Chapter 197: Hidden Concerns

The meeting with 'Los Angeles Times' reporter Peter Butler after work was still set at the restaurant from lunchtime.

Although they had occasionally met over the past year and were even invited to the grand birthday party at the beginning of the year, seeing Simon again still gave Peter Butler a sense of surrealism.

Early last year, his article about Simon in the 'Los Angeles Times' stirred controversy for its lavish praise on an 18-year-old. But now, even the most arrogant people could only describe Simon's achievements over the past year as miraculous.

After ordering dinner and the waiter left, Peter Butler got straight to the point, asking, "Simon, how do you feel about your ranking on the 'Forbes' list?"

Simon smiled truthfully, "I've been too busy these past few days to really feel anything."

"Many would envy your kind of busy," Peter Butler joked, then continued, "Recently, the 'Forbes' list's assessment of your personal fortune at $3.1 billion has sparked a lot of controversy. Do you think this figure is accurate?"

Simon, not wanting to trigger a series of related questions, simply nodded, "Forbes is quite professional."

Dinner time was still long, and Peter Butler didn't rush to delve deeper into that topic, instead saying, "Speaking of which, I've recently obtained data showing, undoubtedly influenced by your series of successes in Hollywood, the number of students applying to film and television schools in North America this year has tripled compared to previous years. Do you have any advice for these young people?"

"I'm young too," Simon laughed, "And I don't like giving advice. I've always believed it's not very meaningful."

Peter Butler commented, "It seems you haven't changed much from a year ago, still a pessimist at heart about this world."

Simon was noncommittal, "Maybe."

Peter Butler probed, "Do you mind if I write this assessment in my article?"

Simon was indifferent, "That's your prerogative."

"You don't seem to care much about the media's opinion," Peter Butler noted, then suggested, "Let's talk about movies, Simon. From 'Run Lola Run' to the recent 'Basic Instinct,' in two years, you've led six films, all achieving astonishing box office success. This has never happened before in the history of Hollywood. Could you share the key to these films' success?"

Simon considered, "Perhaps, these films just happened to meet the audience's demands."

Peter Butler questioned, "As we all know, predicting the tastes of movie audiences is one of the hardest things, otherwise the industry wouldn't be so risky. How do you judge that the films you create and select happen to meet audience demands?"

"That would be attributed to personal talent," Simon said, shaking his head with a smile, "And Peter, if there really was some kind of measurement, do you think I'd tell you?"

Peter Butler realized his question might have sounded foolish.

In two years, six blockbuster films. If Simon really had some sort of secret formula, any Hollywood studio would pay any price to know it; he certainly wouldn't just casually reveal it to someone else.

However.

Reflecting on their conversation, Peter Butler suddenly realized something, staring intently at Simon, "So, Simon, you actually possess some kind of talent that ensures a film's success?"

"Peter, a film goes through many unpredictable stages from script to final product. Even after it's completed, the marketing and distribution process can significantly impact its market performance. So, I just try to ensure that we do our best from start to finish."

Peter Butler countered, "But Simon, not many in Hollywood would joke about investing tens of millions of dollars. Everyone tries their best to make their projects successful."

As the waiter served two appetizers, Simon waited a moment, then pointed at the seafood salad on the plate, "Actually, Hollywood is a lot like the restaurant industry. A Michelin one-star chef, no matter how hard they try, can hardly outperform a three-star chef."

With a much more sumptuous dinner than lunch served, the conversation continued.

Topics ranged from the controversies around 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Basic Instinct,' the production progress of 'Batman,' Daenerys Entertainment's future development plans, to Westeros Corporation's tech stock investments. Although Simon couldn't be completely open, compared to many media outlets that couldn't even get an interview with him, Peter Butler still got enough material for an exclusive article.

After dinner, it was past nine o'clock.

Sitting in the car, watching the city lights passing by the coastal road, Simon's thoughts lingered on his conversation with Peter Butler.

In just over two years, from having nothing to now owning billions of dollars, even with his confidence in the future, Simon couldn't have predicted reaching this level so quickly. When Peter Butler asked how he felt during dinner, Simon's response was genuinely how he felt. Rising so rapidly and unexpectedly, he hardly had time to process his feelings before finding himself at the pinnacle.

Perhaps.

It was time to pause and reflect.

Simon was always aware that the rapid expansion of his two main businesses, Westeros Corporation and Daenerys Entertainment, had unknowingly accumulated many problems.

The most evident issue was that he, the third richest person in the federation, lacked a matching network of connections and significant social influence. He only possessed a vague personal fame and a fortune that astounded many, akin to a child holding a gold nugget standing in a bustling market.

The United States is a very mature and developed capitalist country, but having capital doesn't mean having everything. Ultimately, this world is controlled by people who make, manipulate, and break the rules.

If he continued to blindly rush forward, Simon believed there would come a day when he'd find the business empire he built in such a short time as fragile as the houses of the two lazy pigs in the 'Three Little Pigs' story.

The Range Rover stopped in the mansion's courtyard, bringing Simon back from his thoughts.

Lights were on in the villa's living room, but Janet wasn't visible. Simon casually untied his tie as he entered the living room, finding Janet and Sophia Fesi cozily watching TV on the couch, each enjoying a glass of wine.

Seeing Simon, Janet put down her wine glass, got up, and hugged him, saying, "Sophia brought us some excellent wine from France. Do you want to try it?"

"Sure."

Simon nodded, greeted Sophia Fesi, and after exchanging a few pleasantries, sat down on a nearby armchair.

Sophia Fesi sat back down, watching Janet serve Simon a glass of wine and then snuggle into his embrace, introducing, "This is a 1982 Bordeaux Saint-Julien wine. That year, the region's combined rating of climate, precipitation, sunlight, etc., reached 98 points. Such an exceptional vintage hasn't been seen in the major global wine-producing regions for the twenty years before and might be hard to come by in the future. That year's wine will definitely become a classic worth collecting."

After Sophia finished, Janet added, "I was discussing buying a vineyard with Sophia today. What do you think, Simon?"

Simon took a sip from the tall glass and smiled, "I don't know much about these things. If you think it's a good idea, then go ahead."

"Then I'll start looking for one," Janet said, removing Simon's tie and setting it aside. "Sophia brought information on sixteen properties this time—London, Paris, Rome, Venice... basically, all the major cities in Europe. They're all wonderful houses."

As Janet spoke, Sophia Fesi noticed Simon's inquiring look, promptly took a stack of documents from beneath the coffee table, and handed them to Simon. He, holding Janet in his soft embrace, placed the documents on her lap and casually flipped through them.

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