Domination in America, Starting from being a Boxing Champion-Chapter 481 - 395: The Attack Begins

At the party, Link noticed Harvey's dark expression but didn't care much, as they were not friends; there was no need to pretend to be friends and stab each other in the back, a type of interaction he was not accustomed to.

So, when he saw Harvey's expression sour, he actually felt relieved, interpreting it as a sign that he had done something right to annoy Harvey.

Seeing Harvey's scowl, Link lost any interest in staying at the party. He greeted a few acquaintances like Cassie and Quentin, then left Harvey's villa with Jennifer.

Driving through the streets of Beverly Hills, the April sun bathed him in comfort.

Thinking about Harvey's attitude, Link made a call to producer Brod Bent to inquire what Weinstein Company would do if the funding for the continued production of "Silver Linings Playbook" was not made available and how their company could retaliate?

Bent said it wasn't a big problem.

After signing the filming contract last year, Palm Beach Films and Weinstein Company each held 50% of the movie rights.

If Weinstein Company failed to disburse the funds on time, according to the contract's terms, 'in a film project jointly funded by multiple movie companies, if one of the companies has financial issues, the other investors have priority to claim the remaining investment shares.'

This means they could buy out Weinstein Company's 50% share of the movie rights and proceed with independent production and distribution.

The contract also specified a timeline, allowing investors from 120 to 180 days to raise funds, and if the funds were not available by the deadline, and after arbitration by an arbitration committee, a party could be declared in breach of contract.

Half a year wasn't a lot of time and could bankrupt many debt-ridden movie companies.

However, this did not include Palm Beach Films.

Last year, Palm Beach Films earned over 48 million from the "Scandal Plan" project, and together with the thirty million he had arranged as reserve funds, they were well-financed. Even after investing in "Bridesmaids," "The Help," and "Silver Linings Playbook," there were still funds remaining.

Therefore, no matter what tricks Weinstein Company was planning, Palm Beach Films had enough capital to engage.

Link then asked about the situation with "The Hunger Games."

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Bent said the progress was not smooth. Lionsgate Films was developing this project in collaboration with Color Force, and although they were not currently short of funds, Jennifer Lawrence's audition went well.

As she was young, just twenty-one, fitting the female protagonist's profile, and displayed strong, brave traits with good acting skills in "Burning Plain" and "Winter's Bone," producers Nina Jackson and director Gary Ross held her in high regard.

Hearing this news, Link thought for a moment—Jennifer Lawrence could continue as the lead actress; it was alright if Palm Beach Films did not invest, only missing out on a few billion, which could be regained in the stock market.

He told Bent that since Lionsgate Films did not need an investment, they should let it be.

He then called Ms. Mandy, asking the agency to continuously monitor the "The Hunger Games" project, aiming to secure the role of Katniss for Jennifer.

Ms. Mandy acknowledged the instruction.

While he was making calls, Jennifer Lawrence sat in the passenger seat, blinking her blue-grey eyes, quietly watching him.

Hearing Link say he would help her secure the lead role in "The Hunger Games," her expression grew complicated.

Initially, she joined Palm Beach agency mainly due to Link's high-profile status and his billions of dollars in assets, which included some valuable resources.

Being his signed artist could garner her additional film and TV resources, like how a single call from him helped her secure the second female lead in Fox's "X-Men," and his successful endeavor with "Scandal Plan" showed some strength.

Joining such an agency was more beneficial to her career than staying with IMG.

As for sleeping with Link.

Before last year, knowing that Link was a playboy with many girlfriends, she wasn't planning to invest much emotionally, enjoying sleeping with him more than loving him as a person.

But after being together for half a year, she found that Link was a commendable man—strong, diligent, intelligent, upright, kind, ambitious, with healthy lifestyle habits… Except for being somewhat of a flirt, he was nearly flawless.

In terms of promiscuity, Jennifer noticed he was just flirtatious but not heedlessly lustful or someone who toyed with women's feelings.

He took every relationship seriously, investing real emotions, reciprocating heart for heart.

In both work and personal life, he also provided great care and attention to his girlfriends, very considerate.

Previously, Jennifer only intended to use Link as a stepping stone and a shield, planning to ditch him after becoming famous.

Yet, having spent more time with him, she realized he was not just a virile lover, but also a considerate and gentle friend, a man hard to come by.

He could satisfy a woman's every fantasy about a man, as well as meet her physiological, material, and reputational needs.

The longer she stayed with him, the more Jennifer found herself unable to leave him, nor willing to do so.

She was uncertain if this was love; unsure if her actions were right, making her feelings quite complex.

"Jennie, I heard you performed well during the auditions for 'The Hunger Games'?" Link asked after hanging up.

"It was decent."

Jennifer Lawrence shrugged her shoulders and smiled, "During the audition, they asked me to perform a scene where Katniss takes her sister's place in The Hunger Games. I did as they instructed, and director Gary Ross thought I did well and was a good fit for the role."

"However, the actors auditioning this time were all very strong; I saw Emma Roberts, Saoirse Ronan, Shailene Woodley, and Chloe Moretz there, and they all looked good too. Until the producer announces the final selection, I'm not sure if I can land the role," she said.

"Don't worry, you did well. Leave the rest to the company. What you need to do is prepare confidently for this role. This is a leading role, and playing it well could greatly benefit your career," Link said as he drove.

"Got it," Jennifer replied.

She glanced at him, grabbed his left hand, and smiled, "I'm heading to the set to film tomorrow, but I'll be free in the afternoon and evening. How about you come stay at my place? I can make fried chicken for you."

"That sounds great. Does everyone from Kentucky know how to make fried chicken?"

Link recalled a joke: Kentucky, being the home of KFC, meant that any Kentuckian who didn't know how to make fried chicken was considered a drag, just like Floridians who hadn't seen an alligator, weren't sunburned, or hadn't visited the Orlando Disney Park.

"I don't know about everyone, but we have a lot of chicken farms, and most housewives can make it with unique ingredients and methods. It tastes better than KFC and McDonald's," Jennifer said excitedly.

"Now I'm starting to drool," Link said and smiled.

Following Jennifer's directions, he went to Costco and bought two fresh broilers.

In the United States, besides home-raised turkeys, common types of chicken include Broilers, Poulsen, Cornish, and Butter Chicken, all differing in taste and function, whether laying eggs or for meat.

Jennifer was also decent at making fried chicken. Except for the first batch being slightly burnt, the rest were delicious, golden in color, crispy on the outside and tender inside.

It was rare that a celebrity would cook, and Link thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere.

"Link, it's ready to eat," Jennifer said as she brought a plate of good-looking fried chicken to the living room.

Link opened the fridge, took out two cans of chilled beer, and sat on the balcony to enjoy lunch.

——

While Link was enjoying beer and fried chicken at Jennifer's house, the Weinstein brothers launched their first attack on him.

First, they spread news of Link's support for the Republican Party through the media.

The method was simple: take a snippet from the New York Daily News about Link attending a private party hosted by Mr. Thomp, republish it, and prominently feature it in the Los Angeles Times and the Hollywood Reporter, heavily promoting it.

By identifying Mr. Thomp and several guests in the photo, the media portrayed the gathering as a Republican party event, implying that Link might be a financier for the Republican Party or planning to run for office.

Since California is multi-ethnic with diverse immigrants, and the Democratic Party's tolerant stance towards immigrants has made California mostly Democratic since the 1990s.

Moreover, a significant portion of Hollywood's box office comes from these immigrants.

Hollywood actors rely on these immigrants' support, so in public venues where they need to reveal political leanings, most actors express Democratic support to attract immigrant fans, as do singers.

Even though many singers internally favor the Republicans' tax cuts for high-income groups, they won't reveal their political bias in public to avoid offending their fans.

Now, Bob is using this tactic against Link, and while it won't fatally damage Link's reputation, it could affect his movie box office and album sales.

After spreading the news, Harvey, as a Democratic representative in Hollywood, conveyed his dissatisfaction with Link through his contacts.

He criticized Link as a descendant of fishermen, whose maternal grandfather was an Italian immigrant. As a descendant of immigrants, he ought to naturally support the Democrats.

But after his success, he supported the Republican Party, branding Link as a 'traitor to the Democratic Party'.

He also referred to an old news item from 2009 where Link strongly criticized the new black president to prove Link was a staunch Republican.

Bob also contacted figures like Kunas, Jay-Z, and others, expressing dissatisfaction with Link, and they reached a consensus against him.

Eventually, Harvey discovered that Palm Beach Films' new movie 'Bridesmaids' was releasing in early May.

Intent on hitting Link's box office numbers, he rescheduled the release dates of two films under his label to clash with 'Bridesmaids' in May, planning to give Link a taste of his own medicine.

Besides that, he also spoke to several movie studio heads and producers, sharing negative views of Link, such as him being a Republican, racist, and playboy, revealing the opinions from Washington insiders, and cautioning them to be careful when collaborating with Link and Palm Beach Films.

Whether these executives would give Harvey face wasn't sure, but one thing was certain: they would definitely hesitate when dealing with Link.

The more hesitant people became, the more likely it would evolve into an ostracism against Link.

Click!

Harvey hung up the phone, caressed the woman beneath him, and smirked coldly.

"Link, what makes you think you can compete with me?"