Late summer and early autumn in the Northern Hemisphere coincided with winter's end and spring's beginning in the Southern Hemisphere. However, coastal cities rarely experienced dramatic seasonal changes.
Melbourne.
In the early morning, the exact time was unclear, but a faint glimmer of light seeped through the curtains.
On the large bed, Janet stirred awake, though it was clearly already late. She groaned and snuggled into Simon's arms, unwilling to get up. Half-asleep, she mumbled, "Darling, what's for breakfast?"
Simon, equally groggy, murmured without thinking, "How about some kids for breakfast?"
Janet chuckled. "Sounds good."
On Simon's other side, Jennifer nudged him gently and scolded, "Don't say things like that, especially in public. Someone might take it seriously."
Janet laughed again.
With Simon's current status, even joking remarks like that could be misconstrued. People were naturally inclined to believe the worst of the wealthy and powerful.
Simon shifted from lying on his side to his back and pulled Jennifer closer, planting a soft kiss on her cheek. His hand rested on her stomach as he teased, "I've been putting in so much effort these past few days. There must be something in there by now."
Jennifer nestled closer and spoke softly while placing her hand over his. "Maybe, but it'll take a little while before we know for sure."
This vacation had a specific purpose—Jennifer wanted another child.
On Simon's other side, Janet pretended to pout with mock jealousy. "Adding another one will make six kids. Jennifer, you'll have your hands full and be too exhausted to avoid wrinkles."
Jennifer reached over to pinch Janet's cheek. "We'll see who gets wrinkles first."
This led to a playful slapfight.
Janet, feeling slighted, huffed and glared at Simon. "And you saw it yourself! This guy who jokes about eating kids doesn't even like children."
Jennifer simply smiled at Simon, awaiting his response.
Simon said, "Of course I like kids—as long as I don't have to take care of them myself."
Janet agreed immediately. "Me too!"
Jennifer, resigned to her companions' carefree attitudes, got out of bed and began dressing. "You two can sleep a bit longer. I'll get breakfast ready."
The two agreed but watched her dress, with Janet occasionally reaching out to playfully tug at Jennifer's clothes, sparking more giggles and mock protests.
Once Jennifer left for the bathroom, Janet clung tightly to Simon and asked again, "So, you little rascal, do you really like kids?"
Her tone was teasing.
Simon nodded without hesitation. "Of course. According to the theory of genetic instincts, no one truly dislikes children. I've been thinking about it lately—during a person's lifetime, the only way to be victorious is to live longer. Otherwise, everything you build will belong to someone else. And in the context of humanity's survival, the real winners are those who spread their genes most effectively."
Janet, hearing his explanation, bit Simon's shoulder lightly and mock-growled. Then, resting her face against his shoulder, she asked with a mischievous smile, "So, is this your takeaway from the things I've been telling you lately?"
Simon played dumb. "What things?"
Janet bit him again before clarifying, "About having more women give you more children."
Simon's hand gently caressed her back. "Why don't you give me a few more kids yourself?"
"Not a chance," Janet quickly refused but then laughed. Resting her smooth cheek against Simon's shoulder, she said slyly, "But you know, no matter who has your kids, they'll all carry Johnston blood. Humph! Westeros? It's all Johnston, really."
"..."
Janet, seeing Simon's silence, giggled mischievously. "That's exactly how Dad thinks, you know. Why else do you think he so easily accepted Syl and Sophia?"
Simon recalled recent interactions with Janet's father. While the old man clearly favored his two biological grandsons, he wasn't entirely dismissive of Syl and Sophia's children. Simon realized she might be right. "You're right—it's all family in the end."
Suddenly inspired, Janet shifted to straddle Simon and looked him in the eyes. "You know, little rascal, I think having lots and lots of kids could be really exciting."
Simon wrapped his arms around her slender waist. "I've been thinking the same."
Janet immediately leaned down and mock-bit his shoulder again. "Bad man! How can you think that?"
Simon feigned surrender. "Just a thought. It'd be too much work in practice."
"Then I'll bite you. Grrr!"
It was Monday, September 2, the start of a new week.
By 8 a.m., the family gathered in the dining room—Simon, the two women, and five children. Outside, the chill of winter still lingered, making the warmth and liveliness of the dining room even cozier.
Unfortunately, there was no snow.
The family had been in Melbourne for two weeks. A few days earlier, they had gone skiing in the nearby mountains. However, because of the kids and inevitable social obligations, they had only stayed for two days before returning.
For someone in Simon's position, truly escaping everything for a vacation was nearly impossible.
Still, they were set to leave later that day for Tasmania, where they would enjoy some peace and quiet away from the distractions.
During breakfast, Janet brought up another topic. "You're really not planning to visit the Titanic set?"
James Cameron's Titanic had finally begun filming in July after numerous delays. With extensive pre-production, the film was initially scheduled to wrap in two months. However, progress was so slow that they weren't even halfway done, and budget overruns were inevitable.
Daniels Entertainment's producer, tasked with budget control, had been on set daily but couldn't rein in Cameron's perfectionism. Hearing that Simon was vacationing in Australia, they had hoped he would intervene. Some even suggested replacing Cameron to avoid a repeat of Waterworld's debacle.
Even Janet and Jennifer knew about this. But Simon remained aloof.
At Janet's question, Simon shook his head. "I'm not going."
Seeing their confusion, he elaborated, "Daniels Entertainment is too dominant right now. Or rather, the entire Westeros system is too dominant. People would love to see us stumble."
Janet tilted her head, considering his words, and nodded.
Jennifer, across the table tending to the youngest two children, smiled. "It feels like, for the past year or two, you've been deliberately slowing down because of this."
Janet quipped, "Or maybe he's genuinely slacking off. With so many women around, how else could he keep up?"
Simon chuckled at Janet's sharp tongue and responded, "When a company grows to a certain size, problems are inevitable. The real issue is when there aren't any problems at all—that's when trouble is brewing. I'm just waiting for Daniels Entertainment or Egret to expose their own vulnerabilities."
Jennifer mused, "So the upcoming tech bubble burst is a key moment?"
"Exactly. When the crisis hits, issues will surface more clearly."
Janet interjected, "But Simon, most of the companies in your system are still very young and growing. It'll take another five to ten years for serious bureaucratic stagnation to set in."
Simon nodded. "Daniels is in great shape, thanks to Amy and the others. But Egret, you've seen it. Last year's IPO made many executives and employees wealthy overnight. Combined with its near-monopoly in internet platforms, the company's culture is growing complacent. Silicon Valley these days feels like a constant party—livelier than Hollywood."
Jennifer suggested, "Jeff Bezos should take over next year. Alice Ferguson and Carol Bartz are also excellent leaders."
Janet agreed, recalling a story: "Did you know Jeff was originally on my shortlist for Cersei Capital? He was a fantastic manager on Wall Street, but Simon wanted someone less rigid for Egret and randomly picked him. It's incredible how well he's fit the role."
Jennifer, familiar with the anecdote, nodded in agreement.
After breakfast, the family visited the Johnston estate to bid farewell to Janet's father before heading to the dock. They boarded three yachts for the trip to Tasmania.
By noon, they arrived at a cliffside estate overlooking the sea. Situated at the meeting point of grasslands and forests, this was one of many properties Simon had built on his Tasmanian landholdings.
That afternoon, they relaxed on the estate's terrace, surrounded by breathtaking views: the blue ocean to the west, snowy mountains shrouded in mist to the east, lush forests to the south, and green pastures to the north.
"It's Eden," Janet remarked, nestled beside Simon as he read a Spanish edition of One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Simon nodded but added with a faintly ironic tone, "Yes, Eden."
Janet snuggled closer. "Eden Project."
Simon smirked.
Like the Sower Project and the Troy Plan, Simon had quietly initiated the Eden Project. Tasmania was to be his chosen Eden.
What had started as whimsical underground bunkers in Tasmania had evolved into a comprehensive strategy. Simon now planned to influence Australian policy and attract the global elite to treat Australia as their safe haven
. If a global crisis occurred, a collective understanding would make this region a true sanctuary.
For now, Janet simply enjoyed the moment. Resting her cheek against Simon's shoulder, she asked, "Why do you like One Hundred Years of Solitude so much?"
Simon pondered before answering, "I'm not interested in the emotions Márquez tries to convey. But when you immerse yourself in the book, the rapid flow of its story makes time feel fleeting. It's as if, in an instant, you've traveled through a hundred years. It's a fascinating experience, especially now, surrounded by loved ones and beauty. Imagine stretching this brief afternoon into a hundred years—it's wonderful, isn't it?"
Janet nodded, her gaze falling on the book as she, too, became absorbed in its world.
When the children were sent off for their nap, Jennifer joined them, completing the serene picture.
After a few idyllic days, Simon finally returned to work on Thursday morning. His assistant, who had been keeping less urgent matters from him, presented accumulated documents. Among them was an email from Chen Qing recounting an incident from a few days prior.
The message, brimming with subtle amusement, detailed how Zhu Momo's secret had been exposed, prompting her mother to confront Simon directly.
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