### Chapter 414: Cannes

“Damn it! This bastard is trending again.”

In a smoky bar in New York, singer Chris Brown looked at the news on his phone, cursing.

“Who? Link? I haven’t heard about him in a while. What’s he done now?”

50 Cent, with his legs up on a marble table and a beer bottle resting on his thigh, asked casually.

“See for yourself!”

Chris Brown shoved his phone in front of 50 Cent. Lil Wayne, T.I., and Drake also put down their drinks to take a look. It was a YouTube video.

In the spacious, well-lit hall of Los Angeles International Airport, a guy in a casual suit sat at a piano, playing and singing "All of Me," surrounded by a crowd.

The guy playing the piano was Link.

As he played, the hall was packed with people, all recording with their phones or cameras, and many were singing along with him.

Link's voice was very pleasant, and the crowd’s chorus was also good, creating a great atmosphere.

Watching the video, even though T.I. and the others were annoyed by Link, they had to admit that his singing was impressive. His live performance was as good as in a recording studio, needing no sound engineer's tweaking.

This level of professionalism is challenging for many singers.

Link’s performance was top-notch.

“Why is he singing in the airport?”

50 Cent asked while watching the video.

“The news says he’s going to France for the Cannes Film Festival. His flight was delayed by over an hour due to weather, so he got bored and started playing the piano in the hall. The passengers gathered around and asked him to sing, so he performed a few songs. Somehow, even this trivial thing made it to the trending list.”

Chris Brown explained.

“Link is still very popular.”

50 Cent smacked his lips.

Compared to last year, when Link was constantly trending and covered by media throughout the year, he had been much more low-key this year, with almost no controversial behavior.

Yet, even so, whenever Link did something, the media rushed to report it, and people loved reading about him.

For instance, in February, his album "The Woman I Love" sold over 5 million copies in the U.S., in March, he spent a huge sum to buy Lionsgate, in April, while promoting "Bridesmaids," he bragged about the movie making 400-500 million at the box office, and not long ago, he released a new song "Sugar," all becoming hot news. Now there was another one.

“He started as a boxer, became a world champion, then switched to singing and became a superstar, and now he’s acting. This guy sure stirs things up.”

T.I. grumbled.

“Have you noticed that without Link, the music scene feels like it’s missing something?”

Usher commented while drinking beer.

“Missing what?”

Chris Brown asked.

“Missing some drama, missing a lot of news. The music industry’s attention has significantly dropped. When Link was around in '09 and '10, music news frequently topped major media headlines, with one trending topic after another, much more than the film industry.

Now that Link has shifted his focus to Hollywood, music news has decreased, and it feels kind of dull.”

Usher said.

The others thought about it and felt he was right.

Before, when Link was active, news often reported on singers competing for album charts, Billboard single rankings, and Link’s feuds with East Coast rap groups, using various tactics, stirring up things from the beginning to the end of the year.

Those stories often had twists and turns, interpreted by the media to be more exciting than Hollywood blockbusters. They too frequently appeared in the media news, and even though they got slapped in the face, it was fun in hindsight.

Now that Link had moved to Hollywood, the music scene had become much quieter.

Usually, music news was about which singer released a new song, Billboard single rankings, and album sales, which seemed a bit boring.

“The music scene is supposed to be like that, but Link came and ruined the atmosphere. He’s the industry’s troublemaker.”

Lil Wayne remarked.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Link was indeed a troublemaker.

He stirred up the boxing world when he was a boxer.

After becoming a singer, he turned the music industry upside down, creating one big news story after another.

Now that Link had become an actor, Hollywood too had started having more drama.

——

“Mr. Baker, I’m a big fan. Could you sign this for me?”

“Sure!”

On a United Airlines flight, in the business class cabin, Link took the autograph book from a female fan and signed it. The fan left excitedly.

This was the fifteenth fan to ask for his autograph since he boarded. He looked at Wallace, who confirmed there were no more, and he finally relaxed, loosening his collar and cuffs and sitting comfortably in his seat.

“I heard you’re having a feud with Harvey?”

Opposite him, director Woody Allen took off his headphones and asked.

“Who said that?”

Link smiled with his eyes closed.

“I’m not deaf. Many people in the industry are talking about it.”

“What are they saying?”

“That you’re feuding with Harvey. Be serious and don’t beat around the bush with me.”

Director Allen said disapprovingly.

“I’m not beating around the bush. I just want to know what you’ve heard and see if it matches what I know. For instance, why am I feuding with Harvey? What’s the cause, the process, and the outcome?”

Link shrugged and smiled.

Director Woody Allen adjusted his glasses, “I heard it’s because of Jennifer?”

“Exactly. Harvey knew Jennifer was my girlfriend and still harassed her during an audition. When he called to harass her again, I cursed him out. I was furious at the time, and my tone was harsh, probably angering him. He then used his connections to get me removed from two roles and threatened to blacklist me in the industry. So, Woody, you asked if I’m feuding with Harvey, but the real question is, why is Harvey feuding with me? From the start, I don’t think I did anything wrong.”

Link said seriously.

As for using 'blackmail material' to intimidate Harvey and getting half the rights to "Silver Linings Playbook," that was because Harvey had a dirty past and got caught.

This incident also embarrassed Harvey, and even if director Woody Allen asked, Harvey wouldn’t easily admit it.

“It does sound like Harvey’s fault. I’ll talk to him and see if I can help mediate. Harvey is an established producer with deep roots in the industry. If you want to thrive in Hollywood, it’s best not to have a major falling out with him.”

Director Allen said.

Director Woody Allen had collaborated with Harvey a few times, including on "Deconstructing Harry" and "Celebrity," produced and distributed by Miramax Films. They had a certain rapport.

“I understand.”

Link thanked director Allen but knew that Harvey agreeing to reconcile was unlikely, and even if Harvey agreed, he wouldn’t.

Without Harvey’s actions, he wouldn’t have acquired Lionsgate, losing over 200 million dollars, and later, during the release of "Bridesmaids," Harvey meddled, losing another 6 million in box office revenue.

These were all debts Harvey owed, and they couldn’t be easily settled.

“Woody, do you think offending Harvey will affect my chances of winning the Oscar for Best Actor?”

Link asked.

Director Woody Allen was also a member of the Academy Awards committee and had served as vice president and president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Though he hadn’t held a major position in recent years due to his age, he still had connections.

Director Woody Allen was drinking water and was stunned by his question.

“You want to win the Oscar for Best Actor? When, and with what performance?”

“What do you think of my performance in 'Midnight in Paris'? Do you think I have a chance for Best Actor with that role?”

Link asked.

Director Woody Allen rolled his eyes, telling him not to even think about it. It was absolutely impossible. The Oscars would sooner give the Best Actor award to Megatron, Batman, Harry Potter, or even Mickey Mouse, rather than to him.

Because he was too young, too successful, too handsome, too famous, and too wealthy.

Among the 5,765 members of the Academy Awards committee, 62% were over 60 years old, and 77% were male.

Some had won Oscars, while others had spent their entire lives striving for it but never won. With these old-timers on the committee, there was no way they would vote for him. Absolutely impossible.

“Woody, I don’t stand a chance at all?”

“None! Don’t even think about it.”

Director Woody Allen waved his hand and closed his eyes.

Link shrugged, not disappointed. If he couldn’t win an Oscar, he would aim to become the Best Actor at the Cannes, Berlin, and Venice film festivals first.

(End of the chapter)