From the start of the meeting, Clinton and the others had been instinctively evaluating Simon's behavior and demeanor to determine how to interact with him in the future. This young man, who had created a series of business miracles in just eight years, was destined to become an inescapable figure in Washington.
He was remarkably composed for his age, smooth, and outwardly non-confrontational. His demeanor with the powerful figures in Washington was neither deferential nor arrogant, leaving a deep impression on them. They had, of course, encountered people with similar traits before; in fact, all five of them had characteristics that mirrored Simon's in some way. However, seeing such an extremely reserved personality in a 26-year-old who had already reached the pinnacle of society was very rare.
But if that were all, it wouldn't be particularly noteworthy. Society has never been short of precocious individuals.
It was when Gore brought up the topic of the antitrust investigation that Simon's discussion on how Washington should handle the tech giants took a sharp turn. He proposed using the tech giants, leveraging the U.S.'s already established advantages, to conquer the global market, ultimately securing American dominance in the tech industry in the Information Age.
This was akin to a hidden dragon suddenly extending its lethal claws—an ambitious and spine-chilling move. Simon Westeros was essentially saying: *I want to conquer the world!* Given that many of the core aspects of the emerging internet industry were already under Simon's control, following his approach could indeed bring the U.S. enormous benefits. However, the ultimate result wouldn't be American hegemony; it would be the hegemony of Simon Westeros—a one-man hegemony. And this wasn't just a young man's baseless boast; Simon Westeros had the power to realize this ambition.
The question then arose: What should Washington do?
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States had become the world's only superpower, a status beyond doubt. However, the key figures in the White House meeting room were well aware that the absence of a formidable adversary like the Soviet Union had also unleashed a host of long-suppressed domestic issues: budget deficits, high unemployment, income inequality, excessive military spending, and so on—a seemingly endless list.
George H.W. Bush's unexpected defeat in the 1992 re-election campaign and the Democrats' poor performance in the 1994 midterm elections were closely tied to the eruption of these longstanding problems in America.
As Simon considered this, he understood why so many politicians around the world often resorted to stirring up conflicts or even launching wars to divert attention from domestic issues. Often, it seemed they had no other choice. If the public's negative emotions couldn't be released periodically, it would only spell trouble for those in power.
It all came down to the same slogan from Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign: *It's the economy, stupid.*
The quagmire of the Vietnam War in the '60s and '70s, along with the prolonged Cold War standoff with the Soviet Union, not only eroded the absolute economic advantages the U.S. had gained after two world wars but also left the country with a massive national debt exceeding $4 trillion. The U.S. had also quietly lost control of many core industries of the electrical age to potential competitors like Japan and Germany.
In short, America's foundations were not as strong as they appeared on the surface. The promotion of the Information Superhighway plan was originally intended to revive the U.S. economy. However, no one but Simon could accurately predict the future. The Washington elite, who were responsible for shaping U.S. economic policy, certainly hadn't immersed themselves in the tech industry as Simon had in recent years. They didn't have a definitive judgment on whether these new industries could truly rejuvenate the American economy or what scale they could reach.
Before Simon's remarks, no one had even considered the possibility of achieving global economic dominance for the U.S. in a new era through the global expansion of the tech industry.
Simon's words gave those present a glimpse of a potential solution to many of the country's problems. The foundation for an Information Age industry in the U.S. had already been laid, and it was even beginning to take off. If the internet-centered tech industry could truly reach a global scale of trillions of dollars, and if the U.S. could successfully secure global dominance in this sector, the economic benefits to the country would be immeasurable.
With money, many problems cease to be problems. If it weren't for the fact that the lifeblood of the internet industry was almost entirely in the hands of the Westeros system, the moment this meeting ended, Clinton and the others would have immediately convened the top officials from the White House and Congress to discuss Simon's proposal. The strategy Simon Westeros presented was indeed very tempting. If realized, it wouldn't just solidify America's unipolar dominance but would also provide those in the room with long-lasting and substantial political capital.
In the West Wing meeting room, aside from the 71-year-old Bob Dole, the other four were still in their prime and had long political careers ahead of them. After Simon finished speaking and saw the group fall into contemplative silence, he could roughly guess their thoughts. He didn't say anything further and leisurely sipped his coffee.
Simon had been considering the plan to conquer the world through the tech industry for a long time. Whether or not he gained Washington's support, the Westeros system would execute this plan with full force. The only difference would be making certain adjustments to the plan as needed. Since he had proposed this in front of Washington's key players, it was, of course, cloaked in the guise of national interest.
However, Simon didn't hold out much hope. The more experienced and smooth a politician is, the less likely they are to put so-called national interests first. In this most intense circle of competition and maneuvering, there are simply too many factors to consider. You first have to ensure you remain in your position before you can govern. The core of Western politics is merely to ensure through checks and balances that a country doesn't make the worst possible choices.
But still, since he had raised the issue before the most powerful people in Washington, the plan wouldn't go unnoticed. Simon had proposed a grand plan that could potentially place the U.S. economy back at the top of the world. If anyone were to obstruct this plan's progress in the future, they might unknowingly become a target for attack from the other side. This was Simon's most basic goal.
After a moment, it was once again Hillary who broke the silence, speaking bluntly: "Simon, the Westeros system can't control everything. You must make concessions."
Simon nodded. "I've already discussed this with Igreat's top executives. The company will be launching its IPO soon."
During the Victoria's Secret fashion show rehearsal on the day of the midterm elections, Simon had weighed his options and made this decision. The goal was still to accelerate the integration of the Westeros system with the U.S. economy.
Newt Gingrich, clearly displeased, glanced at Hillary and then turned to Simon with obvious dissatisfaction in his tone. "Is that what you call a concession?"
Simon looked at Gingrich and replied, "I'm not going to relinquish the technological advantages that Igreat and its associated companies hold, as the Department of Justice demands. As I've already mentioned, we need these advantages. If I make concessions here in the U.S., other countries will demand the same treatment, which would quickly erode our lead in the tech sector. In exchange, I'm willing to share more benefits with the American people. The way to do this is through the IPO. Currently, I own 90% of Igreat's shares, with Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley each holding 5%. Before the IPO, I will allocate about 20% of the shares to all Igreat employees. After the IPO, I can transfer another 20% to domestic investors, leaving the Westeros family with just 50%."
As Simon finished speaking, the group's expressions varied. However, most of their thoughts inevitably drifted toward the 20% of Igreat's shares that Simon planned to share with the employees. Even with the current conservative industry estimate of Igreat's value at $50 billion, 20% of the shares would be worth $10 billion. In reality, many analysts believed that Igreat's value was on par with the $100 billion valuations of Cisco and AOL.
A truly bold move!
The IPO of Daenerys Entertainment on July 1 this year had already set a record, but that record wouldn't stand for long now. Perhaps this is why Simon Westeros is Simon Westeros.
Bob Dole couldn't hide the admiration in his voice as he chuckled, "I'm almost tempted to go work for Igreat."
Simon smiled as well. "That can certainly be arranged. Igreat could greatly benefit from having an experienced politician like you as a consultant to provide us with development advice. However, if you decide to stay in Washington for another ten years, Igreat might have to wait quite a while."
As Simon spoke, Bob Dole's smile remained unchanged, but a gleam flashed in his eyes. The Clintons exchanged a glance, each noting the slight cloud on the other's face. Bob Dole, at 71, was at an age when many politicians chose to retire. The reason this veteran politician persisted was likely because he couldn't let go. In fact, Dole planned to take it a step further by vying for the White House in two years. If he succeeded and served two terms, that would add up to exactly ten years.
What did Simon Westeros mean by that?
The Clintons didn't believe Simon was foolish enough to openly side with the Republicans right in front of them. However
, this kind of gesture was a clear and obvious challenge to them—a very provocative one.
Al Gore, who had been observing the expressions of his four colleagues, realized that the young man had seized control of the conversation with just one seemingly offhand remark. Not wanting to complicate matters further, Gore took the initiative to bring up another sensitive topic for this meeting. "Simon, regarding the midterm elections, you need to give everyone an explanation."
Simon turned to Gore, his smile still innocent. "Al, I have absolutely no interest in politics."
Newt Gingrich interjected, "But Simon, you've done many things that have clearly crossed the line."
Simon glanced at the group and said, "I've only done so to protect myself. I won't allow certain people to go around promoting ideas like a wealth tax that targets me alone."
The President spoke up, "Simon, don't you think you already have too much?"
"Of course, I think that all the time."
"..."
"But that's no excuse for anyone to take my wealth away. Yes, I have a lot, and I'm more than willing to give back to society, but only if it's on my terms. If someone tries to take what's mine by force, no matter who it is, I'll make sure they pay dearly for it."
Bob Dole spoke again, this time in a soothing tone. "Alright, Simon, there's no need to be so angry. However, we do need some assurance from you—a concrete one. After all, you really went a bit too far this time."
Hillary shot a sharp look at Dole, clearly displeased. In their strategy, Dole and Gingrich were supposed to play the "bad cop" while she and her husband played the "good cop." But now it seemed the roles were reversed.
"I've said before that I have no political ambitions," Simon replied. "As long as no one comes after me, I won't waste my energy on such things. The political involvement of the Westeros system is entirely defensive." Pausing for a moment, Simon continued, "I can give you this assurance: the number of Congress members supported by the Westeros system won't exceed one-tenth of the total."
This time, neither side in the room rushed to respond. After a brief silence, Newt Gingrich couldn't hold back and said, "Simon, one-tenth is still too much."
In a Congress where votes often hinge on just a few seats, if the Westeros system controlled one-tenth of the more than 500 Congress members, that would be enough to influence the country's future.
Simon countered, "If I'm not mistaken, the number of Congress members who receive donations from the National Rifle Association far exceeds that number."
Newt Gingrich retorted, "The NRA doesn't make the kind of moves you do."
"Newt, haven't you been reading the news lately?"
"The media always tends to exaggerate."
Simon could only shrug. For a Republican politician who had also received significant political donations from the NRA, arguing was clearly futile.
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