss's vehicles and equipment.
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