Domination in America, Starting from being a Boxing Champion-Chapter 902 - 641: Chat and Compete

After chatting about music with the Princess, Link went on to discuss the new album with Zhang Yadong, Gao Xiaosong, and a few others at the bar.

He had already written 16 songs for the second album, including "Chasing Dreams with a Pure Heart," "Writing Poems for You," "Where Has the Time Gone," "When You Are Old," "Father and Son," "Old Boy," "Cool," "The Rest of My Life," and three experimental English songs.

Zhang Yadong, after listening, commented that the new songs were excellent and on par with those from the first album.

"Link, I really have no idea how your brain works. You spend every day training at the boxing gym, yet you can still write so many great songs. I feel like your brain's wiring is different from ours."

Gao Xiaosong admired the sheet music as he spoke.

"It's not that special. Your song 'Deskmate' was great too. Why haven't you been writing much these past years?"

Link asked.

"Who said I haven't been writing? I write dozens of songs every year. Like Old Wolf's 'Dusty Memories' and 'Moonlight,' Huang Lei's 'Singing While Walking'—I wrote all of those. They just don't have the same impact as 'Deskmate.'"

Gao Xiaosong flicked the long hair hanging beside his ear, revealing a face full of acne scars. It was hard to believe that this guy later dared to call himself handsome.

Link shook his head, sipped his tea, and noticed Xia Yu and Pu Shu walking in. Link asked Xia Yu how the movie was coming along.

Recently, Xia Yu had been filming director Wu Shixian's movie "Waiting Alone." Originally, they had invited Link for a cameo, but he declined, and Gao Qi, a singer, ended up taking on the part.

"It's wrapped up."

Xia Yu downed a glass of beer, wiped his mouth, and said, "Link, being an actor is pretty interesting. You should give it a try."

"What's the current rate for top-tier actors in the industry? I mean the big-name stars,"

Link asked.

"That depends. Top actors are divided into those with pure skill and those relying on their looks. Then there's the distinction between actors from Hong Kong Island and Taiwan Island. The films they take on are divided into commercial and art films, and the pay varies.

For example, Hong Kong stars like Andy Lau, Gu Letian, and Zhen Zidan—they charge five to six million RMB per commercial film. Big names like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Chow Yun-fat command even higher fees, sometimes upwards of tens of millions RMB. For actors based here, the pay is lower, but they can still pull in a few million."

Xia Yu explained.

Link nodded slightly, mentally noting the domestic actors' pay rates. The local film industry was still in its early stages, with generally low box office returns, so actor fees were naturally modest.

By around 2010, actor salaries would gradually rise. Hot-shot stars could earn tens of millions, and the top-tier stars broke into the hundreds of millions—comparable to Hollywood actors, although the quality of acting, well, let's just say it's debatable.

"Why are you nodding? Are you considering becoming an actor?"

Xia Yu squinted as he asked.

"Not at all. I'm way too busy—I don't have the luxury of spending months on a film set."

Link shook his head.

"Link isn't interested in acting. Right now, he's a superstar in both music and sports. Any random endorsement brings him millions, releasing an album earns tens of millions, and a professional boxing match nets him millions of US dollars per fight. Why would he care about an actor's paycheck?"

Gao Xiaosong pulled out a folding fan from who knows where and waved it dramatically.

"It's not about the money; it's about the time."

"Link, can you really make millions of US dollars per match in boxing?"

Xia Yu asked.

"Pretty much. It's similar to the film industry—different ranks of boxers earn different amounts. Boxers like Tyson, Lewis, or Holyfield can earn thirty to forty million US dollars per match, sometimes even over a hundred million."

Link responded.

"I saw on the news that in 2002, Tyson fought British champion Lewis, and the prize money for that match was over a hundred million USD,"

Gao Xiaosong said.

"Over a hundred million US dollars? That's more than seven hundred million RMB… That's just insane."

Xia Yu smacked his lips and clenched his fist, jokingly asking Link if he should start training in boxing.

Link said it was possible; with two years of training, Xia Yu might even win a prize for the national boxing team.

Xia Yu blinked rapidly, clearly tempted.

Gao Xiaosong reminded him of the boxers knocked unconscious by Link at the Olympics. If Xia Yu was fine with being knocked out, then sure, he could give boxing a try.

Xia Yu quickly shook his head, saying he was just kidding.

"Link, stop chatting nonsense with them—come up here and sing!"

Pu Shu called from the stage.

Link grinned, put down his glass, and stepped onto the stage to sit at the piano and accompany Pu Shu.

"Wow! Link is truly incredible. In the boxing ring, he's a beast, delivering punches that knock people out cold. But when he sits at the piano, he transforms into a refined musician. What they describe as being skilled in both civil and martial arts—it's people like him,"

Xia Yu praised as he watched Link play the piano on stage.

"Honestly, it's not just Link's abilities that impress me; it's his demeanor too. When most people become famous, all kinds of flaws come to light. Link hasn't shown a single trace of that. Last year, before he released his album, he was just like this. And now, even as a superstar, he hasn't changed at all.

He's also an Olympic champion now, practically a hero. If it were anyone else, they'd be full of themselves already. But nothing seems to faze him—it's like none of it matters to him at all."

Zhang Yadong laced his fingers together as he spoke.

"Honestly, compared to him, we're just a bunch of random nobodies,"

Zheng Jun said, shaking his head.

"To be honest, I think he's really handsome. If I had his face, his physique, and his skill, I'd be surrounded by women in this industry,"

Gao Xiaosong said, rubbing his bumpy face enviously.

"Stop being so fixated on chasing women. Link is an upright guy—he's not as sleazy as you think,"

Old Wolf sneered.

Gao Xiaosong forced an awkward smile.

Link spent half an hour playing the piano on stage and then sang a duet with Pu Shu—"Those Flowers." When he stepped down, the bar erupted in applause, and many people rushed forward to ask him for autographs.

Link signed a few, waved off the rest, and returned to the booth, where Xia Yu, Old Wolf, and others showered him with compliments again.

Link felt helpless—he'd been complimented so much lately that it was tiring just to hear it all, even if they didn't seem to get tired of saying it.

Around four o'clock, Link got up to leave. In the parking lot, he ran into Tang Yan.

Tang Yan was wearing a ponytail, a simple T-shirt with jeans and white sneakers—her outfit looked fresh and casual. Coupled with her 172 cm height, she was striking from afar. She was leaning against the railing, looking toward the bar as if waiting for someone.

When she saw him step out, Tang Yan immediately lit up and headed toward him, asking if she could hitch a ride.

Link invited her to get into the car.

The two had spent some time together in Athens before, going shopping twice. The girl had gradually warmed up to him, speaking more casually, and they now often chatted on the phone like close friends.

Link didn't decline her growing closeness.

"Link, there are so many people online now calling you Asia's number-one heartthrob, saying you're even more handsome than Andy Lau, Wu Yanzu, and Takeshi Kaneshiro,"

Tang Yan teased from the passenger seat.

"What do you think?"

"I think you're way more handsome than them—like a hundred times more! You sing so well, can play the piano, you're amazing at boxing, and you're an Olympic champion. They don't even compare to you."

Tang Yan laughed.

"Thanks for the compliment. You're quite the beauty yourself."

"No way. I don't look that good. My eyebrows are sparse, and I'm a little chubby,"

Tang Yan laughed while covering her mouth.

"Director Zhang picked you out of thousands of girls to perform in Athens. If you deny yourself, you're questioning his judgment,"

Link replied.

Tang Yan giggled again.

When the car reached Tongluodrum Alley, the main campus of Central Drama College was located there. When they arrived, Tang Yan asked him to keep driving and stop in front of the staff residential complex.

She explained that she'd been taking on film and ad projects recently, which made dormitory living inconvenient, so she had rented a small apartment in the residential area. She then asked if Link wanted to come up for tea.

Link hesitated, saying it might not be convenient.

Tang Yan grabbed his arm, saying she lived alone, so there was no inconvenience.

Not wanting to be impolite, Link let her guide him to the residential complex, parking his car before following her into the rented apartment.

The apartment was indeed small, with one bedroom, one living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Facing the production studio, there was even a small balcony adorned with some potted plants—a tranquil little space.

The furnishings were adequate, including chairs, a couch, and a TV, all in a tidy environment except for some socks and black underwear casually left on the couch. Seeing them, Tang Yan blushed and quickly tidied them up.

"Your place is pretty nice—it's very homey,"

Link commented.

"It is a bit messy—I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to clean,"

Tang Yan said as she poured him a cup of tea.

Link asked what kind of work she was currently doing and told her to reach out if she faced any difficulties, saying he knew some people in the film industry.

Tang Yan shared that after performing in Athens, she'd gained a little fame domestically. Two ad companies had approached her, and she'd also landed a few supporting roles at a theater to hone her acting skills.

Link said that was great, but since she was still a student, she didn't need to rush into earning money. She could consider her career after graduation.

Tang Yan nodded, commenting that Link was truly impressive—to already own a car and house as a junior.

Link chuckled, saying she could do the same someday.

After chatting for a bit, Link checked his watch and said he should get going. Tang Yan quickly grabbed him, insisting they have dinner together.

Link declined, saying he would come for dinner next time—it was getting late.

Tang Yan asked what he liked to eat so she could prepare the ingredients in advance.

Link laughed, saying he wasn't a picky eater. Whatever she was good at cooking would do.

As Link left Tang Yan's apartment, he avoided having her escort him downstairs to prevent misunderstandings. However, as he reached the parking lot, he noticed a woman approaching.

The woman appeared to be in her thirties, sporting shoulder-length hair, a high-neck knit sweater, gray pencil pants, and a small handbag. She was elegant and quite beautiful. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

Link thought she seemed familiar.

She looked like the actress who played the celestial beauty in "The Legend of the Flying Dagger" and Murong Qiudi in "The Sword of the Young Master."

His mind clicked into place—her name was Yu Feihong.

As he observed her, the woman noticed him as well and paused in surprise.

"Hello, Ms. Yu!"

She seemed to teach at Central Drama College.

"You are… Link?"

"Yes, that's me. Are you living here, Ms. Yu?"

Link asked.

"Yes, I live on the fifth floor. Are you staying here too?"

"No, I just came to drop off a friend,"

Link replied with a polite smile, then got into his car and drove away.

Yu Feihong stood still, watching the car leave. She glanced back at the apartment complex before stepping into the stairwell, her heels clicking rhythmically on the steps.

——

After training in Beijing for over a month, Link flew to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in early October with his manager Sean Gibbons, coach, and medical team to participate in his first professional match held there. His opponent was Malaysian boxer Muhamad Aiman.

Aiman ranked 706th in WBA's global middleweight division and 98th in the Asian middleweight rankings.

At 26 years old, standing 176 cm tall and weighing 68 kg, Aiman had a sturdy physique.

His professional record was 12 fights with 8 wins and 4 losses. In 2001, he had faced Pacquiao in a match but was KO'd in the fifth round.

He was Link's first real test.

As the match began, Link wasted no time, breaking through Aiman's defenses with a heavy punch and knocking him down within 16 seconds of the first round. Aiman was unable to rise within ten seconds.

The next day, Link and his team flew to Hue, Vietnam, to face WBA's 78th-ranked boxer from Asia, Ruan Wenfu. He won with a first-round KO in 21 seconds.

On October 6th, Link flew to Manila, Philippines, to fight Mike Sepp, a protégé of Pacquiao. He won again with a first-round KO in 25 seconds.

Following that, Link participated in seven additional matches in Tokyo, South Korea, Singapore, and other places, winning all matches by first-round KO. He earned the title of WBA Asian Champion, often referred to as the "Intercontinental Boxing King," positioning him as a third-tier champion within the four major organizations.

To become an "International Boxing King," he would need to defeat Intercontinental champions from Europe, Oceania, and North America.

Though the title of Intercontinental Boxing King wasn't as prestigious, Link's streak of ten first-round KOs after transitioning into professional boxing drew significant attention. With news fielded by top promotional companies, Link's rapid rise caused ripples in the boxing world, and many began to take note of this Olympic champion now making waves in the professional arena.