On October 20th, Simon spent the entire day at the Westeros Company headquarters in Rockefeller Center, Midtown Manhattan. He coordinated with Egret's senior management, the Westeros family's political advisory team, the Cersei Capital analysis team, his personal assistants, and the family's private intelligence group to thoroughly review and analyze the recent events surrounding the Wisconsin logistics center.
In a small conference room at Westeros headquarters, the sun had already set.
Simon and James Rebold stood together by a whiteboard in the corner of the room. The board had only a few words written on it:
- Political parties
- Unions
- Short-sellers
- Media
- Competitors
Many things seemed complicated, but once you untangled the mess, the core threads were always the same.
Political parties seek votes by stirring up topics that interest the public and making promises that appeal to them.
Unions need to maintain their status while pursuing more benefits.
Short-sellers want a company's stock to drop so they can profit.
The media needs hot topics to drive sales and ratings.
Competitors are always eager to seize any opportunity to deal a blow.
Moreover, these factors are not completely isolated from one another. In fact, they complement each other. Political parties court unions; short-sellers take advantage of unions and political forces; the media is often the most effective tool for shaping public opinion; and competitors always enjoy seeing their rivals caught in the fray.
After a moment of quiet contemplation in front of the board, James Rebold was the first to speak. "I'll be heading to Washington this weekend to talk with the President."
The Clintons did need a little nudge.
Simon didn't have particularly high demands of Bill and Hillary Clinton. He understood the balancing act required at their level. However, if they kept turning a blind eye to the Democrats' antics in Wisconsin, using Egret as a political punching bag, Simon wouldn't hesitate to strip the Democrats of their influence in the state.
Wisconsin was a key state from last year's midterm elections and one of Simon's political focus areas. Weakening Democratic influence in a state with 10 electoral votes was not an insignificant move, especially compared to other Midwestern states with only two or three votes.
With that thought, Simon nodded and added, "And if possible, have a chat with Gore as well."
Given Bill Clinton's popularity, his re-election next year was almost certain. However, Vice President Al Gore, who was eyeing the presidency after Clinton, would need the support of the Westeros system. Moreover, compared to the relatively shallow roots of the Clintons, the Gore family had a deeper influence within the Democratic Party.
James, aware of Simon's discreet meeting with former President George H. W. Bush earlier that year, understood Simon's strategy. He asked, "Have you changed your mind?"
"Of course not, Jim. All I need from you is to have dinner with Gore. There's no need to make any promises."
Simon didn't want Gore to continue the economic-centric policies after Clinton. He preferred for the Bush family to return to power and deplete Clinton's economic legacy through a few wars, leading to the U.S.'s decline. Based on certain strategic principles he had gleaned from a book long ago, Simon believed this would ultimately benefit the expansion of the Westeros system.
However, Simon didn't explain his reasoning to James so bluntly. It was hard to tell whether James was a staunch patriot.
Instead, Simon's given reasoning was that the massive Westeros system needed solid allies in both political parties. The Clintons were Democratic allies, but their relationship was intentionally kept distant. Being too close could jeopardize Clinton's re-election, let alone any further influence the Clinton family might wield.
On the Republican side, Simon's chosen partner was the Bush family.
As for Al Gore, despite his pivotal role in pushing forward the Information Superhighway Act, Simon had never considered courting him.
That said, leveraging the Gore family's influence within the Democratic Party to smooth over the current situation was not off the table.
After all, both politics and business were rife with intrigue and deception.
Having settled that topic, James pointed to the word "short-sellers" on the board and asked, "What about them, Simon? What's your plan?"
Among the five factors at play in this recent turmoil, the last two—"media" and "competitors"—were not particularly concerning. The Westeros system had substantial control over the media industry, ensuring there wouldn't be a one-sided narrative. As for competitors, there weren't many that could pose a serious threat to the Westeros system.
Aside from political parties and unions, the most volatile factor was the short-sellers on Wall Street, who were eager to target Westeros system tech stocks.
Simon took a moment to organize his thoughts before replying, "When short-sellers try to bring down a company, they use a few common tactics: lawsuits, regulatory interference, financial scandals, and so on. The Wisconsin situation isn't directly related to short-sellers—they're still building their positions. But I expect they'll capitalize on these events to undermine market confidence in Egret. As for financial matters, Egret is in good shape, so they won't find any cracks there. The most effective route for them would be to trigger government intervention, likely through antitrust reviews. Even though we've made some compromises with Washington, Egret's monopolistic position is still too apparent. Robertson and his peers will likely try to exploit this angle to short the company."
Choosing the right moment to break up Egret was part of Simon's long-term plan.
Egret had grown so large that if it didn't undergo some strategic adjustments, it would inevitably hit a wall in its development.
James understood this well, knowing that even if the short-sellers succeeded, Egret wouldn't be severely damaged. Still, he asked, "Simon, aren't you worried about a short-term burst of the tech bubble?"
Simon responded, "Out of Cisco, AOL, and Egret, the only one I'm somewhat concerned about is AOL, because they're still heavily investing in building their infrastructure. I plan to have AOL issue a $5 billion long-term bond soon to ensure they have enough cash reserves. Other than that, there's nothing to worry about. If the bubble bursts, Cisco can weather the downturn thanks to its market dominance, and Egret even more so. You've probably seen the memo from the October 7th meeting: the funds raised from Egret's IPO were intended for acquisitions and expansion during a market downturn. So, if the tech bubble bursts ahead of schedule, it'll be to our advantage. Many potential competitors will take a hit or even be forced out of the market entirely."
James looked over the list of words on the board once again and turned back to Simon with a bright gaze. "So, you don't think these recent issues are a big deal?"
"Of course not. We still need to take them very seriously and handle them carefully. Human history is full of black swan events. Sometimes, seemingly trivial matters can snowball into major crises. So, what I just said to you, I'll only say to you. In front of others, I'll act as though we're on high alert."
James smiled in relief at Simon's words but couldn't help asking, "Simon, I've often wondered, what kind of experiences shaped you to be so mature?"
Simon smiled back. "Jim, how about we move on to the next topic?"
James knew Simon wouldn't answer seriously, so he let it go.
The two continued discussing the specific details of their strategy, working late into the evening.
In fact, Simon was quite pleased with the current situation and the events that were likely to follow.
The tech sector had been growing too fast recently.
Simon welcomed a slowdown in the growth of Egret and other Westeros system tech stocks.
Sustainable growth was key.
Even without these recent developments, Simon had planned to start selling off some of his tech stocks early next year. The cash would be reinvested into other areas, and it would also help curb the overheating of tech stocks.
Now, it seemed like the best of both worlds.
That said, Simon wasn't going to just sit back and do nothing.
Take the recent truck driver strike at the Wisconsin logistics center, for example. To prevent future surprises, Simon was going to handle this matter in a way that would leave a lasting impression on some people.
With no work scheduled for the weekend and Veronica still in Los Angeles, Simon decided to stay on the East Coast.
Lately, he'd been glancing occasionally at the map in his Fifth Avenue apartment. With a bit of spontaneity, he decided to head to the snowy wilderness of Alaska for some off-roading, hunting, and hiking to unwind.
People often see wealthy individuals living ordinary lives—dressed in simple clothes, driving modest cars, and eating regular food—and mistakenly believe that being rich isn't all that special, sometimes even feeling a strange sense of superiority. However, the greatest privilege that wealth affords is freedom and choice. A rich person can wear simple clothes but can also buy out an entire street of luxury goods at a moment's whim. This is something a regular person, saving for months just to afford a handbag, simply cannot do.
When Simon decided to spend the weekend in Alaska, all he had to do was give the word, and everything would be arranged.
With Fashion Week just over, many models had flocked to New York to rest and prepare for the end-of-year Victoria's Secret show. Initially, Simon had considered bringing a few models along, but when he casually mentioned it over dinner with Irene Lande, she quickly claimed the spot.
Clearly, it would only be one.
On Friday night, Irene eagerly joined Simon. They spent the night at his Greenwich estate in Connecticut, and early the next morning, as dawn broke, they boarded Simon
's private Boeing 767 and headed for Alaska. After a six-hour flight, they arrived in Anchorage. Thanks to the time difference, it was still only around 9 a.m. local time.
After landing, they left Anchorage and drove over 100 kilometers east to a wilderness hunting ground.
By October, Alaska was already in its snowy season, though not all areas were blanketed in snow. The hunting ground they chose was one such area. Upon arrival, the vast, open wilderness stretched out before them, giving off a profound sense of boundless freedom.
Having never experienced anything like this before, Irene Lande was thrilled. She stepped out of the car, took a moment to take in the scenery, and couldn't help but spread her arms wide and shout into the sky.
It was already noon.
Simon's security team and two guides, one male and one female, began preparing lunch. Simon had no need to worry about these things. After Irene had let out her shout, Simon smiled at her flushed face and asked, "How does it feel?"
Irene, feeling a bit shy under Simon's smile, stepped forward and took his arm. "Where's the gun? Aren't we here to hunt? You know, I've never even touched a gun before. I definitely want to give it a try. But, um, can I just fire blanks? I don't want to actually kill anything."
"Of course."
Simon nodded and led her toward one of the SUVs. One of the bodyguards was already preparing the firearms. Since this was a hunting ground for large animals like moose and brown bears, the trunk was filled with rifles equipped with scopes.
Seeing Simon and Irene approach, the bodyguard greeted them and, instead of picking up one of the rifles, pulled out a heavy case. When Irene saw the oversized gun inside, her eyes widened slightly.
The middle-aged, steady-handed bodyguard handed the massive weapon to Simon, but not without a word of caution. "Boss, are you sure you want to use this?"
Simon easily took the Barrett anti-material sniper rifle with one hand, struck a casual pose, and gestured toward the barrel. "Take off the bipod. It doesn't look good."
The bodyguard, though resigned, expertly removed the bipod from the front of the gun. He understood Simon's intentions. But knowing his boss's extraordinary strength, the 15-kilogram rifle didn't seem like much of a challenge for him. Handing over the magazine, the bodyguard made one last attempt to dissuade him. "Boss, even if you're hunting bears, this gun will blow them apart."
Simon inserted the magazine and said, "I'm not aiming for bears. Just rocks. But I'll keep your advice in mind. Next time, we'll bring some small drones as moving targets."
With that, he slung the massive rifle over his shoulder and wrapped his arm around a still wide-eyed Irene. "Come on, darling, let's try out this big toy together."
Irene, still in a bit of a daze, followed Simon as he led her outside the camp. Standing beside him, she watched as he effortlessly hoisted the enormous rifle.
Then—
Boom!
In that moment, watching the man's tall figure and the wild, powerful gun in his hands, the sound of the shot ringing in her ears, Irene felt like she had become this man's prey. A prey that needed no chasing, one that had already willingly walked into his snare.
Back in Connecticut, at the Greenwich estate, the weekend passed.
It was now the morning of October 23.
Irene sat at the dining table, having personally prepared breakfast. Simon, who had just finished his morning workout and changed into a suit, sat across from her. She served breakfast with a caring touch but didn't immediately pick up her utensils. Instead, she rested her chin on her hand, gazing at Simon with a bright, curious look, her face still carrying a faint, alluring blush from the weekend.
After a moment of silent admiration, she suddenly asked, "Simon, did you do it on purpose?"
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]