"January is the most volatile time of the year, Joe. Many companies will be releasing their quarterly and annual financial reports this month. I need you to keep a close eye on the Federal Reserve. Not only can they not announce a rate hike this month, but there can't even be rumors about it. If anything starts to circulate, we'll need Greenspan to personally step in. That's your job to handle."
"Greenspan shouldn't be an issue. His second term ends this year, and the president will announce in February whether he'll support his reappointment. As long as we coordinate with the White House, he'll cooperate with us at least until February."
"Good," Simon nodded approvingly, then looked across the sofa at Joseph Schlap. "One last thing, Joe. This is a big deal, so I must remind you: if you or anyone around you needs to manage funds, you should only do so through Circe Capital. I don't want to see any situation where you or your associates use this opportunity to speculate in tech stocks."
Joseph Schlap felt a chill in his heart at Simon's words and quickly promised, "Simon, I assure you, no information will leak from me, and there won't be any speculation like that."
"I hope so, Joe. Over the years, I've always rewarded loyalty, but I expect never to be disappointed by you."
In the Greenwich estate in the northern suburbs, Simon concluded his conversation with Joseph Schlap. The two left the study together as maids bustled around the villa, tidying up.
It was Friday, January 3.
After staying on the East Coast for over a month, the Westeros family was finally preparing to return to Los Angeles. Shortly, the two Janets would take the children and leave first, while Simon planned to depart on Sunday.
Not long after Schlap left, one of the Westeros family's custom Black Hawk helicopters landed on the lawn. Janet stepped off the helicopter and headed straight for Simon, who was waiting by the villa's entrance.
After a warm embrace, she took his arm as they walked back inside. Janet began discussing her earlier meeting with Circe Capital's top executives in Manhattan. "Everything is arranged. Circe Capital will take the lead, and Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, First Boston, and a few others will do their best to cooperate. This will ensure that if the market fluctuates, there won't be a one-sided selling frenzy. Even after returning to Los Angeles, I'll continue to personally follow up."
"On the media front, James will be keeping an eye on things here on the East Coast. So, any other issues you can think of?"
"Problems are inevitable, but we've done enough preparation that the Nasdaq should hold until February or even March. Beyond that, it won't matter as much."
As they spoke, Janet brought young Nick over and handed him to Simon. "Everything's ready. Are we set to go?"
Simon held his son and nodded. "I'll take you all to the airport."
Two of the Westeros family's three private Boeing 767s were parked at Westchester County Airport, just five kilometers from the estate.
The winter afternoon sun shone warmly.
Simon watched as the two Janets, along with the children, boarded the two planes and took off one after another. The Boeing 767s turned into dots on the blue horizon, and only then did Simon return to the estate.
Over the past month, apart from Simon's brief returns to the West Coast, the family had spent considerable time on the East Coast.
This wasn't merely due to a fondness for the holiday atmosphere.
In addition to end-of-year reviews and adjustments within the Westeros system, another crucial task had been preparing for the bursting of the impending tech bubble.
Simon's earlier meeting with Joseph Schlap, Janet's morning conference in Manhattan, James Rebold's oversight of East Coast media, and a host of other arrangements were all part of this effort.
From early November, after the U.S. presidential election, to the end of December, the scale of short positions on the Nasdaq—both in futures and direct stock shorting—had skyrocketed from around $10 billion before the election to over $40 billion.
This massive shorting effort was led by Julian Robertson's Tiger Fund, backed by the Mellon family.
Of the $40 billion in short positions, Tiger Fund accounted for nearly half.
Despite the Nasdaq's continued rally, resulting in over $3 billion in cumulative losses for short-sellers in just two months, the bearish capital showed no signs of retreat. They were still betting heavily, as unrealized losses on paper could instantly turn into massive gains if the Nasdaq crashed.
As the biggest beneficiary of the tech boom, the Westeros system was obligated to stand against the short-sellers.
Of course, the Westeros system was not fighting alone.
In recent years, not only had countless capital players reaped enormous profits from the tech boom, but Washington itself—ranging from the White House to Congress—had also gained substantial political capital from the sector's prosperity. Even though the inevitability of the bubble bursting was well understood, the political and economic forces attempting to protect the tech industry far outweighed the short-selling capital.
Thus, with the Westeros system leading the charge, this confrontation—spanning finance, politics, and media—was aimed not just at delaying the Nasdaq's crash but also at ensuring that as many short-sellers as possible suffered heavy losses, striking a blow against America's old-money conservative elites.
After sending the women and children off, Simon took a helicopter to Manhattan.
With no work scheduled for the afternoon, he secretly accompanied Lin Su for a prenatal checkup.
It was the sixth one.
After Simon had casually mentioned the idea, Lin Su had quietly prepared for months. When she returned to North America last month, the timing had been just right, and she became pregnant with ease.
With six women simultaneously carrying his children, Simon occasionally felt overwhelmed. But upon reflection, he reminded himself that money was not an issue, and he wouldn't have to personally take on the exhausting role of full-time dad. That realization quickly eased his mind.
Still...
For the foreseeable future, Simon decided not to have more children so easily.
Deep down, Simon hoped his children would grow up to be qualified heirs of the Westeros family. Too many of them would inevitably dilute his attention.
Upper West Side, Manhattan.
At the residence of Lin Su and Chen Qing, the latter returned home in the evening after a full day of work. Spotting her boss casually reading a Chinese novel in the living room, her usual strong and professional demeanor disappeared. She threw herself into Simon's arms with a pitiful look. "Boss…"
Simon casually wrapped his arm around her slim waist, but his tone was stern. "Let me remind you, you and Lin Su are best friends, and her child is also yours. Don't even think about stirring up trouble between the two of you. Understood?"
Chen Qing had initially planned to act coy, but sensing the seriousness in Simon's voice, she nodded obediently despite her pouty expression. "Got it, boss. Lin Su's child is ours. But… I also want to have your baby."
"I've told you before—wait until you're at least 30."
"Fine, fine."
Settling into a more comfortable position in his arms, she glanced at the book Simon was holding. It was a copy of The Kangxi Emperor, a novel Chen Qing had recently brought home. "Boss, how's this book?"
"I've only just started, but it's perfect as the first major project for the Ming-Qing Palace set at Jingshu Film Studios once it's complete."
Just then, Lin Su entered with a fruit platter. She ignored Chen Qing's playful smirk and subtle glares, quietly placing the platter on the table before sitting nearby.
Chen Qing leaned forward to pick up the platter and began feeding Simon pieces of fruit. "Jingshu Media recently sent over a batch of film and TV project proposals. I was just about to show them to you," she said, then turned to the maid, Lily Favell, and instructed her to fetch the documents. "Boss, the Chinese TV drama industry has developed quite well in recent years. I think we can start some projects even before the studio is completed. As for films, Keep Cool and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon are already finished. It's time to select new projects."
Lily soon returned with a stack of materials.
Chen Qing handed the fruit platter to another maid, Christina, and took the documents. She told Simon, "Last year, there was a very popular TV series in China called Prime Minister Liu Luo Guo. It's about Liu Yong, a famous Qing dynasty official, outsmarting the corrupt Heshen. The actor who played the Qianlong Emperor in that show has a new project called Kangxi Travels Incognito. Boss, you've heard of Kangxi and Qianlong, right?"
Simon smiled and nodded, surprised. He hadn't expected Jingshu Media to secure Kangxi Travels Incognito, a series that would go on to become a long-running hit.
But after some thought, it wasn't so surprising.
The Chinese entertainment industry at the time was a small, tight-knit community.
Chen Qing continued her introductions, and Simon browsed through the thick stack of proposals. Among them, he quickly spotted another familiar name: The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.
"This one—what's the story?"
"Boss, you've read this novel before. I still remember your comment: 'A tale of fools.' I've recently read it myself and have to say, you're absolutely right."
Chen Qing explained, "In recent years, Hong Kong's TVB has been remaking Jin Yong's wuxia series, and they plan to adapt *
The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils* this year. Jingshu Media proposed collaborating with TVB and CCTV on this project. It's a good opportunity to learn from Hong Kong's expertise, build our own talent base, and gain political goodwill. If you're not interested, I can cancel it."
Simon thought for a moment before asking, "Who's the head of Jingshu Media?"
"Wu Shanlin," Chen Qing replied. She added with a proud smile, "I recruited him! He's a fellow from my hometown, a Peking University graduate who used to work in the broadcasting system of Jiangsu Province. Very capable."
"Keep nurturing him," Simon said directly. "As for the projects, go ahead with Kangxi Travels Incognito and The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils this year. Hold off on The Kangxi Emperor until the Ming-Qing Palace set is completed."
He continued flipping through the stack.
Although several proposals caught his eye, none matched the influence of the three Qing dynasty dramas—until near the bottom of the pile, he spotted one more: The Grand Mansion Gate.
"What's this?" Simon asked.
"It's a historical drama about the rise and fall of a Chinese medicinal family over a century. If you're interested, I have the detailed script on my computer," Chen Qing offered.
Simon glanced through the brief synopsis and decided, "Add this one too. No need to show me the full script."
With the TV projects finalized, Simon turned his attention to the film proposals, deciding to greenlight only The Great Mansion Gate and a few others for the time being. After dinner, he spent the weekend visiting the other women expecting his children before flying back to Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon.
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