The story of the Trojan horse massacre is so famous that no matter whether it is Troy in Chinese, Troy in English or pronunciation in other languages, as long as this word is spoken, people will basically think of the corresponding event and the extended meaning of this word.
Simon's latest Trojan plan is, as the name suggests, still about invasion and infiltration.
This was mainly inspired by what James said during the last meal together that he wanted Philip Raybould to go to the U.S. Treasury Department for experience.
Who controls America
This has always been a hot topic.
Putting aside all kinds of boring conspiracy theories, the United States is actually controlled by the country’s elite.
The elite in the United States is far more than just the rich as ordinary people usually think. Although those who can be classified as elites are not too poor, to be precise, this class should control the country's politics, economy, and Elite groups in military, cultural and other aspects.
The Westeros system already has a strong influence on the economy and culture of the United States, but its influence on politics and military is relatively weak. It is precisely these two aspects that have great influence on the fields involved in the Westeros system. Strong repression.
To make up for this shortcoming, it can definitely be solved by more than just recruiting a group of congressmen by supporting the campaign.
Among other things, James' arrangement for Philip made Simon realize that he had ignored a very important class of non-campaign officials in the United States, the most typical of which was the U.S. presidential cabinet.
These large officials distributed in the U.S. capital and localities also have huge power to influence all aspects of U.S. policies. This is not the most critical point. The more important point is that they are directly appointed by the White House or Congress and other departments, and are not elected. Relatively speaking, these positions are easier to obtain, attract less public attention, have unlimited terms, and are even hereditary.
Of course there are disadvantages.
If you are not careful, you may be replaced by your superiors. This is why many people often see news in the media that officials of a certain department in the United States were fired or voluntarily resigned due to certain incidents.
However, as long as one's own strength or the backing behind him are strong enough, this shortcoming is not considered a shortcoming.
The worst thing is to take a break and start over in another department.
Many veteran politicians in the United States are in this state.
It just so happens that I can use my free time to enter the private sector to cash in the dividends accumulated for so many years of serving the behind-the-scenes investors.
Just like Richard Cheney, who had no business management experience after George H.W. Bush stepped down, accidentally became the CEO of the energy company Halliburton. In recent years, the company has been in a mess, but Cheney has been able to comfortably earn a salary every year. With an annual salary of tens of millions of dollars.
Gilead, a pharmaceutical start-up that the Westeros system is already trying to take a stake in, has a director behind the scenes who has the same strategy.
As long as it brings enough benefits to the Westeros system in the future, Simon will certainly not be stingy in this regard.
This year happens to be an election year.
He didn't have the energy or strength to do this last time. This time, Simon didn't intend to let go of the opportunity to get some key positions from the Clinton cabinet. Congress cannot let it go either. Many sensitive departments in Washington, such as the Federal Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), etc., are actually affiliated with Congress.
And the military.
Simon also gradually realized that he had fallen into a misunderstanding.
The U.S. military, no matter how high-sounding its mission may be on the surface, largely serves U.S. interest groups.
The most typical ones are these wars around the millennium.
Since the Westeros system is now one of the large interest groups in the United States, Simon himself can try to use this power instead of laboriously building the private armed forces of the Westeros system. After all, the matter of private armed forces does not matter. Somewhat sensitive anyway.
Having done so much, Simon will certainly not give up on certain layouts just because of this awakening. However, the power of the Westeros system can also be gradually penetrated into the US military.
Simon plans to use a two-pronged approach. One direction is the military civilians in Washington, which can also be obtained through spokespersons in the White House and Congress. On the other hand, it is to directly find spokespersons among all levels of the US military, through Simon’s personal military assistant Celia Miller. This key is not difficult to implement.
Simon initially considered whether to train from the bottom, but later gave up. It was not that he didn’t have the time and patience, but mainly that it was not necessary.
Just like former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who serves as a director of Gilead at this time.
If others could do it, it would be easier for Simon.
The most indispensable thing in the Westeros system now is this kind of director position that takes money in name only.
Not to mention the series of companies directly under the Westeros system, as Cersei Capital continues to expand, the three subsidiaries, especially the affiliated companies of Black Rock Asset Management Company, are countless, not to mention the directors who are just taking money in name, even Harry Simon can afford a position like the CEO of Burton Company.
It is an unspoken rule that everyone in the United States understands that senior U.S. officials enter private companies after resigning.
It is very convenient to operate.
Even if someone wants to deal with the Westeros system in the future, they will not easily use these things as excuses, because this is tantamount to destroying everyone's jobs. It is not impossible to commit suicide in a car accident every minute. After all, the world is so dangerous.
The further penetration into the two major fields of American politics and military is the Trojan Plan that Simon has recently considered.
In a manor in the northern suburbs of Greenwich.
Sofia and Simon were cuddling together on the sofa in a living room of the villa. The TV was playing softly. The woman was flipping through the notes that Simon had recently written down for two projects. She said: "The problem now is , how to select people, and, how to ensure that these people are loyal to the Westeros system, right?"
Simon hugged Sophia's soft waist, nodded, and shook his head slightly: "It is indeed a bit troublesome to select people. However, my goal is not to ensure that these people are absolutely loyal, but how to unite them as much as possible and support Wei Wei. The Stroh system creates a sense of recognition and belonging.”
In the original time and space, Bill Clinton unexpectedly defeated Bush Sr. and was elected president in the 1990s. He had been in business for more than 20 years. By the time Hillary Clinton ran for president, the Clinton family was no longer the political upstart of the 1990s, and the election had not yet begun. Hillary Clinton's planned Cabinet is already fully staffed.
In sharp contrast is a certain Golden Retriever real estate developer. Because he is a complete political amateur, until the end of his first term, the cabinet was still lacking.
This is the most obvious manifestation of the gap in accumulation of foundation.
Speaking of which, Simon's rise has been almost ten years since 1986. However, it was only with the 1992 general election that he really began to expand his political presence, and emerged during the 1994 midterm elections.
This time, the Trojan Plan can be regarded as penetrating to a deeper level.
Since the foundation is also insufficient, it is unrealistic to demand too much loyalty. Simon has never had high expectations for so-called loyalty, so he still believes in his position more. It is still inspired by the biochemical mode of a shooting game in my memory. Once the player becomes a zombie, he will immediately change his stance and attack his former teammates. This is actually the most intuitive embodiment of human nature in extreme environments.
What Simon needs, and those he supports next, can recognize that he belongs to the Westeros system.
Sophia heard what Simon said and asked: "So, what do you need me to do?"
Simon said: "This idea came up last year. If Iger and I wanted to talk about things, we could only borrow other people's club venues. You know, I am not used to this. Therefore, the Westeros system should have some top clubs of its own. , so that our people can communicate with each other.”
Sofia nodded and said: "Actually, I have considered this matter a few years ago. I just understood that you were not really interested in socializing and you had not actively joined any clubs, so I didn't mention it. Now it's just right, huh, actually we Many existing resources can be used directly. Just like the Christie's auction house, every auction is actually equivalent to a club-style activity. Also, the military theme park you built in Ukraine can be used as an event venue, and regular invitations Some people used to play. In addition, didn’t you control a real estate company here in New York? I remember that this company owned many entertainment facilities such as casinos and golf courses, which were very useful. In fact, the key to setting up a club is to do it well Many people care about this because they don’t want to get along with people who are not on the same level as themselves. In addition, regular activities are held, which is what you want to unite people."
Seeing that Sophia said so much without thinking, Simon smiled and said: "It seems that you have really considered it seriously, so I will leave this matter to you."
Sofia agreed and added: "This matter cannot be rushed. What you just meant was to establish more than one club. Obviously you also meant to divide it into different circles. This requires more complicated planning."
"Of course there is no rush. After all, the prerequisite for executing the Troy plan is to select people first. The workload is huge. You don't need to delay your work. Just prepare slowly and it will be completed by the end of this year."
“It won’t take that long,” Sofia added, “Moreover, I think we can bring in the existing human resources in the Westeros system in advance, by category, so as long as the plan is confirmed, it can be started directly. By the way, in this case, you will need to attend more events."
"I wasn't planning on joining all those clubs."
"Of course not, but you first need to let people know who is behind this club. When the club gets on track, it will be fine even if you don't show up for a year or two."
Simon thought so and nodded.
The two discussed some more details. Sofia continued to flip through Simon's memo, and soon saw a photo. It was a black and white group photo the size of A4 paper. There were twenty or thirty people on it. The woman put the folder horizontally. Coming over, I recognized the figure in the center of the photo at a glance: "Is this Einstein?"
Simon looked at the photo in Sophia's hand together and nodded: "Yes."
After that, he pointed out the names of other people in the photo who were all famous.
In addition to Einstein, there are also Marie Curie, Schrödinger, Planck, Lorentz, Bohr, etc. in the photo. Almost all of the big names in the field of physics and chemistry who have changed the modern history of mankind are covered by this photo.
Simon finished the introduction without missing a beat, and explained with Sofia's slightly widened eyes: "This is a group photo of attendees of the Solvay Conference held in Brussels in 1927. The Solvay Conference was organized by Ernest, a European entrepreneur. Solvay-sponsored discussion summit in the field of physical chemistry.”
Only then did Sofia react. She ran her fingertips across the photo and praised, "I never thought these people would get together. It's unbelievable."
Photos of the 1927 Solvay Conference were widely circulated on the Internet in Simon's previous life. The gathering of a group of legendary scientists such as Einstein, Marie Curie, and Schrödinger is definitely more popular than any photo of celebrities. However, Simon found the photo in front of him with great difficulty. After all, the Internet at this stage is not as rich as it will be in more than ten years.
After Sofia sighed, she continued to turn the page and saw two beautiful handwritten words: Solvay Plan. The woman did not rush to read the content, but looked at Simon.
Simon stretched out his hand to help the woman turn the page and took the initiative to explain: "Do you remember that last year I planned to get involved in a series of cutting-edge technological fields, such as aerospace and nuclear energy?"
"Remember, ITER, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project, is worth US$5 billion. The newspaper also said that you would personally sponsor it. Why is there no further information?"
"Because of disappointment."
"Um?"
"Actually, I really wanted to sponsor this project. However, I later personally studied the current situation in this field and was very disappointed, so I gave up these ideas for the time being." When Simon said this, seeing Sophia still looking puzzled, he continued. : "These fields, whether aerospace or nuclear energy, have been controlled by various governments for a long time. It is not that private enterprises are not allowed to enter, but the cost is too high and no one can afford it. It can only be sustained through government funding. The result is that no matter Whether it is North America or Europe, due to government control, various bureaucracies, red tape, and lack of incentive mechanisms, these fields have seriously lost their vitality. Many technologies in the field of aerospace and nuclear energy are still at the level of the 1950s and 1960s. . Just like the ITER project, if I really spend 5 billion US dollars on it, after investigation, I find that it is not worth so much money. In the end, it may be better to exchange it for gold coins and waste it.”
"So," Sofia gestured towards the folder in her hand: "Project Solvay?"
Simon nodded: "Yes, I have seen the view before that human history is created by ordinary people. Later I gradually discovered that this is a joke. The so-called history promoted by ordinary people is often just reincarnation of standing still. Real humans History is actually created by geniuses. Just like the people in this photo and many other great scientists of that era, they really allowed mankind to accomplish things that had not been possible for thousands of years in more than a hundred years. The breakthrough has brought us from the agricultural age that has been reincarnated for thousands of years to the steam age, the electrical age and even the information age. Now, with the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the most dangerous confrontation of mankind in the electrical age has ended, and the world has re-entered a period of peace. Faith, without confrontation, society will inevitably stagnate. You know, this is actually very dangerous."
Sofia listened carefully to Simon's words and was a little confused: "Isn't it great that we have entered a period of peace? Besides, I can't see where the danger is?"
Simon did not directly answer Sofia's words, but asked again: "Do you know Kardashev's level?"
Sophia shook her head honestly: "I don't know."
Simon explained: “This is a hypothesis of cosmic civilization levels proposed by the former Soviet astronomer Nikolai Kardashev. He divided cosmic civilization into three levels. Simply put, a first-level civilization can utilize the resources of the entire planet. , the second-level civilization can use the resources of the star system, and the third-level civilization can use the resources of the Milky Way-level galaxy. Which civilization level do you think we are at now?"
"Of course it's a first-level civilization."
"You are wrong. According to our ability to utilize the earth's resources, we are actually only a level 0.7 civilization. Only when we have achieved controllable nuclear fusion and have theoretically endless energy can we be considered a level one civilization," Simon said without waiting. Sophia asked, and said: "Each civilization level has its own survival limitations, and the core is actually resources. Just like the farming era that lasted for thousands of years, because there is no breakthrough in the civilization level, they can only keep reincarnating or destroying. Now, although we have entered the information age, this is actually just a continuation of the electrical age, and the steam age is the prelude to the electrical age. Therefore, the resources that humans can use are actually not as big as they were a hundred years ago. Difference. In the past hundred years, two world wars, and even the Cold War that lasted for half a century, Sophie, do you think, fundamentally, why did they happen? "
Sophia understood somewhat: "Competing for survival resources?"
Simon nodded: "Yes, in the final analysis, it is all just to compete for survival resources. Because the resources we can use as a level 0.7 civilization are limited, therefore, for more than a hundred years, wars have always been taking place, always without interruption. Economic crises, large and small, are breaking out all over the world. This essentially means that every few years of human development, the resources in hand are no longer sufficient. First, the economic crisis adjusts and forces humans to optimize resources. When the optimization brought about by the economic crisis is no longer effective, War will appear, using the most cruel method to directly reduce population and reduce resource consumption. Therefore, if we stop now, it seems that we have ushered in a peaceful era, but in fact we are still within the 0.7 level reincarnation, because the civilization level has stagnated Not before, perhaps after the accumulation of several economic crises, it is found that the optimization of resources is no longer effective, and the result is still war. This time, because we have mastered nuclear weapons, it will basically only be a nuclear war that leads to the self-destruction of mankind. Don’t think Humanity has enough sense to avoid the outbreak of nuclear war. If mankind had this kind of sense, two world wars would not have happened, and there would be no Cold War that lasted for half a century."
Sofia looked at Simon blankly for a moment, then reached out and touched the man's face: "Simon, you are so pessimistic."
Simon put his hand on the woman's warm palm: "What about you?"
"I'm also pessimistic now." Sofia said, and then asked: "How long do you think we have?"
Simon shrugged: "Who knows, maybe 30 years, maybe 50 years, maybe it will be shorter."
Sophia's attention turned back to the document in front of her: "So, the Solvay Project, well, it should be to create a group of geniuses like Einstein and others, break through technologies such as controllable nuclear fusion, and allow mankind to enter a true level 1.0 Civilized era?”
"That's right. According to some surveys and statistics, the proportion of humans born with high IQ is actually very high. Some statistical results believe that the proportion of people with a natural IQ of over 130 is more than 2%. However, most people are unable to do so due to the limitations of their living environment. By fully exploring these advantages, these talents will be buried the day after tomorrow. The Solvay Plan is to proactively find these gifted children, educate and indoctrinate them in a targeted manner, and ultimately cultivate the geniuses we need to change the world."
Sophia worried: "If you do this, it may cause controversy."
Manipulating the life of a child, or to be precise the lives of a group of children, seems to many people to be a bit anti-human. According to those people's ideas, children should grow up happily and freely according to their own ideas.
When Simon heard this, he raised his hand and said, "Enough money!"
“…”
Sophia rolled her eyes slightly, but actually thought this was the best solution, and asked instead: "Simon, what next?"
"What?"
"If we successfully reach level 1.0 civilization, then, do you think everything will change?"
Simon shook his head: "No, maybe it's just another level of reincarnation, but it's definitely better than now. Moreover, I only offer one possibility. As long as we achieve controllable nuclear fusion and have endless energy, we can easily get rid of the constraints of this planet. , when the time comes, we can even choose to immigrate to Mars. As for the people on the ground, it doesn’t matter how much trouble they want, even if they make trouble for themselves, it has nothing to do with me.”