Chapter 379: Bob's Strategy

Bang!

On Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, just as Bob Weinstein was about to knock on the door of the office of the president of Weinstein International Pictures, he heard the sound of glass shattering from inside.

He pulled back his hand, lit a cigarette at the door, and waited for four or five minutes until the room calmed down.

Knock, knock, knock!

He reached out and knocked on the door.

"Get in here!"

The person inside roared, like an angry lion.

Bob Weinstein pushed open the door and saw shattered glass all over the floor. Even Harvey's favorite crystal nude sculpture had been smashed, and Harvey himself was sitting in his office chair, his eyes cold, and his fleshy face filled with anger.

He was breathing heavily, his large belly and double chin puffing up with each breath like a bullfrog in a swamp.

Bob himself also had a big belly and a double chin, but compared to his brother Harvey, he considered himself a bit more handsome.

"What happened, Harvey?"

Bob used his foot to clear the glass shards on the floor and took a couple of steps forward.

"Link Baker! Damn Link Baker!"

Harvey pounded the table and shouted hysterically.

"Link? How did he piss you off?"

Bob asked in confusion.

He knew Link—a very dazzling young man who had achieved great success in both the boxing and music industries and was now venturing into Hollywood and had founded a film company.

Bob thought Link was too naive and idealistic, thinking that his success in other fields would translate to Hollywood.

That was impossible.

Hollywood's waters were deeper than those in the boxing or music industries.

For example, a few years ago, Oracle's CEO Larry Ellison's eldest son, David Ellison, invested $50 million in Hollywood.

His first film, "Flyboys," had a production cost of $60 million but only made $17.83 million worldwide, losing the $50 million entirely, becoming a joke in the industry.

Billionaire Larry Ellison couldn't take it anymore and arranged for David Ellison to go to Paramount Pictures to learn the ropes before investing in films again.

So, in Hollywood, having money alone was useless.

Many people thought Link would be the next Hollywood joke after David Ellison, despite his first movie, "Easy A," being a hit. No one believed he would continue to have such luck.

"Hmph!"

Hearing his brother Bob's question, Harvey's face darkened, and he recounted the incident that had angered him.

Before calling Jennifer, he thought his status alone would make the new actress Jennifer comply with a few words, a tactic that had worked on many actresses before.

But with Jennifer, it didn't work.

Not only did it fail, but all his boasting and mocking of Link were overheard by Link.

It was infuriating.

Jennifer was also disappointing.

He called her partly because he saw potential in her—at 20, she had already shown impressive acting skills and was worth cultivating.

Secondly, he wanted to use this opportunity to get back at Link.

Everyone knew Link was one of the world's most charming men, highly attractive to women.

If he could be seen publicly with Link's rumored girlfriend Jennifer, it would embarrass Link and show everyone that despite Link being handsome, wealthy, and strong, Harvey was the true king of Hollywood.

But his plan failed, and Link threatened him, forcing him to transfer the film rights to Link.

Harvey was furious. He had dominated Hollywood for over thirty years, rising from a nobody to one of the most powerful figures in the industry. No one had dared to defy him in years, but today, a 21-year-old had openly challenged him. It was infuriating.

"What did you say? Link has evidence of you assaulting several actresses? Is it true?"

Bob asked seriously.

"I'm not sure, but it seems likely."

Because Link had insulted him, claiming he needed injections to be a man.

Only someone extremely close to him would know such a thing.

And the three actresses Link mentioned had indeed been harassed by him.

Link was also a billionaire, married to Amanda Hearst of the Hearst publishing family, with connections to media tycoon Rupert Murdoch and others.

With his wealth and connections, if he wanted to find evidence, he certainly could.

This worried Harvey.

"Harvey, I've told you before, if you want to play with women, go to a brothel. Don't mess around in the company. It's the 21st century, not the 50s or 60s. What you did is very dangerous, but you didn't listen. Now look what's happened?"

Bob said, his neck bulging with anger.

"Shut up! I'm Harvey Weinstein, the savior of modern cinema, the world's greatest producer. Many great films today are made with my involvement. I've contributed more to the film industry than anyone. What's wrong with playing with a few actresses?"

Harvey roared back, even louder.

Bob shook his head helplessly.

Harvey had been too flattered by the Hollywood media. Although he had contributed significantly to modern cinema, he was not indispensable.

Other top producers like Jerry Bruckheimer, David Heyman, Kathleen Kennedy, and Scott Rudin were also major players.

In terms of box office success, Harvey didn't rank in the top ten among producers.

He only excelled in winning Oscars, earning him the nickname "Oscar kingmaker," which had made him increasingly arrogant.

"Harvey, now that Link has dirt on you, what are you going to do? He's not someone like Asia Argento or Rose McGowan, who have no power. It's hard to get rid of him."

Bob asked.

Harvey sat in his office chair, taking a deep breath, his neck and belly swelling again, the flesh on his face trembling.

"I'll placate him first. I've already agreed to give the lead role in 'Silver Linings Playbook' to Jennifer Lawrence and to co-invest in the movie with him. I've shown enough sincerity. I believe he won't turn against me for now."

"And then? The evidence is in his hands. If he threatens you again, will you give him the next role or the next movie? That won't work."

Bob, a shareholder of Weinstein Pictures, was unhappy with Harvey's unilateral decisions to give roles and projects to others without consulting him.

Harvey's actions clearly harmed the company's interests, which also affected his own. Even between brothers, interests had to be clearly defined.

"Damn it, I brought this movie in. Don't talk to me like that."

Harvey said unhappily.

He had met director David O. Russell at a party and asked about his new project. When Russell told him about the new script, Harvey found it promising and requested to collaborate. At first, Russell hesitated, but Harvey offered to help him win Oscars, and Russell immediately agreed.

This was Harvey's tactic with Hollywood filmmakers.

Everyone in the industry was obsessed with the Oscars. It seemed that having an Oscar made one superior to their peers.

Many people were willing to sacrifice their dignity, bodies, and even morals for an Oscar.

If others used the Oscars as bait, directors and actors might hesitate, but Harvey was different. His films had received over 300 Oscar nominations and won more than 70 Oscars, an unprecedented achievement in film history.

So, when Harvey used the Oscars as bait, almost no one could resist his lure.

Except for that bastard Link.

"Okay, what's your plan to deal with that bastard Link?"

Bob asked, spreading his hands.

"Tell Bruce Cohen to increase the budget for this movie. Double it. If Link wants to cooperate, he has to pay up. Once he does, I'll show him how deep Hollywood's waters are and the consequences of crossing me."

Harvey's eyes were filled with anger, the flesh on his face twitching, and his gray eyes gleaming with cruelty.

"Will that work? Link may be new, but the people at Palm Beach Pictures aren't. They know how to calculate costs and box office returns. It won't be easy to cheat them on costs. And if he has your dirt, won't he get mad if you try to scam him?"

Bob said, tapping a cigarette on the desk.

Harvey frowned tightly. Bob was right; Link might be new, but he surely had knowledgeable people around him. Picking a hit film out of many and investing millions to earn tens of millions showed insider knowledge.

Dealing with such insiders by inflating costs or falsifying accounts wouldn't work.

If something went wrong and Link found out, he'd expose the dirt if they fell out.

Harvey wasn't worried about the dirt.

As long as his ally in Washington was around, he didn't fear retribution.

But once exposed, the dirt would damage his reputation and affect the company's film production and distribution.

Weinstein Pictures had many internal issues, including cash shortages and huge loans. If film releases were delayed and revenue streams slowed, it could break the company's cash flow, possibly leading to bankruptcy.

So, he couldn't fall out with Link just yet.

"Bob, you're sharp. What's your plan for dealing with Link?"

Harvey asked, looking at his brother with an eagle-like nose and squinty eyes.

Bob lit a cigarette, squinted, took a puff, and said, "Link is a billionaire who makes tens of millions from boxing matches and hundreds of millions from tours. He has a lot of cash flow, and our company is struggling financially.

For us, Link could be a good partner. If we reach an agreement, we'll be in a mutually beneficial relationship. If he exposes your dirt, he'll be against money. Would he still do it?"

"Partner with him? A young guy who knows nothing?"

Harvey scoffed.

"He has money and knows nothing, which is a good thing for us. Do you want to partner with someone who knows too much and meddles in our films?"

Bob asked, holding a cigarette.

Har

vey thought about it, nodded, and gestured for his brother to continue.

"I heard Link is a womanizer. Once we partner, we can set him up with an actress or two, get him into trouble, and get dirt on him. Then he won't threaten you, and you can control him."

Bob smiled coldly, holding his cigarette butt.

Harvey nodded in agreement with his brother's plan.

This was better than falling out with Link. Moreover, if Link was a womanizer, getting dirt on him wouldn't be hard.

Once he had dirt on Link, Harvey smiled coldly, planning to teach him a lesson.

Seeing Harvey agree, Bob sighed in relief. The company was struggling, facing internal and external challenges. Fighting Link, a wealthy and famous billionaire, would be a tough battle, even if they won.

Now, turning an enemy into a friend and gaining a powerful partner was a good thing.

Once Link agreed to partner, they would have a shared interest. The dirt Link held would no longer be a threat.

Bob congratulated himself on his clever idea.

Knock, knock, knock!

A scantily clad woman appeared at the office door, holding a syringe. She was Harvey's female assistant.

Bob glanced at her, shook his head, got up, and left.

(End of the chapter)