Time slowly reached May, and the air was filled with a restless, uneasy atmosphere.
Storm clouds gathered, and tension hung thick in the air—the annual summer blockbuster season was about to kick off. At the same time, Wall Street began showing various ominous signs.
At first, no one paid much attention to the looming disaster.
It was just a company being delisted, a stock dropping, a mutual fund dissolving—until the disaster began to affect everyone personally.
Ivanka and Gilbert's investment manager, David, were already prepared. Many of those in Gilbert's new Silicon Valley capital inner circle had also gathered substantial funds, waiting for the crisis to erupt so they could take action.
On the surface, Gilbert seemed busy with the promotion of The Dark Knight, but behind the scenes, he was closely monitoring the subprime mortgage crisis.
If nothing unexpected happened, and if the so-called blue faction—those financial groups intent on undermining him and seizing his wealth—remained in power for the next eight years, this would be the perfect opportunity to weaken them. Even if he couldn't completely eliminate them, he could at least severely damage their strength, preventing them from taking further action against him.
Politics, after all, was merely about interests. A politician could be swayed by financial groups, and naturally, could also be influenced by Gilbert and New Silicon Valley Capital.
Gilbert had a powerful weapon in hand: the internet, and the coming era of mobile internet.
Over the next eight years, massive changes would sweep the world, and the internet would play a pivotal role in people's lives. It was no exaggeration to say this was akin to the invention of television breaking the monopoly of traditional print media and reshaping political landscapes.
The immense power of the internet could also disrupt the traditional television industry. Using the internet to secure votes would become an invaluable tool for politicians.
With this weapon, as long as someone couldn't eliminate him, politicians would have to cooperate or he would support their rivals.
Gilbert was already acting on this strategy. The chief of the Los Angeles Police Department was someone Gilbert had backed into office. He even attended the inauguration and had a very pleasant exchange with him.
Unhappy with the current Los Angeles mayor, a member of the California faction, Gilbert supported a strong opposing candidate to run for mayor.
By manipulating online public opinion and creating scandals around the incumbent mayor, Gilbert increased the support rate for the candidate he backed.
Even if the candidate didn't win the next election, the California faction would have suffered a significant threat.
Additionally, Gilbert frequently used his connection with James Cameron to meet Arnold Schwarzenegger multiple times, dining and fishing together.
Although Schwarzenegger was governor, he wasn't part of the California faction. His approval rating was very high, and after several years in office, he was well-liked.
Gilbert's goal in meeting him was to cultivate a Schwarzenegger faction to continue competing with the California faction. Controlling California would provide Gilbert a secure foothold.
In the previous timeline, this was the DEI's base, but if Gilbert controlled California, DEI would have to relocate.
Schwarzenegger was undoubtedly opposed to DEI, even opposing same-sex marriage. While legal in many North American states, it was blocked in California under Schwarzenegger's influence.
Money wielded tremendous power. By supporting local allies in California alone, Gilbert had already spent about $450 million.
If necessary, Gilbert would invest even more.
There was no other choice. At this point, he couldn't step back. Retreating even slightly would be catastrophic. Sometimes it wasn't that he wanted to take action—he wished he could simply make films quietly and enjoy being a super-rich, admired figure.
But some people refused to let him be, constantly coveting what was in his pocket and trying to take from Gilbert himself. Worse, they didn't even leave anything for him.
As a man with a strong desire for control, Gilbert despised situations slipping out of his hands and hated being manipulated.
Thus, he launched a fierce counterattack, leaving them dumbfounded, watching in disbelief as he steadily grew stronger, eventually overturning them all.
The replacement of old powers by new ones was inevitably painful, potentially bloody. But Gilbert was prepared; he wanted to show them that no one was born inherently superior.
Only he could be above them, not the other way around.
Years of self-discipline had honed Gilbert's composure. With a calm exterior and thunderous resolve beneath, no one could guess the storm brewing in the quiet surface of Gilbert's mind.
Returning to films, by the weekend before the release of The Dark Knight, Thor's North American box office had reached $142.21 million, with global earnings hitting $413.57 million.
These numbers basically met Marvel Studios' projected goals. While additional box office revenue would still trickle in, the film had essentially reached its peak, making further breakthroughs unlikely.
On May 2nd, The Dark Knight was set to premiere publicly.
On April 30th, the film held a grand premiere at Chicago's Kodak Theatre. The main cast and crew appeared, along with Gilbert's friends showing support.
A strong wind swept through Chicago that afternoon, making the flags lining the red carpet flutter loudly.
Eager fans who had been waiting for days lined both sides of the red carpet, anticipating the ceremony's start.
This was the charm of a Gilbert film: every premiere felt like a festival. According to statistics, over ten thousand fans blocked the streets in front of the Kodak Theatre completely.
Even more fans who couldn't get in had to gather along nearby avenues just to join the excitement.
Nearby building floors with good vantage points had already been claimed by enthusiastic fans, fully equipped with binoculars and cameras.
At the red carpet, the most eye-catching attractions were undoubtedly the returning Batmobile and the debut of the Batpod. The Batpod had appeared in the trailers, and its unique design immediately drew the attention of motorcycle enthusiasts.
With gangs rampant in Chicago, many motorcycle clubs were present, and they were captivated by the Batpod.
If stealing and taking weren't an issue, the Batpod would have already disappeared.
At the entrance of the Kodak Theatre stood two Batman statues, reportedly commissioned by the Chicago city government. They were gifts to The Dark Knight, honoring the film's economic contribution to the city.
Large posters hung on both walls, showing the confrontation between Batman, the Joker, and Harvey Dent, highlighting the film's central theme.
Another poster came from the first film, depicting Batman alone atop a building, overlooking Gotham City.
Even after watching several trailers, audiences remained very curious about what story Gilbert would deliver. Fans of Batman were especially eager.
The Dark Knight did not follow the conventional approach of holding test screenings for the media, theater representatives, or senior fans before public release. This was the first time the completed film was being shown to an audience.
This was Gilbert's intention. He believed that revealing any plot details before the premiere was undesirable and would significantly reduce the audience's sense of surprise.
Gilbert thought it was best for viewers to know nothing before watching The Dark Knight. If it weren't absolutely necessary to release a trailer, he wouldn't have edited one at all.
By 4:00 PM, the strong wind had stopped, and the long-awaited premiere of The Dark Knight officially began.
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