At this party, except for a few guests who required special greetings, Simon spent most of his time in the private bar on the east side of the villa, primarily for leisure. He was surrounded by women, intending to indulge himself tonight.
He had already done what needed to be done, given all necessary instructions. Everything else was for his subordinates to execute—rewards for success and consequences for failure. If someone seriously messed up, they'd be kicked out, much like what had happened with the Good Will Hunting script incident. If he had to personally manage every little detail, it would be absurd.
Since last year, Simon had gradually been delegating many responsibilities. He appeared to be immersing himself in a life of pleasure, but it was intentional.
He wanted to step back and gain perspective.
An outsider's view is often clearer.
Until now, Simon had always maintained a tight grip on the Westeros system, alternating between macro-level management and micro-level operations within his business empire.
Now, he was allowing himself to relax. Taking a break would reveal problems that had been overlooked during the intense periods of work. Additionally, distancing himself from daily affairs would give him more space to think about and plan the next steps for the Westeros system.
In recent months, Simon had been contemplating various matters.
About Hollywood.
About emerging technologies.
About Wall Street.
About China.
About Europe.
And even broader concerns—about the future of the entire world.
For a long time, Simon had been wrestling with one perplexing question: why is the only lesson history teaches humanity that humans never learn from history?
Why is it always a cycle of repetition?
Why did dynastic cycles persist in China for over two thousand years?
Why has modern history been filled with war after war, with no end in sight, even leading to the inescapable prospect of a self-destructive Third World War in Simon's projections?
During these long periods of contemplation, Simon believed he had figured out many of these issues.
At least, he thought he had arrived at some logical answers, and perhaps even some potential solutions.
But then what?
Inevitably, he realized that all he'd done was jump from one cycle to another.
Because...
Human nature doesn't change.
Simon had never wanted to play the role of a savior. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more his thoughts aligned with Janet's.
It seemed like a long, long time ago.
Janet had once said her dream was to destroy the world.
Simon had thought destroying the world wasn't ideal; ruling it seemed like a better idea.
However, after overthinking some of these issues, Simon found himself increasingly sympathizing with the classic villains in movies who, after concluding that humanity wasn't worth saving, chose to destroy the world.
The world isn't worth it.
But having come this far, Simon had no intention of giving up everything and transcending the mundane.
New thoughts began to form in his mind.
Perhaps...
As the famous writer Jin Yong once said: "Since I'm here, I'll make a grand spectacle of it and leave once the fun is over."
So that it wouldn't be a wasted life.
In the corner of the spacious yet intimate booth in the bar, Michelle Pfeiffer, holding a glass of red wine, approached the group. She saw Simon surrounded by a group of women, clearly enjoying himself.
They were playing a game of "pick-up sticks," with a pile of sticks on a black tray in the center of the table. A girl kneeling by the table was carefully trying to pull out a stick without disturbing the others. The group, including Simon, was teasing and distracting her, and as she was about to succeed, she accidentally nudged the other sticks.
She lost the challenge.
The group cheered, demanding she drink as a forfeit. The girl, her face already flushed, good-naturedly accepted, scolding the others for their mischief while lifting a large glass of champagne and downing it in one go.
Michelle Pfeiffer glanced around the group. Most of the girls surrounding Simon were young and relatively unknown, like the one who had just lost the game. Pfeiffer recognized her vaguely, perhaps from Gus Van Sant's Drugstore Cowboy. The girl was stunning, with doll-like beauty—perfectly proportioned in every way.
Looking at the others, Pfeiffer recognized a few more faces: the girl who had danced in Once Upon a Time in America, Jennifer Connelly; Spielberg's protégée, Gwyneth Paltrow; and the tall girl near the edge of the group, Liv Tyler, daughter of Aerosmith's lead singer.
Now, Pfeiffer understood why Nicole Kidman and the other more established stars hadn't bothered to join this group.
Competing for attention with a bunch of fresh-faced ingenues would be beneath them.
Pfeiffer even considered leaving. After all, she had been in the industry since the late '70s, long before some of these girls were even born.
Still, she stayed. Her career in Hollywood was at a precarious point, and without a breakthrough, she was at risk of fading into obscurity. After working so hard to climb to where she was, how could she let herself be cast aside so easily?
Her appearance caught the attention of the younger women, who recognized her immediately. But, with Simon not making any move, they wisely pretended not to notice.
Simon, who was holding two petite girls on either side of him, noticed Michelle's arrival only after Heather Graham finished her champagne. He smiled and waved her over. "Hey, Michelle, come sit," he said, tapping the girl on his left. "Sarah, it's your turn."
Sarah Michelle Gellar obediently stood up and made room, but instead of leaving completely, she simply slid closer to Simon and knelt by his feet, continuing to play the game. Her small, well-proportioned body posed in a way that was quite suggestive.
Since Simon had invited her, Michelle took the opportunity to sit next to him. As Simon's arm naturally wrapped around her shoulders, she momentarily tensed before relaxing and leaning in closer to him. She asked, playing coy, "What are you playing?"
"Pick-up sticks," Simon explained, then added with a grin, "Since you're here, you'll have to pick three sticks on your first try. If you fail, the penalty doubles."
The girls around Simon exchanged mischievous glances. None of them had been told about any such rule when they joined, but since Simon had said it, it was now the rule.
Having been in Hollywood for so long, Michelle Pfeiffer wasn't fazed by their provocations. She snuggled closer to Simon, raising an eyebrow flirtatiously. "I don't know how to play. Maybe you could show me?"
Of course she knew how to play such a simple game, but she wanted to put Simon on the spot.
To her surprise, Simon didn't refuse.
Sarah Michelle Gellar finished her turn successfully and stood up to show off her work, but since her spot had been taken by Michelle, she had no choice but to move aside. Handing the tray of sticks to Simon and Michelle, she did so with a subtle challenge in her eyes.
Michelle took the sticks and handed her wine glass to one of the girls nearby. Without hesitation, she knelt beside the table, mimicking the posture Sarah had just demonstrated. She looked back at Simon with a playful glint in her eye.
Simon played along.
Sarah, now on the sidelines, brought the tray over to Simon's lap, and Simon gave her a look, signaling her to place it back on the table. Sarah reluctantly stood up, swiftly returned the tray, and reclaimed her spot at Simon's side, right next to Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Michelle Pfeiffer ignored the younger girls' annoyed expressions as she reached out with the sticks. Her body language was slow and deliberate, her focus intense. She leaned forward, nearly pressing herself against Simon as she tried to extract the first stick.
Simon smiled as he observed her through the neckline of her elegant black evening dress. She exuded a confidence and allure that only someone with years of experience could pull off. The younger girls couldn't compare.
Even though Simon didn't say it out loud, the others could feel it too. Michelle's presence was enough to make them realize how far they still had to go. In comparison, they seemed immature and inexperienced.
As everyone watched, Michelle successfully pulled out two sticks. When she went for the third, the stick slipped, falling back into place.
She glanced up at Simon, her expression playful but resigned. "Simon, how about I drink wine instead?"
Simon was agreeable. "Of course."
He nudged the tray towards Sarah, who begrudgingly moved to return it. She didn't want to leave, but there was no way to put the tray back on the table from her position, so she quickly got up and placed it where it belonged, only to lose her seat to Michelle in the process.
Michelle settled into Sarah's previous seat, retrieved her glass of wine, and gestured to Sarah. "Would you pour me some more wine, please?"
Oh, gladly, Sarah thought, mentally cursing the woman in front of her.
With a forced smile, Sarah found a bottle of red wine and filled Michelle's glass, watching as the older actress downed it without hesitation. She refilled it again, and Michelle once more emptied her glass.
After two glasses of wine, Michelle's face took on a healthy flush. She turned to the group, which had gone quiet. "Shall we continue?" she said, looking at the girl next to her, the one who had just handed her the wineglass. "Isn't it your turn?"
Seeing the shift in mood, Simon stood up. "That's enough. Let's go dance."
He extended a
hand to Michelle, who smiled and placed her hand in his, letting him lead her to the dance floor.
The other girls quickly followed, unwilling to be left behind.
Once on the dance floor, Simon held Michelle close as they swayed to the soft music. Surrounded by the younger women, he didn't say much to Michelle, letting the rhythm guide them. In the dim, hazy light, he wasn't about to be shy with the woman in his arms.
When the song ended, Simon still hadn't addressed any of the serious matters Michelle had been hoping to discuss.
He was well aware of why she had come over.
Michelle Pfeiffer had started her career in the late '70s and became a rising star in the '80s after her role in Brian De Palma's Scarface. Her popularity had continued to rise, earning her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in 1990 for The Fabulous Baker Boys. If Simon hadn't changed things, Michelle would have landed the role of Catwoman in Tim Burton's Batman Returns in 1992, cementing her status at the peak of her career.
But now, Hollywood was different because of Simon's influence.
Simon's reshuffling of the entire DC Universe had not only affected Tim Burton, who was no longer as sought-after as he had been in the '90s, but also Michelle Pfeiffer, who missed out on the Catwoman role. Since her Oscar nomination in 1990, her career had begun to decline.
In fact, many stars who had been prominent in the '80s were finding it harder to maintain their status in the '90s.
Part of this was due to the arrival of Hollywood's blockbuster era, which reduced the value of big-name actors. Another factor was the influx of new talent, which was steadily eroding the opportunities available to the older generation of stars.
Simon had crossed paths with Michelle Pfeiffer numerous times before. He had always admired her performance in The Fabulous Baker Boys, but personally, she wasn't quite his type, which explained why they hadn't become close or collaborated on any films.
Without the Catwoman role to bolster her career, and with a new wave of actresses like Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Valeria Golino, and Julia Roberts rising to stardom with Simon's backing, Michelle found herself in danger of being left behind.
The Westeros Villa party was a gamble for Michelle—a last-ditch attempt to turn things around.
She had already made up her mind. As long as she could secure the opportunity to revive her career, she was willing to do whatever Simon wanted. After all, it wouldn't be her first time making such sacrifices.
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