"The fund that Janet asked me and Ulyana to manage—the one focused on nanomaterials and quantum computing—I don't understand any of it. And there's also the matter of setting up the Solvay Academy here in Boston. I've reviewed the materials, and it's a very unique school for gifted children. I'm not even sure I can handle it."
"It's okay if you can't."
"Huh?"
"The projects you're managing are ultimately meant to be for the little ones in your belly. If they grow up to achieve nothing, they'll only have their mother to blame."
"..."
The next morning in Boston.
In the West End, at a luxurious estate in the western suburbs, Simon arrived by helicopter to visit Maria and Ulyana after having breakfast.
It was Sunday, January 12th, the coldest time of the year on the East Coast. Snow had fallen a few days earlier, blanketing the estate's surroundings in white. After arriving, Simon decided to stay indoors instead of venturing outside. He spent the morning chatting with Maria in the living room of the villa. Meanwhile, the three boys, after greeting Simon, made excuses to leave, clearly intending to give their mother and Simon some privacy.
The main topic of their conversation revolved around a fund that Janet had tasked Maria and Ulyana with managing during her visit late last year. The fund was set up to leverage the cutting-edge research resources of Boston's top universities to advance a series of ambitious projects.
Additionally, after the successful establishment of the Solvay Academy in Malibu, Simon planned to gradually roll out similar academies globally starting this year. The goal was to identify and cultivate high-IQ children who could, like the scientists at the 1927 Solvay Conference—Einstein, Curie, and others—go on to shape humanity's future.
The Solvay Academy project in Boston was naturally entrusted to Maria and Ulyana.
As Simon looked at the hesitant woman curled up beside him on the couch, he reached out to caress her smooth cheek, trailing his fingers down to her neck. She hastily pressed his hand to stop him from going further. He smiled and said, "As long as you and Ulyana approach it seriously, it's fine if you fail. These things were never meant to succeed in one go or in a short amount of time. Even if, by the time our brief lives come to an end, you've only accomplished half of it, it would still have been a life well-lived."
Maria, seeing him pull back his hand with some reluctance, shifted slightly and said, "Actually, I can tell that your arrangements are beneficial to the future of our world."
Simon shook his head lightly. "I'm not as noble as you think."
Maria blinked and blushed. "Of course I know that."
A good man wouldn't have taken her by force like a robber.
The blush on her face only made her more alluring, especially since she was someone with such dignified poise, always composed and proper. A sudden blush on such a woman made her even more captivating.
Simon reached out again, pulling her into his arms and kissing her on the lips.
After being kissed for a moment, Maria struggled to pull away slightly. "Don't... We can't. The baby is still too young."
"Relax, I know," Simon reassured her. Seeing her still a bit flustered, he simply held her gently and returned to their previous topic. "In the past few years, more and more people have asked me: Simon, you have so much wealth—far more than you could ever spend. What are you planning to do with it?"
Maria, relieved that he hadn't continued further, asked, "Do you have an answer?"
As she spoke, she began to realize something.
Perhaps the fund she was managing and the projects he was supporting were the answers to that question.
Simon nodded. "With such vast wealth, from a personal and selfish perspective, of course I'd love to leave it all to my children, ensuring the Westeros family remains powerful for generations. But realistically, that's unlikely. And besides, just because I can manage this wealth now doesn't mean my children will have the same ability in the future. If they lack the capability to handle it, inheriting too much wealth would only bring disaster upon them."
Maria nodded in agreement. "And then?"
"And then, why not create a new possibility?"
Maria was puzzled. "A possibility?"
Simon explained, "Leaving it all to the kids isn't viable. Donating it to establish various foundations might be the best option. But I don't intend for these foundations to engage in the usual activities like generic education, healthcare, environmental protection, or even political meddling to promote peace. To me, those things only lead to stagnation and repetition."
Maria still didn't fully grasp his point.
Simon patiently elaborated. "In my view, human civilization can be divided into three stages: the prehistoric era, the agricultural era, and the industrial era. The prehistoric era was too long, so let's skip it. The agricultural era, which lasted thousands of years, was marked by cycles of stagnation and endless wars across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Civilization remained stagnant, locked in a repetitive cycle. Then came the industrial era—the one we're in now. Whether it's the steam age, the electric age, or the current information age, I see them all as different phases of the same industrial era. If no one intervenes, humanity could end up trapped in the same cycle of stagnation and repetition as in the agricultural era, albeit on a longer timescale. What I want is a fundamental shift—pushing humanity into the next stage of civilization and creating a brand-new possibility for our species in this universe. I can only call it a possibility because I can't predict whether this new era will be good or bad."
Listening to this, Maria—despite her background in linguistics—was one of the most educated individuals in society. She suddenly understood his vision completely.
A wave of admiration welled up in her heart.
Compared to those politicians and billionaires who claim they want to make the world a better place, her little man was genuinely thinking about humanity's future.
Noticing the change in her expression, Simon smiled and asked, "Did you just fall in love with me again?"
Maria averted her gaze for a moment, then gathered her courage to look at him directly. "I'm just certain that the little one in my belly has a great father."
Simon placed his hand on her slightly rounded belly beneath her undershirt. This time, Maria didn't pull away. Feeling for a moment—though, of course, there was no reaction yet—he said, "The little one might not think so in the future. And many of the things I plan to do might spark intense controversy."
Maria gently placed her hand over his. "Great individuals are always met with doubt and criticism during their time. But history will give its fair judgment."
Simon chuckled. "You're making me sound far nobler than I am. I just happen to be in this position and have the resources to act."
Maria shook her head. "There are plenty of people with access to more resources than you, yet they've never even considered doing what you're planning."
As she spoke, an image of a once-mighty empire that had collapsed in recent years came to mind. Those who had once held ultimate power in that empire left behind nothing but ambitions that faded into the currents of history.
Simon noticed her sudden melancholy, likely guessing what she was thinking, but chose not to say anything.
Maria didn't dwell on it for long. After a brief pause, she brought up Ulyana again, slightly hesitant. "You should spend more time with Ulyana. I can tell that her pregnancy was purely accidental. She... she never intended to cling to you."
"I'll visit her after lunch."
"Will you stay here tonight?"
Simon glanced at Maria's warm and alluring figure, then nodded. "Sure."
Maria shook her head. "I meant, will you stay at Ulyana's place tonight?"
Simon teased, "Are women this generous now? Sending their men off to other women?"
"I may be your woman, but you're not my man."
"Oh?" Simon looked around. "You have other men? Just a heads up—don't let me find out. It wouldn't end well."
Maria gave him a harmless glare. "I meant that I'm just someone you took by force."
"That makes me sound like a robber."
Maria gave him a look that clearly said, "You are," then paused and suggested, "Or I could call Ulyana and have her join us for lunch."
"I don't mind if you don't."
Seeing Maria pull out her phone, Simon stopped her with a smile and called over the housekeeper, instructing her to send a driver to pick Ulyana up.
Maria paused, then understood his intentions. He didn't want her calling Ulyana directly, which might lead to misunderstandings. Ulyana could misinterpret her gesture as a show of dominance rather than kindness. Letting him handle it instead avoided such pitfalls and might even bring the two women closer.
A shared fate indeed.
To avoid making things awkward for Ulyana, Maria called her eldest son, Victor, asking him and his brothers to have lunch elsewhere and return in the evening.
Simon spent the day in Boston, leaving early the next morning for the West Coast, heading to San Francisco.
The primary purpose of his trip was to meet with Egret Corporation's executives and prepare for the company's 1996 annual financial report, scheduled for release at the end of the month. The report was particularly important given the recent publication of an article by Richard Mellon Scaife claiming the internet industry was a "gi
ant Ponzi scheme." The article specifically targeted Egret.
To counter this narrative, the financial report, slated for release on January 22nd, would be accompanied by a press conference. Beyond showcasing impressive revenue and profit figures, the focus would be on emphasizing Egret's impact on public life, its contributions to local employment, and its role in boosting societal efficiency.
In short, the goal was to preemptively weaken the potential damage such criticism could inflict on the nascent tech industry.
By the time Simon returned from San Francisco, another week in January 1997 had passed.
Between January 10th and 16th, the domestic box office saw significant developments. Of particular note, Wonder Woman 2 had officially surpassed $400 million in domestic box office revenue, making it the only 1996 release to achieve this milestone.
Other films, like Charlie's Angels, Jumanji, and Good Will Hunting, also showed strong performances, with Charlie's Angels taking the top spot for the week. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman 2, despite its massive milestone, had begun to slow down, settling into fifth place for the week with $6.98 million. Its total domestic earnings now stood at $405.71 million, with limited remaining box office potential.
Looking ahead, Simon's focus would shift back to managing the strategic trajectory of Egret and its influence in the rapidly evolving tech industry.
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