The Johnston mansion was filled with the sharp cries of a young child. Veronica was the first to reach the doorway of the living room. Inside, Simon and Janet stood on opposite sides of the room, with a small figure sitting on the carpet between them, crying loudly. Despite Janet's soothing words, Melbourne, their little one, continued to wail. Seeing Veronica, the child immediately reached out with chubby hands, crying out in a blend of desperation and affection, "NaNa, hug."
Veronica's heart ached at the sight, but she hesitated and glanced over at Simon, who stood helplessly holding a baby toy. Tomorrow was December 6th, Melbourne's first birthday. Typically, by this age, children start trying to walk or at least stand up on their own. However, surrounded by a family that doted on him excessively, Melbourne struggled even to stay upright.
While his verbal skills were developing quickly, this only added to Simon's frustration. The first word Melbourne learned wasn't "Daddy" or "Mommy," nor was it "Grandpa" or "Grandma," despite being cared for by his grandparents in Australia. Instead, his first word was "Hug." He would extend his arms to anyone, asking to be picked up.
Such a charming and sweet request was impossible to refuse, and as a result, Melbourne was often carried around by adults. Although he had learned to crawl at six months, now he had become too lazy even to crawl, let alone walk.
When discussing their approach to parenting while Janet was still pregnant, Simon and Janet had joked about taking on the roles of "good cop" and "bad cop." However, it seemed both had ended up being the "bad cop."
Fortunately, there were plenty of "good cops" around—virtually everyone in Australia fit the bill. Veronica, clearly torn, looked at Simon for guidance. Although deeply sympathetic, she didn't dare move forward without Simon's approval. Melbourne's cries grew louder as he sensed the hesitation, pleading louder for his "NaNa."
At that moment, the family patriarch, Raymond Johnston, entered the room. Seeing the situation, he immediately understood what was happening. Likely due to the special bond that often forms between grandparents and their grandchildren, he was even more indulgent with Melbourne. He cast a stern glance at Simon and Janet before scooping up the little one who was now crying for his "PaPa" and wanting a hug.
Watching her father take Melbourne, Janet dropped the rattle she had been holding and exchanged a look with Simon. "This isn't going to work," she said softly. Veronica, still at a distance, offered her perspective gently, "Melbourne is still very young." She glanced again at Simon, who, feeling the weight of her concern, shrugged helplessly.
Veronica was clearly worried that the couple might decide to take Melbourne back to Los Angeles. Janet noticed the silent exchange between Simon and Veronica and, feeling a bit left out, playfully extended her arms towards Simon and said, "Hug."
Noticing her slight irritation, Simon laughed, stood up, and walked over to her. He picked her up with ease and kissed her cheek, carrying her out of the living room. Initially, the family patriarch had been dissatisfied with the idea of Simon and Janet leaving Melbourne in Australia under Veronica's care. During their visit last month, he had subtly suggested they take him back to Los Angeles. However, witnessing the couple's attempts to teach Melbourne to walk made him reconsider his stance.
According to Janet, the old man, having raised his own children, had lost the knack for raising young ones. With Melbourne being the youngest grandchild, his indulgence was boundless. If Melbourne stayed in Australia, and if they wanted the Westeros family to have an heir, Simon and Janet might just need to have another child.
While mostly joking, it highlighted that Melbourne was still very young. The next day was his first birthday, and preparations for a grand celebration were already in full swing. Numerous Australian socialites and business elites were expected to attend, but to Melbourne, the event was merely an incomprehensible gathering, more like a grand social party.
Inspired by her ongoing reading of "Dream of the Red Chamber," Janet decided to include a "Zhuazhou" ceremony—a traditional Chinese first birthday ritual where various objects are placed before the child to predict their future. Naturally, she avoided placing items like makeup or lipstick and instead chose objects with auspicious meanings.
Ensuring Melbourne had no chance to mimic the character Jia Baoyu from the novel, Janet set out items like pens, watches, and a piece of iron ore. To everyone's delight, Melbourne picked up the iron ore, which pleased the family patriarch immensely for the entire day.
Janet, however, was disappointed, suspecting that the ore's resemblance to chocolate was the real reason behind Melbourne's choice, highlighting his little foodie tendencies. Simon believed it was simply because, amidst the typical items like pens and watches, the black lump of ore stood out as something odd and fascinating.
While the Westeros empire was immense, Simon couldn't entirely disconnect from his responsibilities, even during a vacation. In North America, the Thanksgiving season was highlighted not just by the expected blockbuster performance of "Home Alone 2," but also by the phenomenal sales of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show videotape.
Following the record-breaking TV broadcast on ABC, Daenerys Entertainment quickly released the show on videotape within a week. The blend of memorable performances by the Victoria's Secret Angels and a soundtrack destined to become iconic spurred the tape's popularity. During the holiday sales rush, 780,000 tapes were sold in the first week alone. Had it not been for manufacturing and distribution constraints, the sales could have easily surpassed one million in the first week.
In the following two weeks, the tape sold 1.36 million and 950,000 copies, respectively, bringing the total to 3.09 million units. With a price point of about $30, these sales generated over $90 million in revenue in a short period.
This phenomenal start was just the beginning. Industry analysts predicted that the tape could sell over 10 million copies in North America alone, with global sales potentially reaching 15 million units. Achieving 15 million in sales would generate $450 million in revenue—a monumental success, rivaling the home video sales of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters in recent years.
This extraordinary result once again underscored the challenge of competing with Daenerys Entertainment. Just this one videotape left other industry players feeling a mix of admiration and frustration. The entertainment and fashion industries alike were awestruck by the tape's sales figures.
Rumors even surfaced that Ford Models was attempting to claim a share of the tape's profits. While Hollywood's agreements with various guilds typically ensured that creators received a small percentage of videotape sales, this particular case was different. The Victoria's Secret Angels, despite their modeling contracts, had no entitlement to such a cut since they had signed standard runway contracts for the show.
Amy Pascal, hearing of these rumors, issued a stern warning. If Ford pursued any claims, their models could forget about appearing in next year's Victoria's Secret show. Aware of the slim chances of winning any claims and facing Pascal's warning, Ford and others quickly backed down.
Participating in the show clearly boosted the careers of the models involved. With high television ratings and record videotape sales, the Angels gained unparalleled public recognition, leading to a flood of lucrative offers. The fiercely competitive fashion industry valued such exposure highly, ensuring no one would risk being excluded from future shows. Missing out on such opportunities would cause significant regret among those affected, while those vying to join the ranks of the Angels would celebrate any openings.
Les Wexner, the CEO of LTD, felt a mix of relief and regret. He was glad he hadn't fully ceded the show's rights to Daenerys Entertainment; otherwise, LTD wouldn't have seen any profit from the videotape sales. On the other hand, had LTD taken on the full investment for the show rather than splitting costs with Daenerys, the bulk of the profits would have been theirs. The potential net profit from this tape alone could reach $150 million, a figure surpassing LTD's annual net income in most years.
Although this massive gain was likely a one-time windfall, Wexner understood the unique circumstances behind it. The inaugural Victoria's Secret Fashion Show had been a personal project for Simon Westeros, who had invested significant effort into every aspect, from costume design to the music. The resulting novelty and excitement were unlikely to be replicated in subsequent shows, even if they continued to draw significant interest.
Nevertheless, this single success was enough to bring joy. Victoria's Secret's overall sales for the year were projected to increase by 30%, primarily during the half-year since Westeros's acquisition. The brand's sales growth could reach 40-50% next year, positioning Victoria's Secret to become North America's largest lingerie brand within five years.
Meanwhile, LTD's transition into fast fashion was progressing well under Wexner's guidance. Having spent years in the fashion industry, he was adaptable and eager to evolve. Following Simon's advice, Wexner thoroughly studied Zara's expansion model and applied similar strategies to LTD's Express brand, leading to successful adjustments and growth.
Simon initially planned to spend a peaceful holiday in Australia until the New Year. However, the good news of the Victoria's Secret videotape's success was soon overshadowed by troubling reports from North America regarding Time Warner.
It was common knowledge that Steve Ross, CEO of Time Warner, was battling cancer with little hope for recovery. Despite this, Ross had managed to maintain a semblance of control over the company throughout the year, even as his health declined.
Except for the thriving DC Cinematic Universe, Time Warner's other business sectors were struggling. After a year of patience, and with the year-end approaching, discontent simmered among some of the company's
stakeholders.
Jerry Levin, Time Warner's Vice Chairman and Ross's designated successor, recently led a coup, rallying a significant faction of shareholders and executives to demand Ross's resignation on the grounds of his deteriorating health.
The immediate effect of this internal power struggle was a sharp decline in Time Warner's stock price. This unrest led to discontent among other shareholders, particularly Ross's loyalists. Following a series of back-and-forth confrontations in the media and behind closed doors, the turmoil seemed to subside.
No one wanted Time Warner's stock price to continue falling. Yet, soon after, another crisis emerged. On December 13th, Steve Ross fell into a coma due to complications from cancer.
Doctors diagnosed him with a lung infection resulting from his weakened immune system, a common and deadly side effect for terminal cancer patients. Although an emergency surgery was performed and Ross's family announced his condition had stabilized, insiders knew he remained in a critical coma and might not survive this episode.
News of Ross's precarious state leaked, causing Time Warner's stock to plummet once more. The ensuing week saw the company's shares drop by 16%, shrinking its market value from $17.3 billion to $14.5 billion—a loss of $2.8 billion in just one week.
With such a significant financial hit, all factions within Time Warner paused their infighting. The enormous loss was a stark reminder of the potential consequences if the turmoil continued. As Ross's health declined, the urgency to stabilize the company grew, leading to a temporary ceasefire among the warring factions.
However, disputes over the redistribution of power remained unresolved. Levin, having instigated the coup, avoided further public confrontations but faced private pressure from Ross's supporters to relinquish his claim to Ross's position. Levin's impatience to secure control had driven his actions, and now he was unwilling to retreat. To him, the company was of little value if he couldn't assume leadership, despite the importance of the stock value to others.
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