Chapter 100: The Goal of Two Lifetimes
Chapter 100: The Goal of Two Lifetimes
After the field inspection, Frank Gehry suggested finding a place to discuss more details, so Eric directly led him to Virginia’s small villa nearby. Virginia showed no displeasure at Eric acting like the man of the house. Instead, she quietly and attentively hosted Frank and his intern assistant.
Frank assumed Virginia was Eric’s mistress and showed no unusual reaction. He only sighed inwardly that this young miracle director truly knew how to enjoy life. Virginia’s looks and figure were both top-tier, and what was even rarer was that she was obedient and sensible. A mistress like this was destined not to bring a man unnecessary trouble.
As a famous master architect, he often interacted with wealthy elites and celebrities who invited him to design their homes. He had occasionally glimpsed all kinds of strange secrets in high society, so he had long since grown used to such things. He had even personally seen a top tycoon keep female slaves in his estate, not maids in an employment relationship, but literal female slaves, because those girls had already been trained until they lost their sense of self and obeyed like pets.
Frank’s intern assistant, however, kept glancing curiously between Eric and Virginia. Only after Frank warned him several times with stern looks did he settle down and lower his eyes to take notes.
The land Eric had bought exceeded one hectare, which converted to more than ten thousand square meters. However, the Iron Man Malibu mansion he drew from memory, including the helipad and supporting facilities, occupied less than two thousand square meters. Therefore, apart from the main building, the design of the remaining areas would all be entrusted to Frank’s architectural design firm.
Frank Gehry himself was a master of deconstructivist architecture. Many of the works he designed were wildly imaginative, which drew plenty of criticism, but also earned him even more admirers. After receiving Eric’s promise that the budget would not be restricted, Frank became even bolder and proposed a construction plan using granite, special glass, and low-alloy high-strength steel as the main materials. This item alone directly pushed the cost into the ten-million-dollar range.
From Frank’s explanation, Eric learned that the expensive materials above were usually only used in landmark public buildings in cities. Eric’s original idea was to turn this mansion into Malibu’s landmark building, so the two sides almost hit it off immediately. As for money, that was not a problem for Eric. Wasn’t the whole point of earning so much money so he could do whatever he wanted?
They discussed matters until evening. Frank Gehry promised he would produce several complete design plans as quickly as possible for Eric to choose from, then tactfully declined the dinner invitation and left with his assistant.
After getting into the car, Frank said earnestly to the young intern driving, “Scott, in this line of work, you’ll inevitably have to deal with all kinds of wealthy elites and celebrities. It’s unavoidable that you’ll see and hear certain things. But you must remember this: if you don’t want to invite trouble, you’d best keep your mouth shut.”
Scott was not only very familiar with Eric, but also happened to recognize Virginia, this not especially famous actress. He never expected that the eighteen-year-old young director would have an ambiguous relationship with Virginia, who was ten years older than him. If this matter spread, it would definitely become explosive news.
Scott had originally made up his mind to brag about this entertainment-industry secret to a few friends at a gathering that night. After hearing his boss and mentor’s stern warning, Scott finally came to his senses and immediately dismissed the idea. Even selling the news to paparazzi would not earn him much, and it might make him lose this promising job.
“Mr. Frank, I’ll remember.”
Frank patted Scott on the shoulder and said nothing more.
In Virginia’s small villa, after seeing Frank and the other man off, Virginia cleaned up the teacups and casually asked the little man sitting on the sofa reading a magazine, “Eric, you brought those two to my house. Aren’t you afraid this will spread?”
Eric kept flipping through the magazine without raising his head. “Don’t worry. It won’t.”
“That’s not necessarily true.” Virginia washed the teacups and retorted from the kitchen. “Frank’s assistant seemed to recognize me. I saw his gaze drifting between us more than once.”
Eric turned his head and asked, “Are you worried our relationship will be exposed?”
Virginia smiled charmingly at Eric. “Of course not. I’d love to have a scandal with you. Then a nameless little actress like me could become famous overnight.”
“Then why are you asking? You should be praying that assistant sells the news about us being together to the paparazzi.” Eric smiled and turned his attention back to the magazine in front of him.
After washing the cups and drying her hands, Virginia returned to the living room and gracefully sat beside Eric. “I’m thinking for your sake. Don’t you have an official girlfriend? You’re also raising a little loli at home, and now you’ve come to provoke me. Aren’t you afraid the media will call you a playboy?”
“Being a playboy is a goal I’ve pursued for two lifetimes. I couldn’t ask for more.”
“Oh, stop reading. A man reading a women’s magazine is so vulgar.” Virginia snatched the magazine from Eric’s hand and tossed it aside. “Eric, you seem very certain they won’t spread this?”
Eric picked the magazine back up and turned to the original page. He was very interested in an article analyzing women’s clothing and personality. Blocking the woman’s little hand as she reached out again, he said, “Stop messing around. I’ll tell you. Mr. Frank is a very steady person. He won’t go around talking about this. As for his assistant, did you notice his suit? It was clearly one size too big.”
“Mm?” Virginia hugged Eric’s arm, her eyes widening with curiosity. This expression, when made by a mature woman dripping with allure, was actually… quite cute.
Eric unconsciously lingered on the woman’s face for a few seconds before continuing, “His suit didn’t fit. It probably wasn’t borrowed. No one wears borrowed clothes to work long-term. It was more likely his father’s. I happened to have done that before too. That means his financial situation isn’t very good, so he will definitely cherish this job. Frank also clearly noticed him looking at us, so afterward, he will definitely warn that assistant not to talk nonsense. Anyone who can get a job as a master architect’s assistant unquestionably has the intelligence for it. As long as Frank reminds him even slightly, he will definitely know what to do.”