Chapter 511: Still in a Cold War

As soon as he stepped out of the studio, Duke saw Tina Fey hurrying over. She looked as though she had been waiting a long time.

"Aerin just called," she said.

Handing the phone to Duke, Tina Fey continued, "She's in Shanghai. She arrived this afternoon and leaves tomorrow, so you'd better call her back."

Duke nodded and sent Tina Fey to handle the wrap-up. He walked over to a quiet spot, dialed Aerin Lauder's number, exchanged a few brief words to set up a meeting at the Peace Hotel, and hung up.

Politely declining Yang Lan's dinner invitation, Duke hurried back as quickly as possible. Aerin Lauder's cosmetics brand had been in a critical startup phase these past few years, turning her into a frequent flyer. Aside from their regular phone calls, they barely saw each other a few times a year.

To thoroughly break into the European market, Aerin had even lived in Paris for a time.

Returning to the hotel, Duke went straight to the agreed-upon Western restaurant. He checked in with the staff, then followed a waiter toward a corner booth. Even from a distance, he could spot the good friend he hadn't seen in a full six months.

Aerin Lauder's blonde hair was tied neatly back, and she wore almost no makeup. Though she was the same age as him, she took excellent care of herself, showing no obvious marks of time. Her youthful awkwardness had completely faded, replaced by a quiet maturity. When she saw Duke and turned toward him, her blue eyes gleamed with intelligence.

And with that intelligence came joy. She remained quietly seated rather than standing to greet him, but the curve of her lips showed she was in a fantastic mood.

Given their many years of friendship, they had no need for formalities. Duke walked over and sat across from her.

"Don't recognize me?" Duke asked, noticing that Aerin's eyes were following his every move.

Aerin's smile widened. "I just wanted to see if the world's highest-grossing director and the Oscar Best Director looked any different from before," she teased.

Duke opened his menu. "Notice anything different?"

"You're exactly the same," Aerin said, pausing to give the waiter an instruction before adding, "Stubborn as a rock."

"I've already ordered. Just get what you want," she added.

Duke nodded and casually ordered his meal. Once the waiter left, he replied, "Aren't you exactly the same?"

They exchanged a glance and laughed.

They both shouldered immense pressure yet continued to push forward. In their respective fields, they were both undeniable successes.

Duke's veal chop and Aerin's vegetable salad were quickly served. Glancing at her diced vegetables—practically devoid of dressing—Duke wasn't surprised. He was long used to her diet.

Except for a rare few with blessed metabolisms, crossing the threshold of thirty meant anyone—male or female—had to pay a price to maintain a good figure.

"What brings you to Shanghai?" Duke asked as he ate.

"One of the stores had an issue, so I came to check on it," Aerin said with a hint of resignation. "I'm leaving first thing in the morning. I have to make a trip to Tokyo."

"Is it resolved?"

Seeing her nod, Duke couldn't help but sigh. "You've been even busier than me these past few years."

"I don't have a choice. You're already the most successful director on the planet," Aerin said with a playful shrug. "My career is still in its preliminary stages."

"Annual sales over a billion dollars is a 'preliminary stage'?" Duke raised an eyebrow.

Aerin laughed. "It only crossed a billion last year. Others might not know, but don't you? The rapid growth of the Aerin Series Products relies heavily on the Estee Lauder Group's distribution channels."

Duke obviously knew that. Although the eponymous Aerin brand was wholly owned by Aerin Lauder, reaching its current scale wasn't just due to her own hard work; the support of the Lauder Family was just as crucial.

Standing on the shoulders of giants made success easier—it wasn't just empty talk.

"But things will be much better from now on." Having eaten very little, Aerin put down her fork. She picked up a napkin, dabbed her mouth, and continued, "The company's layout in major global markets is essentially complete. Over the past five years, I've managed to break in a relatively mature team. I won't have to fly around so much anymore, so I should have a lot more free time."

"Should I say congratulations?" Duke hadn't eaten much, either.

Aerin passed him a napkin and pointed at the corner of his mouth. "Given our relationship, you can skip it."

"And over here?" Duke took the napkin and wiped his mouth. "Where are your stores located?"

"In several first-tier cities," Aerin replied. "But sales over here haven't been ideal."

Duke rested his chin in his hand, thinking for a moment before answering. "Personally, I think you should start preparing early. Aerin, the market potential here is astonishing. With a population of over 1.3 billion and an incredibly fast-growing economy, the future demand for luxury goods is going to be massive."

"I'll have my people keep an eye on it." Aerin looked at Duke. "Is that why you're here?"

Having known him for over ten years, she understood Duke perfectly. Whenever her friend put down his camera, he was no different from a businessman like herself.

"You always know me best." Duke didn't deny it.

No matter what excuses he used to cover it up, his goal here was exactly the same as in North America: to make money. Even if there was virtually no profit to be made right now, the potential future returns were astronomically high.

After all, the explosive boom of this market was getting closer and closer.

Once the number of screens in China surpassed twenty thousand, a global gross of 500 million dollars would merely be the entry threshold for a commercial blockbuster. If a film didn't crack a billion dollars globally, the studio would be embarrassed to even call it a massive commercial hit.

Even by the time he said goodbye to his previous world, the standard box-office revenue-sharing ratio for imported Hollywood films had remained at twenty-five percent. However, that was the share paid by the China Film Group after deducting taxes, distribution, and marketing fees, which practically made it pure profit.

Of course, the China Film Group was no saint. Their credibility was no better than that of Hollywood studios. Delays in payment or even withholding revenue shares for foreign films were not unheard of; they had even been entangled in international lawsuits with Hollywood companies.

"Do you know any female stars over here?" Aerin asked suddenly.

"No..." Duke shook his head. "Why?"

Aerin didn't hide her intentions. "I'm looking for a top-tier actress to endorse my products," she said frankly.

"Go talk to the people at Warner," Duke said, extending a hand. "Give me a pen and your notepad."

Taking the pen and notepad from Aerin, Duke checked his phone and wrote down Phil's private number.

"He's the head of Warner Brothers' Chinese branch. I'll give him a call when I get back."

Aerin didn't stand on ceremony. Taking the notepad back, she said casually, "Thanks."

Duke smiled and shook his head. With the Estee Lauder Group's reputation, if Aerin just let the word out, the line of actresses wanting that endorsement would probably stretch all the way down Nanjing Road.

The two chatted a bit more about work. Amid their busy schedules, a simple conversation between old friends was an excellent way to unwind.

Gradually, the topic shifted to Duke's personal life.

"Have you two still not made up?" Aerin asked.

Duke paused for a moment. "Us? Make up?"

"You and Evie," Aerin clarified. "Ever since the Oscars, the tabloids have been hyping up trouble between you two. You haven't mentioned it, but I can still pick up on things. Are you two still separated?"

"We're still in a cold war." Duke sighed. "There are some things I refuse to compromise on, and she refuses to yield either."

Aerin thought for a moment before offering some advice. "Darling, you're the man; you should be a little more broad-minded. Besides, holding out like this isn't your style."

Duke simply replied, "It involves my mother and Scar."

"I see." Aerin nodded but said no more. She knew exactly how deeply Duke valued his mother.

In truth, the standoff had reached a point where it was no longer just about Mrs. Leah and Scarlett Johansson. At a recent board meeting for the Instant Share Company, Duke had instructed his proxy, David, to reject a round of financing. Behind those funds, the shadow of Donald Trump had been faintly visible.

To be blunt, Donald Trump had already made a fortune off him. For Ivanka's sake, Duke had repeatedly backed down. But human greed was bottomless. Trump had clearly pressured Ivanka, and just as Mrs. Leah mattered to Duke, Ivanka deeply valued her father.

Even if Donald Trump was Ivanka's father, Duke couldn't tolerate him indefinitely, letting him take a slice of the astronomically huge future pie in a company with limitless potential.

He had considered taking the initiative and inviting Ivanka back to Duke Manor, but Donald Trump's repeated maneuvers made him genuinely wary.

No matter how much Duke hated to admit it, he couldn't change the facts: at his and Ivanka's level, their relationship involved far more than just the two of them.

Ivanka had issues with his mother, and Duke had reservations about her father. That had been their reality for the past few months.

Even now, the two remained locked in a cold war. Duke had tried talking to Ivanka once, but he had been turned away.

He planned to wait a little longer. Only when they had both completely cooled down would he attempt to discuss their future. Trying to talk while harboring grievances would only push things in a worse direction.

As they prepared to leave, Aerin offered a parting word of advice as an old friend. "Ivanka is a good girl. You should try to figure something out."

"I know," Duke said in utter resignation. "It's just Donald Trump. He's simply unbearable."

Aerin couldn't really say much else to that. "I'm heading out. I'll see you when we're back in North America."