The destination was a 37-story red-brick building located at the intersection of 63rd Street and Second Avenue on the Upper East Side.
Two months ago, the plans for "Solvay" and "Troy" were finalized. Sophia was tasked with creating a network of private clubs, and the first one was quickly established. The opportunity arose when someone put this failing business club up for sale, and it was taken over.
The name was modest.
Since it was located on East 63rd Street, it was simply called the "63 Club."
Simon wasn't entirely satisfied with this arrangement. Despite the fact that the club occupied the top three floors of the building, it wasn't private enough. The building housed many companies, and given its age, it was impossible to install a dedicated elevator. As a result, this place would only serve as an outer circle club, used by executives from various Westeros subsidiaries in New York to entertain guests or host small business receptions.
The original business club had the same function, so only minimal renovations were necessary.
Simon chose to use it this time to avoid hosting guests at his private residence, something he had always been reluctant to do. Janet had once told him that it was a lion's territorial instinct.
At 6 p.m., Mickey Kantor, who had just been appointed the previous Friday, arrived on time.
Kantor was a short, brown-haired man in his fifties who looked older than his years. His deep smile lines and large ears gave him a bit of a resemblance to Mr. Bean.
Meeting Simon, the young mogul, for the first time, Mickey Kantor was extremely enthusiastic. He even wanted to initiate a familiar embrace, but before he could raise his arms, Simon grabbed one of his hands for a handshake, gracefully deflecting the gesture without missing a beat. "Simon, it's great to finally meet you."
Simon smiled. "Likewise, Mickey. Although it's unfortunate what happened to Ron, I still want to congratulate you on your promotion."
"Thank you."
After a few brief pleasantries, Simon gestured for them to proceed, and two Westeros maids led them to the restaurant on the first floor of the club. As they walked through the hallway, Kantor noticed a distinct scent of perfume on Simon, clearly from close contact, and couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. Glancing at the two slim young women leading the way, the feeling was inevitable.
However, Kantor was fully aware that being appointed Commerce Secretary was the peak of his career.
Given his mediocre performance during the U.S.-Japan auto trade negotiations, Clinton's appointment of him to this position was essentially a farewell gift, allowing him to build connections and resources before transitioning into a private sector role after leaving office.
So despite the envy, and perhaps even a little jealousy, Kantor knew better than to harbor any ill intentions toward Simon.
The power gap between them was simply too vast.
In Kantor's mind, ensuring Simon's upcoming trip to China went smoothly was the best course of action. Doing so would earn him significant goodwill from the Westeros system, ensuring future opportunities like serving on the board of one or two Westeros core companies after his government tenure.
Recently, Simon had been quite active in this area, supporting figures like former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in taking over a pharmaceutical company, among other actions.
The benefits were plentiful.
A very generous young man.
As the two men sat down in a corner of the restaurant, located in the southwest of the building with a great view, the evening sun cast a warm glow over the city. From their seats, they could clearly see the towering Westeros Tower, still under construction nearby.
The dinner menu had been prearranged. The maids brought out appetizers and red wine before quietly leaving.
The dinner meeting was scheduled to last an hour, so there was no rush to dive into business. Kantor picked up his utensils and gestured toward the towering Westeros Tower. "Simon, it looks like the building will be topped out soon?"
They were on the 35th floor, roughly 150 meters high, while Westeros Tower was designed to reach a height of 622 meters. The helicopter pad, located at around 560 meters, was currently being installed.
Construction of the tower had been marked by Simon's insistence on quality and his growing personal wealth, making the project lavish to an extreme, far surpassing the initial $1 billion budget.
For example, the helicopter pad, originally planned to use a high-strength, lightweight aluminum alloy for cost reasons, had been upgraded to a state-of-the-art titanium alloy sourced from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This titanium alloy was 20% stronger than the titanium used in aviation and twice as strong as the original aluminum, with exceptional flexibility and durability, perfect for high-altitude structures.
The Westeros construction team spent $20 million just to obtain the production rights for the material and retrofit a factory in Tennessee to produce it. The entire cost of the helicopter pad exceeded $200 million.
To avoid accusations of extravagance, everyone involved in the project signed strict confidentiality agreements, and only a handful of people knew the true cost.
In the restaurant, Simon also glanced out the window and smiled. "The tower will be topped out by the end of the year, but it'll still take two or three years before it's ready for occupancy."
"I hope I get a chance to visit when it's done."
"Consider this your invitation, Mickey. I hope you won't forget."
"Oh, it's a real honor. By the way, how tall is the building exactly?"
"2,040 feet."
"Amazing. I don't think there'll be another building to surpass it for the next 50 years."
"The world is always changing, so I wouldn't be so sure," Simon smiled and shifted the conversation. "I've heard things are pretty chaotic in Washington right now?"
Kantor sighed. "Yes, Bill just secured the line-item veto, and everyone's opposing it. I don't think that power will last long. And then there's Ken Starr—he's completely out of control. The special counsel was only supposed to investigate the Paula Jones case, but now he's expanded it to everyone connected to Bill. It's become a political witch hunt."
"The real issue is Paula Jones. Why hasn't the White House tried to settle?"
"Even Paula Jones herself wants out now, but as you know, the Republicans won't let that happen."
Simon shrugged with mild regret.
Privately, Simon had done some digging. Last year, a White House intern named Monica Lewinsky had joined, recommended by Ron Perelman. It was now 1996, and the events that were supposed to unfold had already happened. The likelihood of the Lewinsky scandal reoccurring was high.
Simon could intervene in this matter.
But he had chosen not to.
After all, this was an internal power struggle within Washington, with little direct impact on the Westeros system. Interfering would bring no benefits and could cause unnecessary trouble.
The two continued chatting about various current events. As the main course was served, Kantor sipped his wine and finally brought up the main topic. "Simon, I have to be honest. Even if you see promise in the Chinese market, there's no need to lead such a large delegation of Westeros executives to China. You must understand the implications and the consequences this could have. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, China became America's primary strategic rival. I don't see how helping them benefits us."
Simon wasn't offended by Kantor's frankness. He kept smiling. "Mickey, I believe that since the advent of nuclear weapons, it's become difficult for major powers to engage in conflicts like the two world wars we saw in the first half of this century. Think about the Soviet Union—it didn't collapse because of war."
Kantor paused, not quite following.
Simon clarified. "In my view, future major power conflicts will take place on the economic front."
Though Simon personally harbored a rather pessimistic view of human nature, believing that the advent of nuclear weapons would inevitably lead to nuclear conflict, these thoughts weren't something he'd share openly.
It was a matter of knowing who to speak to and when.
Kantor seemed to grasp Simon's point. "Then, Simon, it seems even more reason for you not to do this."
Simon remained patient. "Mickey, do you remember how the U.S. came to dominate the political and economic landscape of Western Europe after World War II?"
With this hint, Kantor finally caught on.
Simply winning the war wouldn't have granted the U.S. the level of influence it held over Western Europe. The key was something called the Marshall Plan.
Seeing Kantor's understanding, Simon continued. "So, sometimes when you help someone, you're not really helping them. The helper often gains more. As for China, we're already falling behind. Japan has been strengthening its investments in China over the past 20 years and has deeply penetrated the market. It's simple, Mickey—if someone owes you money, owes you a favor, and their child works for your company, how likely is it that they'll become your enemy?"
Kantor hadn't come here to argue, knowing full well that building a good relationship with Simon was his primary goal. He had only mentioned his stance as a member of the U.S. government's upper echelons, but he hadn't intended to dissuade Simon from his course. Still, after hearing Simon's perspective, Kantor believed he understood Simon's logic.
However, deep down, he still didn't entirely agree.
Choosing not to debate further, he shifted to more specific questions. "Given all that, Simon, what are your expectations for my talks with the Chinese government?"
Simon had always understood one thing.
If you give too much, people won't appreciate it.
They'll even start to take it for granted.
In this upcoming trip to China, the Westeros system would play the role of the "good cop," while Kantor, representing Washington, would play the "bad cop." The negotiations would focus on three key areas—technology, entertainment, and finance—discussing issues like further opening China's film market and protecting intellectual property rights.
The Westeros system had already secured most of the real benefits through various pre-established agreements.
For instance, the massive commercial center they were planning to build in Beijing had been granted land at a price that was practically a giveaway. Despite China's financial constraints, the government had agreed to provide $300 million in low-interest loans, and the remaining $700 million could easily be financed by overseas banks eager to support the project.
In essence, it was all about leveraging other people's money to build real estate projects.
Although the Westeros system had ample cash reserves and could easily put up $1 billion, Simon knew that in real estate, the key to success was using other people's money.
Since Kantor was aware of these arrangements, Simon didn't hide anything. "Mickey, you know that the benefits the Westeros system will gain have already been agreed upon with the Chinese government. So, your task is simply to play hardball."
Kantor smiled knowingly. "I understand. I'll be the bad cop."
Simon returned the smile. "Actually, neither of us is the good cop."
As they spoke, the sound of high heels echoed from the restaurant entrance. A-girl approached with a tray, and Kantor glanced over. On the tray was... a glass of milk, which left him somewhat puzzled.
A-girl's expression betrayed nothing as she set the glass down next to Simon. "Boss, here's what you ordered."
She gave Kantor a polite nod and walked away.
Kantor watched her leave, then looked back at Simon, more confused than ever but refrained from asking any questions.
Simon picked up the glass, casually running his fingers over the rim, but didn't drink from it. Instead, he smiled at Kantor. "Sorry about that. Some women just don't know better. I'll have a word with her later."
Kantor caught a faint scent wafting from the glass and couldn't help but wrinkle his nose. It didn't quite smell like milk. Still, he smiled and shook his head. "No problem."
"Alright, let's continue." Simon didn't seem in a hurry to eat. His hand still wrapped around the glass, feeling its warmth. "Mickey, even though your job is to take a firm stance, you shouldn't come away empty-handed. I hope you can negotiate three things, all related to the film industry."
Kantor nodded, indicating for Simon to go on.
"First, request that China lift restrictions on foreign investments in the construction of cinemas in mainland China."
Kantor immediately looked troubled. "Simon, that seems difficult. You know how China is when it comes to its cultural industries—they're much more conservative in that area than in others."
"If this were ten years ago, I'd agree," Simon replied. "But now, the chances of success are much higher. China has already allowed Hong Kong and Macau capital to invest in cinemas on the mainland. All we're asking for is equal treatment."
This was news to Kantor.
But since Simon said it, it must be true. Kantor had initially thought this trip would be easy, but the first request was already proving challenging.
"I'll do my best," Kantor nodded, then asked, "And the second?"
"Next, push for China to reform its cinema chain system."
Kantor was completely at a loss this time.
Cinemas forming chains were common in the U.S., but just like how most people were vaguely familiar with government departments without understanding their specific functions, Kantor only had a general idea of what cinema chains were—a group of cinemas operating as a collective.
Of course, he couldn't let Simon see his ignorance, so he pondered for a moment before replying. "Simon, such an industry reform doesn't seem to concern us much, does it?"
"It certainly does," Simon explained. "That brings us to the third point. As part of cinema chain reform, you need to persuade China to network their cinema ticket sales. The past year, Hollywood movies accounted for five of the top ten highest-grossing films in China. But according to our investigations, due to outdated screening systems and serious management loopholes, a significant portion of our box office revenue has been underreported. Reforming the cinema chains and implementing a networked ticketing system would make the Chinese market more transparent for Hollywood films."
"Simon, if I'm not mistaken, China's box office revenue and profit-sharing ratios are so small they're practically negligible."
"Mickey, do you know how many fixed-line telephones there are in China right now?"
"Uh?"
"I've been following this issue closely and found it fascinating. There are currently 50 million, but just five years ago, in 1990, there were only 10 million. That's potential. China is a massive market with a population of 1 billion. If the industry becomes standardized, the potential of a market this size could explode. Anything is possible."
Kantor nodded thoughtfully, then brought up another issue. "Given all that, Simon, I think your bigger concern should be China's piracy problem. Just the other day, the Software & Information Industry Association contacted me, hoping I would bring up this issue during the talks with China. They're lobbying both the White House and Congress, arguing that if China continues to tolerate piracy, we should impose sanctions."
As he spoke, Kantor's expression took on a slight hint of amusement.
When it came to piracy, Tingkobel's iPlayer had faced the most criticism over the past year due to rampant music piracy. While the device had sold over 20 million units in its first year, creating a massive success, it had also fueled a surge in online music piracy, leading to a 23% drop in global record sales—a "feat" of its own.
Then there was the rapid spread of VCD players in China.
That too was a unique case.
When the machine first appeared a few years ago, all the major Western electronics giants dismissed it, not expecting it to take off.
But in China, it exploded.
After some investigation, the reason quickly became clear: piracy.
Simon noticed the subtle shift in Kantor's expression but maintained his smile as he gently stroked the glass in his hand. "Mickey, I know what you're thinking. Whether it's the iPlayer in the U.S. or VCDs in China, they're both part of the inevitable trend toward digitalization. Even if I hadn't done it, similar products would have appeared. Given that, I'd rather ensure things develop in a more controlled direction."
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