章 262: Chapter 262: This One Is for You
[Chapter 262: This One Is for You]
Donald heard Eric's words and a spark of inspiration flickered in his mind, but he couldn't quite grasp it. He quickly asked, "Eric, what do you mean?"
Eric replied, "I'm saying your approach to financing is all wrong. In the data I had collected, your projects are backed by over a billion dollars from banks alone, not to mention other investors. If your projects stall, the banks will take the biggest hit. So, you should be persuading banks to keep funding you, rather than futilely trying to bring in other investors now."
Upon hearing this, Donald Trump felt a surge of excitement and almost jumped up, while at the same time wanting to slap himself. It wasn't like he hadn't thought about this before; after all, he had done everything he could to persuade the banks to agree to delay his hefty annual interest payments. However, after the banks had agreed to postpone payment, Donald felt satisfied and, after many rejections from banks, he changed his financing direction. Now, having taken the wrong step, he had wasted several months.
"Eric, I truly don't know how to thank you," Donald said, giving Eric's shoulder a couple of firm pats as he casually handed the little girl sitting on his lap over to Eric. "This one is for you."
Eric stood there, surprised, as he clumsily caught the little girl who was stunned by her father's sudden action. He thought to himself that this was too precious; taking care of her would be a hassle, but all he could do was look, not touch... well, okay then.
But Donald immediately said, "Eric, I'm sorry, but I have to get back to the office right away to gather the staff to discuss this matter. I've wasted four months already. Oh my God, four whole months! I can't afford to waste another minute. So, could you take Ivanka to her mother?"
Eric nodded quickly in agreement.
Once Donald saw Eric nod, he turned on his heel and left without looking back. Moments later, the empty hall was left with just Eric and the little girl in his arms.
...
Watching the sliding door that had just stopped moving, Eric turned his attention back to Ivanka, pinching her cheek playfully as he joked, "Hey, Ivanka, did you hear that? Your dad just gave you to me. Let's go back to Los Angeles!"
Eric's playful pinch startled Ivanka awake, who tightened her little fists and pounded on Eric's arm a few times, fuming, "Hey, that's so mean! I told you not to pinch my face!" After she said this, she wriggled free from Eric's hold and sat off to the side, still glaring furiously at him.
The little tyke's punches had no strength behind them, and Eric just chuckled, "Alright, Ivanka, let's go find your mom."
Ivanka instinctively wanted to nod but suddenly remembered something. "Um, Eric, I still have something to discuss with you!"
Eric became interested, asking, "What is it? Tell me!"
"I just started learning acting and even joined the drama club at school. Everyone says I'm progressing really quickly." Seemingly proud of her achievement, the little girl's cheeks flushed as she added, "Eric, my dad always says you're a great director. How about letting me act in your movie?"
"Oh, that's not so easy," Eric said, elongating his voice. "My movies are highly sought-after, and if you won't even let me pinch your cheek, why would I agree to this?"
Ivanka, of course, couldn't tell Eric was joking. She widened her eyes and glared at him angrily for a few seconds. When she saw that Eric showed no sign of backing down, she hesitated for a moment, seemingly making a big decision. She shut her eyes tightly, leaned her face closer to Eric, and said in a voice that suggested she was willing to sacrifice, "Just one pinch, and don't use too much strength."
Looking at Ivanka's rosy cheeks, a wave of guilt washed over Eric. He raised his hand, then put it back down, surrendering. "Alright, no pinching. I'll just agree to it."
Hearing that she wouldn't have to endure this 'torture,' Ivanka wasted no time being polite with him. She jumped aside and said sweetly, "You just promised! No take-backs."
"Of course," Eric nodded. "But, Ivanka, if you want to act in my movie, you need your parents' permission."
Ivanka promptly rolled her eyes at Eric. "You really are clueless. If they didn't want me to, why would they send me to acting class?"
Eric thought about it, and she was right. In his past life, Donald Trump didn't oppose his daughter running off to be a model at 16, so acting was certainly not off the table. The modeling world was way more chaotic than Hollywood.
However, right after realizing this, Ivanka turned around and mocked him, which seemed a bit much for a little girl!
Eric chuckled to himself and was about to come up with a retort when the door leading to the screening room suddenly swung open. A man in a movie theater employee's uniform rushed in and saw Eric, breathing a sigh of relief. "Mr. Williams, you're here! The premiere starts in two minutes; everyone's waiting for you."
"Oh, I'll be right there," Eric replied to the staff member. He no longer had time to tease the little girl and stood up. "Come on, Ivanka, let's go watch the movie."
Ivanka nodded, skipped off the sofa, and obediently grabbed Eric's hand as they headed toward the screening room.
...
The McCallister family was setting off again to celebrate Christmas away from home. This time, Kevin, although not left behind, unwittingly boarded a flight to New York. Meanwhile, the two bumbling burglars, Harry and Marv, had escaped from prison and made their way to New York. They no longer targeted homes but set their sights on seemingly easier prey at a toy store. After Kevin checked into the Plaza Hotel, he wandered around and lost his way. He ran into the two bumbling burglars again at Duncan's Toy Chest, leading to yet another hilariously comical adventure.
To be honest, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, while more colorful in plot, introduced characters like the odd pigeon lady in Central Park and the greedy staff at the Plaza Hotel. However, the film didn't offer much in the way of fresh material. This sequel wasn't without its changes; unlike the first film, which was entirely aimed at children, this installment added some adult humor -- like Kevin quoting an implicit adult joke from his uncle at the beginning, the burglars' encounters with modern women, and many of the young burglar Marv's laugh-out-loud lines -- providing a more adult-friendly laugh track.
But regardless, after the movie screening, Eric received enthusiastic applause and congratulations from many people.
...
After the premiere reception, Eric drove Jennifer Aniston, heading to the Trump residence in Manhattan. Both mother and daughter sat in the back seat, as Donald had hurriedly left and taken the car with him. At that moment, Donald was likely too consumed with figuring out how to persuade the banks to keep giving him money to remember to send a car to pick up his wife and daughter. Thus, Eric had to take it upon himself to return them home.
"Sorry for the trouble, Mr. Williams," Ivana said as they reached the Trump residence. Eric and Jennifer only stayed for a short while before saying their goodbyes, as Ivana Trump personally escorted them out.
"It's no trouble, Mrs. Trump. If there's nothing else, we'll be on our way."
Ivana was just about to nod when Ivanka tugged at her mother's sleeve urgently. "Mom, the movie, the movie!"
"Oh, this..." Ivana looked over at Eric, feeling a bit awkward about her daughter's behavior.
Looking at the eager expression on Ivanka's face, Eric said, "Mrs. Trump, if you and Donald agree, I'll definitely consider asking Ivanka to audition if I need a child actor for a future film."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Williams," Ivana responded with gratitude. Having come from a modeling background, like many models, she had a natural yearning for the acting industry. Donald Trump's need for the spotlight was even more pronounced, so they both would not oppose Ivanka making an appearance in one of Eric's films.
...
As Jennifer needed to rush back to Los Angeles to shoot the last episodes of Friends' first season, and Eric also had a lot on his plate, they hurriedly left New York the next day, heading back to Los Angeles.
After the premiere, on November 17, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York officially hit theaters. This time, due to the fierce competition during the Thanksgiving release window, even with Fox's aggressive marketing push, the film did not receive as warm a reception as The Others, which had premiered earlier that month. The media responded with highly polarized reviews, with many praising the sequel while others derided it as worthless.
The New York Post published an article stating, "Many sequels face a familiar critique simply because fans are so passionate; their high expectations lead to disappointment. But Home Alone 2 truly earned the audience's year-long wait. Although some say it's merely a copy lacking any improvements, this sequel's storyline is richer and more interesting than the first. If you strip away Kevin's antics against the two bumbling burglars, how can Home Alone remain itself?"
In contrast, a group of newspapers led by Hollywood Online harshly criticized the film: "Home Alone 2 is a sequel produced by Williams that lacks any sincerity, with heavily recycled plots that are nonsensical and illogical. Even more unbearable is that this so-called film for children aged 6-12 is rife with inappropriate adult humor. I believe this is a significant oversight by the film rating board; Home Alone 2 should definitely be rated PG-13, not PG."
*****
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