Chapter 529: The Protagonist Is a Trap

After Google went public, its stock climbed steadily, becoming the single largest source of Duke's wealth. In the latest Forbes billionaire rankings, his $9.2 billion net worth landed him among the world's top thirty richest people for the first time.

More importantly, unlike billionaires who looked glamorous on the outside while secretly drowning in financial woes, Duke carried no debt or non-performing assets. His $9.2 billion valuation was almost entirely net worth.

Of course, since Google didn't pay dividends and placed trading restrictions on major shareholders, the vast majority of Duke's shares couldn't be liquidated.

But Duke had invested purely to preserve value. Knowing just how massive Google would eventually become, he had no intention of selling his hard-earned shares.

Furthermore, when Google took the initiative to approach him again, Duke countered with another stock swap.

Larry Page and Sergey Brin had come to see him together. The three spoke privately for an entire morning without reaching an agreement. The two Google founders had their sights set on Instant Sharing, the company Duke had founded alongside Ivanka Trump!

Instant Sharing was now the largest social networking site in the country and the video platform with the highest traffic. It was only natural that Google had its eye on it. Whether the company was to go public or be acquired, anyone making a move had to go through Duke, who held forty-five percent of the equity and the corresponding voting rights.

He wasn't particularly eager to sell, but this was just basic business. If Google offered a high enough price, Duke would consider it. He had laid out his condition: a stock swap, specifically for Class A shares.

The two founders weren't going to agree easily. They had restructured Google's shares before the IPO precisely to consolidate their control over the company. Larry Page and Sergey Brin said they needed to think it over. Duke was in no rush. After all, even if they agreed, Google would still have to convince Ivanka Trump before they could acquire Instant Sharing.

For over half a year, ever since last March, Ivanka and Duke had been locked in a cold war—especially after Duke decided to stop humoring Donald Trump. During the company's equity financing rounds, Duke's proxy had clashed with Ivanka multiple times, keeping the Trump Group's capital firmly locked out to this day. Unless someone swallowed their pride and compromised, it would be difficult for them to reconcile.

Despite his tough nature, looking back on a relationship he had taken so seriously still left Duke feeling uneasy. He was only human, after all. During his time with Ivanka, he had given just as much as he had taken.

However, he never lost sight of his goals and his future. Neither a woman nor any hardship would ever slow his forward momentum.

Just like any other man or woman in the country, breaking up and getting back together was a normal part of life. Either side might feel sad over a faded romance, but very few acted like they were dying over it the way characters did in movies and novels. Moreover, no one would put up with someone else indefinitely; tolerance always had a limit.

A man like Duke certainly wasn't going to wallow in self-pity over a breakup. He had work to do, and a massive film project waiting to be executed.

In the outdoor lots of Warner Studios, wisps of smoke drifted up from a pile of ashes. Anne Hathaway picked her way carefully through the debris, seeking out a busy Christian Bale. The childhood sweethearts, destined for tragedy, stared deeply at one another, their eyes swimming with complex emotions.

Duke stood behind the monitors, watching their performance. This was the final scene of Batman Begins—a long take. Perhaps the anticipation of wrapping the film had left Anne Hathaway and Christian Bale a bit too relaxed. They had botched the previous few takes, but this time they had clearly found their rhythm.

Unlike James Cameron, Duke wasn't the type to lose his temper on set.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you."

Christian Bale's line carried a deeper meaning. This was, after all, a grounded, realistic film. If Batman wanted to fight crime, he was destined to live in isolation.

"You don't have to apologize, Bruce... I've been thinking about you. About us..."

Anne Hathaway stepped closer, and the two finally kissed. It looked like a classic, happy Hollywood ending—but then she pulled away.

"You're Batman, the scourge of evil. Bruce has been left behind in some corner of the world. Perhaps he'll return the day Gotham City is truly safe..."

The two held hands and walked toward the edge of the set.

"Cut!" Duke shouted.

He looked around the set and announced loudly, "That's an official wrap on filming!"

There weren't many people left on set. Following Duke's announcement, a smattering of polite applause rang out.

Duke hit the playback button on the monitor and reviewed the take one last time. Confirming there were no issues, he had his assistant tell the crew to pack up.

It wasn't exactly a traditional Hollywood ending, nor was it as bleak as the upcoming sequel, The Dark Knight. Duke had to consider audience tolerance, after all. The massive budget for the Batman Series meant it couldn't be some self-indulgent cult film; it had to remain a mainstream blockbuster disguised beneath a dark, realistic tone.

As for the lovers failing to end up together, that was nothing new to Batman fans.

Across countless past comics and films, Bruce Wayne was an absolute trap for female characters. Women who fell for him or slept with him almost never met a good end. In fact, there was a general consensus: unless you possessed the demigod physique and powers of Wonder Woman, Diana Prince, you were better off not dating Batman.

Only a woman as tough as Wonder Woman could sleep with both Superman and Batman and come out completely unscathed.

With filming concluded, the crew threw a wrap party that very night at a hotel near Warner Studios. Many people brought dates. Compared to the wild, unrestrained bashes of the nineties, modern wrap parties were much more formal affairs. In an era where information spread instantly, production and distribution companies weren't going to let any promotional opportunity slip by.

Warner Brothers' public relations department had laid out a red carpet in front of the hotel and invited a horde of journalists in advance. This was a Duke film; there was never any shortage of public interest.

Beyond just the media, Warner Brothers had also used Instant Sharing's fan networks to gather hundreds of moviegoers. At first glance, the wrap party looked more like a miniature awards ceremony.

While the others arrived in pairs, Duke walked the red carpet alone. Now that filming had wrapped, the far more crucial promotional period had officially begun. No longer dodging the press, he stood in the interview area outside the hotel to take questions.

"The difficult part lay in the actual shooting process. Filming is always exhausting..."

These interviews always followed the same script: sharing the trials and amusing anecdotes from the set, then leaking a few so-called "secrets" for the media to sensationalize. With years of experience under his belt, Duke handled the routine effortlessly.

However, the entertainment press cared about more than just the film.

After a few film-related questions, a reporter quickly asked, "Director Rosenberg, are you single again?"

"I'm sorry..." Duke maintained his indifferent expression. "I don't answer questions unrelated to the film."

With that, he shot a glance to the side. Several security guards immediately stepped in to clear a path, and Duke walked into the hotel without looking back.

Compared to the drug-fueled wrap parties of the last century, this event was undoubtedly much more formal, functioning more like a corporate networking mixer. The moment Duke stepped into the banquet hall, he inevitably became the focal point of the room.

There were stars testing the waters for future collaborations, agents pushing hard to pitch their actors to him, and sponsors hoping to secure product placements in his upcoming commercial blockbusters...

Duke made one round through the party but didn't stay long, leaving the hotel to head back to Malibu. Over two months of filming had drained a massive amount of his energy. As he grew older, he had become increasingly strict about maintaining a regular routine whenever work allowed. Strong as he was, he was still only human, and he needed to take care of his body.

Hollywood was full of countless men and women aging prematurely. Angelina Jolie was the most classic example. Duke had seen what she looked like without makeup, and it was absolutely disastrous—she was paying the price for her reckless youth.

Duke's own private life used to be somewhat chaotic, but by Hollywood standards, he was definitely on the more disciplined end of the spectrum.

On his way out, Duke bumped into Anne Hathaway and her boyfriend. The wide-mouthed actress was beaming, constantly showing off her happiness and affection around the party.

Duke thought nothing of it. Any woman who managed to snag a boyfriend with such a prominent background would probably act exactly like Anne Hathaway.

Anne Hathaway certainly had a reason to celebrate. Fighting her way through the fierce competition to land the female lead in Duke's new film meant her acting career was about to take a massive leap forward; having a boyfriend who managed commercial affairs for the Vatican meant she wouldn't have to worry about expenses for a very long time...

No matter how you looked at it, she seemed well on her way to becoming a winner in life.

Anne Hathaway had even set her sights on another actress her own age—the undisputed leading figure among Hollywood actresses born in the 1980s. With Duke's blockbuster under her belt, perhaps she could catch up to Natalie Portman, or even surpass her?

Just as Julia Roberts was the first name that came to mind when people thought of actresses born in the sixties and seventies, Anne Hathaway wanted to be the definitive icon of the eighties generation!

However, achieving all that wouldn't be easy. In the shadows just out of sight, the fierce competition between rival films often dragged the actors right down into the crossfire.