Chapter 244: Quite Idle

[Chapter 244: Quite Idle]

Under the impact of the Great Recession, Donald Trump's assets rapidly dwindled. In just a little over two years, his fortune had collapsed from a peak of $1.7 billion to a mere $500 million.

If it were just that, it wouldn't have been too troubling, especially since many real estate companies were experiencing significant losses during this time.

However, before the recession began, Donald was at the height of his career, brimming with confidence and expanding his real estate empire to unprecedented levels. Consequently, he had borrowed hundreds of millions from major banks and financial institutions. After the Great Recession hit, his property business faced substantial losses, bringing his financial stability to the brink of collapse and leaving him on the verge of bankruptcy.

Although Donald managed to persuade a few banks to defer the high interest payments on his loans through his connections, he couldn't secure a penny from any institution. Without funds, his real estate company couldn't operate normally and remained in a state of limbo.

A few days earlier, Donald stumbled upon an article about Eric in a newspaper. The piece marvelously detailed Eric's incredible rise and predicted that with the films released by Firefly Films that year, he could conservatively make a net profit of $400 million.

After reading the article several times, Donald began to plot. He knew that even large conglomerates worth hundreds of billions generally didn't have $200 million in cash. If he could get some of that from Firefly, even half would be enough to steer him clear of bankruptcy.

Donald Trump possessed a trait common among shrewd businessmen -- he excelled at seizing every opportunity. He never pondered the likelihood of success; in his mind, there were only two outcomes: success and failure. If he didn't try, failure was the only certainty.

After solidifying his decision, he immediately contacted a detective agency to gather extensive information about Eric. In his research, he discovered Eric's acquisition of Pixar, which had always been a thorn in Steve Jobs's side. The studio had constantly lost money since its purchase. Earlier that year, however, Eric acquired it for $20 million. His gathered information indicated that Pixar's losses were anticipated to exceed $10 million that year, and the evaluations of Eric's purchase were quite low, even labeling it "foolish."

But this was exactly what Donald wanted to see. He felt that although this young man was extraordinarily talented in film, he probably lacked business acumen, or at least seemed to outside the realm of movies. If that was the case, it was perfect for Donald.

Initially, Donald planned to head directly to Seattle, but then he learned that Eric had taken the crew to New York, his stronghold. Since it would be challenging to contact an intermediary for an introduction and Eric was busy with filming, Donald decided to take the initiative to approach him directly. He had even analyzed Eric's character, thinking that, given his early fame, Eric surely possessed the pride and vanity common among young people. To cater to this mindset, Donald arrived two hours early and made sure the crew knew he was in town.

At that moment, watching the 19-year-old with a hint of stubble still looking somewhat youthful, he felt a pang of envy. Investment firms had already estimated that after merging with New Line, the valuation of Firefly Films had surpassed $1 billion. Based on percentages, this young man's worth was already twice his current amount, and he achieved all this in just one year.

But it wasn't a time for reflection. Donald quickly organized the points he had planned to address in his mind and was just about to speak when Eric chimed in first.

...

"Mr. Trump, are you a fan of mine?"

Donald Trump paused, instinctively wanting to nod, but then decided to be honest. "No, I'm not, but I truly enjoyed your film, Running Out of Time. When the videotape comes out, I'll definitely buy a copy to keep."

"Oh, thank you," Eric replied politely, nodding slightly. He didn't say anything more as he watched the waiter bring their lunch and pour wine for the two of them, yet he quietly pondered Donald's unexpected visit. Eric could tell that there must be a reason behind it, but he couldn't wrap his head around what Donald wanted.

Could it be that he wanted to do a cameo in one of Eric's films? Remembering Donald's propensity to blend into the entertainment industry, Eric couldn't help but find it plausible. However, he certainly knew that there was no room for that in Sleepless in Seattle. Did he want a role in Home Alone 2?

Just as Eric attempted to dismiss that "ridiculous" thought, he suddenly looked up and scrutinized Donald a little more closely.

What the heck!

Eric muttered silently, wondering if it could be this coincidental. Just as he had the thought, memory kicked in and he recalled that Donald indeed made a cameo in that family-friendly film.

Around the twenty-minute mark, when Kevin inadvertently arrived in New York and checked into the Plaza Hotel near Central Park, Donald had played a fleeting role as a passerby who give the little guy directions, with a line and a brief shot on screen.

Eric had known there was a character like that, but during the past hectic weeks, he hadn't paid any attention to those minor roles, leaving it all to the casting director. Roles like the one Donald played often didn't even require the actor to be pre-identified; usually, they just grabbed an extra on set or picked someone from the crew.

So Eric had never thought of the identity of that character; if it weren't for the fact that Donald Trump was sitting right in front of him, he'd probably never have recalled it.

After thinking for a few moments, Eric decided that a cameo as a nameless character with a single line held no significance whatsoever. He could only say that this New York real estate mogul sure had a lot of time on his hands.

*****

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