*Chapter 39: The Continuation and the Absurd Night*

"On June 13, 2008, the Golden Gloves National Championships, co-hosted by the Golden Gloves Boxing Committee and the Amateur Boxing Association, concluded at the American Airlines Arena in Miami.

Many excellent boxers emerged in this tournament.

There was the heavyweight Golden Gloves overall champion Deontay Wilder, the light heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr., the light heavyweight champion Joe Smith Jr., the middleweight champion George Groves, and others.

However, the most attention-grabbing boxer of this tournament was undoubtedly the Miami Kid, Link Baker.

Starting from the regional competitions, he caught the attention of boxing fans by winning all his matches with KOs.

By the sectional competitions, he accumulated 14 wins with 14 KOs, advancing to the finals in an unprecedented manner, attracting numerous media interviews and reports.

He was also rated as one of the most promising rookies of the year by The Ring, the most widely circulated boxing magazine.

In the finals, he successively KO'd Iron Man Morales, Mantis Hands Andrade, and the amateur boxing champion Andre Berto, winning the super middleweight championship cup in a way that no one expected.

At 6 PM that day, the cable channel HBO broadcasted the super middleweight match live.

According to Nielsen data, the highest viewership for this broadcast reached 10.28 million households, making it the highest-rated program in its time slot.

Link's fierce fighting style, stormy offensive approach, powerful punches, and astonishing stamina left a deep impression on the audience.

Almost overnight, Link became a sensation across America.

This sensation wasn't just online but also in the media and among the general public. Many people came to know that a handsome, extremely skilled boxer with hard punches had appeared in the boxing world, and his name was Link Baker.

With his sudden rise to fame, the media also dug up his past news for re-reporting, the most prominent being the 'fixed match scandal.'

Link achieved a 17-0 record with 17 KOs to win the Golden Gloves Amateur Championship, setting a new record.

Before him, no one in amateur boxing had ever won all their matches by KO, including historically famous fighters like Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, and Mike Tyson. They couldn't achieve this.

But a 20-year-old boxer, who had only been training for three years, did it.

This record was so astonishing that it drew skepticism from many, including boxing champions like Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins, Chris Byrd, Hasim Rahman, James Toney, and Nikolai Valuev.

They openly questioned Link's match results, suspecting that his perfect KO record entering the finals might be fake.

However, Link's response was even more astonishing.

On the day of the match, Link challenged all the boxers and boxing stars who doubted him in front of dozens of media reporters.

He told the media that as long as these boxers could last three rounds with him, he would consider it a loss. He even openly provoked Roy Jones Jr., saying that if Jones could last one round with him, he would count it as a loss.

Link's tough stance, reported by major media outlets after his rise to fame, caused quite a stir in the North American boxing world.

Some criticized him for being too arrogant, trying to gain attention in such a manner.

But many supported him, seeing him as bold and daring to challenge everything.

Whether it was criticism or praise, Link Baker, a rookie boxer who had debuted less than a month ago, became one of the most prominent new stars in American boxing almost overnight."

—Excerpt from the sports section headline of The Miami Herald.

---

"Ugh~"

When Emma Watson woke up in the room, the starlight had long since faded, and the brilliant midday Miami sunlight had already invaded the cozy, comfortable little room through the blue curtains.

Light blue curtains, light blue wall paint, a cashmere carpet on the floor that matched the color of the outside beach, soft, white, and delicate. The soft little bed beneath her was like a small boat, quietly docked on the beach.

Emma pressed the back of her hand against her forehead, feeling a bit dizzy, more so from last night's dream.

Thinking about last night, she couldn't help but bite the corner of the blanket, her delicate cheeks turning crimson and hot.

Last night, she had a very terrifying dream, where she was on this 'small boat,' sailing through the stormy sea.

The weather kept changing, with gusty winds and rainstorms, hurricanes accompanied by lightning, repeatedly battering the small boat underneath her. She didn't know how long the storm lasted, but there were several times when it almost capsized.

"Jerk!"

Emma curled up under the blanket, angrily punched the empty pillow beside her, taking out her frustration on the innocent pillow as if it were the storm from last night.

After venting her anger on the pillow for a while, she felt much better.

Emma pulled the blanket over her chest, slowly sitting up from the small bed. Her fine eyebrows slightly furrowed, showing a hint of indescribable pain, and she cursed 'savage jerk' a few more times.

"Link? Link?"

Emma leaned against the pillow, calling out in a hoarse voice.

There was no response from outside. Emma angrily threw the pillow onto the carpet and cursed again.

Ring ring!

The phone on the bedside table rang; it was her phone.

Ring ring!

The phone on the bedside table rang; it was her phone.

Emma sighed, reached for the phone, and saw that the caller ID showed Aunt Irene, who was also her agent.

The phone also had more than ten missed calls from her aunt, Daniel, Robert, and David Yates, the director of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Emma suddenly remembered she was still an actress and had a few scenes to shoot today. She originally planned to return after watching the match last night, but for some reason, she had agreed without hesitation when Link invited her.

"It's all Link's fault!"

Emma took a deep breath and answered her aunt's call, cautiously saying good morning.

"Emma, it's already noon. What happened to your voice?"

Aunt Irene's stern and strict voice came through the phone.

"Auntie, I'm fine."

Emma replied cautiously, trying to sound as normal as possible.

"Where are you? You have two scenes to shoot today, remember?"

"I'm in Miami. I didn't forget. I just..." Emma looked at her pale legs, noticing a few clear red finger marks. She bit her lower lip tightly. "Auntie, I'm injured."

"Injured? Where are you hurt? Is it serious? Have you been to the hospital? Which hospital are you in? I'll come over immediately."

Aunt Irene's voice shot out like a rapid-fire gun.

Emma was startled. If her aunt came and saw her in this state, it would definitely be exposed. She quickly said, "Auntie, you don't need to come. It's just a minor injury. Yesterday...yesterday, there were too many people at the boxing match, and I accidentally twisted my ankle. It's not a big problem. I'll be fine with a couple of days of rest."

"Are you sure it's not serious?"

"Really."

Emma looked at the finger marks on her legs, hoping they would disappear in a couple of days.

Damn you, Link!

"So, where are you now? Is there anyone taking care of you?"

"Yes, I'm at a friend's house. A good friend."

Emma suddenly saw the dress hanging by the bed. The hem had accidentally gotten cake on it at the party yesterday, leaving a stain. Now it was washed clean, smelling of citrus-scented laundry detergent, the same scent as Link's.

Emma couldn't help but smile. "He's been quite nice to me."

"He? A male friend? When did you get a male friend in Miami? Emma, you didn't report this to me." Aunt Irene's voice had a hint of dissatisfaction.

"It's two friends, a couple. One male, one female."

Emma stuck out her tongue, feeling she was getting better at lying.

After talking to her aunt for over ten minutes, Emma finally calmed her down and convinced her not to come to Miami.

Emma ran her fingers through her hair and then called director David Yates to apologize to him and the crew, promising to be back in Orlando by tomorrow and not to cause any trouble for the production.

The director told her to rest well and come back after she had recovered.

Seeing missed calls from Daniel and Robert, she thought for a moment and sent them both messages saying she was fine.

Soon, Daniel replied with five messages in a row, asking how she was, saying he heard from her aunt that she hurt her foot, asking if it was serious, if it hurt, and which hospital she was in. He and Robert wanted to visit her.

Emma rolled her eyes and simply replied 'I'm fine,' then tossed the phone aside.

"Haha, Link, you're a boxer, but your diving skills are even more impressive. It's unbelievable."

"I'm a professional diver and an amateur boxer. Boxing is just a side gig."

"Haha, Link, you're so funny."

Hearing the conversation outside, Emma wrapped herself in the blanket and got up to the window. She pulled the curtain slightly open, and sunlight instantly poured into the room. On the white sandy beach by the blue sea, two men in black wetsuits were walking towards the house, carrying diving equipment and chatting happily.

In front was a middle-aged man wearing a wig. Whether he forgot to take it off before diving was unclear, but now the wig was wet and clinging to his head like a wet bird's nest.

The guy behind him was the jerk. Wearing a tight-fitting wetsuit, his muscles were well-defined, and his strong legs were long and powerful. His handsome and chiseled face wore a smile brighter than the Miami sun, with white teeth and those bright blue eyes more captivating than the sea outside.

Emma clutched her pounding chest, staring intently at the man. She found a perfect excuse for last night's madness: this jerk was too sexy and charming, too strong and wild. She was just a small girl, unable to resist and forced to accept everything that happened.

Yes, that's it.

Emma nodded to herself.

Hearing the sound of the store door unlocking, she immediately returned to bed, covering herself with the blanket, turning her back to the door, and pretending to be asleep.

After a while, someone opened the bedroom door and walked in. It was Link, carrying the scent of sunshine.

"Emma! Emma!"

Emma kept her eyes closed and didn't move, like a princess who had just eaten a poisoned apple.

"Emma, I brought you breakfast. I wasn't sure what you liked, so there's ham pizza, a Cuban sandwich, fruit salad, ice cream, and freshly squeezed orange juice. If these don't suit your taste, let me know what you'd like to eat."

"The man outside is Simmons, a reporter from The Miami Herald. He wants to interview me. It will take about half an hour."

"Also, your phone rang a few times this morning. You were sleeping, so I didn't wake you. Remember to return the calls when you wake up so they won't worry about you."

After speaking, Link left, gently closing the door behind him.

Emma opened her brown eyes and blinked, humming softly. "I was clearly sleeping. Who woke up? Talking to the air so much, so annoying!"

Seeing the pillow she had thrown away back on the bed, Emma's face heated up, realizing her pretending to sleep had failed. Frustrated, she kicked the pillow off the bed again.

A folding table appeared beside the bed, with several delicious foods and fresh fruits placed on it.

Hearing her stomach growl, Emma sat up again and started enjoying the breakfast. She could hear Link and the wig guy talking outside, realizing he was a reporter.

---

(End of Chapter)