"For this modeling competition, we've produced over 170 hours of video content and released it on platforms like ABC, Fashion TV, MTV, and YouTube, primarily YouTube. The results have been fantastic. I'm considering expanding the content production team even further. What do you think, Simon?"
Flipping through the roster in his hands, Simon nodded with a smile. "Sounds great. Don't worry about competing with Daenerys's internal production team. The scale of Daenerys's TV operations is too vast now; we need external content to keep the teams from becoming stagnant. If your team's results outperform the in-house team, I'll have words with them."
Grace nodded softly and, without drawing attention, leaned slightly closer to Simon, pointing to a particular name on the page he had just turned to. "This girl's not bad—Michelle Alves. She's your type, and she's almost eighteen. I'll keep an eye on her for you."
Michelle Alves, from Brazil, age 17, height 5'10".
Another Brazilian supermodel in the making.
Simon did recognize the name; her appearance, even in the current photos, had the appeal of a hybrid between Gisele Bündchen and Alessandra Ambrosio—a mix of athleticism and a sweet charm. Both Bündchen and Ambrosio were already under his consideration, potentially as personal attendants, so Michelle Alves seemed like a promising addition to cultivate.
It was similar to Fernanda Lima's case.
Fernanda, as well as models like Fernanda Tavares and Adriana Lima, was also a blend of beauty and professionalism, combining notable qualities from several icons in the industry.
After all, the fashion world had limited resources.
In the industry, some models, like Gisele and Alessandra, reached supermodel status and maintained it for years, while others with comparable looks and talent stayed in the background. Michelle Alves and Fernanda Lima had once fallen into the latter category.
You could call it fate.
Having gotten used to Grace's habit of recommending girls for him, Simon only nodded slightly, choosing not to discourage her as long as things stayed discreet.
Grace, seeing Simon had nearly finished reviewing the list, added, "How about a little party afterward?"
Simon shook his head. "Better not."
The final 64 girls standing there, a collection of nearly 6-foot-tall models, might look fully grown, but many were still extremely young. According to the roster, the average age was probably just under 16, with many girls only recently turning 14. Another future supermodel from Brazil, Ana Beatriz Barros, had only just turned 14 last month.
This was the norm in the modeling industry.
The girls selected now would undergo several years of training before their formal debut. Yet, most models would see their careers begin to decline once they reached their 20s. Longevity was rare in this youth-focused field, and only a handful managed to stay relevant.
Hosting a party with this group, even if nothing inappropriate happened, could easily spark criticism if word got out.
Once Simon finished with the roster, he stood up and said to Grace, "Let's go. I'll treat you to dinner. The apartment on East 68th is already getting ready."
His visit to see the young models was merely a pretense.
Grace, though he spoke softly, blushed slightly and glanced around before standing up to follow him, forgetting to even say goodbye to those present as she hurried after him.
At the East 68th Street apartment.
After dinner came another, and another, before a late-night snack.
When Grace returned to the bedroom with a fruit platter, wearing nothing but one of Simon's white shirts, she found him seated on a couch by the window with a view of Central Park, a laptop resting on his lap.
As she approached, Simon pulled her onto his lap, adjusted the laptop, and took a bite of the apple she handed him. "Your waist is slimmer again. A slim waist looks great, but you don't need to diet or get any surgery."
"I didn't. If I dieted, I'd be too weak to run Elite, and I'd never get surgery; the side effects are too big. Only young girls without a thought for the future would consider it," Grace replied, snuggling closer. "I keep it in shape with exercise. I put a gym next to my office."
Simon kissed her pale neck, smiling. "You can tell. A natural physique feels different from an artificial one."
Grace teased, "I take it you've had plenty of comparisons, then."
"Oh, yes. After all, they're all girls you sent my way."
Grace murmured with a hint of affection, "I'll keep sending girls to you as long as you remember me."
"Alright, enough of that. Pass me another apple slice."
Grace fed him a piece of apple, carefully retrieving the toothpick afterward. She looked at the laptop screen on her lap, which was showing a video on YouTube. A young woman with a generous figure was demonstrating how to DIY a piece of furniture.
She recognized it right away.
This was part of Elite's new media project, "The Ordinary Girl," an idea Simon had suggested in an impromptu call. The girl on the screen was Christina Hendricks. Grace's assistant, Michelle Sonam, was managing the project directly, with Grace closely supervising it and Elite providing substantial resources, leading to impressive results.
Christina Hendricks's character was an average, lifestyle-loving girl with a bit of a rebellious streak, living with friends in a rented beachfront house in Huntington, Long Island. Her friends, all models signed with Elite, each had distinct personas.
The rented beach house served as the project's central setting.
The "Ordinary Girl" project began with the house's renovation, capturing the four girls as they moved in and took on various DIY projects. In the style of a reality show, the series showcased their mishaps, funny moments, and everyday adventures, all meticulously staged by the production team.
Since launching at the end of April, and thanks to YouTube's promotional support and Elite's strategic planning, the main channel for the four girls, "Ordinary Girl," had already surpassed three million subscribers. Each video averaged over a million views.
These were substantial numbers, even compared to YouTube a decade later.
Additionally, each girl had a personal channel based on individual interests—some focusing on design, others on acting, cooking, or beauty—all of which had also accumulated millions of followers.
Noticing Grace's gaze on the screen, Simon turned up the volume, letting Christina Hendricks's distinctive, girlish voice fill the room. "The project is excellent, but it's a bit different from what I had in mind."
Simon had initially described it based on concepts inspired by various "ordinary" influencers. But the end product had an Americanized spin.
Sensing Simon was generally pleased, Grace responded, "Why don't you come direct them yourself? Tina is quite interesting. I'll find time to send her to you."
In memory, Christina Hendricks, who gained fame later through Mad Men, had leaned into a sophisticated, "mature" image. Now, at the height of her youth, she was impressively proportioned yet still maintained a great overall figure.
Simon neither accepted nor declined the offer.
Managing his existing relationships was already time-consuming.
With that in mind, he asked, "So, how many people have you signed for this project?"
"When we first started, we signed agreements with many online influencers, mostly on Facebook and Instagram, and that's been successful. Now, I'm seeing more potential with YouTube. Video content resonates more than print, so we've adjusted our strategy. Currently, we're managing around 200 influencers, across both social media and video platforms. There's some overlap between the two categories, of course."
"Two hundred seems like a lot. The 80/20 rule is especially true in online industries, with a stronger focus on top influencers. If we can cultivate a few at the very top, their earnings will be substantial, without needing to cast such a wide net."
Grace nodded thoughtfully but replied, "It depends on luck. Aside from a few projects we've developed ourselves, like 'Ordinary Girl,' we're primarily seeking out up-and-coming influencers on YouTube and signing them early. It's all about spotting the next viral star. But when it comes to content creation, people like Michael Jackson or Stephen King—icons—can't be created by design."
A viral icon…
Simon thought of something and smiled. "Actually, you can deliberately cultivate that."
"Oh?"
"It just can't feel deliberate. It has to look like it happened by chance," Simon started, then paused, saying, "Forget it; I'd rather not spoil any young minds."
Grace pouted playfully. "Am I a young mind?"
"Of course. In my eyes, you're all children. I'm already several hundred years old."
"I can feel that," Grace replied, tilting her head to expose her neck. "You almost wanted to suck my blood just now."
"Yes, restraining myself is hard. It's all for the sake of keeping my true nature hidden."
Grace chuckled and nestled closer, helping him finish the fruit platter. Then, after checking the time, she said, "It's nearly eleven. I should head home."
Simon held her around the waist. "Isn't Bill in China?"
Bill Spurlock had been traveling frequently to China for the upcoming China Mobile IPO.
Grace nodded. "That's why I need to go back."
Simon understood. "Why don't you call your kids and say you've gone on a sudden work trip?"
"No. Although we have house staff, I prefer looking after them myself. And you want me to be a good mother, don't you?"
"Did I say that?"
"Didn't
you?"
"Did I?"
"You do like, hmm… this, don't you?"
"…"
Seeing him playfully feign ignorance, Grace leaned in for a gentle kiss. "I'll be going. But you could call Blythe. She's been separated from Frank for a while and lives in Manhattan now. She even bothers me sometimes. You could take her off my hands."
"Oh? You didn't mention that earlier; I would have invited her over."
"No way. It's hard enough to get time alone with you. I'm not sharing."
Simon set the laptop aside, giving her a pat. "Then get dressed, and I'll take you home."
"Mm-hmm."
Grace got dressed quickly, even taking a moment to help Simon with his own things. They stepped out, and after dropping her off at her Upper East Side home, Simon instructed the driver to head to 78th Street on the Upper West Side.
Alexandra Martinez looked pleasantly surprised and relieved when Simon arrived late. She had come to New York the previous week and, despite his efforts to make her comfortable, had started worrying he'd forgotten about her.
Evidently, he hadn't.
Realistically, though, she knew he didn't have much time for her and would rarely be around.
But that was fine.
Alexandra had just returned from a small gathering in the Broadway theater circle and had nearly invited a new friend to stay over. She'd hesitated, unsure why, and sent her friend home.
Reflecting now, it felt like a sixth sense.
Holding his arm, she led him upstairs to a sitting room overlooking the main hall. About to make coffee, her maid Zoe Parks intercepted her, taking over the task, much to the dismay of Alexandra's other two staff members. The baby-faced maid promptly dismissed them, clearly intent on limiting their contact with Simon.
A bit possessive, this one.
In the cozy sitting room, Alexandra and Simon chatted for a while. His natural warmth made her feel at ease, just as she had on the plane when they'd first met. Though she could faintly detect other women's perfume on him, she pretended not to notice, snuggling close and eagerly filling him in on her latest updates.
Eventually, their conversation drifted from the sitting room to the master bedroom.
Quite naturally.
For reasons she couldn't place, he seemed unusually energetic tonight.
Consequently, she didn't wake until well past eight the next morning, with Simon already gone. Her maid mentioned that he had left before seven for an early breakfast meeting and had left her a note.
Simon's breakfast was with Verizon's chairman and CEO, Raymond Smith, to discuss the upcoming IPO preparations.
The meeting was formal, beginning at 7 a.m. and lasting until 9 a.m.
Later that morning, he also met with Ang Lee, who was preparing for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Ang was soon to depart for China to scout filming locations. Today's meeting primarily covered the film's production team. In addition to Ang's longtime collaborator James Schamus, Simon invited Hong Kong producer Bill Kong to join as a co-producer. Well-versed in both Chinese and American film industries, Bill could serve as a bridge for future collaborations, potentially including projects like Hero.
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