Simon left New York at around five o'clock in the afternoon and returned to Los Angeles, and it was not yet seven o'clock in the evening on the West Coast.
Dume Point Estate.
Simon's car entered the manor and happened to pass by an armored escort vehicle on the corridor that was about to leave.
Janet was waiting in the small square in front of Shell Villa. When she saw Simon get out of the car, he came over and kissed the man affectionately. Simon entered the villa on Janet's arm and asked with a smile: "How much is it this time?"
Janet stretched out two fingers and shook them, and said, "Dinner will have to wait for a while. Let's go down and have a look together."
Simon nodded.
The two walked through the hall and entered the basement level of Shell Villa from a room on the east side of the villa.
The underground vault of Shell Villa has a space of more than 200 square meters. From top to bottom, you need to go through three security doors to reach it.
The rectangular vault is divided into three rooms from the outside to the inside.
After Simon entered the door, in a larger room on the outermost side, there were piles of banknotes like a mountain on one side, and the shelves on the other side were full of gold. Counting the two tons that had just been transported, 20 tons of gold had been stored here unknowingly.
After setting certain plans in the first half of the year, many things have been implemented step by step.
Although the planned main location for hoarding gold is in the underground vault of the Johnston Holdings Group headquarters building in Melbourne, Simon decided to store part of it in the Cape Dume estate first, including a total of US$100 million in cash in the vault. , all for emergencies.
In fact, it is not a good idea to store large amounts of cash and gold in your own home.
However, if someone can arrive here, it can only be said that a big change has occurred in the Westeros family that even Simon cannot control. In addition, if it is some thieves and robbers who simply covet these things in the vault, Simon will also Really not afraid at all.
The continuous expansion of the Dume Point Manor is not only because Simon likes to have a larger living space, but also to strengthen the defense capabilities of the manor.
At this stage, not only the large area of land around the Shell Villa, but also the waters within one mile of the sea, are privately owned by the Westeros family. Unauthorized intruders will be punished by Dume before they get close to the Shell Villa. The Cape Manor security team intercepted and even attacked.
After the incident in the first half of the year, Simon once again strengthened the security forces at Dume Point Manor.
The number of long-term security teams stationed inside and outside Dumeijiao Manor has reached 150, of which 50 are responsible for guarding the interior of the manor and 100 people are scattered around the manor.
Considering that Shell Villa faces the sea, in addition to conventional weapons, the security team is also equipped with water and anti-aircraft firepower. The scene in my memory of Iron Man's villa being bombed by helicopters will definitely not happen in Dumei Point Manor. The purpose is unknown. As long as the aircraft approaches here and the warning is invalid, the security team in the manor can counterattack within one minute.
As for some ordinary gangsters trying to break into Du Meijiao Manor, that is even more wishful thinking.
Inside the vault.
Simon picked up a 10-kilogram gold brick and took a look at it, then brought it to Janet next to him and joked: "Here, take a bite to see if it's real or not."
Janet obediently grabbed the gold brick from Simon's hand, opened her small white teeth, but changed her target with a tilt of her head, biting Simon's wrist rudely, and after letting go, she looked at her own teeth marks. He smiled and said, "Really."
Simon smiled, weighed the gold bricks in his hands, and asked, "What is the purchase price for this batch of gold?"
Janet said: "The current international gold price is US$395 per ounce. The Russian government gave us a discount of US$380 for two tons of gold, a total of US$24.5 million."
In order to avoid attracting attention as much as possible, the Westeros family did not purchase gold in the international gold market with great fanfare. Instead, they purchased it directly from some gold mines or national governments in a low-key manner.
In terms of mining, the Johnston family has very extensive connections. As for the government level, at this stage, many countries in Eastern Europe and even Latin America need to rely on selling large quantities of gold reserves to survive, so this also gives the Westeros family an opportunity.
Rather than being manipulated by gold exchanges and charged high commissions, Eastern European countries are more willing to sell directly without going through intermediary channels.
Of course, there are very few buyers in this area, and the buying volume will not be large.
Simon was very restrained in this regard. In half a year, he only quietly purchased the 20 tons of gold in front of him.
For 20 tons of gold, based on the price of gold between US$350 and US$400 per ounce in the past six months, the Westeros family only spent about US$230 million in cash. This amount of money represents only a tiny fraction of the vast cash reserves of the Westeros system.
With the opening of the Melbourne vault, Simon will appropriately increase its gold purchases starting next year and is expected to buy 50 tons to 100 tons of gold every year.
By then, this matter will definitely no longer be concealed.
However, since it is necessary to do it, after all, it is impossible to hide it all the time.
Standing in the vault and discussing some follow-up plans with Janet, Simon was about to leave with the woman, but was pulled by Janet and pointed to a door leading to the inner room: "I recently made another batch of files. Oh, including the six small vases you liked very much in Rivney, do you want to go in and take a look?"
The vault is divided into three rooms, with gold and cash in the outermost room.
In the inner room, various expensive watches and jewelry belonging to Simon and the two Jennys are stored, as well as the archives of many people in the Westeros system, including executives of various subsidiaries, members of the family service team, and Simon’s work in the Westeros system. Women outside. Janet is basically responsible for arranging the service team of the Westeros family, so Janet is also aware of Simon's various movements outside.
Simon also never wanted to hide it from Janet.
Further inside, in the third room separated by a secret door, are the files of the members of the Westeros family intelligence team as well as various sensitive information that the intelligence team has collected continuously in recent years.
Feeling Janet's playful tone, Simon put his arms around the woman's waist and walked out, saying, "Don't bully them. You know, I have other arrangements for them."
Janet walked out with Simon and said unforgivingly: "Sometimes I even want to help you get a lot."
Simon cooperated and acted very reasonable: "This, quietly, maybe I will forget it."
Janet hummed threateningly: "Then let's start with that Ekaterina. Don't think I don't know. You actually secretly sent a private jet gift to those vases. Among them, Yekaterina Lina has the most. Well, you haven’t given me so many gifts.”
Simon was even more confused: "Can you change it? Besides, what's mine is yours, and even I am yours. Isn't it a little weird to give yourself a gift?"
Janet listened to the man's quibbles and raised her hand to pinch his waist.
The two left the underground vault while talking and came upstairs. Aaliyah was waiting at the door to remind them that dinner was ready.
Janet agreed and sent Aaliyah to leave first. She held Simon's arm and walked slowly through the hall. Suddenly, she leaned into the man's ear and whispered, "Those three women, how do you feel?"
Simon pretended to think for a moment and did not answer. Instead, he lightly tapped Janet on the head and said, "Don't do that to other women."
The night before yesterday, when Grace finally got out of the car and left, the words she whispered in Simon's ear were about her being asked by Janet to send the three women in the East 92nd Street villa to have birth control surgeries.
Whether it was birth control or sterilization, Simon did not delve into it.
In fact, I also know that Janet’s arrangement is right.
This was an oversight on his part.
If something happens, it will be a huge joke.
However, Simon doesn't want Janet to use this method on other women around her.
Janet felt the solemnity in the man's tone, nodded slightly, and stopped asking. In an instant, her expression changed, and she said angrily: "Sofia told me about that matter, and I solemnly warn you. Oh, Mr. Westeros, Jenny and I will never help you take care of other women’s children.”
Simon knew what Janet was talking about and also realized the subtext in the woman's words. He tilted his head and touched Janet's head: "If you don't want to, then I will reject Sophie. She may just be impulsive. , and she already has Danny and Gemma."
Janet enjoyed touching Simon's head, gently shaking her head and rubbing it, her tone softened a little: "Little bastard, I actually know what you think, but with Mel and Nick, I don't plan to If you want more children, you and Jenny can have a few more. As for the outside, I really don’t care.”
Simon straightened up and continued walking toward the restaurant on the east side of the hall, while saying: "I know, and I don't trust you to take care of it."
Hearing this, Janet pinched Simon again and said: "Besides, I have the final say on the future inheritance rights. If you grow up and have no future, don't expect to get anything from the Westeros family, not even your surname." Don’t even think of using ‘Westeros’.”
Simon nodded: "Okay, you have the final say."
Arriving at the restaurant, dinner had been set and Jennifer was sending the waitresses away.
The first to arrive was Melbourne.
The little guy came to Simon with a box containing things in his hand, raised it up to show Simon, but just said: "Dad, Dad."
Feeling the little expectation in his son's eyes, Simon bent down to pick up the child, looked at the small house model in his hand, and asked with a gentle smile: "What is this?"
Melbourne held the box carefully in his hands and said: "In the house, there are dad, mom, mom, NANA, Siya, Nick, um, and Mel."
Simon held his son and sat down at the dining table. He helped the little guy put the small house model on the dining table. He looked at the open side of the model and saw a long table with some 'people' sitting around it, probably his family. , and continued to ask patiently: "So, who is the father?"
Melbourne immediately pointed to the obviously largest person in the middle of one side of the long table: "This is dad."
Simon said with a smile: "Mom and, where is mom?"
At first, the female assistant just taught Melbourne to call her Aunt Jenny. However, the little guy's speaking talent was obviously far inferior to Seattle's, and he was always vague when speaking. In the end, Janet couldn't stand it and asked Melbourne to call her female assistant too. Mom, it suddenly became much easier.
Naturally, the little guy couldn't feel anything wrong.
So, there are two mothers in the Dume Point Manor.
The father and son discussed in a low voice for a while. Simon promised his son to build a bigger house the next weekend. Just as he was about to start eating, Melbourne tugged on his father's lapel again: "Dad, when will NANA come back?"
Veronica returned to Australia some time ago due to matters related to Billiton Company, and was immediately captured by the old man and sent to Europe to handle some cooperation matters between the Johnston Group and the UK.
Still in London now.
As for when he would come back, Simon could only look at Janet.
Janet rolled her eyes at Simon, and then said to her son in a very unscrupulous tone: "Nana will not come back. Moore is already a big boy, and he has to take care of himself in the future."
When Melbourne heard this, she pursed her lips and looked at her father expectantly.
Simon knew that a large part of Janet's tone just now was probably aimed at him, so he could only comfort his son and said: "Mom, I lied to you. Nana has been a little busy recently, but she will definitely be back in a while."
Janet persisted: "Dad is a liar. He will definitely not come back."
Little Nick and Seattle, who were about to be one year old, had already begun weaning. The female assistant was feeding Little Nick. Seeing this, she reluctantly interrupted: "Okay, don't make trouble, let's eat."
Simon promised again softly, promising to take his son to have a video call with Veronica after dinner, and then put the little guy on the seat next to him.
It is not the custom of a Westeros family to eat without speaking at the dinner table.
As everyone picked up the tableware, the female assistant brought up a topic about Daenerys Entertainment’s plan for 10 external cooperation projects that has been circulated in Hollywood again: "Shirley Lansing came over as a guest the day before yesterday. She wanted to know what you are doing." Planned?"
Simon also told the truth, "The seven major studios in Hollywood are a bit too much. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I plan to reduce the number by one or two in the next few years."
Janet said: "In this case, MGM is actually the most suitable target for elimination."
Even though there has been some improvement in the past two years, especially this summer season, "Speed" has been a hit, and "Alien" has also gained a lot, MGM is still the weakest among the seven, regardless of other factors. It is indeed the most suitable and easiest to eliminate.
However, many things cannot be considered so simply.
Simon said: "MGM is our own company, do you think this is appropriate?"
Janet shrugged and said: "That's Colombia. With the current trend, if they don't get cooperation projects with Daenerys Entertainment, the Japanese won't be able to survive for long. However, Colombia is unlikely to go bankrupt. The best In the end, it was acquired by other film companies." At this point, Janet suddenly understood and looked at Simon: "Can MGM win Columbia?"
This was probably Simon's plan, and he didn't hide it from Janet, saying: "A cash acquisition is unlikely, but if the two companies exchange shares and merge into one, it shouldn't be a big problem."
Although the stock exchange merger cannot completely drive Sony out of Hollywood, the control of the new company in the future will definitely be in the hands of the Westeros system.
After Columbia, there are four remaining companies: Warner, Fox, Paramount and Disney. Simon’s next target is also very clear-Disney.
After a few words of discussion, Jennifer, who is still well-informed even though she is a housewife because of her previous position, talked about another recent big gossip in Hollywood: "Simon, I heard about Kevin Costner's "Water World of the Future" project. Out of control?"