Upon waking up, Simon found himself once again surrounded by Jiang Shanwu and Jiang Yuanchi, the two sisters.
Perhaps due to the increased number of people yesterday, the trio from My Fair Princess had not left. Along with the addition of the two Dajis, the sisters were less overworked this time. Waking up with Simon, they attentively followed him around to serve him. The only one from the My Fair Princess group who wasn't bundled up like a dumpling and could move freely also tried to approach him but was promptly driven away by the sisters in a rather possessive manner.
Simon ignored the women's internal squabbles. After dressing and washing up, he headed to the adjacent garden, where Chen Qing, as usual, was waiting. She was on a phone call when he arrived.
Accepting a cup of coffee from a maid, Simon took a sip and quickly realized that the person Chen Qing was speaking with was Janet. He asked, and Chen Qing gave a few nonchalant hums before handing him the phone.
Taking the phone, Simon was met with Janet's gleefully teasing tone. She began talking about how the family had recently been blackmailed for $200 million and, as a result, had to cut back on breakfast portions to make up for the massive loss.
After a few playful exchanges, Janet became more serious and asked how Simon planned to handle the situation.
Inspired by past experiences, Simon already had an idea but decided to keep Janet guessing. "I'm not telling you for now. Just sit back and enjoy the show."
Janet immediately expressed her dissatisfaction, grumbling and protesting. Simon finally gave her a small hint: "Think about it—what do all those people in federal history who assassinated U.S. presidents but weren't killed on the spot have in common?"
After a brief moment of thought, Janet blurted out a word.
Simon smiled and nodded. "Exactly. Handling it this way leaves no loose ends... Mm-hmm, I know... Alright then, let's leave it at that."
Ending the call, Simon turned to Chen Qing, who was looking at him curiously from across the table. Instead of answering her unspoken question, he asked, "What were you just discussing with Janet?"
Chen Qing played coy. "Madam told me to take good care of you."
"Lies."
Chen Qing stuck out her tongue playfully. Seeing that Simon didn't press further, she chose not to explain. In truth, Janet's call had been a mix of routine conversation and a reminder to Chen Qing to keep an eye on their boss and avoid any new "accidents" involving children.
This didn't need to be emphasized; Chen Qing was even more concerned than Janet.
In China, Simon had only promised two women—her and Lin Su—that they could have children. Given the man's usual hints, it was highly likely that the future of the Westeros system's industries in China would rest in the hands of their children. If any unexpected "little ones" appeared, it would mean dividing the inheritance meant for her own child. Chen Qing would never allow that.
This was why, for the past two nights, her trusted aides, the Jiang sisters, had stayed by Simon's side. They had received explicit instructions. As for the sisters themselves, Chen Qing wasn't entirely at ease with them either, but keeping the two little vixens under her watchful eye meant they couldn't stir up much trouble.
Of course, no one can guard against every possibility all the time, especially when their boss's own intentions come into play. Chen Qing's primary goal was to ensure that no other children appeared before she and Lin Su had theirs.
After all, the eldest and second-born would always have more advantages.
With this in mind, Chen Qing handed Simon a folder. "Boss, today's going to be lively."
Simon opened it, immediately noticing a photocopy of a newspaper page. The headline, written in traditional Chinese characters, read: "Simon Westeros' Secret Visit to Asia: Will the Westeros Effect Strike Again?"
The article included a picture of Simon's private Boeing 767.
Skimming the content, Simon noticed the writing was lighthearted and gossipy in tone, typical of a tabloid. It didn't disclose his exact location but instead recapped previous instances of the "Westeros Effect" with surprisingly detailed data.
Chen Qing explained, "This is the front-page article from a Hong Kong tabloid today. Clearly, someone orchestrated this. It's already been reprinted by many online platforms and even picked up by some TV stations. I think everyone who should know about this news already knows."
Simon quickly scanned the article and chuckled. "At least they showed some restraint and didn't jump out to ruin the baby's one-month celebration."
Chen Qing nodded in agreement. "So, boss, should we respond in any way?"
"No need. You already said it—just sit back and watch the show."
Simon's so-called "private trip" was only private in the sense that it was hidden from the general public. Anyone with enough connections and status could easily find out his whereabouts, so it wasn't worth digging into who leaked the news.
Besides, the person responsible had exercised restraint, so there was no reason to make a fuss.
As breakfast was served, Chen Qing changed the topic to something more casual. "Boss, Qin Buzui and her group returned to the country yesterday. Would you like to see them?"
If Chen Qing had mentioned Shen Gui or Jiang Mi, Simon might have taken a moment to think. But Qin Buzui's unique name left a lasting impression, and he smiled. "Isn't Fashion Week still ongoing? Why are they back?"
Chen Qing, having looked into it, replied, "Elite doesn't have many resources for Asian models. Most of them went to Momo and her group. Qin Buzui and the others didn't even make it to Europe. Realizing they had access to a private jet, they decided to return in style. Well, it was actually Qin Buzui's suggestion, and the other two didn't object."
"If they're back in their homeland, let them enjoy themselves. I won't intrude."
Chen Qing acknowledged this. Once the maid left after serving the food, she picked up her utensils and returned to business. "Boss, I've been reviewing a lot of information about Korea recently—its politics, economy, and other aspects. Personally, I think it's best if we don't directly step into the spotlight to manage Korean companies in the future."
Simon was a bit surprised by her insight and smiled approvingly. "It seems your perspective is expanding."
Chen Qing blinked and realized, "Boss, you never intended to do that, did you?"
"Of course not," Simon said. "Korea's economy is quite distorted. A handful of chaebols control a vast amount of resources. Combined with Korea's societal structure, this guarantees long-term conflict between the chaebols, the government, and the public. After the financial crisis, with many small and medium-sized enterprises going bankrupt, resources will concentrate even further into the hands of the big chaebols, intensifying the conflict. In this context, if I step into the spotlight, the chaebols would probably be overjoyed."
Chen Qing laughed. "Exactly. The conflict would immediately shift to you."
"Which is why we'll let the chaebol families manage the companies. Let them fight amongst themselves. The Westeros system will remain behind the scenes, reaping the profits when it's time."
Chen Qing nodded but expressed some concern. "But what if those families don't cooperate?"
"Then we'll apply pressure. If pressure doesn't work, we'll replace them. If that's not possible, we'll destroy both the chaebol and the company," Simon shrugged. "Why do you think I'm meeting with those people over the next few days?"
The previous days had been more of a casual tour. Starting today, Simon was getting down to business. Over the past six months, the Westeros system had carefully selected various operatives targeting Korea, numbering in the dozens. Most were Korean, and their main task in recent months had been to analyze all aspects of Korea's system, essentially preparing for a takeover.
Though Korea was small, its political and economic landscape was extremely complex.
For example, Samsung, the most familiar name to the public, was controlled by the Lee family through an intricate web of cross-shareholding structures that even experts struggled to untangle.
And that was just the surface.
The decades-long conflict between the chaebol system and Korea's governance had also created a massive shadow economy involving shell companies, proxy ownerships, money laundering networks, and more.
If the Westeros system couldn't untangle and control this black-money ecosystem, its investments in Korea would remain superficial and lack true influence.
After breakfast, Simon headed to a siheyuan designated as his temporary office for the next few days to begin his work.
Meanwhile, on the topic of "watching the show," Simon had no idea just how big the show would be.
Due to the time difference, the first Asian stock markets to open were Japan and Korea, both at 8:00 a.m. Beijing time.
Just as Simon and Chen Qing left Mao'er Hutong after breakfast at around 7:00 a.m., the Tokyo and Seoul stock markets opened. Within moments, it was as if they had been struck by a heavy blow, plummeting sharply.
Japan's Nikkei 225, which had already halved from its peak of over 40,000 points years ago, had been further battered by the financial crisis, dropping from over 20,000 points in June to 17,000.
On Wednesday, October 15, within just five minutes of opening, the 17,000-point threshold, which the Japanese government had been struggling to maintain, collapsed. Within 30 minutes, the index plunged from 17,231 to 16,319, a 5.3% drop—the largest single-day decline since the Thai baht collapse on June 27.
Meanwhile, Korea's KOSPI index fared even worse.
Within 15 minutes of opening, it had dropped over 5%. With the Korean government burning through reserves to defend the won and businesses unable to spare funds to stabilize the market, the KOSPI continued to tumble. Within an hour, it fell from 512 points to 471, an 8.2% drop, and was widely expected to hit the 12% daily limit.
The domino effect spread quickly. Markets in the Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and even mainland China all experienced sharp declines.
Hong Kong's stock market became the epicenter of the crash.
By the close of trading, the Hang Seng Index had suffered its largest single-day drop in years, plummeting 10.2% from 13,949 to 12,526 points. Although this seemed less severe than Korea's 12% limit, Hong Kong's open market and larger trading volume meant far greater impact.
Currencies and bond markets across Asia also plummeted, resulting in an unprecedented stock, bond, and currency triple collapse.
Amid the chaos, it didn't take long for people to find a scapegoat.
Simon Westeros.
Why was the world's richest man roaming around Asia with his private jet?
And this time, Simon couldn't shake the blame.
In Asia's already fragile post-crisis environment, any slight disturbance could trigger massive turmoil. The so-called Westeros Effect had been witnessed multiple times, leaving everyone deeply wary.
When a Hong Kong tabloid leaked news of Simon's "secret visit," and international speculators pushed the panic further, the ensuing crash became inevitable.
By late afternoon, calls began pouring in from various high-level contacts.
Whether directly or indirectly, the message was clear: Disaster star, please leave. We beg you. Also, when you return to the U.S., make a public appearance to reassure everyone that you're gone.
The outrage was overwhelming.
Simon couldn't ignore it this time. He had made too many enemies. Originally planning to stay in Beijing for a few more days, he had no choice but to depart for Los Angeles that very night.
But even then, the chaos wasn't over.
As Simon returned to the U.S., the previous day's Asian market crash spilled over, triggering the first circuit-breaking drop in the Dow Jones since the 1987 crash.
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