Chapter 584: Aerin Lauder

The two small circles weren't far apart. Aerin Lauder stood inconspicuously among a group of female companions, but with Donald Trump's booming voice and brash style, it was hard not to notice him.

Glancing in that direction, Aerin Lauder couldn't help but frown slightly. Why were these men gathered together?

The men standing in a circle with Donald Trump weren't part of New York high society, but Aerin Lauder recognized them at a glance: Michael Eisner, Michael Ovitz, and David Ellison.

As far as she knew, these men shouldn't have any connection to Donald Trump.

However, hearing Donald Trump's next words, she understood why they were mingling.

It wasn't that Aerin Lauder was intentionally eavesdropping; Donald Trump's arrogant voice was simply so loud that she couldn't ignore it even if she tried.

The New York real estate tycoon wore many hats, one of them being a television host. He had recently signed with Michael Ovitz's talent agency, Artists Management Company, and was co-producing a new program with David Ellison's production company, which would be broadcast on Walt Disney's ABC Television.

"The ratings for my television show are absolutely guaranteed."

As always, Donald Trump was brimming with confidence. "So you don't need to worry at all."

"Disney certainly has confidence in you," Michael Eisner said, automatically ignoring Donald Trump's obnoxious side. "Otherwise, Disney wouldn't have partnered with you."

"This will be a successful project." Michael Ovitz was the first to raise his glass. "I propose a toast to our collaboration."

The men lightly clinked their glasses and sipped their champagne.

"Donald," David Ellison said suddenly. "I heard the Trump Family's funds still haven't entered Instant Sharing?"

Donald Trump's face darkened slightly. "If it wasn't for that detestable bastard blocking it..."

He looked infuriated, acting as if Instant Sharing was already his for the taking.

David Ellison glanced at him. "I received some news recently," he added. "Duke Rosenberg is in contact with Google executives, looking to sell his shares to Google. If Larry Page and Sergey Brin enter Instant Sharing, I'm afraid it will severely weaken Miss Ivanka Trump's control over the company."

Pausing there, he suggested, "You and Ivanka might want to consider capital from Oracle."

"I'll consider it."

The reply was more of a tactful brush-off. Donald Trump was no fool. Duke Rosenberg bringing in Google capital would be highly disadvantageous to the Trump Family, but letting Oracle get involved was no different from letting the fox into the henhouse.

Besides, as long as Duke Rosenberg disagreed, these so-called plans were just that—plans.

However, since the two sides were currently cooperating, some things were better left unsaid. Donald Trump smoothly steered the conversation elsewhere.

"Right now, Duke Rosenberg probably doesn't have the energy to deal with Google," he said. "This recent incident will definitely give him a massive headache."

David Ellison laughed. "That's exactly the outcome we'd love to see, isn't it?"

Although he didn't know exactly who was behind it, seeing Duke Rosenberg out of luck made him quite happy.

Michael Eisner and Michael Ovitz, however, were far more cautious. Even though they couldn't see the presale numbers, these two seasoned veterans could still deduce a few things from the current situation.

But Donald Trump was different. He was always incredibly arrogant whenever he felt smug.

"This will definitely be a fatal blow," he declared in his usual pompous tone.

"Iron Man will very likely be finished because of this," David Ellison said, eager to see exactly that happen.

"This is only the beginning." The flab on Donald Trump's face jiggled. "I'm going to watch Duke Rosenberg's movie tank, watch his career go downhill, and I'm going to take Instant Sharing right out of his hands..."

A sinister smirk curled the corners of his mouth. "And it will all start with the failure of Iron Man!"

"Iron Man is going to fail?"

A crisp female voice suddenly drifted over, carrying the faintest trace of mockery. "Duke's new film is going to fail?"

The men, David Ellison and Donald Trump included, all turned to look. Standing there was a tall, stylish woman of about thirty. Her long brown hair was pinned back immaculately, paired with a dark blue evening gown that gave her an elegant, breathtakingly beautiful aura.

She hadn't been trying to eavesdrop, but Donald Trump's voice was so loud and his tone so obnoxiously arrogant that she had heard practically every word. Aerin Lauder hadn't wanted to waste her time on someone like him, but his words had grown increasingly outrageous, eventually crossing the line into outright mocking her close friend.

Now that she had spoken up, she didn't hesitate. Stepping out of her little circle, she walked straight up to Donald Trump. Her pale blue eyes swept over the men one by one, filled with a mockery so obvious even a fool could see it.

Facing Donald Trump, Aerin's expression instantly turned cold. "You think Duke's new film will fail?"

"Is it not going to?" Donald Trump scoffed lightly. "You know perfectly well what Iron Man has run into..."

"Oh..." Aerin drew the syllable out.

Even though her younger sister Jane Lauder was best friends with Ivanka Trump, strictly speaking, few people in New York's high society actually liked men like Donald Trump. She let out a sudden laugh.

"How ridiculous," she said. "To think anyone would believe a movie that sold 35 million dollars in presale tickets over the three-day weekend is going to fail."

"What?" Donald Trump froze, looking as if he truly hadn't heard her clearly. "What did you say?"

Aerin Lauder ignored him, turning instead to the two executives from Walt Disney and Artists Management Company. "Mr. Eisner, Mr. Ovitz, I'm sure you two know exactly what 35 million dollars in three-day presales means, right? Perhaps you can explain it to Mr. Trump."

Though their faces remained perfectly calm, and it was beneath their status to squabble with a woman anyway, Michael Eisner and Michael Ovitz suddenly felt as if they'd been tossed into the ancient glaciers of the South Pole. Their very hearts went cold.

Iron Man's three-day presale box office had reached a staggering 35 million dollars. This had already broken a Hollywood record. If a film like this still bombed at the box office, just how abysmal would its word-of-mouth have to be after release?

Could the word-of-mouth for this movie actually be that bad? The director was Duke Rosenberg!

Even if he was their enemy, they couldn't deny that the movies he made were practically synonymous with masterpieces.

Michael Ovitz took it somewhat better. He had seen Duke Rosenberg succeed so often that he had slowly grown used to it.

But Michael Eisner's brows eventually knit together. Even though he didn't have all the facts, he knew this recent leak was inextricably linked to Walt Disney.

His subordinates had crossed the bottom line of competition to orchestrate this mess, yet they still couldn't stop Duke Rosenberg. How could anyone accept that?

Compared to Michael Eisner and Michael Ovitz, Donald Trump looked furious. He had clearly heard Aerin Lauder's second sentence, as well as the 35 million dollar figure.

Strictly speaking, he was part of the entertainment circle himself, so he had some understanding of Hollywood. He had a good idea of what 35 million dollars in presales signified. Moreover, there were still several days of presales left this week. Even if the upcoming sales weren't as staggering as the opening rush, crossing 40 million or even approaching 50 million dollars wouldn't be a problem at all.

If a movie with these kinds of presale numbers still failed, it would likely set a whole slew of historically terrible records in Hollywood.

As much as he loathed Duke Rosenberg over Instant Sharing, Donald Trump knew perfectly well that with Duke's capabilities, such a disaster was simply impossible.

On the other side, David Ellison's smile had long since vanished. But he forced his chin up, clinging to his pride. So what if Iron Man succeeded? Once his own new film was finished, he would definitely compete with Duke Rosenberg again, and he would definitely give him something to remember.

Standing elegantly across from the four men, Aerin Lauder maintained her faint smile. She looked delicate, but her imposing presence didn't lose out to theirs in the slightest.

There was no need to say more. She spoke again in that same calm tone. "Excuse me, gentlemen. When Duke called me this afternoon to tell me the presale numbers, I forgot to say congratulations. I'm going to congratulate him now."

With that, Aerin Lauder turned on her heels and walked away without looking back, leaving only her tall, proud silhouette to the four men and their varying expressions.

This scene was witnessed by many in the banquet hall. Even with Donald Trump and Michael Ovitz's infamously thick skins, neither wanted to stick around any longer. The group exchanged a few quick pleasantries and went their separate ways, leaving the Waldorf Grand Hotel.

Returning to her own home, Aerin Lauder automatically pushed those men out of her mind. She quickly handed off her current work tasks and prepared to fly to Los Angeles for her close friend's premiere.

As Warner Brothers officially released the presale data, the buzz surrounding Iron Man continued to climb. Many industry insiders were even speculating that this entire incident might be a viral marketing stunt orchestrated by Warner Brothers and Duke.

Duke, however, knew better. There was definitely a massive hand pulling the strings behind the scenes. He couldn't see it, but he could easily guess whose it was.

He had absolutely no evidence, but just like the set arson case from years ago, whether he had evidence didn't matter. It didn't even matter if the other party was actually the one who did it. All that mattered was that they stood in opposition to him.

Iron Man's presale performance was undeniably dazzling. By Thursday, May 4th, the North America box office presales had steadily broken past 45 million dollars, reaching as high as roughly 47.8 million.

This outstanding presale record injected a powerful shot of adrenaline into Iron Man's premiere.