"About the establishment of China Telecom's board of directors, as I mentioned briefly last night, don't get your hopes up in the short term. You two should just observe and not overreach. Even if a board is established, the seats we might secure won't fall to either of you. I still want you both to stay behind the scenes."
Breakfast the next day.
Simon was discussing last night's reception for China Telecom's roadshow team with Chen Qing and Lin Su.
Lin Su, her complexion glowing, nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, Chen Qing, feeling somewhat sour as she glanced at the radiant Lin Su across from her, turned to their boss and said, "But, boss, a lot of people in China care about these things. I regret pushing Ah Su into the Forbes list—it's been pointless. I should've put myself up there instead."
Simon shook his head. "Being in the spotlight might have short-term benefits, but in the long run, it only creates trouble, especially in China, where modesty and discretion are valued. However, if you insist on stepping forward, I won't stop you."
Chen Qing's expression changed immediately. "Boss, I was just saying."
Simon smiled and continued, "As for the collaboration between Scour and BBK to produce DVDs, you must handle this delicately. For now, the products must be strictly for export only. This isn't just to protect our interests in the Chinese VCD market; it also involves intellectual property concerns that the Western electronics and media industries take very seriously."
"Of course, I know what's at stake," Chen Qing nodded earnestly. Then she added, "Boss, this means we'll get a big slice of the DVD pie, right? Scour won't need to worry too much about transitioning in the short term either."
"That's right, but remember, all of this is indirectly negotiated by Daenerys Entertainment with giants like Sony. Don't take it for granted. And transitioning is still necessary. In the DVD industry, we're just taking a share, not leading it."
Chen Qing smirked, "But isn't Daenerys Entertainment essentially leading the charge? Without content from Hollywood studios, those electronics manufacturers wouldn't be able to promote DVDs."
This was true.
Whether it was VHS, the newly emerging DVDs, or future formats like Blu-ray, Hollywood studios were critical players. Without their content, manufacturers couldn't successfully push their products globally.
Of course, this didn't apply to regions with lax intellectual property enforcement.
Currently, Daenerys Entertainment, which controlled much of Hollywood's content, played a decisive role in the adoption of DVDs. If Simon were a conservative traditionalist—like Disney and others who had sued Sony over VCRs—he could have blocked DVDs from gaining traction for years.
But Simon wasn't.
That said, Daenerys Entertainment's support came with conditions. One of these was ensuring that Scour continued to benefit from video decoding chips in the DVD era. Another was Simon's consideration for the online rental market. With DVDs entering the mainstream, Blockbuster, controlled by the Westeros System, would further its online transformation, preemptively stifling the rise of competitors like the once-prominent Netflix.
Compared to expensive VCRs, the advent of DVDs was poised to bring another industry revolution.
Unlike the stubborn music industry, Simon embraced this change enthusiastically. As history had shown, resisting change often led to severe industry disruption and a loss of control, leaving sectors as mere appendages of others.
As Simon often said: if you don't disrupt yourself, someone else will.
Without elaborating further, Simon shifted the conversation. "Also, about the Vogue magazine interview that Jian Xin and the others did when they returned—are you aware of it?"
Chen Qing nodded.
Simon continued, "Try to establish a connection with Condé Nast or Time Warner. We can propose jointly creating a major fashion print media company. This isn't a big deal, but if we succeed, we can gain an early foothold in China's still-developing fashion media sector. When the time comes, whether it's Elite, Melisandre, or even Daenerys itself, they'll all have an excellent marketing platform."
Historically, a fashion media conglomerate in China had emerged under a state tourism bureau-affiliated publishing house. It dominated the country's fashion magazines, including Harper's Bazaar, Men's Uno, and Elle Décor. It even pioneered the renowned Bazaar Charity Night.
The "Bazaar" brand originated from the BAZAAR magazine under Hearst Corporation, making this fashion media group a joint venture with Hearst.
Two years ago, during the shake-ups, Hearst had sold off its magazine series, which was acquired by Time Warner. Naturally, this time, Hearst would not be making the same investments in China. Inspired by Jian Xin's private email about the Vogue interview, Simon wasn't about to miss this opportunity.
Hearing Simon's proposal, Chen Qing's eyes lit up. "Boss, this is a great idea. But I don't think we need to bring Condé Nast or Time Warner into it. We can do it ourselves. Daenerys Entertainment has Fashion TV, doesn't it? What China lacks most right now is funding. As for operations, we can just copy existing models."
Simon smiled and countered, "What do you think is the most important factor in 'fashion'?"
Chen Qing thought for a moment but ultimately shook her head. "What is it?"
"Style," Simon replied. "By bringing in Condé Nast or Time Warner and leveraging their established magazines to create a joint brand, for example, pairing Time Warner's BAZAAR with China's Vogue to launch Bazaar Vogue, we instantly create an international vibe. That can quickly open doors in China."
Chen Qing nodded in realization but then asked, "Wouldn't this make it harder for us to retain control?"
"You just need to ensure 20–30% equity. The key is that no other shareholder should have absolute control either. This way, the Chinese side must undertake a clear equity restructuring, limiting shares for management, original shareholders, and investors to within 20–30% each."
"But would Condé Nast or Time Warner agree to such a small stake?"
"You wouldn't be negotiating with all of Condé Nast or Time Warner, just one of their magazines. For instance, BAZAAR. This approach significantly reduces the scale and complexity of negotiations. So, let's settle on BAZAAR. Reach out to the Chinese side, and if there's progress, I'll speak with Semel."
"Got it."
After finishing this topic, Simon paused to consider something and then added, "One last thing: find some time to investigate South Korea's notable investment projects in China."
Chen Qing was immediately puzzled, and even Lin Su looked up curiously.
Simon didn't divulge much, saying only, "You'll understand next year. Cersei Capital's China Research Institute will also conduct similar investigations, but they'll cover a broader range, including Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, as a smokescreen."
Lin Su, recalling something she'd read, ventured, "A few months ago, I read an analysis of the Asian economy suggesting that Southeast Asia's economy is broadly unbalanced, with significant debt and deficits, and could face a crisis in the coming years?"
"Don't concern yourself with these issues," Simon nodded slightly. "Focus on China. And you," he turned to Chen Qing, "don't forget to keep learning. Otherwise, you'll hit a ceiling quickly."
Chen Qing immediately pouted. "Boss, I'm doing better than Ah Su."
After breakfast, Simon prepared to return to the West Coast.
After a quick check to ensure nothing was overlooked, he put on the coat the two women handed him at the entryway. He gave Chen Qing a hug and then turned to Lin Su, wrapping an arm around her waist. Remembering something, he smiled. "Did your parents ever tell you this when you were little?"
Lin Su tilted her head slightly. "What?"
"Don't kiss boys, or you'll get pregnant," Simon teased. Seeing the blush quickly spread across her cheeks, he lowered his head with a smile. "Come on, let's improve the odds."
Back in Los Angeles, it was still the morning of December 14th, Saturday.
Simon's return was primarily to address matters accumulated on the West Coast before Christmas. Jenny and the others were still in Greenwich, hoping for a snowy Christmas, and Simon planned to return to the East Coast before the holiday.
The holiday box office season had officially started two days earlier, and Simon's attention was focused on recent ticket sales.
The previous week, from December 6 to December 12, Wonder Woman 2 experienced a significant drop in its third weekend, with a 41% decline and $59.71 million in ticket sales. However, in just three weeks, the film's cumulative box office had soared to $314.3 million, surpassing the year's previous champion, Spectre, which had earned $307 million, claiming the top spot for the year.
Under the shadow of Wonder Woman 2, all other films released during Thanksgiving had been overshadowed.
Aside from Wonder Woman 2, other major highlights included the limited release of Good Will Hunting and the announcement of the 54th Golden Globe nominations on December 11.
Thanks to its compelling cast and a modest $10 million budget, Good Will Hunting opened on 106 screens last week and immediately garnered significant media attention. The low-budget drama was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews, earning a classic-level 9.4 score from critics. Renowned film critic Roger Ebert even hailed it as "
another Rain Man."
The stellar reception, combined with its strong cast—including Gus Van Sant, Robert De Niro, Ben Affleck, and Kate Beckinsale—drew curious audiences in droves.
Adding to the buzz, the December 11 Golden Globe nominations brought even more attention to the film. It received five nominations: Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Actor – Drama, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Screenplay.
With such acclaim, the film's first-week per-screen average reached $51,300, bringing its total to $5.43 million from just 106 screens.
This kind of momentum and acclaim could easily position Good Will Hunting for a major Oscar campaign.
However, Simon had no such plans.
Last year, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice had leveraged its massive box office success and aggressive lobbying to secure the Best Picture Oscar.
This year, Simon intended to step back.
Otherwise, Titanic—scheduled for release next year—would face unnecessary complications. The Academy would not tolerate Daenerys Entertainment dominating the Oscars three years in a row, even if the films were undeniably deserving. It simply wouldn't look good for the Oscars to become Daenerys's playground.
Even so, Simon's restraint didn't mean letting the opportunity go to waste.
The other major awards contender this season was MGM's The English Patient, another of Simon's strategic placements.
This adaptation of the novel had been proposed by Saul Zaentz, an independent producer who once held the Lord of the Rings film rights. Due to its high production costs relative to its niche appeal, Zaentz faced numerous challenges in getting the film made. In the original timeline, he even sold the Lord of the Rings rights to the Weinsteins to finance The English Patient.
This time, Simon had kept an eye on the project early on, guiding MGM to take it on at the right moment last year.
With a budget of $27 million, the film was undoubtedly expensive for a literary adaptation. Unlike the broadly appealing Good Will Hunting, The English Patient was more somber and obscure—perfect for critics and awards voters.
As a result, The English Patient secured seven Golden Globe nominations: Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, Best Actor – Drama, Best Actress – Drama, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score. It was the clear frontrunner and would likely dominate the Oscars next year.
Alongside Good Will Hunting and The English Patient, the 1997 awards season also highlighted Fargo from the Coen Brothers and Madonna's Evita. Meanwhile, Spielberg's slave-trade drama Amistad was included more as a token nomination due to his reputation.
While awards remain a secondary focus in Hollywood's commercial landscape, the industry's attention quickly shifted to the holiday box office season, which kicked off on Friday, December 13.
Unlike the isolated dominance of Wonder Woman 2 over Thanksgiving weekend, the holiday season saw a crowded lineup of releases, including Jumanji, Disney's The Preacher's Wife, Arnold Schwarzenegger's Jingle All the Way, the wide release of Good Will Hunting, and the limited debut of The English Patient.
Jumanji, a collaboration between Daenerys Entertainment and Warner Bros., was the season's heavyweight contender. Using the 2017 Dwayne Johnson reboot as a base, Simon had tailored the story with the addition of Sylvester Stallone and supermodel Chrissy Gough. The film's production budget ultimately reached $82 million, slightly over budget.
Fortunately, the final product was well-received.
Following its December 11 premiere, reviews were lifted the next day, earning the film a solid 7.8 media score.
First, the visual effects stood out.
With Daenerys Special Effects handling the visuals and Simon adding several grand scenes to the original concept, the film's spectacle impressed critics and audiences alike.
As for the cast, Sylvester Stallone's portrayal of a middle-aged man with a youthful mindset won widespread acclaim. Even Chrissy Gough, often dismissed as a supermodel-turned-actress promoted by Simon, exceeded expectations with her strikingly sexy performance and surprisingly competent acting.
If there was a weakness, it was the plot.
The Hollywood Reporter described the film as "a mindless popcorn flick for younger audiences," which was the main reason its score fell short of 8.
But no one had expected otherwise.
Jumanji was designed as a fun, visually spectacular blockbuster, and Simon had never intended to inject it with deeper meaning.
For its opening weekend, Jumanji debuted on 3,539 screens, second only to Wonder Woman 2 for the season.
Disney's holiday entry, The Preacher's Wife, had a much smaller budget of $40 million compared to 101 Dalmatians, which cost $75 million for Thanksgiving. It told the story of Henry, a small-town Black man whose strained relationship with his wife, Julia—a church choir lead—improves after divine intervention sends an angel to help.
Directed by Penny Marshall and starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston, the film featured an all-Black cast.
Clearly, the film sought to capitalize on the success of the earlier The Bodyguard, also starring Whitney Houston. Despite its 1,783-screen release, The Preacher's Wife received a lukewarm 6.0 media score.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Jingle All the Way continued the action star's pivot to comedy, following hits like Twins and Kindergarten Cop. However, this holiday project was more of a stopgap while preparing for Terminator 3.
This time, it truly was a minor project.
Following several box office disappointments and declining interest in traditional action stars, the budget for Jingle All the Way was only $30 million. Arnold, who had previously commanded $15 million per film, agreed to an $8 million salary with profit-sharing, effectively halving his base pay.
Even so, the film struggled. Opening on 2,401 screens, it earned a dismal 3.8 media score. Against the competition, its box office prospects looked bleak.
Beyond these three major new releases, Good Will Hunting expanded to 1,746 screens, while The English Patient continued its limited run on just 10 screens.
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