[Chapter 481: Assassins]
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"Awesome! That movie was incredible!"
"The special effects in Armageddon are just as good as Independence Day."
"This is probably going to be a blockbuster. Link is amazing."
After the screening of Armageddon, the theater erupted with thunderous applause and cheers.
Stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Hanks, James Cameron, and Tom Cruise, invited to the premiere, lined up to congratulate Link, Bruce Willis, and other key crew members on creating a stunning sci-fi film.
Michael Eisner and Michael Ovitz from Disney, the film's production company, also received many congratulations since Disney stood to make the most profit if the movie succeeded.
...
"Haha, Link, it looks like our collaboration was a huge success," Michael Ovitz said with a grin, his eyes squinting with amusement.
"It's too early to tell. Let's wait and see the box office results from the first week before calling it a success," Link said modestly.
"Haha, like I said before, with any other director I wouldn't be sure, but I have full confidence in the box office for a film you direct."
"I hope you're right."
...
Link was busy and only stayed briefly at the premiere party before leaving early.
"Wallace, what happened with the assassination attempt?" Link asked, referring to the attack on the red carpet.
"It went smoothly!" Wallace explained how they captured the two assassins.
The first was hiding among the reporters. Bob and Hank spotted him first. Initially they pretended not to notice, just protecting Link closely. After Link finished the red carpet, they sent someone to tail the assassin and captured him in the parking lot. They found a lethal camera, two communication devices, and other equipment.
The second assassin was noticed early on by Link. When the sniper took a shot from afar, Link immediately realized and quickly left with Liv Tyler.
Wallace and the security team were then informed about the sniper's hiding spot. They caught the assassin in a room's ventilation shaft with a 7.62mm AWP sniper rifle, communication gear, and other tools.
After interrogation, both were elite assassins hired by a client to kill Link in Los Angeles.
"Did they know who hired them and why they wanted me dead?"
"Just like in the movies, assassins usually don't ask about who hired them or why. Their job is to kill - that's it."
Wallace shrugged.
Link was helpless. He was just an ordinary director, only a bit of a womanizer, never done anything seriously bad. He didn't understand why anyone wanted him dead. Was it just because his company was making a lot of money?
If that were the case, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and George Soros would be more justified targets.
"Is there any way to contact the assassin organization to stop them from taking contracts related to me?"
"Possible, but be prepared to be blackmailed. Plus, there are many assassin groups, and a single assassin may be connected to multiple organizations. Bribing one doesn't guarantee the others won't take the job."
"So we can only be on the defensive?"
"Exactly."
Wallace continued, "It's not just you; almost every major figure in the world has enemies and is targeted by assassin groups, including presidents Lincoln and Kennedy. The difference is, some high-profile targets are harder to reach, so these groups consider the risks and costs carefully before acting.
We recently took down gang members involved in the attempt, killed the top assassin known as The Ladybug, and today caught two more top assassins alive. News like this will spread within the assassin community.
Once they know your security is tight and hard to penetrate, they'll increase their prices. If the client can pay more, they keep trying. If not, the mission gets dropped.
Assassin organizations exist to make money -- they don't do losing business."
"How much is my head worth to them?"
"About 1 million dollars."
"Only a million?"
"Yes. For you, a million is easy -- less than a tenth of your paycheck. For most people, they never earn that in a lifetime. Same for assassins: ordinary targets might be a few hundreds or thousands, difficult ones tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands. Killing people is nothing big for them. Lives don't mean much.
But with today's events, prices will probably rise. If your enemies aren't that wealthy, this round of attempts will end."
Wallace said.
Link rubbed his chin. "Can we team up with the police, FBI, or CIA and take down the assassin organizations?"
"Very difficult. These groups span the globe, existing in every country and city. Each city might have just one or two assassins or agents, who keep a low profile. Finding them is tough. Even if we do, we'd only dismantle one branch, which wouldn't affect the whole organization much," Wallace explained.
Link nodded, understanding. The assassins operated like guerrillas with worldwide cells. If crushed in the U.S., they'd move to more permissive areas before returning later.
So brute force tactics have limited effect.
To combat the assassins, two strategies exist.
First, strengthen security so any assassin is eliminated immediately. More dead assassins mean fewer willing to take the job.
Second, find and neutralize the clients. No money, no missions.
The first could be left to his personal security team and Blackwater combined with his own skills. Even top assassins wouldn't hurt him. But that method risks collateral damage, which Link didn't want -- his loved ones were precious, especially his children.
The second was harder. Over the years in Hollywood, he'd been kind and avoided making mortal enemies, but with the rise of Glimmer Capital and Guess Pictures, he'd inadvertently made many enemies and hurt competitors' interests.
Many on Hollywood and Wall Street probably wanted him dead.
With so many potential foes, he wasn't sure who was behind the hit contracts.
"Wallace, since assassin groups are profit-driven, can we buy client information from them?"
Link mused.
"Uh, that's tough. These groups rely on trust to attract clients. If they betray clients' info, they won't last in the business."
"Let's try anyway! In any large group, some members won't hold to trust. Someone might sell info for a price. We can also post a $1 million reward for accurate leads on clients."
"A million? It's too much! Most from the underworld are poor. If they had money, they wouldn't do this work. A million is a fortune to them."
"That's fine -- we want to create a buzz and raise awareness. It'll also warn potential bad actors."
"Alright, I'll arrange it now."
Wallace got out and left.
...
Link tapped his fingers on the sofa armrest, feeling helpless.
Since entering the film industry, he remained low-key. Whether his films were box office hits or he made it onto the Forbes rich list, he rarely flaunted wealth. His clothes and shoes cost just tens of dollars. His car was over four or five years old.
He accepted every collaboration offer in filmmaking and shared industry profits with peers generously.
Still, people wanted to harm him. It was just over the top.
*****
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