Chapter 83: The Untouchable Zone

Night had just fallen when the black Bentley rolled into Malibu. Instead of heading into the city, the driver continued north along the road toward a renowned private club.

"With two consecutive films crossing the hundred-million mark at the North American box office, Duke Rosenberg has pulled off a miracle..."

In the backseat, Nancy Josephson was clearly in excellent spirits. Leafing through a stack of newspapers, she read softly, "In the realm of dazzling action cinema, no one does it better than the young director Rosenberg."

She suddenly looked up at Duke beside her. "Want a look? It's nothing but praise."

"No need," Duke said, shaking his head. He had no intention of seeking an ego boost from the media. "There's plenty of praise, but there must be a lot of criticism too, right?"

He didn't need Nancy to answer; he could guess. The media was undoubtedly churning out plenty of derogatory labels: "the vandal of directors," "a noise machine for sets and theaters," and "a popcorn director who only plays with explosions and tech."

The Bentley soon arrived at the club's entrance. Duke and Nancy Josephson stepped out of the car and headed straight inside. Fox representatives were already waiting to guide them down a tree-lined path toward a lawn by the pool. The area was brilliantly lit and buzzing with voices; a lavish, bustling party was already well underway.

Twentieth Century Fox CEO Thomas Rothman was hosting the party in his personal capacity. He had spoken with Nancy several times, and once Duke's return to Los Angeles was confirmed, he had sent out the invitation.

Duke had no intention of declining. His past clashes with Twentieth Century Fox and Thomas Rothman stemmed from commercial interests, with no personal grudges. With The Rock breaking through, their commercial conflicts were gradually fading, leaving the possibility open for future collaboration.

"Hi, Duke!"

The moment they reached the edge of the lawn, Thomas Rothman came forward to meet them, extending his hand. "It's been a while."

"It really has!" Duke gave his hand a firm shake.

The eyes of many guests drifted their way, but Duke remained completely oblivious. He exchanged pleasantries with Thomas Rothman as they strolled toward the center of the party. By tacit agreement, neither of them brought up the dispute that had preceded the release of The Rock, as if those events had never happened.

"This is Jon Landau..."

"This is John Stanlis..."

Stepping into a group of formally dressed guests, Thomas Rothman enthusiastically introduced Duke to the Fox executives, renowned directors, and producers. Duke greeted them all with a brilliant smile.

"This is Director James Cameron..."

Opposite him was a burly middle-aged man with a full beard. Duke would have easily recognized him at any point in his adult life.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Cameron!"

Even though the man had been his idol in his past life, and the goal he wanted to achieve in this one, Duke maintained the same expression as before, showing no special reaction.

"Nice to meet you too!" Cameron nodded at him.

They only exchanged a simple greeting before Duke's attention quickly returned to the Fox executives led by Thomas Rothman. He was no fool. He knew they had invited him to the party for two reasons: first, to smooth over their relationship with a commercial director clearly on the rise, and second, to sound out the possibility of collaborating in the near future.

"Congratulations, Duke."

Tim Fisher walked over, looking remarkably warm and sincere. "Another film past the hundred-million mark at the box office!"

"Thank you," Duke said with a touch of modesty. "Just good luck."

"Luck? One success might be luck."

Thomas Rothman, accompanying Duke, led a few people toward the pool. "In Hollywood, good luck doesn't strike twice in a row!"

Glancing sidelong at Nancy Josephson, Duke said nothing and simply followed along. Dozens of white round tables were arranged around the pool, clearly set up as resting areas for the party. Men and women sat beside many of the tables, while several young women weaved back and forth between them, seemingly searching for something.

Like all private Hollywood parties, there was never a shortage of beautiful women at this kind of event. Some had been specially hired from professional agencies by the event company, but most were actors or models who had squeezed their way in by having friends bring them or by using connections with agents and party organizers.

Their objective was clear: the executives, directors, producers, and A-list stars in attendance. As long as they could forge a connection, they might not land a heavyweight role, but they would have a chance to appear in some films. If their luck was good enough, it would be an opportunity to step onto the path to stardom.

This was arguably the most common sight in Hollywood. And it wasn't just actresses and female models; male actors and models of the same type were there in no small number.

The tables were not spaced very far apart. Duke first pulled a chair out for Nancy, checked the distance behind him to ensure he wouldn't disturb the blonde woman sitting with her back to them, and then took his seat.

"Duke, Tim and the rest of us have read your new script."

A waiter brought over champagne. Thomas Rothman raised his glass to Duke and cut straight to the point. "I assume Nancy has passed along Fox's interest in collaborating?"

"Yes."

Putting down his glass, Duke smiled. "We've had very pleasant collaborations before, and I hope we can continue working together."

"Fox is currently pushing the project through review..."

The script itself held no particular value. Much like Speed and The Rock, its concept and structure were only average. But Fox valued the director himself. Continuously turning two mediocre scripts into massive box-office hits certainly proved a lot!

Besides, what would be blown up inside was more than just one city! That was the sort of explosion Duke Rosenberg was best at!

"Thomas, there are some things I have to state upfront." Duke dropped his smile, looking extremely serious and earnest. "It's no secret what I'm best at. In this next film, I won't just be destroying a single city or island. I'm going to blow up all the iconic landmarks across the US. The film will feature massive, continuous explosions."

He looked at the other man. "My habit is to shoot all explosions practically! Combined with producing the sci-fi visual effects, this is going to be a huge expense!"

"Can you give me a more specific number?" Thomas Rothman asked.

Duke slowly raised his right index finger. "A hundred million dollars!"

Behind him, out of his line of sight, the blonde woman sitting at the neighboring table suddenly looked up.

Opposite him, Thomas Rothman and Tim Fisher exchanged glances and briefly fell silent. Fox might have invested $130 million to produce True Lies, but most of that capital had been secured through financing. Even if it lost money, it would mostly be the investors and overseas distributors taking the hit.

For an investment and financing on this scale, Fox would certainly need to weigh the matter carefully.

After a few more pleasantries, Thomas Rothman and Tim Fisher took their leave at the same time. Fox would definitely have to consider carefully whether or not to continue investing in the project currently known only by the codename DAY.

"From a risk-mitigation standpoint,"

With only Nancy left at the table, Duke tapped the table lightly and said, "No single company will invest such a massive amount into a movie on its own."

"Is that why you agreed to talk with Fox?" Nancy instantly understood Duke's meaning. "You want Warner and Fox to..."

"I didn't say a word," Duke said, wagging a finger at her.

"That number..." Nancy frowned. "Why didn't you tell me in advance?"

"Sorry, I forgot!" Duke spread his hands apologetically.

He wasn't just brushing her off. Previously, Duke's energy had been almost entirely focused on The Rock. He was only a normal person, so neglecting a few things was inevitable.

"No way to bring it down?" Nancy asked.

"In my vision." Duke thought for a moment, then spoke slowly. "The movie's biggest selling point is the visual effects, and you can't save money on effects! Audiences are like the men looking at these young girls..."

The hand he had resting on the table pointed at a few women with long legs and slim waists hovering nearby. "Everyone wants to see the most beautiful, sexiest women who stimulate their hormones. Visual effects films are just like them. If you want to attract attention, you have to dress them up in expensive clothes, jewelry, and makeup."

"Fine, I'll do my best. I'll contact other studios too, not just Warner Brothers." Nancy stood up and deliberately teased him as a bit of revenge, "As long as you don't mess around with my other female clients, feel free to hook up with the girls here. I won't interfere."

Crossing his arms, Duke stared at Nancy. He hadn't expected his normally serious female agent to crack a joke like that.

"Let me introduce you to some people."

Nancy extended a hand. Duke stood up and followed her into the crowd. Along the way, they encountered several girls who seemed to want to strike up a conversation, but they were all repelled by Nancy's death glares.

Back by the pool, the blonde woman who had been sitting with her back to Duke stood up. She slowly smoothed her medium-length blonde hair, watching their retreating figures. After a moment of thought, she followed them at a discreet distance.

"Duke, I won't interfere with your private life, but I need to warn you about one thing, and you have to remember it."

When they reached a less crowded area, Nancy's tone turned dead serious. "You are a very successful director right now. The works you've directed have made a number of people famous. This is a realistic circle. You're going to face a lot of temptation in the future, and women—even men—with all sorts of motives will chase after you."

"You can sleep around all you want, and no one will criticize you for it."

Hearing Nancy's words, Duke couldn't help but roll his eyes, but his agent remained solemn. "But there is one untouchable zone you must never cross!"