The real estate industry was undoubtedly the core of the entire Trump Group. It wouldn't take long before this industry would encounter a massive crisis, and Donald Trump's days would not be easy. The real estate sector across the United States would then enter a relatively sluggish phase of development.
This wasn't merely a consequence of capital's pursuit of profit; it was also due to the federal government placing too much hope on this industry to drive economic growth. Countless past examples in North America, Japan, and Europe had already proven the disastrous consequences of making real estate the pillar industry.
Just think about Tokyo once upon a time—a single city's land value could practically buy up all the land in the U.S.…
From the moment the federal government pushed forward the development of real estate and began squeezing every drop of wealth from the middle class, the subprime mortgage crisis had already become inevitable.
Duke wasn't a generous person. Of course, he wanted to see Donald Trump suffer. If necessary, he could even give him a little push from behind.
The conflict of interest between them in Instant Share was simply irreconcilable.
"Where are we going next?"
After getting into a black Bentley, Irene Lauder checked her watch. "Shall we go have dinner together?"
"Sure." Duke nodded.
Irene Lauder softly instructed the driver, then dialed a number to make a reservation. The car slowly headed toward Fifth Avenue.
"You haven't had a more detailed conversation with Ivanka?" she suddenly asked with interest.
Duke withdrew his gaze from the window and slowly shook his head. "There's no need to talk anymore."
His investment agent David had already reached a preliminary agreement with Larry Page and Sergey Brin. It wouldn't be long before Google would acquire the shares held by him and several other stakeholders through a stock-swap deal, thereby gaining control of Instant Share and completing a massive puzzle in the internet industry.
Although it had never brought in any actual profits, Instant Share was already the best social networking site in the U.S., and its online video business was thriving. These were exactly what Google valued.
Therefore, Google wasn't interested in YouTube, which had been severely suppressed by Instant Share's business. Instead, it chose to acquire Instant Share outright.
As for him and Ivanka, the conflict originated from the clash between two interest groups. Naturally, after their breakup, it was impossible for them to remain ordinary friends.
The conflict between Duke and Donald Trump wasn't merely a personal matter. Anyone who reached Duke's level would inevitably attract a large group of people around them. In reality, he had already become a representative of an interest group.
The same went for Irene Lauder. To become a super-rich individual, one must have a closely tied team of aligned interests around them.
The two of them walked into a Michelin three-star restaurant on Fifth Avenue. The Lauder family name still carried significant weight. Although this restaurant usually required reservations days in advance, Irene Lauder easily secured a window-side seat with just one phone call.
"My cousin is a major shareholder of this restaurant."
After sitting down, Irene Lauder said to Duke, "Otherwise, even my call wouldn't work."
Although this wasn't a society built on personal connections, relationships still played a role. This was an essential part of human society.
"Looks like I need to invest in a few famous restaurants too." Duke joked, "That way, when dining with friends, I wouldn't even need a reservation. Wouldn't that be impressive?"
"How many friends do you have?" Irene Lauder knew Duke's circle of friends could be counted on two hands and teased, "Or are you thinking of returning to your old lifestyle and planning to invite some pretty Hollywood starlet?"
Duke shook his head. "I'm tired of that kind of life."
He changed the topic, "I heard your cosmetics brand's performance doubled last year?"
"Yeah."
Just then, the dishes they ordered were brought over by the waiter. After all the food was served, Irene Lauder continued, "I've been actively expanding business across the Pacific over the past few years. The market capacity and growth there are indeed astonishing. The company's rapid growth owes a lot to sales over there."
"Aren't you guys also discussing the Warner-Fox Grand World project?" she asked.
"It's basically settled." Duke picked up his knife and fork, enjoying his veal while chatting, "The formal contract will probably be signed in the second half of the year."
"Compared to your investment," Irene picked up a mushroom with her fork and said before eating it, "my cosmetics business is just a small operation."
"Darling," Duke reminded her, "I think you've forgotten—the investor is the Time Warner News Group."
"Aren't you a major shareholder and executive director of Time Warner?" Irene Lauder put down her fork and raised her wine glass to Duke in a gesture, "The entire investment plan came from your proposal."
"That's because the investment serves both my interests and the needs of Warner and News Group." Duke took a sip from his wine glass. "You know, that market is just too tempting."
Who wouldn't envy that yet-undeveloped market? How many world-class companies had made expansion there a priority? And how many struggling corporations viewed it as their lifeline?
Take Iron Man for example. Its quick release across the Pacific had already shown its powerful potential.
In just the three-day weekend, the film took in 50 million RMB from over there, making it the undisputed ruler of the May release window. As of now, Iron Man had been in theaters there for nearly ten days, and its box office had already surpassed 100 million RMB, with the final figure very likely to reach as high as 200 million RMB.
Even though converted to U.S. dollars it was just about the same as the film's best single-day box office in North America, looking at the performance of imported films this past year, it wasn't hard to see the rapid growth of the market across the Pacific its growth rate even exceeded 30%.
At most in two or three years, this film market would inevitably erupt with achievements that would attract the attention of the entire world.
Duke and Irene Lauder chatted as they ate, with the conversation shifting from business to gossip, and then from gossip to personal life.
"When will Scar become a superstar?" Irene asked with concern.
"It'll take some time, I suppose." Duke found it a bit strange. "Why are you so interested in Scar's career?"
Irene shrugged. "My brand has signed a long-term endorsement contract with Scar. The more famous she becomes, the better it is for me."
"Very soon," Duke replied.
There was no doubt that Scarlett Johansson already had a certain level of fame, but the role that truly launched her onto the global stage was that of agent Natasha Romanoff.
Unlike the previous portrayal of Black Widow, in the new Marvel series, Natasha Romanoff played a much more significant role—one could even say she was a key figure.
For example, the script for Captain America had already been finalized. In this film, the main story would be told from Natasha Romanoff's memories, and Scarlett would also portray the young version of Black Widow, fighting alongside Captain Steve Rogers and the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes.
After dinner, the two didn't linger long on Fifth Avenue and returned directly to the Upper East Side. Duke was back home before ten o'clock.
Once home, he knocked on the study door and pushed it open to walk in.
"Mom, you're still working?" Duke saw his mother sitting behind the desk reading documents.
Mrs. Leah looked up at him. "These are documents just sent over from the European branch. I'll be done soon."
Walking over to the desk, Duke picked up her coffee cup, poured the remaining cold coffee into the trash, and replaced it with a glass of water. Knowing he couldn't persuade her to stop, he simply sat down on the other side of the desk to keep her company.
In fact, over the past few years, Mrs. Leah had gradually handed most of her work over to professional managers. However, the company had grown to its current scale thanks to her endless dedication it was impossible to fully let go.
Moreover, professional managers like Michael Eisner were certainly not rare in North America, but giving them full authority wasn't a wise choice either.
Soon, Mrs. Leah put down the documents, took a sip of water, then stood up, gently rubbing her forehead with one hand.
No matter how good her health was or how carefully she maintained it, she was now nearly sixty years old. No one could fight against the natural laws of time. The so-called legend of eternal youth was nothing more than a myth.
Duke walked over and supported his mother's arm. "Mom, shouldn't you consider retiring?"
But Mrs. Leah pulled her arm away. "Do I look that old?"
Retracting his hand, Duke gave a helpless smile. "Of course not."
Talking to any woman about age was undoubtedly a very wrong move.
"Where's Scar?"
Walking out of the study first, Mrs. Leah turned back and asked, "Why didn't she return to New York with you?"
"She went with Robert Downey Jr. to Australia for promotions."
Seeing his mother sit on the sofa, Duke quickly walked over and tucked a cushion behind her back. "Next, they'll head to East Asia. At the earliest, she won't return to North America until next month."
Mrs. Leah suddenly sighed. "I originally hoped to train Scar to take over St. Fia, but like you, she's far more interested in film than business."
"Just hand it over to the professional managers," Duke sat beside his mother. "We just need to do proper oversight."
"I heard Victoria's Secret is about to raise funds and expand again." Mrs. Leah changed the subject. "If you still have capital on hand, I suggest you continue investing. Women's products never go out of style."
"Got it," Duke nodded slightly.
In recent years, work had kept him busy. Apart from occasionally using Victoria's Secret Angels as eye candy in films, Duke rarely got involved in the brand's operations and was content just being a shareholder.
However, Victoria's Secret's business had grown rapidly, and his investment back then had not only preserved capital but also brought in large dividends every year.
After spending a week in New York, Duke returned to Los Angeles. Iron Man had already begun cooling down in North America.