Chapter 136: Irrational

What was supposed to be a delightful Christmas turned sour as one piece of bad news followed another.

The day after reading the "Rain Man" script, Simon asked Amy to secure the entire project, explaining his reasons and discussing some negotiation strategies in advance. However, plans often fail to keep pace with changes.

Simon hadn't anticipated that Tony Tomopoulos, the chairman of United Artists, would decide on a whim to call him directly, forcing him to adapt on the fly.

Tony, a seasoned Hollywood player, was no fool. After their meeting, Amy called him the next day, but Tony used the holiday as an excuse to postpone negotiations until after Christmas, insisting that Simon must personally be involved.

Then, before Robin Williams' breakout film "Good Morning, Vietnam" was released, Amy had managed to finalize a contract for "Dead Poets Society" with a generous offer of $2 million for Williams. Given that his previous three films averaged less than $15 million at the box office, Daenerys Film's offer was quite substantial, which would keep the production budget for "Dead Poets Society" under $10 million.

Yet, this too faced a hiccup.

The parties were set to sign the contract on the morning of December 24, but at the last minute, CAA backtracked, stating that Williams needed more time to think and would respond after the New Year.

It was clear that if "Good Morning, Vietnam" was a hit, Williams would instantly become an A-lister, and securing him for any future projects would likely cost between five to six million dollars. If Daenerys Film still wanted Williams for "Dead Poets Society," the overall production budget could swell to over $15 million.

And there was more trouble.

James Rebelde had traveled to Chicago days before Christmas hoping to discuss with Motorola's chairman, Robert Galvin, about joining their board.

Among the 26 companies in which Westeros Corp held stocks, Motorola had the highest market value.

Simon had bought into Motorola during the stock market crash when its shares had fallen by 40% from their peak, but its market capitalization was still over $5 billion. Thus, the 4.9% stake Westeros Corp acquired cost Simon approximately $250 million.

By the close of the market the day before Christmas, Motorola's stock price had risen from a low of $53 during the crash to $75.5. Though it hadn't reached its pre-crash high of $87, this was a significant recovery for a large, established communications and electronics giant.

As the company where Westeros Corp had invested the most, Motorola's stock recovery was clearly influenced by the 'Westeros Portfolio'.

Moreover, having developed over half a century, Motorola had become a highly public company with dispersed stock ownership. With a 4.9% share, Westeros Corp was now the fifth-largest shareholder, fully justified in requesting a board seat.

At this time, the other 25 companies where Westeros held stocks were mostly in a wait-and-see position regarding board invitations. Now, if an old-guard communications giant like Motorola accepted a Westeros representative onto its board, it would significantly lower resistance among the others.

However, Rebelde's trip ended in frustration. After waiting three days in Schaumburg, where Motorola's headquarters were located, he was abruptly informed that Galvin had gone to Florida for a holiday with his family, leaving him to return empty-handed.

To add insult to injury, on Christmas Day, Motorola delivered Simon a 'Christmas gift'.

Robert Galvin, son of Motorola's founder and its chairman, made a forceful statement in The New York Times declaring that "Motorola, a company committed to excellence and social responsibility, will never welcome a speculator to its board."

After waiting two months, federal investigators had not brought any charges against Westeros Corp for its substantial earnings during the stock market crash, allowing media scrutiny to wane. Now, with Westeros seeking power through board positions, although it hadn't stirred much upheaval on the surface, many were closely watching.

With traditional capital forces now openly challenging Simon Westeros, a newcomer, the media frenzy reignited. Although Westeros Corp quickly issued a rebuttal, the eagerly waiting media did not let the issue die down, stirring up further controversy and disrupting what should have been a peaceful Christmas.

In Manhattan, inside a penthouse on Lexington Avenue in midtown, which Janet had recently purchased—the second property in this period. The apartment on Fifth Avenue in the Upper East Side needed six months for renovations, and Simon, unwilling to stay in any hotels, prompted Janet to buy this top-floor apartment.

The 69-story building, a product of the 1950s, had interiors that nicely matched Simon's preference for a modern minimalist style.

The duplex with a total of 600 square meters, although not as large as the Fifth Avenue property, was spacious enough. With two living rooms, a kitchen, five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a study, and a private cinema,

 the master bedroom alone, over 100 square meters, offered a panoramic view of much of New York City.

Priced at $5 million before the stock crash, Janet managed to secure it for $3.5 million in cash after the downturn. According to Simon's memory, such a property could appreciate tenfold over the next thirty years.

It was December 26, the day after Christmas, a Saturday.

Invited to the Rebelde family's party that evening, Janet, dressed in a burgundy evening gown, was meticulously choosing a tie for her boyfriend. Meanwhile, she asked, "What are you planning to do about Motorola?"

Simon, buttoning up his suit in front of the mirror, replied, "The rational approach is to sell the stocks bit by bit, maximizing the profit. The irrational way would be to crash their stock price back down to the crash low."

Motorola's total shares were approximately 95 million, with Westeros Corp holding 4.7 million.

At Thursday's price of $75.5 per share, Westeros Corp's holdings were worth over $350 million. Disregarding capital gains tax, Simon had made about $100 million in just over two months from these shares.

Janet picked a pale blue striped tie and approached to tie it around Simon's neck, smiling, "You definitely want to be irrational, don't you?"

"Yeah, with Christmas turned into such a mess, if I don't strike back, more people will surely jump out," Simon nodded, his hands gently caressing the smooth silk of her dress, "If living just to make more money means always having to endure, weigh, compromise, and nitpick, then what's the point of life? I plan to enjoy wealth, not become its slave."

Janet's eyes sparkled as she leaned in and pecked him on the lips, continuing to tie the tie, "Once you cash out this investment, what do you plan to do?"

"There's a lot to do—buy more stocks, try to acquire two comic book companies. In Hollywood, I plan to invest in some tech companies that can advance 3D animation and CG effects, and set up my own special effects studio," Simon elaborated with a smile at Janet, "Of course, there's also our stuff—the island in Australia, the building in Manhattan. Oh, and you can buy more apartments in Manhattan too. I like the feeling of owning lots of houses, and they don't all have to be on the top floor. Anyway, the money will definitely get spent."

Listening to Simon casually mention plans he wouldn't easily share with others, Janet's smile widened, "You can buy a hundred apartments if you want, but you definitely don't like renting them out, right? Houses can deteriorate if no one lives in them for a long time, even with regular cleaning."

"Of course, I don't want to rent them out, but we could still find people to live in them."

"Oh?"

"Pick some beautiful decorations—you know, I'm not averse to the opposite sex."

Janet shot him a look, teasing, "Like your ponytailed assistant?"

"Janet is not a decoration."

"Hmm... Hmph," Janet dragged out her voice as she stepped back to inspect the tied tie, nodding in satisfaction before moving to the shoe cabinet to pick out shoes, "Just a warning, you rascal, my dad loves his reputation and likes hunting. Be careful when you fool around outside, and don't get caught by the paparazzi too often."

Simon sat on a chair by the side, waiting for Janet to pick out his shoes, and defended himself with a laugh, "I'm just picking some decorations; I don't plan to do anything."

"I don't believe you," Janet said, picking a pair of leather shoes and walking over, "Try these on; it's getting late. We'll swing by Madison Avenue to check out those buildings first. There's really no suitable plot next to Fifth Avenue, only there is feasible. If we can buy all six of those old, low-rise apartment buildings between 59th and 60th Streets east of Madison Avenue, we'll have the site for the Westeros Building. I've had it assessed; including property swaps, it could cost us between $100 million and $200 million to secure them all. I've had Iceberg set up a shell company in Australia to buy these plots and properties, you just need to provide the funds."

Simon nodded, slipping into the shoes, then curiously asked, "You often mention Iceberg—is that a man?"

Janet rolled her eyes, "A woman."

"Oh, but 'Iceberg' is a pretty rare surname, isn't it?"

Janet chose a pair of high heels and sat down, "What surname? Iceberg is just Iceberg because she's always so icy, that's why we call her that."

Simon immediately became interested, "Ice Queen, huh? I love that type.

 Is she beautiful?"

Janet glanced at Simon, "Prettier than me."

Though he noticed something odd in Janet's expression, Simon casually remarked, "Introduce me sometime."

Janet nodded, "Sure, but if you dare play any tricks, I might have to learn to hunt from my dad."

Simon feigned terror, "That harsh? Who is she, really?"

Janet replied, "Veronica Johnston, you rascal, who else could it be?"

Realizing that 'Johnston' was Janet's family name, Simon immediately understood that his joke was inappropriate, quickly apologizing, "I'm really sorry, darling."

Janet finished putting on her shoes, linking arms with Simon to leave the dressing room, explaining, "Veronica is my aunt, only ten years older than me. Our family isn't as large as the Kidman clan. After my great-grandfather, my grandfather was an only child, and my father was his only son. Later, when my grandfather was 53, he had my aunt, and by then, my older brother Anthony was already three years old. After her birth, my mom had four more kids, and my grandfather was thrilled; he thought my aunt was the lucky star that would bring prosperity to our family."

As they reached the apartment entrance, Simon handed Janet her coat, listening to her story, "Such stories always have a 'then what?' What happened next?"

Janet donned her coat over her dress, glanced at Simon, and said, "Then, many years later, Janet Johnston met a rascal, and the tragedy began. So sad. Oh, help me with my hair."

Simon carefully pulled Janet's golden locks out from under her coat. Seeing her change the subject, he didn't press further, pretending to be upset, "Why is it a tragedy? It's clearly a fairy tale. The prince and princess lived happily ever after."

Janet, finding humor in something, suddenly laughed, "I've always thought there was something wrong with that saying."

As they left the apartment, Simon locked the door, puzzled, "Hmm?"

Janet took the keys from him to store in her bag, still laughing, "Look, prince and princess, isn't that a bit problematic?"

"Your Highness, explain?"

Janet gestured randomly, "You see, prince, princess, their parents should be the king and queen, right?"

Simon quickly grasped the bizarre logic Janet was pulling at, declaring righteously, "I've decided not to speak to you, a woman with such dirty thoughts, for the next minute."

Janet leaned closer, arm in arm with Simon, cooing, "Dear, don't ignore poor little Janet."

Simon firmly kept his vow of silence, even tapping his watch.

Janet walked with Simon to the elevator, her eyes twinkling mischievously, her voice suddenly softer, "My prince."

Simon immediately surrendered, "Stop, darling, I'd rather be a coachman. Coachmen sometimes get to run off with a princess or two, which feels more rewarding."

"Ha ha."

___________________

Read Ahead

Patreon.com/INNIT