Hunting in Hollywood

The next day, after waking up and completing his morning exercise, Simon sat down for breakfast, which Sophia had prepared herself. The maid team in Europe was well-established by now, but Sophia seemed to share a similar mindset with Janet, making it feel like they were the only two people in the villa during breakfast.

As they brought breakfast to the table, Sophia presented Simon with a large envelope containing photographs he had taken of the two ladies the previous afternoon. Taking a bite of a sandwich, Simon glanced at the photos, "These were developed so quickly?"

"Of course, no one would dare delay processing photos you took yourself," Sophia said, her tone slightly sour as she browsed through the photos without rushing her meal, "I didn't realize you were such a skilled photographer."

"It doesn't sound like you're praising me," Simon chuckled, "If you like, I can take some shots for you sometime."

Sophia gave Simon a sidelong glance, briefly flipped through the photos, and put them down, "I've spoken with their agency. Since you've allowed these photos to be published, consider it a brand collaboration with Gucci and them."

Simon understood what Sophia meant. Without a legitimate excuse, yesterday's event could easily be misconstrued by the media as gossip fodder. By framing it as a direct involvement in brand marketing for Simon's fashion line, even if the true details were an open secret, the media would only publicize the event as Simon tirelessly promoting his brand.

Such trivial matters certainly wouldn't meet Simon's objection. He nodded, "If it's no trouble for you, go ahead."

"How could it be?" Sophia picked up her utensils, "If I don't handle it well, Janet will be upset."

"Why does everyone seem to be afraid of Janet?" Simon asked, smiling.

Sophia didn't want to admit anything, retorting, "We're not afraid, she just instructed me to take good care of you."

"Well, that sounds like I'm a child."

A smile appeared on Sophia's face as she teased, "You are like a little boy to us."

Simon raised an eyebrow, "Sounds like a challenge?"

"Not afraid of a challenge, are you going to punish me?" Sophia replied boldly.

After breakfast, there was no time for 'punishments' as Simon had to rush to Milan city center and then leave Italy. They had just enough time for a threatening look from Simon, which was coquettishly returned by Sophia.

The drive to Milan from Lake Como was over forty kilometers, and after their early breakfast, they arrived in the city by eight o'clock. Gucci's big show was scheduled for 10:30 AM. Although there were still over two hours left, there were too many things to be done, including Simon taking charge of the reception.

Unlike Simon's relaxed demeanor, Nagia Orman and Yasmin Garay had hardly slept the previous night. However, with fame seemingly within reach, both women were excitedly hurrying to the venue today.

Simon didn't have time to browse through the morning papers, but photos of Nagia Orman and Yasmin Garay attending the opening cocktail party of Fashion Week had already appeared in many newspapers. The media, always eager for fresh faces, found these new models far more interesting than the long-established supermodels.

Furthermore, many outlets had caught wind that this wasn't the end of the story and that more sensational news was expected to follow.

After a busy morning, the autumn show concluded successfully.

After lunch, Simon didn't wait for the evening's brand party but hurriedly boarded a private plane back to North America. It was the end of September, and the TV fall season in the United States had already started.

Daenerys Entertainment's recently acquired USA Network was the highlight of this fall season. However, Simon, overwhelmed with tasks, was only directly involved in planning two reality show series. Robert Egger, who ran the network, had also picked a drama about urban women's lives.

These series on New York and Los Angeles' "Real Housewives" and the urban women's drama were the main attractions for the USA Network this season. While the reality shows were more important, the drama series was also crucial.

Simon didn't intend to make USA a reality TV-only channel. Initially envisioned to target a female audience, the network was part of a broader strategy to establish a solid foothold in the cable TV industry, which was gaining momentum in the 1990s.

Amid this busyness, the last few days of September flew by, and soon it was October 1991.

The buzz from Forbes' billionaires list was dying down. While many thought Simon Westeros' statement about finding his biological parents was just an excuse, it didn't stir much controversy.

In this era, North American TV was relatively scarce, and the programs launched by USA Network achieved excellent ratings, prompting Simon to start planning for the network's development next year.

Back in Europe, although Sophia had managed

 to turn the photoshoot with Nagia Orman and Yasmin Garay into a formal brand campaign due to Simon's rare personal involvement, the two models quickly rose to fame as the 'Leg Goddess' and 'Waist Goddess.'

Of course, there were some negative rumors, all skillfully managed by Sophia.

Simon also learned from Sophia that due to ELITE's 'Black Pearl,' Naomi Campbell, instigating a tabloid to smear Yasmin Garay, and under pressure from Gucci, ELITE had terminated their contract with the Black supermodel.

Ultimately, ELITE's founder and president, John Casablanca, privately expressed that firing Naomi Campbell was as satisfying as an intense lovemaking session. Beyond her violent tendencies, this prominent Black supermodel had nearly indulged in every vice possible in the industry, costing ELITE more in maintaining her image than she brought in revenue.

With her career in a slump after being fired by ELITE and pressured by Gucci, Naomi Campbell's downturn was just another piece of gossip for Simon, like the rise of Nagia Orman and Yasmin Garay, trivial matters in his world.

Simon felt increasingly detached from this world, not minding the isolation that came from being at the top.

The Chinese characters tattooed on Nagia Orman and Yasmin Garay had also attracted attention. Simon had deliberately used Traditional Chinese characters, which were relatively well-known in the West, fueling rumors about his multilingual abilities.

However, many were astounded that Simon Westeros could use terms like 'Leg Goddess' and 'Waist Goddess,' indicating a proficiency in Chinese far beyond what most imagined, leading to speculation about his mysterious abilities.

As rumors swirled, people inevitably speculated about the supernatural again.

Seven months pregnant, Janet was becoming more whimsical with various odd thoughts. Frustrated with the baby inside her, she even discussed with Simon the possibility of delivering the baby at seven months, which Simon promptly scolded her for.

At breakfast, discussing recent newspaper articles about Simon's linguistic talents, Janet whimsically asked, "Dear, do you think our little one will be like you?"

Simon took a sip of his milk, puzzled by what Janet meant by 'like you,' as it was unlikely to be exactly the same; otherwise, he felt he might have to resort to drastic measures.

He did not want another person exactly like him in this world, not even his son.

"Or, if he really is exactly like that, then he's clearly not my son."

"Are you suggesting he might be like Clark Kent?" Janet blinked her eyes, then suddenly widened them, "Are you finally admitting it?"

"Admitting what?"

"That you're an alien."

"Yes, yes, I come from Pandora in the Centauri Constellation, plotting to invade Earth."

"I'll help you."

"..."

"Are you really betraying all of humanity so readily, baby?"

Seeing Simon's helpless expression, Janet giggled and swiftly changed the subject. While she often teased him about his secrets, she genuinely lacked the interest to probe too deeply, instead bringing up a new development from their investigative team, "They think it's the Mossad this time."

Simon wasn't surprised to hear the name Mossad.

Hollywood was dominated by Jews, and even as Simon rose rapidly in recent years, this hadn't changed. Even within Daenerys Entertainment, starting with Amy Pascal, many of the core executives were Jewish.

The Jewish community is known for its solidarity.

As Hollywood's most crucial media base for Jews, they couldn't ignore an outsider like Simon becoming increasingly powerful there.

If Simon had shown the same anti-Semitic tendencies common among many Anglo-Saxons, his growing influence in Hollywood would have spelled disaster for the Jews.

Although Israel had no direct ties to Hollywood, its close relationship with the United States and the international sympathy it enjoyed were inseparably linked to the Jewish media moguls in Hollywood who had long championed this cause.

Thus, Israel deploying Mossad agents to monitor Simon and probe his inclinations seemed entirely logical.

Even the possibility of assassination wasn't out of the question if Simon showed any anti-Semitic leanings.

Aside from a group of spies confirmed to be KGB agents initially discovered, the investigation team had also uncovered FBI operatives and now added Mossad to the list, not surprisingly.

All these activities were conducted with utmost caution.

Simon was reasonably sure his investigative team hadn't been detected.

Moreover, he hadn't yet instructed them to take any substantial action since these operatives posed no real threat to him.

Due to Simon's stringent security measures, there wasn't much the outside world could learn about his secrets. Simon, not a politician and beyond needing to maintain a public reputation, wasn't vulnerable to threats, and his business plans were an open book.

Anyone analyzing the investment patterns of the Westeros Corporation could understand Simon's intentions.

What followed would show whether others dared to keep pace.

The Westeros system wouldn't engage in the large-scale financial speculation of previous years. Its

 business expansion would continue through legitimate commercial means.

One difference was the increasingly massive scale of the entire Westeros system.

Daenerys Entertainment could easily raise two billion dollars to build Universal Studios in Osaka, a feat other Hollywood studios couldn't match even if it wasn't just about the funds.

And in the field of new technologies.

With America Online and Cisco's recent IPOs, the Westeros system had essentially completed its positioning in the new technology sector. Even if competitors caught on, catching up wouldn't be merely a matter of spending money given the Westeros system's early advantages.

Ultimately, Simon had moved beyond the initial phase of capital accumulation, which often attracts criticism.

With these thoughts in mind, Simon told Janet, "Let them keep watching, but be careful not to get caught."

Janet nodded, "I know."

It would be easy to eliminate these spies, but alerting their superiors might lead to more skilled agents being sent next. Like a joke about snipers, a clumsy hidden sniper is what the enemy hopes to see and prefers not to remove.

After all, what if a deadly sniper came next time?

Of course, Simon wouldn't allow these nuisances to linger indefinitely. The key was to continue building strength.

As long as his intelligence network grew strong enough, or if someone harbored ill intentions, Simon would not hesitate to act against these threats.

After breakfast and bidding farewell to his wife, Simon went to work at Daenerys Studios as usual.

Preparations for "Jurassic Park" were in their final stages, and many other projects were proceeding smoothly.

Additionally, due to Simon's personal involvement, the upcoming Japanese horror film "The Ring" had caught Hollywood's attention.

Seeing this, other Hollywood studios scrambled to acquire Japanese horror novels, hoping to emulate Daenerys Entertainment's next move.

Over the years, Simon's foresight had rarely been doubted. Even if following him was a mistake, many film companies believed it was better than aimlessly floundering.

Moreover, what if they bet correctly?

While Daenerys Entertainment's most dazzling project in recent years was undoubtedly the DC Cinematic Universe, no one forgot that horror was also a genre where Simon Westeros excelled.

And compared to the massive investments of the DC Cinematic Universe, horror films offered a better chance of high returns on smaller budgets.

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