[Chapter 388: After the Assassination]
After getting into the car, Link told Wallace to call the police and also reach out to the local branch of his company for legal support. He also called a local acquaintance, New York State Senator Charles Schumer, briefing him on the situation and asking him to contact the NYPD to track down the shooters and uncover their motives.
Charles Schumer quickly agreed and asked about his safety, whether he was injured, and if he needed medical assistance. Link said he didn't need any help and hung up.
In fact, Link had connections at the NYPD, including a deputy commissioner in charge of administration. However, given the complexity of the situation, one deputy commissioner might not be sufficient to handle it. Applying pressure through a senator would likely result in a more efficient police response.
...
Less than two minutes after his conversation with Charles Schumer, New York Police Commissioner William Bratton called to ask about his safety and to inform him that officers were on their way and would begin investigating the incident immediately.
William Bratton was a very capable officer, having served as the LAPD chief from 1988 to 1992 and taking over as NYPD commissioner in 1994. During his tenure, he implemented the famous broken windows theory and CompStat crime data analysis system to prevent crime.
Under his leadership, serious crime in New York City dropped by 39%, murders by 50%, and theft by 35%. Public trust in the NYPD soared from 37% to 73%, and internal investigations revealed unprecedented levels of job satisfaction among officers.
Bratton's abilities earned him a spot on the cover of Time magazine in February, making him a star in law enforcement, dubbed the 'Criminals' Bane.' Yet, within his jurisdiction, Link -- an eighth-richest American, a world-class director, and a globally recognized figure -- had been shot on the streets of Manhattan. This was akin to a slap in the face for William Bratton.
On the phone, Bratton bit down hard and assured Link that he would do everything to capture the two shooters as quickly as possible. "If those two fly away, I'll catch them in the sky! If they burrow underground, I'll pull them out, so they know the consequences of committing crimes in New York," he promised.
Link replied affirmatively.
...
When the police patrol car arrived at the scene, Link left Wallace to deal with the police and drove back to the apartment with Jennifer and the others to rest. Following the harrowing experience, the three women were on edge, shivering as if they were startled birds; they couldn't handle the slightest noise. However, after the intense ordeal, they were slowly relaxing as the adrenaline wore off.
"Link, why would anyone shoot at you?" Jennifer Aniston asked.
Link shook his head, stroking the smooth back of the girl in front of him, "Since I began my career, I've earned my money honestly. I've never ventured into the black or gray markets, nor have I interacted with such people. I can't figure out who would resort to such extreme measures against me."
"Could it be those people in the movie industry?" Courteney Cox raised her head from under the blanket and said, "Guess Pictures has been doing incredibly well these past few years, taking significant box office away from many companies, both the studios and smaller firms. Could they be out to get you for this?"
Link thought for a moment, "That's unlikely. The executives at those studios are just managers earning salaries. Even if they were doing well, they have term limits and wouldn't need to resort to such extreme actions for the benefit of the company. But until the investigation is clear, I can't rule it out."
During his time in Hollywood, he was always amicable, rarely engaging in severe conflicts. Even after becoming a billionaire and Guess Pictures rose to be the most powerful film company in Hollywood, he remained humble, actively cooperating with the major studios and sharing profits with his peers. Despite everything he did, it seemed he still became a target.
That group was simply ruthless.
...
Ding~ling~ling!
The phone on the table rang. Lisa Kudrow got up, pulling the blanket around her chest, and fetched the phone for him. Link opened the flip phone and saw it was Bill Clinton calling. Clinton had received news about the assassination attempt and asked if Link was hurt.
Link chatted with Clinton for a few moments before hanging up.
...
Seconds later, the phone rang again, followed by calls from New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, FBI Director Louis Freeh, Senator Bob Dole, Glimmer Capital's Chief Investment Officer Jack Brennan, and Hollywood Reporter Editor Aaron Kutz, all inquiring about his safety and the status of the case.
Link spoke with them briefly, sending a text to assure the women at home he was okay. But after receiving his message, the women bombarded him with calls.
With phone calls coming in from his colleagues and friends in the industry, his phone was nearly overloaded.
---
Over an hour after the shooting incident, the news of Link being shot on the streets of New York was reported by NBC, ABC, Fox, and other news channels. NBC was the first to break the story.
Since the incident occurred down the street from their Rockefeller Center office, three NBC reporters happened to step outside and witnessed the shooting unfold.
NBC News spent ten minutes detailing the event. They reported that Link had come to NBC for a special program interview to promote his new movie, The Net. Upon leaving Rockefeller Center, he experienced an assassination attempt carried out by two motorcyclists -- one riding the bike and the other shooting, both wearing full-face helmets and black leather outfits, gloves included.
After the attack, Link quickly took cover with the three women, shielding themselves behind a parked vehicle. His two bodyguards retaliated immediately, returning fire, with one bullet striking the shooter's back. The assailants, realizing they couldn't achieve their objective, made a swift escape on their bikes.
While reporting the news, NBC also captured footage of the scene, showing the section of the street now cordoned off by police, with several patrol cars parked nearby, their red and blue lights flashing. The on-site reporter explained the positions of the motorcycle shooters, the firing location, Link and his friends' positions during the attack, and the reactions of Link's bodyguards.
Immediately after the incident, the New York Police Department began a tracking investigation. Commissioner William Bratton addressed numerous media outlets at the police station door, promising the public that he would apprehend the shooters within three days.
NBC's reports quickly spread to multiple media outlets.
...
In less than half a day, the news that billionaire director Link had been shot gained traction all across North America, creating a commotion rivaling that of president Reagan's attempted assassination in 1981.
The region most affected was Los Angeles -- Hollywood.
Link was the most powerful figure in Hollywood, the owner of Guess Pictures, a renowned director worth over $6 billion. Following his shooting, industry insiders speculated on who was behind the attack and their motives.
The studio most under suspicion was, unsurprisingly, the major studios. In recent years, Link and Guess Pictures had stood out in the film industry, disrupting the established order of Hollywood and capturing a large portion of box office revenue. As a result, the major studios experienced a significant drop in income, forcing them to cut projects and lay off many employees. Numerous small film companies also struggled amidst the competition.
From this angle, both the major studios executives and the owners of smaller companies appeared guilty.
Moreover, individuals like Michael Ovitz, Richard Gere, Tom Cruise, Rob Reiner, and Mario Kassar also had past conflicts with Link, giving them motives to consider an assassination.
Public speculation wasn't the only thing stirring; the media began doing their own investigations, analyzing Link's enemies and who had the greatest suspicion surrounding them. Former CAA president Michael Ovitz was seen as the most likely suspect.
...
"Nonsense! Why would I do something so foolish?" Michael Ovitz said angrily as he tossed the newspaper aside, which reported on his past skirmishes with Link leading to his defeat and nurturing a grudge that could prompt violent revenge.
After pondering for a moment, he picked up the phone to call Harvey, asking if he had a hand in this incident.
Harvey declared he had nothing to do with it, stating he never even considered doing so and had no need to; Miramax was a subsidiary of Disney, and if it went bankrupt, it would only hurt Disney -- something he wouldn't risk.
"Are you really sure?" Ovitz pressed.
In the past, he had seen Harvey as a fellow ambitious and power-hungry entrepreneur. But after their last gathering, he had changed that perspective.
Harvey, he believed, was cunning, had a dreadful temper, and could be extreme in his endeavors. He was ruthless, ready to do anything to succeed. Ovitz felt he could never match Harvey in those respects.
After Link's incident, the first person who came to mind was Harvey.
"I swear, it wasn't me! I'm just a producer and president of a film company; it makes no sense for me to take such big risks over business issues," Harvey replied flatly.
Ovitz heard his explanation and felt his doubts ease a little.
"Who do you think it is?"
"Ha! Who knows? Link not only dominated the film market but also had relationships with many beautiful women. There are plenty of people in the industry who resent him. He's also the boss of Glimmer Capital, owning numerous shares in many companies. Perhaps someone on Wall Street wants him out!" Harvey said casually.
...
Ovitz contemplated this angle and found some logic to it. After hanging up, he called Ron Meyer and Barry Diller to discuss the matter based on various leads to speculate who might be behind it.
While they were brainstorming, an unknown entertainment tabloid, Star Weekly, broke the quietude within the industry by reporting that Disney co-president Michael Ovitz led the charge.
Participants included Harvey Weinstein, president of Miramax Films; Ron Meyer, president of Universal Pictures; Barry Diller, president of Fox Productions; Sherry Lansing, president of Paramount Pictures; and Terry Semel, president of Warner Bros.
In March, after The Hollywood Reporter released the previous year's box office rankings, those eight had held a secret meeting at a Hollywood club, with discussions centering on how to deal with the rapidly rising Guess Pictures.
The conclusion from their discussions was to eliminate Link -- the linchpin and heart of Guess Pictures. Without Link's leadership, Guess Pictures would begin to falter and no longer pose a threat to the major studios, allowing them to reclaim their leadership in the film industry.
Star Weekly's report detailed the timing and location of the major studio heads' meeting and suggested that their joint efforts were to safeguard Jewish interests in Hollywood.
The article presented a plethora of evidence and motives for the assailants, appearing quite credible. After its release, it was quickly picked up by numerous other media outlets, creating a massive stir in Hollywood.
To attract public attention, many media used sensationalized headlines, such as "In-Depth Analysis of Link's Shootings; Major Studio Presidents Suspected of Hiring Hitmen" and "The Competition in the Film Industry Escalates: From Box Office Battles to Street Shootouts!"
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