Chapter 408: Prepaid Cards

"Regarding online payments, Simon, I'm not optimistic that the Ygritte online payment tool will be able to scale sufficiently in the short term. In my view, the general public's acceptance of new things isn't as strong as we imagine, and the online content available for consumption is also insufficient. Moreover, to ensure the security of online payments, the initial setup and payment processes for the Ygritte tool will definitely be quite cumbersome, which will limit the development of online payments."

"So, what's your suggestion?"

"The potential of the online gaming market should be comparable to that of console and PC games, but we must find a more convenient and quick online payment channel."

In the office, Simon, hearing Nancy say this, asked, "You already have an idea, don't you?"

Nancy nodded, "Every user who connects to the network has to pay telecom fees regularly. Moreover, most people tend to overpay to save time and effort. If we could utilize the telecom accounts for direct internet consumption, that would solve the problem."

"Actually, Nancy, someone at Ygritte has suggested something similar. But have you considered that just in North America, the number of internet service providers has already exceeded the fingers on one hand? If we include traditional telecom operators, the number would increase further. We might be able to strike a deal with companies like America Online and Bell Atlantic, but to reach all other telecom operators would require resources possibly greater than promoting an online payment tool directly."

"Operators can take a cut from the payments, and this involves significant interests. We could start by bringing in a few companies to try it out; other telecom operators will naturally join the joint payment network when they see the profit in it."

"Perhaps so, but your idea has another serious flaw. Even if users generally top up their operator accounts with a little extra, it wouldn't be much, which could significantly limit the scale of online payments. And with the operators taking a cut," Simon, remembering his own experience of having half of his balance deducted as fees when he recharged using his mobile account, shook his head again, "If it's small payments, it might not be a big deal, but the larger the amount, the more sensitive users will be to the fees, which could easily drive consumers towards other free payment tools. Therefore, even if we successfully build a telecom payment network, it's doomed not to last long."

Nancy pondered for a moment and had to admit Simon's point: "If that's the case, we'll have to think of other methods."

Simon's thoughts did not stop there.

Nancy's judgment on online payment tools was not wrong.

The promotion of online payment tools indeed wasn't something that could be achieved overnight. Just the development of the payment system would probably take about a year. The initial phases would indeed be cumbersome to ensure security, plus the scarcity of consumable content on the internet, all of which would hinder the enthusiasm for users to adopt online payment tools.

Therefore, a transitional solution might be needed.

A kind of guiding tool that could stimulate users to make online payments.

With this thought, Simon had a sudden inspiration.

In his past life, he had spent time in internet cafes playing games like "Legend", "Zhengtu", and "World of Warcraft" when payment tools like Alipay weren't yet widespread. At that time, if you wanted to spend money in games, you had to buy prepaid cards.

Prepaid cards!

Simon couldn't help snapping his fingers.

Prepaid phone cards were already very popular at this time, and online consumption cards would likely be easily accepted by users.

Ygritte could completely issue an online payment card tool, allowing users to buy prepaid cards through current retail channels for online consumption. It wouldn't need to be limited to online game spending but could also be used for purchasing software or paying internet fees.

Moreover, payment cards could also serve as the 'spark' to cultivate users' habits of online consumption.

Once users got used to online payments, Ygritte's Ypay tool could then use some appropriate marketing strategies to transition these temporary card users to regular users who link their credit cards.

Reorganizing his thoughts, Simon explained his idea to Nancy while opening his email, quickly typing down his thoughts, and sending them directly to several Ygritte executives.

Today was the day of the Academy Awards ceremony.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, Simon left work on time, but instead of heading to the ceremony at the Civic Auditorium, he went to his villa in the Trousdale Estates in Beverly Hills.

Sophia had brought her children to stay nearby two days earlier to facilitate the upcoming Gucci brand party at the Beverly Hills Hilton.

The kids had returned to the East Coast yesterday, but the woman was still staying there.

In the villa's bedroom.

After a vigorous bout of pleasure, the sky outside had darkened.

The sound of the ongoing awards ceremony came from the TV in the bedroom.

On the big bed, the

 two were covered with a thin quilt, the woman's body completely enveloped by the man's, only her two pale arms and a face that remained radiant even in the dim light visible.

The man's body was heavy, but Sophia showed no intention of having him move.

In fact, she somewhat enjoyed the suffocating weight.

Resting her chin on her arm, she watched indifferently as "Dances with Wolves" won another award on the TV, casually discussing recent events with him.

Daniel was actually smarter than little Gemma, picking up Spanish quickly.

Simon's mansion in Paris was almost broken into, but the thieves were scared off by the alarm.

Gucci had purchased the abandoned factory on the outskirts of Milan where they had previously held fashion shows, planning to refurbish it into a brand showcase center.

Her father unexpectedly caught a very large fish, and the family had eaten it for an entire week, probably not wanting to see seafood again for a year.

...

The woman spoke in a detailed, fragmented manner, and Simon listened patiently, occasionally chiming in.

On the TV.

The Best Actress award was up next.

Susan Sarandon, who replaced Kathy Bates in "Misery", beat out several contenders including Meryl Streep to become this year's Oscar-winning actress, another triumph for a Daenerys Entertainment film.

The woman underneath him waited until Susan Sarandon had finished her acceptance speech before saying, "Simon, I heard you've set up a 'Vase Fund'?"

"Yeah, you want in?"

"I don't need it, but what about the girls managing your properties in Europe, they should also enjoy this benefit, right?"

Simon hadn't been to Europe much since his honeymoon last year and thought for a moment, "First, send me the information for the Vase Fund team at Cersei Capital."

Sophia thought for a moment but shook her head, "In Europe, the ones I helped you choose are really just maids; they don't have the potential for entrepreneurship."

"Then we'll change the personnel," Simon said with a smile. "Pick from the top universities in Europe, pay them according to North American standards, plus a share of the Vase Fund, and I think we'll definitely be able to find the best."

"What are you doing this for, exactly?"

"It's actually an investment, I wouldn't make a deal at a loss. But along the way, it might also develop a host of millionaires who happen to be top-notch 'vases.'"

"Hmm, sounds kind of evil."

Simon chuckled, noticing the TV had started introducing the Best Director nominees, and kissed the woman's turned face, "Do you want to take a shower?"

Sophia knew what Simon meant and shook her head, "No rush, all the work's done already. Angela's overseeing things at the Hilton, we just need to show our faces there before the party ends."

Simon didn't really feel like attending the party either and nodded.

Sophia soon thought of another matter, "About the detective team you asked me to look for in Europe, I've found a few investigative consulting firms from which we could potentially hire some people. But what's next?"

"Keep each team under ten people, set up separate detective agencies. These people will be paid from the Westeros Company's overseas accounts, and on the surface, they will continue operating as traditional detective agencies. They can accept investigation work on their own on normal days, but once they receive our commands, our tasks become the highest priority."

"What are you planning to have them do?"

"Like, investigate whether you're seeing other men behind my back."

"..."

"Feeling guilty?"

Sophia rolled her eyes at him but couldn't help asking, "What if, what if I did? What would you do?"

"Do nothing."

"Huh?"

"As long as you're not plotting against me with some guy, it's fine, I'll just think of it as losing a vase."

"..."

"What, you want me to stuff you and that guy into a sack and throw it into the sea?"

"Yeah."

At least she doesn't completely not care about herself.

Simon's fingers traced her arm, "I only care about those who care about me. For those who don't, I don't either."

Sophia turned her face and rubbed it against his hand, whispering softly, "Simon, I care about you a lot."

"Oh, prove it to me?"

"..."

"See, caught in a lie, huh?"

"Westeros, you're a jerk."

"From the tone of that, it seems you do care a bit."

"Jerk."

"Go on, keep gritting your teeth... ah, don't actually bite."

She playfully bit his arm, pretending to start a cold war.

On the TV screen, the 61st Academy Awards ceremony also officially ended.

She couldn't help but speak up first: "Actually, if you want to build a private intelligence network, there have been many opportunities in the last two

 years."

"Hmm?"

Simon voiced his curiosity.

While discussing online payment tool security with the housekeeper Alice Ferguson a few days ago, Simon had the idea to organize some private investigation teams to address potential security issues like attacks and thefts.

The plan had already started to be implemented.

In North America, Janet personally took on this interesting task as seen by the woman.

In Europe, although Ygritte hadn't expanded there yet, Simon had also started having Sophia scout teams in advance.

When the time was right, this team would expand to other states as well.

In bed, Sophia continued, "After years of continuous upheaval in Eastern Europe, many countries' intelligence agencies are being downsized. After nearly half a century of opposition between two camps, those people are definitely top-notch intelligence experts. Like the Stasi, which disbanded last March, and thousands of people lost their jobs. These people, though spies, are ultimately just ordinary people who need to make a living. If they can get a generous offer, I think they'd be happy to take our jobs."

The Stasi was essentially East Germany's Ministry for State Security.

Later, more people knew only of the KGB, Mossad, MI6, or CIA, but the Stasi was not inferior to these intelligence agencies; it's just that it disbanded after the reunification of East and West Germany.

Simon thought for a moment, "These people might not be easy to find, though. Even if their organizations have disbanded, their identities probably won't be publicly revealed."

"As long as we're willing to spend money, we can definitely find them. Moreover, we're not trying to replicate an entire intelligence agency, just cherry-picking a few people."

"If that's the case, try contacting some people. It's best to find those with families, so they have something to lose. I'm not interested in creating a criminal network, just protecting ourselves, so we don't need a group of potential backstabbers."

"I understand."

"Also, try not to reveal the identity of Westeros Company as the employer for now. Even if they can guess, don't make it explicit, and certainly don't leave any direct evidence that could point to us."

"I'll be careful."

"In that case, I'll have James set up another overseas account soon. We'll spend what needs to be spent. As long as these people are truly skilled, they'll get good treatment, including helping their families immigrate."

"Mm."

Simon added, "Once we find these people, still keep to small teams of no more than ten. Also, don't set up detective agencies for all; it might be too conspicuous. We could set up other types of shell companies, whether trading, design, or even publishing companies. I will also provide some opportunities later to directly integrate some teams into Westeros's corporate structure as subsidiaries."

Sophia nodded again, then asked, "Should we come up with a name?"

Simon laughed, "Actually, it's better without a name. Stasi, Mossad, KGB – as soon as you mention them, you know what they do. Without a name, even if someone notices, they won't know where to start."

Sophia didn't give up, "How about a codename then?"

Simon, remembering a movie called "The Nameless" from his memories, uttered a word: "Nobody."

"Hmm?"

Simon smiled, "Nobody, that's the codename."

"That's not very distinctive."

"That's the point."

"Okay then."

They continued to casually discuss the formation of the 'Nobody' organization, how to select talent, how to build the network, how to test new members, and even started considering training and selecting reserve personnel.

Like two shadowy figures conspiring to overthrow the world.

But more just a flight of fancy.

Thus, even Simon himself didn't foresee that many years later, a completely private intelligence organization, with a somewhat vague name, would grow into a terrifyingly powerful and extensive force.

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