Noticing someone watching her, the young woman leaning against Simon turned her head to look, causing Simon and the others to notice Barbara Broccoli.
Barbara decided to set aside her curiosity about the identity of the young woman, whose face still bore traces of baby fat, and stepped forward to greet them. After exchanging a few words, Jonathan Friedman said something to Jim Carrey, prompting the actor to stand up and leave. Barbara took the seat he vacated.
During the initial greeting, Simon hadn't introduced the young woman beside him. After sitting down, Barbara curiously glanced at her, but Simon seemed oblivious to her inquisitive look and continued his conversation with Jonathan Friedman, who was seated on a nearby single sofa. "Bill Clinton won a presidential election he didn't expect to win, and George Bush lost a White House seat he didn't think he could lose. That's why we've had all sorts of issues these past two years. It all comes down to the fact that the Clinton family doesn't have deep roots, while the Bush family is paving the way for the next generation."
Jonathan replied, "It's almost certain that young Bush will easily win the Texas gubernatorial election next month."
Simon laughed. "Of course. Texas is the Bush family's stronghold. In fact, this highlights the biggest disadvantage of the Clinton family. Do you know what it is?"
Jonathan thought for a moment and said, "In terms of roots, the Clintons have been building their base in Arkansas for over 20 years. It shouldn't be that much weaker than the Bush family."
Simon shook his head. "Arkansas is just a small state in the middle of the country with a relatively low population and an underdeveloped economy. It only has a few electoral votes, which pales in comparison to Texas. It's hardly a solid foundation. But that's not the disadvantage I'm referring to."
This time, Jonathan seemed stumped.
Barbara, feeling that the two men were deliberately ignoring her, couldn't resist chiming in, "Then what is it?"
Simon glanced at Barbara and then smiled as he revealed the answer. "The Clinton family has no successors."
Barbara, who wasn't particularly familiar with the White House, knew that the Clintons had a daughter named Chelsea. How could it be said that they had no successors?
Jonathan wondered if Simon was alluding to a rumor that Chelsea wasn't biologically the Clintons' child, but he had a general understanding of what Simon meant. "Simon, it seems you have high hopes for the Clintons."
Simon nodded. "Of course. Although Clinton is currently embroiled in scandals, his administration's economic policies are on the right track, and his chances of re-election are high. Both Bill and Hillary Clinton are very capable, and after eight years in office, they could establish a new political dynasty. Unfortunately, this dynasty only has a very mediocre daughter who, according to rumors, isn't even their biological child."
Barbara Broccoli objected, "Mr. Westeros, I think your perspective is too narrow. A person's life should focus more on achieving their own value rather than clinging to narrow concepts of bloodline inheritance."
Simon smiled at her. "Barbara, one day you'll realize that only by living long enough can you have enough time to achieve your personal value, making you a true winner. However, our lives are ultimately limited, so passing on your bloodline is one of the most important ways to achieve your value. Consider the Morgans and Rockefellers, who once ruled America. The Rockefeller family remains strong today because they have many descendants. In contrast, because John Morgan had no successors, everything he created is now unrelated to the Morgan family. If you were John Morgan, wouldn't you feel some regret?"
Barbara Broccoli was a committed singleton, now 34 years old without a steady boyfriend. Her lifestyle, akin to a female playboy, was a constant worry for her ailing father, Albert Broccoli.
In reality, much like Monica's parents in *Friends*, who were constantly worried about their children's marriages, basic societal values remained consistent across cultures. Contrary to some beliefs, Western societies aren't as emotionally distant as outsiders might imagine, with parents kicking their children out at 18. In fact, Westerners, especially in the U.S., often place even more importance on family legacy than their counterparts across the ocean.
At the party, as Barbara listened to Simon's reasoning, she was reminded of her father's frequent lectures over the years, causing her to feel a bit conflicted.
However, Barbara quickly retorted, teasingly, "Mr. Westeros, you're starting to sound like an old relic. Are you really only 26?"
"Oh, let me think," Simon replied, raising one hand and pretending to count on his fingers. When that seemed insufficient, he grabbed the delicate hand of the young woman next to him and continued counting before declaring, "Altogether, I'm about, hmm, 550 years old."
Barbara rolled her eyes.
Having witnessed Simon's meteoric rise from nothing to his current position as one of the richest men in the world, Jonathan Friedman listened to what seemed like a joke but couldn't help but ponder. Perhaps only a 550-year-old being could create something as remarkable as the Westeros system in just eight years.
With that thought, Jonathan couldn't resist asking, "Simon, did you get the Forbes list in advance?"
It was October 7, a Friday. The new Forbes 400 list would be released the following Monday, and it was common practice for some media outlets and wealthy individuals to get a sneak peek at the list.
Simon didn't hold back, casually replying, "It's basically the number that's been circulating in the media recently."
The women beside Simon were, of course, familiar with the Forbes list, and they perked up their ears.
Jonathan probed, "$300 billion?"
Simon nodded.
In previous years, Simon had stayed out of the Forbes list. However, as his wealth continued to grow, he had to get involved.
This time, the $300 billion figure was the result of negotiations between the Westeros family and Forbes. It was a deliberately vague number, not quite in line with Forbes' typical meticulousness.
In reality, Forbes had a more precise estimate, but Simon didn't want the figure to be higher or lower than $300 billion.
This was mainly due to public perception.
The purpose of this psychological manipulation was to avoid drawing too much public attention to the Westeros family.
The reasoning was simple: "A 300-meter tall building" versus "A 312-meter, 92-story glass and steel skyscraper in Manhattan." The latter paints a much clearer picture in people's minds. Thus, not only was the $300 billion figure used, but the accompanying press release in next week's Forbes magazine would also refrain from providing the usual specific details.
As for Simon's actual wealth, Janet had recently conducted a more detailed estimate, which was undoubtedly more accurate than Forbes' supposedly precise figure. However, this was a number that Simon would never make public.
Having already seen the $300 billion figure in many media outlets, the women beside Simon and Barbara Broccoli lost interest in digging deeper after hearing Simon confirm it. Jonathan, sensing the underlying message, wisely refrained from further questioning.
Although Simon had been busy traveling lately, today's visit wasn't for anything in particular—just to maintain relationships.
For many of the people he knew before he became wealthy, Simon couldn't keep in touch as frequently as before. But whenever he had time, he wouldn't shy away from the occasional gathering.
Of course, there was some business involved.
Jonathan had recently poached Jim Carrey from his previous small agency, bringing him under WMA's representation. Today, he had specifically invited Carrey over, hoping Simon might be lenient. After witnessing Daenerys Entertainment's dominance over the past few months, Carrey had fully settled down, no longer the restless star he was after *Ace Ventura*'s success.
Jonathan had discussed the move with Simon beforehand, and Simon wasn't the type to nitpick over a small matter.
In fact, Simon didn't mind working with Hollywood's often arrogant A-list stars as long as they fulfilled their duties as actors. Otherwise, even if they were seasoned veterans of Hollywood, Simon wouldn't hesitate to deal with them.
In recent years, Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise had mostly faded from Hollywood's mainstream.
After chatting about a few more topics, Simon noticed Barbara Broccoli glancing again at the young woman beside him. Finally, he decided to satisfy her curiosity and introduced her with a smile, "Barbara, this is Charlize Theron. Charlize, this is Barbara Broccoli. Don't underestimate her—her family has been producing the 007 series for many years. With her father retired, Barbara is now in charge of the series."
Charlize Theron?
Barbara searched her mind but couldn't recall anything about this woman. Nevertheless, she politely extended her hand and shook it.
After the introduction, Simon patted Charlize's waist and said, "Charlize, why don't you let Barbara introduce you to some guests? I'll call you when it's time to leave."
Barbara couldn't help but feel the urge to roll her eyes again.
She was unfamiliar with Hollywood, having relied on Sherry Lansing to introduce her to guests earlier.
However, both women understood that the men likely had matters they didn't want them to overhear, so they sensibly stood up and left.
Watching the women leave, Jonathan smiled and said, "Paul was complaining to me yesterday. He had high hopes for that girl, but you snatched her away."
Jonathan was referring to Paul Verhoeven.
The original director of *Basic Instinct*, though he had missed out on the project in 1987 due to Simon's interference, which led to Brian De Palma directing it instead, Paul Verhoeven had still made a
name for himself in Hollywood with films like *RoboCop* and *Total Recall*.
In recent years, Hollywood's talent agency landscape had been constantly shifting. Paul Verhoeven, who had previously been with ICM, was poached by WMA two years ago. He was currently preparing a very risqué musical film, which Simon remembered as the infamous *Showgirls*.
In its original timeline, this NC-17-rated film cost $45 million to make. Despite its controversy, which rivaled *Basic Instinct*, it failed to replicate the latter's success, becoming a box office disaster that even dragged down lead actress Elizabeth Berkley, who was promptly dropped by her agency.
A while back, Simon noticed that this Carolco-funded film, like *Cutthroat Island*, was being prepared for release by Paramount. Out of curiosity, he had some information sent to him and noticed that someone named Charlize Theron was among the last few candidates for a lead role.
So, he decided to take her under his wing.
The South African beauty was only 19 years old, and her face still bore some baby fat, which didn't quite match Simon's aesthetic.
But that could change with time.
Simon had given the young woman a choice: if she wanted the lead role in Paul Verhoeven's new film, he could make it happen with a single call. Otherwise, because of her limited experience, he would only offer her small roles in a few films over the next few years. Whether she could break out would be up to her.
Though young, Charlize wasn't stupid. Without the credentials or connections, she could gamble on Verhoeven's risqué new film and hope for instant stardom. However, once Simon took an interest in her, she decisively chose the second path.
Back in the corner of the living room, Simon responded to Jonathan's mention of the matter, "Jonathan, even though Paul isn't directly under you, you should've known that *Showgirls* had no potential. Why let him take on such a project?"
*Showgirls* was another script by Joe Eszterhas.
This Hollywood screenwriter, known for his erotic thrillers, had missed out on *Basic Instinct* because of Simon's intervention. He had also made waves with his spat with Michael Ovitz a few years ago, resulting in the infamous "infantryman" scandal. Despite this, his earlier successes like *Flashdance* kept him in demand, with erotic thrillers still popular in Hollywood. But *Showgirls* was destined to be a turning point for Eszterhas.
Jonathan shook his head with a wry smile. "Paul chose the project himself. It's an Eszterhas script, Carolco was willing to fund it—what could I do?" He then added, "By the way, Eszterhas has another script, *Jade*. It's quite good, with a vibe similar to *Basic Instinct*. I had someone send you a copy. Have you read it? Eszterhas even joked privately that *Basic Instinct* had borrowed from his style, and now he's borrowing from yours."
Simon had released *Basic Instinct* in 1987, five years ahead of schedule, avoiding any direct competition.
However, it was easy to trace the lineage of film styles.
Simon nodded and then shook his head, saying, "I've read it. But *Basic Instinct* succeeded because of its intense controversy, not because the film itself was particularly outstanding. I don't think *Jade* will generate the same level of public interest."
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