541-545

**Chapter 541: The Circle**

"Is Link coming? He's quite the busy man," said Robert Downey Jr., shuffling cards at the Beverly Hills Movie Club.

"He said he’ll be here later," replied Leonardo, shrugging. "This guy, ever since he got back from set, has been spending all his time at home taking care of his kids and driving Ivanka to and from work. I don’t get it—he used to be a world-famous playboy, and now he's a full-time nanny? Married life is terrifying."

"That's normal. Men tend to live a bit wild in their younger years, but once they get married, they settle down. Nobody stays a playboy forever," said Matt Damon, flicking ash from his cigarette before taking a sip of beer.

"No one?"

"Matt, you're being a little too absolute with that statement," someone teased, while everyone turned to look at Leonardo. The guy was 40 this year, inching closer to having been a playboy for life.

"Damn it, why is everyone staring at me? I’m not a playboy—I just haven’t met the right girl yet," Leonardo said, a scowl on his face.

"I think there are two things Leo will never achieve: winning an Oscar for Best Actor and finding his dream girl," joked Tobey Maguire, lounging on the sofa.

"Don't drag me into this. None of us have won Best Actor," Leonardo retorted with a huff, glancing around at the others—Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Joaquin Phoenix, Ryan Gosling, Ben Affleck—fellow actors, each without an Oscar win to their name.

"Don't look at Joaquin. He’s bound to win this year," Casey Affleck chimed in with a laugh.

"Can we stop talking about the Oscars? It’s boring," Joaquin said with a cigarette dangling from his lips as he shuffled the deck.

They continued playing cards for a while until Link and Paul Walker arrived.

"Link, finally! It’s no fun without you," the group exclaimed, getting up to make room for the two.

Link sat down and played a few rounds, listening to the usual gossip—movie box office numbers, actor performances, upcoming auditions, and the latest rumors. However, now that Link was a film company owner and a billionaire, the others, aside from a few like Leonardo and Joaquin, were cautious around him, as though afraid to say something wrong.

Feeling bored after a few rounds, Link let Tobey take his place at the table and sat on the side to watch and chat. Joaquin mentioned he had found a promising script and asked if Link was interested in taking a look. Link agreed—Joaquin’s films were mostly arthouse, which didn’t always do well at the box office but were high-quality and worth investing in.

Matt Damon joined the conversation, asking if they could collaborate on a project if something good came up. Link didn’t refuse. Matt, Robert Downey Jr., and Ben Affleck were all high-value actors, and Link didn’t mind working with them, despite their past associations with Harvey.

At the card table, Ryan Gosling also managed to squeeze in a few words with Link, acting like one of the seasoned pros.

——

"You said you were going to play cards. Why are you back so soon?" Ivanka asked as she came down the stairs with a face mask on.

"It was boring. I’d rather be home with you and the kids," Link replied, picking up little Margarita, who was crawling on the carpet, and placing her between Alexander and Cynthia. He then recounted his time at the club—he had hoped to connect with the others as an actor, talking about gossip and women. However, everyone treated him as the movie company boss, and the atmosphere felt stiff. He didn’t want to be the one to kill the mood, so he left early.

"That’s normal. Back when you were a diver, your friends were guys like Fat James, Daniel from the hot dog stand, and Michael from the surfboard shop. After you became a singer and actor, your circle changed to people like Taylor, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Paul Walker, and Casey Affleck. Now that you're the owner of Lionsgate Films and a billionaire, your focus is no longer on music or acting. It’s natural that you don’t have as much to talk about with your old friends. I think you should attend more bank, investment company, and billionaire club events. You’ll definitely have more to talk about with people at that level," Ivanka said, massaging his shoulders with a smile.

"No way. Those people are mostly in their 50s or 60s, even 70s. When they get together, all they talk about is health, longevity tech, and young women. Listening to them is even more boring than a Hollywood card game," Link laughed. Since making the Forbes list, he’d received over a hundred invitations to various elite clubs, ranging from investor galas to VIP parties. He had attended several, including Morgan Investment Bank’s VIP Gala, Vanguard Asset Management’s Senior Partners’ Party, the Forbes Rich List Banquet, and Bill Gates’ Charity Fund Dinner.

At these gatherings, the guests were mostly older men, exuding an air of the past, with conversations that revealed a clear generation gap. It left Link, the new face in the world of capital, feeling out of place.

He attended fewer of these events now, sticking mostly to parties hosted by younger billionaires like Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg, where he could actually find common ground.

"Honey, you’re just moving too fast. Your peers can’t keep up," Ivanka teased.

"No, you caught up with me," Link said, pulling her close.

"I didn’t. You dragged me along; otherwise, I’d have been left far behind," Ivanka replied, wrapping her arm around his shoulder.

They swayed gently to the music in the living room.

"Daddy! Daddy! Margarita peed! It’s everywhere! Please take her away!" Cynthia called out.

"Coming!" Link sighed, kissing Ivanka’s neck before going to clean up Margarita and calling for the maid to clean the living room.

——

After wrapping up *Gone Girl*, Link spent over ten days in post-production for *Captain America 2*, finally completing his work on the film. Meanwhile, Taylor’s new album *Enchanted* was released worldwide.

The album, a collection of unreleased tracks from her past five albums, included songs like "Never Grow Up," "Haunted," "Long Live," "If This Was A Movie," "Ours," and "Superman," all of which were high quality. Released in early August, the album sold 1.047 million copies in its first week, taking the top spot on the Billboard 200 and claiming the number one spot in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Belgium, and Taiwan.

By mid-August, global sales had reached 6.8 million, marking it as another big hit.

Earlier in the year, artists like Justin Timberlake, Eminem, Imagine Dragons, Selena Gomez, Bruno Mars, Charlie Puth, Carly Rae Jepsen, Drake, Beyoncé, and Blake Shelton had all released albums. The top-selling album was Justin Timberlake’s *The 20/20 Experience*, with 2.27 million copies sold. Taylor was in second place, expected to surpass Justin by October.

Compared to the previous two years, this year’s album sales market seemed quiet. Aside from Taylor, no other album had broken a million in first-week sales, and the competitive chart battles had faded.

*Billboard* magazine commented in July that since Link announced he wouldn’t be releasing any more albums, the entire U.S. music market seemed to have cooled off, with fewer hot topics and record-breaking albums. The contrast to previous years was stark, making people realize how many headlines Link had generated in the past. Back then, the music industry got more attention than any other sector, and everyone made more money because of it.

The music world can’t do without Link, or at least without artists like him who know how to create buzz.

Link, however, disagreed with *Billboard’s* assessment. The music industry had been lively and prosperous in recent years thanks to not only him but also artists like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Taylor, Adele, Kanye, Pink, and Justin Bieber.

With him stepping away from the album market, Lady Gaga’s popularity had plummeted, while Katy Perry and Adele had no new albums. Of the "queen and five divas," only Taylor was still releasing albums.

It was no surprise that total album sales were down compared to previous years.

Though Link hadn’t released a new album this year, his fifth album, *As It Was*, released in August last year, was still in the Billboard 200, ranking in the top 50 for 47 consecutive weeks.

In its first year, *As It Was* sold 11.07 million copies in the U.S., becoming Link’s first album to achieve diamond status during its release period.

Globally, *As It Was* had sold about 79.57 million copies, setting a new world record.

Currently, Link’s five albums have sold a total of 182 million copies worldwide. While he still hasn’t surpassed legends like Michael Jackson, Shania Twain, Mariah Carey, and The Beatles in total album sales, Link has sold over 100 million albums with just five releases, achieving this faster than anyone else.

*Rolling Stone* magazine hailed Link’s five albums as modern music history landmarks, calling him the inescapable megastar of the 2010s music scene.

"What are you doing at home?"

"Reading, training, and taking care of the kids."

Link said, looking at Taylor in the video.

"Spend more time writing songs. You've made enough money, you don't need to make that much more, and there's no such thing as too many songs."

Taylor said.

"I got it. When are you coming back? Alexander and Cynthia miss you."

Link said.

"Mom! Mom! When are you coming back?"

Cynthia and Alexander also leaned on the table, looking at the messy-haired Taylor on the computer screen and asking.

After releasing the album, she followed the company's promotional team around for autograph sessions and small concerts, flying to four or five countries a week, becoming a frequent flyer.

"Alexander and Cynthia miss Mom? Mom will be back next month. How have you been with Dad?"

Taylor leaned close to the camera, smiling.

"Dad took us to see the fishies."

Alexander pouted.

"It was the aquarium. I took them to learn about fish."

Link laughed.

Taylor ignored him and continued chatting with the kids in a childish voice, asking if they were behaving in class and eating well. Soon, Margarita also came running over, joining Cynthia in calling for Mom.

Taylor covered her mouth, laughing uncontrollably, saying Margarita was great and asked her to call again.

Little Margarita, unafraid of having an extra mom, chirped nonstop.

"You look tired, you’ve got dark circles under your eyes. Make sure to rest more; you don’t need to push yourself so hard. I’ll always have your back."

Link said as he saw her yawning.

"Who needs you to have my back?"

Taylor wrinkled her nose in disdain, continuing to lie on the table, chatting casually with the kids for another four or five minutes before falling asleep in front of the computer. Link had to call her manager, Emily, to take her to bed.

(End of chapter)

Chapter 542: Old Friends

"How's business at the shop lately?"

After finishing a conversation with Taylor, Link had a video chat with his friend James, who was in Miami.

James was still as chubby as ever, wearing a baggy T-shirt and sporting reddish-brown hair. He held a little one in his arms, a baby born not too long ago. It was his second child; his first, a daughter, was over two years old, and his second, a son, was not yet three months old.

At that moment, James was at his dive shop on Miami Beach.

Summer is peak season for diving, and Miami is a popular tourist destination. From June to September, the shop's business would be booming, and since "Baker’s Dive Shop" had become a trendy spot, business was even better than usual.

For this reason, James stayed at the beach to run the dive shop during the busy season and returned to the city with his wife, Lillian, to manage their café during the off-season.

He made over $200,000 to $300,000 a year, much more than the average white-collar worker.

"Not so great. Summer break is almost over, and business has been dropping day by day. But hey, Link, let me show you something fun."

James chuckled and pulled out a thick notebook, flipping through its pages quickly, revealing names and contact information on each page.

"What’s this? You’re flipping too fast."

Link asked.

"It’s our dive reservation log. Remember when you said you’d come back to be a diving instructor someday? Since 2008, people have been making reservations daily, even though you haven’t had time to return. Guess how many names are in here now?"

James grinned.

"How many?"

"31,831. Ever since you became famous in '09, sometimes hundreds of fans would come by in a single day to get your autograph and wish that one day they could dive with you."

"You know I don’t have time for that now, right?"

Link said.

"I know, and the customers know too. They just see it as a fun tradition. When they visit the shop, they sign their names, and now this logbook has become our shop’s treasure. Maybe someday it’ll even end up in a museum."

James laughed.

Link thought it was quite possible, just like how after MJ passed away, many of his personal belongings were auctioned off or sent to museums.

Considering his fame and influence, there was a good chance that the logbook, which documented his journey, could be collected by a museum or private collector in the future.

"Hey, Daniel! I’m chatting with Link. Wanna say hi?"

James called out to someone outside.

"Hey, Link! How are you still not gaining any weight?"

A moment later, Daniel from the hot dog stand appeared in the video. He’d gained some weight since his wedding in 2009, now sporting a round figure and a bit of a beer belly, slowly catching up to James. James teased him, saying it was all from eating too many hot dogs and ice cream.

In 2009, Daniel had briefly left Miami Beach to open a BBQ restaurant with his wife, Lena, in the city. But after finding out that running a BBQ joint wasn’t as profitable as their beachside hot dog stand, they returned to sell hot dogs, ice cream, and BBQ during the summer months.

Their situation was similar to James’. And thanks to Link’s friendship, Daniel’s hot dog stand had also become a trendy spot.

Aside from James and Daniel, Michael, who had run the surfboard shop, had spent two or three years in cities like New York but returned to Miami last year to work as a recording engineer and talent scout at a recording studio.

When Michael left, Link had reached out to see if he could help, but Michael had declined, wanting to make it on his own.

Now, he was doing alright. James joked that Michael had become quite indulgent, dating a new girl every day, and said he was glad he never left; otherwise, he might have ended up as irresponsible as Michael.

---

After chatting with James and Daniel for a bit and promising to visit Miami Beach for a vacation when he had time, Link then talked with Chris Liu, Jennifer Xu, and their kids.

Watching the little ones grow day by day, he realized how little time he’d spent with them. Link felt that in the future, his kids would probably call him out for being an absent dad.

To make up for this, he decided to retire from acting in a few years and reduce his public appearances, dedicating more time to his family. He planned to spend at least one month a year with Shunan, Jiani Liu, and Sasaki Konomi, the little ones.

Now that he had a private jet, traveling was easy.

After shutting down his computer, Link stretched and walked out of the villa.

The sun was shining, and the garden was lush and green. Ivanka, dressed in a light blue knee-length dress, was walking on the lawn with their three little kids, followed by seven or eight small dogs and cats.

Link used to joke about how their neighbors, Scott Stuber and his wife, would make a big entrance whenever they went out. Now, his own family was just as grand.

Over the weekend, Link and Ivanka hosted a party at the villa, inviting company employees and partners from the film industry to celebrate the success of this summer’s movie season and prepare for the upcoming fall and holiday seasons.

This summer, Lionsgate released six films, four of which grossed over $100 million in North America: *Identity Thief* ($162 million), *Rust and Bone* ($121 million), *Now You See Me* ($132 million), and *The Heat* ($159 million).

Only *Madea’s Witness Protection* and *Her* underperformed slightly, but neither lost money.

In total, Lionsgate grossed $682 million in North America from six films.

This summer, a total of 212 films were released in North America, selling approximately 583 million tickets and grossing $4.76 billion. This marked an 11% increase from last year and set a new record for the highest-grossing summer in history.

Among the 212 films, 20 surpassed $100 million at the North American box office. Disney led with five films, followed by Lionsgate and Warner Bros. with four each. Universal, Fox, and Paramount had two each, and Sony had one.

Disney topped the new "Big Seven" studios with a total of $823 million, thanks to hits like *Iron Man 3* and *Monsters University*.

Warner Bros. followed with $695 million from films like *Man of Steel*, *Pacific Rim*, *The Hangover Part III*, and *The Great Gatsby*.

Lionsgate ranked third with $682 million, capturing 14.5% of the market share.

Universal, Fox, Paramount, and Sony took the fourth to seventh spots.

Lionsgate’s continued top-three performance this summer put pressure on its competitors while boosting morale among its staff, as everyone hoped for a bigger year-end bonus.

However, because of Lionsgate’s recent success, other studios had been poaching its executives. Since April, eight senior managers and five producers had been hired away by competing studios, with six going to The Weinstein Company.

But this had little impact on Lionsgate. The secret to Lionsgate’s box office success lay with Link, not the executives.

Whether they stayed or left, the movies would still be hits. In fact, their departure gave the company the opportunity to recruit even more talented managers and producers, ensuring that each department ran efficiently.

"Hey, Link, congrats! Lionsgate’s results are incredible. You’re the person I admire most now."

Ryan Kavanaugh from Relativity Media approached, looking a bit conflicted.

"Thanks! I just found a great team to work with."

Link smiled humbly.

"No, no. No matter what anyone says, I believe you’re the key to Lionsgate’s success. Before you bought the company, Lionsgate was doing okay, but it was just a small studio worth around $700-800 million.

But since you took over, in less than three years, the company’s market value has quadrupled, and its annual box office revenue keeps rising. You’ve managed to push back the Big Six and secure a top-three spot, which is incredibly impressive."

Ryan Kavanaugh marveled.

When Link bought Lionsgate in 2011, he, like everyone else, thought it was a foolish move and that the studio would surely go bankrupt.

But reality had proven them all wrong. Under Link’s leadership, Lionsgate hadn’t gone under; it had become one of Hollywood’s "New Big Seven."

Had Lionsgate been around longer and had more funding and distribution channels, it could have overtaken Disney and Warner Bros. to become the industry leader.

Ryan couldn’t help but envy, and also respect, such genius.

By comparison, Relativity Media had been struggling more and more in recent years.

Before August, the company had released five films, only two of which grossed over $50 million in North America. *Safe Haven* earned $73.14 million, and the animated film *Free Birds* made $55.75 million, but its production cost was $55 million.

In the first half of the year, Relativity hadn’t made any profit and had lost $180 million.

When you factored in the company’s outstanding debt, the situation was bleak.

Ryan couldn’t understand how someone like Link, an outsider to the film industry, could come to Hollywood and make a fortune, while he, with over a decade of experience, was losing money.

It just didn’t seem fair.

(End of chapter)

**Chapter 543: Talking Business**

"Link, any good movie projects lately? I hope we can work together if there's an opportunity."

At the party, Ryan Kavanaugh raised his champagne glass as he spoke.

Link thought for a moment and brought up two projects. One was **The Expendables 3**, currently being developed by Lionsgate, and the other was **Divergent**, a movie adaptation of a bestselling book produced by Summit Entertainment.

Due to the high salaries of him and Scarlett Johansson, the budget for **The Expendables 3** was a staggering $125 million. The higher the budget, the higher the risk, but also the greater the potential rewards if the box office was a hit—similar to gambling.

For this reason, Link needed to bring on more partners to share the risks and rewards.

**Divergent**, on the other hand, was a new sci-fi action film with a budget of around $70–80 million. If Kavanaugh was interested, he could also invest in it.

However, Kavanaugh showed more interest in Lionsgate's low-budget films.

This summer, even though Lionsgate ranked third in total box office earnings, Disney suffered a huge loss of $200 million from the flop **The Lone Ranger**, and Warner Bros. also took a hit with **The Hangover Part III**. Only Lionsgate films avoided losses.

As a result, Lionsgate became the most profitable studio among the "New Big Seven" studios during the summer season.

Out of the films Lionsgate released, only **Now You See Me** had a budget of $75 million. Most others, like **Rust and Bone**, which grossed $320 million globally, had budgets as low as $22 million. This efficiency was one of Lionsgate's standout qualities.

Relativity Media, on the other hand, was in a poor financial state and didn’t have much money to spare. Kavanaugh was more interested in joining Lionsgate's lower-budget productions.

Hearing Kavanaugh's request, Link didn’t give an immediate answer. He simply told him that he'd reach out if the right project came up.

In reality, not all of Lionsgate's low-budget films were guaranteed successes. Movies like **Her**, last year’s **The Master**, and Joaquin Phoenix's latest film **Inherent Vice** were risky, as were Megan Ellison's new script **Foxcatcher** and Brad Pitt's **The Big Short**. These were mostly aimed at the Oscars.

The more Oscars Lionsgate won, the better its reputation, which attracted more filmmakers, like Reese Witherspoon's **Wild** and director Lee Daniels’ **The Butler**.

Link remembered that **The Butler** was originally produced by Weinstein Company, but now director Lee Daniels had come to work with Lionsgate. This shift was largely due to Lionsgate's recent success at the Oscars.

"Hey, Link!"

Angelina Jolie and Reese Witherspoon walked over, both of them partners on Lionsgate’s new project and also film company owners. They had been invited by Link and Ivanka.

"Link, **Wild** is already set up. Can I invite you to do a cameo as a supporting actor?" Witherspoon asked with a smile.

"If my schedule doesn’t conflict, I think I can do that," Link politely responded.

"No problem, we can adjust the shooting schedule to fit your availability," Witherspoon replied, smiling.

Link agreed.

"Link, **Maleficent** needs a 3- or 4-year-old girl for a role. How about letting Cynthia try out? She’s so pretty, like a little angel, and perfect for the part," Jolie suggested with a grin, holding her wine glass.

Link thought for a moment and liked the idea. Letting his little one act in a movie could be a fun childhood experience, even if she didn’t grow up to be an actor.

But it wasn’t up to him alone. He needed to ask Taylor’s opinion first. If Taylor disagreed and he made the decision on his own, she’d be upset later.

"Alright, I’ll wait for your answer," Jolie smiled and brought up another script. It was a true story about an American soldier captured by the Japanese during World War II, subjected to inhumane torture but never giving up. The film, called **Unbroken**, was something she wanted to direct herself. She asked if Link was interested in investing and playing the lead role.

Link didn’t give a direct answer and said he would check out the script first.

After saying goodbye to the two stars, Link chatted with Julia Roberts, Kate Winslet, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Jessica Alba, Jessica Chastain, and others, discussing new films and projects.

Lionsgate was now releasing more than 20 movies a year, rivaling the output of the six major studios. Their performance at the Oscars was also better than most, which made them more attractive to actors and agencies who had previously overlooked them.

After finishing up those conversations, Link spoke with Netflix’s CEO Reed Hastings and Vice President Scott Stuber.

Late last year, Lionsgate and Netflix signed multiple collaboration deals, including TV shows, movies, and variety shows. Netflix provided funding and distribution, while Lionsgate focused on content creation.

In February, the first season of their co-produced series **House of Cards** premiered on Netflix worldwide and became a smash hit, with viewership climbing quickly and turning it into a phenomenon that attracted millions of subscribers.

Netflix's stock price soared from $26 per share last year to $197.5, and their market cap exceeded $17.93 billion, breaking its 11-year record.

With Lionsgate holding an 11.37% stake in Netflix, the value of that share exceeded $2 billion. Goldbeck Investments’ 8.62% stake was also worth $1.54 billion.

Link’s net worth skyrocketed as a result.

The two companies planned to collaborate on even more productions, including Link’s ambitious "100 web series" and "10,000 micro-movies" initiatives. If the partnership succeeded, Netflix’s value would continue to rise.

After circulating and chatting with all the guests, Link finally relaxed. At Lady Gaga’s suggestion, he sat at the piano and, with the band accompanying him, performed a new instrumental piece called **Victory**, a grand and powerful composition.

"Link is just perfect—good looks, a musician, a boxing champion, a billionaire. He’s practically flawless. It’s a shame there’s only one guy like him in the whole world," Jessica Chastain remarked in admiration.

"You should tell him that to his face—he loves being complimented," Emma Stone quipped.

"I’d be too embarrassed to say that to him directly," Chastain laughed.

Emma Stone glanced at her and hesitated for a moment before whispering, "Jessica, I want to ask you something personal. I hope you won’t be mad."

"What is it?"

"It’s about you and Link..."

"We’ve never slept together, and there’s nothing else between us," Chastain cut her off, anticipating the question. After winning the Best Actress Oscar, she had been asked this countless times by friends and family, as well as being eyed suspiciously by others.

At first, she found it awkward, but she eventually got used to it. In fact, rumors linking her to someone as powerful as Link weren’t necessarily a bad thing in Hollywood. It was actually kind of cool.

Plus, she didn’t mind Link on a personal level. 

But the truth was that nothing had ever happened between them, and she didn’t want to lie about it.

"Really? Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t implying anything. I just wanted to know," Stone said with a wink.

Chastain shook her head and looked at her curiously. "I’ve heard rumors about you and Link since 2010. You and Link were the first two artists signed by Palm Bay Talent. Shouldn't you be closer to him? Why don’t you ask him yourself?"

"I did, and he said no."

"Well, that’s the truth. You’re just overthinking it."

"Is that so?"

Stone felt a bit confused. She had known Link since 2010 and always found him approachable. They had maintained a good friendship over the years.

But one thing always puzzled her: over the years, Link had helped both Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain win Oscars. She considered herself just as talented as them, but Link had never hinted at trying to secure an Oscar for her. Whenever she asked, he would just say, "No rush, I’ll help you win three."

She wasn’t sure if he was serious or just brushing her off.

So, she thought about asking Chastain whether or not she had ever been intimate with Link.

If she had, then maybe Stone needed to step up her game and consider letting Link "help her out" in that way. After all, they were close friends, and sleeping together wouldn’t be a big deal.

But if they hadn’t, then she’d have to come up with a different strategy.

Having worked with Chastain a few times, Stone knew she wouldn’t lie. So, it seemed that Link had backed Chastain purely because of her talent and the quality of her films, not any personal relationship.

With this realization, Stone felt relieved, though slightly disappointed. Link could have easily taken advantage of countless women in Hollywood, but he chose not to. He wasn’t your typical sleazy guy.

“I think winning an Oscar still depends on the work and the acting. Relying solely on PR won’t cut it. Otherwise, why doesn’t Link just PR himself to a Best Actor award?” Chastain laughed.

Emma Stone nodded in agreement. After all, there are many women in Hollywood who are close to Link, like Daddario and Emma Watson, and they haven’t even been nominated for an Oscar. It just shows that when Link does PR for the Oscars, he focuses more on the quality of the work.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

After Link finished playing a piece, the audience erupted into applause and cheers.

Emma Stone clapped along, shouting for an encore.

Naturally, Link had no intention of playing another piece. He played the piano at the party out of courtesy, not to give everyone a concert. He handed the stage back to the band and continued chatting with everyone, talking about work.

“Link, is that piece something new you’ve written?” Lady Gaga asked.

“Yes, it’s still in the works, not finished yet,” Link replied.

“That’s amazing! You’ve moved away from writing songs to pure instrumental music. You’re an incredible guy,” Lady Gaga marveled.

“There’s a section in the piece with a female vocal humming. Do you want to give it a try?”

“Of course! I’d love to,” Lady Gaga quickly responded.

After the party, Link and Ivanka decided to take a little vacation. They took their three kids to their garden villa in Miami to relax. They enjoyed a leisurely time, taking the kids to the beach to build sandcastles or out on the yacht to go fishing, visiting James’ café, and stopping by Coach West’s boxing gym.

During this time, Link’s father-in-law returned to Miami for a vacation as well. He continued teaching Link how to play golf and introduced him to officials and legislators from Florida.

His father-in-law mentioned that he was preparing to run for office again. He had failed last time, but he hoped to make it to Washington this time.

Link expressed his support and even helped his father-in-law come up with a catchy slogan and gave him several solid suggestions.

Because of this, his father-in-law became even more fond of him, to the point that it made Ivanka feel a bit jealous.

“Honey, what have you done to Dad? Now all he ever says is ‘Dear Link, brilliant Link,’ and he even tells me I should learn from you. It’s like you two are the real father and son,” Ivanka said as she lay by the villa pool in a bikini, flipping through a magazine.

“We’re like-minded, we have a lot in common. It’s only natural that he likes me,” Link said as he poured some sunscreen onto her smooth back and gently massaged it in.

“This is great,” Ivanka smiled, turning her head to give him a quick kiss.

Link smiled softly, then removed the straps from her swimsuit and gave her a full-body spa treatment.

(End of chapter)

**Chapter 544: Fall Season**

"Decisions as I go, to anywhere I flow..."
Decide to leave at any moment, riding the waves of time.
"Sometimes I believe, at times I'm rational..."
Sometimes I believe, but being calm and collected is the truth.

"I can fly high, I can go low..."
I can soar high or fall to the depths.

"Today I got a billion. Tomorrow, I don't know..."
Today I'm worth billions, but tomorrow my fate is unknown.

...

At the beginning of September, Link released a new single, "Reality," on Spotify. Without any promotion, it achieved 3.35 million global streams on its first day, reaching 52.21 million streams in its first week.

In the U.S., 1.31 million users downloaded the high-quality version, and the song quickly topped the Billboard Singles Chart.

It also ranked first on music charts in 32 countries and regions, including Canada, the U.K., Belgium, Australia, Japan, and South Korea.

After listening to the song, fans flooded Link's Twitter and Facebook, saying one song wasn't enough and asking for more.

Among those fans were over a hundred famous actors and singers, including Lady Gaga, Adele, Britney Spears, Madonna, and Lana Del Rey, all declaring themselves fans. They expressed their love for his music and urged their fans to pay for more streams, encouraging Link to release more songs, calling him lazy for not doing so.

As a result, in the second week, the song's streams skyrocketed to 156 million, with one in thirty being paid subscribers.

Link tweeted that his next release would be a purely instrumental symphony, aiming to release both the music and the music video by Christmas.

Fans expressed their excitement.

After "Reality" spent two consecutive weeks at the top of the singles chart, Link called Taylor and sighed, saying there wasn't anyone in the current music scene who could compete. Winning the singles chart was easier than eating pasta.

Taylor angrily scolded him, telling him not to get cocky, promising to write a few songs to defeat him next time.

Link laughed and reminded her of their old bet—one chart-topping song equals one date.

Taylor called him a pervert.

For fun, at the beginning of the year, Link created a new account on Spotify and began releasing songs in a new singing style. Initially, he mimicked his own songs and gained over ten thousand followers on Spotify.

In August, he started releasing 22 songs that hadn’t made it onto his albums.

The most-streamed song had over 1.2 million streams, surpassing the streams of many B-list artists' main singles.

Even talent scouts from record companies left messages, hoping to sign him and release an album.

Some fans commented that his voice sounded like Link’s, suggesting he should participate in "The Voice" or impersonation shows, noting how many singers had gone viral by mimicking Link. They thought he could too.

Secretly pleased, Link replied that he just wanted to sing quietly for now and wasn't looking for fame yet.

Besides singing and recording, during his time off, he filmed boxing tutorial videos, which he uploaded to Netflix and YouTube.

The tutorials were shot at West Boxing Gym, with students from the gym as his audience. There were 12 lessons, each lasting 45 minutes.

The first video garnered 12.9 million views in its first week, becoming the fastest boxing tutorial video to surpass 10 million views.

The purpose of making these videos was to promote boxing. With his fame, promoting it was easier than before.

“Link, you’re incredible. You can casually release a video and get over 10 million views,” James, the chubby guy at the dive shop, remarked while watching a video on his phone.

"It wasn’t just any video; it was a carefully designed, high-quality one," Link replied, reclining on a deck chair.

The tutorial videos were scripted beforehand, with coaches on hand to guide, plus professional cameramen, editors, set designers, and prop masters.

The 12 videos cost over $800,000 to produce.

But since Link wasn’t short on cash, he made them free to watch.

"Link, you’re now a global superstar, a billionaire! Man, I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I’d get to talk to a billionaire. How does it feel, being a big star and a billionaire?" James asked with wide eyes.

“Of course it feels great to be a billionaire! Why wouldn’t having money feel good?” Daniel chimed in with a laugh.

"Not necessarily. Magazines say that billionaires also have their own problems, like feeling empty, bored, greedy, or even corrupt. Link, do you ever feel like that?" James asked.

"No, right now my only worry is how to raise my kids well and how to live longer. Other than that, I don't have many problems," Link replied.

“See, even Link has his worries,” James chuckled.

Daniel shook his head, not wanting to argue.

As Link lay under the sunshade, gazing at the deep blue sea, the clear sky, the white sandy beach, and seagulls flying over tall palm trees, the salty ocean breeze filled the air. It felt pretty good.

While they were chatting, some tourists came to rent diving gear. When they saw Link, they excitedly asked for his autograph.

Link didn’t refuse and even took a few group photos with them.

After hearing that the tourists were going diving, he even played the role of a diving instructor, taking two professional divers on a tour of the underwater world.

Later, the Miami Herald reported on this event, which led to many fans visiting Baker's dive shop, though Link was no longer there.

Link and Ivanka, along with their three children, had stayed in Miami for over a month, returning to Los Angeles in early October.

During the fall season in September and October, Lionsgate had four films released: *Spring Breakers*, *Dallas Buyers Club*, *The Host*, and *Insidious: Chapter 2*.

*Spring Breakers*, directed and written by Harmony Korine, starred James Franco, Selena Gomez, and Vanessa Hudgens, and was a crime film. It was produced by Annapurna Pictures and distributed by Lionsgate.

The film performed well at both the Venice Film Festival in August and the Toronto Film Festival in early September, earning nominations for several awards.

With a production cost of $5 million, the film grossed $14.12 million in North America and $12.08 million internationally.

Annapurna Pictures and Lionsgate both earned over $10 million from the film.

The second film, *Dallas Buyers Club*, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, starred Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, and Rami Malek.

The movie tells the story of Ron Woodroof, a homophobic Texas electrician diagnosed with AIDS in 1986. With the help of friends, he establishes the underground "Dallas Buyers Club" to provide AIDS patients with cheaper drugs and alternative therapies, fighting both the disease and the FDA.

The film's plot is similar to the Chinese film *Dying to Survive*.

With a production budget of $5.5 million, *Dallas Buyers Club* opened in late September, grossing $354,000 from nine theaters in its first week, a solid performance.

The film received rave reviews, with an average media score of 92, and 36 outlets giving it ratings above 90. It was considered Lionsgate’s best film of the year.

It has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the highest-rated films released this year.

Matthew McConaughey's performance was especially lauded, with many critics giving it five stars, positioning him as a strong contender for next year’s Academy Award for Best Actor.

“Lionsgate is killing it this year, even better than last year. If this keeps up, next year’s Oscars for Best Actor and Best Actress will be dominated by Lionsgate films,” Bob Weinstein said, looking over the newspaper.

Across from him, Harvey sat silently, fuming. He’d been so focused on making his new film that he hadn’t kept up with industry news. But when he finally took a break and looked at the papers, they were still filled with news about Link, all of it positive.

Before, there used to be tabloid reports about Link’s scandals, criticizing him as a playboy. But now, those kinds of stories were nowhere to be found. Link seemed to have become a flawless public figure.

This situation infuriated Harvey. Before last year, he and Link had been equals in Hollywood. Now, Link had grown into someone even he had to look up to.

Harvey gritted his teeth and said, "Don’t worry, Lionsgate’s success is drawing too much attention. It’s seriously affecting the Big Six’s profits. They won’t sit back and let Lionsgate dominate the box office. When the Big Six make their move, Lionsgate is bound to suffer."

“Will the Big Six really do something? Paramount signed a deal with Lionsgate, and Link is a shareholder in Fox’s parent company, News Corporation. It won’t be easy for Warner, Disney, Universal, or Sony to take them down,” Bob said, frowning.

Harvey clenched his fist, “Trust me, this is a capitalist market. The Big Six's shareholders won’t sit by and watch Link and Lionsgate continue to rise. They will definitely act, either this year or next. I know how they operate.”

“I hope you’re right. If Lionsgate’s films keep doing this well, our company will be in trouble.”

In the past, the North American film industry was dominated by the Big Six studios and countless small production companies. The Big Six were like sharks, taking nearly 60% of the box office each year, while the smaller companies survived on the leftovers.

Weinstein Company was a leader in the independent film sector, earning $500–600 million in box office revenue annually.

However, since Lionsgate's rise, the "New Big Seven" have taken nearly 70% of the box office, squeezing Weinstein, Relativity Media, Legendary Pictures, New Regency, and others, cutting their box office earnings in half.

Not only were small production companies affected, but even the box office results of the six major studios took a hit.

Disney and Warner Bros. studied the numbers and believed that in the summer season, if it weren't for Lionsgate's Now You See Me, Identity Thief, and The Heat, their films like The Lone Ranger, The Hangover Part III, After Earth, Jack the Giant Slayer, and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones would have performed much better at the box office.

You could say that Lionsgate's films climbed to the top by stepping over the corpses of their competitors.

Bob was confident, due to his understanding of the industry, that the six majors wouldn’t sit idly by, but he wasn’t sure when or how they would strike against Lionsgate, nor how many would be willing to take action.

He just hoped it would be soon.

Due to the impact of Lionsgate's films, Weinstein Company’s box office performance this year was a complete disaster. Aside from Django Unchained, which earned over $100 million domestically, none of their other films grossed more than $60 million.

The company also had nearly $200 million in loans, with annual interest payments in the tens of millions. If things continued this way, the company could go bankrupt in a couple of years.

The thought of bankruptcy and losing the ability to make money caused Bob great pain.

"Don’t worry, Lionsgate won’t stay on top for long, definitely not," Harvey repeated.

—

Bob and Harvey's hunch was correct—Lionsgate's competitors wouldn’t just stand by and watch its rise without doing something. That wouldn’t be in line with how Wall Street capitalists operate.

So, when Dallas Buyers Club became a hit, the media was flooded with articles criticizing Lionsgate.

These articles claimed that Lionsgate, once a leader in the independent film scene, had strayed from its independent roots after becoming part of the "New Big Seven," producing a lot of low-quality films such as The Heat, Identity Thief, and the Madea series.

Renowned film critic David Bordwell stated that Lionsgate's films fell into two categories: those that pandered to audiences with poor quality, and those made specifically to cater to Oscar voters, designed solely to win awards.

Although both types of films had merit, they lacked the distinct characteristics of independent films and were gradually moving away from the independent film sphere.

In the end, David Bordwell summed up his review with a single sentence: Lionsgate was turning from a "dragon slayer" into the "evil dragon."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 545: The Public Opinion Battle

From a cinematic art perspective, independent film companies stand in opposition to large, market-driven film corporations. Independent films aim to preserve artistic integrity and resist the "formulaic" productions of major studios that prioritize marketability.

Lionsgate originally produced films that aligned with the "independent film" model, but now it focuses more on box office performance, much like the six major studios.

This has led to Lionsgate being labeled the "evil dragon" by David Bordwell.

In addition to criticizing Lionsgate's films, some filmmakers accuse the company of disrupting the movie market with its marketing strategies.

For example, at the beginning of the year, Lionsgate collaborated with AMC and other theater chains to implement a "Tuesday Discount Plan," offering 40% off movie tickets on Tuesdays, with Lionsgate films priced between $5 and $7.

They also introduced the "Watch 6, Get 1 Free" program, where viewers who watched six Lionsgate films could get a free movie ticket.

Although the "Big Six" studios also offer promotions, Lionsgate's discounts are more aggressive.

Smaller production companies, with limited resources and fewer annual releases, can't afford to compete at this level.

This is one of the weapons that have allowed the "New Big Seven" studios to dominate the market.

Lionsgate, having suffered from similar tactics when it was weaker, now joins in to avoid being left behind by the Big Six.

This is one reason Lionsgate is seen as the "evil dragon."

Furthermore, some have pointed out that Lionsgate frequently casts actors from Palm Bay Agency, such as Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence, Melissa McCarthy, and Matthew McConaughey, in their films.

According to Hollywood industry regulations, talent agencies, production companies, and theater chains must adhere to the "three-line separation" principle.

Lionsgate’s practices have been viewed as monopolistic.

And so on.

Some of these criticisms and accusations are baseless, while others have substance.

Regardless of the nature of the criticism, Lionsgate's PR department quickly holds press conferences to provide reasonable explanations and protect the company’s golden reputation.

For slanderous or defamatory comments, Lionsgate's legal team promptly sends cease-and-desist letters.

After more than a week of back-and-forth, with cooperation between the PR and legal departments, the negative media coverage of Lionsgate gradually subsided.

This public relations attack ended with little fanfare.

"This is the Big Six's tactic? Their attack is pretty weak," Link said, flipping through a magazine in the Lionsgate office.

"Boss, it's not that our competitors are weak. It's just that our films have been of such high quality, with both box office success and critical acclaim, that they don’t have much to criticize," said Goldsmith, Lionsgate's Vice President of Marketing.

"But we shouldn't underestimate the Big Six. This may have been a test. If our films show any weakness, they’ll swarm in like sharks smelling blood. That's how MGM went bankrupt," Goldsmith added.

Link nodded. After spending years in Hollywood, he knew how fierce the competition was within the industry, and since Lionsgate's rise, it had become even more cutthroat.

There was often an undercurrent of tension.

It felt dangerous.

Lionsgate had managed to avoid being ganged up on by competitors for three reasons:

First, since Link took over, the quality of Lionsgate's films had been consistently good, earning recognition at the Oscars, leaving competitors with little to criticize in terms of film quality.

Second, after several acquisitions, Lionsgate's marketing, distribution, and production systems were well-established, reducing its reliance on the Big Six, making it difficult for them to target Lionsgate.

Third, the Big Six were not a unified front. Each studio was its own entity, and they couldn’t coordinate their actions effectively against Lionsgate.

These were Lionsgate’s advantages.

But Link wasn’t complacent. As Goldsmith pointed out, the Big Six were like sharks lurking in deep waters. Any misstep by Lionsgate would invite a full-scale attack.

So now that Lionsgate had reached this point, Link and his executives tread carefully with each film and project, leaving no room for competitors to strike.

"This film *Dallas Buyers Club* is quite good, and Matthew McConaughey’s performance is excellent. However, in the marketing, focus on his challenges during the shoot rather than constantly mentioning the Oscars. Talk about his 30-pound weight loss, his interactions with AIDS patients, and his involvement with LGBTQ groups. Oscar voters like to see actors make sacrifices for their roles. We should highlight that. Just praising the acting won’t be enough,” Link said, looking at the magazine.

"Got it, boss!" Goldsmith eagerly took notes.

Link smiled slightly, about to add something else, when his phone rang—it was Leonardo.

"What’s up? I’m not going to poker."

"I'm not a gambling addict. I wanted to ask about *The Wolf of Wall Street*. I heard it’s scheduled for release in December."

"Is there a problem?"

"I was wondering if we could push the release to next year."

"Why?"

"Do you think I have a shot at winning Best Actor at the Oscars next year with this film?"

"No chance. You’ll probably just get a nomination."

"Yeah, I thought so too. I just watched *Dallas Buyers Club*, and Matthew’s performance is incredible. The film’s theme gives him an advantage. Compared to him, my chances of winning feel slim. So, if we delay the release, would my odds improve?"

"Not really. To avoid internal competition, the distribution department has already pushed *American Hustle* to next year. That film is also a top contender for the Oscars. If we delay *The Wolf of Wall Street*, you’ll still have to face 'Rubberman' Christian Bale next year. The chances won’t be much better."

"Shit! I heard Lionsgate is trying to monopolize the Best Actress category. Now you’re going for Best Actor too? Why don’t they just rename the Oscars to the Lionsgate Awards?"

"Watch your words, or I’ll sue you for defamation. The only reason our films win Oscars is because they’re of high quality and align with the voters' tastes. There's no other reason."

"Whatever, you’re the boss, I can’t argue with you. By the way, are you going to this year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show? I can introduce you to some models."

"I'm not going. I have a wife and kids. What would I be doing at such an inappropriate event? Only single guys like you enjoy that stuff. And speaking of December, *The Wolf of Wall Street* is releasing then, so you'll be busy with promotional tours. How do you expect to have time for a lingerie show? With that attitude, you expect to win an Oscar? My chances of winning are better than yours."

"Shit! Link, I bet you’ll never win an Oscar in your lifetime."

A furious voice came through the phone.

Link just smiled, remembering something.

"Have you read *The Revenant*? The company is planning to adapt it into a film, and I think you'd be perfect for the lead role. If you play it well, you’ll have a strong shot at winning Best Actor."

"Really? I don’t believe it. If the role is that good, you’d take it yourself."

"The lead character is a forty- to fifty-year-old overweight man. He’s not a good fit for me."

"An old, fat guy? And you think that’s a good fit for me?"

Leonardo asked, annoyed.

"I saw that photo of you with the water gun. Quite alluring."

"Shit! That photo’s angle was terrible. I’m not as fat as it made me look."

"Heh."

Link hung up, not listening to Leonardo’s excuses.

"Boss, one more thing," Goldsmith said, after seeing Link finish the call. He brought up the issue of the Oscar campaign for *Rust and Bone*. The PR team believed Link’s performance was strong enough to warrant a push for a Best Actor nomination.

"Do I have a chance?"

After thinking it over, Link instructed them to run a normal campaign without pushing too hard.

First, his mindset had changed. He was less interested in winning an Oscar than he used to be, so it wasn’t a big deal either way.

Second, he was now too famous, too young, too handsome, and too rich. Oscar voters, out of jealousy or other reasons, were unlikely to vote for him. An aggressive campaign would be a waste of money. It would be better to focus resources on other categories.

After leaving the office, Link visited the screenwriting department to check out their latest scripts and recommend two novels he had recently come across.

One was *The Martian*, written by Andy Weir. Since 2009, Weir had been posting chapters of the novel on his personal website for free. Due to overwhelming demand from readers, he eventually released it on Amazon for $0.99, where it attracted more paying readers than free ones. In June, Random House purchased the rights for $850,000.

The physical book was released last week, selling 137,000 copies in its first week, and it debuted at #15 on *The New York Times* bestseller list, generating a strong response.

Link instructed the screenwriting team to contact the author and secure the film rights.

The second book was *Wonder* by R.J. Palacio, also published this year. It tells the story of a boy with facial deformities who, with the encouragement of his parents, attends a mainstream school and regains his confidence, learning to face life positively.

It’s an inspirational story.

He remembered that the movie was starring Julia Roberts and had done quite well at the box office.

He suggested acquiring the adaptation rights for the novel first to enrich Lionsgate’s script library.

He also reviewed the scripts submitted by the screenwriting department—over a dozen of them. The quality was decent, with a few familiar movie titles, though the box office performance was uncertain. He didn’t interfere and left it to the production department to discuss and make decisions.

Link would only check the production budget of projects afterward. If the costs weren’t high, he wouldn't intervene. But if they were too high, he would consult with the production department to ensure that the projects wouldn’t lose too much money.

While visiting the production department, one of Lionsgate’s top three producers, Mike De Luca, approached him, asking him to seriously reconsider the movie *Fifty Shades of Grey*.

This year, he starred in *Rust and Bone*, an art film that grossed $320 million worldwide. And *Fifty Shades of Grey* was a global bestseller with a large fan base. If he, a global superstar, were to star in it, the box office would be sure to explode.

Link looked at him helplessly, wondering if it was appropriate for a global superstar and billionaire like him to take on such a role.

Mike De Luca assured him it was suitable, promising that the level of nudity wouldn’t be any greater than in *Rust and Bone*.

Link shook his head. Next year, he had two movies, *American Sniper* and *The Expendables 3*, so he didn’t have time for any other projects. He told De Luca to first bring out the script for the first movie, and if it was good and he had time, he might consider it.

De Luca eagerly nodded, promising to deliver a refined script.

Link checked the time and returned to his office upstairs to pick up Ivanka after work.

(End of the chapter)