Inside the East Hampton villa on Long Island, Simon reviewed the weekend's box office report while discussing an upcoming European trip with his assistant. Suddenly, a woman in a black Givenchy dress appeared in the doorway, holding a little girl's hand. She gently knocked, saying, "Simon, breakfast is ready."
Simon nodded, patted the armrest of the sofa, and smiled, inviting her over. After a brief glance at the assistant, she hesitated but then approached, sitting on the armrest beside Simon. Once seated, Simon gently pulled her into his lap, to which she, after a token resistance, settled quietly. She turned to the girl and said, "MiuMiu, go wait for us in the dining room."
MiuMiu—Simon's new nickname for the little girl, chosen over the weekend—was also the name of Prada's new subsidiary line. The mother saw no issue with it, as she had intended to change her daughter's name anyway.
The assistant, who had spent the weekend in Manhattan and arrived this morning by helicopter, raised an eyebrow at the name but refrained from commenting. She mused silently, though: "MiuMiu... isn't that like 'Meow Meow'?"
Holding the woman close, Simon didn't stop the little girl from leaving. Switching to English, he addressed the assistant. "As for Russia, I'll skip Moscow and just stay in St. Petersburg for a day, freeing up more time in Italy. Also, please prepare the materials for the Ukraine special scholarship program we discussed yesterday, aimed at the children of Ukraine's political and business elite, and send it to Janet."
The assistant made a note and then asked, "Sir, why not include Russia as well?"
Simon replied, "This is a gradual, long-term plan. Russia won't be excluded, nor will any country central to the Westeros system's operations. Celia is only handling Ukraine for now."
The assistant understood that the scholarship plan would likely be administered through the family's foundation network. These initiatives were typically managed by his two wives and conducted under the names of various shell foundations, which exceeded her direct purview.
"Also," she added, "since you mentioned discretion yesterday with Mrs. Miller, perhaps starting with just 100 students after summer may be too many. We could screen more carefully to identify those who are truly valuable to us."
Simon smiled. "It's actually easier to be discreet with a larger group; we can select the individuals we want without drawing attention. If we limit it to three or five, it's obvious who the targets are. Besides, even those who aren't selected for more specific roles will still benefit the Westeros system simply by being recipients of our support."
His assistant looked thoughtful.
Simon adjusted his position, lightly holding the quiet, compliant woman in his lap, and murmured, "I remember reading a line in a book, A, that goes: 'A fish out of water is no longer a fish.'"
The assistant hadn't read the particular novel and couldn't fully grasp the brutal implications of the line, so Simon didn't explain further. After finalizing some more points, he helped the woman up, and they headed to the dining room together. As they walked, he admired her outfit. "You look beautiful. This dress, an extension of Audrey Hepburn's iconic little black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany's, suits your figure and elegance perfectly."
The woman, somewhat embarrassed but pleased, replied, "Thank you, Simon."
When they arrived in the dining room, Chen Qing, Lin Su, and the newly named MiuMiu were already waiting. Simon took his seat, started on breakfast, and turned to Lin Su.
"There's an update on your brother's situation. A professor from MIT's Earth Resources Lab has agreed to take him on as a Ph.D. student, focusing on exploration. It's a very practical field; after graduation, he could work for major oil or mining companies. But he must be able to complete his studies. Unlike humanities or law, STEM requires solid skills; if he's not up to it, even I won't be able to help him advance beyond a degree."
Lin Su nodded, looking grateful but unsure about saying more in front of everyone. Simon preempted her, saying, "As for the other person, if she wants to come to the U.S., my suggestion is she marries your brother and joins him as his spouse. There's no need to waste time applying to schools."
Lin Su bit back a retort, holding back a mild resentment.
But she knew she couldn't ask for more. Simon's help for her brother, especially to get him into MIT, was more than she'd hoped for. Lin Su's brother, Lin Dong, was about to finish his master's degree in geophysics at Peking University. He'd been trying to study abroad since his undergraduate days, initially targeting MIT and Caltech's top geophysics programs, but he had only managed to secure a self-funded offer from Northwestern University.
Before asking Simon for help, Lin Su had been reluctant, feeling it was improper to impose. But she finally worked up the courage over the weekend, and the results had come faster than expected. MIT—a truly prestigious offer.
She knew from her research that only two students from Peking University's entire graduating class had received offers from MIT this year, and both were self-funded. Knowing that Simon had even considered her brother's future career in oil and mining validated how much effort he'd put into this.
But it was clear that Simon wasn't extending his support to her brother's girlfriend, Bai Lan. Lin Su actually liked Bai Lan, unlike her younger sister Lin Lan, who disapproved of her.
Simon's suggestion to simply get married and come over as a dependent struck her as both old-fashioned and presumptuous.
But maybe, deep down, it could work.
Bai Lan studied applied physics at Beijing University of Science and Technology and, being quite beautiful, had caught Lin Dong's attention during a school exchange event. Despite her charm, she had struggled to receive any offers for studying abroad since she started applying last year.
Even though Simon wasn't helping with her case, Lin Su resolved to take matters into her own hands. Such old-fashioned, macho thinking, she thought to herself.
Before she could dwell too much on it, Simon spoke up again. "And if you don't want to end up supporting him indefinitely, when he arrives here, I recommend you don't pay for his tuition. Encourage him to work part-time. Also, if he wants to go further in his career, he should consider taking some business administration courses, ideally earning a degree alongside his Ph.D."
Lin Su appreciated the advice, though she protested mildly, "My brother is not a deadbeat."
"He's not, I agree. His record at Peking University is excellent, which is why I'm advising you not to coddle him. He's already 24 and late to start his career. If he doesn't face real-life challenges now, he may end up as an academic trapped in an ivory tower, with little to show for it outside research."
Lin Su hesitated but eventually gave a quiet nod.
Simon grinned mischievously. "If you can't handle it, I can take care of him for you."
Seeing her confusion, he added with a teasing smile, "After all, given our relationship, your brother would be my brother-in-law. Teaching him a few life lessons would be perfectly natural."
Lin Su's face turned bright red, and she avoided looking at him.
Simon continued, "In line with typical Chinese parenting, leave him to me. I'll discipline him as needed. Don't worry, I won't hold back."
Blushing even more, Lin Su could only murmur, "Just don't hurt him."
"Of course not."
After shifting the topic, he turned to Chen Qing and continued discussing business.
"About the projects in Hangzhou, I've reviewed them. Two stand out: investing in Wahaha, an impressive company we must secure, and the bottled water project by Nongfu Spring, which we can fully acquire."
Wahaha's reputation was well established, akin to Jianlibao, and Simon hadn't intended to buy it outright. Simply getting an investment stake in such a prominent company was a solid gain.
As for Nongfu Spring, it was still in its early stages. Given the future growth potential, a direct acquisition was preferable.
Although Hangzhou was Lin Su's hometown, Chen Qing was also involved in these business dealings. Before Lin Su could respond, Chen asked, "What about Geely? Of all the proposals, I believe it has the most potential. You've been interested in the Chinese auto industry, so I thought you'd consider it."
Simon nodded, "Yes, I'm very aware of that."
With annual car sales in China at only 1.5 million, the automotive industry was still in its infancy but very profitable. All car types were in high demand, making it a seller's market. And looking ten to twenty years ahead, the Chinese automotive market would become central for global carmakers.
Chen Qing looked puzzled. "Then…?"
Switching to English, Simon replied, "That's exactly why we shouldn't invest."
Surprised, the young girl looked up, not understanding the sudden language shift. Liu, who had been studying English for the trip, understood some basic conversation but sensibly continued her breakfast, pretending not to follow.
Chen, seeing him switch languages, followed suit, replying in French, "Sir, I don't quite understand."
This time, even Lin Su couldn't follow.
In French, Simon explained, "Entering China's automotive sector has a high entry barrier, as you know. With the influence we've gained since my last visit, securing a production license for Geely is likely possible, correct?"
Chen nodded.
"But have you considered the political implications
? Entering the automotive industry would position us against China's state-owned automotive giants, which some people see as their own turf. It would quickly erode the goodwill we've carefully built up. Goodwill is like fine wine—it's wasted if consumed too early. Let it age and release it at the right time for maximum impact."
Chen nodded in understanding.
Over the past two years, the Westeros system's progress in China had been remarkably smooth. This realization prompted Chen to reflect on her previous, perhaps careless oversight.
Simon continued, "If the profits were significant enough, I'd be willing to use some of that goodwill early. But currently, with the global auto industry at a high point, investing in China's auto sector would require partnership with Western carmakers. The market is overheated, making it not worth the cost."
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