Chapter 709: Duke's Goal

"Hey, Duke, over here!"

The dancing firelight illuminated Leonardo's face as he waved. "We've been waiting for you."

Duke led Scarlett Johansson over. Next to Leonardo sat Bar Refaeli; the two were chatting and laughing, already seeming quite familiar with each other.

James Franco and Charlize Theron were also sitting around the bonfire. Tom Cruise had hurried back to Los Angeles after wrapping up his afternoon shoot, but his popularity among the crew mirrored his reputation in Hollywood—not great—and few people wanted to sit with him anyway.

The somewhat arrogant Charlize Theron didn't fare much better than Tom Cruise. In contrast, the versatile and outgoing James Franco was much more well-liked on set.

Duke and Scarlett took the empty seats between him and Leonardo.

Scarlett glanced at Bar Refaeli on Leonardo's other side, winked at him, and flashed a teasing smile.

Leonardo ignored her completely, grabbing two cans of beer and shoving them toward her and Duke.

"The barbecue will be here soon," he said.

They were sitting a short distance from the fire, where several professional chefs were preparing a barbecue feast for the group.

"Hello, Scar," Bar Refaeli called out, taking the initiative to greet her.

"We met at Aerin Lauder's presentation this fall," she said.

Scarlett nodded at her.

"I remember you," she said. "Hello, Bar."

Duke popped open his beer and took a sip. Ignoring the two women who had swapped seats to chat about fashion, he looked at Leonardo.

"You move fast," he murmured.

Leonardo shrugged.

"Just shows my charm hasn't faded," he said smugly.

"Charm?" Duke stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. "You're at least two sizes bigger. And you're aging prematurely."

He deliberately patted Leonardo on the shoulder.

"Let me remind you," Duke said, "booze and women are a poison that hollows out a man's body. You need to take care of yourself."

"I'm aging prematurely?" Leonardo tilted his head. "Duke, when it comes to women, I've dated way fewer than you."

Leonardo looked across at Franco.

"James, doesn't Duke have a bigger reputation as a playboy in Hollywood?"

James Franco rubbed his bald head and considered it seriously for a moment.

"You two are about the same," he said.

Duke and Leonardo pointed at him simultaneously. Franco shrugged, raised his beer to clink against theirs, and glanced over at Scarlett Johansson and Bar Refaeli.

"To picking up more beautiful women in the future," Franco said, lowering his voice.

The three laughed and each took a heavy swig of beer. Amid the joking, the conversation gradually shifted to the recently kicked-off awards season.

"I wonder who's going to be the big winner at the Oscars this year," Franco mused.

"I don't know who will take home the Oscar Golden Statuette," Duke said, mercilessly shooting Leonardo down, "but Leo definitely isn't getting Best Actor."

"Hey, darling, be fair, okay?" Leonardo's eyes went wide. "I don't even have a movie in the running for the Oscars this year. How could I win?"

Duke tilted his head at him.

"Right, Leo, I never asked. Did you let yourself go like this just for an Oscar?"

Leonardo didn't answer, his expression noncommittal.

"Is it worth it?" Duke couldn't help but shake his head. "You're the top star in Hollywood. You always will be, even if those old men don't acknowledge it."

He was trying to gently advise Leonardo from a different angle; the man had turned into an absolute award-chasing maniac.

But everyone pursues different personal paths, and Leonardo was no exception. He clinked his can against Duke's and took a big gulp.

"I'll only know if it's worth it once I get a Golden Statuette," he said.

Everyone has their own ambitions, so Duke didn't press the issue, turning instead to James Franco.

"I heard you're planning to move into comedy?" Duke asked.

It was no secret in Hollywood that Franco was good friends with Seth Rogen, a member of the Frat Pack.

"Yeah, I think my comedic talent is pretty good," Franco said.

Speaking of which, Franco suddenly remembered that Duke was a film investor.

"Actually, Seth and I have an idea for a comedy," he added.

Hearing that it was a joint idea with Seth Rogen, Duke grew a bit interested.

"Let's hear it," he said.

Even though he didn't make comedies himself, there was no doubt that when films of this genre succeeded, they were classic examples of small investments yielding massive returns.

James Franco paused to think about his phrasing, trying to keep it simple.

"It's like this," he said. "You guys know about the Six-Party Talks, right? North Korea has been developing nuclear weapons, and an authoritarian dictatorship like that could very well use them just on one person's whim. Seth and I figure the CIA must have targeted countermeasures..."

Not only Duke but even Leonardo perked up his ears. After all, influenced by mainstream media narratives, everyone who heard about North Korea viewed it as a dictatorial, terrorism-filled state disconnected from modern civilization.

"The story's premise is that North Korea acquires nuclear weapons, and the shadow of nuclear war hangs over the whole world," Franco continued. "At this point, two journalists head over to interview the North Korean leader. Out of a sense of justice or whatever else, they accept recruitment by the CIA and decide to assassinate the tyrant dictator. Then a series of accidents happen along the way..."

Hollywood was never divorced from politics. Duke understood this perfectly. He thought for a moment before replying.

"If you have a script or a detailed plan, you can bring it to me to look over," he told Franco.

Franco scratched his bald head.

"It's just an idea right now, but I'll push Seth Rogen on it."

"Sounds pretty interesting," Leonardo remarked casually, before changing the subject. "Duke, I heard you're buying the Oakland Raiders?"

"The deal is actually almost done," Duke said, not hiding it at all. "The terms are basically settled. The official signing will be finished before the New Year."

He looked at Leonardo.

"Leo, interested in investing? You could become one of the shareholders. NFL teams are only going to appreciate in the future; it's a much better deal than investing in those famous paintings of yours."

"But the Raiders are all the way up in Oakland..." Leonardo hesitated.

Naturally, Duke had no intention of leaving his team in the San Francisco area.

"My people are already in Los Angeles looking to buy a suitable stadium," Duke said. "Once the deal is done, the team can move back to L.A."

Leonardo immediately stuck out his hand.

"Alright then, count me in!"

"It's a deal!" Duke said, slapping his hand.

Leonardo shook his head.

"But the Raiders' strength... as far as I know, the team's record hasn't been great in recent years."

"Since I'm buying this team," Duke said matter-of-factly, "the goal is definitely the Super Bowl."

This deal involved an amount as high as six hundred million dollars. He wasn't spending such a massive sum on a whim; he was genuinely interested in the Super Bowl.

Back in high school, Duke had spent a significant chunk of his free time on the football field and was even the school's starting quarterback at one point. Though his school's athletic program had been very limited, it remained his main hobby.

Furthermore, NFL teams would only become more and more valuable in the future. They possessed incredible profitability on their own, with average profit margins far exceeding those of the NBA and other sports leagues.

After all, American football was the number one sport in the country. In terms of influence, it completely crushed all other competitions. Owning such a team could also be considered a status symbol.

If not for the ongoing economic crisis, Duke could never have reached this deal with the original shareholders of the Oakland Raiders.

Of course, in the future, the team would be changing its name back to the Los Angeles Raiders.

Speaking of American football, Leonardo was full of interest.

"Duke, do you have a specific plan?" he asked.

Duke laid out his series of plans.

"Of course. Don't forget, my goal is the Super Bowl!" he said. "It's impossible to make any more trades this season. Starting next season, I'll have people completely overhaul the team. I plan to hire Bill Belichick as head coach..."

The man's annual salary was extremely high, but compensation was exactly what Duke cared about least. If it weren't for the salary cap system, he could have easily built a team to sweep the entire league.

Duke knew Leonardo was like him and wouldn't care about the past, so he spoke frankly.

"ICM is expanding into the sports industry," he said. "Nancy has already secured the representation contracts for Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady. Tom Brady will be the top target for the team's quarterback, and making that trade won't be too difficult."

A quarterback was undoubtedly the soul of a team.

Leonardo knew Duke wouldn't just fixate on Tom Brady alone.

"Any other targets?" he asked.

"Marshawn Lynch, the rookie running back for the Buffalo Bills last year," Duke said. "I really love his wild running style and tough tackle-breaking ability. With him around, Tom Brady will become even more terrifying."

An outstanding running back would make Tom Brady's passes even harder to defend against.

"As for wide receivers," Duke continued, "I think Julian Edelman is pretty good. Nancy is currently in contact with him."

Julian Edelman and Marshawn Lynch weren't particularly famous right now, so acquiring their contracts would be relatively easy. The hardest part would still be Tom Brady, who was one of the best quarterbacks currently in the NFL.

Duke's goal was simple: to build a team capable of consistently contending for the Super Bowl.

He and Leonardo discussed it a bit more, roughly outlining their investment ratio. Although Leonardo's salaries and box office cuts were quite lucrative, he had spent a lot of money on art investments over the years. His involvement would end up being merely a symbolic shareholding, much like Magic Johnson's arrangement with the Los Angeles Dodgers.