"Simon, I really don't want your money. I know you're trying to push me to the forefront to bear the brunt of public pressure, and it seems I can't escape this fate. So, in exchange, how about discussing your views on Russia?"
It was at a manor on the northern outskirts of Greenwich.
After lunch, the work agenda continued. Simon was hosting George Soros.
Plans targeting Southeast Asia were already in motion, and Cersei Capital's hedge fund team was actively strategizing. To minimize the operational footprint of Cersei Capital, making it less conspicuous to Asian nations, Simon hoped to channel some funds into Soros' Quantum Fund. The two had already reached a $3 billion investment agreement. Being a major client, with the added implication of the Westeros system's involvement, Soros voluntarily offered favorable terms on management fees and commissions.
At that moment, Soros was merely venting.
During the Southeast Asian financial crisis, Soros became a public scapegoat. Yet, truthfully, this hedge fund mogul was more of a figurehead pushed forward by the West to absorb criticism, while many other predatory capitalists lurked in the shadows. These financial players swooped in, bleeding the markets dry, and then swiftly re-entered Southeast Asia under the guise of "saviors" for a second round of profiteering.
Simon was aiming to act as a more "noble" savior.
The two had already discussed some details of the Southeast Asian strategy when Soros brought up Russia, looking intently at Simon as he rubbed the handle of his coffee cup and said, "George, what exactly do you want to know about my views on Russia?"
"The political landscape," Soros responded. "I know you visited Russia recently, and I'm aware that the Westeros system has had various interests there, but I can't quite grasp your long-term intentions."
"The political landscape, huh? Well, it's pretty straightforward. With our combined efforts, Yeltsin should secure re-election, and then everyone can happily carve up Russia's state-owned enterprises during the privatization process, reaping all the benefits."
Hearing the sarcasm in Simon's tone, Soros became even more serious. "Simon, don't you think it's a good idea to permanently eliminate Russia as a threat?"
"There are actually two questions here, George," Simon replied, his expression also turning serious. "One is whether we're capable of doing it, and the other is whether we actually need to."
"Hmm?"
Just as Simon was about to continue, a young woman in a light pink sheath dress approached with a pot of coffee. Seeing both men turn to her, she looked slightly embarrassed but still lifted the pot slightly in a gesture.
As she refilled their cups, Simon told the curious Soros, "This is Gemma, Sophia's daughter."
Soros, of course, knew of Sophia Veci, and at the mention of her name, his mild look of disapproval instantly transformed into one of warmth, smiling as he nodded at the young woman.
Simon introduced her to Soros, "This is Mr. Soros, a very accomplished financier."
Gemma set down the coffee pot and politely greeted him, "Hello, Mr. Soros. It's nice to meet you. Simon and my mom have talked about you—they said you're the first person to beat the British pound."
Soros shook hands with her, smiling. "Hello, Gemma. You can call me George. Also, you're very lovely."
"Thank you."
Once the introductions concluded, Simon asked Gemma, "I'll be leaving around four. Do you want to come to L.A. with me to see the 007 premiere?"
Standing there, Gemma shook her head. "I just came to say hi. Besides, I still have schoolwork to do."
"Forget about schoolwork. A pretty girl like you doesn't need to worry about that. You could bring a few friends along and make a short trip to the West Coast."
"Better not. Danny went off to summer camp, and I can't just abandon my grandparents."
Despite looking slightly tempted, Gemma ultimately declined. She gave Simon a quick hug, said goodbye to Soros, picked up a half-empty coffee pot, and walked away.
After she left, Soros paid a polite compliment and then returned to the earlier topic. "Simon, the two questions you mentioned?"
"Yes, two questions," Simon replied, gathering his thoughts. "First, since the time of the tsars, Russia has been a powerful nation for hundreds of years. This means that the country has a deeply rooted sense of strength—it's intangible but undeniable. Russia is destined not to completely fall. On a practical level, even though the Soviet Union has collapsed, Russia's resources remain, and they're still a nuclear power, which makes dismembering and indirectly controlling it, as you suggest, very difficult."
Soros pondered this. "Simon, I believe nothing is eternal. Unless we try, how will we know?"
"That leads to the second question," Simon took a sip of coffee and continued. "Do we actually need to do it? There's a saying in China that a nation that remains vigilant and aware of potential threats is more likely to survive, while one without enemies, lulled into complacency, is at risk of extinction."
"I see. So, Simon, you want to preserve Russia as a strategic adversary?"
"Precisely."
"Simon, I think the U.S. will never lack strategic opponents, like China, which you just mentioned. And to me, Russia is a particularly unpredictable threat."
Simon shook his head. "The times have changed, George. This isn't a few hundred or even a few decades ago. The world has a relatively stable international order that will likely hold for a long time. Unless Russia is led by a madman, it will try to follow this order as much as possible, and if it violates it, it will suffer consequences."
Soros considered this for a moment before replying, "Simon, I still stand by my view."
Simon nodded with a smile. "Of course, you're free to pursue your plans. I'll follow mine. There's no real conflict here, not even a conflict of interest, since I don't plan on aggressively going after Russian state assets in the coming years."
Historically, Soros had heavily invested in Russia after Yeltsin's re-election.
When Yeltsin's daughter Tatiana hinted at a private gift of Russian telecommunications shares, Simon recalled how in the original timeline, Russian oligarch Potanin had acquired these shares with massive financial support from Soros. Besides purchasing a large volume of privatized shares, Soros also bought substantial Russian bonds and corporate debt.
However, in 1998, the Russian economy hit rock bottom, resulting in a rare default on national debt. Consequently, Soros, who had just reaped profits in Southeast Asia, lost billions and retreated from Russia.
From Simon's perspective, Soros' actions amounted to economic infiltration, aiming to profit while also attempting to control Russia strategically by influencing its economy.
Simon was pursuing a similar strategy.
Soros' failure served as a cautionary example.
The key was moderation.
When dealing with great powers, one should not aim for absolute control but rather work steadily to increase influence. For smaller nations like Ukraine, which had weakened its own power and fractured internally, control was feasible. Such countries inevitably became mere pawns in the geopolitical games of larger powers.
After sending off Soros, Simon, who had recently returned from Europe, received an update from Celia Miller on negotiations with France.
The Chirac administration had largely agreed to Simon's requests. A high-ranking official in the French military who had been discreetly involved in certain activities for two years was set to retire soon. Additionally, Paris assured Simon that it would no longer hinder him. In return, they requested that Simon cease supporting Rwanda's disruptive efforts on the international stage, allowing the matter to rest.
Simon had no objections.
On the surface, this seemed like a satisfactory outcome, though both sides knew it would not end here.
After all, France had not asked for the return of the evidence Simon held—testimonies from captured members of a former French advisory team in Rwanda—understanding it was pointless to even request them.
The future remained open to negotiation.
After wrapping up the discussion, Simon, accompanied by his entourage, boarded a helicopter to Kennedy International Airport, where a Boeing 767 awaited.
Others were waiting as well.
After a few previous trips, Jerry Hall's daughter Elizabeth had become quite accustomed to flying on Simon's private jet. It was summer vacation, and she'd once again brought a group of friends to accompany her to the 007: Spectre premiere in Los Angeles.
Apart from Jerry Hall, there were no other parents this time.
In addition to Hall and her three children, there was also the familiar group of girls—such as the Hilton and Kardashian sisters—chattering together.
When the private plane took off, Jerry Hall entrusted her younger children to the care of a flight attendant and then came to the front cabin, where Simon was seated by the window reading a document, deep in thought. She approached, sat on his lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck, asking, "What are you thinking about?"
Simon put his arm around her waist, set the document on her impressive legs, and said, "Thinking about why I don't have any good kids to keep me company. Just a bunch of aimless little girls."
Hall laughed. "Lizzie's still young, but she's doing quite well. She even started a YouTube channel, which already has over 600,000 followers, so she doesn't need an allowance from me anymore."
Simon nodded.
Hall glanced at the document in Simon's hand, then looked more closely. "Is this…? Are you planning to acquire Hearst's
newspaper assets?"
The document contained Hearst Corporation's asset sale proposal. Over the past two years, the Hearst family's situation had become increasingly bleak, and they were looking to offload another batch of newspapers, with Goldman Sachs handling the project.
It naturally ended up in Simon's hands.
Simon shook his head. "Just reviewing it."
He had never entirely ruled out Hearst as a target, monitoring the company to ensure it never regained strength. With his unique advantage of foreknowledge, he only needed to keep the family off a prosperous path, leading them toward inevitable decline.
A couple of years ago, Simon had divested Hearst's cable television assets, which would have constituted more than half of their holdings in later years and would have provided long-term growth potential—particularly their stake in ESPN. Currently, Hearst was confined to the declining realm of print media.
Due to the cascading effects triggered by the Westeros system's targeting, Hearst's decline was swifter than the broader industry trend. For instance, the San Francisco Chronicle, once the second-largest newspaper in California after the Los Angeles Times, had begun losing money by 1996, severely devaluing its worth.
In a few years, even bankruptcy wasn't out of the question.
To avoid a desperate reaction, Simon kept a gradual, frog-boiling approach.
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