[Chapter 383: A Trip to the White House]
"Link, what have you been up to lately? Did you finish your new movie without taking a break?"
At Pelican Hill Golf Course, with blue skies and white clouds above, Link, Jerome Preston, Jay Moloney, and Graydon Carter chatted while playing golf.
Link wore a baseball cap, a Polo shirt, and casual pants, holding a golf club. He laughed, "I was busy with the film crew for the past couple of months, and now that I'm back at the office, I have piles of work to catch up on."
"Haha, Link, with your success, you could easily leave the company to a professional manager, reducing your workload," Jerome Preston chuckled.
"That might not be possible."
Before Link could respond, Jay Moloney added, "To be a good film executive, you need to understand cinema thoroughly. No one compares to Link, and no one does it better than he does."
"That's true. If someone like Link existed, the Hollywood Big Seven Studios would have invited him to run their company by now, and they wouldn't be struggling against Guess Pictures in the box office," Graydon Carter mentioned.
"Running a successful film company requires more than just one or two people; it also needs a strong team. Otherwise, I wouldn't have time to be out here playing golf," Link replied, laughing. He walked up to the spot where his golf ball had finally stopped, visually estimating the distance to the next hole. Once satisfied, he stepped back a couple of feet and swung his 8-iron, sending the ball over twenty yards down the fairway.
The small white ball rolled another five feet before stopping just over a foot from the hole.
"Awesome! So close to an eagle!" Jerome and the others applauded warmly, praising his skills, claiming he was even better than PGA champion Corey Pavin, encouraging him to join this year's Celebrity Golf Championship, insisting he would win.
Link looked at the white ball near the hole and felt confident in his golf skills, believing he might have a shot at winning if he participated in a professional tournament. The only drawback was that golf opens took a long time to complete, were time-consuming, and offered minimal prize money; thus, participating wouldn't be worth it.
After a few rounds, the group decided to head back to the clubhouse for some coffee given the summer heat.
...
Jay Moloney mentioned that during a recent meeting at CAA, someone proposed blacklisting Guess Pictures, banning all CAA artists from collaborating with them.
The proposal came from Vice President Ron Bernstein and garnered support from over a third of the leadership.
Jay Moloney had openly opposed the idea, which led to its failure. He suspected it was instigated by the Big Seven Studios.
"Last year, Guess Pictures performed exceptionally at the box office and became a thorn in the side of the Big Seven. They're planning a joint effort with CAA to further suppress Guess Pictures, and I advise you to be cautious, Link," Moloney suggested.
Link nodded, indicating he understood.
Upon returning to Los Angeles, he received news that several presidents from the Big Seven had gathered again to discuss strategies against Guess Pictures, although the specifics remained unclear.
But no matter what strategies they devised, Link knew he and Guess Pictures would be ready to handle it.
...
"Hey, Link!"
Just as they were chatting, Michael Ovitz approached with a warm smile, as if they were long-lost friends. "Haha, Link, I heard you play here often. I didn't think it was true!"
Link smiled, "I come here to play whenever I have some free time. What about you?"
"Haha, I used to be a regular here, though I haven't come in a couple of years," Michael Ovitz replied, casting a glance at Jay. "You can ask Jay; he came with me the first time."
Jay politely smiled. "Yes, it's convenient for business talks here."
"Link, I didn't expect you to be here; with your status, you could be at much higher-end clubs. Want me to introduce you to some?" Michael Ovitz offered with a grin.
Link shook his head. He understood Ovitz's point; Pelican Hill Golf Club was considered a mid-tier social venue in their circle, while his net worth had soared to billions, making him one of the richest individuals globally and eligible for more exclusive clubs and social circles.
For instance, he could join Bill Gates's Foundation, the Berkshire Hathaway Directors Club, or Epstein's private club, which were all invite-only memberships for the elite, where members must be worth at least a billion dollars and hold considerable influence within their industries or esteemed standing in politics or academia.
Some clubs had a serious focus, where discussions revolved around work, business, insider information, and resource exchanges; others leaned toward lavish enjoyment, featuring extravagant parties and entertainment.
Being a shareholder in Microsoft and owning a large stake in Berkshire Hathaway, Link automatically received invites to those two clubs upon purchasing the shares.
However, he rarely attended club gatherings, mainly because he found it difficult to engage with older members, making the experience feel rather dull.
Moreover, living in luxury at his villa every day showcased a more exhilarating lifestyle than even the most vibrant soirees at those high-end clubs; thus, he found no allure in attending them.
...
"Alright, I understand you're busy and not interested. If you change your mind in the future, just let me know, and I can introduce you to some really interesting clubs," Michael Ovitz replied, winking.
Link smiled and thanked him, intending to end the conversation. However, Ovitz wouldn't let him off the hook and began discussing collaboration instead.
"Link, I've been considering it seriously; Disney should collaborate more with Guess Pictures. Besides your film work with Miramax, our two companies should partner directly. Guess Pictures is the hottest money-making studio in Hollywood right now, and Disney is almost always in the top three. Teaming up could only increase our profits."
"That's possible. If Disney has any good film projects, Guess Pictures can invest, and vice versa," Link agreed.
"Haha, then let's go for it!" Ovitz laughed heartily.
...
At that moment, Link's assistant, Lewinsky, approached with a phone in hand, indicating that the President wanted to speak with Link.
After bidding farewell to Ovitz and the others, Link stepped aside to chat with the President.
Michael Ovitz watched Link speaking on the phone down the hall, narrowing his eyes as jealousy flashed across his face but quickly relaxed into a warm smile as Link hung up.
---
On the weekend, Link was invited by the Clintons to visit the White House, where they discussed various movie-related matters.
The Clintons claimed to be his fans and expressed their willingness to support his Hollywood endeavors. Link graciously acknowledged their support and wished them a successful second term.
Privately, Clinton inquired about how many girlfriends Link had, asking whether the rumors about him having over forty were true.
Link replied, "They're true."
Clinton swallowed enviously.
...
After his visit to the White House, Link headed back to Hong Kong to handle issues with Kingsoft Investments.
[T/N: Link went to visit the crew of The Sino-Dutch War 1661 which was an epic film he invested, currently completed about 80%. He edited the film and asked them to do some reshoots and added extra budget.]
The day after Link arrived in Hong Kong, Lily showed up with her daughter Cici to meet him.
They went to visit family early February and had originally planned to return in March. However, due to Cici's grandfather requiring surgery, Lily had to stay home for a few extra weeks.
Once Link wrapped up his work in Hong Kong, he took Lily and her daughter back to the U.S.
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