Just walked out of the film studio, Duke saw Tina Fey approaching, as if she had been waiting for a long time.
"Irene Lauder just called you."
She handed her phone to Duke and said, "She just arrived in Shanghai this afternoon, and she'll be leaving tomorrow. You'd better give her a call back."
Duke nodded and asked Tina Fey to take care of the follow-up matters. He then found a quiet place, dialed Irene Lauder's number, said a few words, and arranged to meet her at the Peace Hotel. He then hung up the phone.
Turning down Yang Lan's dinner invitation, Duke rushed back to the hotel as quickly as possible. In recent years, Irene Lauder's cosmetics brand was in its critical development phase, and she was constantly on the move. Aside from regular phone calls, they rarely saw each other.
In fact, in order to break into the European market, Irene Lauder even settled in Paris for a period of time.
Upon returning to the hotel, Duke directly headed to the pre-arranged Western restaurant. He asked the waiter a simple question before following him to a corner booth. From a distance, he spotted his good friend, whom he hadn't seen in half a year.
Irene Lauder's golden hair was neatly tied back, and her face was almost makeup-free. Although she was the same age as him, she took excellent care of herself, and the years hadn't left obvious marks. The youthful softness had faded, replaced by quiet maturity, especially as her blue eyes sparkled with intelligence when she turned to look at Duke.
But alongside the wisdom was also happiness. She quietly sat there, not standing up, but the curve of her lips clearly showed her good mood.
With so many years of friendship between them, there was no need for formalities. Duke walked over and sat down opposite her.
"Don't recognize me?" Duke noticed that Irene's eyes followed him as he moved.
Irene Lauder smiled even more happily and teased, "I just wanted to see if the world's number one box office director and Oscar-winning best director are any different now."
Duke opened the menu, "Have you noticed?"
"You're still the same." Irene Lauder spoke to the waiter briefly. She then added, "Still as tough as a stone."
"I've already ordered, you can just order for yourself." She added.
Duke nodded and casually ordered some Western dishes. After the waiter left, he said, "Aren't you the same?"
They exchanged looks and both laughed.
They both carried enormous pressure, but they kept moving forward under that weight, becoming successful in their respective fields.
Soon, the small steak Duke ordered and the vegetable salad Irene Lauder chose were brought to the table. Duke looked at the vegetable pieces without much dressing and wasn't surprised.
Except for a few people with special constitutions, whether men or women, after they passed thirty, maintaining a good figure required paying some price.
"Why did you come to Shanghai?" Duke asked while eating.
"There's an issue with a store. I came to check on it." Irene Lauder seemed somewhat helpless. "I have to leave early tomorrow and head to Tokyo."
"Did you resolve it?"
Irene nodded, and Duke couldn't help but sigh, "You've been busier than me these years."
"No choice. You've already become the most successful director on this planet," Irene shrugged playfully, "My career is still in the early stages."
"Over a billion in sales and it's still in the early stages?" Duke raised his eyebrows.
Irene Lauder laughed, "It just exceeded a billion last year. You might not know, but the quick growth of my Aerin series is thanks to the entire Estée Lauder group's channels."
Duke certainly knew this. Although the Aerin brand was fully owned by Irene Lauder, its current scale was largely thanks to her efforts, and the support of the Lauder family played an important role too.
Standing on the shoulders of giants made success easier, and it wasn't just talk.
"But it'll be much better in the future," Irene said, having eaten very little. She put down her fork, picked up a napkin, and gently wiped her mouth before continuing, "The company has basically completed its layout in the major global markets, and in five years, I've formed a relatively mature team. I won't have to fly around so much anymore, and I'm sure I'll have more free time."
"Should I say congratulations?" Duke didn't eat much either.
Irene handed him a napkin, pointing at the corner of his mouth, then said, "With our relationship, no need for that."
"This side?" Duke took the napkin and wiped his mouth. "Where have your stores opened?"
"Several first-tier cities," Irene Lauder said. "Sales here aren't very good."
Duke rested his chin in one hand, thinking for a moment, then said, "My personal opinion is that you should prepare early. Irene, the market potential here is astounding. With over a billion people and rapid economic growth, there will definitely be huge demand for high-end products in the future."
"Hm, I'll have someone keep an eye on it." Irene looked at Duke. "Is that the reason you came over?"
They had known each other for more than ten years, and she understood Duke well. When he wasn't holding a camera, he was very similar to her, a businessman.
"You know me too well," Duke didn't deny it.
No matter the excuse, he came here for the same reason as in North America — to make money. Although they weren't making much yet, the future potential profits were immense.
After all, when the number of screens in this region exceeds 20,000, a global $500 million box office becomes just the entry threshold for blockbuster films. It would be hard to call a movie a massive hit if it doesn't make a billion dollars worldwide.
Even though the box office share for Hollywood imports was still 25%, after China's film group took taxes and promotional costs into account, that figure was basically pure profit.
Of course, the China Film Group wasn't a pushover, and its credibility wasn't much better than Hollywood's. There had been cases of delayed payments or even lawsuits with Hollywood companies.
"Do you know any popular actresses here?" Irene Lauder suddenly asked.
"No…" Duke shook his head. "What are you planning?"
Irene wasn't hiding anything and directly said, "I want to find the top ones to endorse my products."
"Go talk to the people at Warner," Duke stretched out his hand, "Give me a pen and your notepad."
Taking the pen and notepad Irene handed him, Duke opened his phone, checked, and left Phil's personal number.
"This is the head of Warner Bros. China. I'll give him a call when I get back."
Irene didn't hold back either and casually said, "Thanks then."
Duke smiled and shook his head. With Estée Lauder's reputation, as soon as Irene spread the word, the people lining up for this endorsement would likely fill Nanjing Road.
The two of them continued talking about work-related matters, and amidst their busy schedules, this casual conversation between old friends was undoubtedly a great way to relax.
Gradually, the topic shifted to Duke's personal life.
"Are you two still not talking?" Irene asked.
Duke was momentarily stunned. "We? Not talking?"
"You and Ivy," Irene reminded him. "Ever since the Oscars, the tabloids have been gossiping about problems between you two. Although you never brought it up, I always find out a little. Are you still separated?"
"We're still in a cold war," Duke sighed. "There are some things I don't want to compromise on, and she doesn't want to give in either."
Irene thought for a moment, then still advised him, "Darling, you're a man. You should have a bigger heart. This isn't like you."
Duke just replied, "It's about my mother and Scarlett."
"I see." Irene nodded and didn't say anything more. She knew how much Duke valued his mother.
Actually, the stalemate wasn't just about Lady Leah and Scarlett Johansson. During a board meeting at Instant Share, Duke had David, his agent, reject a round of financing, and there were subtle signs pointing toward Donald Trump behind this funding.
To be blunt, Donald Trump had made Duke a lot of money, and due to Ivanka, Duke kept making concessions. But human greed never ends, and Trump had obviously exerted some pressure on Ivanka. Just as Lady Leah was important to Duke, Ivanka also placed great importance on her father.
Even though Donald Trump was Ivanka's father, Duke couldn't tolerate this indefinitely. He wasn't going to let him share in the huge potential future profits of a company.
Duke had even considered inviting Ivanka back to the Duke Estate, but Trump's repeated actions raised concerns.
As much as Duke didn't want to admit it, he couldn't change the fact that their relationship was no longer just about the two of them.
Ivanka had issues with his mother, and Duke had concerns about Ivanka's father — that was the reality of the past few months.
Until now, they were still in a cold war. Duke had wanted to talk to Ivanka, but she had rejected him.
Duke decided to wait a while longer, hoping that both of them would cool down before discussing the future. Otherwise, discussing things with prejudices would only drive them further apart.
As an old friend, Irene still gave Duke one last piece of advice before they left. "Ivanka is a good girl. You should think of a way."
"I know," Duke said helplessly. "But Donald Trump... he's hard to deal with."
Irene didn't push the issue any further. "I'm leaving. See you after I return to North America
.....
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