The call was from Chen Qing, who had returned to China. It was indeed an important matter. Next month, someone was coming to the United States and wanted to visit the Dumei Cape Estate as a guest.
After a brief consideration, Simon agreed.
After discussing some details and learning that her boss wasn't too busy, Chen Qing casually brought up other matters.
The equity investment in several film companies in China was almost finalized; some antiques were unearthed at the construction site of the Jinse Film Studio, but since the jars and pots were too ugly, they were voluntarily handed over; she planned to attend the full-month celebration of Xiaogoudan next month; there had been a big fight at the Heaven on Earth nightclub in Beijing, which they had invested in; a group of experts claimed to have identified the location of the legendary Shangri-La, and after seeing the photos, Chen Qing thought it was beautiful and planned to secure a plot of land for Simon to build another villa as usual.
She rambled on.
She also mentioned a business deal that piqued Simon's interest.
Due to the strategic shift in procurement by Tingke Bell and Nokia, primarily driven by Simon's earlier directive to encircle South Korean companies, some battery orders previously held by South Korean manufacturers were being redirected to several emerging Chinese companies.
One of them was BYD.
After investigating, it was found that this company was exceptionally impressive. Established less than three years ago, it had quickly grown to an annual revenue of 100 million RMB, showing rapid growth. Even though the initial order share from Tingke Bell and Nokia was small, it was still a significant order for a company that had just started. Thus, financing and capacity expansion were inevitable.
Chen Qing seized the opportunity.
It wasn't a huge deal. Through a subsidiary fund of Apollo Management under Cerberus Capital, based in Hong Kong, they invested $6 million, approximately 50 million RMB, acquiring a 30% stake in BYD.
A very profitable deal.
Based on the company's annual profit and revenue growth rate, its valuation was at least 200 million RMB. If it went public, reaching a market cap of 300 to 500 million RMB wasn't out of the question.
However, it was a win-win situation.
On one hand, they secured a high-quality equity investment. On the other, BYD, by accepting investment from the Westeros system, not only gained funds for expansion but also secured more orders from companies like Tingke Bell and Nokia.
Of course, there were concerns.
The company primarily produced rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries for electronic products. However, devices like the newly released iPad-10 from Tingke Bell were already using more advanced and environmentally friendly lithium-ion batteries. This was an inevitable trend for core electronics companies within the Westeros system.
If BYD couldn't keep up with technological advancements, its future would be uncertain.
Simon listened without much comment.
Like many other startups around the world that the Westeros system had invested in over the years—companies that might grow into giants in his memory—Simon generally didn't show any special attitude. He quietly observed, trying to avoid interfering with their growth trajectories.
However, thinking about it, he felt quite proud of Chen Qing's insight.
In his memory, in 2008, Warren Buffett bought a 10% stake in BYD for 1.8 billion HKD. By that standard, the $6 million investment now could potentially increase by 108 times in about a decade.
And this was far from BYD's limit.
The only regret was that the company's name wasn't ideal.
While it was fine for a battery company, if they ventured into automobiles in the future, they might need to create a new independent sub-brand.
After a half-hour-long phone call, Chen Qing finally hung up.
Simon then connected to a video call from the Dumei Cape Estate.
It was Jennifer.
Janet had gone to Australia a couple of days ago to visit family and bring their son back to school. Despite her seemingly carefree demeanor, Janet was very serious about their son's education. Even though she occasionally roasted their son's pet duck for dinner, she privately told Simon that she didn't want their son to be overly sentimental.
She also seemed to inherit her father's educational philosophy, focusing on the eldest son while being more relaxed with the others. Actually, it wasn't so much relaxed as it was the belief that a family needed a few capable heirs to carry on the legacy.
Simon fully agreed with this.
It was probably genetic.
Since this was an important visit, Simon spent another half-hour discussing details with Jennifer before ending the call.
Checking the time, it was past 2 p.m.
He didn't return to the poolside.
This was a large study on the first floor of the main villa, covering over 200 square meters. Apart from a few windows on the south side, the walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, densely packed with books in various languages and genres. The study was divided into three sections by two rows of bookshelves: the outer area near the entrance was a reception area, the middle was the workspace, and the inner section was a lounge.
Despite its vastness and the presence of several large windows that let in plenty of light, the study, which could have felt oppressive to those with a fear of crowded spaces due to the tens of thousands of books, instead exuded a unique sense of order and beauty.
Simon browsed through the Chinese classics section for a while, selected a book, and returned to the leather chair behind the desk. He reclined the chair, propped his feet on the desk, and began quietly flipping through the book.
He often did this.
Suddenly, he just wanted some quiet.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the faint sound of a door opening came from the outer area, followed by the click of high heels on the floor. Simon assumed it was A and didn't pay much attention. However, the footsteps didn't hurry over but instead slowed, as if someone was strolling, occasionally pausing.
Moments later, a tall figure in a black business suit finally appeared in the workspace, followed by a soft "Ah—" and the sound of books clattering to the floor.
Simon looked up.
To avoid direct sunlight, the desk was placed against the north-south book wall. From his reclined position, Simon could see the woman approaching from the outer area.
Seeing it was Mo Wuling, who looked startled, Simon asked, "What's wrong?"
The man's calm tone only made Mo Wuling feel more inexplicably guilty. She flailed her hands a bit, then remembered to bend down and pick up the fallen books before stammering, "I... thought no one was here, Mr. Westeros. You... why are you here?"
Simon lifted the book in his hand slightly. "Reading."
"Oh."
A reasonable answer.
However, Mo Wuling then showed a slightly odd expression.
The group of glamorous women by the pool were probably still there, all dressed up, and this man was here... reading?
And also...
Was her presence really that weak? She was right in front of him, and he showed no emotional reaction at all.
Simon flipped another page of the book and looked up to see Mo Wuling still standing there. He casually instructed, "Get me a cup of coffee. It's in the outer area."
I'm not your maid!
Mo Wuling almost blurted this out in her mind, but she kept it to herself. Instead, she nodded, turned, and went to the outer area. Standing by the coffee machine, she realized she didn't know his preferences—did he take milk or sugar? Then she thought, why should she be so considerate? So she randomly prepared a cup and brought it back to the workspace, placing it on the right side of the desk, keeping a distance from the man's feet resting on the desk. She couldn't help but add, "It's hot."
"Thank you," Simon said, then pointed to a swivel chair across from him. "Have a seat."
Mo Wuling wanted to say she wouldn't disturb him, but her body obeyed, pulling the chair over and sitting down. She unconsciously straightened her back, like a student waiting for a teacher's lecture, not daring to slouch like him. However, this guest chair couldn't recline anyway.
After a moment of silence, she finally found a topic. "What are you reading?"
She had already seen the cover but pretended not to for the sake of conversation.
Simon lifted the book again, showing the hardcover with three prominent Chinese characters: Han Feizi.
Mo Wuling quickly recalled some information about Han Feizi and then asked a question she immediately regretted: "Can you understand it?"
Simon didn't show the displeasure Mo Wuling had imagined. He simply said, "Pretty much. There are annotations."
Mo Wuling had recognized it as the original Chinese version from Zhonghua Book Company, which wouldn't have English annotations. But then she realized he meant vernacular annotations. It was surprising enough that a foreigner could read even the vernacular translations.
"Do you... like Chinese Legalism?" Mo Wuling asked after a pause.
Han Feizi was a famous representative of the Legalist school during the Warring States period.
"If you're looking for theoretical approaches to corporate management, Han Feizi is no less valuable than The Art of War. But if you're talking about Chinese philosophical schools, I prefer Confucianism."
Mo Wuling was surprised again. "Why?"
In modern times, Confucianism hadn't been very popular in China and was often criticized.
Simon thought for a moment before answering, "Legalism can only establish systems, but Confucianism can shape minds."
Mo Wuling, who had studied Chinese literature in college and had a solid literary foundation, hadn't considered such issues before. Hearing this, she felt she both understood and didn't. She couldn't help but argue with the man: "Do you think human nature is more reliable than systems?"
Simon looked up at Mo Wuling, whose face was even more beautiful and aligned with his aesthetic preferences than Zhu Momo's. "You shouldn't ask a foreigner like me that question."
Mo Wuling felt inexplicably guilty under the man's seemingly reproachful blue gaze. However, her inherently strong personality, similar to her elder sister's, made her more combative when challenged. She retorted, "You were the one who said you prefer Confucianism."
"Oh."
The man's tone softened again, but Mo Wuling, now fired up, pressed on: "What about my earlier question?"
Seeing the woman's increasingly combative demeanor, Simon smiled, put his feet down from the desk, sat up, and looked at her. "Let's look at it from the perspective of civilizational continuity. You'll see how fortunate Chinese civilization is to have Confucianism. Among the major ancient civilizations in world history—India, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and so on—most have disappeared. What remains in those regions today often bears little resemblance to the original civilizations. But China, since the Han Dynasty, even during the Yuan Dynasty when it was conquered by the Mongols, has never experienced a complete cultural break. It has persisted for 2,000 years. Why do you think that is?"
Mo Wuling was momentarily speechless.
It seemed... quite logical.
As for why?
The answer seemed... obvious.
Seeing Mo Wuling's speechless expression, Simon took a sip of his coffee and continued, "So, having Confucianism is the greatest fortune for Chinese civilization. Otherwise, after the chaos of the Five Barbarians 1,700 years ago, Chinese civilization might have ceased to exist."
Mo Wuling still wasn't convinced. Her thoughts raced, and she finally countered, "But don't you think Confucianism also restricts civilization? Otherwise, China wouldn't be as backward as it is now."
"Restricts?" Simon looked at the woman. "If Confucianism were truly restrictive, it would have developed into a religion. Do you know how many heretics were burned at the stake in medieval Europe? Moreover, whether from an economic or cultural perspective, most ancient Chinese dynasties over the past 2,000 years were the most powerful on the planet."
"But... what about now?"
"Now?" Simon sighed slightly. "China's modern weakness began with the Qing Dynasty. In my view, this has nothing to do with Confucianism but is precisely due to Legalism. The Qing Dynasty was a period of minority rule over Chinese civilization. Of course, it has since been assimilated by you. During this period, to consolidate their rule, the Qing government adopted a strategy of weakening and dumbing down the people through oppression. This is a Legalist approach. You know The Book of Lord Shang, right? If I recall correctly, 600 years ago, during the early Ming Dynasty, Ming armies were already using cannons extensively against the Mongols. Yet, a hundred years ago, when faced with British cannons on warships, some supposedly well-informed Qing officials thought it was magic and resorted to巫术 witchcraft and祭祀 sacrifices to counter it. This is the result of Legalist dumbing down."
Mo Wuling listened as the man across from her spoke fluent Chinese, his arguments clear and leaving her no room for rebuttal. Her mind gradually calmed, and she leaned forward slightly, resting her arms on the desk. She couldn't help but ask, "Then, tell me, why has Western civilization developed so well over the past century?"
Simon had pondered this before and answered without hesitation, "This is purely a historical accident. The rise of Western civilization has nothing to do with culture or systems but is the result of an unexpected explosion in productivity, propelling human society from thousands of years of agrarian civilization into industrial civilization. The exponential increase in productivity gave countries like China, which lagged in productivity, the illusion of Western superiority. But in reality, apart from their dominant productivity, Western culture and systems aren't particularly outstanding. Just look at modern history: the two world wars that brought immense disaster to humanity both originated in Europe, the birthplace of industrial civilization. The reason is that Europe's systems are still rooted in the Warring States period of China over 2,000 years ago. The aristocratic systems and chivalry that some Chinese admire are actually cultural relics from that era, when people believed nobles were born to rule and others would die for their honor without hesitation. It wasn't until later that people began to realize, 'Are kings and nobles truly born to rule?'"
Mo Wuling's eyes sparkled with admiration. By the time Simon finished, she almost felt like applauding. Her voice softened, "Mr. Westeros, if it weren't for your appearance, I'd almost think you were Chinese."
Simon smiled. "You can call me Simon."
Mo Wuling felt something inside her melting, something dangerous yet irresistible. She nodded, "Okay, Simon. How do you know so much?"
Simon lifted the Han Feizi in his hand. "By reading."
"That can't be all," Mo Wuling said with a hint of coquettishness she didn't realize she was showing. "You... are only four or five years older than me, but it feels like your才华 talent would take others several lifetimes to accumulate."
Like the songs she had been listening to for the past few months.
She had always wondered, especially about ancient-style songs like Renjian Hui and Yu Xi Tan, how a Western man could create such music.
Now, after this conversation, all her doubts vanished.
Simon didn't respond to Mo Wuling's question but instead smiled, "I didn't expect you to be so young. I thought you were older than me."
The woman, like Mo Yiling whom Simon had met before, had a mature, dominatrix style. Being Zhu Momo's aunt, Simon had assumed she was around 30, a bit older than him. Only now, hearing her say it, did he realize she was actually younger.
Hearing this, Mo Wuling was momentarily speechless.
Was this guy for real?
Did she really look that old?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She glared at him with wide eyes, but then suddenly remembered her niece. She blinked rapidly, feeling an inexplicable chill, as if she had been drenched in cold water despite being indoors. She stood up abruptly, "Um... Simon, I should go. I won't disturb your reading."
"Alright. Also, call Momo and the others over," Simon glanced at his watch, his tone casual but oddly serious. "I suddenly feel like discussing this topic with everyone."
"..."
You're showing your true colors so quickly, huh?
You big pervert!
Mo Wuling watched as the man, as if nothing had happened, leaned back in his chair and reopened the Han Feizi, looking lazy. Her gaze then shifted to the bookshelf behind him. She had been in this study earlier and knew that behind this wall was a lounge with a large bed.
And he wanted... all of them to come over?!
I hope you exhaust yourself.
With these resentful thoughts, she left the study, having no intention of calling anyone for him.
Just wait!
______
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