[Chapter 660: I'm Hungry]
Eric smiled as he listened to Kelly, not responding immediately but flipping through a thick stack of documents in his hands. The cover bore an unfamiliar bold word, "Qualcomm." Eric knew this word was derived from "Quality Communications."
At the moment, while major global mobile communication manufacturers were fiercely competing for patents and developing technology based on the second generation mobile communications technology standard (2G GSM), very few people paid attention to this obscure wireless communication technology company. This provided Qualcomm, the company that developed the CDMA communication technology standard, with ample time to arrange for its patent layout.
Years later, when the 3G era arrived, all the leading electronics giants suddenly realized that Qualcomm had established a solid technological barrier through more than 3,000 CDMA patents, raking in billions of dollars in net profits every year just from licensing fees. Giants of the electronics industry like Apple and TriStar could exploit various tax avoidance strategies to significantly reduce their corporate tax liabilities, but no matter how they maneuvered the system, or in which low-tax country they established branches, they could not escape paying about 5% of what was referred to as the "Qualcomm tax" for devices using CDMA technology.
At Eric's special request, the materials Kelly collected about Qualcomm amounted to about forty or fifty pages. Given Qualcomm's relatively low profile in the industry, there was no rush to acquire it. With the workday nearing its end and plenty of tasks ahead, Eric closed the documents, planning to study them privately. He looked up at his assistant sitting across from him and asked, "Are you sure it's okay to leave Nina in Los Angeles while you come with me to New York tomorrow?"
Kelly smiled, feeling grateful for Eric's thoughtfulness. "It's fine. Nina is already at boarding school now, and Jenny will take care of her on the weekends along with some help from me when I return."
When Eric heard Kelly mention Jennifer Garner, he chuckled, "Is she still babysitting Nina?"
Kelly blushed slightly. "Since Jenny already... knows about our relationship, she's such a smart girl, so how could she just walk away?"
Eric laughed, "Then let her continue helping with Nina for a while. If you're satisfied with her later, you might be able to offer her some good opportunities."
"I know," Kelly nodded. As Eric's personal assistant, helping an actress find opportunities was indeed a piece of cake.
Eric continued, "But Nina is still so young. It's not appropriate for you to be on the road with me all the time. You might as well start training your successor now. In a couple of years, you can transition to an internal position at the company, and life will be a bit more stable."
Kelly felt a twinge of reluctance but quickly joked, "Are you trying to say I should train Caroline? She has indeed been doing an excellent job lately, but I can hardly imagine her working normally with you around."
Kelly clearly recalled the look on Caroline's face when she had seen Eric at the studio that day.
Eric smiled, "People can adapt. As my assistant, you'll have more responsibilities in the future. One person won't be enough. You can train both Caroline and Melanie at the same time; that was my original plan."
Kelly couldn't help but tease, "Two at once? You really are greedy."
"Uh, is it really okay to tease the boss like this?"
"Haha."
...
After a five-hour flight and some time zone differences, the business jet that departed from Los Angeles at 9 AM landed at New York's Kennedy Airport by 5 PM.
Before 9/11, due to the airline industry's highly developed state, American airports were relatively open. With proper communication, it wasn't too difficult to arrange for media reporters to enter the airport for coverage. Therefore, as the first Victoria's Secret Angel stepped out of the cabin, the surrounding crowd of hundreds of media reporters snapped their cameras in a frenzy.
Although Eric had pushed out a substantial amount of information about the Victoria's Secret Angels through various media channels prior to this event, this time was different. It marked the first appearance of all forty angels in front of the press since the announcement of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. After months of rigorous training, all the angels were in impeccable shape. With forty of the world's most beautiful and enchanting bodies presented at once before the public, the commotion was beyond comprehension.
As the angels, clad in matching leather jackets, t-shirts, jeans, and tall boots, stepped off the plane one by one, Eric, still seated inside, could feel the clicks of the shutters growing louder through the window. Had it not been for Emily's prior arrangements with security personnel, these stunning supermodels would undoubtedly have been overwhelmed by the reporters.
The forty Victoria's Secret Angels had firmly captivated the media's attention. As they were escorted to two buses waiting nearby to leave the airport, the journalists followed suit, leaving the area around the business jet quickly deserted. Perhaps some journalists might have realized that the most important person seemed to be a no-show, but at that moment, the allure of these supermodels completely overshadowed Eric, the behind-the-scenes boss.
...
Once the angels and the media had cleared out, Emily suddenly appeared from somewhere.
At that point, Eric stepped out of the cabin with Jeffrey Katzenberg, Kelly, and the others, greeting her.
After some friendly exchanges, the energetic Katzenberg and Robert Iger arranged to have dinner to discuss ABC television network matters and left the airport with their entourage.
Eric thought about his children, whom he hadn't seen in a while. He chatted with Emily regarding his recent schedule and decided to skip the media conference for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show the next day at the flagship store on Fifth Avenue. He requested a car from Emily and headed toward East Hampton with two bodyguards.
In an effort to avoid any awkwardness, Kelly decided to work with Emily in Manhattan, planning to stay at the hotel where the Victoria's Secret Angels were lodging.
...
East Hampton, away from the hustle and bustle of New York City, always exuded a unique tranquility and peace. With no tall buildings to obstruct the view, the open scenery offered a feeling of endless skies and vast seas.
The car weaved through narrow roads surrounded by hedges, driving into a seaside estate where several maids greeted them.
Eric picked two small gift boxes from a pile of presents and instructed the bodyguards and a maid who had walked over to take the other items inside the villa. He then walked over to where the women and children were playing on the lawn.
Not spotting Joanna, he only saw Virginia and Joanna's sister, Ewa Pacula, with the two little ones. Virginia waved at Eric but didn't approach. Instead, she squatted down and whispered a few words to little Kevin while pointing at Eric. Ewa seemed also inclined to say something to Hawaii. The pretty little girl with golden hair ran toward Eric, and seeing his sister's gesture, the previously unwilling little boy followed suit.
The more-than-one-year-old little ones could now manage to run slowly. Eric, however, wasn't worried about the two little treasures tumbling on the lawn. He crouched down, smiling, and extended his hand.
Hawaii was the first to reach Eric, blinking her beautiful big eyes inherited from her mother at him for a couple of seconds before diverting her gaze to the small box Eric had set down nearby. Her tone was casual and devoid of any excitement or the sentimentality of a long-awaited reunion, resembling a simple conversation between familiar acquaintances as she asked, "Daddy, is this a gift?"
Faced with his daughter's somewhat strange reaction, Eric's smile faltered. He had thought that after such a long time apart, it would take some coaxing to get his children to call him "Daddy."
But... what was happening now?
However, noticing a hint of anticipation in his daughter's eyes, Eric quickly recovered. He picked up a small box nearby and handed it to her with a smile, saying, "Here you go, this is yours."
Just as he was about to pick up another small box to tease his hesitant son, he watched as Hawaii expertly undid the beautiful bow on the gift box, tearing off the wrapping paper and uncovering a Rubik's cube that was somewhat larger than her palm.
Virginia and Ewa had by then approached little Kevin, but Eric's attention was captured by his daughter's series of actions. As a father, Eric clearly remembered that in his previous life, when his son was one-and-a-half years old, although he could walk and talk proficiently, he still spent most of his time in the blissful state of eating and sleeping, monitored by his mother. But here stood Hawaii, effortlessly opening a beautifully wrapped gift box tied with a knot, something that was surely beyond the capability of a one-and-a-half-year-old girl.
Watching as his little girl focused on the Rubik's cube in her hands, Eric smiled. This response finally seemed normal for a child. He gently asked, "Hawaii, do you know what this is?"
"A cartoon Rubik's cube," Hawaii replied, without looking up, giving Eric the impression that she was not really answering him. The little girl then flipped the cube in her hand, muttering to herself, "Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger..."
Listening to his daughter's ramblings, Eric looked up at Virginia and Ewa, who simply exchanged faint smiles, showing no intention of explaining anything to him.
Meanwhile, Hawaii continued murmuring to herself while starting to twist the Rubik's cube. To Eric's astonishment, in just over a minute, she managed to align all the sides perfectly. With narrowed eyes, the little girl took a look at her handiwork. Then, to Eric's surprise, she simply tossed aside the cube and turned to Ewa Pacula, who wore a sly smile, exclaiming, "Daddy is so boring, Ewa, I'm hungry."
*****
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