Chapter 250: Patience is a Virtue

Paramount Pictures had invested $50 million in Titanic, which, like Duke's share, accounted for a quarter of the total budget. Hearing Cruise mention that they were tight on funds didn't surprise Duke at all; instead, he thought it was perfectly normal. After all, Paramount Pictures had invested in more than just this one film project, and James Cameron's endless delays were genuinely driving the investors to the brink of a breakdown. Even Twentieth Century Fox was extremely dissatisfied with him.

Had he not known that the project's potential for success was practically infinite, Duke would have agreed that pulling their funding or firing the on-set tyrant was the smartest choice.

The reason was simple. Last year, James Cameron had finally produced the film's release schedule. According to the plan, Titanic would hit theaters during this year's summer season. However, at the beginning of this month, the on-set tyrant informed the investors—Duke included—that the film's post-production was barely halfway done. It absolutely could not be released in the summer season; the film had to be pushed back to the Thanksgiving and Christmas window!

One could only imagine the expressions on the faces of the Paramount Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox executives, who had already been tortured by James Cameron for three years.

To be blunt, they wanted to kill James Cameron. If replacing the director at this point wasn't completely impossible, Duke firmly believed that Twentieth Century Fox would have once again begged him to take over.

The news inevitably leaked out. The entire North American media was already treating Cameron, Fox, Paramount, and Duke Studio like the biggest joke around, even labeling them the biggest fools in the history of the film industry.

In an effort to secure the investors' continued support, James Cameron had not only waved a razor blade at a press conference—claiming he would use it on himself if the film failed—but he also told the investors that he was willing to give up his $8 million directing salary...

But compared to the $200 million investment, that $8 million salary was merely better than nothing.

James Cameron had exhausted the last shred of patience from Paramount Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox. The film's delayed release meant that not a single cent of the investments made over the past three years could be recouped yet!

"Paramount Pictures has already signed a distribution agreement with my film studio," Tom Cruise said. "They'll only be investing a small portion of the funds. My current cash flow is insufficient, so I'm trying to raise money from banks and a few foundations. It's a bit troublesome, though. I hear these people are leaning toward pouring their capital into overseas financial markets..."

'Overseas financial markets?'

Duke shook his head, abandoning those completely unrealistic thoughts. He turned his attention back to Tom Cruise's project and probed, "Tom, can I ask what the film's total budget is?"

Tom Cruise hesitated for a moment. Feeling Nicole Kidman pinch his arm in reminder, he finally said, "The estimated production cost is around $80 million."

"How much funding have you raised?" Duke asked.

"Hmm..." Cruise frowned slightly, but eventually answered, "Paramount Pictures plans to invest $10 million, and I've personally raised $40 million. We currently have a $30 million shortfall."

"I have a suggestion, Tom." Duke looked at Cruise, deciding it was best to be direct. When dealing with people like this, beating around the bush only led to misunderstandings. "Duke Studio can co-finance your project. Think about it."

"You want to invest?" Cruise seemed unable to believe it.

Duke gave a solemn nod. "If neither you nor Paramount Pictures have any objections, we can start negotiating right away."

"I..." Tom Cruise hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "Let me think it over, Duke."

"No problem, Tom." Duke walked over and gently patted his arm. "I really want to maintain our working relationship."

The Mission: Impossible franchise was arguably one of the most successful film series out there. Now that he had the chance to invest, Duke certainly wasn't going to pass it up. Besides, even if Tom Cruise refused, he had nothing to lose.

If the other party agreed, he would definitely fight for a portion of the copyrights. This was practically a meal ticket that guaranteed long-term, stable income.

Walking over to a quiet corner, Duke completely ignored the time difference between the UK and the US and directly dialed Nancy Josephson's number, giving her a few instructions.

He had considered far too many things tonight, and Duke felt a tightness in his head. After hanging up, he headed to the lounge area, ordered a cup of strong black coffee, and sat down at a table, just wanting a moment of quiet rest.

He took a sip of his coffee. When he looked up, Duke noticed a young woman sitting at the table directly across from him. Much like her group's performance style, she wasn't wearing an exquisite, luxurious evening gown, but rather an outfit that felt especially approachable.

She wore a pair of straight-leg cropped pants and a low-cut khaki top. The tight-fitting design highlighted an incredibly slender figure. Her lean cheeks were a bit too sunken, but paired with the right makeup, they made her face look exceptionally small. When captured on camera, it would elevate her entire image by more than just a notch.

To onlookers, it might have seemed like Duke was admiring her face, but he was actually looking at the blemishes on her skin.

It was perfectly normal. Nobody was flawless. Those impossibly gorgeous female stars on the silver screen didn't just rely on makeup; they often depended on a considerable amount of post-production magic.

Picking up his coffee cup for another sip, Duke stood up and walked straight over.

"Hello, Miss Adams." He pointed to the seat across from her. "May I sit here?"

Victoria Adams looked up at Duke, a flash of pleasant surprise vanishing from her eyes just as quickly as it appeared. "Hello, Director Rosenberg. Please, have a seat."

"Just call me Duke." Duke sat down across from her.

"My friends call me Vic," Victoria quickly replied.

He waved to the side, and a waiter immediately brought over two glasses of champagne. Duke raised his glass toward Victoria. "To our meeting today. Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Victoria raised her glass as well.

After finishing a glass of champagne, the distance between them seemed to shrink considerably. They hadn't chatted for long before Victoria tentatively asked, "I think I've heard someone mention that you're a shareholder in Victoria's Secret?"

"Just a minor shareholder," Duke said, casually brushing it off with modesty.

In reality, he had participated in the latter two rounds of equity financing for Victoria's Secret. Although he only held six percent of the shares, if one didn't count the investment funds and holding companies, he was arguably the largest individual shareholder.

"I heard the other models talking about Heidi Klum backstage," Victoria said, clearly not believing Duke's words. "They all said that she only got the chance to become an Angel and take the top model spot because of you."

"Rumors are never to be trusted."

Talking about another woman in front of a woman was never a good idea. Duke took the initiative to change the subject. "Your performance tonight was fantastic. Especially you, Vic. Let me think of the right way to describe it..."

Status and position formed a natural halo. When Duke said those words, Victoria Adams's eyes immediately lit up, her face full of anticipation.

"Cool!" Duke leaned forward, getting a bit closer, and said very earnestly, "You are an extremely cool girl."

"Thank you!" The pleasant surprise in her eyes vanished in a flash, and her face showed a hint of loneliness. She spoke with a tone of unwillingness. "Actually, you can probably tell that my position in the group isn't very high."

"No, no, Vic." Duke wagged a finger. "Your journey has just begun. The one in the lead right now might not necessarily hold on until the very end. I think you have a lot of potential. As long as you find the right support, you can definitely be the one who has the last laugh."

Victoria clearly misunderstood him. "We'll be holding a concert in Los Angeles soon. Can you come?"

"That depends on my schedule at the time."

Seeing that she misunderstood, Duke didn't bother explaining. Instead, he smoothly tested the waters. "It's a bit loud out here. Why don't we find a quieter place to chat? That will also give me a chance to check my itinerary."

She wasn't exactly some naive, innocent girl. Victoria Adams naturally understood what those words meant. She looked a bit hesitant, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

Duke wasn't in a hurry either. He watched her quietly, waiting with patience.

Just a dozen seconds later, the hesitation on Victoria Adams's face vanished, replaced by a sweet smile. Duke stood up and made a welcoming gesture. She followed, looping her arm through his, and together they left the banquet hall.

The past few times he had visited London, Duke generally stayed at the Hilton Grand Hotel. This trip was no exception. He led Victoria into the elevator lobby, taking the private elevator straight up to the floor with the presidential suites. As they passed the service desk on that floor, he specifically requested a bottle of red wine.

"Please come in, Vic."

Opening the door, Duke made an inviting gesture. After Victoria stepped inside, he fetched some glasses, uncorked the red wine, and poured them each a glass. They sat together, sipping wine and chatting. Whenever the conversation hit a high note, they would share a hearty laugh.

The night was long enough. They had plenty of time and no need to rush.

Back in the banquet hall, Nicole Kidman finished her socializing and returned to Tom Cruise's side. "Are you planning on turning down Duke's investment?" she asked.

Tom Cruise shook his head. "I haven't made up my mind yet."

"There's no irreconcilable conflict between us."

Compared to Cruise, Nicole Kidman had a much clearer head. She spoke in a soft voice, "He's marching straight toward the position of Hollywood's top director, Tom. I think it's absolutely necessary for us to stay on good terms with him. We lose nothing by doing so, and it can help shoulder the immense investment risk of Mission: Impossible."

Tom Cruise pondered for a few seconds before saying, "I'm also leaning toward working with him, but Paramount Pictures is involved in this as well. We don't need to rush a decision. We can wait until we're back in North America to discuss it with Pat. It won't be too late to decide whether or not to accept Duke's investment then."

This was the safer approach, and Nicole Kidman didn't voice any objections. In her eyes, collaborating with Duke would only bring benefits to them as a couple.

Although she harbored some dissatisfaction with Tom Cruise, they were bound together by mutual interests. She absolutely did not want to see Tom Cruise end up in the same situation as Mel Gibson or Sean Connery.