"Link! Link! Where are you?"
Taylor returned to the villa and shouted towards the house.
"Here!"
Link's voice came from the pool.
Taylor strode towards the pool and saw Link swimming. He stretched out his arms, alternately stroking the water, his movements very skilled.
"Didn't you go on a date with a handsome guy? Why are you back so early?"
Link chuckled, holding onto the edge of the pool with both hands.
Taylor saw the smile on his face and thought of the angry boy in the video, feeling like they were two different people. When she watched the video, she was very moved and wanted to come back and hug him tightly, giving him a few kisses.
But seeing him in person, so relaxed and carefree, somehow, the previous emotions suddenly disappeared.
Taylor snorted softly, put down her purse, sat on the lounge chair, took out her phone, tapped a few times, and opened the video again.
"Is this guy you?"
Link pulled himself out of the pool, dried his hair with a towel, draped it over his shoulder, and glanced at it.
"So handsome, it must be me."
"When did you write this song?"
"I wrote it in the past two days after seeing the news and getting inspired. What do you think?"
Link smiled.
After thinking about the song, he made a few calls to inquire about the progress of the "Transformers 2" theme song.
He remembered that this song was written by Linkin Park after watching "Transformers 2," tailor-made for the film.
But he heard that the movie was only finished in mid-February and was still in post-production, the theme song hadn't been decided yet, and Linkin Park was still on tour in the UK, so he took out this song.
Taylor rolled her eyes at him. When she wrote songs, the room was filled with manuscript paper, and violins, guitars, and pianos all had to be ready. Even then, she couldn't write a song in ten days.
But this guy in front of her, she didn't see him putting much effort into songwriting, yet good songs came one after another, making people envious.
"I always show you my songs after I finish writing them. Why don't you show me yours? Do you think my level is not good enough to give you feedback?"
Taylor pouted her red lips and asked, pretending to be angry.
"Of course not. You taught me guitar and piano, how could I think your level is not good enough? It's just that you're usually too busy and become like a bomb when you're writing. You get angry at anyone who disturbs you, so I don't dare to approach you."
Link shrugged and said.
Taylor remembered the last time she was writing and Link came to call her for dinner. She was just getting to the key point and didn't want to be disturbed, so she couldn't help but yell at him to "get out."
Thinking about it now, she felt very guilty.
She sat on Link's lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and said softly, "Honey, I'm sorry, I won't do it again."
"It's okay. Your mom said you only get angry at people close to you, I don't mind."
Link asked, stroking her hair.
Taylor hugged his neck tightly, leaning against his chest and said, "I just read some news. The public opinion outside is not very friendly to you. Are you under a lot of pressure? I'm your girlfriend, you can tell me your worries, we can share them together."
"Not much pressure, really. I'm a world boxing champion, no pressure can bother me."
Link smiled, clenching his fist.
Taylor looked up at him, seeing his confident look, his whole being glowing, and couldn't help but smile, "Honey, I find you seem to be getting more and more handsome."
"Huh? You noticed too? So, Miss Taylor, be nicer to me. Having a super handsome boyfriend like me, you must have saved the world in your past life."
Link tapped the tip of her nose.
"Vain!"
Taylor smiled, the corners of her mouth curling up, and couldn't help but hug him tighter, giving him a sweet kiss.
---
"I just asked you to issue a statement, and you wrote a song?"
Miss Eva questioned over the phone.
"Isn't that good?"
Link asked, putting down the textbook in his hand.
"Good, very good. But with such a good song, why not release it as a single? Putting it on YouTube is such a waste."
Miss Eva said regretfully.
Mandy had called earlier and said that Link had posted on Twitter, along with a new song.
She clicked on it and listened. When she heard the line "So give me reason to prove me wrong to wash this memory clean," she was deeply shocked, stunned in her chair for more than ten seconds before coming back to her senses.
The task she gave Link was to make everyone who accused him give him a reason to apologize.
Then Link wrote a song based on the phrase "give me reason," and it was such an exciting and stimulating song.
Eva couldn't help but admire him. This bastard was too talented, so handsome, so strong, and so talented. Such a man...
"It's okay, I have many more good songs here, don't worry about one or two."
Link said nonchalantly.
"That's what you said. Next time I want a song, don't tell me you don't have any."
"Got it."
After chatting for a few words, Link hung up the phone and continued reading his high school textbooks.
---
Within 48 hours of Link opening his Twitter account, the number of people following him soared from 1 to 2 million, and it was still increasing.
After he posted on Twitter asking for a reason, Kanye's fans left messages below, listing hundreds of various mistakes for Link.
But under the premise of freedom of speech, no one could give a definite 'crime.'
Then many netizens commented that even if Link hadn't done anything wrong, he should still come forward and apologize. If he didn't apologize, he would have no place in America.
Many influencers also joined in, claiming that 'even if Link is not wrong, he must come forward and apologize, because everyone thinks he is wrong. Not apologizing would be arrogant and disrespectful, which is wrong.'
The comments online and in the media became more and more extreme.
Many dark-skinned celebrities also felt that the situation was not right and wanted to suppress the dispute, but once the fire was lit, it was difficult to extinguish.
Until March 8th, a report in the "Miami Herald" made everyone feel that they could no longer let it go unchecked.
The "Miami Herald" reported that on March 7th, the Baker diving shop on Miami Beach was vandalized and robbed by a group of black people, with losses exceeding $5,000.
Four dark-skinned suspects were arrested afterward, claiming that after seeing the comments online, they felt hurt by Link's arrogance, which led to their extreme behavior.
This news was then reprinted by newspapers such as the "New York Post," "USA Today," and "American Express."
This news immediately caused a sensation across the United States, also making many media outlets calm down and start thinking about one thing.
After dark-skinned people had been oppressed for two or three hundred years, and now one of their own had entered the White House, would there be a significant change in the psychology and mentality of African Americans?
Was Kanye and others' condemnation of Link related to this change?
They now dared to target even a world boxing champion and Olympic gold medalist. Would they seek revenge on all light-skinned people in the future?
Many people started to think, many expressed concerns.
Many celebrities also came forward to express their support for Link, claiming that this was not a trivial matter, nor was it an isolated case, and it must be taken seriously.
But because this topic was too serious, too sensitive, and too heavy, once it was brought up for discussion, it would inevitably affect social stability and economic recovery and development.
Not only did Washington not want to see this happen, but the shareholders behind the major media groups also didn't want to see it.
Several major media outlets in the United States reached a consensus not to discuss this sensitive topic for now, but only to discuss the conflict between Link and Kanye and others.
After several discussions, they found that neither Link nor Kanye had major problems.
Kanye had 'bipolar disorder' and often caused trouble in public events. He had publicly criticized many people, and telling reporters that Link profited from the financial crisis wasn't the most excessive thing he had said.
Link calling Kanye sick was also a fact.
They had no problem. The problem was with Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, and others. They were the ones who made a big deal out of a small matter, relentlessly pursuing Link, which was clearly going too far.
The "New York Post" believed that Lil Wayne's accusation of Link, who was invited to attend the Grammy Awards ceremony, was very rude and he should apologize.
On March 8th, an article in the "New York Daily News" attracted widespread attention.
The article stated that singers Kanye, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, JAY-Z, T.I., and others were all fans of Mike Tyson, and 50 Cent was a friend of former WBA Intercontinental Champion Jermain Taylor.
They had made some hostile remarks about Link online after he defeated Jermain and Tyson.
Now, seeing Link enter the music industry and surpass Kanye and others in album sales, they were even angrier and naturally wouldn't let Link off easily.
On March 9th, seven days after the Grammy Awards, the "Los Angeles Times" and other reports published an investigation in the newspaper, detailing the dispute between Link and Kanye, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, and others.
It concluded that the root of the matter was in the boxing world. Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, and others targeted Link because they admired Tyson and were angry and jealous, not because of the new president.
Major newspapers like the "Washington Post," "New York Times," and "USA Express" all reposted the article, actively guiding public opinion.
"Is this true?"
Link looked at the newspaper and asked his assistant Anna.
"It's true. After you defeated Tyson, Lil Wayne and others attacked you on MySpace. 50 Cent even wrote a rap and made a video about it on YouTube."
Anna opened the computer and clicked on the video.
50 Cent and several black singers used many F-words to insult Link, saying that he bullied Tyson for being old, and if Tyson were ten years younger, he would definitely beat Link to a pulp. They also said that no matter how powerful Link was, he couldn't stop a bullet.
The video was posted on December 10th last year and had over 200,000 views.
"So the reason they're causing trouble for me is not because my album sales surpassed theirs, but because of boxing?"
"It should be a combination of both reasons. You defeated their idol in boxing, crossed over to become a singer, and surpassed the most popular Kanye in sales. They were even angrier, so they publicly belittled your first album."
Anna said.
Link shook his head helplessly. This was what it meant to be famous and have a lot of trouble.
For a popular person, this kind of thing was common. His popularity and high album sales meant he was taking a share of others' pie.
Maybe those attacking him weren't just Kanye and a few others, but also other colleagues or companies, aiming to bring down this potential competitor.
On the same day, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, and others appeared on ABC's talk show "The View" and publicly apologized to all the singers who attended the Grammy Awards, as well as to Link.
They claimed that after winning the award, they were too excited and said some things they shouldn't have said. They apologized for their fans' support and immediately announced a $200,000 donation to UNICEF to support education for children in poverty.
After watching the news, Link couldn't help but admire these big shots. They were really good at playing the game, using a clever tactic to resolve a major event that almost caused unrest without a trace.
Now, among the few troublemakers, except for Kanye, everyone else had apologized and even made donations to charity. Should he forgive them?
Link thought for a moment. He seemed to have no choice. While thinking about how to 'reconcile,' Mrs. Mandy called, excitedly saying:
"Link, Michael Jackson's manager called and invited you to his comeback concert in New York. You have the chance to perform on the same stage with MJ."
"Really?"
Link stood up in surprise.
(End of Chapter)