Chapter 612: Agent

New York's winter was far too cold this year. Compared to warm, sun-drenched Los Angeles, it had lost a bit of its charm. Walking down the street under a sky gradually cloaked in darkness, Duke felt the biting wind give him a headache and chill him to the bone, despite the thick knit hat he wore.

A blizzard had struck New York a few days ago, leaving layers of snow and ice on the ground. For safety reasons, he hadn't driven. Right now, walking the streets of Manhattan with Scarlett Johansson, he just wanted to find a random shop to duck into.

He had just accompanied Scarlett to visit Mr. Johansson. Although her relationship with her father was terrible, she still made time to see him every Christmas if her schedule allowed.

"New York hasn't been this cold in years," Scarlett said.

Large puffs of white mist accompanied her words. It was so cold that even their breath seemed to freeze.

"I miss the sunshine on Malibu Beach," she added.

As she spoke, Scarlett raised a gloved hand and pulled her hat down, covering her red, freezing ears.

Duke visited New York every year, but he had never felt it this cold before. The temperature was even lower than when he went skiing in Canada last year.

Pulling his woolen coat tighter around himself, he looked up at the night sky. The weather had cleared after the blizzard, and bright stars hung against the pitch-black canopy. Paired with the freezing wind, however, the starlight felt exceptionally frigid.

"Have you heard the saying, Duke?"

Hearing her question, Duke turned to look at her in confusion. Scarlett leaned closer and linked her arm through his.

"Someone once said that the best and the worst of the world combined makes New York," she said.

She shook his arm.

"New York is actually two cities," she continued. "One belongs to the day—orderly, ambitious, and upwardly mobile. The other belongs to the night—crawling with monsters, where lust swells within."

"Makes some sense," Duke said, pulling her along as he picked up his pace slightly. "Hurry up. Mom is still waiting for us to have dinner."

After walking for ten minutes, the two finally escaped the cold and returned to their warm home. They took off their heavy coats and handed them to the maid waiting at the door. Duke and Scarlett went to the washroom to freshen up briefly before heading into the dining room.

Like the living room, the dining room had a tall Christmas tree set up. Duke had specifically arranged for it to be delivered after arriving in New York. He was usually in a rush during his previous visits, but since he could stay for a few extra days this year, he wanted to bring in some holiday atmosphere.

"Mom," Duke said.

"Godmother," Scarlett added.

After greeting Mrs. Leah, Duke and Scarlett took the seats on her left and right.

Mrs. Leah gave a gentle nod and instructed the servants to serve the meal before turning to Scarlett.

"How is your father doing?" she asked.

"Same as always," Scarlett said, pouting slightly. "His drinking problem is worse than before."

Not wanting to dwell on the subject, she changed the topic. "Godmother, did you look at the gift I bought you? It's an authentic Persian rug. I specifically had someone bring it from Iran."

"Yes, it's very beautiful," Mrs. Leah said, picking up her teacup for a sip. "You are very thoughtful."

Scarlett laughed happily and winked at Duke.

A lavish dinner was brought out course by course. Just like always, there were no overly strict rules at the table, and the three of them chatted as they ate.

"I just had Tina place an order with the Boeing Company," Duke said, recalling the business he had finalized just before coming to New York. "Mom, it's time to replace your plane. I ordered two Boeing BBJ Business Jets."

"Whatever you see fit," Mrs. Leah said.

Whether it was for Duke or for herself, changing planes was not a major affair.

After ordering a yacht in the summer, Duke had planned to replace his private jet. The old plane was a bit too small for his current needs, lacking both the range and the passenger capacity.

Of course, he wasn't going to lose his head and buy a Boeing 747 or a large Airbus just to convert it into a private jet. As long as it got the job done, there was no need for such extravagant waste.

So, after carefully considering his options, Duke selected the Boeing Company's Boeing BBJ Business Jet.

The Boeing BBJ was developed from the Boeing 737 prototype. It featured a wardrobe, a kitchen, a bedroom, and a business lounge. The business lounge itself came equipped with meeting, dining, and resting areas. It could accommodate sixty passengers and had a range of over eight thousand miles, perfectly meeting Duke's needs.

Naturally, the two planes would undergo necessary modifications to suit the differing needs of Duke and Mrs. Leah.

If the modification fees were included, the final cost of the two jets would easily exceed a hundred million dollars.

However, an expense of that size was nothing to Duke.

Having come to New York, Duke naturally had to attend a few parties in addition to spending time with his mother. Since both he and Mrs. Leah were now regulars on the Forbes billionaires list, they were highly sought-after guests at many high-society gatherings.

Certain social obligations were simply unavoidable.

Fortunately, he had familiar friends in New York. Hanging out with them kept things from getting boring.

Inside a massive banquet hall, a band played soothing music. Hundreds of guests formed small circles with people who caught their interest, either whispering quietly or sharing their views on the latest economic trends.

This was a Christmas reception hosted by media mogul Rupert Murdoch. After stepping into the banquet hall, Duke, arm-in-arm with Scarlett Johansson, walked straight over to Mr. and Mrs. Murdoch.

"Hi, Duke," Murdoch greeted.

In a clear departure from how he treated others, Rupert Murdoch took the initiative to give Duke a light hug. Nowadays, the two shared a vast number of mutual interests in many areas.

"Let's talk more when we have time," Duke said, turning his head to glance at the guests continuously streaming in from outside. "I won't keep you from entertaining your guests."

Leaving the Murdochs, Duke exchanged greetings with the crowd while his eyes swept across the banquet hall.

Scarlett gently tugged his arm.

"I see Aerin," she pointed out.

With that, she quickened her pace slightly and headed toward a corner of the hall.

Perhaps having also spotted Duke and Scarlett, Aerin Lauder exchanged a few smiling words with her companions before breaking away from her small circle. Once the pair walked over, they found an empty table together and sat down.

"Scar, you're looking even more beautiful," Aerin said, winking at Scarlett deliberately.

Scarlett didn't stand on ceremony with her.

"It's all thanks to the cosmetics under your brand," she said with a beaming smile.

"What a pity your new film is set during World War II," Aerin Lauder said with a sigh. "My brand can't be seamlessly placed into it."

"Maybe..." Scarlett's eyes shifted thoughtfully before she suddenly spoke up. "Why don't you make a cameo? That would generate some promotional buzz, too."

Duke had just retrieved three glasses of water from a waiter. Hearing Scarlett's words, he shook his head.

"Nothing but terrible ideas," he said.

He looked toward Aerin Lauder. "Wait for The Avengers."

Aerin Lauder nodded, then turned back to Scarlett. "I originally wanted to invite you to an event over the New Year, but your agent turned me down."

"Why didn't you just call me directly?" Scarlett asked, setting down her water glass. "You have my number, don't you? And why didn't my agent inform me?"

"So that's how it is..." Aerin Lauder paused briefly. "I just assumed you didn't have the time."

"I don't have any urgent work right now," Scarlett said with a frown. "And I'm free over the New Year..."

At that, she turned to Duke. "Darling, I won't be able to fly back to Los Angeles with you."

"Stay in New York and help Aerin out," Duke said after a moment's thought. "This isn't the first time Upton has failed to read the situation."

Scarlett shrugged. "I'll just replace him, then."

With Duke's support, Scarlett firing her agent wouldn't cause the slightest bit of trouble.

Some agents and talent agencies were indeed incredibly domineering, such as CAA and Michael Ovitz. However, an agent's dominance depended heavily on the situation. For top-tier industry agents like Nancy Josephson, Eno Martin, and Pat Kingsley, they wielded immense authority not just over ordinary actors, but even over Second-Tier Stars.

But when a star reached the A-list or became an ultra A-lister, the dynamic completely flipped. A-list stars, directors, and even top-tier talents in other roles were incredibly scarce resources for agencies and all of Hollywood.

These individuals were directly tied to their agents' standing within their own companies and the wider industry.

Take the rumor that CAA was the shadowy mastermind controlling everything in Hollywood, ruling over A-list and ultra A-list actors and directors like an emperor. Was that actually possible?

To please his top clients, Michael Ovitz would climb onto a table and dance while sticking his ass in the air. What kind of emperor did that?

There was also a very obvious phenomenon to consider. How many times had figures like Julia Roberts, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg fired their agents? And how many star actors had jumped ship from CAA to rival agencies?

In this day and age, if an agent harbored delusions of controlling Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, or any other massive star, the only possible outcome would be a fractured relationship.

The relationship between agents and their clients was far more complex than it appeared on the surface.

In front of those top-tier clients, agents were much more like servants. Take Leonardo's agent, for instance. Whenever Leonardo went on vacation, his agent would drop everything to travel the world with him. What was the point of doing all that?

Agents were a crucial pillar of Hollywood, but treating them as omnipotent string-pullers behind the curtain severely underestimated the true clout of the film studios, top actors, and elite directors.

Now that Hollywood had moved past the era of the independent studio system, the idea of an agent barging straight into the executive offices of major corporations—like they did in the last century—had long since become an absolute joke.

After the Christmas holidays ended, Scarlett Johansson fired her agent on the spot. Duke also notified Nancy Josephson, having her personally take over Scarlett's representation.

Afterward, Scarlett stayed behind in New York to participate in Aerin Lauder's promotional campaign. Duke flew directly to Chicago to reunite with his crew, who had just returned from their break, and began shooting the location scenes for The Dark Knight in the city.