Chapter 595: Super Yacht

"This is the Blohm+Voss exhibition hall."

Glancing at her watch, Aerin Lauder led Duke into the modestly sized hall. "Have you figured out what kind of yacht you want to order?" she asked as they walked.

"A large one, of course."

Duke looked around the hall. It displayed numerous scale models of yachts, but there were very few guests. This kind of yacht show was nothing like the ones held out on public docks; it was an exclusive, professional custom exhibition hosted by one of the world's top shipbuilders, aimed specifically at the ultra-rich.

Currently on vacation, Duke had come to New York to spend some time with his mother. Since he happened to catch this exhibition, he had invited the well-connected Aerin Lauder to show him around. If he found something to his liking, he could place an order while he was at it.

That small yacht docked at Malibu Beach could no longer meet his needs for going out to sea.

A staff member approached, but Duke waved him off, indicating that they didn't need a guide for the time being. Together with Aerin Lauder, he began to browse the dozen or so model ships in the hall.

Meanwhile, Aerin quietly briefed Duke about the company, though he had already done some research before coming.

The German superyacht manufacturer Blohm+Voss specialized in building giant vessels over 260 feet long. Founded in 1872, it boasted a history of over 140 years. Since its inception, Blohm+Voss had delivered nearly a thousand military ships and superyachts, including the famous German battleship Bismarck.

"Thanks to their exceptional quality, wealth of experience, and flawless after-sales service, Blohm+Voss has always enjoyed an outstanding international reputation," she said.

A middle-aged man suddenly walked over.

"Every yacht possesses unique elements and symbolic meaning," he said with immense elegance. "Every yacht highlights the distinguished status of its owner, and every yacht is a one-of-a-kind artistic treasure."

With that, he extended a hand to Duke. "Hello, Director Rosenberg. I am the manager of this exhibition hall, Thomas von Grossman."

"Hello," Duke replied, shaking his hand lightly.

Grossman then turned to the person beside him. "Hello, Miss Lauder."

The manager didn't look much like a German. Instead, he resembled a Brit.

"Director Rosenberg, have any of the yachts caught your eye?"

Standing half a step behind Duke, Grossman spoke slowly. "All our yachts are individually customized. Every single one is completely unique."

Every top-tier yacht manufacturer kept a list of potential clients on hand. Having appeared on the Forbes billionaire list for several consecutive years, Duke was undoubtedly on it.

After circling the hall, Duke walked over to the left side. Here sat a model roughly twenty feet long with a sci-fi, futuristic design. Judging solely by its exterior, Duke was quite fond of it.

He had never been interested in antiques or retro designs; more advanced styles were much more to his taste.

Seeing Duke stop, Thomas von Grossman immediately stepped half a pace forward to offer a timely introduction. "This is our newest design for this year."

"Give me the details," Duke said.

Without needing to check any reference materials, Thomas von Grossman spoke with practiced ease. "According to our design, the finished yacht will be 548 feet long and 72 feet at its widest point. It has a gross tonnage of 13,000 GT, a maximum output of 20,000 horsepower, and a top speed of 28 knots."

He walked up to the yacht model and pointed out its features as he continued. "The yacht features two helipads and two hangars. The stern houses a floating dock where supply boats and other small vessels can moor. It also comes equipped with a submarine that can dive to depths of 160 feet to evade attacks."

"Those are standard features," Aerin Lauder noted, sounding like an expert as she stood beside Duke. "Is there anything else?"

"The yacht is equipped with the most advanced radar system currently available, and both the bridge and the master suite are surrounded by armor plating and bulletproof glass."

Thomas von Grossman pointed to an inconspicuous spot on the top deck of the model. "We have specially designed a laser shield for the yacht. The moment it detects the presence of CCD image sensors, it immediately fires a beam of intense light directly at the camera, neutralizing its ability to film and maximizing the protection of privacy on board."

Duke gave a slight nod upon hearing this. For someone like him, such a feature was absolutely essential.

Seeing that Duke was intrigued, Thomas von Grossman gave an even more detailed presentation, allowing Duke to gain a deeper understanding of the yacht whose exterior he already favored.

The yacht featured a stage, an exhibition room, three dining rooms, two kitchens, an aquarium, a disco, bathing pools, a gymnasium with a sauna, steam rooms, fifty guest suites, two swimming pools, and a movie theater. In total, it required a staff of fifty people to operate.

Of course, the cost to build such a vessel was exorbitantly high—350 million euros, with an 80 million euro deposit required upfront.

"Give me a copy of its detailed specifications."

Although tempted, Duke didn't make an immediate decision. Taking the comprehensive brochure, he walked out of the exhibition hall with Aerin Lauder.

He had browsed products from other companies before coming here, and this yacht from Blohm+Voss was by far the most satisfying. However, both its length and its price tag were factors he had to consider.

Then there was the construction time. According to Thomas von Grossman, even at the fastest possible pace, this yacht would take two years to be delivered and ready for use.

After leaving the Blohm+Voss hall, Duke and Aerin Lauder didn't go anywhere else. They headed to a nearby lounge, sat down together, and began discussing the vessel they had just seen.

"Did you like it?" Aerin Lauder walked back over with two cups of coffee. Handing one to Duke, she sat down across from him. "I think it's pretty nice."

"Isn't it a bit too long?"

The length of over five hundred feet still gave Duke some pause. "Mooring it is going to be a huge hassle."

"The draft is less than twenty feet," Aerin Lauder said, opening the brochure and glancing at it. "You can dock it at the deep-water marinas in both Malibu and Santa Monica."

She suddenly laughed, teasing him, "Is money the problem? If you're short on liquid funds, I can lend you some temporarily. We'll just calculate it at bank interest rates."

"If I needed it, I wouldn't hesitate to ask," Duke replied, taking the brochure back from her to flip through it. "But I can afford this much."

Even though he had dumped a massive sum into Time Warner's equity financing, Duke's cash flow remained robust. It wouldn't be long before a portion of the box office and merchandising revenue from Iron Man hit his accounts. Paying the deposit on a yacht was an incredibly easy feat.

And it wasn't just a yacht; Duke was even considering upgrading his private jet to a new model.

"Isn't this Duke Rosenberg?"

Suddenly, a loud, arrogant voice rang out from behind him. "I didn't expect to run into you here."

The owner of the voice strode over and, without asking for Duke or Aerin Lauder's permission, brazenly sat down at their table.

Looking at the man's fleshy, heavy-jowled face, Duke frowned slightly. No matter what, he simply couldn't bring himself to like Donald Trump.

"Duke, it's been a while," Donald Trump said, his presence imposing.

Giving a faint smile, Duke maintained his usual demeanor. "It has been a long time."

"When did you get to New York?" Donald Trump's eyes stayed fixed on Duke. "Why didn't you let me know? I could have hosted you."

"I don't think we're quite that close," Duke replied, delivering the rather blunt words with a polite tone. "I have family and friends in New York. Why would I need a stranger to host me?"

The heavy flesh on Donald Trump's face twitched slightly before he pressed on. "Are you planning to buy a yacht too?"

"That's the plan," Duke said unhurriedly.

"It's not going to be another one of those tiny pieces of junk under fifty feet long, is it?"

Recalling Duke's unremarkable little yacht from before put Donald Trump in a slightly better mood. "They don't sell little toys like that here."

Duke just smiled, saying nothing.

There was absolutely no need to get into a verbal pissing match over wealth with someone like Donald Trump.

But Donald Trump had no intention of leaving just yet. "You know what, Duke? I just ordered a 300-foot-long behemoth!"

He suddenly emphasized his tone. "At the end of the day, a man's worth is all about size."

Donald Trump practically bellowed this last sentence, seemingly terrified that everyone else in the room might fail to notice them.

Ever since coming of age, all the social elites Duke had met—even the most despicable and shameless backstabbers—had always fiercely protected their public image. This was his first time encountering someone like Donald Trump, a man so wildly arrogant and utterly unbridled in spouting nonsense.

Even the Silicon Valley madman he had met, Larry Ellison, paled in comparison to Donald Trump.

Calling some of Donald Trump's words and actions "uncouth" would practically be a compliment.

"Three hundred feet?" Duke gave a faint smile and tossed the brochure in his hand onto the table in front of Donald Trump. "This is the yacht I'm planning to order. If you're interested, you can study it."

Seeing the number representing the yacht's length on the brochure, Donald Trump's eyebrows twitched involuntarily.

Duke stood up. Taking Aerin Lauder's arm to leave, he paused as he passed Donald Trump and said, "As long as I'm around, don't even dream of Trump Group funds ever entering Instant Sharing!"

"You..." Donald Trump shot to his feet.

"Goodbye, Donald," Duke tossed back as his final parting words. "Best of luck with your real estate business."