Inside the dining room of a hilltop villa south of Park City.
The time is January 22nd.
Sunday.
In the early morning, after the maids had set breakfast, Grace, who had been hiding in the guest bedroom she had not slept in last night, came to the restaurant after being reminded by Girl A.
Simon was already sitting at the table with Celia Miller.
After saying good morning, Grace glanced at the young man in casual clothes who was discussing Ukrainian affairs with Celia, who was wearing a black OL formal suit. Grace hesitated a little, but took the initiative to sit next to Simon, but she didn't dare to talk to him opposite. Celia looked at each other.
Also missing from the restaurant is Bryce Levison.
However, the usually pampered woman obviously did not have the habit of getting up early.
Among the three women, she can't compare with the other two women in terms of age or appearance. It's just that her love for the little man has seeped into her bones and she is willing to give everything for him, even to death.
Therefore, although the little man didn't mean to wrong her last night, she took the initiative to get in touch with him.
In fact, I was jealous and wanted to argue.
Grace also discovered something else. There are always rumors in the circle that he likes other people's wives. However, this seems to be just an appearance. The reality... seems to be even more hateful.
Ridiculous little bastard.
but…
Anyway.
As long as I could be by his side occasionally, anything would be fine.
Eating breakfast in small bites, her mind gradually calmed down, and Grace began to pay attention to the discussion between the little man next to her and Celia opposite.
When it comes to overseas investments, Simon has never naively thought that if he has money and is willing to spend money, he can open up markets in other countries. If he does, he will only become a fat sheep to be slaughtered. Therefore, he will only release investment if he is sure that a country's foreign economic policy is sufficiently continuous and stable, or that the Westeros system has considerable influence and control over the target market.
The former is China and the latter is Ukraine.
Moreover, Ukraine is temporarily limited to Rivne Oblast.
The Kyiv authorities' previous concessions on the replacement of the governor of Rivne Oblast made Simon determined to further increase investment in this region.
Simon intends to turn Ukraine, or the Rivne region to be precise, into a huge 'European factory'.
For general overseas capital, Ukraine's most attractive resources are probably the agriculture supported by fertile black soil and the huge industrial system inherited from the Soviet Union.
However, in Simon's view, Ukraine's most abundant resource is its human resources.
At present, Ukraine has 52 million people, and the average salary is less than 30 US dollars, which is comparable to China on the other side of the ocean.
In my memory, 20 years later, China's economy has taken off, and Ukraine, which has been in turmoil for a long time, still has a per capita income of only two to three hundred US dollars. This is still an absolutely inflated figure according to official statistics.
The country's economic downturn has caused more than 9 million people in Ukraine to leave their homes and live in various European countries to work in various lowest-level occupations in order to survive. This proportion accounts for 20% of the country's total population. Only Middle Eastern countries where wars are ongoing have forced them to flee at home. Can be compared.
Let’s not talk about it in the future.
Simon's current plan is to use Ukraine's low human resource costs to build the Rivne region into a small 'European factory', attracting companies and capital from inside and outside the Westeros system to build a variety of large-scale projects in this region. Factory of labor.
Compared with this plan, Simon's previous series of investments in Ronov Oblast can only be regarded as small efforts.
As Nokia becomes the world's largest manufacturer of mobile communication equipment, and mobile phone production in particular will show explosive growth in the next few years, eventually reaching a terrifying sales volume of hundreds of millions of mobile phones per year, the lowest level of assembly workers required for Nokia mobile phone production will also The number will reach hundreds of thousands. If various supporting industrial chains are included, the overall number of jobs created will reach millions.
Nokia's main foundry base will be established in China.
However, due to certain considerations that eggs cannot be put in one basket, Simon plans to place part of Nokia's mobile phone production in Ukraine.
In the near future, Nokia will build an assembly factory in Rivni with an annual output of 1 million mobile phones. This alone will create 3,000 direct jobs, and various supporting facilities will indirectly create at least tens of thousands of long-term job opportunities. .
This is just the beginning.
In the past year of 1994, Nokia's shipments of mobile phone devices alone reached 12.7 million units, and it is expected to reach 20 million units in 1995. After the explosion of the mobile communications industry in 1996 and 1997, this data will continue to double.
Simon's plan is to place 20% to 30% of Nokia's mobile phone production in Ukraine, depending on the specific circumstances.
Therefore, Nokia alone will be able to create hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the Rivne region in the future.
Of course, Nokia is not alone in the plan.
The presence of other Westeros system-related companies can also achieve this effect.
By then, Rivni, the capital of Rivne Oblast, will be more prosperous than Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. With the deepening of economic penetration, the Westeros system will have more and more control over Rivne Oblast and even the entire Ukraine. The stronger.
The jobs of millions of people are involved, and no one dares to act rashly on the interests of the Westeros system in Ukraine.
Moreover, Simon will not support the Rivne area uncontrollably. He has even considered how to withdraw the wealth accumulated after the development of this area in the future to prevent it from upgrading its industry and getting rid of the lowest-level foundry base. fate.
The method is actually very simple.
real estate.
A house, decades of mortgage payments, binding several families for a lifetime, simple and easy.
kill without spilling blood.
Therefore, if some uncontrollable changes occur in the future, Simon can leave only real estate in the Rivne region, and it may be the last worthless real estate. The wealth accumulated by millions of people through decades of hard work will be Being quietly drained of transfers by the Westeros system.
Simon would not tell others about these in-depth considerations easily. Even if Celia had physical contact with him at the dinner table at this time, he would only let Celia execute it according to his own plan.
However, even if Simon didn't point it out, Celia was vaguely aware of the huge and far-reaching layout of the little man in front of her.
Unlike a woman next to Simon who had given up on herself and was unable to extricate herself, Celia, who was forced to withdraw from the officialdom of Washington, is still more optimistic about the powerful hidden power brought to her by relying on the Westeros system.
Celia enjoyed the feeling of speaking on behalf of the Westeros system in front of many heads of state at the United Nations General Assembly, the feeling of personally participating in the creation of a private military force, and the feeling of directly bargaining or even tit-for-tat with the president of a country.
Celia did not deny at all that she was a powerful woman.
Originally she was a little dissatisfied with helping men deal with all kinds of trivial matters in business and even life. During this period of time, especially after Simon sorted it out this morning, Celia realized that the man seemed to have it at his fingertips, but he had unknowingly laid a plan. A huge chess game.
And she is no longer reduced to a chess piece like other living beings, at least she is the Tianxiang Hongxiu who cooks tea with her bare hands next to the chess player.
As breakfast came to an end, Simon said to Celia, whose eyes were shining with a certain light: "I will return to Los Angeles in the morning. If there are no other arrangements, I will leave for Ukraine next Wednesday. If you don't want to go there with me again soon, , just let Emily accompany you."
Hearing this, Celia immediately shook her head: "No, I'll go with you."
Simon nodded: "This is better."
Grace didn't interrupt during the whole breakfast process. She knew that the little man next to her was a well-rounded guy who rarely made people around him feel left out. He hadn't taken the initiative to talk to her just now, not because he ignored her, but because he was close enough. no need.
Grace never took the initiative to talk and remained a quiet observer.
Now that she heard the little man say he was leaving in the morning, Grace, who had already finished her breakfast, couldn't help but look over.
Simon noticed her gaze, turned around and asked with a smile: "When will you return to New York?"
If it weren't for Simon, Grace wouldn't be in Park City at all this weekend.
However, now that she is here, she cannot withdraw immediately as soon as the man leaves. This is a bit too obvious. She thought for a moment and said: "Tomorrow morning, I will also attend the Lishi Carbon brand event in the evening."
Listening to Grace's soft voice, Simon couldn't help but reach out and grab her delicate chin and squeeze it. When he stopped, he even scratched the tip of her nose. He watched the woman looking at him and Xi with a look of reproach and embarrassment. Leah flashed back and forth in a panic and said with a smile: "Then I'll lend you this place to live in, and Zoe and the others will also leave it to you."
Grace opened her mouth to refuse, but feeling the man's warm gaze that was about to melt her away, she nodded subconsciously: "Yes."
Came here since Thursday, attended the opening ceremony of Sundance, quietly completed the secret meeting with George H.W. Bush, the premiere of "This Man is from Earth" has been completed, and some new people who should be roped in last night have also been communicated. Simon this time All arrangements for the Park City trip have been made.
After breakfast, without any further stop, Simon drove directly to Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah, where he would take a private jet back to Los Angeles. Celia Miller left Park City with Simon, except she would catch a plane in Salt Lake City for the East Coast.
After Simon left, Grace immediately felt that the villa seemed much emptier.
In fact, my heart is still empty.
I couldn't help but arrange for Zoe and others to take care of the inside and outside of the villa like a hostess, and then I felt a little satisfied.
I just always feel like I've forgotten something.
It wasn't until about 11 o'clock in the morning that I finished my "housework" and called my two children in New York to explain some trivial matters. Finally, I sat in a living room on the second floor of the villa overlooking Park City and drank a cup of coffee. As Yi brought the coffee, Grace suddenly remembered that there was another guy in the villa.
When I came to the master bedroom, I saw that a lazy woman hadn't gotten up yet.
She shook the other person up unceremoniously and looked at the various marks on Bryce Levison's fair skin when she sat up in confusion. Grace even felt a strange kind of envy. People's physiques are different. She was like that. A woman who rarely leaves marks on her body, Bryce Levison, who has been pampered and pampered since she was a child, is the kind of system that can release water with just a pinch.
Then Grace couldn't help but pinch her again.
Bryce Levison felt pain and protested dissatisfiedly, but reluctantly started to dress at Grace's urging.
After washing up, I went downstairs and learned that Simon had left. Grace seemed to want to drive her away, and Bryce Levison didn't seem to agree with her. She immediately calmed down and refused to leave anyway.
After communicating with Simon yesterday, Bryce Levison's purpose of this trip to Park City has been achieved.
The follow-up is not what she, a housewife, needs to worry about.
Although she didn't like the cold weather in Park City, after staying for a day and night, especially with such a big house and a group of maids who were more attentive than their servants at home, Bryce Levison felt that this place was actually actually Not bad.
So I plan to stay for a few days.
Not leaving.
She is actually very smart.
Since the man didn't send her out when he left and allowed Grace to stay, there was no reason why she couldn't stay.
What's more, this is compensation for being so miserable by him last night.
As for what the man in Florida thinks, since he cruelly sent her to "a sheep into a tiger's mouth", she should be mentally prepared. She knew her husband's nature well and pursued her, a beautiful man ten years younger than him. They got married and they didn't sign a prenuptial agreement.
Therefore, in order to prevent half of the family property from being divided, he now does not even dare to divorce.
What's more, the man last night was Simon Westeros. It can be felt that the other party is quite satisfied with her, and he is actually a very generous guy to women.
All in all, Bryce Levison doesn’t feel like she has anything to worry about.
At night, they fought for the comfortable master bedroom, threatening Grace to have her son bully her daughter, but failed, and the two finally shared the big bed.
Grace leaves the next day.
The other person has a job, but is not as free as she is.
I was a little worried at first, but when the baby-faced waitress named Zoe left with a few others, two more waitresses and two female guards came to take over.
So settle down with peace of mind.
You can go to see weird movies and go skiing during the day, and attend various parties at night. Probably because of her relationship with Westeros, all circles in Park City were open to her, and she also met some Hollywood superstars, which made Bryce feel a sense of superiority that she had never had in her previous life.
I was also approached while skiing on Wednesday morning.
A very handsome guy.
She had just starred in a movie that received good reviews in Park City. Nao Nao Nao was talking to her about the plot of the movie, looking very high-spirited.
Although she likes a luxurious life and requires exquisiteness in everything around her, Bryce Levison has a kind of pride in her bones when it comes to men and women. She despises those in the circle of ladies who have affairs with restaurant waiters or fitness instructors. Women feel that they are very unfashionable, and they naturally have no feelings about being approached by a handsome man.
Sensing the entanglement of the other party, Bryce quickly lost patience and directly said that she was Simon Westeros's lover. If the other party did not disappear in front of her in 10 seconds, she would let him disappear in Hollywood forever.
The two female guards who were guarding not far away from her happened to approach.
He probably heard some news and looked at the two aggressive escort girls. He probably thought of something. The pretty boy immediately understood that Bryce was not joking. With an embarrassed smile on his face, he turned around and left in a hurry. Because he was too hasty, he rushed straight down. On the ski slope guardrail.
Later I heard that I broke my right leg.
At that time, Bryce just stood there and gloated heartlessly, and then decided to live in Park City until Sundance closed.
The tax audit controversy against the Levison Group was raised high, and then gently dropped in the blink of an eye.
The day after Bryce Leveson met with Simon, Frances Leveson was released on bail. The magistrate lowered the bail to 5 million on the grounds of safeguarding the interests of thousands of Leveson Group employees and many creditors. US dollars, and finally used Levison's properties in Florida and New York as collateral.
The IRS's tax audit of the Levison Group has become less publicized. An IRS spokesperson publicly stated in an interview with reporters on Monday that the problem with the Levison Group is not major and the matter will be over within two weeks.
Simon asked Blythe to tell Frances Leveson the inside story that he was not responsible for the tax audit. After this disaster, coupled with the reactions of many people inside and outside the Levison family during his detention, Francis Levison completely recognized the fact that cooperation with Simon Westeros was his best way out.
Therefore, on the afternoon of his release from prison, Francis Levison personally called Simon to discuss the Westeros System's investment in the Levison Group.
US$1.5 billion, 35% stake.
Francis Leveson had no bargains this time.
Faced with pressure from many creditors, shareholders who originally did not want Simon to enter the market had to compromise.
The specific agreement still needs to be negotiated in detail.
Moreover, in order to ensure that there will be no unexpected hidden debt and legal risks in this transaction, Westeros Company will also conduct a detailed audit of the Levison Group
Calculated, it will take at least a month for this transaction to be completed.
Simon handed the matter over to the female assistant's father, James Raybould, and stayed in Los Angeles for another two days to handle some Daenerys Entertainment Group matters. On January 25, we set off again to Ukraine.