By the evening, Simon had returned from Klevan, northwest of Rivne. Throughout the day, Simon had been tirelessly visiting various enterprises that the Westeros system had acquired in Rivne Oblast over the past six months, ranging from the site selection for the city airport in the southwestern suburbs of Rivne to a paper mill in Klevan.
Inside the black Mercedes, Simon sat beside Sergei Komorov, the head of Ordak Company, in which the Westeros system held an 80% stake. Komorov held a list of assets under Ordak Company, covering a wide range of sectors including food, real estate, clothing, papermaking, building materials, and livestock.
And this was just a small portion.
Larger-scale industries like the Nokia factory wouldn't be handed over to Komorov. Foreign banks already established in Rivne would be remotely controlled by Cersei Capital in New York. Additionally, media and entertainment assets related to public opinion control were also off-limits to Komorov.
Altogether, these industries would give Simon control over nearly every aspect of Rivne Oblast.
Across the ocean, there was a city under the Lee family. In the heart of Europe, in Ukraine, there would eventually be an oblast under the Westeros name.
After going through the asset list, Simon glanced out the car window. The convoy had not yet entered Rivne's urban area, so he turned to Komorov and said, "Shut down the paper mill in Klevan."
Sergei Komorov, sensing that his boss was quite satisfied with today's visits, was surprised by Simon's sudden command. Quickly recalling the details of Simon's visit to the paper mill and its operational status, he cautiously asked, "Boss, is there a problem?"
Simon shook his head. "I know the paper mill is profitable, but the pollution it causes is too severe. Sergei, I'm not an overly strict environmentalist, but since Rivne Oblast will be our territory in the future, it's entirely worth it to make the air cleaner and the water clearer within our means. Don't you agree?"
Komorov hadn't expected this reasoning but quickly nodded. "No problem, Boss."
Simon was very pleased with Komorov's attitude, especially given his considerable competence. He continued, "Sergei, I'm very satisfied with your work, both today and over the past six months. So, in the coming years, not only will I not dilute your stake in Ordak, but I'll also transfer an additional 15% or so of the shares to you. This will increase your ownership in Ordak from the current 15% to 30%."
Sergei Komorov had originally been a small entrepreneur in Rivne with assets equivalent to only a few million dollars. In less than a year, based on the actual total value of the enterprises acquired at low prices, his 15% stake in Ordak was now worth tens of millions of dollars.
Throughout this process, aside from the initial $10 million used to buy 80% of Ordak's shares, Simon had provided further funding in the form of debt, further showcasing his broad-mindedness and vision.
Hearing Simon's offer to increase his stake to 30%, Komorov became even more convinced that he had aligned with the right person.
While 30% might still seem small—even with the 5% held by the Derevyanchenko family, it was far from absolute control—once Ordak developed, this stake could be worth hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars. Moreover, Simon rarely visited Ukraine, making Komorov the de facto controller of the company most of the time.
In a country like Ukraine, having such assets would place him among the wealthiest individuals, if not the wealthiest.
Thinking this, Komorov quickly said, "Thank you, Boss. I assure you, your investment and trust will be well rewarded."
Simon smiled and nodded, then looked at the list in his hand and said, "I know Rivne Oblast has rich forestry resources. After closing the paper mill, you can try converting it into a furniture factory, one step above wood processing. Do you know about IKEA in Sweden?"
Komorov nodded.
Simon continued, "As a global furniture retail chain, IKEA doesn't produce furniture directly; they mainly source from Eastern Europe. Many similar chains do the same. You can try to become their supplier initially. However, OEM factories are usually at the lowest end of the industrial chain with the thinnest margins. To earn more, it's best to create your own brand."
Komorov nodded slightly. As a top economics graduate from Kyiv University, he understood this well. However, he couldn't help but ask, "Simon, do you think Ukraine can develop a global furniture brand?"
Simon paused, then realized what Komorov meant.
This question was very similar to the situation in China in his memory.
As the world's factory, China produced products for almost every global brand, yet it took many years before it developed any global national brands.
The reasons for this are complex and can't be explained briefly.
After some thought, Simon said, "For consumers in developed countries, products from developing countries do carry a stigma of being low-end and poor quality, but that's not absolute. Take Ukraine, for example. Overseas consumers might see products from here as low-end, but if we spin it differently—far from Western Europe's industrial zones, our products could be marketed as more environmentally friendly. That would become an advantage. Product quality control and brand building aren't things that can be achieved overnight, but if done seriously, I believe consumers will eventually recognize our products."
Sergei Komorov pondered this and then said, "I will seriously give it a try."
Simon thought Komorov had taken his advice to heart but didn't anticipate that, many years later, Rivne Oblast in Ukraine would give rise to a global furniture giant even larger than IKEA.
Back in the car, after discussing this topic, Simon quickly shifted his thoughts to the next issue, marking another item on the list. He said, "And then there's real estate, Sergei. Since you studied economics, you're surely aware of the real estate bubbles in many developed countries. In my view, if Rivne Oblast develops in the future, Rivne city will inevitably experience a real estate bubble. Due to the huge profits, the real estate industry is bound to siphon resources from the real economy. We can't let others drain our hard-earned profits, so you need to start stockpiling land. In the short term, real estate will only be a peripheral business for Ordak, but in five or ten years, when the economy prospers, I want you to ensure that we have enough prime land in Rivne to develop and capture the most substantial profits."
Sergei Komorov hadn't considered Simon's deeper strategic plans for the real estate industry, but he still thought his boss made a lot of sense.
He couldn't help but wonder, how had this young man, who wouldn't even be 27 until next month, accumulated such profound knowledge?
Apart from everything else, just Simon's fluent Russian during their discussions was enough to amaze Komorov.
As the two talked, the convoy entered Rivne city. Upon arriving at the southern villa, Simon immediately noticed a tall girl with a bicycle at the mansion's gate, arguing with two villa guards. The guards seemed to be trying to drive her away, but the girl refused to leave, stubbornly holding onto a lamppost, determined to resist.
As the three-car convoy approached, the standoff paused. One guard ran toward the gate while the other blocked the girl, his expression showing a bit of apprehension.
Simon didn't plan to pay attention and intended for the convoy to drive straight into the mansion. However, the girl suddenly darted out and smartly threw herself onto the hood of Simon's car, her bright, light-colored eyes peering through the windshield, though the tinted windows prevented her from seeing inside.
Simon, who usually took personal safety seriously, wasn't about to expose himself to a seemingly pretty yet harmless-looking girl just because she had blocked the car.
Seeing the girl blocking the vehicle, the guard quickly pulled her away, and a bodyguard from the car behind Simon's also stepped out to help subdue the girl easily. As Simon's car drove through the gate, he saw the girl looking at him with a face full of grievance, shouting something towards him.
Komorov, having observed the entire situation, remembered something and tentatively asked, "Boss, there are only three girls left in the villa. Do you want me to find more for you?"
Simon shook his head, smiling, "Don't bother with that kind of thing anymore. Focus on the company. Besides, if I like pretty girls, I'd rather find them myself."
Komorov acknowledged this and didn't add anything unnecessary.
Simon then added, "By the way, Pavlenko's nightclub—take over and reopen it soon."
One of the six girls' backers, the Pavlenko family, had been dealt with by Simon not long ago. The nightclub they had opened in Rivne using funds embezzled from Simon had been temporarily shut down.
Komorov, as a businessman, hadn't paid much attention to this matter and was unaware of how profitable a nightclub could be.
But Simon knew better.
No matter how the country was declining, people always needed entertainment.
In Simon's memory, during the 1990s in China, some nightclubs in major cities could be described as raking in money daily. Some large discos could generate hundreds of millions of yuan in revenue annually.
In Rivne, as the city rapidly developed under the Westeros system, people's demand for entertainment would also rise significantly, leading to substantial profits.
Of course, venues like these, given the areas they touch on
, couldn't be opened by just anyone.
This is true in any country.
First, you need backing.
In Rivne, this wouldn't be a problem for the Westeros system.
As the bodyguard opened the car door, Simon and Komorov got out. Simon said, "That's all for today. You can head home now. Check out the nightclub situation; you'll understand. Every city has such places, and I want you to make sure it's run more properly, without too much of a mess."
Sergei Komorov agreed, said his goodbye, and at Simon's signal, returned to the car. Simon's driver would take him home.
After Komorov left, before Simon could ask, Ken Dixon, standing beside him, smiled and said, "That girl outside, she says she's Miss Bessonovskaya's sister, here to see her."
Eve, who had spent the last two nights with Simon, had been too embarrassed to stay at the villa today. Coincidentally, Simon was building a hot spring estate in the forest more than 30 kilometers north of Rivne, so he sent Eve there to check on the progress. Rivne Oblast had decent hot spring resources, and while not as famous as some European hotspots, the quality was excellent according to professional tests.
Aside from reserving the best spring for his estate, Simon also planned to build a hot spring resort to complement the military-themed amusement park.
Rivne Oblast didn't originally have much tourism value, but with the completion of the military theme park, the natural hunting grounds in the northern forests, and the hot spring resorts, the region would eventually have considerable tourism resources, primarily catering to lucrative international clients.
Hearing it was Eve's sister, Simon smiled as he walked into the villa, asking, "Have you confirmed her identity?"
Simon's team maintained detailed profiles on everyone, including their families.
Ken Dixon nodded. "I just checked; it's true. Her name is Lyudmila." He paused, then added with a smile, "The rest of the Bessonovskaya family has a good temperament, but this girl is an exception—she's quite… mischievous."
As they reached the villa door, Simon, amused by Dixon's comment, said, "Let her in."
Ken Dixon agreed and stepped back as Simon entered the villa.
The A-girl, who had been sitting in the car in front, and Celia were waiting in the living room. Upon hearing Simon's decision, the A-girl nonchalantly headed upstairs, while Celia gave Simon a mischievous wink before walking away as well.
The three girls who had been welcoming Simon home weren't bold enough to act like the A-girl. They helped Simon remove his thick coat, asked what he wanted to drink, and then went to prepare it.
Simon entered the living room adjacent to the main hall and had just sat down when a tall, slender girl dressed in a fluffy white fur coat was led in by Yevgenia. The girl seemed outwardly well-behaved, but her light-colored eyes darted around the room, making her intentions clear.
Simon gestured for her to sit on the opposite sofa. Yekaterina brought him coffee, and as she was about to leave, the phone in the room rang.
The villa's girls and staff had their own lines, so calls to this room were only for the homeowner.
Yekaterina handed the phone to Simon, but couldn't resist casting a hostile glance at Lyudmila before leaving.
Simon gestured to Lyudmila to make herself comfortable and then greeted the caller, who turned out to be Sophia Vissi.
She was currently in the UK.
At the start of the new year, Melisandre Corporation had quickly initiated a new round of acquisitions, this time targeting the British luxury fashion brand Burberry. This well-known company, with its distinctive product style, wouldn't directly compete with brands like Gucci and Versace under Melisandre's umbrella, making it an ideal acquisition target.
Simon initially thought Sophia was calling to discuss Burberry. However, after a few minutes of conversation, Simon found himself raising an eyebrow.
Sophia didn't mention the ongoing acquisition but instead talked about an ultrasound she had that afternoon.
Since the end of November last year, Sophia had been pregnant for two months. During today's check-up at a discreet private hospital in London, it was discovered that she wasn't expecting just one baby, but two. Twins.
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