Chasing Stars in Hollywood

Grace's sudden slap left Laura Graff stunned. Having lived a life of luxury for so many years, she couldn't remember the last time someone had laid a hand on her. Even in the earlier altercation at the restaurant, two customers who had just entered had separated her from the two thugs, and she hadn't really suffered.

Feeling the metaphorical stars spinning around her head, Laura was momentarily at a loss. Still glaring at Grace, she exclaimed, "You hit me! I... I'm going to sue you! I'll break my contract with Elite!"

Grace immediately regretted her slap.

However, hearing Laura's threat, Grace decided not to hold back any longer. She got out of the car, went to the other side, opened the door, grabbed Laura by her hair, and yanked her out of the passenger seat, leaving her on the curb before driving off.

Worried about traffic during rush hour, Grace left work at 4:30 PM and headed towards Greenwich.

The scheduled time was 6:00 PM.

Grace arrived half an hour early, but instead of heading straight there, she spent twenty minutes at a café in Greenwich. When she finally approached the estate's gate, she was stopped by security and had to wait before being allowed in.

Simon hadn't returned yet. The person who greeted her was an Indian woman named Alia.

Grace was led to the same living room as before, where Zoe was also present. Upon entering the villa, Grace noticed preparations for a party underway, with many young women bustling about, each seemingly having potential in the fashion industry. This sight unexpectedly made Grace feel a twinge of self-doubt.

Simon returned at 6:30 PM, accompanied by his wife, Janet Westero.

Grace felt a sudden pang of anxiety.

However, Janet Westero did not appear even after Simon entered the living room a few minutes later.

Simon sat down casually on the sofa and gave Grace a casual look, "You slapped Laura at noon?"

Surprised that Simon brought this up and that he knew about it so quickly, Grace felt flustered, unsure of how to explain.

However, seeing that Simon didn't seem angry, she relaxed a bit.

When Grace didn't respond, Simon didn't press further. He continued, "Alia said you have something to discuss. Go ahead."

Grace, her mind buzzing slightly, thankfully remembered the excuse she had prepared: "Simon, I just wanted to ask what's next regarding the three of them. I'm sorry about what happened at noon, but I'm really at my wit's end."

Simon shook his head slightly and said, "You handled it well at noon. By the way, you're renting the place they live in, right? If you can't stand it, just move them to the basement dorm tomorrow as you thought."

Grace looked at Simon with a slightly strange expression.

Simon made no secret of his knowledge, shrugging as he spoke, "Someone updates me daily on their situation; I just consider it a pastime." Saying this, Simon thought for a moment, called Zoe over, and after a brief conversation, Zoe brought over a booklet.

Grace pretended to glance casually, seeing that it was property information.

After scanning for a moment, Simon stopped on a page, made a small circle in the air with his finger, and handed the booklet back to Zoe. He then told Grace, "Someone will give you the keys to a property tomorrow. If the three of them behave, let them move in; if not, kick them out. Handle it as you see fit; don't let it affect your work."

Grace nodded.

Though she didn't know what kind of property Simon was offering, she assumed that anything from the Westero estate couldn't be too bad, likely more luxurious than their current residence.

Giving such a property to the three women felt like a waste.

Thinking this, Grace was about to speak when Alia entered, whispered something to Simon—Grace only caught the word "Hearst"—and Simon nodded slightly before telling Grace, "That will be all. By the way, we're having a party tonight. If you don't have other plans, you're welcome to stay."

Grace had promised her son they would go to a movie tonight, but before she could decline, Simon had already stood up and left the room.

Watching him leave, Grace turned to Zoe, who was still there, and asked, "Zoe, what kind of party is this?"

"It's a gathering of Wall Street finance folks. You know, Daenerys Entertainment is going public next week," Zoe explained, adding, "Ms. Splurt, the boss was just being polite. If you have other plans, it's fine to leave early."

A Wall Street gathering!

Grace's heart skipped a beat, thinking of her husband's recent struggles.

Maybe...

Hesitant, Grace asked cautiously, "Zoe, can I invite someone else? My husband works on Wall Street, at First Boston."

Zoe looked at her, her doll-like face showing a mischievous smile, "The guest list is managed by Alia. Ms. Splurt, if you're serious, you could discuss it with her, though I'm sure she'd agree."

Remembering Alia's cold demeanor in past encounters and seeing the mischievous look on Zoe's face, Grace quickly understood.

That man wasn't interested in her, at least not to the point of sleeping with her.

So Grace didn't expect much.

Despite everything, she still cared for her husband, even if their relationship had become somewhat mundane. Given the opportunity, it was only natural to prioritize her family.

Seeing Grace had no objections, Zoe blinked playfully, "Follow me."

They left the living room and, after asking a passing woman a few questions, soon found Alia in the kitchen, directing the preparation of party food.

Grace explained her request, and Alia agreed.

Grace hurriedly called her husband, urging him to drop everything and come to Greenwich as soon as possible. As for the evening movie plans with the kids, those could be put aside.

With long summer days, the party was scheduled to start at 8 PM.

For the next hour, Simon was in the villa's study, finalizing details of a settlement with Randolph Hearst and their respective lawyers.

After Simon disrupted the Hearst family's attempt to sell assets to ease their company's crisis, the Hearsts realized they couldn't overcome this obstacle without the Westero system. After exhausting all other options over several weeks, they decided to compromise and agree to Simon's terms.

This time, they were just finalizing some details.

Or rather.

It was mainly the Hearst family focusing on details.

The final agreement had the Hearst family selling their 20% stake in ESPN to Westero Corporation for $1 and paying $370 million in settlement costs for six lawsuits. In return, the Westero system agreed not to target the Hearst family in the future.

After signing the agreement, the Hearst family could publicly announce the deal, using their media outlets to communicate certain messages.

On the other hand, the Hearst family agreed that all Hearst Group media would not publish any defamatory or negative news about the Westero system in the future, nor would the Hearst family support politicians in pushing any government legislation targeting the Westero system.

The core idea was that the two sides would stay out of each other's way.

However, the agreement imposed far more restrictions on the Hearst family than on the Westero system.

As night fell, Simon and Randolph Hearst signed the agreement, concluding the months-long conflict, at least on the surface.

As they left the study, the party had already started.

Randolph Hearst had no intention of appearing publicly, even though doing so might have benefited the Hearst family. He quietly left through a side door.

After Hearst left, Simon instructed James Laibold, "Jim, quietly inform ABC to buy the Hearst family's stake in the AE Network."

The AE Network was a basic cable network co-operated by the Hearst family and Metropolitan ABC Group, with each holding a 50% stake. It included channels like Lifetime and the History Channel.

After the settlement, the Hearst family still needed to sell assets to cover the $370 million in lawsuit settlements.

With a long-standing preference for print media, the Hearst Group would likely prioritize selling "non-core assets." If ABC took the initiative, they could easily reacquire full ownership of the AE Network.

With Westero acquiring a 20% stake in ESPN and ABC buying back the AE Network, the Hearst family's television holdings would be significantly reduced, leaving mostly print media assets.

After months of conflict and recent negative press, the Hearst family's numerous print media outlets had been severely weakened. Given the rapid decline of print media, few would likely survive. The Hearst family's fate seemed sealed.

James nodded, understanding Simon's intentions.

As they walked towards the hall, James brought up another topic, "Simon, now that Janet is no longer working, maybe you should consider having another child."

The Laibolds had long accepted their daughter's relationship with Simon, especially after they had a child together. Recently, the relationship had been publicly acknowledged, further solidifying the Laibolds' acceptance.

However, as parents, they naturally thought more about their daughter's future.

Having only one daughter seemed inadequate to the Laibolds.

Across cultures, there's a bias towards sons and a greater emphasis on male inheritance. For example, William Hearst's six children received most of his estate after his death, with his youngest daughter receiving almost nothing compared to her brothers.

Simon felt awkward discussing such matters, "Jim, it depends on Janet. I'm fine with it."

James insisted, "Janet loves children; she'd definitely want more."

Simon nodded, "Alright, I'll talk to her about it."

James, satisfied with Simon's response, smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

Simon felt slightly embarrassed.

Why does everyone have this 'bad' habit?

He quickly changed the subject, asking about his assistant's brother, Philip

 Laibold. With his daughter married off, James was more focused on his son. Philip had completed his undergraduate degree in economics at Yale last year and was now pursuing a three-year Juris Doctor degree at law school.

James was indeed interested in this topic and was pleased that Simon brought up Philip.

As they chatted, they entered the crowded hall.

Although it was a Wall Street gathering, some high-level executives from the Westero system in New York were also invited. James spotted his old friend Robert Iger and excused himself to greet him.

Simon smiled and walked over to George Soros, who had come to join the party.

This year, 1994, Soros was preparing for his next big move against Mexico, following his famous attack on the British pound in 1992.

Simon recalled that the Mexican peso crisis would erupt around October.

Simon had no qualms about Mexico, unlike Europe or Asia.

Although the Westero system wouldn't be publicly involved, they had quietly set up positions, including investing $200 million in Soros's Quantum Fund.

Soros, known as a hedge fund titan, was also involved in stocks, bonds, and venture capital. He had recently purchased 2 million shares of Daenerys Entertainment Group.

After discussing the Mexican peso situation with Soros, Simon noticed Grace Splurt, now in a black dress, walking over with a slightly thin middle-aged man.

Upon reaching Simon, Grace introduced him, "Simon, this is my husband, Bill. He works at First Boston."

Simon noticed Grace's slightly guilty look as she spoke to him, but he simply smiled and extended his hand to the visibly nervous man, "Hello, Bill."

"Mr. Westero, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Call me Simon."

"Oh, of course, Simon."

Bill Splurt, feeling both honored and surprised, shook Simon's hand, holding on a bit too long before realizing and letting go.

Suddenly summoned to Simon Westero's grand estate in Greenwich and surrounded by Wall Street elites he usually only admired from afar, Bill felt as if he were dreaming, having discreetly pinched himself several times to confirm reality.

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