Chapter 536: Time is Money

In a Beverly Hills mansion, Megan Ellison took the invitation specially delivered by Warner Brothers, sat down in a brand-new rattan chair, opened it, and glanced curiously at the person across from her.

"Are you going, David?" she asked her older brother.

David Ellison reached out to take the invitation and said with a hint of smugness, "Why wouldn't I?"

"Don't you hate Duke Rosenberg?" Megan Ellison asked.

"That's exactly why I have to go," David Ellison said, as if it were obvious. "I really want to see the look on Duke Rosenberg's face when he fails at the box office. Will it be as ugly as that disgusting Roger Ebert's?"

Megan Ellison had just taken a sip of water and nearly spat it out. But thinking of the rumors she had heard since entering USC Film School, she said, "Being so petty that he nearly died of anger is indeed pretty disgusting."

Even though she had only just set foot in the film industry, she looked down on professional critics who tried to sell themselves for a high price while pretending to be pure and noble.

"I don't just want to watch Duke Rosenberg make a fool of himself," David Ellison said, a rare look of seriousness on his face. "By my estimates, several of the projects he holds are extremely valuable investments. But as long as he keeps succeeding, I won't have a chance to step in. Only by breaking his so-called myth of success will Marvel, DC, and Warner accept my investments."

His war against Duke Rosenberg wasn't just to vent his frustrations; substantial underlying interests were hidden behind it.

"I think you should throw a party after the opening weekend box office for Batman Begins comes out, and invite Duke Rosenberg..."

Pausing, Megan Ellison asked, "What is their projected opening weekend for the film?"

"Warner estimates $45 million!" David Ellison's mouth curved into a slight smirk. "Presales hit $25 million, but after the Anne Hathaway scandal blew up, they won't even come close to reaching that goal."

"You played that beautifully," Megan Ellison offered a rare word of praise.

David Ellison looked a bit smug. "The North American media are commercial enterprises, too. Why would they go against money?"

As long as someone was willing to throw money around, quite a few media outlets had absolutely no bottom line when it came to slinging mud.

Although he had inherited Larry Ellison's arrogance, David Ellison knew very well what his greatest asset was in the relatively unfamiliar circles of film and media.

"Exactly," Megan Ellison agreed. "Any problem that can be solved with money isn't a problem."

David Ellison nodded. "Today's expenses are all for tomorrow's gains."

The siblings chatted a bit more before Megan Ellison asked, "I remember premiere guests can bring a plus-one. Let me go with you."

"You want to go?" David Ellison found this a little strange.

Megan Ellison set down her coffee cup. "I want to build a career in the film industry, too. Don't forget, I've already entered USC Film School. Once I reach the age to access my trust fund, I'll be investing in Hollywood as well."

Hesitating for a moment, David Ellison slowly nodded. "Then we'll go together."

With only one day left until the premiere, entertainment media from all over the United States and entertainment reporters from major outlets were swarming into Chicago. The guests attending the Batman Begins premiere were also arriving one after another.

Many of them were Duke's old friends, such as Aerin Lauder.

"What's this?"

Having welcomed his friend into the living room of his hotel suite, Duke looked at the gift box she handed him with some surprise. "Since when are you so polite with me?"

Like most good friends, the two occasionally exchanged gifts, but what Aerin Lauder had given him in the past were mostly men's products from her eponymous line. This gift box was exceptionally exquisite; the contents had to be incredibly valuable.

Moreover, Duke felt the box looked quite familiar.

Aerin Lauder shoved the box into Duke's hands and sat down in an armchair before explaining, "I flew in from Los Angeles. Before I left, I saw Ivanka Trump, and she asked me to pass this on to you."

Hearing Aerin's words, Duke had a rough idea of what it was. Sitting across from her, he opened the box. Just as he had guessed, inside sat a custom Patek Philippe luxury watch. No matter the angle, one could see the silhouette of Ivanka's face on the dial.

It was the gift Duke had given Ivanka for her twenty-first birthday.

The item returning to his hands carried a very clear message. Duke gently shook his head, unsurprised. He closed the box and casually handed it to Tina Fey, who stood nearby.

"Find an auction and sell it," Duke instructed directly. "Donate the proceeds to starving children in Africa."

Tina Fey took the box, opened it for a glance, and wanted to say something, but ultimately held her tongue.

She had a good relationship with Ivanka Trump, but her code of conduct was entirely based on Duke's interests.

Seeing Tina Fey put the gift box away, Duke suddenly felt much lighter, though he wasn't sure why. Certain issues that had troubled him for over a year vanished into thin air.

This was a modern society; men and women getting together and breaking up had long been an accepted part of the social fabric.

"You're single again."

Hearing Aerin Lauder's remark, Duke shot back, "Don't just talk about me. Aren't you single, too?"

"That's because I'm busy with work," Aerin Lauder shrugged. "My career just passed its most crucial startup phase. I've practically been a frequent flyer these past few years. Where would I find the time for romance?"

Duke spread his hands. "I'm very busy, too."

Aerin Lauder looked at him, shifted into a more comfortable position, and said, "For people like us, the cost of romance is simply too high."

After a brief thought, Duke nodded in agreement. "It really is."

Whether it was Duke's career as a director or Aerin Lauder's status as a businesswoman, time was their career; time is money.

"I've seen your schedule; your future is packed with work," Aerin Lauder continued. "Fortunately, I've passed my busiest phase, so I won't have to fly back and forth constantly in the coming years."

"I can't help it," Duke sighed helplessly. "Even with a mature team, abundant funding, and enough manpower, producing a film takes a year. I never seem to have enough time."

He wished he could shoot two or three films a year like the rumors suggested, finishing a film's editing in a dozen days or even a week. But was that even possible? Would what he produced still be considered a movie?

Under those conditions, the works he directed would only turn into unwatchable garbage.

If not for his past experiences, he wouldn't even be able to maintain his current pace of one film a year.

Hollywood films, especially big-budget productions, followed inevitable patterns. Moreover, a substantial portion of the work involved in shooting and producing a film wasn't something a single director could complete alone.

After chatting for a while longer, Aerin Lauder stood up to take her leave. When Duke walked her to the door, he casually asked, "Care to walk the red carpet with me tomorrow?"

"Not interested." Aerin Lauder shook her head immediately. "I don't want to start any rumors with you."

"Goodnight, get some rest."

She waved at Duke and walked out. Duke closed the door and returned to his room, preparing to shower and sleep, when his phone suddenly rang. He picked it up to find Scarlett Johansson on the line.

"Hi, Duke." It sounded chaotic on her end. "I just got off the plane."

'I don't think I invited her, did I?'

After thinking back for a moment, Duke pulled his door open and walked toward the study where Tina Fey was, saying, "Hold on a minute, I'll send someone to pick you up."

Entering the study, Duke handed his phone to Tina Fey, effectively dumping the problem girl onto her to handle.

It wasn't just the invited guests; many fans were also rushing to Chicago. Because Batman Begins adopted a relatively conservative distribution strategy, there were no advance screenings. Although a lot of unexpected incidents had occurred beforehand, being able to see this film as early as possible was still a blessing for fans of Duke and Batman.

As a die-hard fan of Duke's style, Norman Hiller paid absolutely no mind to Anne Hathaway. She was just a minor actress; even if her reckless behavior gave her AIDS, what did that have to do with people like him who loved Duke's movies?

He had missed the test screenings for various reasons. The only reason he traveled from Los Angeles to Chicago this time was because Batman Begins was Duke Rosenberg's film!

Unlike him, Brad Miller hadn't previously been a fan of Duke, or even a movie buff at all. But The Lord of the Rings Trilogy had changed everything, making him deeply interested in every one of Duke's films. He even temporarily put his work on hold to fly specifically to Chicago to watch this movie early.

He firmly believed that Duke wouldn't disappoint the fans who loved him, just as he hadn't during The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

Martial was a textbook Batman fan. He had already seen the test screening, yet he still traveled thousands of miles to Chicago because he felt Batman Begins was the best Batman movie ever made, a masterpiece that made people willingly rush to Chicago.

As a Batman fan, if he didn't support such an incredible Batman film, what kind of movie was he supposed to support?

Large crowds of local Chicago fans were also surging with excitement. This was Duke's first time hosting a premiere in Illinois. When the midday sun had just passed overhead, many fans began converging on the Chicago Classic Theater. The film's premiere was about to begin.

The roaring cheers of the fans and the clicking shutters of media reporters' cameras had already drifted through the city's skyscrapers to every corner of the metropolis before the premiere ceremony even started.

On this day, the protagonist of Chicago was no longer the Chicago Bears, but a giant, human-shaped bat!