Hillary Clinton personally lobbied to no avail, and the Hearst family finally replied on May 19 with Simon's $1 offer.

The Hearst Group is willing to transfer its 20% stake in ESPN to Simon for $1, and in exchange, the Westeros system must unblock the Hearst Group and stop the lawsuit bombardment, and the Hearst family has also offered a total settlement of $120 million in the six lawsuits that have been initiated.

ESPN's stake is arguably the root cause of the conflict between the two sides.

Three years ago, the troubled Reynolds Nabeske sold off its stake in ESPN, and the Hearst family used their influence in the media industry to half-coax and half-threaten to force Simon to abandon the bid, and finally bought a 20 percent stake in the television network for a low price of $180 million, which was significantly lower than the industry's commonly valued value of $200 million to $300 million.

Three years later, ESPN's stake has risen further with the development of the television network, and the current 20% stake held by the Hearst family is worth no less than $300 million, which is actually the fundamental purpose of Simon's $1.

At its peak, ESPN, which was part of Disney and monopolized major sporting events in North America, was valued at $50 billion, worth more than the ABC television network.

The Hearst Group's initial purchase of a 20% stake in ESPN's investment of less than $200 million has increased dozens of times, and not only that, but with the decline of the print media industry, the revenue and profits brought by only one-fifth of ESPN's shares accounted for more than half of the revenue and profits of the entire Hearst Group many years later, and the Hearst family was able to continue its position and not fall into the same old print media families as the Graham family, who were behind the Washington Post.

Simon's $1 is indeed the direct target of ESPN's shares, and then completely blocking the possibility of Hearst Group's transformation from a doomed paper media to a comprehensive media group.

However, the Hearst family's offer did not meet Simon's expectations.

Inside a mountain house in Woodside, San Francisco Bay Area.

It was the afternoon of May 19.

For Andre Carney, the lawyer of the Hearst family, who came from the East Coast to try to negotiate with Simon, Simon just asked Lady A to come forward and deal with the other party.

At this time, in the living room of the villa, Girl A sat on the sofa, and said without much emotion in her voice: "Mr. Carney, the boss is basically satisfied with the shares of ESPN, but the boss said that the compensation for the six lawsuits cannot be missing." ”

Simon Westeros said that the Hearst family only had one chance to make an offer, and Andre Carney initially worried that if Westeros was not happy with the offer, he might have to eat a closed door, and the Hearst family would continue to be mired in the quagmire.

Now, as long as it can be discussed, it is a good result.

Andre Carney wouldn't be stupid enough to take the initiative to bother Westeros with the words that there is only one chance to make an offer.

Although he obviously felt that the girl in front of him didn't seem to be in a good mood, Andre Carney still said: "Miss Knowles, the compensation amount of $370 million is too high, you should know that the current Hearst Group can't come up with this money at all." ”

Lady A said, "This is a matter for the Hearst Group, and you have no room for bargaining. ”

As one of the most famous lawyers in New York, Andre Carney actually understands that Westeros's insistence on full compensation of $370 million is still hoping that the Hearst Group will continue to bleed. Now the Hearst Group, if it wants to raise $370 million in the short term, has only one way to go, sell its media assets.

And it is bound to be sold at a serious discount.

Now, any investor interested in buying the media assets of the Hearst Group will not miss the opportunity to take advantage of the fire.

After thinking for a moment, Andre Carney said: "Miss Knowles, it is not in any interest for Mr. Westeros to insist on full compensation in six lawsuits, and I don't believe that Mr. Westeros will take a share of the damages except for the attorney's fees, so why can't he take a step back?"

Girl A just shook her head and said, "This is what the boss meant, and it's the final decision." ”

André Carney tried: "So, can I talk to Mr. Westeros personally?"

"No, you can't. ”

"Well, I'll tell Mr. Hearst about that," Andre Carney said, who was actually just a messenger, and added, "Also, what do you mean by the fact that the Westeros system must contact the Hearst family after the two sides settle, Miss Knowles?"

Girl A said: "The boss said that the ban can be lifted, but the Westeros system still won't have any cooperation with the Hearst Group?"

Andre Carney couldn't help but ask, "Is this different from not being blocked?"

Girl A nodded: "When the time comes, the Westeros system will no longer prevent other companies from cooperating with the Hearst Group." ”

Andre Carney thought for a moment and said, "At the very least, Westeros should publish a statement in the newspapers. ”

Girl A shook her head: "The boss will not agree to this kind of statement, Mr. Carney, the greatest mercy of the boss to the enemy is that they ignore it, you don't expect him to do more." ”

Andre Carney questioned, "Miss Knowles, are you making decisions for your boss right now?"

"Yes. ”

"I don't think you have the authority to make such a decision, and perhaps it would be better for you to discuss it with Mr. Westeros. ”

"I know my boss and what decisions he will make. ”

Andre Carney said: "But since we have reconciled, we should no longer be enemies. ”

"Mr. Carney, the so-called 'reconciliation' is just your wishful thinking, for the boss, this is not a 'reconciliation', just a 'let go', do you understand?"

André Carney couldn't help but feel some pity for his employer, but on the surface he still insisted: "If this is the case, then there is no point in our deal, and if Mr. Westeros wants my client to agree to those conditions, he must respond in a certain way, even if it is symbolic, such as a simple advertising cooperation." ”

"The transfer of ESPN's equity and the settlement of the six lawsuits is the Westeros system's response, and when the time comes, the public should understand what is happening and there is no need for any additional symbolic response," said Girl A. ”

Andre Carney felt a little bitter in his heart.

This is true, but it is not.

As Girl A just said, if the Westeros system does not give a public response, then, in the eyes of outsiders, it really does not count as a 'reconciliation', but only a 'let go'. This is definitely not what the Hearst family wants to see after paying a huge price.

After continuing to bargain with the girl in front of him for a while, but failing to get any more turnaround, Andre Carney had no choice but to leave, and hurriedly informed the Hearst family members of the results of the meeting in the car returning to the hotel, which was anxiously waiting in New York.

In the villa, seeing off the lawyer of the Hearst family, Lady A transferred to an office on the first floor of the villa, called someone to bring a women's suit according to a certain size, and then turned on the computer and began to silently process some work emails.

It wasn't until 5 o'clock in the afternoon, when there was a knock on the door outside the office, and the Indian girl, Aliya, pushed the door in and said, "A, the boss is going out." ”

Alison nodded, got up, picked up a few papers, and left the office.

In a living room next to the living room, a baby-faced Zoe Parks is helping Simon tie his tie, and Isabel Dunn is standing next to a man with a coat on her bulging chest.

Seeing Girl A come in, Simon smiled and asked, "How was the talk?"

Girl A handed a few documents to Arya next to her, stepped forward to take Zoe's work, felt the man's breath up close, and said softly: "The Hearst family shouldn't agree too easily, but they have no choice. ”

Simon just snorted.

Allison helped Simon tie his tie, and took the suit jacket from Isabel to serve the man to put it on, but the whole time she lowered her eyebrows and looked at her, like a wronged little daughter-in-law.

Simon waited for Allison to help him fasten the buttons, smiled and grabbed the girl's chin and lifted it to himself: "Jealous again?"

The girl looked at the man and didn't answer, but couldn't help but blink her eyes lightly.

Simon lowered his head and pecked the girl's lips and said, "Don't do that." ”

The man's eyes were resolute, but his tone was soft, and Girl A only felt that a small pimple in her heart quickly melted away, and in a blink of an eye, she felt that she should not be.

Well, it needs to be punished.

The man seemed to see through her thoughts, leaned over and whispered a few words, then let go of her, and said, "Okay, good girl." ”

After saying this, Simon didn't wait for Girl A to remind him again, took the initiative to take the documents from Alia's hand that he was going to look through in the car, and finally said goodbye to the girls, turned around and left the villa.

In the afternoon, some work schedules were cancelled due to some things, but there were two schedules in the evening, an evening dinner with Cisco CEO John Chambers, and a cocktail party at Tim Berners's Lee family.

Sending her boss out, Girl A took back her little daughter's demeanor just now in a blink of an eye, and asked Zoe, "I ordered a set of clothes for the afternoon, did you send them?"

Zoe nodded, and took the initiative to say, "I'll get it." ”

Master bedroom on the second floor of the villa.

Allison came in with a dark blue women's suit, put the clothes in the small living room outside, knocked on another door herself, and after getting a response, pushed the door in, but walked directly to the other connected bathroom, and a moment later, she came out of the bathroom with a small tray and walked to the big bed.

On the big bed, a woman is lazily holding a pillow and lying on her side, outlining a wonderful posture that even a woman has to move.

But it was Simon's personal military assistant, Celia Miller.

Noticing the stinky expression on Alison's face, Celia didn't care at all, and with a little smile, she gestured to the tray in Girl A's hand: "A, what is this?"

Alison put the tray on the bedside table, picked up the water glass, picked up a pill in the small saucer, handed it over together, and said bluntly: "Birth control pills." ”

Celia was stunned, shook her head and said, "There's no need, I've been on the ring." ”

Alison insisted, "That's the boss's order, Ms. Miller, I must watch you take it yourself." ”

Hearing this, Celia met Alison's eyes for a moment, and soon smiled again, saying, "Simon won't do this, but, okay, I won't embarrass you." ”

The woman said, sat up and took the water cup and pills, quickly took them, and opened her mouth with a little ridicule for Girl A to check it, and then lay down again, and said, "A, can you help me prepare the bath water, I'm so tired, our boss doesn't know how to pity the jade in bed at all." ”

Celia didn't hide it when she just got up, and Girl A noticed the woman's posture and remembered some of the things her boss occasionally said, some women are only good looking in clothes, and only a few are good looking in or out of clothes.

Celia Miller falls into the latter category.

Seeing that Alison didn't move, the woman on the bed said, "By the way, A, Simon said you would help me prepare my clothes?"

Allison came back to her senses and nodded, "Outside, Ms. Miller, do you need me to help you get your car?"

"Oh, no, I'm not going to leave tonight. ”

Girl A said, "The boss may bring other women back." ”

"It's okay, I don't mind being together. ”

Bichi!

Alison thought a little in her heart, so she had to get up and bring in the clothes from the outside, and when she heard Celia mention the bath water again, she wanted to refuse, and after thinking about it, she walked back to the bathroom depressed, and made up her mind that if the woman asked for dinner again, she would prepare a plate of salt for her.

As a result, preparing the bath water, Celia Miller really brought up dinner again, and planned to do maintenance after dinner, asking Alison to help arrange it.

In the bathroom of the master bedroom, watching the young girl leave almost a little frantically, Celia Miller leaned comfortably in the large bathtub, recalling all the things during this time, and she was a little embarrassed.

She just flew back from France today.

In just half a month, she has flown around the globe and visited Australia, Rwanda, Ukraine and France. Throughout the process, she also felt more and more that a certain little man was playing a big game of chess.

Australia, Africa, Europe.

And then you count North America.

Through private military companies and some other layouts, once it finally takes shape, it will be a huge private military network. In comparison, the private mercenaries owned by the Rockefeller family in its heyday can only be regarded as pediatrics.

Once this net is formed, the Westeros system will become a powerful economy with its own military power.

The more she learned about this, the easier it became for Celia Miller to hold on to a little man, and she wished that she could have her own place in such a powerful economy, just like the other strong women in the Westeros system, and a place not to be underestimated.

Therefore, during this time, she entered the state 100% and without reservation, running around the globe completely for the benefit of the Westeros system.

I came to San Francisco today to report to the little man that he had succeeded in his work during this period of time, and that he had gone one step further.

Of course, she knows that there are so many women around the little man, and there are all kinds of disparities between the two, and it is impossible to produce something like love. However, she understands better that in order to gain the complete trust of the little man, she must be unreserved.