Chapter 397: Forced by Circumstances

Today's breakfast was destined to be restless. Not long after putting down the phone, Paul Walker, Casey Affleck, Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Roberts, Jessica Alba, and others called one after another.

They asked what conflict he had with Harvey Weinstein, as rumors were circulating that Harvey was going to blacklist him in Hollywood and had called directors and actors he was close to, hoping they would support his decision and be cautious about cooperating with Link.

These few people also received the news from acquaintances before calling to inquire about the situation.

"Link, I heard you were working with Weinstein Pictures on a movie. How did it suddenly fall apart?" Paul Walker asked.

"Maybe it's because the newspapers said I'm a Republican."

"Huh? Are you really a Republican and planning to run for office?" Paul Walker asked in surprise.

"No, I'm nonpartisan. I'm not interested in politics," Link laughed.

Ivanka had previously taught him that as a politician, he should be more tactful, good at lying and deceiving the public. When asked about this matter, he could claim to be a Democrat and support the Democratic Party's policies, which didn't really matter.

It was like her father was a Democrat in the 1980s, a Republican in the 1990s, joined the Democratic Party in 2001, then the Republican Party in 2009, and had joined the Reform Party in between. He would stand on whichever side was advantageous and didn't care about the opinions of others.

Link knew Ivanka was right, but he couldn't be as tactful as his father-in-law, nor could he lie to Paul Walker.

"So it's a misunderstanding? That's great. You can call Harvey and explain. I don't think he'll care anymore," Paul Walker said.

Link heard him address Harvey intimately and asked if he was also familiar with him.

Paul Walker explained that in 1999, he became popular with the movie "She's All That" and became a teen idol. This movie was produced by Miramax. He was familiar with Harvey but not close.

Link felt helpless. Harvey and Miramax's star-making ability was indeed very strong. Since the 1990s, they had made hundreds of movie stars popular. Almost all the veteran movie stars currently active on screen had collaborated with him, including several good friends around him, such as Paul, Casey, and Joaquin.

Seeing this situation, he also understood why the victims in Harvey's sexual assault cases didn't dare to speak out before Harvey's downfall.

Because Harvey's connections were too powerful, once they spoke out, they would have no place in Hollywood and would have to say goodbye to the entertainment industry completely. The price was too high.

"Paul, things are more complicated here. Just calling to explain won't help. But don't worry, no matter how strong Weinstein is, he can't do anything to me," Link said bluntly.

"Okay, okay. I almost forgot you're also a tycoon and even made it onto the Forbes list. Link, you're amazing. When can we race together? I haven't raced with the rich people on the Forbes list. Can you satisfy me?" Paul Walker laughed.

"Race? Last year we made a bet that the loser couldn't touch the steering wheel for three years. You lost in the end, and you're still racing?"

"Haha, of course I'm not driving. I'm filming on set. Link, I have some work to do. Bye, talk to you later."

Click! Paul Walker hung up the phone.

Link shook his head. This guy was also disobedient.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Just as he hung up, Emma Roberts called, saying she heard from her aunt that Harvey Weinstein was going to blacklist him in Hollywood and asking what happened.

Link said he wasn't sure, maybe it was a political issue, maybe something else, and they were still investigating, so he couldn't give a definitive explanation.

"Link, there's a rumor it's because of Jennifer Lawrence. The news came from the 'Silver Linings Playbook' set. Apparently, Harvey didn't want to use Jennifer as the lead actress, but you forced her into the cast. They say you and Harvey had a conflict because of this. Is that true?"

Emma Roberts sounded like a gossip, her words full of intrigue.

From the background noise, it seemed like she wasn't alone, and someone was laughing beside her.

Link felt helpless. The trigger for his conflict with Harvey was indeed Jennifer, but the main reason was using Harvey's sexual assault news as a shield last September, and his own dislike for Harvey.

"Is that so? I remember now. Last year, when Jennifer went to audition for 'Silver Linings Playbook,' Harvey tried to harass her. I called and warned him to stay away from her. Harvey apologized on the spot, and I thought that was the end of it. I didn't expect him to target me because of this." Link felt that using this as an excuse wasn't bad.

First, it was the truth.

Second, Harvey was a repeat offender, making this claim more beliIvankable.

Finally, this was Hollywood, where conflicts over women were the most common and interesting.

"So that's how it is. You need to be careful. Harvey is not a good person, and he has a lot of connections in Hollywood."

Emma Roberts said.

While Emma was speaking, someone in the background said, 'Why warn him? Both he and Harvey are jerks. It's good news no matter who gets unlucky. We'll just watch the show.'

Link's face darkened. "Emma, I understand. I'll be careful. And tell that vampire next to you to be careful too. People like her are the most likely to attract the attention of jerks."

"Haha, okay, I'll tell her."

Emma Roberts laughed.

Kristen's dissatisfied voice could also be heard on the phone.

Link chuckled and hung up. He received messages from Cassie and others on his chat app.

Most of them advised him to take the initiative to reconcile with Harvey, telling him that Harvey was powerful in Hollywood, and if he wanted to develop there, it was best not to antagonize him and try to find a way to make peace.

Link thanked them for their kind advice, but this matter was instigated by Harvey, and it wouldn't just go away if he didn't want trouble.

And asking him to apologize to Harvey was impossible.

Although Harvey's influence in the US was significant, it wasn't impossible to deal with him.

Ring ring!

While he was texting, Ms. Anna called and told him that the producers of 'In Time' refused to negotiate and were very firm in their stance.

Ms. Anna also explained that the production company behind 'In Time' was New Regency Pictures.

The owner of the company was Arnon Milchan, an Israeli Jew and one of the top ten gold medal producers in Hollywood, with representative works like 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith,' 'Pretty Woman,' 'Fight Club,' 'Heat,' 'Natural Born Killers,' and hundreds of others.

He had publicly admitted on television that since the 1960s, he had been recruited as a spy by current Israeli President Shimon Peres, working for the Israeli nuclear program's intelligence agency, LAKAM, and successfully completed dozens of secret missions, being hailed as a hero by the media.

Many of the films he produced were considered politically charged, including the famous animated film 'Fantastic Mr. Fox.'

The film was about a fox who made a living by stealing. After retiring, he bought a treehouse between three farms: a chicken farm, a ham merchant, and a cider orchard. To raise his children, he had to return to his old ways of petty theft, stealing chickens, hams, and cider from the three farmers day and night. After facing retaliation from the farmers, he united with his animal friends to fight back and defeat the ruthless farmers.

This film had questionable morals, but Arnon Milchan made a lot of money by investing in movies. With a net worth of 3.8 billion dollars, he ranked 92nd on this year's Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans and was also a major figure in the film industry.

Harvey and Arnon Milchan had collaborated several times and had a good personal relationship.

When Link heard Anna mention the gold medal producer Arnon, he realized that the situation was becoming increasingly tricky. Jews had a strong influence in Hollywood and the media, and if he clashed with them now, the odds of losing were higher.

He told Anna to give up on 'In Time' for now.

He asked her to contact the detective named Raymond Carter and have him investigate the sexual assault cases related to Harvey Weinstein, with no time limit. If he could find any key evidence, he would be heavily rewarded.

Ms. Anna said she understood.

After hanging up, he realized that the barbecue on his plate had long gone cold. Ivanka had also changed into a long dress and was urging him in the living room to hurry up, as the art exhibition at the Getty Center was about to start.

Ivanka said that his villa's decor was too gaudy and lacked artistic taste. She wanted to take him to the art exhibition to find some artwork to use as decorations.

If they were lucky, they might buy artwork from promising artists that could appreciate in value in the future.

Link didn't object. After breakfast, he accompanied Ivanka to the Getty Center in Brentwood to see the art exhibition.

(End of Chapter)