[Chapter 377: Harvey's Bloody Proposal]
"It's crucial. Link is worth billions and will only get richer. Guess Pictures' market value is steadily rising; it will be worth even more in the future. If we don't act quickly, Guess Pictures will only become stronger, and our group will slowly lose its power to dominate Hollywood. We won't have a place in Hollywood anymore. For our survival, we have to do this."
Harvey scanned the faces of the three men, speaking coldly, "You don't need to worry about the consequences. Link is an orphan; aside from his girlfriends, he's got no family at all. If we take him out, we can root it out completely, and in the aftermath, nobody will seek revenge for him. It's the simplest and most effective way."
"That's too extreme. Link is a big player. Using such tactics against him would have serious negative consequences," Ovitz shook his head.
"Hmph! We've had four presidents assassinated. Compared to killing a president, how much negative impact could the death of a director really have?" Harvey sneered.
Ovitz turned to Ron Meyer and Barry Diller, "What do you two think?"
Ron Meyer and Barry Diller frowned in contemplation.
"A gunshot would have a huge impact, especially during a police investigation; it wouldn't be easy to cover up."
"Indeed, a gunshot is not as good as assassination. Letting Link disappear quietly or succumb to illness would have less of an impact."
The two shared their opinions.
Harvey laughed, "Great, since we all agree on eliminating Link, the only thing left is to determine how to do it. We can deliberate slowly on this, aiming for the most effective approach with the least impact."
The three exchanged glances and nodded.
As they left, Harvey made the remaining three swear before a racial statue that they would never disclose a word to outsiders.
The three, agreeing with him, promised never to tell a fifth person about today's discussion. If they did, they would meet a thunderous fate, ending up with no complete remains.
---
Achoo--
"Jennifer, it's pretty windy here. You should head back to the rest. You don't have to stay here with me," Link said, putting down his director's script at the set in San Francisco's Alcatraz.
"I'm fine. I'm warm in my jacket. My neck was just a bit itchy earlier, not from the cold," Jennifer Aniston, who came to visit the set, smiled slightly.
She wore a cozy yellow jacket, blue jeans, and thick-soled leather boots, managing her warmth quite well.
Seeing that she was truly fine, Link didn't press the matter and continued working on set.
"Link, aren't you worried wearing just a shirt? Should I go grab you a jacket?" Jennifer reached out to feel his cotton shirt, noticing the thin t-shirt underneath.
"I'm okay. My body stays warm; this bit of breeze won't bother me," Link replied, pressing his warm palm against her cool cheek to let her feel his warmth.
Jennifer smiled softly, rubbing her cheek against his palm, and stopped insisting on getting him a coat.
Having spent a long time with Link, she grew to understand him more, knowing he had an incredibly strong body and never caught colds or other minor ailments.
Even in the coldest winters, his hands and feet were always warm. At times, his body felt like a red-hot iron, burning and intense, making her tremble.
...
"Link!"
During the observation of the set, assistant Lewinsky approached with a phone in hand.
She reported that Robert Shaye, Jay Moloney, and others called to congratulate Link on Guess Pictures retaining the top spot at the annual box office;
Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair, and Ross Stanton, deputy editor of the Los Angeles Times, also reached out to interview him following a few reports released by The Hollywood Reporter.
Link stated he didn't have time and would reach out to them after work that afternoon.
...
Continuing his busy work on the set, Link spent half an hour sketching a draft for the set designer and props master to arrange the scene accordingly.
After finishing filming that afternoon, Link, and the visiting Jennifer Aniston took a bath. After sending her back to the bedroom, he headed to the living room to make calls.
...
Graydon Carter of Vanity Fair congratulated him on Guess Pictures maintaining the lead position in annual total box office and asked how he felt about it.
Link responded positively. His good mood stemmed not just from the financial success, but also from enjoying time with Jennifer earlier.
Graydon Carter asked about his plans for this year and if he was confident about maintaining the lead in the total box office rankings.
Link stated he would do his best.
"Link, this year, Guess Pictures accumulated a box office of $1.28 billion in North America, which is equal to the combined box office of Universal Pictures in second place and Disney in third, and even equal to the total box office of the bottom three companies.
After this data was released, many articles began to emerge discussing the threats posed by Guess Pictures, claiming its continued growth would encroach on more ticket sales, pushing the Big Seven into potential bankruptcy while independent film companies would struggle even more. What do you think of this argument?" Graydon Carter inquired.
Link laughed, "That perspective is overly pessimistic. Since its inception, Guess Pictures has actively sought collaboration with peers, including Columbia, MGM, Fox, Warner Bros, New Line Cinema, Miramax, and Mark Gordon Productions, among others.
We at Guess Pictures are more than willing to share profits, and as long as all film companies are open-minded and ready to work with us, they can share in the dividends of Guess Pictures' growth. In collaboration, the North American film market will thrive more, and everyone can profit."
"Link, are you saying that other film companies need to collaborate with you to make money, and if they don't, it's not your problem if they eventually go bankrupt?"
"Gray, Guess Pictures is a company, not a savior. Our goal is to make more good films to entertain audiences, not to support those struggling to survive."
"That's reasonable. One last question: Guess Pictures' dominance has undoubtedly brought the Big Seven a sense of unprecedented crisis. They surely won't sit idle. If they truly join forces against Guess Pictures' expansion, do you have confidence in defeating them?" Graydon Carter asked.
"That scenario isn't plausible. We are already collaborating with Columbia, MGM, Fox, and Warner Bros. In the future, we will continue to partner with the other three film companies, making sure that when the major studios team up, they all thrive or face the consequences together. The Big Seven won't do anything detrimental to themselves."
"Well, I hope Guess Pictures continues to grow stronger, maintaining the top box office every year."
"Thank you!"
...
After discussing several issues, Link hung up and returned calls to others. He then received a call from lawyer Sean.
Several media that had previously aired negative information about him, including ABC and the World News Weekly, agreed to economic compensation upon receiving court subpoenas, hoping for them to withdraw the lawsuit. However, the compensation offered by several media companies wasn't substantial, with the highest being $50,000 and the lowest just a few thousand dollars.
Sean asked if he wanted to accept it.
Considering that pursuing litigation would waste time and that the media quickly admitted their mistakes, Link agreed to accept their payment and withdraw the lawsuit. He even called Michael Leeson, instructing them to publicly donate this money to promote a positive image for the company.
Michael Leeson acknowledged his instructions.
After hanging up, Link returned to the bedroom to rest with Jennifer.
*****
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