Director in Hollywood

While Gilbert was on vacation in New Zealand, far away in Los Angeles, at Michael Eisner's luxurious villa, Robert Iger was waiting.

A private doctor was conducting a check-up on Michael Eisner. After finishing, the doctor packed up his things with a grave expression.

Michael Eisner's wife hurriedly asked, "Doctor, how is he?"

The private doctor shook his head and said, "The situation is not very optimistic. Mr. Eisner has undergone several surgeries but hasn't had adequate rest, which has prevented his health from improving.

Now, due to his busy work schedule and fluctuating emotions, his condition is showing signs of worsening. If he doesn't start resting properly, I fear his life may be at risk."

"It's that serious?" Mrs. Eisner was stunned. She added, "I've tried to persuade him to rest, but he just won't listen!"

"Do your best to convince him," the private doctor advised. "Ensuring sufficient rest can lead to gradual improvement in the future."

"Thank you," Mrs. Eisner said gratefully. She then turned to Robert Iger and said, "Bob, could you please see Dr. Steve out?"

Robert Iger walked Dr. Steve to the door. At the entrance, he quietly asked, "Is Mr. Eisner's condition really this severe?"

"It is," Dr. Steve confirmed. "I'm not exaggerating. If he continues to overwork himself, I can't guarantee what might happen."

"Understood, thank you..."

After seeing the doctor off, Robert Iger returned to Michael Eisner's bedroom.

The once-dominant leader of Disney now seemed to have aged decades, lying on the bed with an oxygen mask, frail and feeble.

Seeing his old boss in such a state, Robert Iger couldn't help but feel a bit saddened.

Just yesterday, Michael Eisner had suddenly collapsed in his office. He was then secretly escorted home by his assistants, who called Dr. Steve for treatment.

For now, the company remained unaware of Michael Eisner's condition. If the news got out, it would undoubtedly cause a huge uproar.

However, if Michael Eisner didn't recover soon, the truth couldn't be hidden for much longer.

A chairman with poor health would give the opposing board members a perfect reason to initiate a vote for his removal, citing health concerns.

Robert Iger pondered how to placate the board members while waiting for Michael Eisner's return.

Yet, deep down, a faint voice urged him to reveal the news, letting Michael Eisner step down to focus on his recovery.

If Michael Eisner didn't step down, how could Robert Iger rise to power?

At this moment, Gilbert would have been helpful. He could have offered the perfect advice, helping Robert Iger make a decisive choice.

Unaware of Michael Eisner's collapse, Gilbert was in New Zealand, enjoying his vacation with Cameron Diaz. They had just met up with Noriko Sakai and her two friends, who had arrived from Japan, and were exploring various scenic spots together.

"This is delicious, Shizuka, come and try it..." Noriko Sakai spread strawberry cream onto a pastry and ate it with great relish.

Hearing this, Shizuka Kudo also knelt beside Gilbert, joining Noriko Sakai in savoring the treat.

Meanwhile, Gilbert's hands were occupied as well—he was holding Norika Fujiwara and Cameron Diaz in each arm, thoroughly enjoying the carefree life.

This time, Noriko Sakai wasn't just treated as a comforting presence. Seeing her sincerity, Gilbert had decided to take things further.

Of course, a few days later, while Gilbert was taking a bath with Cameron Diaz, Noriko Sakai barged in with Shizuka Kudo and Norika Fujiwara, offering to assist the two with their bath.

After the bath, an indescribable forty-thousand-word story unfolded.

Cameron Diaz, having already indulged in such activities with other women and Gilbert before, was no stranger to this. As for the three Japanese stars, coming from a country with a thriving entertainment industry, they had seen and tried it all.

As a result, there was no awkwardness or hesitation. Instead, they all thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

It was fortunate that Gilbert was exceptionally capable, a trait inherited from the prestigious Landrini family. Otherwise, handling this situation would have been quite overwhelming.

Living such a life, it was easy to lose oneself in pleasure.

No wonder ancient kings often became indulgent and reckless. If Gilbert, with merely seven or eight women, was already lost in bliss, how much more so would an emperor with three thousand concubines?

This made it clear that ancient kings who earned the title of "enlightened rulers" were truly exceptional individuals. It required extraordinary willpower and determination to resist the allure of pleasure and focus on governing.

If conservative traditionalists were to see Gilbert's lifestyle, they would undoubtedly react with disdain.

This was understandable. Traditional conservatism wasn't inherently negative, nor was open-mindedness inherently wrong.

In this regard, the Hollywood entertainment industry differed significantly from its Chinese counterpart. Hollywood was generally more indifferent to such matters.

Even if Gilbert hosted extravagant parties, the media and fans would mostly treat it with humor, discussing which famous actresses attended and whether other male stars were involved.

However, Gilbert wasn't as excessive as some. He didn't throw lavish pool parties with blonde models like Nicolas Cage or attend masquerade and nude parties like Leonardo DiCaprio.

Compared to most Hollywood directors and stars, Gilbert could even be considered a gentleman. Indeed, comparison often revealed stark differences.

If Gilbert's behavior were exposed in China, he might face backlash severe enough to force him out of the industry.

But such incidents wouldn't occur for decades. Currently, Chinese entertainment media was controlled by powerful figures who ensured certain matters remained hidden.

Without exposure, the public would never know the truth about the glamorous yet private lives of celebrities.

In other words, stars were still distanced from the public, maintaining an air of exclusivity.

However, in the era of social media and mobile internet, everything would eventually come to light. The days of maintaining an untouchable image would end, and celebrities would have to adopt new strategies to attract attention.

That said, this seemed irrelevant to Gilbert. It wasn't as if Chinese fans would boycott his films solely because of his lifestyle.

Unless… Gilbert ended up with someone's idolized goddess, then perhaps there would be consequences.

While Gilbert indulged in pleasure in New Zealand, Kane Waxman faced unexpected difficulties negotiating with the local authorities.

The issue arose after an initial cooperation agreement was reached. Wellington's city government began searching for land to allocate to the film crew for construction.

Initially, the city government approved the deal with a simple signature from Kane, completing the land allocation process.

Unexpectedly, soon after the approval, a dozen locals claiming to be the landowners emerged, arguing that the city had finalized the deal without consulting them, rendering the agreement invalid.

Kane thought this would be a simple matter—just negotiate further and compensate the landowners. With such a significant investment, surely they wouldn't quibble over some extra money.

But it wasn't that simple. Two major issues arose.

First, the landowners demanded exorbitant compensation, refusing to budge from their high asking price.

Second, the New Zealand authorities wanted the construction to be permanent, allowing the site to become a long-term tourist attraction.

This gave the landowners even more leverage to demand higher prices, significantly driving up land acquisition costs. Meanwhile, Wellington's city government and the New Zealand authorities only offered to cover 30% of the costs, promising loans through the National Bank of New Zealand for the rest.

The sudden complications left Kane at a loss. He immediately called Gilbert for help.

Upon hearing the details, Gilbert returned to Wellington to meet Kane.

"The situation has become more complicated, Gilbert," Kane said with a worried expression.

"What do you mean? Did something else happen?" Gilbert asked.

"Wellington's city government initially agreed to build a road for the crew, but the proposal was rejected by the city council," Kane explained.

"Rejected? What's the reason?" Gilbert asked in surprise.

"The reason is environmental concerns. New Zealand places great importance on preserving its natural landscapes. The road construction would cross several parks and scenic spots," Kane said.

"Can't they build around those areas?" Gilbert asked.

Kane shook his head. "That's also not feasible due to budget issues. Wellington's city government lacks the funds and wants the national authorities to step in.

However, the national authorities are asking us to cover part of the costs."

"So they're essentially asking us to pay for a road they want built?"

"Exactly. And most of the land acquisition costs would also fall on us, as the site is meant to be a permanent attraction for New Zealand."

"???" Gilbert was dumbfounded. "Are they out of their minds? Do they think we can't shoot the film elsewhere?"

"I'm not sure what changed, but I'll leave it to you to find out," Kane said helplessly.

"I'll ask someone I know," Gilbert said, picking up the phone to call Peter Jackson for insight into the situation.