Leon felt that Elon Musk clearly didn't understand the dynamic between him and Amber Heard, but seeing the eager look in the man's eyes, he didn't have the heart to refuse.
Musk had just managed to crawl out of financial ruin, and now he was dead set on getting involved with that pathologically lying woman.
Women couldn't be calculated with mathematical formulas; it was obvious that this engineering geek's brain wasn't firing on all cylinders when faced with a beauty.
Leon had been bitten by that woman before, so he knew exactly what it was like. The "cradle-robbing" rumors on his back were still being enthusiastically discussed by the media.
Every time the entertainment press reported on the progress of Ready Player One, they used that angle to generate clicks. Otherwise, they couldn't explain how a 15-year-old amateur British girl managed to land such a crucial role.
"No problem, that's a small thing for me." Despite his inner thoughts, Leon agreed readily. It wasn't him who was going to get stabbed in the back later, anyway.
Heard was currently dating Johnny Depp. Poor Depp probably never imagined that his girlfriend had first slept with Leon, and now a Silicon Valley madman was trying to cut in.
The "mega-cuckold" achievement was just around the corner.
"That's great, my friend! You are welcome to visit Silicon Valley anytime. Chatting with you is a high-level intellectual pleasure!" Getting a satisfactory result, Musk grinned from ear to ear.
---
After leaving Silicon Valley, Leon didn't return to Beverly Hills immediately. Instead, he took the commercial van to the headquarters of Aftermath Entertainment.
Upon hearing the news that Leon was in Los Angeles, Dr. Dre called immediately, demanding a meeting. Although he didn't say what it was about over the phone, his tone was urgent.
Dre's office was bustling; almost all the faces that attended the big LA gathering a month ago were there.
"What's up, everyone? Why so serious?" Leon scanned the room and sat down next to Kendrick Lamar.
"Bro! That hand you played in Las Vegas was sick! I saw Drake's face on TV and laughed my ass off! He looked like he just got his cheeks busted!" Kendrick couldn't stop chattering excitedly. After being bullied by Drake for so long, he could finally vent some anger.
The war of words between the two on social media had escalated, tearing into each other on every topic—music, names, wealth, and women.
Drake had exposed that during the days he crashed at Kendrick's house, he had hooked up with Kendrick's aunt and girlfriend while Kendrick was out recording.
Most fans treated this as just bragging and trash talk, but judging by Kendrick's depressed expression, maybe it really happened.
Dre sighed and said, "The three million dollars you won didn't belong to Drake."
"What? I don't understand what you mean."
"Yes, you heard me right. That money was put up by Lil Wayne. You've completely torn up any civility with him now; there's no turning back," Dre explained.
Drake had always spent money like water. Like many other rappers, he relied on the success of his first album to squander recklessly, even spending money he hadn't earned yet.
Anyway, with record sales royalties as a safety net, they spent cash like it was going out of style, never considering plans for the future.
Although Drake was popular, he was essentially still a newcomer. The speed at which he made money was far slower than the speed at which he blew it.
Leon suddenly understood why Drake's expression at the Las Vegas poker table when he lost three million dollars looked like his mother had died.
"Does it matter? Wayne is Jay-Z's little brother. I haven't been on good terms with him for a long time."
"Sounds like you want to start the Third Rap War?" Dre's tone was a bit annoyed. "If Diddy hadn't been suddenly sent to prison last time, you might not even have the chance to sit here right now."
"Making money is what matters, kid. Stop causing trouble."
Leon finally understood. Dre had gathered the whole crew just to stage an intervention for him.
He shrugged, adopting an indifferent attitude. "This has nothing to do with you, man. Just mind your own business."
"Nothing to do with me?" Dre smiled bitterly. "Everyone knows the West Coast stands with you; that's the only reason you aren't being attacked by the entire rap circle."
In the Los Angeles gathering a month ago, Leon and the West Coast reached an alliance agreement. They pushed for resource exchanges between Aftermath and Apocalypse Music, and the cooperation between the two sides in commercial performances and music was increasing.
Judging by Dre's current stance, he was already having cold feet. This made Leon very annoyed. "You can't just stand with your friends when the odds are in your favor. Just like you can't only call your mom 'Mom' when she takes you to Disneyland."
Despite the sarcastic remarks, Dre didn't get angry at all.
"The trouble you caused has already affected my business." He shook his head with a bitter smile. "The return rate for Beats headphones recently has been ridiculously high. Just last week, over a hundred users claimed they bought defective products, and these users are all in New York and New Orleans."
Beats headphones were Dre's lifeblood. Since fading out of the rap circle and moving behind the scenes, the record label was just his side gig; he poured all his energy into Beats.
News that Apple intended to acquire the brand for a huge sum had been circulating for a while. It was no wonder Dre was going crazy over quality control issues at this critical juncture.
This matter could very likely affect Apple's acquisition intent.
The defective machines were highly concentrated in New York and New Orleans, which made it clear that Jay-Z and Lil Wayne were behind it.
"I spent five years completing a thorough reconciliation with Jay-Z. The East and West Coasts going into opposition again is a result no one wants to see." Dre pointed to a photo on the wall of him, Jay-Z, and Diddy, taken in 1998.
After Tupac and Biggie were shot and killed one after another, he took advantage of Death Row Records boss Suge Knight being in prison to slide over to the East Coast at light speed, producing a dozen singles for Jay-Z. They were as close as family.
"What do you want me to do?" Leon was very disappointed by the other party's performance in the face of conflict. This wasn't the first time Dre had been this soft.
He had to reassess their relationship. Cowards weren't suitable partners for building an empire. Everyone can play when the wind is at their back, but once they face headwinds, cowards will surrender immediately, and backstabbing is a common occurrence.
"Let go of the beef with Jay-Z. It's been half a year since you left Roc Nation. Let all this damn sht pass."
Hearing this, Leon fell silent.
Not just him, but Kendrick and 50 Cent present were also silent. They all had some grudges against Leon's enemies to varying degrees.
The former suffered the humiliation of being slapped and was cyberbullied by Drake for a long time, while the latter was shot nine times and barely survived.
Dre, as the boss of the West Coast, displayed an attitude so weak it was hard for them to accept.
"Boss Dre is right. The era of killing and shouting is over. If this were the 90s, I would have taken my Glock and blasted them long ago!" Snoop Dogg chimed in.
"Shut up, ngga!" Leon snorted coldly, not even interested in looking at him.
Snoop, choked by the retort, twitched his mouth. He wanted to say something but swallowed it back. This ngga, thin as a bamboo pole, always claimed to be a tough gangster and was revered as an "OG" by fans in the "Post-Gangsta Rap Era" after the deaths of Tupac and Biggie.
But as soon as the situation looked bad, this guy knelt faster than anyone else. The hardest organ in his whole body was his mouth.
"Listen, Dre. If you want to quit, you can draw a line with me anytime. I don't care at all."
"Draw a line? No, I didn't mean that..."
"Listen to me. If you can't prove your leadership, then early retirement suits you better." Leon didn't give Dre a chance to explain. His tough attitude stunned everyone.
"You..."
"Everyone wants to make big money lying down like you. You think Kendrick doesn't want to?" Leon knocked on the table. " making this guy surrender with you is destroying his career! No fan is willing to believe that the lyrics written by a wimp who doesn't fight back after being hit are real!"
Kendrick clenched his fists. Every letter of these words pierced his brain.
"Don't go too far, Bro."
Dre gritted his teeth in anger. As a godfather-level figure in the rap circle, being ruthlessly criticized by a white kid in his early 20s made him lose face significantly.
"You call this going too far?" Leon spread his hands and picked up a cigar. "If you don't take my words to heart, Jay-Z will do much worse things to you."
Since Diddy was arrested, Jay-Z had taken over almost his entire legacy. A large number of Bad Boy Records singers left and defected to Roc Nation, and the champagne brand Diddy invested in was also acquired by Jay-Z.
If he thoroughly suppressed Leon and Dre of the West Coast, he would cement his unshakable legendary status in the field of hip-hop music.
Seeing Dre speechless, Leon said to everyone in the room, "Whether in music or street tactics, we have no need to fear Jay-Z. Think about the fate of those guys who surrendered. Don't you know how Nas is doing now?"
"K-Dot, I will soon write the hardest diss track for you to slap Drake in the face. Your new album will explode because of this."
"Let's show them some color, Bro!"
Kendrick and 50 Cent stood up and bumped fists with Leon.
From this moment on, the ecological environment of the West Coast rap circle had changed. The transfer of power was completed silently.
The appeasing Dre's prestige in the eyes of his subordinates fell to rock bottom.
Leon, a white guy from New York, was taking over the West Coast banner with an iron fist.
"Fine. Whatever crazy sht you're going to do, I don't want to attend any of your funerals."
Seeing his subordinates breaking away from his control one by one, Dre's annoyance was visible to the naked eye. He waved his hand and left the office with Snoop Dogg.
Leon and Kendrick clarified their stance, hoping to use Kendrick's new album as a declaration of war against Drake's new album Take Care, released at the end of last month.
He would write a highly lethal diss track before the end of the year as the promotional song for Kendrick's new album.
---
After leaving Aftermath, Leon flew back to New York with Taylor to record "Shallow" while enjoying some rare couple time.
The scene of the two appearing together at Apocalypse Music caused heated discussions among the employees.
"Oh my God, Miss Taylor is here again."
"I heard she's preparing to marry the boss!"
"How is that possible? Didn't Robbie come to the office to see the boss last week? I think there's a possibility of them getting back together."
"Your news is outdated! Did you see Taylor's new tweet? She asked fans to help her choose a wedding dress. Isn't that hint obvious enough?"
The employees' enthusiasm for gossip was high, and the chirping discussions reached Taylor's ears.
She looked back, and the girls at the front desk quickly shut their mouths.
"Maybe you know the boss's taste better. Tell me what style of wedding dress this guy likes." Taylor curved her bright red lips, leaning sweetly on Leon's shoulder.
Just as they reached the door of the Etch Recording Studio, they bumped into Ariana Grande coming out of the Luna Recording Studio next door.
Max Martin followed closely behind. The tall beauty and the petite beauty looked at each other, creating a somewhat awkward atmosphere.
"How is the new album recording going, Ari?" Leon spoke first to break the awkwardness.
"If everything goes well, all recording work will be completed before Christmas." Ariana took the initiative to extend her right hand. "Long time no see, Miss Taylor."
"Nice to see you, dear!" The handshake between the two contained a trace of imperceptible gunpowder.
Unlike the overt tension of men squeezing each other's hands, this smell of gunpowder could only be felt in small details.
Ariana stood on her tiptoes to make her height look less disadvantageous; while Taylor intentionally maintained a downward gaze, declaring her status as the hostess.
"Cough cough... let's get to work." Leon gave two dry coughs.
"Work? Do you have a new song again?" Ariana asked.
Max grinned. "This guy is a wizard. Two months ago, he wrote a masterpiece blending R&B, Trap, and Disco. Now he brings a work not inferior to Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You."
The recording of "Shallow" had been delayed for nearly a month because a suitable female vocalist hadn't been found, but all preparatory work had been completed during this time.
Max modified the sheet music, optimized the chord design, and hammered out the basic accompaniment.
"Why don't you join us, Ari! Aren't you looking forward to what kind of sparks Miss Taylor and Leon can create?" Max obviously didn't understand the situation and actively invited Ariana.
"Of course, I'm very curious about what kind of work it will be."
The group walked into the Etch Recording Studio, where guitars and a Steinway piano were already placed.
Leon had considered inviting professional musicians to handle this job, but Taylor resolutely rejected it.
According to her, the song would have more soul only if the two of them did it completely by themselves.
Taylor sat at the piano, and Leon picked up the acoustic guitar and stood in front of the microphone. Since there had been a perfect rehearsal in Los Angeles before, the entire recording process went incredibly smoothly.
"Awesome! I can feel your souls resonating!"
"Holy sht, it gives me goosebumps!"
"The fans are going to love this! I'm worried that after this song is released, they will force you two to get married on the spot!"
Watching the scene in front of her, jealousy churned in Ariana's heart. She couldn't help but recall the scene of recording "Señorita" with Leon.
Plus, Max kept chattering on the side, which completely killed her desire to stay there.
After seeing the two hugging and kissing after the recording ended, she picked up her bag, turned around, and left.
---
A week later, inside the luxury apartment in Tribeca.
Taylor, wearing a white bathrobe and a hair-drying cap, lay lazily on the sofa.
Applying a face mask while refreshing social media, her fair calves rested on Leon's thighs.
"I don't want to leave you for a second right now." Thinking that she had to start a new round of touring tomorrow, Taylor held her forehead and shook her head.
In the past, she was an out-and-out workaholic, but now her thinking was dominated by love.
"Me too." Leon replied perfunctorily while staring at his phone, his mind completely on the new Billboard rankings.
We Don't Talk Anymore failed to achieve a four-week championship, falling to third place on the list.
As the effect of throwing money at internet marketing ended, Old Town Road slid from second to fourth place, and Rihanna's We Found Love returned to number one.
Due to the huge success of Adele's tour in Canada this week, Someone Like You rose to second place and was launching a sprint to return to number one.
Leon originally planned to release the third promotional song at the end of November, but to regain the top spot, the plan might have to be advanced.
"When do you plan to release our new song?" Taylor asked.
Besides Leon, she also had plans to release a new album recently. The new album Red was only four songs away from completion.
To balance the interests of both parties, Leon planned to record two versions of Shallow. One studio version would be included in his own new album.
One live version would be included in the deluxe edition of Taylor's new album.
When it comes to interests, even husbands and wives or brothers have to be clear, let alone they were just planning to get married.
Taylor had no objection to this and completely followed Leon's arrangement.
It wasn't her first time releasing multiple versions of an album. Because her fan base had strong spending power and desire, there was no worry about selling these special edition albums.
"Haven't decided yet. What do you think?"
"How about Christmas?"
"Great idea!"
Leon affectionately stroked Taylor's fair long legs. From any angle, releasing this new song during Christmas was the choice with the highest heat.
"Don't tickle my feet!" Taylor shouted coquettishly.
"I just touched them accidentally..."
Leon smiled wickedly and pressed Taylor under him. The sofa silently endured a task that shouldn't belong to it again.
The two frolicked for nearly an hour until 11 PM.
Taylor didn't have a shred of strength left; she fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow.
Leon stood shirtless in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. The prompt for an Inspiration Refresh sounded in his mind.
From the first second the MV appeared, he couldn't hold it in—Kendrick appeared at the beginning of the MV doing a funny C-Walk.
This song was actually Kendrick's work!
From the first second the strong drum beat entered his ears, he could hear the strong West Coast rap style.
After a gasp, he opened his mouth with a crazy output, profanity flying everywhere.
Deebo, any rap ngga, he a free throw
Man down, call an amberlamps, tell him, "Breathe, bro"
Nail a ngga to the cross, he walk around like Teezo
What's up with these jabroni-ass nggas tryna see Compton?
The industry can hate me, fk 'em all and they mama
The MV title unfolded—"Not Like Us".