### Chapter 375: The New MTV Awards

After Tesla went public, Link's public image soared along with his net worth, making him look more and more glamorous. He received praise from notable figures like Mr. Tom, Mr. Swift, and Mr. Dunwenty, and even the attitude of internet users towards him did a complete 180°.

The same people who once called him a scumbag were now beginning to understand and admire him. They thought it was normal for a man like him—only 21 years old, physically fit, incredibly famous, and wealthy—to have some scandals. They likened him to Howard Hughes, a Hollywood tycoon from the 1930s and '40s, who had rumored relationships with stars like Katharine Hepburn, Jean Harlow, and Ava Gardner.

In fact, they thought a lack of scandals would make him seem less masculine and not as cool. Many people started posting online, asking Link for advice on how to become as successful as he is, hoping to learn a thing or two from him.

Link’s consistent response? “Practice boxing.”

Some people agreed, saying they would take up boxing to become the next Link, get rich, and attract beautiful women. Others, however, issued a "disfigurement warning" by posting photos of the famous actor Mickey Rourke. Before becoming a professional boxer, Mickey was a Hollywood heartthrob, as popular as Brad Pitt. But after his boxing career, he could only land roles as ugly villains in movies like Iron Man 2, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and Sin City.

Ordinary people trying to replicate Link’s success were practically doomed to fail. Some suggested that now that Link was wealthy, he should retire from boxing to protect his good looks. This sentiment gained a lot of support from his female fans, who believed that staying handsome was more important than winning a championship belt.

Because of these opinions, many media outlets speculated that he might retire from boxing now that he was a billionaire. This unconfirmed rumor even became a hot topic leading up to the MTV Video Music Awards.

On the red carpet at the MTV Awards on September 16, a reporter asked him directly if the rumors were true. Link immediately shut them down, saying that boxing was his greatest passion and lifelong career. He added that even if he had to keep fighting until he was fifty, he wouldn’t step down from the ring easily.

Fans who loved watching his boxing matches cheered and applauded his response.

“Mr. Baker, just a quick question: a few days ago on Twitter, you confirmed that Taylor is pregnant with your child. After the baby is born, would you consider getting back together with Taylor or at least take on the responsibilities of a father?” asked Johnny Deson, the red carpet host outside the Nokia Theatre.

Link gave him a helpless look. They were at the MTV Awards, yet this guy wasn’t asking about the awards, just gossip. This was one downside of having so many scandals—every time he attended a public event, reporters would swarm him with questions, making him avoid public appearances more often.

After thinking for a moment, Link gave a firm answer, stating that he was still negotiating with Taylor to secure visitation rights for her and the baby. He added that if Taylor was busy with work after the baby was born, he would consider taking care of the child himself.

“Mr. Baker, won’t this affect your relationship with Miss Ivanka? Last time, Miss Ivanka took the initiative to visit Taylor in Los Angeles. Does that mean she has already accepted the child? And do you know what Ivanka and Taylor talked about during their meeting?”

These questions were clearly beyond Link’s understanding. He waved his hand and said, “Johnny, this is the MTV Awards. You’re the host. Can you please stick to MTV-related questions?”

“Uh, haha, okay!” Johnny Deson quickly shifted to other topics.

He asked about Link’s 11 nominations this year and how many awards he planned to win. He also noted that Link’s music label had 19 nominations, nearly a quarter of all nominees, leading some media outlets to dub this year’s awards the “Link-MTV Awards.” He asked for Link’s thoughts on that.

Link hadn’t given much thought to how many awards he would win. For a musician, selling four or five million albums in the U.S. and one or two million worldwide was the best reward, with the highest value. Any additional awards were just icing on the cake. This was also why, in recent years, he focused more on promoting his albums to sell as many copies as possible, rather than lobbying for awards.

As for the second question, Link acknowledged that the high number of nominations for Link Music artists this year was a testament to their talent. Lana, Mars, Wiz Khalifa, and Justin Bieber had all released albums late last year, each selling over a million copies in the U.S., and they ranked in the top 20 of the 2009/2010 album sales charts. They all had the potential to win.

But when responding, he simply expressed gratitude to the MTV Awards committee and said that Link Music was born for music and would continue to produce great music to thank their fans and supporters.

After the interview, Link left the red carpet area and entered the Nokia Theatre, the venue for this year’s MTV Awards ceremony. Since he arrived a bit late, most of the nominees were already there.

Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Ke$ha, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Pink, Lana Del Rey, Mars, Eminem, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, Black Eyed Peas, Linkin Park, Green Day, and many others—mostly familiar faces.

There were also some new faces, including Jaden Smith, who rose to fame with The Karate Kid; Jesse Eisenberg, the lead in The Social Network; Andrew Garfield; Sofía Vergara, who gained fame from Modern Family; and Emma Stone, who became popular with Easy A.

Even with so many stars in attendance, when Link arrived, all eyes naturally turned to him—he was just that famous this year. From the beginning to the end of the year, he was the most talked-about celebrity in the U.S. Lady Gaga, considered a global phenomenon, had half as many media mentions as Link and appeared on trending topics only a fifth as often. These statistics came from a systematic survey by Nielsen.

If Lady Gaga was a global phenomenon, Link was the brightest star in the U.S. that year. Vanity Fair described him as “the sun”—turn on the TV or go online, and you’d see news about him. His aura was so bright that it was blinding.

“Link, walking the red carpet alone? Do you think doing that will stop people from seeing you as a scumbag?” Katy Perry joked.

Those around her couldn’t help but laugh at her comment.

Before April, everyone said Link was a good guy, the most perfect man in the world. After April, everyone called him a scumbag. But given his status, no one dared to say it to his face.

Now, hearing Katy Perry call him a scumbag, everyone found it amusing and looked at Link to see how he’d react.

Link smiled lightly, showing no sign of offense. He hugged Katy Perry and then greeted Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, and Eminem. He explained that he originally planned to walk the red carpet with Selena, but she ditched him halfway because of his bad reputation, so he had to go alone.

Everyone laughed at his self-deprecating comment.

---

“How can this be?” Kanye West frowned as he watched Link chatting with Katy Perry and the others. “Last week, Katy Perry and a few others publicly supported Taylor and called Link a scumbag. Now, they’re acting like nothing happened?”

Lil Wayne, T.I., and Chris Brown were equally puzzled.

Back then, it wasn’t just the entire internet bashing Link and telling him to leave the entertainment industry—dozens of popular actors and singers also called him a scumbag and voiced their support for Taylor.

Seeing everyone else bashing Link, Kanye West and the others couldn’t resist joining in, praising Taylor and even helping her promote her new album to take a dig at Link.

*The Hollywood Reporter* commented, "Link has alienated everyone in the entertainment industry and has no place to stand. Retiring from the music scene early might be a good choice."

At that time, Link was almost like a rat in the street, with everyone wanting to hit him.

Seeing Link's downfall, Kanye West felt like his bipolar disorder was cured without medication.

Lil Wayne, T.I., and a few others were also pleased. Since last year, they had been humiliated by Link multiple times and had suffered a lot. Now, they could finally vent their anger.

But the subsequent changes left them dumbfounded.

First, Link's scandal was overshadowed by other news.

Then, Tesla went public, and the "scumbag" Link suddenly transformed into "billionaire" Link, rumored to be worth over a billion dollars, ranking among the top 300 on the *Forbes* list of wealthy Americans.

Although Jay-Z and Beyoncé's combined net worth is also a billion, their wealth is mostly tied to the music industry. In comparison, Link, who owns stock in a major company, seems to have more potential.

After Link became a billionaire, the negative media coverage of him melted away like snow under the hot sun.

On one hand, public opinion shifted. Many people who once hated him now admired and respected him. Even those who still disliked him did so out of envy rather than because of his reputation as a playboy.

On the other hand, the media, facing the power of capital, became more cautious, carefully choosing their words to avoid offending such a big figure.

Seeing that the public and media had changed their tone, Kanye West and the others could only shut their mouths, cursing Link for being so lucky. Even after being blacklisted online, he managed to bounce back, proving how tough he was.

Now, seeing Katy Perry and others treating Link as warmly as before, and Link treating them the same, they felt like they had fallen into a trap.

Could this be another one of Link's schemes?

They weren’t the only ones thinking this. Not far away, the Jonas Brothers, John Mayer, and a few other artists who had publicly criticized Link also looked over at Katy Perry in confusion.

Wasn’t Link supposed to be abandoned by everyone? How did things turn friendly so quickly?

Could it be that all those scenes where Link was trashed were planned in advance, and they were the only ones left out of the loop, making them look like clowns?

Kanye West rubbed his forehead, leaning weakly on his seat. Link was too cunning, often setting traps that caught people off guard, making it impossible to know when you’d fall into one.

In the future, when dealing with him, he’d have to be more cautious to avoid getting trapped without realizing it.

Beside him, Jay-Z’s face darkened. The last time Link was attacked online was orchestrated by him, Diddy, Little Epstein, and Peter Peltz.

They spent over $600,000 hiring an army of trolls to attack Link across all platforms, fabricating blackmail and inciting netizens to cyberbully him, trying to turn Link into a nobody.

Their goal was to push him out of the music industry and suppress the value of Link Music.

At first, things went smoothly. Link was so overwhelmed by the criticism that he had to hide in his villa.

Later, the netizens’ outcry was supported by celebrities like Selena Gomez, Kristen Stewart, and Katy Perry, along with Beyoncé and Kanye, who all joined in cursing Link as a scumbag.

They could almost see Link transforming from a world-famous star and American idol into a piece of garbage.

But things didn’t go as planned.

The damn Tesla company Link invested in went public, and it was a huge success.

After Wall Street capitalists hyped it up, Link transformed from a disgraced celebrity into a rising star in the financial world, an icon of wealth, and an investment star, with his reputation taking a 180-degree turn.

Compared to the Wall Street capitalists, their power was limited. Neither their funds nor their connections could compete with those of the Wall Street giants.

Seeing the tide turn, they had to end their campaign early, wrapping it up hastily. Not only did they lose hundreds of thousands of dollars, but they also inadvertently boosted Link’s popularity, helping him sell a few more albums.

Every time Jay-Z thought of this, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated. Link was just too lucky. Even after being blacklisted, he managed to come back stronger.

As he was silently cursing Link, he suddenly noticed his wife Beyoncé smiling and glancing at Link with a twinkle in her seductive eyes, seemingly very interested in what was happening over there.

"What are you looking at?" Jay-Z asked with a scowl.

Beyoncé glanced at him, suppressed her smile, and said faintly, "Nothing."

Seeing her drop the smile, Jay-Z felt even more annoyed. Grabbing her wrist, he hissed, "I’m your husband. Don’t give me that look."

"Let go! You’re hurting me." Beyoncé glared at him, pulling back her arm to rub it. "I was looking at Link."

"Fuck, what are you looking at him for? Don’t tell me you like that pretty boy."

Jay-Z gritted his teeth.

"I was watching how fake he is, how good he is at pretending."

"Pretending?"

"Of course. Not long ago, he was hit by a wave of online hate. Everyone was attacking him, cursing him without restraint, venting all their unhappiness onto him. At that time, he stood alone against everyone, isolated and under immense pressure. Do you think he wasn’t angry or resentful?

Now that he’s gritted his teeth and gotten through it, do you think he won’t take revenge on everyone who attacked him?"

Jay-Z considered her words, thinking deeply. "So you’re saying Link hasn’t forgiven Katy Perry and the others, that he’s just pretending not to care about what happened, but is actually planning to get back at them?"

Beyoncé shrugged. "I don’t know. But think about it: would you forgive someone who hurt you when you were down? Especially since Link is known to be vengeful and combative."

Jay-Z thought for a moment and figured he wouldn’t forgive them either.

Back when Kanye merely said his album was trash, he didn’t let it go, responding by calling Kanye crazy. So, is the harmony over there just a facade, with everyone secretly at odds?

But Link’s acting skills were indeed impressive; you couldn’t tell at all that he was faking it.

Next to him, Beyoncé crossed her long legs, still gazing flirtatiously at Link, her cheeks gradually turning rosy.

Link noticed Beyoncé’s gaze and quickly looked away.

That woman was too difficult to deal with. Yesterday morning, she had called to ask where he was, and he only replied that he was training at the boxing gym. But by the afternoon, she had shown up.

At the time, the flame in his body ignited by Ivanka had not only failed to subside after a night of restraint but had grown even hotter. When Beyoncé arrived, they ended up having a wild session in the underground parking lot.

After the "battle," her nails had scratched several holes in the leather seats, her high heels had broken the window glass, and the seatbelt had to be replaced due to excessive pulling.

Link shook his head, pushing away the pixelated images in his mind, and continued chatting with Katy Perry and the others about music and gossip. The atmosphere was great, and it was genuine, not just for show as people might think.

In fact, the reason Katy Perry and the others agreed to support Taylor was that he had reached out to them. It was a way to help Taylor and ease the tension between them.

After hearing his proposal, Kristen Stewart was the first to express her support, taking the opportunity to roast him thoroughly, as if she had some deep grudge against him.

The others were no different.

Later, Taylor held a celebration party at the Beverly Hotel and invited them, including Selena, Katy Perry, and even Doutzen Kroes—everyone except him.

It was as if he, the mastermind, had been forgotten.

"Hey, Link, I have a question for you," Miley Cyrus poked his shoulder and said, "You have a girlfriend in France, one in the UK, one in China, one in Japan, one in South Korea, one in Singapore, one in the Netherlands, and several in the US. The tabloids say you’re forming a United Nations of girlfriends. Is that true?"

"Hahaha!"

As soon as Miley finished, laughter erupted around them.

"Yeah, Link, are you going to try and collect a full set for the UN?"

"Link, Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council. You can’t leave out a Russian girlfriend."

"And don’t forget Germany, Canada, Mexico, Brazil—they’ve all got beautiful women. When are you planning to find one there?"

Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Carrie Underwood teased.

Link’s face darkened. "That’s all slander. I admit I have a few foreign female friends, but the main reason I associate with them is to learn languages and make concert promotions easier. It’s not like what the internet says, where I’m dating someone new in every country. I’m not that free."

"Really? So how many girlfriends do you have right now? Three? Isn’t it exhausting to date so many women at once? I’m just curious, you know, gathering material for future songs."

Lady Gaga laughed.

Link shook his head. People in the music industry, whether male or female, tend to have complicated love lives. Almost every popular female singer, except for Taylor, has had this issue of frequently