26-30

*Chapter 26: The Girl from the Adams Family*

Hayley's friend was a young girl.

She had large, bright eyes, a high nose bridge, clearly defined lips, and when she smiled, the corners of her mouth slightly turned up, revealing shallow dimples.

Her skin was fair, her facial features sharp, and her platinum blonde hair was thick and well-behaved.

She resembled Audrey Hepburn a bit, but with a sharper look.

"Peggy Audrey Adams. She's still studying at Harvard, eighteen years old. We've known each other since we were little, we're very good friends. She's the daughter of my godfather, so she's also like a sister to me," Hayley smiled as she introduced her to Milo.

"Hello, Peggy. It's a pleasure to meet you," Milo greeted, smiling and offering a hand kiss, instead of the usual cheek kiss.

This was because they had just met, and Peggy wasn't married yet.

"I'm Milo Herbert Blackburn, nice to meet you."

"Hello, Mr. Blackburn, it's a pleasure to meet you," Peggy responded with a smile. She seemed friendly but distant.

Hayley furrowed her brow as she watched them.

Milo withdrew his hand, grinning at the two of them. "Do you want to watch the filming? I still have a bit of work left. You can watch something interesting."

"Work is the most important when you're working," Hayley smiled. "We'll just watch from the side, we won't interrupt you."

Milo gave her an OK gesture and smiled before turning to talk to the crew, continuing with his work.

As soon as he turned around, Hayley's expression became slightly cold.

She turned to the blonde-haired girl beside her. "Peggy, I know what you're thinking. But it's useless!"

"You can say that, my dear Hayley. After all, your husband is Paladin!" the blonde girl retorted softly.

"Then why are you here? You could have chosen not to come to Los Angeles."

Hayley glanced at the young man in the distance, who was easily organizing the crew for the shoot. "You're afraid to not come, aren't you?"

Peggy had no reply.

"To be honest, if you weren't my godfather's daughter, I wouldn't even have brought you here. You have no idea how busy I am!"

Seeing her silence, Hayley continued, "You can forget those pointless fantasies. We can never resist."

Peggy listened to her, her eyes still on the handsome young man in the distance. "But, Hayley... you don’t know, I just inquired a bit. His 'glorious deeds' almost filled my entire mind..."

"And then?" Hayley sneered. "Like I said, why did you even come?"

Peggy fell silent again.

Spoiled, clueless child, Hayley thought to herself.

The filming wrapped up, and the crew began packing up.

Milo walked over with a smile. "Honestly, it's not as glamorous as it looks on TV or in the movies. Sometimes it's even boring."

"But I noticed you're very skilled. Like you were born for this."

Hayley exaggerated her expression, laughing charmingly. "I originally thought you were just a figurehead."

"If I told you someone taught me in my dreams, I wonder if you'd believe me."

Hayley's charming smile faltered for a moment as she recalled a phone call from a few days ago. Her brother-in-law had told her that he could write novels and direct movies because an angel-like Paladin had been teaching him in his dreams…

"Is that the gospel you heard?" Peggy suddenly asked.

Milo turned toward her and smiled again. "I don't know if that's the voice of God. But after I copied those ideas, I found that people really liked them. Hmm, my manager told me this morning that my novel has sold over two million copies."

"Yeah, it really is impressive," Hayley recovered and smiled. "I finished it already, and I even read it twice. I have a colleague who’s read it four times and is starting the fifth. She's a devout believer, and she told me that you must have really heard the voice of God to write such a novel."

"I'm glad she likes it so much."

"After she found out about our connection, she begged me to ask you to sign it for her, preferably right on the book."

"I'd be happy to."

Wendy arrived, and the fat guy brought the business car from Milo’s villa.

In the morning, Milo had come in his sports car.

Hayley and Peggy got into the back seat, with Milo in the front passenger seat. Jones had intended to drive, but Milo told him to go with Wendy and let David drive.

The convoy headed toward the InterContinental Hotel at the foot of Beverly Hills.

It turned out that Hayley and Peggy had already booked an executive suite there.

From the front seat, through the rearview mirror, Milo watched Hayley untangle her long hair, letting it cascade down like clouds, before she pushed it back and tied it up again, revealing her flawless, stunning face.

"In Los Angeles, it's better to stay on Beverly Hills. You get a view of all of Hollywood and most of downtown LA at night."

Milo added, "I have a villa on the hill. Hayley, you know, Paladin gave it to me. You don’t have to stay at a hotel…"

"No, I’m leaving tomorrow morning," Hayley smiled. "Staying at a hotel is more convenient for catching my flight."

"Oh, alright. You’re right."

Peggy listened to the conversation between the brother and sister-in-law and couldn't help but glance at Hayley again.

Hayley was dressed simply, her face sweet and serene, without much makeup. She smiled, but her elegance was undeniable.

Peggy thought to herself: Hayley looks like she’s on good terms with him. But according to rumors, she’s not well-liked in his family, is she? They say only Paladin doesn’t dislike him… Maybe Hayley just loves him by extension?

"When will the film be done?"

"Probably early December. Three months in total, but that's already pretty fast."

"You must come home for Christmas. You didn't come last year."

"I know. I’ve already promised that I’ll definitely be home for Christmas from now on."

After Milo said that, the conversation between the brother and sister-in-law suddenly fell into silence.

What Peggy didn’t know was that the vow Milo made was one he had made to his brother Paladin before Paladin passed away.

Last Christmas, Milo had stayed in Los Angeles and missed going home.

That was the first time in many years that he had spent Christmas away from home.

On Christmas night, Paladin had called and scolded his brother. Later that night, Paladin had woken up in pain from a headache. He was rushed to the hospital, and they discovered he'd had a stroke, which was later diagnosed as brain cancer.

The horse racing track in Hollywood wasn’t far from the InterContinental Hotel in Beverly Hills.

The convoy soon arrived at the hotel entrance.

When the car stopped, Milo was about to get out and open the door for the two ladies in the back.

Hayley suddenly spoke up:

"I’m a bit tired, I’ll head up to rest first. Milo, Peggy's here in Los Angeles for the first time, you should take her out to see the sights. Just avoid downtown, it’s too chaotic."

"Hayley, I…" Peggy began to speak.

But Hayley silenced her with a single look.

Milo shrugged and said, "Alright, we won’t go to downtown. Beverly Hills at night has a great view."

Hayley nodded with a smile, and as soon as the car door opened, she got out.

*(End of Chapter)*

---

*Chapter 27: Wood Wants to Make New Friends*

Nighttime, 9406 Crest Avenue  

*Study Room*

"A spoiled little girl... How should I put it? I feel like she’s a bit like I was back in the day."

Comfortably reclining in his office chair, Milo placed his legs on the white marble desk.

Holding the phone, he spoke softly to his grandfather on the other end.

It was late at night.

Wendy had just come back from the Intercontinental Hotel at the base of the mountain, and had told him that Plymouth asked him to call back.

Milo returned the call, and the person who answered was his grandfather.

"...Extremely resistant, overly emotional. Not a suitable candidate for a marriage alliance."

"Does it have to be Adams?"

After receiving a confirmation reply, Milo gazed through the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the Hollywood nightscape below.

Neon lights flickered, casting an enchanting glow that made it feel as if one were in high society.

He shrugged and murmured into the receiver, "Alright, I understand. But... Mellon has thousands of people. There must be more options than just this one from Adams, right?"

After getting a satisfying response, Milo smiled and continued speaking to his grandfather.

"Fine, I have no objections. Good night, grandfather."

He waited for the other side to hang up before returning the receiver to its place.

Walking to the massive floor-to-ceiling window, he stared out at the Hollywood nightscape, lost in thought.

It was clear that Hailey had suddenly brought Peggy Adams to meet him.

This was, in essence, a "matchmaking" setup.

Although matchmaking wasn't a common term in the U.S.,

arranged marriages were quite common among the elite and powerful families.

Take Paladin and Hailey, for example—Hailey was the legitimate daughter of the Harrison family.

The Harrison family had produced two U.S. Presidents.

The 9th and 23rd Presidents of the United States were both Harrisons.

Their ancestors were founding fathers, and one of them even signed the Declaration of Independence.

The current head of the Morgan family was born from the Harrison family’s daughter.

But on the international stage, the Harrisons weren’t as famous as the Adams, Franklin, or Washington families.

As for Joseph and Robin, Robin came from the Bush family.

When they got married, the Bush family was a rising power on the East Coast.

Even now, the Bush family has become a prominent representative of Texas.

But they were still regarded as "one of their own" in this part of the country.

As for his grandfather, John…

Milo’s grandmother, Paladin’s mother, was from the Wilson family, and she had already passed away.

Milo had never gone to New York, which was more favored on the East Coast.

Instead, he came to the West Coast, which was looked down upon by old money.

That was because his grandmother was a Wilson.

Three generations of the family had this tradition.

Now that Paladin had passed away, there was even less chance for Milo to avoid a marriage alliance.

And Peggy Audrey Adams... Yes, that Adams family.

But the Adams family was no longer the powerful Adams dynasty it once was.

Over two hundred years of lineage had left them, like the Mellons, with a large population, but they had gradually faded from the public eye and stepped away from the core of American power.

However, thanks to their ancestral prestige and various marriage alliances, even a "damaged ship" still had its share of valuable parts.

Peggy Audrey Adams was named after her great-aunt.

Her great-aunt, after marriage, was known as Peggy Rockefeller, and her maiden name was Adams.

In the U.S., when a family has been influential for over fifty years,

if you pull at the family network,

you’ll find that many of the top families across the country are related in some way.

The older the family, the more entrenched they are, and the less opportunity there is for anyone from the lower ranks to rise.

While talking to his grandfather earlier, Milo had been informed that his potential marriage partner would likely come from the Adams family.

This decision was based on practical considerations.

However, although Peggy was the first choice, she could still be replaced.

The reason Peggy was considered was that her father was the current head of the Massachusetts National Guard, and her grandfather had been the former chairman of Raytheon.

But with so many people in the Adams family, they didn’t necessarily have to choose her.

Peggy had more than ten suitable cousins to choose from.

“Fine, let it be a marriage alliance.”

Milo shrugged. Worst case, they could each have their own affairs.

Or they could divorce after having an heir, as long as there was a bloodline heir to serve as the linchpin.

Given the practical benefits involved, even if they divorced, the alliance between the families would remain intact.

With this in mind, Milo left the study.

He had intended to go to his bedroom to take a bath, but he saw Zeta-Jones standing in the hallway.

"Waiting for me?"

He smiled and walked over to her.

"Mm." Zeta-Jones giggled, biting her lip, walking up to him and looking up. "Let’s go swimming?"

"At this hour?"

Milo was surprised. It was nearly midnight.

"Mm."

She nodded, then suddenly lowered her voice.

"Ah? You don’t mind? Or are you testing me?" Milo raised an eyebrow, surprised.

This time, she shrugged. "I think, if I weren’t here, at least one of them would end up in your bed tonight. Maybe even two!"

"That’s them, not me." Milo responded sternly.

Zeta-Jones raised an elegant eyebrow. "You decide. If you’re willing, just head to the pool and wait for me."

Five minutes later, Milo was by the villa’s infinity pool.

He quickly undressed, leaning on the ergonomic edge of the pool, soaking in the warm water while enjoying the Hollywood nightscape.

After a few minutes of boredom, he heard soft footsteps approaching from behind.

Zeta-Jones walked over, her blonde hair flowing, wearing a coffee-colored sexy bikini, and barefoot.

"Swimming at midnight, drinking red wine by the pool... What a new experience."

Julie Delpy giggled behind her.

Julie was also in a bikini, this one in stars and stripes, while Cate Blanchett was dressed similarly in a white one.

The three beautiful Hollywood women walked over, their curves in perfect harmony, each one offering a different visual appeal.

Two maids followed behind them, carrying wine and glasses.

"Whoosh!" x3.

The sound of water splashing as they entered the pool. Milo smiled faintly as he watched them, admiring their sleek bodies, some fuller, others slender, showcasing various forms of beauty as they swam.

"Whoosh…"

Zeta-Jones swam up to him, emerging from the water with a gentle smile.

Milo pulled her over and kissed her right in front of Julie and Blanchett.

"Hey, you’re making us feel like we’re unnecessary. You two can play around by yourselves. We might as well go back to our rooms and sleep!"

Julie Delpy grumbled from the side.

After a few seconds, Zeta-Jones pulled away, gasping for breath. She raised an eyebrow at her friend, "Want me to give him to you?"

"Uh..."

Julie Delpy chuckled awkwardly, then raised her chin defiantly, "As long as Milo’s okay with it, I have no problem!"

"Heh."

Zeta-Jones let out a small laugh, her expression a bit unclear. She turned and swam back into the pool.

"She’s always like this." Julie laughed and looked at Milo.

Milo squinted, admiring her lean, perfectly sculpted body.

From the beginning, he hadn’t been aiming for anything innocent.

But he wasn’t in any rush either. As he and Julie locked eyes, he saw her lick her lips. Milo chuckled softly.

He patted the space beside him. "Care for a drink?"

Julie looked back at the pool, where Blanchett and Zeta-Jones were swimming around.

"Sure!"

She sat beside Milo, and a maid poured red wine for both of them.

After each of them took a sip, Julie saw him suddenly smile slyly, leaning back and propping himself up on his arms at the pool’s edge. He lowered his head and spoke:

"You want to talk to someone who’s eloquent, someone who can speak beautifully? I think Miss Delpy might be just the person. But I’m not sure about her skills. Why don’t you talk to her first?"

Julie Delpy froze for a moment, unsure who he was speaking to.

Then Milo looked up and smiled, pointing toward something.

"Let me introduce you. This is my Wood-san, my closest ally. Come, say hello!"

Julie Delpy was even more confused, but after hearing Milo’s words, she looked at what he was pointing to.

As soon as she realized, she let out a burst of laughter, shaking her head.

“Hahaha... So this is how you have Catherine help you? Hey, Wood, do you want me to go call Catherine back so she can talk to you?”

She playfully reached out to greet Wood.

Milo raised an eyebrow, pretending to listen carefully to what Wood was saying, before translating to Julie Delpy:

“Wood says it's very familiar with Catherine. It wants to meet new friends now, to chat with them, and to see how good their speaking skills are.”

“Ah... Wood,” Julie Delpy said, her gaze shifting as her eyes sparkled, “Aren’t you afraid Catherine will get mad? She's right up ahead.”

“Wood’s not afraid. It’s only afraid of not meeting new friends.”

(End of chapter)

*Chapter 28: A Happy Life*

With a long exhale, Milo finally opened his eyes and was fully awake.

From outside the window, the occasional sound of birds chirping could be heard, a sign that Beverly Hills, with its lush vegetation, was like a little paradise for them.

He glanced at the slivers of sunlight streaming through the gap in the curtains by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Milo stretched his arm, trying to loosen his body.

But then he realized it was impossible.

There were two women, one on each side of him, lying beside him.

And even more, there was another woman lying nearby, also deep in sleep.

They were all naked, with only a blanket loosely draped over them.

The two women on either side had both wrapped their arms around his and were peacefully sleeping, their lips curling up into small smiles.

"Hey, ladies, time to get up."

After lying there for a while, Milo realized that staying in bed wasn’t going to work. He had to speak up.

He was definitely late already.

Wally would likely continue filming according to the script, just as Milo had instructed.

But since it was his first time as a real director, he still wanted to take some responsibility.

"Let me sleep a little longer."

Jolie mumbled sleepily, and Blanchett on his right tightened her grip on his arm.

Milo sighed and lay back down.

But he soon realized that, even though he was already awake, it wouldn’t be practical to stay lying down like this.

After a few minutes of silence, he gently began to move.

Thankfully, this time, they didn’t stir, and he was able to get up without disturbing them.

However, as soon as Milo got out of bed, the two sleepy women immediately snuggled up to each other to fill the space he had left.

The blanket was pulled off during this sequence of movements.

The softness of their bodies was now exposed, pressed together, looking especially beautiful.

And judging by the shapes beneath the blanket, their legs had intertwined during their movements.

On the other side of the bed, the first one to fall asleep, Catherine Zeta-Jones, looked a little pitiful.

She had been squeezed to one side, sleeping soundly, with even some snoring if you listened closely.

Luckily, the mattress was big enough, and there was plenty of blanket.

She had her own blanket, so she didn’t need to worry about not having enough covers due to Jolie and Blanchett.

The three of them, half-covered, with their springtime sleeping looks, gave off a special vibe.

But Milo resisted the urge to climb back into bed.

Even though Woodson had already paid his respects, it was partly because of their current state and partly due to his own natural instinct.

Even after the intense physical activities last night, he couldn’t help but feel hungry.

His choice was the right one; despite having showered and dressed, Zeta-Jones, Jolie, and Blanchett were still fast asleep.

It wasn’t surprising. They had spent quite a long time playing in the pool last night and continued until around 3 a.m.

With that much play, it would be strange if they still had the energy.

Fortunately, the three women didn’t sleep the entire day away. When Milo came back after breakfast, they were all waking up.

"I think I should pull the curtains open and let the sunlight shine on your beautiful backsides."

Milo said, looking at them as they groggily woke up.

"The floor-to-ceiling window seems to face west," Zeta-Jones said, somewhat confused.

"That’s exactly what he meant," Blanchett quickly reminded her.

"He’s mocking us. The sun’s already moving west," Jolie laughed.

Zeta-Jones immediately got it, fuming as she swung her fist toward him. Milo laughed and dodged.

Of course, though he dodged, he only did it for show.

Zeta-Jones’ punches all landed on him, soft and without force.

On the mattress, Jolie and Blanchett watched, envious.

They admired how naturally Zeta-Jones interacted with Milo.

Compared to Catherine, even though they too had shared intimate moments with him the previous night, it wasn’t the same as Zeta-Jones, who had been his girlfriend for nearly four months.

But soon, as Zeta-Jones kept punching, her silk nightgown was pulled off.

She was immediately caught and sucked on.

Hmm, not on her lips.

No matter how beautiful a woman is, her mouth always has a taste when she wakes up in the morning.

Milo clearly didn’t have that kind of habit; he wasn’t about to kiss anyone’s mouth first thing in the morning.

Seeing the two of them get tangled up, Jolie smiled seductively and moved closer.

She wasn’t quite as confident with rough play or teasing, but this kind of interaction…

There had already been plenty of that last night, so no problem.

Blanchett was the last to join in.

But after seeing the three already tangled up, she blinked her beautiful eyes.

The Australian beauty decided to go to the bathroom to freshen up.

Sure enough, when she came back with fresh breath, Milo immediately let go of Jolie’s "baby-making warehouse" and kissed the Australian goddess.

"You just love to control me like this…" she murmured.

*Midday.*

Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard.

Zeta-Jones let out a soft hum, unable to resist glancing down at the obvious bruise on her neck.

It looked a bit like the color of a strawberry.

Thus, it’s commonly called a "love bite."

It’s simply caused by the capillaries in the skin being ruptured by suction, with tiny amounts of blood leaking out.

The paler the skin, the more noticeable it is.

Regarding the prolonged pause after Zeta-Jones’ "we," Milo raised an eyebrow lightly.

"Indeed, I haven’t appreciated it at all. It still hurts," Jolie chimed in.

Blanchett didn’t speak; she was still the youngest of the three.

Like how, ten years from now, Kim Kardashian might still be the unknown member of the Paris Hilton clique.

"By the way, what do you think of my new Ferrari? I only drove it for the first time today after buying it."

Knowing better than to get into an argument with women, Milo casually changed the topic.

Not long ago, he had added three new cars to his garage.

A Cadillac Escalade, a Lincoln Continental, and now this Ferrari F50, which was already packed into the garage.

This model was a special edition Ferrari built to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

It was also the closest Ferrari had ever made to an F1 car for the streets, priced at $480,000.

He could have bought four Escalades or five Lincoln Continentals for the same price.

"Other than it being a bit tight for four people, it’s fantastic!" Zeta-Jones commented.

"Drive slower. Ferraris accelerate way too fast!" Jolie added.

"I love blue, but I also like Ferrari red!" Blanchett said.

Listening to their praise, Milo’s smile widened, hearing the differences in their tastes.

"Alright, ladies, we’ve arrived. Let’s grab lunch, then hit the shops," he said. "Lunch is on me!"

But before that, he had business to discuss with a large group of people Wendy had arranged for him.

They’d be talking business in the restaurant.

He’d rented out the entire Michelin two-star restaurant.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 29: Planting the Seeds of the Internet*

Catherine Zeta-Jones and the others still weren’t very famous.

The most well-known of them was Julie Delpy.

Earlier this year, she starred in a film that won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.

But, honestly, that was a director's award. It had nothing to do with her.

Right now, she's just a third-tier actress.

She's doing better than Zeta-Jones, who's at a fourth-tier level, but far below Cate Blanchett, who might be at an N-tier level.

But, to be honest, all of them are still minor players in Hollywood.

The most famous among them is actually Milo. He's still a frequent guest in major American news outlets.

However, his fame comes from his work in evangelism and novels.

When the media reports on him, they rarely show his photo or image.

The few photos they do use are either from his childhood or old ones that aren't very clear.

Thanks to this, Milo can walk around with women without too much worry.

Of course, he still takes necessary precautions.

For example, wearing large sunglasses, but it’s still better than hiding and being overly secretive.

All in all, last night was a great experience.

That was rare for him.

In the past, there had been plenty of “N-person events,” even a few ridiculous times with as many as a dozen people involved.

But those were from his previous life, and the quality wasn’t nearly as good as last night’s.

Interestingly, Julie and Cate Blanchett were hesitant at first.

Zeta-Jones was there at the time.

But as they watched her, it was as if her eyes were blind.

Seeing Julie being pushed down by Milo at the edge of the pool, it all started there.

Cate Blanchett soon relaxed.

Under Zeta-Jones’ encouragement, everything proceeded smoothly.

*Noon.*

*Hollywood, Beverly Hills.*

It was the same Spago Beverly Hills restaurant from last time.

Cate Blanchett and her two companions were ordering food.

At the same time, they were curiously watching the scene ahead.

Milo, accompanied by a few men in suits, was speaking and negotiating with several people, including Wendy, whom they all knew.

“… Next batch!”

After sending two people off, Milo turned to Wendy, "How many more batches are there?"

"I've already spoken to seven batches, and there are eleven left." Wendy flipped through some papers and replied.

Milo nodded, frustrated, “Don’t make it so exaggerated. Like the last batch—what the hell, they came in saying they wanted to create Internet 2.0… Do they even know what Internet 2.0 is? The internet is just starting to take off!”

“Uh…” Wendy shrugged. “Isn’t that what you said? It makes sense logically, even if it’s not feasible technically.”

“I did say that, but come on, you can’t just jump straight into manned moon landings like NASA did when they hadn't even tried unmanned ones yet, right?” Milo laughed.

“Technically, it might be hard to achieve, but as long as the logic works, it shouldn't be too outlandish. It shouldn’t be too fake.”

“Exactly! That’s how we trick—uh, I mean—how we get investors to put in their money.”

It had been more than three months since Netscape went public.

The whirlwind of the internet was beginning to rise from Silicon Valley and sweep across the world.

Netscape’s market value had already surpassed $12 billion!

In the past three years, investors had put less than $50 million into it.

$50 million turning into $12 billion in three years—that’s a calculation everyone can do.

Whether it's Wall Street, the London Financial District, or Tokyo’s central business district, everyone smelled blood in the water like sharks, and they were rushing towards Silicon Valley.

In an alternate timeline, from 1995 to 1997, the internet and IT accounted for a huge portion of the US GDP.

Initially, the internet and IT made up only 0.08% of the GDP.

But in just two years, that number jumped to 11.8%.

It was insane—far crazier than the Tokyo bubble bursting.

Tokyo’s bubble only represented Japan.

But Nasdaq’s bubble? That was backed by Washington, fueled by Wall Street, and supported by capital from all over the world.

A massive global feast.

Being a part of it, Milo certainly wanted to join the dance.

He was already investing in companies like Netscape and Yahoo, which impressed him or were companies he had vaguely heard of.

Today, he was taking a different approach to participating in the frenzy.

“Your idea’s not bad—the personal web log, showcasing individuals…” Wendy’s tenth batch of “entrepreneurs” had presented their plan.

In this plan, Milo saw an early version of what would later become blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Weibo, and early QQ Space mood updates.

These all grew out of blogs.

“This could work,” Milo said to Wendy.

Wendy nodded. “Got it. Next.”

They continued until after 3 p.m. when Milo finally finished meeting with the “entrepreneurs.”

Why put “entrepreneurs” in quotation marks?

Because they weren’t really entrepreneurs.

Many of them were people Wendy had recruited.

Some were ex-salespeople, some had criminal records, and some were just good talkers.

A few entrepreneurs, paired with a few programmers, were enough to form a small startup.

In a few months, Silicon Valley would have a whole bunch of new internet companies popping up.

Most of them wouldn’t go public, but they could still bring hundredfold or even thousandfold returns for the earliest investors.

If a few of them went public, the return could be in the tens of thousands of times.

And if luck was on their side, they might end up with a company on the level of Google, Yahoo, or Twitter.

The returns on those would be even more outrageous than winning the lottery.

Early-stage investments were only a few million dollars, so even if they flopped, it didn’t matter.

Milo even provided some “gimmicks” to help them stand out among their peers.

By the time the last few “entrepreneurs” left, it was already 4 p.m.

His three women, who had stayed with him all through lunch, were now so bored they could barely stay awake.

When Milo finally finished his work and walked over, Julie Delpy, who was nearly asleep, couldn’t help but smile.

“Oh my god, you’re finally done?” she exclaimed.

“Yeah.”

“That’s awesome!” Julie happily stood up, glancing at Cate Blanchett and Zeta-Jones, who were also smiling. “What do you think?”

“Exactly!” Zeta-Jones chimed in.

Cate Blanchett just smiled as always, continuing to play the role of the young, quiet sister.

“It’s not my fault,” Milo laughed. “I didn’t expect it to take this long, and I already told you guys to go shopping first. You insisted on waiting for me.”

“Well, it’s not too late now~”

---

*End of Chapter*

*Chapter 30: Investment and Film*

"I have come at the call of the College of Cardinals..."

George Clooney, playing the Pope’s attendant, limped up to the brightly dressed guards and spoke softly.

The guards exchanged glances and opened the door for him.

Behind the door, a group of cardinals, who had been quietly discussing something, fell silent.

They all turned to look at the Pope’s attendant.

The attendant walked in with a blank expression, limping slightly.

His face was scarred, and after entering, his gaze swept around the cardinals.

Among them, he spotted a few agents dressed in suits.

Without hesitation, the Pope's attendant staggered toward the door to leave.

Several agents pushed through the crowd, trying to catch up with him.

The leading cardinal suddenly whispered, “Don’t be too rough, solve it outside the church.”

The agents nodded and chased after him.

The scene changed to show the Pope's attendant limping down a long staircase.

“Very good!”

Milo, controlling the camera, exclaimed, “George, your expression is perfect. Jess, you did great too, especially with those subtle eye movements. And of course, Arthur, you did well. Your emotions were spot on. Great job, everyone!”

After praising each actor, he added, “The scene before the arrest is complete. Take a 5-minute break, then we’ll continue.”

George Clooney’s acting was indeed impressive. Once he got the notice, he dove into the script, rehearsing it over and over.

Casting him as the Pope’s attendant, who could be considered the second or third male lead and the eventual villain, was a smart choice that didn’t require much effort.

Although he had only gained some fame last year from appearing in the medical drama ER, his acting skills were excellent.

Among the actors, he was in the best form.

After becoming familiar with Milo's shooting style, George Clooney had been cooperating really well.

The crew cheered, and after the break, they resumed filming.

Even though the movie still had over a hundred shots to complete, they finished it in just five days.

November 15, 1995.

Filming for Angels & Demons officially wrapped after nearly four months and was closed for editing.

This was an impressive speed.

It’s important to note that due to Milo’s involvement, this version of Angels & Demons was different from the original.

The original film was criticized for being sluggish and overly dull, with many drawn-out shots, all of which Milo had cut down.

The strong sense of fate and religious atmosphere, which was already present, was greatly enhanced through his collaboration with cinematographer Wally.

Compared to the original version, they put in even more work, but somehow finished the shooting in just four months, making the production timeline extremely fast.

There were several reasons for this quick wrap-up.

For one, most of the filming took place indoors in the studio, with only a few city scenes shot outside.

The crew had good morale, thanks to the efficient cooperation during the shoot.

Tommy Lee Jones and George Clooney, the two main stars, seemed to perform beyond expectations for some reason.

Most shots only needed two or three takes, and even the most complex shots rarely had more than a handful of NGs.

It was uncanny—no one could explain it. After all, the little blue pill hadn't even been developed yet.

Such things don't need to be overthought—sometimes, actors just hit their stride, almost like they were struck by a stroke of good luck.

Once they were in the zone, everyone followed suit, and the shooting progressed at lightning speed.

Even Catherine Zeta-Jones, who replaced the original actress playing the scientist Vittoria, did an excellent job.

Of course, the most important factor was that Milo had the original film’s finished cut in his mind.

He essentially used it as a template, making changes based on the criticism the original had received.

Some parts were directly copied, which sped up the process.

All in all, by the time mid-November came around, Angels & Demons was finally finished.

The next step was post-production.

While working on the editing, they also began discussions with Disney about the film’s release and distribution.

Wendy, who had been involved in almost every aspect of the film’s production and had worked even harder than Milo himself, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After the wrap party, on their way back to Beverly Hills, Wendy smiled from the passenger seat and said, “It’s finally done. Once the post-production is finished, we can release it. I can’t wait to see your first film in the theaters!”

Milo smiled at her and replied, “I’m giving you three days off. After that, we’ll be busy again.”

“What’s next? Have you set your sights on another company in Silicon Valley?” Wendy asked eagerly.

Earlier, Milo had unexpectedly wanted to buy stock in Netscape.

He even used the Blackburn family’s connections to try and make it happen.

Wendy had opposed it at the time.

But later, Milo invested more than $20 million, buying shares in a bunch of small companies in the San Francisco Bay Area.

At one point, Wendy had seriously thought about quitting and letting someone else handle the little tyrant.

But it turned out that Milo’s decisions were spot on.

On his Netscape investment, Milo used $4 million and some connections to generate more than $60 million in returns.

And that nearly $20 million investment in Yahoo? Wall Street investment funds were now giving it a valuation of over $130 million.

If it could be cashed out right now...

The $500,000 Milo had invested in Yahoo just three months ago was now worth nearly $50 million.

And that was just one of the companies Milo had invested in—he had also put money into Netscape, eBay, and more.

A few days ago, Wendy did the math for Milo.

Excluding the investment from the end of October, those $20 million-plus investments he made three months ago...

If all the stocks in those companies were cashed out, they would be worth nearly $200 million.

In other words, in just three months, Milo’s investments had increased tenfold.

At 22 years old, Blackburn was already a billionaire.

Wendy now had full faith in Milo’s abilities—at least when it came to internet investments.

Even back home, people were talking about Milo’s prowess.

“I don’t need a break,” Wendy said, before quickly adding, “I can come over tomorrow, or even tonight if you need. Just tell me the company, and I’ll get the stock for you!”

In the back seat, lying down, Milo was startled. “Wait… did I say I need you to buy stock in some company?”

Wendy was confused. “Huh? No company?”

“I’m giving you three days off because I think you’ve worked hard lately,” Milo said with a smile.

“But after three days…”

Milo grinned. “I plan to start preparing for my second film. You’ll be busy again.”

“What?!”

Wendy was stunned. “You just finished your first film today, the post-production isn’t even done yet, and you’re already planning to start on the second one?”

Milo nodded.

“Ah, this…”

Seeing Milo nod, Wendy was almost at a loss for words. “Aren’t you tired? Don’t you need some rest? Plus, the investment in the first film hasn’t even been recouped yet, and now you’re starting the second? Most Hollywood directors take two or three years to make one movie…”

Wendy was right. Filmmaking was exhausting. Many directors would rest for a long time after completing a project before considering another one.

Directors like Woody Allen, who released a film every year, were already considered fast.

But Milo, with the first movie just wrapping up and already planning the next—well, Hollywood had never seen such a workhorse outside of series movies.

(End of Chapter)