The filming for Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest had wrapped up for now.
But Luke wasn't about to kick back and take a vacation just yet.
He wasn't just an actor anymore—he had a slew of business matters to handle for his companies.
With the year drawing to a close, he needed to review the past year's accounts and hammer out plans and budgets for the next.
So, Luke headed to Douglaston, New York, where he spent two days in Mr. Eisen's study. The two of them meticulously went over the past and mapped out the future.
Next, Luke hopped on a conference call to hear updates from the two executives running his domestic streaming platform project.
The project was moving along smoothly, largely because funding was plentiful and always on time. A big shoutout went to the eldest daughter of the Samsung Group, who'd been a huge help with the finances—so much so that Luke felt a bit sheepish. He figured he should make time to visit Korea and thank her in person.
The secondary reason for the project's success? Luke had generously shared a chunk of the profits, which helped him cozy up to the local government.
At this point in time, government budgets in China weren't exactly overflowing, so they often rolled out the red carpet for big investors.
This led some companies to get cocky, making all sorts of greedy demands.
But Luke wasn't that shortsighted. Giving up a bit of profit now not only reduced the risk of future scrutiny but also earned him major goodwill—like sending help in a snowstorm.
As long as he held the reins on the project, Luke could leverage the platform to unlock even more resources. He was fine letting go of some of the profits.
After all, his life's goal wasn't to stuff his pockets with cash and live some over-the-top, lavish lifestyle.
When it comes to money, could any of China's richest billionaires compare to the influence and legacy of the Rong family?
Sure, some of their descendants might've outdone them in raw wealth.
But in China, your net worth alone doesn't tell the whole story of your social status or influence.
The internet had long debated this, and the consensus was clear: if the world ended and there were only 100 spots in a Chinese fallout shelter, would tycoons like Wang or Xu make the cut?
Answer: not a chance. Even if the list expanded to 1,000, they might have a shot, but it's still iffy.
Even being the richest person in China doesn't put you at the top of the pecking order.
Chasing money without contributing to society is a one-way ticket to irrelevance.
Luke's dream? When he passes away years from now, he wants global state funerals in his honor and the United Nations lowering its flag in mourning.
That's the kind of legacy a real man leaves behind!
All in all, things in China were going smoothly, which put Luke's mind at ease.
But he wasn't about to blindly trust the two executives handling such a massive project. With that much power in their hands, he needed to tighten oversight.
Otherwise, he'd be tempting fate, and trouble would come knocking sooner or later.
He didn't hesitate to hand that responsibility to Yuffie.
She was his official girlfriend, after all—no one was more trustworthy.
Luke wasn't asking Yuffie to directly meddle in the platform's operations; she didn't have the expertise for that.
But as his eyes and ears, keeping tabs on the two executives? She was perfect for the job.
To help her, Luke set her up with a team of legal and auditing experts to ensure she could handle the oversight role effectively.
This move was also his way of balancing the resources between Yuffie and Taylor.
Because, let's be real, Taylor was on a whole other level. Their career trajectories weren't even in the same ballpark.
And in just a few days, Luke was set to introduce Taylor to Mr. Eisen, gradually handing her the reins to his vast network of resources.
Those resources could only be managed by someone like Taylor—not Yuffie, and not even Luke himself.
But that meant Taylor, compared to Yuffie (his "main" girlfriend), was leagues ahead in influence.
Luke's plan was to slowly entrust Yuffie with managing his massive domestic resources, starting with oversight.
With that kind of power in her hands, she wouldn't have to bow and scrape to big-shot investors like other actresses, begging for a break.
She'd be the big shot, with others coming to her instead.
By the time Luke had sorted through all these messy loose ends, Christmas was right around the corner.
He'd promised to spend Christmas Eve with Taylor, and now it was time to keep that promise.
…
…
Christmas Eve, also known as the night before Christmas, falls on December 24.
It was the afternoon of December 24, and night hadn't yet fallen.
Luke pulled up to the building housing Taylor's music studio.
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Taylor was already waiting for him in her black Hummer SUV.
"That beast of a car doesn't exactly match your outfit today," Luke teased as he opened the door and slid into the passenger seat.
"I'm wearing my favorite coat today. Doesn't it look great?" Taylor said with a smile.
She was decked out in a cream-colored MaxMara cashmere coat—the kind dubbed the Hermès of cashmere, costing tens of thousands of yuan a pop.
The high-end sheen and quality were undeniable, a perfect fit for someone as tall and elegant as Taylor, making her look even more striking.
"You say that about every outfit," Luke quipped.
"Because I'm seeing you. Of course I'm gonna wear my favorite clothes," Taylor shot back, her emotions always bold and unfiltered.
Luke got where she was coming from—women dress up for the ones they care about, no matter where they're from.
Still, he said, "Honestly, I'd rather you show up looking casual. Our relationship's stronger than that."
"Really? Then tell me why you like me."
Before he could answer, Taylor cut in, "No lies. I want the real, honest reason."
Luke thought for a second and said earnestly, "Because you're so beautiful."
"So you want me to show up all casual, but you're just after my looks? You hypocrite," Taylor said, her eyes dripping with mock disdain.
Classic Taylor—always going for the jugular, with that sharp, playful edge.
Luke knew she was joking, but he wasn't about to let her win.
"Because I want to see the real you, no polish needed."
"And if I'm not pretty without all the polish, you gonna return me for a refund?"
"Already paid in full. No returns accepted."
The "payment," of course, was the ironclad agreement tying them together.
Taylor was clearly thrilled with his response, but she kept pushing, "So you're saying you want to go down knowing exactly what you're getting?"