Daniel listened to Simon but did not intend to give up. He had his own opinions and turned the topic back, asking, "Simon, how do you plan to handle tonight's matter?"
Simon did not intend to persuade further.
Whatever Daniel wanted to learn, Sophia would certainly give him the best conditions.
Following the boy's question back to tonight's matter, he did not answer directly but asked, "Have you seen 'The Godfather'?"
Daniel shook his head, "No, but I recently watched 'Heat.'"
Simon smiled and didn't ask how Daniel got into the theater. The boy's appearance could easily be mistaken for a seventeen or eighteen-year-old. He continued, "What did you think?"
Daniel thought for a moment, looking at Simon with bright eyes, and said pointedly, "No matter how vicious a criminal is, they have their own ties."
Simon nodded and asked, "Did you sympathize with De Niro's Neil and his gang?"
Daniel hesitated slightly but honestly said, "I hoped Neil could escape with Eady in the end."
Simon said, "That's the charm of movies. If you've seen 'The Godfather,' you'd also identify with Brando's Vito Corleone. However, reality isn't like that. The real Italian Mafia is cold-blooded and brutal. They will eliminate competitors, not even sparing pregnant women and children, to seize territory. To intimidate authorities, they would attack high-ranking officials, even throwing an eight-year-old child into a vat of acid. Just two years ago, they killed an Italian judge who had led multiple anti-Mafia campaigns by planting a ton of explosives along his route."
The 1992 assassination of Italian judge Giovanni Falcone shocked the world, sparking a massive protest and general strike involving millions.
After this event, under intense media and public pressure, the Italian government quickly passed numerous anti-Mafia laws and launched a nationwide anti-Mafia campaign, which continues to this day.
Noticing the change in Daniel's expression, Simon smiled and asked, "Are you scared?"
Daniel bit his lip, looking at the young man beside him, feeling somewhat calmer but didn't answer.
Simon did not force a response.
The Mafia intimidates most people, including many politicians and wealthy individuals, through their lawlessness.
Moreover, Italy was one of the earliest countries to abolish the death penalty, making the Mafia even more fearless. In some countries with the death penalty, killing is met with execution, a natural order. In Italy, even murderers might only face life imprisonment, and some murderers get as little as five or six years.
This creates a strong, implicit imbalance.
The Mafia can freely 'sentence' their enemies to death, wielding almost absolute power over life and death, while others cannot easily do the same to them. Even the authorities need solid evidence to arrest well-known Mafia bosses.
With these thoughts, Simon said, "Actually, tonight's matter is easy to resolve. We just need to compromise with the Honor Society, clarifying that we have no intention of acquiring Versace, and this matter will pass."
Daniel's expression shifted, noticing Simon still looking at him. He quickly said, "But it won't really pass, will it?"
Simon, still smiling, said, "It's hard to say. We compromise, the Honor Society achieves its goal, and maybe they won't trouble Melisandre Company again, nor threaten us. But there's another possibility. When they see that Simon Westeros, with his hundreds of billions of dollars, also fears the Mafia, just like those billionaires hiding in armored cars surrounded by bodyguards, they might think, 'Hey, Melisandre Company with its Gucci, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Christie's Auction House subsidiaries is perfect for money laundering, and the Westeros System has significant investments in Italy. Danny, if it were you, would you want to cut a few more pieces from this fat sheep?'"
Daniel's mouth moved but he didn't speak. He nodded slightly.
Simon said, "So, to your earlier question, how do I plan to handle this matter? Danny, telling you all this, I want you to understand not to have any illusions about the Mafia or any other type of gang. They are the dark side of this world, lawless thugs, not justice warriors and certainly not deserving of any respect. However, for us, there is no need to fear the Mafia. The Mafia uses violence and murder to subjugate people, but if someone uses the same methods against them, even more violently and bloodily, then these so-called outlaws are nothing but sheep. When Mussolini placed 94 cannons outside the Mafia's stronghold, those once-arrogant Mafia bosses were helpless. Danny, you must know, a super consortium worth hundreds of billions of dollars possesses power no less than Mussolini's government. The Mafia uses violence, and so can we, but more violently. We can also use government power, the power of money, and even our own army. So, Danny, are you still afraid now?"
This time, Daniel quickly shook his head.
However, the boy's gaze at Simon clearly held other meanings.
Simon understood what it was. He restrained the coldness that had unintentionally surfaced in his words and said gently, "Danny, perhaps you internally reject my relationship with your mother. But you, and Gemma, hold the same place in my heart as Mel. I consider you all part of the Westeros family. To protect you, I wouldn't hesitate to start a war."
Daniel avoided Simon's gaze briefly but quickly looked back and said seriously, "Thank you, Simon."
Sophia arrived in New York early the next morning, just before six.
The woman appeared calm, but her prolonged embraces with her parents and children revealed her true feelings.
After breakfast, when Simon sought her input, Sophia calmly stated that such matters should be handled by men, as she couldn't manage it as a woman.
After so many years together, Sophia fully understood Simon's approach.
When his most cherished loved ones were threatened, the woman, usually decisive and capable, had no intention of stopping her fiercely protective partner from unleashing his inherent ruthlessness.
Unsure of how the address of the Faisi family was leaked, Sophia moved the family to Simon's farm estate in Columbus, Ohio over the weekend.
Located in the US interior, Ohio offered better concealment than the more populated coastal areas. Columbus was also the base of the Wexner family, with deep-rooted connections in various sectors, including the local underworld, ensuring any disturbances would be quickly reported.
Most importantly, the Westeros System's military base in North America was located in Ohio.
If necessary, Simon could quickly deploy hundreds of fully armed special forces.
After the Faisi family temporarily moved to Ohio, Sophia returned to Europe for work after the weekend, albeit with significantly increased security.
Regarding the warning from the Honor Society, after discussion, Sophia decided not to respond at all.
In fact, the day after the article in Italy's "Corriere della Sera," Melisandre clarified that it had no intention of acquiring Versace. However, perhaps some people didn't hear the clarification, or they simply didn't believe it, thinking it was a typical negotiation tactic.
On the other hand, things remained calm in Los Angeles. Dume Point Manor had not received any troubling items.
However, Simon would not go easy on them because of this.
Sophia and her connection to him were almost public knowledge, and Melisandre was a crucial part of the Westeros System. Any threat to either would be seen by Simon as a challenge to the entire system.
The new week marked the beginning of August.
After the minor disturbances in Greenwich last Friday, things seemed to quickly calm down, but an undercurrent was rapidly brewing beneath the surface.
The Westeros family's expansive intelligence network was fully mobilized once again.
Particularly in Europe, where Sophia had been managing this matter for a long time, the European intelligence network, which had been dormant, quickly mobilized hundreds of people from various European countries to Calabria, bordering Sicily in southern Italy, over the weekend.
Calabria is the birthplace of the Honor Society.
To be precise, the Honor Society is not a single unified organization but an alliance of several families, constantly wracked by internal disputes, including two major internal wars.
The term 'war' itself indicates the intensity of these conflicts.
The most recent internal war of the Honor Society lasted from 1985 to 1991, spanning six years, with official records conservatively estimating over six hundred deaths.
The mastermind behind the threatening package sent to the Faisi family was quickly identified.
It was the Stefano family, one of the six strongest families in the Honor Society, and a key participant in the second internal war of the Honor Society.
While undercurrents flowed quietly, many surface matters remained business as usual.
Hollywood.
In the week spanning the end of July to early August, the most notable movie was undoubtedly "Heat."
This critically acclaimed crime action film became the first and likely the only movie of this summer's blockbuster season to achieve a box office increase in its second week of wide release.
Compared to its first week, "Heat" saw a 9% increase in its second week, thanks to its sustained positive reception and the ongoing buzz from "God Watches Movies."
A 9% increase might not seem substantial, but the $25.06 million second-week box office revenue allowed "Heat" to surpass all its competitors, taking the top spot for the week. It is also likely the only movie this summer to reach the top of the box office in its second week instead of the first.
After two weeks, "Heat" had grossed $47.99 million.
With nearly $50 million in two weeks and a guaranteed long-term run, "Heat" is almost certain to join the $100 million club at the North American box office.
The runner-up was the phenomenon that is "Forrest Gump."
In its fifth
week, "Forrest Gump" saw a 19% drop, earning another $24.76 million and bringing its cumulative gross to $195.49 million, close to the $200 million mark.
MGM's "Species," which debuted last week, ranked third.
"Species," despite its derivative plot mimicking "Alien" and media ratings below par at 4.3, had an unexpected standout in Natasha Henstridge, whose limited but stunning screen time became the film's biggest highlight.
In a mature American movie market, selling sex alone isn't easy. Many commercially successful erotic films have a lower hit rate compared to regular commercial films.
Moreover, "Species" is not strictly an erotic film.
The film's success owed much to luck, with the role fitting perfectly and capturing the audience's attention. Henstridge's later films with similar exposure failed to create any waves.
Nonetheless, "Species" grossed $24.39 million in its first seven days, with a per-theater average on par with blockbusters.
For a derivative commercial film with average reviews, this performance met all expectations.
A first-week gross of $24.39 million suggested a domestic total of around $60 million, enough to recoup most production and marketing costs, with overseas distribution likely pushing it into profitability.
Moreover, due to its notable nudity, the film's home video prospects were even better than its theatrical release, making it a valuable collectible.
The "Species" series continued even after the second film's box office failure, eventually moving straight to home video due to its market potential.
Compared to other major studios with at least three to four releases this summer, MGM only had "Speed" and "Species," but both were successful.
Due to the strong performances of "Heat," "Forrest Gump," and "Species," Harrison Ford's "Clear and Present Danger," which was last week's top grosser, fell to fourth place in its second week, with a steep 41% drop to $23.37 million, totaling $62.42 million over two weeks.
Nonetheless, with a two-week total of $62.42 million, "Clear and Present Danger" is sure to join this summer's $100 million club, becoming one of the few high-grossing films unrelated to Daenerys Entertainment.
In fifth place was Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction."
Thanks to its promotional synergy with "Heat," this crime drama saw only a 17% drop in its third week, earning $15.26 million and bringing its cumulative total to $57.62 million.
Below the top five, James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger's "True Lies" ranked sixth. In its third week, it saw a 32% drop, earning $13.6 million and crossing the $100 million mark with a total of $105.24 million.
Given its current trajectory, "True Lies" has an additional $30 million to $40 million in box office potential.
Last week's releases "Black Beauty" and "It Could Happen to You" both underperformed.
Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda's "It Could Happen to You" did better, grossing $11.95 million in its first week and ranking seventh. Warner Bros.' "Black Beauty," however, grossed only $2.27 million from 1,312 screens, with a meager per-theater average of $1,733, likely to exit theaters in two weeks.
August 5 marked the start of a new box office week.
Compared to the competitive months of June and July, August's release schedule seemed lackluster.
The two new releases on August 5, "Airheads" and "Andre," were not memorable to Simon.
While Bruce Willis's big-budget action film "Color of Night" would release on August 12, Simon remembered it as a major flop, unlike Ang Lee's "Eat Drink Man Woman," which was more anticipated.
Later in August, Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers," written by Tarantino, was scheduled for release. Although its original box office performance was moderate, the recent success of Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" might boost its prospects.
Thus, the 1994 summer box office season would likely end quietly with the week beginning September 1.
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