For an entire week, Simon lived in an exceptionally full and packed rhythm.
During the day, he was busy with preparations for Batman. In the evenings, he attended a stream of parties and receptions specially arranged for him.
Beyond the title of the world's youngest genius director, Simon's current wealth alone was enough to draw intense attention from Australia's upper circles. Coupled with the Johnston family's deep-rooted connections, the grand party held that Saturday at the Yarra River estate had invited almost every major political and business figure in Australia. Even the sitting Prime Minister and Governor-General made special appearances.
Simon was also surprised to see Rupert Murdoch, the head of the Murdoch family who had likewise risen out of Melbourne. In order to expand News Corporation's operations in the United States, the media tycoon had already emigrated there. Even so, control of News Corporation still remained in the hands of the family's Australian-based holding company.
Since there was no direct industrial competition between them, the Johnston family maintained very good relations with several of Australia's major media dynasties.
Janet also told Simon that her father had originally planned to introduce the Murdoch connection to him at the right moment, to help Daenerys Pictures expand in Hollywood. However, Simon's rise had been far too rapid, making the matter far less important than expected.
On the other hand, as a young man who had created a string of miracles in just two years, Simon's trip to Australia was also under close scrutiny by local media.
In just a single week, the Australian press thoroughly combed through Simon's journey from an unknown nobody to a billionaire.
Coincidentally, during the very week Simon arrived in Melbourne, Basic Instinct, which was in its eighth week of release in North America, completed its full run from September 2 to September 8 and earned another 5.06 million dollars for the week. Its cumulative box office officially crossed the 100 million mark, reaching 102.32 million dollars, becoming the third Daenerys Entertainment production this year to surpass 100 million in North America.
Even back in 1985, only three films across the entire year had broken the 100 million mark in North America.
As a result, the box office miracle created by Daenerys Entertainment became another hot topic in the media. Thanks to News Corporation, Basic Instinct had almost simultaneous releases in Australia and North America. After appropriate cuts and with News Corporation's powerful media influence within Australia, the film did not stir up the intense controversy seen in North America.
And because of Simon's identity as Australia's son-in-law, the local coverage during these days leaned far more toward praise.
In addition.
Batman, which was about to begin filming in Melbourne, naturally became another focal point of media attention.
The film's extremely generous tax rebate policy was quickly exposed. Although everyone knew the Johnston family's influence played a role, Melbourne officials were remarkably candid, openly praising the powerful boost that bringing a globally influential project like Batman to Australia would give the local film industry.
Australia's major media groups, which usually disagreed with one another, also uncharacteristically maintained a unified stance this time. Even the occasional dissenting voices were inconsequential.
Amid the constant bustle and social obligations, time swiftly arrived at Saturday, September 10.
According to the agreement between Daenerys Entertainment and the four major television networks, starting Sunday, September 11, four reality shows produced by Daenerys Entertainment Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Survivor, Big Brother, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills would roll out one after another over the coming week.
As for scheduling, ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire would begin on September 11, airing three times a week on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. NBC's Survivor, FOX's Big Brother, and CBS's The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills would each air once a week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Wednesday respectively. The typically low-rated drama slots on Friday and Saturday were deliberately skipped.
Due to the Hollywood writers' strike that had lasted more than five months earlier that year, most fall-season scripted shows were delayed until October. As a result, what should have been the fiercest battleground of September ratings became entirely dominated by Daenerys Entertainment's four reality shows.
It was easy to imagine that if even half of these shows achieved major success, it would deal a severe blow to the confidence of the Writers Guild of America in launching another strike. Moreover, since the four major networks had paid hefty sums to secure these shows, they spared no effort in promotion.
In the mountain forests northeast of Melbourne.
Because of the nearby coastline, these forests lay within a temperate maritime climate zone. Unlike the withered landscapes of inland winters, they remained lush and green.
Early that morning, Raymond Johnston brought Simon here for a hunt. Simon had long known that Janet's father had this hobby, and he also understood that the old man wanted a private conversation. Simon went along willingly.
Bang.
In the Johnston family's private hunting grounds, a gunshot rang out. Several hunting dogs barked wildly as they charged toward a wild boar. Simon and Raymond each carried an old-fashioned hunting rifle, strolling leisurely toward the fallen boar amid the escort of several attendants.
"Big Brother takes its name from a science fiction novel from the 1940s, 1984. The story depicts humanity living under the totalitarian rule of a leader known as Big Brother in the year 1984. Apple later created the famous 1984 advertisement based on the book, where a woman hurls a hammer at a giant screen broadcasting Big Brother's speech, symbolizing Apple's unconventional spirit and its drive to break restraints. The core of Daenerys Entertainment's reality show, on the other hand, is whether the contestants can gain a kind of Big Brother-like leadership over their team. At its heart, it's really about satisfying the audience's voyeuristic impulses."
As they walked, Simon explained the four upcoming reality shows from Daenerys Entertainment.
"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire plays on people's greed, Big Brother plays on their desire to peek into others' lives. Brilliant," Raymond Johnston said, glancing at Simon before suddenly asking, "Simon, what is it that you desire?"
Simon thought for a moment, then smiled. "Ray, I already have everything."
"Satisfied?" Raymond Johnston pressed.
Simon shook his head. "Not satisfied. But I don't have any particularly intense desire either."
"That's your problem," Raymond Johnston said. "Even though we've only spent these few days together, I can already sense your confusion. Simon, everything has gone too smoothly for you. You have too much, and now you're a bit at a loss."
Simon fell silent for a moment, then nodded slightly. "I think if this continues, I might run into more and more trouble, even danger."
They reached the fallen boar. Seeing that it was nearly noon, Raymond Johnston instructed the attendants to skin and clean the boar in preparation for lunch. He then chose an open patch of ground with Simon and sat down.
"Kid, do you know how our family rose to prominence?" Raymond asked.
Simon shook his head.
Raymond Johnston raised a hand and gestured around them. "This was once a land of exile. The Johnston name has no glorious history, no noble bloodline. To be blunt, we're descendants of criminals. Over a century, too many people here still yearned for recognition from the mother country, even volunteering for two world wars just for that. Some were overjoyed to receive a mere knighthood. But the Johnston family was different. We knew exactly who we were, and we never bowed to fate. We believe only in ourselves, only in strength. The weak seek recognition. We want to stand on the side that grants it. To expand the family business to its current scale, my father endured hardships you can't even imagine. Just to transport sixty tons of iron ore from the mine to the docks, he once led twelve workers into a firefight. Five men died, and he took two bullets himself. Things like that happened more than once. Later, when he felt Britain's constraints on Australia, he united others to push for this country's independence. Because he opposed the inheritance tax, my father worked in the shadows for seven years to abolish it. During that process, at least six high-ranking officials and lawmakers died in car accidents, heart attacks, accidental robberies…"
Listening to these past events that Raymond Johnston would never normally reveal to outsiders, Simon felt deeply moved.
The accumulation of capital had never been smooth sailing.
This was especially true in mining and resource development. Though the industry always appeared volatile and unprofitable on the surface, anyone with even a little common sense knew the staggering profits hidden beneath.
Clearly lost in memory, Raymond Johnston continued before turning back to Simon. "Kid, compared to that, your success has come far too easily. But at the same time, you've already crossed a certain boundary. You're no longer a piece on the board. You're a player. And players value themselves greatly, because we control the game. Most of the time, we don't need to step onto the field personally. There are plenty of pieces for us to use, and if sacrifices must be made, it's the pieces that get discarded. Between players, as long as you follow certain rules, there's nothing to fear. If you're stronger than your opponent, then you're the one they fear."
Simon seemed to gain some insight. Thinking of a thought he'd had days earlier, he murmured, "Humans create rules. Humans control rules. Humans break rules."
Raymond Johnston shook his head when he heard that. "The strong control rules. The weak comply with them. Kid, you can use your strength to create new rules that benefit you, then make others follow them. But don't deliberately break established rules. That's how you keep the game going for the long run."
Simon nodded seriously. Then, thinking of something, a smile crept onto his lips. "I suddenly feel that Janet's grandfather must have really adored his granddaughter."
That fearless, all-or-nothing streak in Janet's personality was strikingly similar to Nicholas Johnston as Raymond had just described him.
Raymond Johnston froze for a moment, then laughed. "Of course. I admire my father deeply, so I also love Jenny's temperament. If that girl had any interest in managing the family business, I would have groomed her as the Johnston family's successor. So treat her well. She'll definitely be able to help you in the future."
Simon nodded solemnly. "I will."
With that, Raymond Johnston stood up. "All right, let's go. We'll prepare lunch ourselves. That's the most enjoyable part. Maybe we can hunt a few rabbits too. By the way, do you know about the rabbit plague in Australia back then? The girl you cast in Pulp Fiction, Nicole Kidman, her great-grandfather Sidney Kidman remembered that time very well, haha."
While Simon and Raymond Johnston were talking about Janet, Janet herself happened to arrive at a high-rise apartment in downtown Melbourne. She had originally wanted to bring her boyfriend along, but Simon had been dragged off hunting by her father, so she had no choice but to come alone.
Familiar with the place, she took the private elevator up to the penthouse, rang the doorbell several times with no response, then pulled out her key and let herself in.
Before her was an exceptionally clean and minimalist apartment, decorated entirely in white. Located on the top floor of a thirty-two-story building, Janet sniffed lightly, catching the faint scent of a woman in the air. She suddenly felt that in this regard, her aunt was quite similar to a certain someone.
This was Veronica Johnston's apartment.
Hearing that her aunt had returned from Western Australia, Janet had rushed over excitedly. Unfortunately, the workaholic wasn't home.
Completely at ease, as if it were her own place, Janet kicked off her shoes and padded around barefoot. She brewed herself a pot of coffee, turned on the television in the living room, lingered by the floor-to-ceiling windows to admire the cityscape below, then wandered into the bedroom like a curious kitten and rolled around on the large bed before unconsciously drifting into the study.
The study still carried a distinctly feminine presence that even Janet found very comfortable. The bookshelves were filled with various titles on economics and management.
Standing on tiptoe, she walked behind the desk and was just about to sit in the chair when she noticed a book lying open on the desktop.
Curious, she picked it up.
It was a French original novel.
Janet knew a bit of French, so she immediately recognized the title, The Count of Monte Cristo.
She was instantly puzzled. Why would the iceberg be interested in a Dumas novel?
Hmm, The Count of Monte Cristo. That was a story about revenge, wasn't it? [TL/N: I see, that's why she's scared of him eh?]
Who did she want revenge on?
With that thought, Janet sat down with the book and flipped through it casually. She quickly lost interest, grabbed the phone on the desk, and rapidly dialed a number.
"Hello, Iceberg… I'm at your place. Let's have lunch together… No time? You don't even have time to eat… Meeting a client? I'll come with you. What if you run into bad people… Alone? Yeah… Oh, Simon. He got dragged off hunting by the old man… Speaking of which, are you free tonight? Simon and I want to treat you to dinner… Relax, it's not at our place. I know you're afraid Dad will nag you. Your place, okay… Don't be like that… In a few days, Simon and I are heading back to Los Angeles… Hello? Iceberg? Vinnie? Veronica?"
Listening to the busy tone on the line, Janet frowned in frustration and could only set the receiver down helplessly.
That's really strange.
The thought popped into her mind. Her little brain habitually spun halfway around. Though she still couldn't make sense of it, she couldn't be bothered to think too deeply.
She still hadn't given up on the idea of showing off her boyfriend in front of her aunt.
Hmph.
She refused to believe her aunt could keep avoiding home forever.