At the 2,500-person conference center within the Egrit campus in Mountain View, the 1996 Tinkerbell product launch had just concluded, but the excitement in the room was still palpable. The $799 iRec-10, the free iCut video editing software, the Broadcast media library, the new YouTube platform, and the ad revenue sharing system—each of these announcements alone could have made headlines.
More importantly, together, these products formed a complete ecosystem.
Even for those who didn't fully grasp the concept of a product ecosystem, compared to the simple entertainment and recording functions of traditional home film cameras, the broader applications offered by the iRec-10 made it far more appealing.
One thing was certain.
The global market, which sold around 6 million home film and tape cameras in 1995, would now be completely overtaken by the iRec-10.
The iRec-10's superior 360P video resolution alone rendered it far beyond the capabilities of traditional home cameras, which typically maxed out at 240P. And with the same $799 price point as traditional home cameras, the iRec-10 became an unbeatable option. The only market left for traditional home cameras was among nostalgic users.
As for the reliance on personal computers, with the current PC penetration rate in the iRec-10's target markets, this was not a concern at all.
The official release date for Tinkerbell's 1996 product lineup was set for April 5.
However, following the iRec-10 announcement, the aftermath of the weekend launch continued into Monday. When the stock market opened, traditional home camera manufacturers like Sony, Panasonic, Canon, and Kodak experienced a sharp decline, with each company's stock falling by over 10% on April 1—a grim April Fool's Day for them.
Though some Wall Street investors criticized the iRec-10's lower-than-expected price, accusing Tinkerbell of sacrificing its own profits to support the broader Westeros tech ecosystem, Tinkerbell's stock, which had been rising steadily since its IPO, surged another 11.7% that day.
By the close of the U.S. markets on April 1, Tinkerbell's market cap had reached $156.3 billion, adding $18.2 billion in value in a single day.
And it wasn't over yet.
Throughout the week, the Westeros system rolled out a series of projects around the iRec-10 launch.
On April 1, YouTube, a subsidiary of Egrit, announced that 297 celebrities from film, TV, music, and fashion had joined the platform and released their first user interaction videos, shot using early versions of the iRec-10.
On April 2, YouTube further announced a partnership with Daenerys Entertainment, allowing YouTube users to create gameplay videos using licensed content from Daenerys' video games. As long as they followed the platform's guidelines, these videos could qualify for ad revenue sharing.
On April 3, Tinkerbell and Egrit jointly launched the "Original Video Competition," covering all categories on the new YouTube platform—music, fashion, film, dance, travel, food, comedy, technology, education, and more. The competition, which began on April 5, required all submissions to be filmed using the iRec-10, and winners would be determined by viewer votes. A total of $10 million in cash prizes was up for grabs over three months.
On April 4, Daenerys Entertainment launched the Tinkerbell-sponsored "iRec Short Film Contest," aimed at aspiring filmmakers worldwide. Like the original video competition, this contest would run for three months. Daenerys would select 50 winners, each receiving a $100,000 prize, with the top 10 winners receiving additional professional training and funding to turn their short films into feature-length movies. All entries would be featured on YouTube with prominent recommendations.
Finally, on April 5, Tinkerbell's 1996 product line officially hit the market.
The launch was a massive success.
In the U.S., U.K., Japan, Australia, and other global markets, the initial 2 million units of the iRec-10 sold out on the first day, setting a new record for the launch of an electronic product.
In cities like New York and San Francisco, where customers couldn't get their hands on the iRec-10, unrest broke out at some of the sales locations.
Scalpers quickly capitalized, with iRec-10s selling for over $1,000 on secondary markets. On Amazon's Tinkerbell storefront, the 200,000 units allocated for online sales were snatched up instantly, and 670,000 preorders accumulated.
Not only that, but over the course of the week, sales of related internet-connected products such as personal computers, iCams, and iPlayers also surged. Broadband installation requests to ISPs like America Online saw a significant uptick.
One product had sparked a nationwide frenzy.
With the launch a resounding success, all these positive factors were immediately reflected in the stock market.
By the close of the U.S. markets on April 5, Tinkerbell's stock had risen by 27% over the course of the week, with its market cap skyrocketing from $138.1 billion at Monday's open to $175.3 billion. With Westeros holding 57.7% of Tinkerbell's shares, Simon's personal wealth increased by $21.5 billion in just one week from this single company.
Next came the Easter weekend.
Even though iRec-10's weekly production had already reached 300,000 units before its launch, Tinkerbell could have produced more. However, for efficiency and inventory management, they chose not to.
Despite extensive marketing and the expectation that iRec-10 would be a huge hit, no one had anticipated that the initial 2 million units would sell out in a single day—it was pure madness.
After the first day, Tinkerbell immediately mobilized to coordinate with its Chinese factories to increase production capacity, aiming to ramp up weekly production to 500,000 units. Meanwhile, with iRec-10 completely sold out, Tinkerbell had to issue an apology and resume their "hunger marketing" strategy, with staggered releases.
This wasn't just a gimmick.
There simply weren't enough units available, and ramping up production too much could lead to disastrous overstocking if demand fell off. Many electronics companies had collapsed due to blind expansion. Tinkerbell was determined to avoid this fate, preferring to sell fewer units rather than flood the market.
Simon spent Easter with his family in Los Angeles, and the next day he headed to the East Coast.
On April 8, following Tinkerbell's launch, Melisandre formally kicked off its IPO roadshow.
Having quietly overtaken LVMH to become the world's largest luxury goods group, Melisandre now owned Gucci, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, Calvin Klein, Vacheron Constantin, Burberry, Christie's, and many other brands, large and small.
According to Melisandre's SEC filings, the luxury group generated $8.36 billion in revenue in 1995, with a net profit of $1.51 billion. Gucci, its flagship brand, accounted for $3.47 billion in revenue, or 41% of the group's total, and $630 million in profit, making it the company's most profitable brand.
Before the IPO, Melisandre completed stock swaps with other shareholders in core brands like Gucci, Bulgari, Calvin Klein, and Versace, allowing the parent company to take full control of these subsidiaries.
After the swaps and a stock split to prepare for the IPO, Melisandre's total shares now numbered 1.965 billion.
Westeros held 1.204 billion shares, representing 61.3% of the company, maintaining absolute control. Sophia Facci held 298 million shares, or 15.2%, making her the second-largest shareholder, while the remaining Gucci, Bulgari, and Versace family members held a combined 23.5%.
In this IPO, Melisandre planned to issue 300 million new shares at an offering price of $15 per share, aiming to raise $4.5 billion, with a total market value of $34 billion, representing a 20x price-to-earnings ratio. For a luxury goods company, this was quite impressive compared to tech companies that commanded much higher multiples.
At this valuation, Simon's former housekeeper-turned-businesswoman would have a personal net worth approaching $4.5 billion, making her one of the wealthiest women in Simon's circle.
In the easternmost part of Long Island, in East Hampton.
At a seaside estate, it was now April 9.
After participating in Melisandre's roadshow, Simon was still busy preparing for his upcoming trip to China. As dusk fell, he chose not to stay in the city but took a helicopter to the estate in East Hampton.
Three "vases" had arrived from Ukraine.
Last year, Simon had suggested to Alexander Lyudayev, head of Rivne Media, that they form a female singing group, which Simon had named "The Saints" based on his memory. After months of selection and training, three girls had been chosen. Lyudayev had taken the initiative to send them to the U.S., under the pretense that they were coming for professional training before recording their first album.
In reality, it was to present them to Simon.
As the Black Hawk helicopter landed on the estate, Chen Qing and Lin Su, who had arrived earlier with several other maids, were waiting on the lawn to greet Simon. Among the group of women, the three new arrivals stood out immediately.
Simon had personally overseen their selection, ensuring they fit his preferences perfectly.
Compared to the
"Saints" he remembered, these three girls weren't voluptuous bombshells, though they had curves in all the right places. Their faces leaned toward a more innocent, delicate look. One of them, named Anya, even had a baby face.
Simon didn't bother to remember their last names, but he could distinguish them by their looks and the photos he'd seen.
Anya was 19, 172 cm tall, with ash-blonde hair and a baby face. Her cheeks naturally had a bit of redness, giving her a particularly charming, youthful appearance.
Mira, 21, was 169 cm tall, with black hair and deep green eyes that stood out in the twilight. She was the shortest of the three, but her legs were exceptionally long, giving the impression that she was all legs from the waist down.
Konita, 22, was 173 cm tall, with typical Slavic features—pale blonde hair, light blue eyes, and a sharp, delicate face that matched Simon's ideal of an "elf-like" beauty.
All three had clearly been trained in English, showing no signs of nervousness in front of Simon. When he approached, they greeted him without hesitation.
No matter how innocent they appeared, none of them were shy.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have gotten the job.
After exchanging pleasantries with the three girls, Chen Qing, standing nearby, linked arms with Simon and walked toward the villa. Over the years, Chen Qing had honed her ability to assess the revolving door of women in Simon's life with precision. She could tell which ones needed to be befriended, which ones were worth a few extra words, and which ones could be safely ignored. With just a glance, she could accurately gauge their significance.
These three clearly fell into the "no need to bother" category.
Chen Qing and Lin Su were mainly here today to discuss the housing arrangements for the dancers from the Chinese National Arts Troupe.
The 100 girls that Simon had personally selected were currently in the process of obtaining immigration papers. In a China still eager to get people abroad, many went to great lengths to secure visas, often applying for years without success. However, with the power of the Westeros system, getting immigration papers for 100 girls was no problem at all.
The dancers were expected to arrive in North America next month.
As they discussed the day's matters, they entered the villa. Once inside, Chen Qing brought up another topic: "Boss, I still think there's no need to give them immigration papers right away. Work visas would suffice. You know, it's easier to maintain control that way."
Simon crossed the villa's large living room and headed to the second floor. Reaching a balcony outside one of the sitting rooms, he sat down on a spacious outdoor sofa.
It was now spring, and East Hampton was lush and green. From the balcony, he could see the ocean, where the sun had just dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow across the sky.
Simon propped his feet up and relaxed on the sofa, enjoying the view. Turning to Chen Qing, who had cozied up beside him, he said, "Looks like I made a mistake back then. I should've given you a work visa—that would have made you easier to control."
Chen Qing rubbed her cheek against Simon's shoulder. "Boss, I'm different."
Simon didn't continue the conversation. Instead, he noticed a silver chain around Chen Qing's neck. He reached out and pulled out a pendant he'd seen before, holding it in his hand. The jade pendant was intricately carved with the image of a fox, along with the characters for "Nine Tails." Smiling, he turned to Lin Su, who was sitting on a single-seater across from him. "Where's your pendant?"
Lin Su, who had been observing the three Ukrainian girls, snapped back to attention and shook her head. "I don't have one."
Chen Qing chimed in teasingly, "Boss, I can make one for her. We can call it 'Daiyu' and carve a Crimson Pearl Fairy on it. It'd be so fitting."
Simon immediately got the reference and nodded. "Good idea."
Lin Su, however, shook her head again. "I don't want it."
This time, Simon was more agreeable. "Fine. Besides, whether it's 'Nine Tails' or 'Daiyu,' the men in their lives didn't exactly meet good ends. One's enough for me."
Chen Qing laughed. "Boss, how about this—I can help you collect a set of the 'Twelve Beauties of Jinling.' What do you think?"
"Sounds good."
Lin Su frowned slightly. She understood what Chen Qing meant by collecting the "Twelve Beauties of Jinling." It was just like that pair of sisters from a while back.
She glanced over at Simon and Chen Qing.
Yes, "Nine Tails."
And also...
When Zoe brought over coffee, Simon took a few sips before handing it to Chen Qing, who immediately leaned over to set it on the table and then nestled back against him. Sensing the woman's compliant demeanor, Simon glanced at Lin Su, then turned to Chen Qing with a smile. "Guess what Lin's thinking?"
Chen Qing gave Lin Su a quick look, her face still smiling. Without missing a beat, she replied, "Helping the tyrant."
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