[Chapter 407: Family Planning]
[T/N: Some idle chatter about Link moving to China since he enjoys the scenery and food so much. Link responds that he owns property both in Beijing and Hong Kong and plans to visit occasionally rather than relocate.]
---
At the end of September, after wrapping up his business, Link flew back to Los Angeles.
Lily personally picked him up at the airport. Once the car left, she immediately grabbed his arm, her warm, sweet breath brushing his face. "Monica said you agreed to have kids -- is that true?"
"Yes, we are well-established now. I can afford to raise a few kids," Link said, wrapping his arm around her waist with a smile. "Why do you ask?"
"I want to have kids too!"
"You want to have children with me?"
"I'm thirty now; if I don't have kids soon, I'll be considered a late mother. I don't plan on marrying you, but I want a few kids for my security."
Lily held onto him tightly.
"Alright, but you should discuss it with Cici first -- she won't be happy if she suddenly has new siblings."
"That's okay. Cici is eight this year, more mature than kids her age. She'll understand. What I need now is your support."
"Alright! Have kids! Let's go home and have them!"
But Lily couldn't wait and wanted to start right in the car.
The urgency came from Monica accidentally letting it slip, and now everyone knew. They were all very excited. After he got home, the women would cling to him until pregnant.
Lily didn't want to compete with others, so she struck first.
...
After returning to his villa, the situation was exactly as Lily described. Women like Michelle Pfeiffer, Jodie Foster, Renee Zellweger, and Diane Lane immediately urged him to have children without letting him rest.
Sandra Bullock, Sofia Coppola, Brooke Shields, Nicole Kidman, and others also came back one after another, wanting to prove their fertility.
The group of women talked non-stop, nearly driving Link crazy.
He had to call a family meeting, asking them to be rational and not follow trends blindly. They were all top actresses; if they got pregnant at the same time, it would affect filming schedules. Half the movies planned for the next couple of years could be delayed.
If more than thirty women got pregnant simultaneously, it would be chaos, and he wouldn't be able to manage it all.
The best approach was to proceed in order -- older women with less busy schedules first.
Those under 30 were still young and should focus on work. They could have children in a few years.
Lily, Monica, and Michelle Pfeiffer supported this since they were already at that age.
Jennifer Aniston, Sofia, Milla Jovovich, Liv Tyler, Cameron Diaz, Angelina Julie, Winona Ryder, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Jennifer Lopez, who were younger, were a bit reluctant but agreed it made sense. It would be inconvenient if all the actresses got pregnant simultaneously and could frustrate Link as well.
After the discussion, everyone agreed to the plan: those over 30 would have automatic reproductive rights.
Link sighed in relief. If everyone had kids all at once, in two or three years his house would be flooded with forty or fifty kids. Even with money to hire nannies, that would be a huge hassle.
After securing the women's understanding, Link's life returned to normal. Besides working with Lily, Monica, and others on family planning, he continued working at the company, preparing new films.
---
"Anything new going on at the company?" Link asked while flipping through files in his office.
Daniel DeVito shrugged, "Nothing big, but plenty of small issues. First, our summer movies did well. The big seven studios all sent people to negotiate partnerships. Columbia Pictures plans to offer a new long-term contract once our current one ends.
Our production capacity is limited, so we can't agree to all partnerships. You need to decide which partnerships to accept."
Link thought for a moment. "We've had good cooperation with Columbia over the last three years. If their terms are good, we can renew. As for Disney, we can deepen our collaboration and shoot two or three films annually. For others, we'll pick partners based on the best offers."
"Alright!"
Daniel nodded. "The Matrix project is underway. Milla Jovovich and Angelina Jolie are competing for the lead role. I wanted to help them, but the Wachowski brothers refused. They have their own preferred candidates and don't want us interfering. Those two are difficult to work with."
"Let them make the casting decisions. As long as they make a good film, that's what matters. I'll explain to Milla and Angelina."
"Good!"
Daniel was relieved. Personally, he disliked casting based on favors rather than merit, as it usually compromised film quality. But the company's owner had dozens of girlfriends, ranging from stars to veterans to youthful idols.
This meant the company had to consider the owner's girlfriends first when casting. Suitable roles went to them before anyone else.
The Matrix's lead required an actress skilled in action scenes. Milla seemed ideal, but the Wachowskis insisted on their choice.
Daniel was worried this might jeopardize the project.
Fortunately, Link was reasonable and didn't insist.
"Daniel, do you like video games?"
"What?"
Daniel was startled and shook his head. "I don't play, but my son likes fighting games like King of Fighters and Contra. I've watched him play."
"In March, Japan's CAPCOM released Resident Evil, a survival horror adventure game. I tried it a few times and think it would make a great movie. Arrange talks with CAPCOM for adaptation rights."
"Got it! I'll set it up soon."
Daniel didn't know much about Resident Evil, but since Link said so, he wouldn't object.
Besides Resident Evil, after Tomb Raider released in a couple of years, Link also planned to buy its rights to make movies.
This would generate income and keep his energetic women busy, instead of constantly pestering him about having children.
---
After Daniel left, Link met with Lily and Jon Gordon to discuss the upcoming release of Final Destination 2.
The movie was supposed to arrive in August, but after the crash of United Flight 800 shortly after takeoff from JFK, which killed over three hundred people, media outlets noticed eerie similarities to the film's plot.
Some tabloids exploited the tragedy, suggesting the movie was responsible.
Link's company was blamed.
The investigation's cause remained unclear.
Under media pressure, the FBI said the cause was complex and undetermined, which fueled rumors and speculation.
Initially, only tabloids hyped the story, but by September mainstream media mentioned Final Destination in their coverage, questioning fate and supernatural forces.
This increased publicity but also controversy.
Then over a dozen smaller media outlets accused Link's studio of exploiting the tragedy to promote Final Destination 2, calling it bloodsucking.
The studio had a history of such marketing around real-life incidents, like the Murrieta murder case, Fowler County heart attack case, and O.J. Simpson trial.
These allegations caused public backlash.
Newspapers like the New York Post and New York Daily News ran these stories, boosting the controversy, forcing the studio to postpone the film's release from late August to late September.
PR worked overtime to clarify the situation.
Legal filed lawsuits against the Post, Star magazine, and their parent company News Corp., accusing unfair competition and refusing settlements.
The studio's swift, firm response scared media off, dissipating the negativity.
Still, the incident affected both the company and the movie's image.
...
As Final Destination 2 neared release, Lily led PR and Jon Gordon headed marketing to safeguard profits and prevent hidden foes from causing trouble.
"Link, compared to Warner Bros., Disney, Fox, and Paramount, we're weak in promotional channels. Should we consider acquiring a media company or two to serve as our propaganda tools? With our resources, we can pull it off," Jon asked.
Link considered but declined.
He had thought of buying Turner Network or ABC but rejected the idea.
First, media businesses differ greatly from filmmaking, requiring different management experience and talent. If the media company didn't turn a profit, it'd become a burden.
Better to focus on films.
Second, with the internet rising, traditional media's influence waned. Platforms like Yahoo, Blogspot, Google, and YouTube were coming up, offering efficient, cost-effective news dissemination.
Investing in internet platforms or large entertainment media like News Corp., Viacom, Time Warner, or Disney would better support promotion than owning a few media outlets.
"Owning a couple media outlets won't help much and might drag us down if mismanaged. We'll wait until we have enough strength to acquire a full media company like Time Warner or Disney to truly fill the gap."
"Right! Building a massive media conglomerate is our best path," Jon agreed eagerly.
...
After work, Jon left but Lily stayed.
"President Lily, anything else?"
"What do you think?"
Lily gave him a seductive glance and boldly sat in his lap, breaking her own rules.
Her figure had become fuller and curvy, pressing against him.
"Is it really necessary? We've been sleeping together every day. Could you already be pregnant? Your belly looks a bit round."
"Don't say that, it's not that big. I already have experience."
Lily patted his chest, telling him not to dawdle and to do what a man should do.
Link sighed at his luck. He never should have agreed to have kids with them. Since then, these women thought, talked, and acted like all their lives revolved around having children.
*****
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