506-510

*Chapter 506: The Second Grand Slam*

"Go Link!"

"Link, one more punch, take him down!"

In early September, the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa, a venue that also hosted the 2010 World Cup, was the site of the WBO light heavyweight championship fight. Competing were WBA-WBC-IBF light heavyweight world champion Link and Adonis Stevenson, a Black Canadian boxer.

Stevenson, 35, was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and later immigrated to Canada. He entered the professional boxing world in 2006, participating in 18 professional matches with a current record of 17 wins and 1 loss. In May, he won the WBO light heavyweight title eliminator by technically knocking out Don George in the twelfth round, earning the right to challenge for the WBO world title.

Nicknamed "Superman," Stevenson stands 180 cm tall with a reach of 183 cm. He is known for his powerful punches, having won 13 of his 18 matches by knockout. However, he was unlucky to face Link, the true Superman.

From the start of the match, Stevenson was dominated by Link. No matter how fast his punches were, Link dodged them effortlessly. No matter how powerful his blows, Link absorbed them with ease. Stevenson felt frustrated, as if he were not facing a man but a mountain, an impenetrable wall. No matter how hard he tried, no matter what tactics or killer moves he used, he couldn't hurt Link at all.

Stevenson finally understood why Link was the number one in boxing and why top boxers became so weak when facing him, like children fighting an adult. Link's strength was overwhelming, his boxing skills flawless, and his punches devastating. Each blow to the head left Stevenson dizzy for several seconds. Link's punches were incredibly fast, striking unpredictably and making it nearly impossible to defend.

Throughout the match, Stevenson often felt that he was about to be knocked out by Link's next punch, but Link didn't do that. Amid the cheers of over 40,000 spectators, Link demonstrated superb boxing skills, forcing Stevenson to use all his abilities to deal with him. Despite knowing he would lose, Stevenson didn't want to give up easily. He desperately wanted to defeat Link, the number one in boxing, and rise to fame on Link's shoulders.

If he could accomplish that, he would become a money-making machine, earning millions from each match, billions in a year, living in multi-million-dollar mansions, marrying wealthy heiresses, and having any beauty in the world. He might even cross over into music and film, becoming a global superstar. The thought made Stevenson's eyes red. He looked at Link as the final obstacle to his success. Defeating Link would give him everything.

"Kill!!"

He bared his teeth and shouted in Creole, throwing a punch at Link's face with all his might. If this punch landed, he had a 60% chance of knocking Link down. Once he knocked Link down, he would take control of the match. Stevenson suddenly realized that the pinnacle of his life was just one punch away. As he threw the punch, he silently prayed to all the gods he knew, including Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and the voodoo priests, asking them to bless his punch to knock Link down.

Bang! But before his punch could hit Link's nose, Link's left fist appeared out of nowhere, delivering a hook to Stevenson's face from left to right. Stevenson's straight punch deformed instantly, grazing Link's shoulder as it passed. His face was hit hard, jerking to the right with a crack from his neck, sweat flying off his hair and face, even spittle and tears.

Stevenson felt dizzy and lost control of his body, staggering two steps before crashing to the canvas. "Wow, beautifully done!" "Link knocked him down!" As Stevenson fell, the crowd of over 40,000 spectators stood up, raising their fists and cheering loudly.

"Stop!"

The referee stepped in front of Link, crouched down to check on Stevenson, and began counting down: 8, 7, 6, 5... Hearing the count, Stevenson shook his head, propped himself up on his fists, and slowly stood up. But as soon as he straightened his legs, a wave of dizziness overwhelmed him, causing him to fall to the ground again.

"Wow!!"

The audience gasped in unison. The referee restarted the count from 5. Stevenson lay on the canvas, his head still spinning. Even if he stood up, he wouldn't be a match for Link. He might be knocked down again within seconds. Realizing this, Stevenson closed his eyes and listened to the referee count to five.

"Link wins!"

"Link is the Grand Slam champion."

"Link is amazing."

The crowd of tens of thousands roared, and several media reporters stood at ringside, broadcasting Link's victory. The atmosphere was electric. "Hey, buddy, how do you feel?" Stevenson opened his eyes to see Link's handsome face, with his high nose and deep, bright blue eyes. Despite the sweat on his hair and face, he was unscathed and still looked like a movie star.

This guy was not only strong but also enviably handsome. Stevenson felt very upset and, sitting up, gritted his teeth and said, "That punch felt like a woman hit me, soft and did nothing to me." "Okay, glad you're okay." Link shrugged, shaking hands with the WBO World Boxing Organization President Paco Valcarcel and a South African sports official before receiving the WBO light heavyweight world champion gold belt from them.

"Link, Superman Link!"

"Link, I love you."

As Link raised the WBO gold belt, the crowd erupted in cheers, with many of his fans, holding his posters, dancing in the stands. After winning the WBO gold belt, Link had all four major light heavyweight belts, making him the dominant figure in the light heavyweight division. He was now the third person in history to achieve a Grand Slam in the four major organizations, following Bernard Hopkins and Jermain Taylor. He was also the first boxer to achieve two Grand Slams in two different weight classes.

Although Roy Jones Jr., Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, and Joe Calzaghe had won world titles in different weight classes, none had all four belts simultaneously. Link had done it twice. "This guy is a freak," said Hopkins, watching Link on TV at the California Muscle Beach Club. In 2004, he became the first Grand Slam champion in boxing history by defeating De La Hoya. Now, Link had two Grand Slams.

"Indeed a freak. He'll make six or seven million dollars from this fight alone. This guy is a money-printing machine," De La Hoya said through gritted teeth. "Link is getting better and better. Now that he has all the light heavyweight belts, he'll move on to cruiserweight. Maybe in two years, he'll achieve a third Grand Slam. Link is so cool. I wish I were as good as Link," Morales said, clenching his fists.

"Cruiserweight is much harder than light heavyweight. I don't think he can get another Grand Slam," De La Hoya said. "It's hard to say. Last year, when Link moved to light heavyweight, you said he might lose. What happened? He got the Grand Slam," Morales said, spreading his hands.

De La Hoya frowned and asked Hopkins, "Do you think Link can get a third Grand Slam?" Hopkins replied, "Cruiserweight is a smaller division with fewer top fighters. It won't be too hard for Link. The heavyweight division has too many top fighters, so he probably won't make it." "Damn, if he gets a third Grand Slam, all of us will be overshadowed. He'll make over a hundred million per fight, maybe even two hundred million. Damn, if only I had signed him back then," De La Hoya said, envious of Link's boxing skills and earning power.

——

"Haha, Link, congratulations on winning the WBO light heavyweight world title and becoming the light heavyweight Grand Slam champion. How do you feel right now?" At the match venue, HBO host Steve Mandanda interviewed Link. "Pretty good, just like the weather in Cape Town!" Link said, shrugging with four gold belts on his shoulders.

"Link, in three years, you have become a Grand Slam champion twice. This is an unprecedented achievement in boxing history. It's amazing. We know that after becoming the super middleweight Grand Slam champion last year, you announced you were giving up all the belts to challenge for the light heavyweight titles. Now fans are curious if you'll give up the light heavyweight belts to challenge for the cruiserweight title. If so, when? Can you give us a hint?"

Steve Mandanda asked. "Yes, I plan to, but my next challenge won't be cruiserweight. I'll skip that division and go straight to heavyweight and try to win all the heavyweight belts," Link said to the HBO camera. "Straight to heavyweight? Wow, is that true? Did I hear that right? Viewers, I just heard an incredible announcement. Link said he would go straight to heavyweight and aim to become the heavyweight Grand Slam champion. This is huge. I need to confirm. Link, is this true? When will you fight in the heavyweight division?"

Mandanda asked excitedly. "It's true, probably by the end of next year if everything goes well," Link replied. "Viewers, did you hear that? Link said he would move to the heavyweight division by the end of next year and aim to win all the heavyweight belts. Do you think Link can do it? Link, do you believe you can do it?" Mandanda asked excitedly. "Of course, you know I never lack confidence," Link said

 with a smile.

After the interview, Link met with various officials and sponsors, shook hands with Stevenson, and returned to the locker room with his gold belts. There, he saw Didier waiting. "Hey Link, congratulations, you did great!" Didier said, giving Link a high-five and a hug.

"Thanks, Didier, I know I couldn't have done it without you," Link replied.

"Wow, I'm so happy for you," Didier said, looking at the belts on Link's shoulders. "Are you really going to move to the heavyweight division?"

"Yes, Didier, I've made up my mind. After taking a break, I'll start training for the heavyweight division. It's a new challenge for me, but I'm confident I can do it," Link said.

"I'm sure you can, Link. You're the best boxer I've ever seen," Didier said.

"Thanks, Didier. Let's celebrate tonight," Link said with a smile.

The two friends, Link and Didier, looked at each other and laughed, knowing that they had achieved something great today. The journey ahead was still long, but they were ready to face it together.

*Chapter 507: Charlize Theron*

After completing the post-match promotional activities in the afternoon, Link returned to the hotel and remembered his date with Ms. Theron. He sent her a message asking where she was.

Ms. Theron asked which hotel he was staying at, as she was more familiar with Cape Town and it was inconvenient for a big star like him to run around.

Link provided the name of his hotel and his room number.

Around seven in the evening, Bob reported that Ms. Theron had arrived.

Link opened the door and invited Ms. Theron inside.

Charlize Theron had clearly dressed up for the occasion, wearing a golden spaghetti-strap dress and matching high heels. Her golden-brown hair was elegantly draped over her shoulders, and she exuded the alluring scent of Chanel No. 5. Her tall, sexy figure added to her charm and elegance.

Ms. Theron brought a bottle of red wine, a specialty from South Africa's Constantia winery.

Link expressed his gratitude and had a French dinner delivered from the hotel restaurant. They enjoyed the meal while chatting.

Charlize Theron, whose father was French and mother German, was born in South Africa. When she was 16, her mother shot and killed her abusive, drunken father. After that, Charlize entered the modeling world, and by 1995, she transitioned to Hollywood, becoming one of the most beautiful faces of the 90s.

In 2003/2004, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 54th Berlin International Film Festival, and the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in "Monster," solidifying her status as a top Hollywood star.

In recent years, her career in the entertainment industry had been going well. This year, she starred in two summer blockbusters, "Snow White and the Huntsman" and "Prometheus," both achieving good box office results, maintaining her status as a leading actress.

Despite her success, beauty, and fame, Charlize, at 37, had not married or had children, making her one of the most successful single women in the industry.

After dinner, they continued their conversation on the sofa, discussing boxing, music, and movies. Under the influence of alcohol, they eventually became entangled. Link took the opportunity to release the pent-up energy from the match on Ms. Theron.

Despite being 37, she had maintained her figure well through regular exercise, making her an excellent bed partner, even better than the 5'4" Scarlett Johansson. However, Link had no intention of a long-term relationship with her due to the age gap.

After several rounds, Link finished his work in South Africa, including promoting the boxing event and shooting two commercials. He then bid farewell to the clearly reluctant Ms. Theron and returned to the United States with his team.

This match earned Link a total income of $78 million, with a base appearance fee of $50 million, and the remaining $28 million coming from peripheral shares. Including the two advertisements he shot in South Africa, his trip to the country netted him $106 million.

The match's results were widely reported by mainstream media worldwide. Many outlets covered Link's victory and his new WBO gold belt, making him the first light heavyweight Grand Slam champion in history and the only two-time Grand Slam champion in boxing, also the youngest to achieve such a feat.

Many media dubbed him "The Ruler of Boxing" and "The President," while East Asian countries called him "The Emperor of Boxing." Some reports focused on his incredible earning speed.

However, the most sensational news was Link's announcement at the match that he would move up to the heavyweight division to compete against the likes of Evander Holyfield, James Toney, Nikolai Valuev, and the Klitschko brothers to win the heavyweight titles. This announcement became the top headline in sports sections worldwide and trended on platforms like Google, Twitter, Facebook, and Weibo.

While media and fans marveled at Link's prowess, they also speculated whether he could defeat heavyweight champions such as Valuev and the Klitschko brothers and dominate the heavyweight division.

The "Ring" magazine's official website set up a poll asking whether Link could dominate the heavyweight division. The options were "Yes," "No," and "Neutral."

After a week of voting, 38% of boxing fans believed he could, 60% thought he couldn't, and 2% were neutral, with 258,000 votes cast. Among 1,055 professional boxers who voted, 25% believed he could, 72% thought he couldn't, and the rest were neutral.

Las Vegas casinos also turned this into a betting event, offering odds of 1 to 2.5 on Link winning the heavyweight titles.

The media frenzy and discussions among fans listed eight potential opponents for Link in the heavyweight division.

First were the Klitschko brothers, who were believed to have height, weight, and technical advantages over Link. His chances against them were assessed at 41% and 37%.

Second was Valuev, who stood at 213 cm with a significant height advantage over Link. His chances against Valuev were estimated at 45%.

Third was current WBA heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin, with a record of 24 wins and no losses. Fans estimated Link's chances against Povetkin at 48%.

Fourth was British champion Tyson Fury, who stood at 206 cm with a record of 19 wins and no losses. Link's chances against Fury were also estimated at 48%.

Other contenders included "Bronze Bomber" Deontay Wilder, "Tiger" Tony Thompson, and "Cobra" Kubrat Pulev, all seen as formidable opponents for Link.

The primary reason fans doubted Link's chances was not his skill but the significant height, reach, and weight advantages his opponents held. In boxing, such physical disparities posed substantial challenges.

Despite this, Link's announcement to pursue the heavyweight titles garnered responses from Valuev and Chris Byrd, who expressed their readiness to face him and teach him a lesson.

"Link, moving directly to heavyweight is a big leap. Why not wait a few more years? You're only 23, you have time," Frank advised on the plane.

"I understand your concern, but I enjoy challenges, like defeating champions across weight classes. It also brings more attention to the fights," Link replied, putting down his magazine.

Frank nodded, recognizing Link's thoughtfulness. He decided to schedule some initial fights against older, well-known, but less challenging opponents to help Link acclimate to the heavyweight division before arranging championship fights.

——

After returning to the U.S., Link took a few days off before participating in the WBC and IBF light heavyweight title defenses.

He faced WBC challenger Tavoris Cloud and IBF challenger Sergey Kovalev, winning both matches and completing the first round of defending all four major titles. These victories earned him $112 million in prize money.

His professional record now stood at 30 wins, 30 knockouts, and multiple boxing records, including the most consecutive knockout wins and the shortest knockout time. He also held the record for defeating the most world titleholders, earning him the nickname "Champion Slayer."

With no more matches scheduled for the year, Link enjoyed a long break, spending time at home with his children. With Taylor often busy, he sometimes took care of all three kids, becoming a full-time dad.

Under Taylor's persuasion, he also spent time practicing piano and songwriting, contributing a few hit songs and his compositions to a new album, aiming to set new sales records.

(End of the chapter)

Chapter 508: Music Arrangements

Your tough love

Is what I deserve

Sweet tough love

You're my pretty good luck charm

In mid-September, Link Music released the first promotional single from Link's new album, "Tough Love." In its first week of release, the song achieved 380 million plays on the Spotify platform globally, with 14% of those being from paid users, setting multiple records on the platform.

The song also reached the number one spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in countries like the UK, Belgium, Canada, Japan, and the Netherlands.

This song, created by Swedish singer Avicii, is a love song. In terms of quality, it may not necessarily be better than songs like "All of Me," "Say Something," or "Love is Gone." However, because Link is currently more famous than he was last year when he released his fourth album, and his singing skills have improved, the song has been well-received by fans and praised by many music critics who eagerly anticipate his fifth album.

——

This year's MTV Video Music Awards were held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. Link attended the event again as an award presenter and presented Taylor Swift with the award for Best Music Video of the Year.

That night, Ariana Grande, an artist under Link Music, also won the Best New Artist award for her song "The Way." Fellow newcomer Charlie Puth was also nominated for the same award.

"Link, the news says you'll retire from the music industry after releasing your fifth album. Is that true?" Katy Perry asked from the audience.

"Yes, I did mention that before," Link replied.

"Link, we all thought you were joking. Are you really planning to retire?" Miley Cyrus asked, turning to him.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"Why retire when you're so popular right now? You can release a single and get millions of plays. The media predicts that your fifth album's sales in the US won't be less than the fourth. With this momentum, the sixth album might sell even more, maybe ten million copies in a month. Don't you want to set more new records?" Katy Perry questioned.

"I'm too busy. I don't have time to create new music or do promotions," Link explained.

"I think you're just making too much money. One boxing match earns you over a hundred million dollars. If it were me, I'd consider retiring too," Lady Gaga commented.

"That's right. Artists shouldn't be too rich. As a fan of Link, I hope he goes bankrupt so that he has to write more good songs to make money," another artist chimed in.

"Agreed!" the others laughed.

"Link, money is your enemy. You could consider donating all of it," suggested another singer.

Link shook his head and said, "I'm just not releasing new albums. I'm not retiring completely. If I have new songs, I'll release them on Spotify, which will be much less hassle."

"Link, you talk like you're very busy, but I heard from Selena that you're at home taking care of your kids every day. Is that true?" Miley Cyrus asked sweetly.

"More or less. Taking care of kids is work too, isn't it?" Link laughed.

"Do you like kids a lot, Link?" Katy Perry asked, blinking.

"Katy, why are you asking this? Are you planning to have kids with Link too?" Lady Gaga teased.

"One is too few, at least two," Katy Perry joked.

Link laughed and shook his head, then noticed Ariana Grande on stage receiving her award and giving her acceptance speech. He joined the applause with the others.

In her speech, Ariana mentioned meeting Link on Miami Beach in 2010 and thanked him for his guidance, referring to him as her 'teacher.'

Link felt a bit embarrassed, as he had only seen Ariana a few times in the past two years due to his busy schedule. He had given her some guidance on her musical style and helped create three new songs for her, but not much else.

Ariana's success as a 'winner' among new artists was primarily due to her own talent, the assistance of Link Music's producers, and the resources and channels provided by Link Music.

Besides Ariana and Charlie Puth, Link Music had also signed five new artists and two bands, including Ed Sheeran, Carly Rae Jepsen, Halsey, One Direction, and rapper Travis Scott.

Some were signed from YouTube as trainees, and some were already established artists. They were all under SB Projects Entertainment, with Link Music handling their music-related work and SB Projects managing commercial promotions.

Ariana and Charlie Puth were considered the third generation of Link Music artists, while the newly signed artists were the fourth and fifth generations.

With these new talents and Link Music's resources and channels, the company could continue to develop steadily.

After the MTV Awards, Link left in a car but switched to Taylor Swift's car halfway.

"I heard Katy Perry wants to have kids with you? You're quite the charmer now," Taylor said with a sarcastic smile, holding a cup of fruit wine in her white dress.

"She was just joking. How can you take that seriously?" Link shook his head, realizing how fast rumors spread.

"How do you know Katy Perry wasn't serious? Why don't you try? Maybe she really wants to have your kids," Taylor teased with a mischievous smile.

"Are you jealous?" Link asked, wrapping his arm around her slender waist with a smile.

"What are you doing?" Taylor glared at him, threatening him not to move.

"What do you think of my new song?" he asked.

"It's okay! I prefer songs like 'All of Me' and 'Love is Gone,'" Taylor replied.

"Do you remember what you said last time?" he asked.

"Last time? What did I say?" Taylor blinked and looked away, avoiding his gaze.

"Don't try to play dumb. 'Tough Love' is now number one on the singles chart, and I'm here to collect on your promise," Link said, pulling her into his arms and looking into her beautiful eyes.

To encourage him to keep creating, Taylor had promised that if his song reached number one on the singles chart, she'd let him 'have his way' with her once. This promise had given Link the motivation to create new songs.

"Pervert, let go of me, or I'll hit you," Taylor threatened, pushing her fists against his chest.

But her strength was too weak to escape his grasp. Link kissed her lips, which still had the taste of wine, and his hand gently rested on her smooth, long legs.

This was a business car with a partition between the driver's seat and the back, so they could be intimate without Taylor's driver and assistant noticing.

However, Taylor had her own reservations, allowing him only kisses and some touching but no further. Otherwise, she'd bite his lips, so Link had to comply with her limits.

When they reached Beverly Hills, Taylor asked him to get out of the car to buy a bouquet of flowers. As soon as he got out, she closed the door and had the driver start the car and leave. Taylor even waved her fist at him triumphantly.

Link shook his head, deciding to settle this score next time.

——

Back at the hillside villa, Ivanka was still awake, watching TV in the small living room, wearing a face mask, and doing pre-sleep Pilates on a blanket.

After three months of exercise, her figure had returned to its pre-pregnancy state, tall and sexy, with smooth and delicate skin that exuded a faint milky fragrance, making her elegant and charming.

After taking a shower, Link changed into loose T-shirts and shorts and joined Ivanka in her exercises.

"Darling, today Lucian Grainge, the president of Universal Music, called again to propose a financing plan, offering to invest 1 billion dollars for a 50% stake in Link Music, valuing the company at 2 billion dollars. What do you think?" Ivanka asked, sitting cross-legged on the blanket in a white camisole, the thin straps leaving marks on her smooth shoulders.

"Did you and the management team discuss it? What's their opinion?" Link asked while warming up.

"Some agree, some don't, so the final decision falls to us," Ivanka shrugged.

Link paused to consider this. Initially, he and Ivanka founded Link Music primarily to make money, not out of any artistic ambition. Now that the company had grown, selling it to one of the major labels had always been part of the plan. However, they didn't need the money now, and holding onto Link Music would bring in millions, even billions, in dividends annually. Selling it didn't seem worthwhile.

After thinking it over, he proposed a plan to split Link Music, SB Entertainment, and Spotify Holdings. If Universal Music wanted to invest, they could invest in Link Music alone, valuing it at 1.4 billion dollars, and take a 35% stake, ensuring that he and Ivanka retained over 50% control and decision-making power.

Moreover, he didn't want cash. Universal Music Group, not yet independently listed and valued at around 22 billion dollars, could exchange shares.

His goal was to deepen ties with Universal Music and use their channels and resources for easier promotion of his artists' albums.

However, using Universal's channels meant sharing their market, which Universal might not like. This required negotiations to find a balanced interest point.

"That's a good plan. I'll continue negotiating with Universal Music to see their stance," Ivanka nodded.

"Good. But there's no rush. Link Music is still growing, and we can take our time," Link advised.

"Okay, I'll follow your lead," Ivanka smiled gently, tucking a strand of sweat-dampened golden hair behind her ear.

"Honey, you really listen to me?" Link sat behind her, kissing her swan-like neck with a smile.

Ivanka smiled softly and didn't reject his affection, wrappingher long arms around his neck and gently kissed him back.

(Chapter End)

*Chapter 509: The Situation at the Film Company*

Compared to the competitive and aggressive Taylor, Ivanka is undoubtedly a gentle woman. Her character is like the vast ocean that embraces everything, her gaze like the gentle spring waters, her red lips like sweet springs, and her skin soft and smooth like warm spring water.

Every time they made love, Link would almost lose himself in her, sometimes even feeling breathless, a sensation that made his scalp tingle and his whole body tremble.

Ivanka once said that if he dared to marry her, she would give him the best things in the world.

And she indeed did.

Since having her, Link found immense satisfaction both psychologically and physically, and his interest in other women significantly decreased. Except for top beauties who proactively approached him, like Charlize Theron and Scarlett Johansson, he wouldn't give other women a second glance.

By September, as the North American summer movie season ended, the film market transitioned into the fall season. Lionsgate was preparing to release four films: the romantic film "The Vow," the romantic comedy "Good Deeds," the horror film "The Conjuring" directed by James Wan, and the thriller "Sinister" starring Ethan Hawke.

The first two movies were scheduled for release in September and October, while the two horror films were slated for the end of October, around Halloween, to cater to the market.

During the promotion of "The Vow," Link also released the second promotional single from his fifth album, "What Are Words."

When transcribing this song, he had a talent scout check on the original creator, Chris Medina, and found that his girlfriend had not been in a car accident, was in good health, and was a fan of his. The couple had officially married and had a child last year.

Because his girlfriend did not have a car accident, Chris did not create this song, and he was only a music enthusiast with no plans to become a singer.

Link's rendition of "What Are Words" received an excellent response upon release, even better than his previous song "Stronger Love." It quickly became a hit, and his magnetic and very emotive voice could be heard everywhere.

Both of these songs were very healing love songs, corresponding with the breakup-themed songs of his fourth album.

The media speculated that his breakup with Taylor and subsequent low spirits led him to create sad songs like "Love Is Gone" and "Let Her Go." Now, being with Ivanka, he was healed and inspired to create love-celebrating songs like "Stronger Love" and "Vow."

Some fans even suggested online that Ivanka should break up with him so he could write another high-quality album like "Love Is Gone."

On Friday, September 28th, "The Vow" was released in 3,558 theaters in North America.

Due to the pre-release promotion of "What Are Words," the movie garnered significant attention before its release. Additionally, the film's male lead, Channing Tatum, had become very popular earlier in the year with "21 Jump Street" and "Magic Mike," increasing his box office appeal. The pre-sale box office for the film reached $18.44 million, setting a new record for September pre-sales.

The film's three-day opening box office also exceeded expectations, reaching $50.5 million, setting a new record for September opening box office. In twelve days, the North American box office broke $100 million, reaching $104 million. Overseas, the film was released in 15 countries and regions, earning $42.25 million.

"Movie Review" predicted that the film's North American box office would exceed $180 million, and the overseas box office would not be less than $100 million.

With a budget of $30 million, "The Vow" was undoubtedly a huge success and became Lionsgate's second film this year, following "The Hunger Games," to gross over $100 million in North America.

It was also the seventh film this year to gross over $50 million in North America, following "Buried," "The Hunger Games," "Insidious," "Tyler Perry's Witness Protection," "The Cabin in the Woods," and "What to Expect When You're Expecting."

In 2011, 30 films grossed over $100 million in North America, and 72 films grossed over $50 million in North America.

By this calculation, Lionsgate's current box office performance was very impressive, with a good chance of surpassing 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures, entering the top five in the industry.

Lionsgate had enjoyed two consecutive years of box office success, with an increasingly strong development momentum. This also boosted Lionsgate's market performance, and several companies on Wall Street had proposed financing invitations, intending to invest at a valuation of $1.6 billion. However, both Link and Lionsgate did not lack funds at this stage, so there were no plans for financing at the moment.

In the third week of "The Vow's" release, the black comedy film "Good Deeds" was also released in North America. The film tells the story of a wealthy and successful black businessman whose life is turned upside down when he meets his true love.

The film opened in 2,135 theaters and grossed $16.53 million, ranking third in the weekly box office chart.

Compared to the $18 million budget, the film made a small profit.

This week's box office champion was last week's release, the animated film "Hotel Transylvania," with a weekly box office of $30.57 million.

Second was "The Vow," with $23.39 million.

Fourth was the thriller "House at the End of the Street," produced by Relativity Media, with a first-week box office of $8.57 million.

The film had a production budget of only $10 million, so it would make some profit.

Ninth was the Weinstein Company's new film "Killing Them Softly," starring Brad Pitt, with a first-weekend box office of $6.81 million in 2,424 theaters.

With a production budget of $15 million, the film was expected to lose a few million.

Besides this film, and the end-of-last-year releases "The Iron Lady" and "The Artist," the Weinstein Company had hardly any notable films this year.

"Brian, last year Relativity Media proposed to acquire Summit Entertainment. Why hasn't there been any movement?"

Link asked Goldsmith, Lionsgate's Chief Operating Officer and head of the publicity department, after seeing news about Relativity Media in the newspaper.

"I heard that CEO Kavanaugh had several negotiations with Summit Entertainment, but Summit rejected them. One reason is that Relativity did not have enough funds and could not offer a high price. Another reason is that Relativity's production and distribution capabilities are not as good as Summit's, so it would not be a good match for Summit."

Goldsmith said.

Link nodded. Originally, Lionsgate had agreed to acquire Summit Entertainment using a combination of cash and stock. At that time, both companies were doing well, one ranking seventh in the industry and the other eighth, with Summit holding the "Twilight" series and Lionsgate having "The Hunger Games."

The two companies' cooperation would be a strong alliance, and Summit's shareholders were willing to exchange their Summit shares for Lionsgate shares.

Now, with the troubled Relativity Media, Summit Entertainment was naturally unwilling.

"However, I heard that the Weinstein Company has recently been in contact with Summit Entertainment, preparing to merge into one company. The Weinstein Company is strong in art films, while Summit has done well in commercial films in recent years. If the two companies cooperate, their production capabilities will be stronger, and their competitiveness will increase, which might negatively impact our films."

Goldsmith said.

Link raised his eyebrows. The Weinstein Company merging with Summit Entertainment?

This hadn't happened before, possibly due to his influence.

However, with both companies ranking eighth and ninth, even after the merger, their market value would still not surpass Lionsgate, but their production and distribution capabilities would significantly improve, potentially squeezing Lionsgate's films and affecting its position in independent film production.

"How are their negotiations going? Any news on that?"

Link asked.

"It's said that the talks are going well. Warner Bros. has also sent people to participate in the negotiations. If the two companies cooperate, they will fully collaborate with the new company. With Warner Bros. as the mediator, industry insiders believe the chances of success are high."

Goldsmith analyzed.

Link rubbed his chin. Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment were competitors, and with the Weinstein Company, they were adversaries. Their relationship with Warner Bros. was also strained due to the box office theft incident.

Now, these three companies were preparing to collude, which clearly wasn't good news.

Link pondered for a moment and suggested a small strategy for Goldsmith to consider: to restart the acquisition of Summit Entertainment plan. When the Weinstein Company was preparing to cooperate with Summit, they should also offer Summit Entertainment a reasonable price.

On one hand, this could disrupt the negotiation process, ideally making the Weinstein and Warner Bros. pay more during the acquisition.

On the other hand, it would give Summit Entertainment an alternative choice. Initially, Lionsgate and Summit had a merger plan, which was disrupted after Link's acquisition. If Summit was willing to continue merging with Lionsgate, spending three or four hundred million to buy them would be a good deal.

Summit Entertainment had more than 900 film copyrights, which were valuable assets.

Goldsmith nodded. It was worth a try, and regardless of the outcome, it wouldn't harm Lionsgate.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 510 Acquisition of Summit Entertainment

“That damned Link, I want to kill him.”

In the Weinstein Company's conference room, Harvey picked up the files on the table and threw them hard against the wall. Dozens of sheets of white paper scattered in the air, floating down slowly and landing everywhere.

Bob Weinstein, marketing director Jon Gordon, production department head Mitch Lock, and others looked helplessly at the furious Harvey.

They had been discussing a deal with the senior management of Summit Entertainment, planning to acquire Summit for $2.8 billion plus 45% of the Weinstein Company's shares, roughly a $4.2 billion valuation.

After the merger, the senior management of both companies would jointly run the new company. Summit would primarily handle commercial films, while Weinstein would focus on artistic films.

It was a strong alliance aimed at creating a new landscape in the film industry.

After more than three months of negotiations, they were close to sealing the deal when Summit Entertainment suddenly announced a suspension of the talks, delaying the signing.

Initially, they couldn't understand the situation and thought Summit Entertainment was dissatisfied with the price and was using this tactic to get more money.

They sent someone to investigate, only to find that it wasn't Summit Entertainment demanding more money, but Lionsgate had reinitiated contact with Summit, intending to restart acquisition talks.

Compared to the Weinstein Company, Lionsgate had a significant advantage in terms of market value, operational status, funding, and management.

Lionsgate currently had a market value of $1.6 billion, with $300 million in debt. Thanks to good box office performance, Wall Street's valuation of Lionsgate kept rising, attracting a lot of capital eager to buy shares, but with no opportunity.

In contrast, the Weinstein Company had a market value of only $300 million, with $160 million in debt. Due to poor box office performance this year and fierce competition from Lionsgate at the Oscars, Moody's had been lowering Weinstein's valuation.

In terms of movie operations, Lionsgate had hit franchises like "The Hunger Games," "The Expendables," "Saw," and "Madea," indicating a significant brand value and growth potential, which Weinstein lacked.

Lionsgate also owned shares in Netflix, a television production department, TV Guide shares, and a massive film library, all valuable assets.

In any comparison, Lionsgate was a more suitable partner than the Weinstein Company, which had been established for less than five years.

Summit Entertainment probably thought the same, so when Lionsgate approached, they immediately paused talks with Weinstein and eagerly engaged with the Lionsgate acquisition team led by Chief Strategy Officer Michael Burns.

This move by Summit was commercially strategic but unfriendly to Weinstein.

Previously, the two companies had been negotiating well, with a harmonious atmosphere, looking like they were about to become one family. For this reason, Harvey had been putting on a smiling face every day to meet with Summit's people.

Harvey thought they would merge with Summit to fight Lionsgate together.

But just when the merger was about to be completed, the 'rich and handsome' Lionsgate suddenly came courting. Summit, upon seeing Lionsgate's proposal, immediately forgot about the 'ugly duckling' Weinstein, turning eagerly to Lionsgate, as if ready to throw themselves into its arms.

This was a slap in the face for Weinstein, especially for Harvey, who felt humiliated.

With his bad temper, Harvey couldn't help but rage upon hearing the news, venting his anger in the conference room and even threatening to kill Link.

“Harvey, don't be angry. This has already happened. All we can do now is wait and see how the talks between Lionsgate and Summit go. If they don't reach an agreement, we might still have a chance,” Bob stepped forward to console him.

Everyone knew Harvey had a bad temper, sometimes even hitting Bob when he got mad. So whenever Harvey lost his temper, people stayed far away to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

Hearing Bob's consolation only made Harvey angrier.

What did he mean by waiting? What did he mean by having a chance if Lionsgate and Summit didn't reach an agreement?

They were both film companies, so why should Lionsgate get to negotiate first while Weinstein waited like a backup?

It was too insulting.

Harvey had never felt so nakedly insulted, except that one time Link had insulted him.

Especially as the 'King of Hollywood,' being humiliated like this doubled the pain.

With his face becoming more menacing, Harvey glared at Bob and said, “Go tell Robert Friedman that Lionsgate isn't sincere about cooperating with Summit. Link is only doing this to sabotage our deal. Tell Robert that if he abandons the negotiations with Lionsgate, we'll raise our offer by 4%.”

Robert Friedman was the founder, chairman, and major shareholder of Summit Entertainment.

“Harvey, Summit already knows this without us reminding them. And we can't afford a 4% raise,” Bob said tactfully.

In fact, from the beginning, Bob had been against the idea of acquiring Summit Entertainment.

The Weinstein Company had only been around for less than five years, with a market value of just over $300 million and $160 million in debt. Acquiring Summit, worth more than $4 billion, would worsen Weinstein's financial situation, saddling it with heavy debt.

Any financial crisis or box office failure could lead to a broken capital chain and potential bankruptcy.

Harvey was aware of this.

But seeing Lionsgate growing stronger, surpassing Weinstein in market value and box office, and with Link's power in Hollywood rising, Harvey wanted to fight back. Link and his wife had recently ranked third and fourth on the Hollywood Power List, a list that didn't even mention Link the previous year.

Harvey knew that to retaliate against Link, suppress Lionsgate, and maintain his 'King of Hollywood' status, he couldn't rely solely on Weinstein.

So, upon hearing that Relativity Media's negotiations with Summit had broken down, Harvey had strongly persuaded the Weinstein Company board to finance an acquisition of Lionsgate to accelerate its development.

Most board members had little interest in additional investment, with only shareholders like Ivy Nevo willing to invest $120 million.

The company would need a significant loan to complete the acquisition.

This posed a high risk for Weinstein, already burdened with $160 million in debt.

It wasn't a good idea.

Bob had tried many times to persuade Harvey, but he wouldn't listen and pressed ahead.

Recently, Bob had been worried sick.

He was somewhat relieved to hear that Summit had dropped Weinstein in favor of Lionsgate.

He didn't feel insulted; instead, he felt relaxed and hoped Lionsgate and Summit would cooperate, sparing the company from massive debt.

Now his task was to persuade Harvey to let it go, focus on making movies, and not worry about vanity and power.

He preferred to be a billionaire, featured on Forbes, like Link, rather than be called 'Golden Producer' or 'King of Hollywood.'

“We can borrow money if we don't have it. With Warner Bros. supporting us, we can surpass Lionsgate in three years if Summit agrees to cooperate,” Harvey shouted confidently.

“Warner Bros.?”

Bob shook his head. While Warner Bros. had agreed to invest $300 million to co-produce 5-6 films with Weinstein, this cooperation was Warner-led. Even if the films made money, Warner would profit, and Weinstein would earn just a bit of production fees.

This approach had lower risks but also lower profits. Making more niche films like "The King's Speech," "The Iron Lady," and "The Artist" would be more profitable.

Even with Warner's support, Weinstein couldn't surpass Lionsgate in three years.

Bob thought Harvey must have lost his mind from anger to say such things.

“Harvey, the company already has $160 million in debt. Borrowing another $200 million would be a heavy burden, and any box office failure or slow capital return could break the capital chain and bankrupt the company. I hope you reconsider,” Bob said.

“Shut up!”

Harvey picked up a file and threw it at Bob, slapping the table and shouting, “I don't want to hear this. Contact Robert Friedman now. I must acquire Summit before Lionsgate does.”

Bob's eye twitched as he sighed and left the conference room with his assistant.

Others, seeing Bob leave, also left with grim faces.

Standing alone in the empty conference room, Harvey's face grew darker. Just three minutes earlier, he had fantasized about arranging work for the new company, increasing production, and surpassing Lionsgate next year to humiliate Link and complete his revenge.

Everything had seemed so perfect, but those fantasies shattered like bubbles once Summit's people left, leaving him facing the harsh reality: the gap between Weinstein and Lionsgate was growing, and no matter what he did, he couldn't avoid being trampled by Link.

“Fuck! Fuck! Damn Link Baker, I'll never give up, never!”

Harvey yelled angrily at the empty conference room.

—

“Summit is asking for $4.3 billion? Including unreleased films like ‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2’ and ‘Snitch’?” Link asked as he reviewed the documents.

“Yes, but they hope to get no less than 20% of Lionsgate's shares,” replied Chief Operating Officer Brian Goldsmith, Chief Strategy Officer Michael Burns, and others waiting for his instructions.

Link stroked his chin, lost in thought.

Unlike Lionsgate, which had strong film and TV production departments, TV channel shares, and a robust distribution network, Summit Entertainment's assets were relatively singular, consisting of four main parts.

The first part was a library of over 900 films, valued at about $35 million.

The second part was Summit's production and distribution companies, valued at about $60 million.

The third part was a script library with 12 scripts and novel adaptation rights, valued at $15 million, including "Divergent," "Ender's Game," and "The Last Witch Hunter."

The fourth and mostimportant asset was the several unreleased films, including “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” and “Snitch,” valued at about $300 million, with “Breaking Dawn – Part 2” alone worth $200 million.

Summit was asking for $4.3 billion, requesting a combination of Lionsgate shares and cash for payment.

Currently, Lionsgate's market value was $1.6 billion, including its Netflix shares.

20% of Lionsgate's shares was valued at about $380 million, plus $50 million in cash.

After considering the offer, Link told Michael Burns, who was leading the negotiations, that he would accept Summit’s $4.3 billion valuation but would only offer 10% of Lionsgate’s shares, worth about $160 million, with the remaining $270 million to be paid in cash.

If Summit wanted more Lionsgate shares, they would have to buy them at a price of $2 billion, which was the offer made to Wall Street, applied equally to Summit.

“Alright, boss, I’ll go negotiate with Summit on this,” Michael Burns said, nodding.

Link then discussed loan arrangements with several executives. Currently, Lionsgate had $320 million in debt—partly from last year’s unpaid debt and partly from this year’s production costs.

With the box office revenues from films like “The Hunger Games” and “Buried” coming in, the company had about $300 million in reserves.

However, this money needed to be reserved for next year’s films and could not be used entirely for debt repayment.

If the acquisition of Summit went through, Lionsgate would need to borrow two to three billion dollars.

Given Lionsgate's strong financial performance and valuable assets, the company had excellent credit with banks and could easily secure an additional six to seven billion dollars in loans.

The financial aspect was under control.

As for the work involved in merging the two companies, that could be addressed once the negotiations were successful. After all, other companies were also interested in acquiring Summit.

“Let’s finalize this and continue negotiating with Summit,” Link decided.

“Yes, boss!” the executives replied and left.

(End of Chapter)