Duke had no idea how Google developed in its early days, who invested in the two relatively poor students, or how much equity they gained from it. After all, even in an era where the internet had already become globally transformative, unless one was a person with particular interest, who would spend their time researching this? What Duke knew about Google was its later status as one of the largest internet companies in the world.
Although he couldn't remember whether Tina Fey and David's negotiations had involved Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the founders of Google, he did remember that for a small sum of $2 million, he had gained a 30% stake. Such a risk was worth taking; even though financing in the future would dilute the shares, as long as it really was Google, it was still a guaranteed profitable venture.
Furthermore, according to the agreement, he could continue investing in the future.
"The company name has already been decided. Those two founders had thought of it long ago."
Under a beach umbrella, Tina Fey, who had just flown from Los Angeles to Wellington, lay on a beach chair next to Duke. She briefly introduced the negotiation process and said, "It's called Google."
Hearing the name, Duke nodded. It seemed they weren't mistaken.
Tina Fey turned to look at Duke. "You seem tired."
"Work from two sets in the past few days piled up; I've been pretty busy."
Trying to relax on the beach chair, Duke avoided thinking about his work for The Lord of the Rings. " The Cirtical Emergency has been wrapped up, and I'll rest for a few days now that you're back. I'll have a bit more peace."
Tina Fey, though rolling her eyes, actually felt a slight sense of joy. When a world-famous director like Duke made her feel important, it was a sign she truly was.
"Did your flight get delayed again?" Duke asked.
Tina Fey sighed helplessly. "Flights everywhere are like that."
After a moment's thought, Duke turned to her. "Have Nancy or David find a suitable private jet vendor to place an order."
In recent years, Duke had frequently traveled, and with his residence in Los Angeles and his mother in New York, having a private jet would certainly be convenient. Given his current wealth and how fast he was making money, maintaining a private jet was a trivial matter.
After discussing the private jet matter, Tina Fey shifted the conversation back to the film. "The Matrix has been pulled from the global market. Jeff Robinov wants to know when the sequel can be prepared."
"Let Warner know that the Duke Studio's editorial team is already working on the sequel script."
As for the Matrix sequel, Duke had already planned ahead. "After filming the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Zack will move on to the Matrix sequel."
The Lord of the Rings trilogy was such a massive fantasy epic that it required too many shots. Duke needed experienced assistant directors with styles similar to his own. Not only would Duke oversee preparations, but during filming, Zack Schneider and Anna Prinz would each have their own teams. They would take on a significant portion of the shooting tasks.
"Hey, Tina. Hey, Duke."
The party on the beach continued, and Liam Neeson walked over. "It's pretty quiet over here."
Tina Fey greeted Liam Neeson, took off her white long T-shirt, and said to Duke, "I'm going for a swim in the sea."
Having spent so much time with Duke, Tina Fey knew exactly when to do what.
"Make yourself comfortable, Liam."
Duke pointed to a white plastic chair next to him, adjusted his beach chair slightly, and moved in the other direction. He reached into a cooler on the table, grabbed a beer, and handed it to him. "Didn't join the revelry? Something up?"
"At my age, I prefer a quieter environment."
Opening the beer, Liam Neeson took a big gulp. "Nothing important. I heard The Matrix has been pulled, so I came over to congratulate you."
Duke grabbed another beer, moved a plastic chair, and sat across from Liam Neeson. "No need for that."
"It's not just being polite," Liam Neeson chuckled. "It's envy. This year, The Matrix will likely be the North American and global box-office champion again."
At this point, Liam Neeson really felt something. The Matrix had a North American box office of $327.58 million and a global box office of $665.87 million, breaking the previous R-rated North American and global box office records that Duke had held. With most of the major releases for the year already out, The Matrix was certain to take the title.
"You're not even thirty yet, Duke."
Looking over, Liam Neeson clinked his beer can with Duke's and took another long sip. "And you've already won three box-office crowns."
1994's Independence Day, 1995's Saving Private Ryan, and this year's The Matrix—these three box-office champions didn't seem like much. But Liam Neeson still found it astonishing because, in total, Duke had only had six films released!
If he recalled correctly, the other three films—Speed, The Rock, and Chicago—also all made it into the North American top ten annual box-office rankings!
How many directors in Hollywood could achieve that?
Liam Neeson's purpose in coming over was clear: to flatter Duke. Not long after he left, another major actor walked over.
Gerard Butler had generally performed well in his role, and Duke had decided to keep casting him. Since Sean Bean had declined the role of Boromir due to scheduling issues, Gerard Butler would join the training for the Lord of the Rings Fellowship after a short break.
"Duke, I just wanted to express my gratitude." Gerard Butler didn't say much, leaving only these words. "Thank you for giving me these two opportunities. If you need anything in the future…"
He made a gesture as if to make a phone call, then smiled and excused himself.
"Hey, Duke."
A little girl holding balloons came over.
"Hey, Ellen."
Duke lightly rubbed his forehead after glancing at Ellen Page. The little girl walked up and suddenly extended her hand toward him. "This is for you."
"For me?" Duke extended his hand, curious. "What is it?"
"You gave me a lot of direction and help during filming."
The little girl tilted her head and said very seriously, "So I wanted to give you a gift I personally prepared."
As she spoke, she placed a small shell, about an inch in size, into Duke's hand. "This is something my mom and I found at the beach. I asked the props team on The Lord of the Rings crew to help me turn it into what it is now. Isn't it pretty?"
"Thank you."
Duke held the shell up to the sunlight. The shell's colors were vibrant, and its surface was smooth and bright, clearly processed at least minimally. "It's very beautiful. I really like your gift."
"Take good care of it, okay?" Ellen Page reminded him.
"I will treasure it properly." Duke nodded seriously.
Ellen Page smiled sweetly and waved her hand. "I'm going to play by the beach now. See you, Duke."
In the distance, music from the ongoing party could be heard. The crew's wrap party would likely turn into a wild celebration. If Duke had been younger and full of energy, he would definitely have gone over to join in and perhaps find someone to connect with.
Perhaps it was the exhaustion from working on both The Lord of the Rings trilogy and filming another movie at the same time, or perhaps it was the growing age and changing mindset—either way, Duke just wanted to stay here quietly, rest well, and be as far away from the noise as possible.
He was indeed tired.
Slipping on a pair of dark sunglasses, Duke lay back in his beach chair, slowly closing his eyes. He decided not to think about Hollywood's fame and fortune, not to think about the alluring women, and not to think about the work he had completed or still had ahead. He just let his thoughts drift, carried by the gentle sea breeze, floating toward the azure sky, the white clouds, and home in New York…
Duke fell asleep, dreaming of returning home.
Around mid-afternoon, Tina Fey woke him up. He shook his head groggily and accepted the damp towel she handed him, wiping his face to help him feel more awake.
"Tina, give me the satellite phone."
After getting the satellite phone, Duke dialed the number for New York. As usual, the person who answered wasn't his mother, but one of her assistants. Duke briefly spoke with her, confirming his mother's holiday schedule before hanging up.
Looking over at the ongoing party, Duke still couldn't muster any interest. He stood up, put on a T-shirt, and slipped into a pair of sandals.
"We're leaving," he told Tina Fey.
Of course, someone would come to clean up. Tina Fey grabbed her bag, and Duke, with a backpack on his back, walked with her toward the parking lot outside the beach.
As they walked, Duke spoke to Tina Fey. "I need to take a long break. Let Charles know that the work for The Lord of the Rings will temporarily be his and Zack's responsibility. Contact me through video calls for anything important."
Reaching the car, Duke opened the passenger door. "I'm a bit tired, Tina. You drive."
As the car pulled onto the road, Duke added, "I'll be spending Christmas and New Year in New York. Tell Mike Dawson that The Critical Emergency's post-editing can wait until after the New Year."
.....
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