Chapter 340: Cinema is the Art of Deception

"It's ten o'clock in the morning, Eastern Standard Time, and we're broadcasting live from outside the Waldorf Grand Hotel," the reporter announced. "Tens of thousands of spectators and over five hundred journalists have packed the main roads and surrounding high-rises. The highly anticipated elven angels of The Lord of the Rings will soon depart from here in thirty convertible sports cars, heading for Kennedy Airport..."

The hourly news had already switched its live feed to the hotel. Countless moviegoers and Victoria's Secret fans crowded both sides of the red carpet, eagerly awaiting their targets' appearance. At the end of the carpet sat exactly thirty convertible sports cars.

"Let's hand it over to Donald Trump inside the hotel to see how Duke Rosenberg and his elven angels are preparing."

The broadcast cut to the hotel's interior, and forty supermodels appeared on screen, each in distinct attire.

"Our elven angels are completely ready..."

Looking every bit the nouveau riche, Donald Trump stood before the cameras.

He pointed to the stunning, sexy women behind him and declared, "A magical journey is about to begin! Their destination is Middle-earth!"

The cameras captured the angels at the front in tight close-ups. They were, of course, not wearing lingerie, but various elven costumes custom-tailored by The Lord of the Rings Studio!

Alessandra Ambrosio wore a form-fitting teal warrior's outfit with a quiver and a curved blade slung across her back. She held a pale green shortbow, her tall, slender figure exuding an androgynous aura and an ancient, textured grace. No matter how one looked at her, she was a breathtakingly beautiful elven warrior.

Heidi Klum wore a screen-printed velvet costume patterned with leaves, right down to the foliage-shaped sleeves. Paired with knee-high satin boots, the outfit gave her a fresh, elven charm...

"God, they're absolutely gorgeous!"

Inside a house in Brooklyn, Parker stared at the television screen, his eyes bulging so wide they looked ready to pop out of his skull.

"The angels are even prettier with clothes on," he told his friend James. "They're more beautiful than the elves described in the books! Especially that elven warrior—she's practically Arwen stepping right out of Middle-earth!"

James smacked his forehead in frustration. "Why didn't we go there in person? Why didn't we..."

"Hey, James!" Parker reminded his companion. "Don't sweat it. Once The Lord of the Rings Trilogy hits theaters, we'll have all the time in the world to admire them."

On the television, a flock of gorgeous female elves followed Duke and Donald Trump out of the Waldorf Grand Hotel. The uproar in front of the building was nearly deafening.

"This is the NBC Entertainment Channel. The atmosphere here is absolutely insane! It feels like it could spiral out of control at any second. The popularity of this event has even surpassed Victoria's Secret's annual fashion show!"

Looking at the crazed fans, Duke took the lead and got into the convertible sports car at the very front. The supermodels behind him were still interacting with the crowd. Order was only maintained because the Waldorf Grand Hotel had hastily deployed extra security.

"We did it, Duke!"

With his hosting duties temporarily paused, Donald Trump climbed into Duke's car, looking incredibly smug.

"Did you see that?" he asked. "When I waved just now, those people went absolutely wild for me. The Trump Group will be even more famous after today."

Someone walked over and reminded Duke, "We need to leave soon. The crowd is getting too crazy, and they're starting to get out of hand."

Not wanting a wildly successful super show to devolve into a chaotic farce, Duke nodded at the man.

"Let's head out early," he said.

Thirty flashy sports cars, carrying forty beautiful, sexy elven women, tore into Manhattan and sped toward Kennedy Airport. Six television broadcast vans immediately fell in behind them, followed closely by a massive swarm of reporters and paparazzi in their own vehicles.

A spectacle even wilder and more lively than the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade unfolded across the streets of New York.

Warner Television broadcast the entire event live, frequently inserting live footage into their news segments. The NBC Entertainment Channel also kept a close eye on the procession, while live text and photo updates flooded the internet...

Not even the Star Wars Prequel released earlier this year had drummed up such a massive promotional blitz.

"This is so exciting!"

On the official Victoria's Secret message boards, fans were leaving comments non-stop.

"Just getting to look at them will be worth the price of the movie ticket!"

"I'm definitely going to see The Lord of the Rings Trilogy!"

"God, they look so gorgeous and cute as elves! Can Victoria's Secret release a special elven edition? I'd absolutely buy a copy to collect..."

After a highly publicized drive, the convoy finally arrived at Kennedy Airport. Per their prior arrangement, the cars drove straight onto the private jet tarmac.

"The elven angels have reached the tarmac at John F. Kennedy Airport. They will be boarding the 'Victoria's Secret & Lord of the Rings' special charter flight right behind me to fly to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand..."

Behind the reporter sat a specially painted Boeing aircraft. The golden ring dancing in the flames on its fuselage was incredibly striking, making it impossible to ignore.

Once they reached the airport, Duke voluntarily faded into the background. The key to this show was Victoria's Secret's long-legged beauties. The supermodels boarded the plane to change outfits once more, then stepped back out to pose for the media, holding a banner bearing The Lord of the Rings Trilogy logo.

They wore form-fitting elven costumes in shades of green, brown, and crimson. Sewn entirely from Indian silk and satin, the fabrics had gone through multiple processes of washing, dyeing, and polishing. Every outfit shimmered with an elegant, almost metallic sheen, exuding absolute class.

Of course, even more captivating than the clothes were the forty pairs of long legs standing together as if ordered in bulk!

The internet reacted the fastest. All sorts of photos and live text updates flew across the web, spreading rapidly throughout America and the rest of the Western world.

"Forty Victoria's Secret models have joined the cast of Duke Rosenberg's new project, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The angels have arrived at New York's Kennedy Airport and will take the Victoria's Secret & Lord of the Rings charter flight to Wellington. On the tarmac, the angels flaunted their gorgeous figures. Heavenly faces aside, those impossibly long legs alone are a feast for the eyes!"

While the mainstream portal sites kept their reporting relatively standard, the emerging gossip sites resorted to all sorts of wild exaggeration.

"Duke Rosenberg is taking the finest flesh in New York to Wellington..."

"Attention! The angels' long legs have conquered The Lord of the Rings Trilogy!"

"A grand display of beautiful legs at the airport! Forty elves descend upon New York. Blown kisses fill the sky, leaving the very air smelling cloyingly sweet."

Sitting inside the chartered plane, Duke looked out the window. Standing before the NBC cameras, Donald Trump was exuberantly introducing the supermodels one by one. The airport had seemingly transformed into a massive press arena.

Just judging by the sensation they had caused on the streets on their way here and the immediate reaction online, Duke was already thoroughly satisfied with the event.

After showing off on the tarmac, the supermodels posed on the boarding stairs. Finally, as they stepped into the cabin, each made sure to strike one last pose. A full two hours after arriving at the airport, the Boeing charter plane slowly started its engines and taxied onto the runway...

At last, carrying forty pairs of long legs, the aircraft soared into the sky and flew westward.

As the plane entered its flight path, the models could finally relax for a moment. However, Rebecca Fein, who was in charge of managing them, walked into the cabin and loudly reminded everyone that there would be another show upon their arrival in New Zealand. They were still forbidden from eating or drinking water; they could only stave off their hunger with liquid protein.

"Not becoming a model was truly a wise choice on my part."

Sitting across from Duke, Ivanka Trump looked a bit rattled. "That's simply terrifying!"

Both she and Tina Fey, who sat next to Duke, were also dieting, but compared to these professional models, their efforts were practically child's play.

"Success requires effort," Tina Fey said, turning to look at the models who were seizing the chance to rest. "There is no such thing in this world as success without sacrifice."

"I agree with Tina."

Donald Trump, having changed into casual clothes, walked over and sat down in the seat next to his daughter.

"While effort doesn't guarantee success, a lack of effort guarantees failure," he said.

He seemed to be saying this for Ivanka Trump's benefit.

"Would you like something to drink?" a flight attendant asked as she walked over.

They weren't models, so they didn't have to avoid drinking water just to prevent the slight possibility of minor bloating.

"Coffee..."

"Water..."

The four of them casually ordered their drinks.

"Duke, what kind of role did you prepare for me?" Donald Trump asked curiously.

Making a cameo in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was something Donald Trump had strongly requested himself, and Duke hadn't turned him down.

"An Orc. A very distinctive Orc."

Hearing Duke's answer, the other three exchanged looks. Duke shrugged.

"Or you could cameo as a hobbit," he offered.

"I'll take the hobbit!"

Donald Trump had heard his daughter talk about the filming process and knew that Orcs required heavy makeup and silicone masks. If he couldn't show his face, making a cameo would be completely pointless.

Taking a sip from the glass of water the flight attendant brought, Duke turned to look around. Having exhausted too much energy and enthusiasm, the models were almost all lying back in their seats with their eyes closed. From their thin frames and the exhausted expressions on their makeup-free faces, it wasn't hard to see that success in any industry didn't come easy.

The long flight had only just begun. Duke had also participated in quite a few events today, and after chatting with Donald Trump for a while, he felt exhaustion creeping in. He slowly closed his eyes.

Tina Fey grabbed two blankets from a back seat. She draped one over Duke first, then wrapped herself in the other, preparing to pass the long journey with sleep as well.

After the plane landed in Wellington, the media reporters who had hurried over ahead of time, along with journalists from Warner, put on another massive display. It was yet another spectacular show.

The TMZ Website in particular immediately published photos of the Victoria's Secret angels stepping off the plane.

"Elves attack Wellington! In the moment those countless blonde, blue-eyed, long-legged beauties winked at you, were you moved?"