boxer to hollywood

"Haha, Jay-Z, don't worry. Just sit back and watch the show tonight. Eight o'clock sharp on YouTube."

In the president's office at SB Projects Entertainment, Scooter Braun hung up the phone with a smile.

If it had been anyone else asking, he might not have told them, but Jay-Z was his former boss, a major figure in the rap industry, and a current business partner. He had to show some respect.

Scooter thought for a moment and then called the head of the PR department, instructing them to contact as many media outlets as possible. When the video was released, they needed to ensure maximum coverage before it was taken down.

With the media contacts made, Scooter leaned back in his chair, poured himself a glass of red wine, and reviewed his plan once more to check for any flaws.

Everything seemed perfect. All that was left was to upload the video at eight o'clock and trigger a massive public outcry.

"Link, get ready to step down."

Scooter sneered at the newspaper photo of Link.

"Boss, Ivanka, the president of Link Music, is here to see you. She says she has something important to discuss."

His assistant Alex called in.

"Oh? Why is she here?"

Scooter frowned, feeling uneasy. Had Link Music gotten wind of their plan, and was Ivanka here to persuade him not to release the video and give Link a break?

Scooter chuckled. Letting Link off the hook was out of the question. Business was war; once you found a weakness, you had to exploit it ruthlessly.

"Boss, should I let her in?"

Alex asked.

"Of course! Please, show Ms. Ivanka in."

Scooter straightened his tie and stood up. He had seen Ivanka at a business party once. She was like the moon, surrounded by admirers, exuding a sexy and noble aura. Even people like Scooter couldn't get close to her.

But now, Ivanka had come to SB Projects herself.

Scooter felt a thrill. He quickly checked his appearance in the mirror, tightened his tie, and smoothed back his hair. Hearing footsteps outside, he put the comb down and returned to his chair, adopting a poised posture.

"Come in!"

The door opened, and Alex held it for Ivanka, who stepped inside with two assistants. She wore a moon-white women's suit with platinum trim, her golden hair neatly tied back. Her red lips stood out like rose petals against her elegant attire, making her look both dignified and seductive.

"Ha! Ms. Ivanka, welcome to SB Projects. Please, have a seat!"

Scooter greeted her warmly, standing up from behind his desk.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Braun!"

Ivanka nodded slightly and took a seat on the central sofa, her assistants standing by.

"Haha, Ms. Ivanka, I've heard a lot about you. I never thought you'd visit SB Projects. This is quite an honor. What brings you here today?"

Scooter asked with a smile as he sat on the sofa opposite her.

"Mr. Braun, I've heard from Wall Street that SB Projects is doing well this year and has good investment potential. Today, on behalf of Link Music, I'm proposing to buy SB Projects for $10 million. I hope you'll consider it."

"To buy my company?"

Scooter was stunned, momentarily unable to process what he had just heard.

Today, he had been coordinating with the media to release a private video of Link that night, planning to deal a heavy blow to Link's reputation.

When Alex told him Ivanka was here to talk, he naturally assumed it was about the video, perhaps to plead for leniency.

But it seemed he was wrong.

Ivanka's first offer was to buy SB Projects for $10 million, a figure well below its market value.

Scooter had ten contracted artists under his company, including pop star Justin Bieber, singer-actor Ludacris, rap king Kanye West, and part of Usher's management contract. The company was worth no less than $60 million and would only increase in value as Justin's fame grew.

Yet Ivanka intended to acquire SB Projects for just $10 million, with a tone that left no room for negotiation.

"Ten million dollars? Ms. Ivanka, are you joking?"

Scooter's face gradually hardened as he stared at the beautiful, voluptuous woman across from him, wondering if she was really the intelligent and capable Ivanka he had heard about.

Ivanka crossed her legs, swinging one lightly, her hands resting casually on her lap. She looked at Scooter and said, "Mr. Braun, I'm serious. I hope you'll seriously consider my offer."

Scooter's eye twitched, and he restrained his anger to ask again, "Ms. Ivanka, you're offering $10 million to buy SB Projects, not just a 10% stake?"

"Mr. Braun, you heard correctly. Link Music plans to buy 100% of SB Projects for $10 million, making it a subsidiary. That's our acquisition proposal. What do you think?"

Ivanka motioned with her fingers, and her secretary stepped forward, placing a folder on the table in front of Scooter.

Seeing that Ivanka had already prepared an acquisition contract, Scooter's eyes twitched with anger. How could she be so audacious to present such a blatantly unequal contract? Did she think he would sign it?

"Ms. Ivanka, I have no intention of selling SB Projects at this time. There's nothing more to discuss."

Scooter stood up, signaling the end of the conversation.

Ivanka smiled slightly and gestured again. Her secretary placed another folder on the table.

"Mr. Braun, don't waste your time. I won't agree to sell my company to you, regardless of the conditions."

Scooter scoffed.

"Mr. Braun, don't be hasty. Take a look at the file. You might change your mind."

Ivanka pointed to the folder, a calm smile on her beautiful face.

Scooter shook his head, feeling disappointed. The Ivanka he had heard about was supposed to be beautiful, intelligent, and a shrewd businesswoman. But today, he saw only her beauty and not much else.

Someone like this managed to build Link Music from scratch into its current scale? It was hard to believe.

He picked up the file and glanced at it, initially not paying much attention. But the more he read, the paler his face became. His forehead began to sweat, and his curly brown hair turned damp.

The file was a copy of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) copyright registration for a song called "Baby." Several lyrics and melodies were identical to Justin's "Baby," with the chorus almost exactly the same.

He checked the registration date: December 18, 2008. The copyright was registered under Link Music, with songwriters listed as Link Baker and Graham Goodale.

"No way, this can't be possible!"

Scooter shouted in disbelief.

Ivanka crossed her fingers, smiling faintly, "ASCAP has the records. You can check them yourself. I'm very busy and have no interest in wasting time with a fake document."

Scooter's hands trembled as he reread the information. Everything seemed legitimate. Someone of Ivanka's stature wouldn't use a fake document to deceive him.

Could it be that his team had indeed stolen Link's song?

He suddenly remembered a production assistant who had left Link Music for SB Projects late last year. Could he be the culprit?

"Ms. Ivanka, this must be a coincidence. Our composers would never plagiarize Link's songs. I swear on that."

Scooter quickly explained.

Ivanka shook her head slightly and said coldly, "Swearing means nothing. This is a legal matter. I have evidence and witnesses to prove you have been engaging in unfair competition since last year, poaching eight musicians from Link Music. Worse, you stole Link's song and produced it under your label. Mr. Braun, do you hold no regard for the law?"

"I didn't! I swear I never ordered anyone to steal from Link Music. I swear!"

Scooter insisted.

Ivanka looked at him quietly, her red lips moving as she spoke coldly, "I have evidence proving you did. Do you have any evidence proving you didn't? Maybe you can explain it to a judge and see if they believe you."

Scooter's mouth opened, his mind buzzing.

It was true that he had poached people from Link Music, something many people knew about and couldn't be hidden. And the plagiarism was irrefutable, despite his denials.

"Ms. Ivanka, there must be some misunderstanding. Please give me three days to investigate. I need to find out what went wrong."

Scooter said.

"By this time tomorrow, Link Music's legal department will formally file a lawsuit with the Manhattan District Court, suing SB Projects and its artists, including Justin Bieber and Ludacris, for infringement."

Ivanka's words were firm as she stood up and left with her assistants.

Scooter watched her seductive figure disappear through the door, collapsing weakly onto the sofa.

How could this happen?

He had planned to use the video to ruin Link's reputation, causing his album sales to plummet. Then, with increased promotion of Justin's new album, he hoped to capture the market share Link would lose.

But

How could "Baby" be plagiarized?

Scooter cursed under his breath, calling his assistant Alex to verify the copyright information of "Baby" and summoned his production team for an explanation.