Chapter 241: Indeed, the Daughter is Not Like the Father

Trump was rendered speechless by Martin's sharp reply.

Most frustratingly, the "strange wind" wouldn't dissipate, and he couldn't get his hair back in place, which kept ruining his usual authoritative aura.

Fortunately, Trump was adaptable and skilled at changing tactics. He quickly shifted from interrogation to persuasion.

"Martin, how about this? I'll buy your properties and real estate at a high price, adding… 2%, no, 4% to the original offer. What do you think?"

Martin was at a loss for words. He had seen shameless people, but this was next-level shamelessness.

After the disaster, property prices in Manhattan had plummeted, nearly halving, but they would bounce back, and by 2010, they would skyrocket. Even billionaires would have to think twice before buying here.

For Trump to be buying Manhattan real estate at this time clearly showed that he saw its future potential. His offer of a 4% increase was a joke—he wasn't sincere at all.

But of course, Trump was a businessman, so this kind of negotiation was normal for him.

Moreover, he had carefully cultivated his public persona as a "foolish, comedic businessman," which allowed him to drop his guard during business negotiations. After all, no one would take offense at a "fool."

In fact, to make this persona more believable, Trump had actively pursued acting and appeared in numerous comedic films such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Home Alone 2, The Little Rascals, and The Politician. His greatest "honor" was winning the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor.

He had also appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine in 1990 with model Brandi Brandt.

Trump never shied away from these experiences, even framing the Playboy cover and hanging it in his Trump Tower office. [TL/N: here >]

Not just acting, he also authored books such as The Art of Business, The End, Peak Survival, The Art of the Comeback, and Trump: How to Get Rich. While most of these books sold poorly, he still considered himself a best-selling author.

To Martin, stripping away Trump's exterior façade revealed a very pragmatic man.

The persona of the "foolish businessman" allowed him to be bolder in negotiations, even saying things that could offend others without fear of retribution. Who would hold a grudge against a fool?

So, Trump wasn't actually a fool; he was simply pretending to be one—a "pragmatic fool," in fact, to the extreme.

Martin smiled at Trump and said, "Sorry, I won't be selling my Manhattan properties. I'm not backing out of this competition, so let's see who can make it work."

As Martin spoke, Trump scrutinized him, trying to gauge how much resolve was in his words.

After a moment, Trump nodded, stopping his attempts to persuade and instead pushed his daughter Ivanka forward. "This is my eldest daughter Ivanka. She's a big fan of your Twilight series, although I think it's a ridiculous, woman-worshipping novel, far inferior to my own The End, Peak Survival. But would you mind signing her book?"

This was Trump at his most shameless, and it clearly showed.

Ivanka, on the other hand, seemed embarrassed. She was indeed a fan of Martin's, but seeing her father behave this way in front of her idol made her feel a little awkward.

Thankfully, Ivanka was strong-willed, or perhaps she had become used to her father's embarrassing behavior. She quickly adjusted and, with graceful poise, pulled out her copy of Twilight: New Moon from her bag and handed it to Martin.

Martin opened the book, flipping through it briefly. He noticed that there were even personal comments and reflections written inside, proving that Ivanka truly admired the story.

"Ms. Trump, do you have a pen?" he asked.

"You can call me Ivanka, and I can call you Martin, right? Oh, sorry, here's the pen!" she said, offering him a Parker pen.

"Of course, it's fine," Martin replied with a smile.

He took the pen and opened the book to the title page. Then, he wrote:

"Nothing can replace perseverance. Talent alone is insufficient; there are too many examples of talented people who didn't succeed. Talent without return is like an old saying. Education, though important, still isn't enough; the world is full of failures in education. But with perseverance, you can achieve anything. I hope dear Ivanka stays true to her beliefs and becomes the person she aspires to be. —Your friend, Martin Myers."

Ivanka's eyes lit up as she read Martin's words. The message resonated deeply with her, and she felt a strong connection to it.

This was exactly the kind of message Ivanka had always believed in and often spoken about publicly. It almost felt as if Martin had articulated the very thoughts she had long held in her heart.

"Thank you, Martin. This is beautifully written. From your words, I can see that you're not only talented but also someone with great perseverance!" Ivanka exclaimed.

She hesitated for a moment before looking at her father and finally made up her mind. "Martin, I... I'd like to invite you to dinner tomorrow. I just want to discuss writing with you. I've been writing some articles myself. Would that be okay?"

Ivanka was a little nervous—this was the first time in her life she had shown such interest in a man, well, a boy, this way.

Martin's gaze lingered on Ivanka's face for a moment before he replied, "I'm free tomorrow evening. I'd be happy to."

"Wow, that's great!" Ivanka said, her face lighting up with joy.

After father and daughter left, Donald Trump turned to Ivanka. "Ivanka, I thought you were just a fan, but you're a huge fan. Was it necessary to be so humble? We are the Trump family!"

"Dad, I just like Martin. His talent and charm are captivating. Please don't worry about it," Ivanka teased, wrinkling her nose.

"No, we are the—"

"Trump family, right?" Ivanka interrupted her father. "If you cared so much about the Trump family's reputation, you wouldn't have dressed up like a clown. And when you divorced mom, didn't you think about what it meant for the Trump family?"

"Uh... well…" Donald Trump was at a loss for words.

As expected, the daughter was no longer like the father!

Trump smoothed his hair.

Hmm, the wind had finally stopped?

He quickly fixed his hair.