Chapter 169: The Key to Success
"Hi, Duke." Just as he walked into the VIP lounge of the Chinese Theater in Hollywood, someone came over to greet him. Standing behind Duke, Tina Fey let her eyes sweep over the newcomer's face before immediately leaning in closer.
"This is the deputy head of distribution at Twentieth Century Fox, Andy Hill," she whispered. "Those close to him call him Andy."
Prompted by his assistant, Duke warmly reached out and shook the man's hand. "It's been a while, Andy."
"It has. The last time was at the test screening," Hill replied warmly, naturally oblivious to anything amiss. "This is truly a breathtaking film. It's bound to be another successful collaboration for us."
After exchanging a few pleasantries with the Fox executive, Duke moved to the other side of the room. Perhaps because of the massive success of Independence Day, or perhaps due to this film's stellar test screening word of mouth, many people came over to greet him today. He didn't recognize a significant number of them, but fortunately, Tina Fey—having been trained by Penny Kalis—was always there to offer timely reminders.
The VIP lounge was star-studded. Tom Hanks and Eno Martin stood in a corner, their eyes tracking Duke's figure as he moved around the room.
"Tom, you saw the movie during the test screening," Eno Martin said with a smile. "Are you at ease now?"
"Only about the box office." Tom Hanks flashed his signature good-natured smile.
Eno Martin shook his head. "I think the box office is the last thing you need to worry about with a Duke movie."