Vol 2 Chapter 228: People are stupid and have a lot of money

Leaving the marina area, Duke drove the sports car to Beverly Hills. This Maserati sports car was bought some time ago. The sports car does not meet his aesthetics and needs, but according to Pani? Kelly's plan, during the entire promotional period of "Chicago," he and Catherine Zeta Jones will maintain a relatively high profile.
For the huge investment of US$25 million and to ensure that the commercial performance of "Chicago" is not too bad, Duke once again stood up as one of the promotional points, just like during "Independence Day."
Zeta Jones in the co-pilot was still thinking about the yacht, "When I just came out, I heard that Cruise had initialed an agreement with Sansk, don't you plan to talk to the Princess Company in person?"
"Don't worry, my dear." Duke stepped on the brake and stopped at the red light. "Even if the contract is signed now, it will take a long time for the yacht to be in place."
He didn't plan to talk in person, but wanted to let Tina Fey or Nancy Josephson's people come in contact with each other in the future. The yacht is very valuable, and both parties have room for bargaining.
Duke is not one of those Hollywood stars with big hands and no restraint. He comes from a standard business family and will not abandon actual interests for the sake of so-called face.
The car started again, Zeta Jones ≤←, looked at the time, and said, "The auction is going to night, shall we go to dinner first?"
"Yes." Duke had no objection.
In the evening there was a large auction in Beverly Hills, aimed at Hollywood celebrities, and a red carpet was specially set up in front of the Hilton Hotel. This occasion is the focus of the entertainment media. According to Penny Kellys Suggestions, Duke and Zeta Jones should also come to participate, at least to show up on the red carpet or buy a lot.
Maserati entered the range of Beverly Hills. Duke went directly to Mr. Zhou’s restaurant. Like the Planet Hollywood restaurant, this is a place where Hollywood stars often haunt. There is no shortage of paparazzi and entertainment reporters. He and Zeta Jones parked the car and entered the door for a short distance. More than ten times.
Create momentum for the movie. It is an arduous and systematic work, and it is also a necessary work. If there is no publicity or the publicity period is too short, the possibility of wanting to sell is infinitely low.
Mr. Zhou’s restaurant can be bigger and popular with Westerners. It can be imagined that its dishes range from selection of ingredients to cooking to meal sharing. In fact, it is only made with a little oriental style Chinese food, let alone this era, even in the past. Twenty years. Without Westernized foreign catering, it would be difficult to expand in this country.
In fact, this is also a common practice in the East and the West. Except for a very small number of people, the original food flows into the country of the other party. After most people eat it, how can it be considered a delicacy? Will appear?
As always, Duke and Zeta Jones ate very little dinner, and soon walked out of Mr. Zhou's restaurant. In the flash of paparazzi again, drove towards the Hilton Hotel.
The two did not go to the red carpet in front of the hotel's main entrance. The current dress is totally inappropriate for that occasion. Instead, I enter the hotel from the side door, come to the room reserved in advance on the 11th floor, put on the dress that Tina Fei had sent me this morning, and go downstairs to the front of the hotel , Stepped onto the red carpet of the auction.
Many celebrities attended this auction. You can see from the huge number of paparazzi hundreds of reporters on both sides of the red carpet. Duke walked across the red carpet in the flashlight holding Catherine Zeta Jones, and he also specially accepted interviews from several reporters. Avoid answering matters related to each other. Constantly mentioning the collaboration work "Chicago", and doing everything possible to promote new movies.
"These guys are really hard to deal with."
Entering the lobby of the Hilton Hotel, Duke let out a sigh of relief, "I will go crazy with this kind of thing several times."
Zeta Jones immediately complained, "Is it unbearable to be with me?"
"How come, dear." Duke took her to the auction room. "You know how much I like you."
"Yeah, I know." Zeta Jones followed Duke's footsteps, and the hand holding him deliberately increased a little bit. "You love me as much as I love you, right? "
Duke smiled non-committal and walked into the auction room with her.
The auction was carried out in the form of a dinner party. Dozens of tables were placed in a wide banquet hall. When Duke walked along the spacious passage between the tables, he suddenly found a familiar person. Walked over.
"Hi, Leo."
He turned to the other side and said hello, "When will you return to Los Angeles?"
"Hello, Duke."
When Leonardo DiCaprio saw Duke, he immediately stood up and greeted him. Duke introduced him and Catherine Zeta Jones. Leonardo couldn't help but wink his eyes and move towards him. Whispered, "Another one?"
"Where is your female companion?" Duke turned the subject directly, "Did you come by yourself?"
"With others, but not a woman." Leonardo just finished his voice, and a middle-aged Jewish man walked from behind Duke, "Duke, I didn't expect to meet you here."
"Hello, Eno."
The person who greeted him was Eno Martin, one of the giants of caa. Duke was interested when he saw him, and pointed to the two empty seats at the table, "Is anyone here?"
"I have to ask the organizer." Leonardo shrugged.
Zeta Jones immediately beckoned to the staff, and after a simple coordination, she and Duke changed seats and sat here.
"Leo has terminated the contract with William Morris."
After sitting down, Eno Martin took the initiative to say, "Now he has signed with me."
"Congratulations, Eno, for signing a Berlin Film Festival actor." Duke turned his head, "Do you need me to congratulate you on signing caa?"
"Duke, you know." Leonardo said with a smile, "I'm on your side."
Ino Martin also laughed, "We are all on one side, aren't we?"
Common interests and common enemies also contributed to their temporary alliance.
While waiting for the auction to begin, Duke asked about Leonardo’s new job,
Have you been to Baja California recently? How is the progress over there? When will you join the crew?

"The progress is very slow." Leonardo folded his arms and seemed helpless. "I just visited half a month ago and talked with the director and producer Cameron. The specific start time of the film has not yet been determined."
"Not yet decided?" Duke asked curiously, "Almost two years of preparations?"
"do not you know?"
Ino Martin, who spoke this time, said,
It’s circulated in the circle now. Twentieth Century Fox and Paramount Pictures have invested more than $100 million in Cameron’s project, but he still pursues With Fox's request for increased investment, Fox has just invested heavily in the sequel to "Life and Death". Funding seems very difficult, and Paramount Pictures no longer trust Cameron."
Duke nodded, "So that's how it is."
Twentieth Century Fox financial difficulties? They haven't paid him the share of "Saving Private Ryan". The contract deadline is the end of June. It seems that there is a chance to intervene?
Two years have passed since the preparation of the film. In this case, the investment payback period is much shorter than before. The most important thing is that he now has enough funds on hand, and that money is temporarily in Fox's hands.
This is not the occasion to consider these issues. Duke flashed this idea in his mind and returned to the auction.
The auction started very quickly. The auctions were mainly artworks and luxury brand jewelry. Obviously, they were aimed at Hollywood's rich and arty celebrities, and the first ones were the most hyped famous paintings.
"$500,000!"
"700,000 dollars!"
"1.5 million dollars!"
This is an oil painting that Duke has never heard of even the author. After the organizer's efforts, the new upstart Will Smith was paid a high price of 1.5 million US dollars.
The next few famous paintings. The prices were not low, but Duke and Ino Martin didn't mean to sell.
The origins of the two determine that they can see many places that Hollywood people can't see, such as behind the art auctions, especially the so-called famous paintings.
Auction houses, collectors, and some companies have joined forces to speculate the market and speculate high prices for the works of painters with little real value. Attract the newly emerging upstarts into the industry, and then harvest the wool...
And Hollywood stars who are rich and stupid and like to use foreign objects to improve their style are their favorite customers. Once they become accustomed to famous paintings, they are even more terrifying than gambling addiction. A lot of money will soon be lost. When they want to realize the famous paintings in their hands and find a picker, they will find out how high the actual value of these paintings is.
Of course, Western collectors and auction houses like to pit the richest people in the newly emerging countries.
Duke heard from his mother that in the 1980s, when Tokyo’s land prices could buy the entire United States, Japanese companies continued to buy art pieces speculated in Europe and the United States at sky-high prices. After the economic bubble burst, in recent years Japan People always want to sell these things, of which very few can be realized.
In fact, like the mentality of the Japanese, most Hollywood stars get up from the bottom. When they are rich, they tend to forget about it. They especially like to pretend to be a certain kind, and the consequence of pretending too much is to be slaughtered as fat sheep.
There are also high-priced jewellery from luxury brands. They often co-star celebrities, and the nuances are not less than that of Hollywood.
However, this kind of thing is willing to fight and suffer, and the others can't say anything.
When the auction was over, Duke and Zeta Jones had no intention of leaving the auction room. They took the elevator to the room upstairs. It was not the first time between the two. This temporary relationship sometimes happened. Have more in-depth exchanges.
Zeta Jones hasn't lost his figure yet, it is the most beautiful and time, and she always changes tricks to please Duke, and sometimes uses some incredible methods and postures to show good dancing skills, many Time can make people want to stop.
After relaxing, he thought about the auction and decided to give it a try. (To be continued...)