"I also realized from your reports that Boeing's stock price decline has another underlying reason. With the Cold War over, everyone thought the world would move towards peace. The federal stock market is recovering, but defense stocks continue to fall."
"Simon, you don't seem to think that way?"
"I'm not a firm pacifist because I know war never changes. Although the Cold War ended, regional conflicts continue around the world. Moreover, some people will create threats even if there are none, to maintain their interests."
"I actually think the same. Investing most 7is fund in defense stocks should be correct."
Midtown Manhattan, Four Seasons Hotel.
Simon and Laurence Fink were discussing the investment direction of the newly raised fund by BlackRock Asset Management when a woman named Irene Laney, wearing a black floral dress, and a woman known as B, approached.
Laurence Fink greeted the two women and then politely excused himself.
Simon embraced Irene Laney and commented on her outfit, "It seems your preferences are hard to change. Hmm, what flower is this, poppy?"
Irene Laney rolled her eyes at Simon. "Carnation. How could a girl wear poppies?"
"Of course, someone would, but carnations do suit you."
Irene Laney looked at Simon, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, and asked, "Why?"
Simon pretended to be speechless and looked at B woman beside him, "What's the meaning of carnations?"
Becky Hope smiled mischievously, "Mother's love."
Irene Laney immediately glared at Becky.
Simon dismissively waved Becky away and told Irene, "I'll dock her pay. She really doesn't know how to talk."
Irene didn't believe him, "Would you really?"
After saying this, she regretted it. Her tone sounded like she was jealous.
Remembering some recent events, she couldn't help but add, "You treat the women around you very well."
Simon unabashedly said, "Yes, that's why women like me."
Irene Laney held back another eye roll but continued, "You should be careful. The women around you are not simple."
"Oh, that sounds like a hint."
Irene remembered the scene at the Oscars party where Sophia Vessi intentionally created the impression that Simon was being pursued by many women, making her give up. She hesitated briefly but decided not to gossip.
After all, she was genuinely over him.
So, she changed the subject, "My father recently invested in some tech stocks. Simon, any advice?"
Simon replied, "As long as he's not greedy, he'll make money."
"So, you also think the tech bubble is serious now?"
"Of course not, it's just beginning. As a reference, you can study some case studies of the 19th-century railway investment bubble."
Irene doubted, "That long ago, is it still relevant?"
"History doesn't always move forward but rather repeats itself in very similar cycles."
"I think I've heard that somewhere."
"That was Socrates."
Irene found something off, "Socrates?"
"Yes, whenever I find something very sensible but can't remember who said it, I attribute it to Socrates."
Irene blinked a few times, then reacted and playfully hit Simon. Seeing his serious expression, she couldn't help but laugh, almost spilling her wine.
After calming down, she gave Simon a stern look, "Are you intentionally changing the subject?"
"What?"
"About tech stock investments?"
"I've already given advice."
"I don't understand."
Simon patiently explained, "Don't be greedy, don't bet heavily, and exit decisively after accumulating certain profits."
"What you said is in many basic stock trading manuals."
"The simplest and most common words are often the most profound truths. Unfortunately, most people can't do it, so they dismiss these truths as nonsense."
"Is this also from Socrates?"
"This one is from Westeros."
Irene pretended to lift her hand but didn't hit him this time, instead asking, "Your wife should be due soon, right?"
"Yes, early November."
Irene, thinking of the Westeros family's first son's name, teased, "What will you name this one, Los Angeles or San Francisco?"
"Do you think those cities can be names?"
"Oh, how about Manhattan?" Irene said, getting more interested, "Manhattan sounds good."
Simon gave Irene a strange look, "You can name your son Manhattan."
"If you don't, I will," Irene retorted, then asked, "Is there anything wrong with that?"
"Have you read Watchmen?"
"I'm not into comics, but I heard Watchmen is good."
"You should check it out. There's a character named Manhattan."
"Okay."
Even though she had no other intentions towards the man in front of her, Irene naturally enjoyed chatting with Simon and was about to continue when Laurence Fink approached again, "Sorry, Miss Laney, may I have a moment with Simon?"
Feeling a bit reluctant, Irene politely nodded, "Of course."
After Irene left, Laurence Fink said, "Simon, the guest has arrived."
Simon nodded, and they left the party hall, heading to a suite in the hotel. Inside, a short, stout middle-aged man in his forties was waiting. When Simon entered, the man, who had been casually reading a newspaper, stood up to greet him.
Laurence Fink introduced, "Simon, this is Mr. Lynch."
"Frank Lynch," the man said, offering his full name and extending his hand, "Hello, Mr. Westeros."
Simon shook his hand, "Hello."
This meeting was prearranged.
Frank Lynch, from Washington, like Joseph Schlarp, ran a political lobbying firm. Frank's father had been a congressman from Arkansas.
Arkansas, Clinton's birthplace.
After Laurence made the introduction, he tactfully left.
Simon and Frank Lynch sat down again. Since they were not familiar, there wasn't much small talk. Frank quickly got to the point, "Simon, you should stop your actions against David. Otherwise, the misunderstanding will only deepen."
Having thoroughly checked the suite for bugs beforehand, Simon spoke directly, "Frank, do you consider this a misunderstanding?"
"David's recent actions were indeed inappropriate, but you should understand, it was just for this election, not against the Westeros system."
"If someone punched you in the nose and then said it wasn't personal, just a misunderstanding, would you accept that explanation?"
Frank didn't answer Simon's question but said, "But Simon, what you're doing will only benefit Rudy Giuliani. Rudy Giuliani gave you trouble before. If he becomes the mayor of New York, it won't be good for you either."
"I'm just ensuring David Dinkins can't be re-elected. Future matters will be dealt with later."
Frank Lynch was momentarily silent, feeling Simon's intense gaze, then said, "Simon, there's always a way to resolve this. New York is important to us, you should understand that."
"I'm already resolving it. If Bill is unhappy with my approach, you can have him intervene. Tell him I don't mind completely changing my position."
With that, Simon didn't intend to say more to Frank and left the suite.
If betrayers don't pay a sufficient price, the Westeros system will face more betrayals in the future.
The next day, after watching a rehearsal for the Victoria's Secret show, Simon returned to New York.
Apart from continuing to sensationalize the gang shootout in Bowery Bay, Queens, the Westeros system's team also took the opportunity to heavily criticize Dinkins for potentially tightening labor and immigration policies, impacting the Democratic Party's base among new immigrants.
The New York Labor Department and the Construction Workers' Union's investigation into the safety issues at the Westeros Tower construction site continued.
Despite the city government initially avoiding the illegal labor issue and focusing on safety, it couldn't be covered up forever.
Due to government pressure, Westeros Tower had to stop using all illegal labor. This might have endeared the city government to some unemployed individuals but alienated more supporters among the new immigrant group for the Democrats.
David Dinkins didn't dare to directly refute the narrative that he would tighten immigration policies if re-elected because it was the right thing to do.
Publicly opposing it would mean supporting the continued influx of immigrants and illegal labor, alienating the city's large population of unemployed residents.
However, ignoring it wasn't an option either, as it would unsettle the new immigrant community.
Sensing Dinkins' dilemma, Rudy Giuliani's side relentlessly pursued it while promoting their plan to crack down on crime and restore New York's deteriorating social order.
Helping Giuliani indirectly, Simon didn't expect any reciprocation.
Given some past grievances, Simon had studied Giuliani extensively. He was a typical politician with a strong sense of opportunism, instinctively avoiding strong enemies that could impact his prospects.
When Giuliani tried to investigate Simon's futures trading during the 87 crash, Simon's foundation was still weak.
Now, the Westeros system was too formidable for Giuliani to antagonize.
Thus, the most likely scenario post-election was mutual non-interference.
In the following days, aside from unavoidable matters, Simon spent most of his time commuting between Los Angeles and San Francisco, enjoying a long holiday with two women.
October slipped by unnoticed.
With Halloween approaching, October 29 marked the start of the 1993 Halloween season.
That Friday, three new films were released in North America: "Seven" by New World Pictures under Daenerys Entertainment, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" by Touchstone Pictures under Disney, and "Fatal Instinct" by MGM.
The ongoing conflict between the Westeros system and traditional print media was evident in the reception of "Seven."
Of the three new releases, Tim Burton's stop-motion animation
"The Nightmare Before Christmas" received unanimous critical acclaim, with an astonishing average score of 9.8.
In contrast, "Seven," which in its original timeline was universally praised, faced much controversy. Many newspapers harshly criticized the film for being overly dark, gory, and even disgusting. Its average media score was around 7.3, barely making it to "good."
MGM's "Fatal Instinct," about a man entangled with three women, was entirely a runner-up, with disastrous reviews.
Despite "The Nightmare Before Christmas" receiving far better reviews, many still focused on Daenerys Entertainment's dark thriller.
"Seven" had a budget of $30 million. David Fincher stuck to his budget this time, but $30 million was still an A-level production, far exceeding "The Nightmare Before Christmas"' $18 million budget and "Fatal Instinct"' $12 million budget.
The promotional budget for "Seven" was also $15 million, with 2,511 screens on opening weekend, unmatched by the other two films.
Most importantly, the commercial performance of "Seven" would inevitably influence many future events.
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