In the dining room of a mountaintop villa south of Park City.
It was January 22nd.
A Sunday.
In the early morning, Grace, who had been hiding in a guest room she hadn't slept in the night before, finally came to the dining room after being reminded by an attendant that breakfast was ready.
Simon and Celia Miller were already seated at the table.
After exchanging morning greetings and glancing at the casually dressed man and Celia, who was wearing a black business suit, discussing Ukrainian affairs, Grace hesitated for a moment but then took the initiative to sit next to Simon, though she avoided eye contact with Celia across the table.
Bryce Levinston was notably absent from the dining room. However, it was clear that the pampered woman wasn't accustomed to early mornings.
Among the three women, in terms of age and appearance, she couldn't compare to the other two. But her feelings for the young man beside her had penetrated her very bones; she was willing to give him everything, even her life if necessary.
So, although the young man had no intention of wronging her the night before, she had taken the initiative to approach him. It was out of jealousy, a desire to compete.
Grace also realized something else. There were always rumors that he liked other people's wives, but that seemed to be just the surface. The truth… was even more despicable.
This little scoundrel was outrageous.
But…
Whatever.
As long as she could occasionally stay close to him like this, nothing else mattered.
As Grace quietly ate her breakfast, her mind gradually calmed down, and she began to pay attention to the discussion between Simon and Celia across the table.
Simon was never naive enough to think that having money and being willing to spend it would open markets in other countries. Such a strategy would only make him an easy target. Therefore, he would only invest if a country's foreign economic policies were stable enough, or if the Westeros system had significant influence and control over the target market. The former was true for China, and the latter for Ukraine.
Moreover, for now, his investments in Ukraine were limited to the Rivne Oblast. The Kyiv authorities' concessions in the recent gubernatorial replacement incident had convinced Simon to further increase his investments in this region.
Simon planned to turn Ukraine, more specifically the Rivne region, into a massive "European factory."
For most foreign capital, Ukraine's most attractive resources are probably the fertile black soil that supports its agriculture and the massive industrial system inherited from the Soviet Union. However, in Simon's view, Ukraine's most valuable resource was its labor force.
At present, Ukraine had a population of 52 million, with an average wage level of less than 30 dollars, comparable to that in China across the ocean. In memory, 20 years later, as China's economy took off, Ukraine, which had been in long-term turmoil, still had a per capita income of only two to three hundred dollars—a figure that was highly inflated in official statistics.
The economic decline of the country had driven more than 9 million Ukrainians to leave their homes, spreading across Europe to take on various low-level jobs to survive. This accounted for 20% of the country's total population, a proportion comparable only to war-torn Middle Eastern countries where people were forced to flee their homes.
As for the future, let's leave it aside.
Simon's current plan was to take advantage of Ukraine's low labor costs to transform the Rivne region into a small "European factory," attracting companies and capital from both within and outside the Westeros system to set up various factories that required a large labor force in the area.
Compared to this plan, Simon's previous investments in the Rivne region were merely minor efforts.
With Nokia becoming the world's largest mobile communication equipment manufacturer, particularly as the production of mobile phones would experience explosive growth in the coming years, eventually reaching the terrifying sales volume of hundreds of millions of units annually, the number of low-level assembly workers needed by Nokia would also reach hundreds of thousands. Including various supporting industries, the total number of jobs created would reach millions.
Nokia's primary manufacturing base would be located in China. However, out of a consideration of not putting all eggs in one basket, Simon planned to place part of Nokia's mobile phone production in Ukraine.
In the near-term plan, Nokia would establish an assembly plant in Rivne with an annual production capacity of 1 million mobile phones, creating 3,000 direct jobs and at least 10,000 long-term indirect employment opportunities through various supporting industries.
And this was just the beginning.
In 1994 alone, Nokia's mobile equipment shipments reached 12.7 million units, and in 1995, this number was expected to reach 20 million. After the explosion of the mobile communications industry in 1996 and 1997, this number would continue to grow exponentially.
Simon's plan was to place 20% to 30% of Nokia's mobile phone production in Ukraine, depending on the specific situation.
Therefore, Nokia alone could create hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the Rivne region in the future.
Of course, Nokia wouldn't be the only one.
Other companies associated with the Westeros system entering the region could achieve similar results.
Eventually, Rivne's capital city would become more prosperous than Kyiv. As economic penetration deepened, the Westeros system's control over the Rivne region and even the whole of Ukraine would grow stronger.
With millions of jobs at stake, no one would dare to rashly challenge the Westeros system's interests in Ukraine.
Moreover, Simon didn't plan to unconditionally support the Rivne region's development. He had even considered how to siphon off the wealth accumulated in this region in the future, preventing it from upgrading its industries and breaking free from its fate as a low-end manufacturing base.
The method was actually very simple.
Real estate.
One house, decades of mortgage payments, tying down several families for a lifetime. Swift and decisive.
Bloodless.
Therefore, if uncontrollable changes occurred in the future, Simon could leave the Rivne region with nothing but real estate, potentially worthless real estate at that. The wealth accumulated by millions through hard labor over decades would be quietly drained and transferred by the Westeros system.
Simon wouldn't easily share these deeper considerations with anyone, not even with Celia across the table, who had shared intimate moments with him. He would only have her execute his plans according to his designs.
However, even without Simon explicitly stating it, Celia vaguely sensed the grand and far-reaching plans of the young man before her.
Unlike the woman beside Simon, who had lost herself completely, Celia, who had been forced out of Washington's political circles, still valued the immense, albeit hidden, power that her association with the Westeros system brought her.
Celia enjoyed the feeling of standing before numerous heads of state at the UN General Assembly, speaking on behalf of the Westeros system. She enjoyed the feeling of personally helping to create a private military force. She enjoyed the feeling of negotiating and even clashing directly with a president.
Celia had no illusions—she was a woman who craved power.
Initially, she had been somewhat dissatisfied with helping Simon handle various business and personal matters. But recently, especially after Simon's insights that morning, Celia realized that this man, with seemingly casual ease, had already set in motion a vast chess game.
And she, unlike the countless others who had become mere pawns, was at least the attendant pouring tea by the side of the chess player.
As breakfast was coming to an end, Simon said to Celia, whose eyes were now gleaming with a certain light, "I'll be heading back to Los Angeles this morning. If there's nothing else on your schedule, I'll be leaving for Ukraine next Wednesday. If you don't want to go with me again so soon, you can let Emily accompany me."
Celia immediately shook her head. "No, I'll go with you."
Simon nodded. "That's even better."
Grace hadn't spoken a word throughout breakfast. She knew that the young man beside her was a charming person who rarely made those around him feel neglected. The fact that he hadn't spoken to her directly was not a sign of ignoring her, but rather that they were close enough that it wasn't necessary.
Grace also didn't initiate any conversation, content to quietly listen.
Now, hearing that Simon was leaving that morning, Grace, who had finished her breakfast, couldn't help but look over at him.
Noticing her gaze, Simon turned and smiled. "When are you going back to New York?"
If it weren't for Simon, Grace wouldn't have come to Park City this weekend at all.
However, since she was here, she couldn't just leave as soon as he did; that would be too obvious. After a moment's thought, she replied, "I'll leave tomorrow morning. I need to attend the Liska Bond event tonight."
Listening to Grace's gentle voice, Simon couldn't help but reach over, gently pinching her delicate chin and giving her nose a playful flick. Watching her embarrassed and somewhat annoyed gaze dart between him and Celia, he smiled and said, "Then feel free to stay here. Zoe and the others will stay with you."
Grace opened her mouth to refuse but, feeling Simon's warm gaze that seemed to melt her, she instinctively nodded. "Okay."
Having arrived on Thursday to attend the Sundance opening ceremony and quietly meet with the elder Bush, the premiere of The Man from Earth was complete, and Simon had made contact with the new talent he wanted to draw in. With all of his plans for this Park City trip fulfilled, Simon didn't linger after breakfast. He immediately left for Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah, where he would board a private plane back to Los Angeles. Celia Miller, who was going the same way, left with
Simon, though she would be taking a flight from Salt Lake City to the East Coast.
After Simon left, Grace immediately felt as if the villa had become much emptier.
In truth, it was just her heart that felt empty.
Unable to resist, she took on the role of a hostess and had Zoe and the others tidy up the villa inside and out, which finally gave her a sense of satisfaction.
Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that she had forgotten something.
It wasn't until around 11 a.m., after finishing her "housework," making a call to her two children in New York, and taking care of some trivial matters, that Grace, sitting in the second-floor living room overlooking the entirety of Park City with a cup of coffee that Zoe had just served, suddenly remembered that there was someone else in the villa.
She went to the master bedroom and found that the lazy woman was still asleep.
Unceremoniously, she shook her awake. As Bryce Levinston groggily sat up, revealing the marks all over her fair skin, Grace couldn't help but feel a strange sense of envy. People's physiques were different; she was the kind of woman whose skin barely left marks, while Bryce, pampered all her life, was the type who could bruise easily.
Grace couldn't resist pinching her again.
Bryce winced in pain, protesting weakly, but eventually began to get dressed under Grace's urging.
After washing up and coming downstairs, Bryce learned that Simon had already left, and Grace seemed intent on driving her out as well. But Bryce was not one to be easily pushed around, so she stubbornly decided to stay. After all, she had no intention of leaving.
After discussing matters with Simon yesterday, Bryce Levinston's purpose for coming to Park City had been fulfilled. What followed was no longer something a housewife like her needed to worry about.
Though she didn't like the cold weather in Park City, after spending a day and a night here, especially with such a large house and a group of maids who were more attentive than the servants in her own home, Bryce began to think this place wasn't so bad after all.
So she decided to stay a few more days.
She wasn't leaving.
She was actually quite smart.
Since Simon hadn't sent her away when he left and had allowed Grace to stay, there was no reason why she couldn't stay as well.
Moreover, after being so thoroughly exhausted by him last night, this was her compensation.
As for what her husband back in Florida would think, since he had heartlessly sent her to the lion's den, he should be prepared for the consequences. She knew her husband's temperament well; he had pursued her, a beautiful woman ten years his junior, and had even married her after getting her pregnant. They hadn't signed a prenuptial agreement.
So, to avoid losing half of his fortune, he didn't even dare to divorce her now.
Besides, last night's man was Simon Westeros. She could tell that he was quite satisfied with her, and he was also a very generous man when it came to women.
All in all, Bryce Levinston didn't think she had anything to worry about.
That evening, they even argued over who would sleep in the comfortable master bedroom, with Bryce threatening that her son would bully Grace's daughter, but she didn't succeed. In the end, they shared the bed.
Grace left the next day.
She had work to do, unlike Bryce, who had more free time.
Initially, Bryce was a bit worried, but when the doll-faced maid named Zoe left with a few others, two more maids and two female guards arrived to take their place.
So Bryce felt at ease staying.
During the day, she watched those strange movies and went skiing. In the evening, she attended various parties. Probably due to her connection with Westeros, every social circle in Park City opened up to her. She even met some Hollywood stars, giving Bryce a sense of superiority she had never experienced in her life.
On Wednesday morning, while skiing, someone even tried to hit on her.
A very handsome guy.
He had just starred in a film that received good reviews at Sundance and was enthusiastically talking to her about the plot, full of youthful exuberance.
Although Bryce loved luxury and demanded everything around her to be exquisite, she had a deep-seated pride when it came to men and women. She despised those wealthy women who had affairs with waiters or personal trainers, finding it tasteless. Naturally, she had no interest in the advances of a handsome man.
Realizing the man was being persistent, Bryce quickly lost her patience and directly told him that she was Simon Westeros' lover. She warned him that if he didn't disappear from her sight within 10 seconds, she would make sure he disappeared from Hollywood forever.
The two female guards who had been watching from a distance happened to approach at that moment.
The man, perhaps having heard some rumors and seeing the intimidating bodyguards, quickly realized Bryce wasn't joking. With an awkward smile, he turned and hurried away, so fast that he crashed into the barrier at the edge of the ski slope.
Later, she heard that he broke his right leg.
At the time, Bryce just stood there, shamelessly gloating over his misfortune, and then decided to stay in Park City until Sundance ended.
The tax investigation into the Levinston Group, which had started with a bang, suddenly quieted down.
The day after Bryce Levinston met with Simon, Francis Levinston was released on bail. The local judge, citing the need to protect the interests of the Levinston Group's thousands of employees and numerous creditors, lowered the bail to $5 million, with Levinston's properties in Florida and New York as collateral.
The IRS also toned down its investigation into the Levinston Group. A spokesperson for the agency even publicly stated in an interview on Monday that the Levinston Group's problems were not severe and that the matter would be resolved within two weeks.
Simon had Bryce inform Francis Levinston that the tax investigation wasn't his doing. After this ordeal, and seeing the reactions of people both inside and outside the Levinston family during his detention, Francis Levinston finally realized that cooperating with Simon Westeros was his best option.
So, on the afternoon of his release, Francis Levinston personally called Simon to discuss the Westeros system's investment in the Levinston Group.
$1.5 billion for a 35% stake.
This time, Francis Levinston didn't haggle.
Faced with pressure from numerous creditors, even those shareholders who were initially opposed to Simon's involvement had no choice but to compromise.
The specific agreement would require detailed negotiations.
Moreover, to ensure there were no unforeseen hidden debts or legal risks in the deal, Westeros Company would conduct a thorough audit of the Levinston Group.
In the end, it would take at least a month to complete the transaction.
Simon assigned this task to his assistant's father, James Rebord. After spending two more days in Los Angeles to handle some Danerys Entertainment Group business, Simon departed again on January 25th, heading to Ukraine.
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