[Chapter 933: Can we stop digging holes already?]
Every election year in the US, there's always some new stunt, and the media really starts to lose all sense of decency.
Well, to be fair, decency isn't exactly their strong suit to begin with.
This year, though, they pulled a new stunt. William White wasn't about to claim that old Coe was definitely framed. In the end, political investments always expect returns. If the donors get into trouble, do you really have time to impeach them?
If they wanted to be ruthless, they'd just take down that small boss of the surety company--that'd be something. But prison? That's a bit much.
Of course, William White didn't have time to fuss over these things.
"Mr. White, did I do something wrong?"
William White was stunned. He could swear on everything he had that he wasn't hitting on her. Liv Tyler was indeed very charming, but not enough to make him lose his cool.
"You're pretty pale, I think..." William made a vague gesture with his hand.
Liv Tyler, though young, wasn't some rookie. With a rocker dad and a rather unconventional mom, she knew a thing or two about the world.
"Heh heh heh, I do have my worries. Isn't that character from Eternal Calamity supposed to have that healthy sun-kissed glow?"
"No, that movie, frankly, that's just a decoration role. Very clever but hard to shine in."
"Yeah, the male roles--I originally didn't want to go for it, but my agent persuaded me."
William White smiled bitterly. That's the charm of the star aura. After all, with parents in the industry and being good-looking herself, like Scarlett, getting fame depends on timing; showing up on the big screen isn't the problem.
"Liv, you can just call me William. I'm not talking about that role anymore.
I'm writing a book, a female-led one. By the way, have you seen Blade?"
Seeing the beauty shake her head innocently, William had to smile wryly. Maybe he should've asked about Beauty and the Beast. Vampire themes usually don't interest girls, and if a black guy's the lead, even less so.
"What? You mean Twilight?"
Ahem, that's actually not a vampire movie. It's a Mary Sue novel in vampire's clothing, a total domineering boss trope. Americans might think it's wild, but then they went and made the Fifty Shades of Grey spin-off.
Everyone says Americans are so open-minded, but honestly, that's just what TV portrays. It's not as wild as you think--actually, it's tamer than many other places.
Fifty Shades freaked out a bunch of fangirls. Honestly, if you translated the contemporaneous fanfic from Japan for them, they'd probably pass out.
William was a bit torn--should he dive into Twilight themes, or was it even worth the trouble?
Seeing William act all mysterious, Liv wasn't surprised. Her rocker dad often acted that way.
But William was conflicted; writing is a pain, not as fun as chasing girls.
"Sir, dinner is ready."
"Thanks." Interrupted by the waiter, William wasn't annoyed and politely nodded.
Proper etiquette is key--pride above, pity below.
Ahem, that's not exactly right. The more polite they act, the more distant they are. It's not pity so much as ignoring you. Or, the waitstaff are just props for showing off one's class.
Today's dinner was a bit unexpected. If William said he wasn't trying to woo the fairy princess, he'd be accused of being picky.
In reality, William was cautious around women under twenty.
America's registry system, twenty years ago, was pretty chaotic. No computer networks; people often shaved off or added a couple years to their age.
This was common--to start school early and retire early. Not just in the US, same in Japan; five-year-olds claiming to be six to start school early.
Schooling didn't matter much, retirement didn't either. But if you do something with an eighteen-year-old girl... well, she wasn't really that old.
It's hard to tell the difference; mostly just some awkwardness. William couldn't really gauge.
For a regular person, it'd just be a scandal, and ignorance is bliss. With a good lawyer, no big deal. But for a public figure? That's a career killer.
Politicians are lucky if they aren't hanged for it.
William rolled his eyes. The girl had broken up because her boyfriend cheated.
Well, that's nothing...
Even though the food was delicious, cough, not for someone like him anymore. Sigh, the guy wasn't a young heartthrob now.
William didn't dwell on it. Consider it a chance encounter. But, don't come to me next time you cheat, what's even going on?
After taking that many hits, he didn't even feel like working out in the morning. Of course, even if he wanted, it'd be tough.
Seeing his boss's dark mood, the assistant didn't dare cause trouble and immediately presented the briefing.
"Latte, by the way, I want hotpot for lunch--get it ready."
"Got it, boss."
William shook his head, suddenly finding it funny. Seriously, was he getting played? Not really. The fairy princess who was supposed to be the knight got knocked out quickly.
Tsk, tsk, pretty girls aren't necessarily tough opponents.
Putting those thoughts aside, the first news almost made him spit out his drink.
Motorola, that reckless little powerhouse, finally kicked off the Starlink plan.
"Christopher, I won't go for the launch, you know, they might think I'm just trying to pull clients. Sixty-six satellites, huh? You really are a big spender."
"I sent you a phone, user number 001. How's that for a gesture?"
"Ha! If the phone's better than maritime satellites, send me fifty first."
"Of course it's better. Got it--fifty."
William thought, that's all I can help you with. If the Galvin family hasn't lost their minds, it'd be best to cash out on this launch success.
He had no idea Christopher was already feeling uneasy. What annoyed him most was that the biggest rival turned out to be mobile phones.
Nobody talks about ten million users anymore; that's dumb. Thinking this, Christopher felt a bit jealous. You jerks, if William White were still at Motorola's phone division, think how much fortune he'd bring.
No, he needed allies here. William White was a good choice. The Galvin family's stake was too low.
Yeah, after this successful launch, he'd head to Los Angeles to see him. If this guy could be an independent director, their say would increase.
Well, he was overthinking. For one, Legendary Communications was William White's wholly-owned subsidiary--how could he serve as an independent director at another communications company?
Besides, this business would go public this year. Think about it--if these two merged, would Ericsson have any chance left?
Their European partners were furious. If the giants merged, they'd be doomed. Since that's the case, better fight to the death; if you can't win the war, don't push too far.
*****
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