Simon returned to Los Angeles on November 6th, which was a Friday. The next day was the official Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
Over the past few days, Egret had finalized its major development plans for the upcoming year. In addition to further opening up the World Wide Web technologies, the focus would also be on deepening the core product offerings.
To enhance product differentiation, Egret would officially launch two long-registered sub-brands, 'Google' for search engine services and 'Facebook' for social networking.
Google's involvement would naturally be in the search engine sector.
As websites proliferated exponentially and web content increased, the role of search engines became increasingly significant. With Simon's keen interest, this web tool had always been a focal point for the Egret team.
The upcoming version of the IE browser would feature a dedicated Google search bar right beside the address bar.
This seemingly minor software modification would be crucial in promoting the Google search engine.
Facebook, on the other hand, would focus on social networking services.
The new version of Facebook would differ from Simon's memory. Given the current state of the web, the standalone Facebook service would lean more towards Simon's recollection of Weibo, emphasizing celebrity and influencer-driven traffic. Additionally, Facebook would not heavily enforce real-name verification for users.
Simon also proposed a plan for Egret Portal to create a batch of 'internet celebrities.'
In the original timeline, successive waves of internet celebrities had effectively spurred continual growth in internet user engagement.
With the extensive resources of the Westeros system at his disposal, creating and promoting internet celebrities seemed an easy task.
Additionally, the already separated personal homepage and microblog services would further diverge with the establishment of the Facebook sub-brand.
Personal homepages would gradually evolve into personal columns, primarily contributing to the informational content of the Egret portal.
Facebook, however, would remain centered on social interactions.
Beyond Google and Facebook, Amazon's e-commerce operations would also undergo significant expansion, with new product lines for videotapes and movie merchandise slated for online sales early next year.
The focus on videotapes and movie merchandise clearly aimed at competing with Blockbuster, a rivalry Simon did not intend to deter.
Amazon's business expansion was inevitable.
Aside from books, videotapes—being a standardized product—were well-suited for online sales.
Movie merchandise, backed by Westeros's resources in Hollywood, offered high-profit margins that could significantly offset the currently high costs of warehousing and logistics in e-commerce.
If Amazon refrained from these ventures to avoid competition with Blockbuster, other competitors would inevitably emerge.
Simon endorsed Steve Jobs' philosophy from his memory: "If you don't cannibalize yourself, someone else will."
Many old corporate giants failed because they couldn't bring themselves to disrupt their own businesses, leading to their eventual demise.
The prime example was Blockbuster in the original timeline. To avoid cannibalizing their brick-and-mortar rental business, they missed the opportunity to expand online, ultimately leading to bankruptcy.
In contrast, Netflix did the opposite.
After securing the top spot in online rentals, Netflix didn't rest on its laurels. Recognizing the trend towards streaming, they pivoted aggressively, despite the potential threat to their existing business, eventually becoming a streaming behemoth on par with Disney.
Therefore, Simon did not intend to intervene in the competition between Amazon and Blockbuster, provided they avoided mutually destructive price wars or other disreputable tactics. In fact, he encouraged it.
The internet industry was exploding rapidly; slowing down due to temporary leads would only result in being overtaken.
The competitive dynamics between Amazon and Blockbuster would push both companies to advance in operations and technology, preventing complacency.
For Carol Bartz, who was in charge of Egret's internet infrastructure services, the focus for next year would continue to be on cloud computing.
Although already successfully supporting various Egret portal products, cloud computing technology still had significant room for improvement.
The next goal for Egret's cloud computing team was to further reduce reliance on IBM and other server equipment suppliers by directly procuring components like chips and hard drives from primary hardware manufacturers such as Intel and Seagate. This would allow Egret to design and build its own dedicated data centers. By bypassing intermediaries like IBM, Egret could significantly cut the costs of building data centers. Additionally, designing its own data centers would grant Egret more control over server-level permissions, facilitating the creation of software systems tailored precisely to its needs.
The U.S. presidential election had impacted the North American box office from October 30 to November 5.
Nonetheless, Daenerys Entertainment's Halloween release, **The Ring**, achieved impressive box office results, grossing $28.79 million in its opening week, with a per-theater average exceeding $12,000, indicating a hit.
In contrast, Columbia Pictures' **The Story of the Curse**, another horror movie aiming to capitalize on the success of the **Nightmare on Elm Street** series, only grossed $5.19 million in its opening week. Though not a complete failure, it fell short of the studio's expectations, with a projected total domestic box office of around $10 million.
On November 6, only one new film was released in North American theaters: Warner Bros.' **Passenger 57**, a hijacking crime action movie starring Wesley Snipes, known for his role in the **Blade** series in Simon's memory. While set on a plane, the film clearly borrowed heavily from the plot structure of Bruce Willis's **Die Hard** series.
Simon had little recollection of **Passenger 57**, indicating it likely wasn't a significant box office hit. His attention was still on **The Ring**.
In the original timeline, the Japanese version of **The Ring** was a phenomenon in Japan, prompting Hollywood to purchase the rights for an American remake due to its impact across Asia.
This time, skipping the Japanese version and directly developing the American version, Simon had used the plot framework of the American remake but drew on the cinematic and musical style of the Japanese version. This resulted in the film's iconic scene of the vengeful spirit emerging from the television quickly becoming a classic horror moment for many viewers.
With a first-week gross of $28.79 million and favorable reviews, the new **The Ring** was certain to surpass $100 million. The extent of its success would depend on its subsequent box office performance.
The Japanese had long harbored ambitions to penetrate the North American market in various fields.
The box office success of **The Ring**, adapted from a Japanese horror novel, sparked a wave of pride and excitement in Japan. Daenerys Entertainment had the opportunity to release **The Ring** simultaneously in Japan, given its Japanese origins.
However, the strategy was to capitalize on the national pride generated by the film's success. Therefore, the distribution team decided to release **The Ring** in Japan after its successful North American debut.
The North American market had always been somewhat insular, with few Japanese films achieving significant success.
In the original plan, a $50 million North American gross for **The Ring** would suffice to attract strong attention from the Japanese market. Now, with the film poised to surpass $100 million and potentially rank among the top ten films of the year in North America, it was poised for massive success in Japan.
The team designing the Universal Studios Osaka theme park quickly decided to include 'Sadako' in their haunted house attraction after the first weekend's box office numbers for **The Ring** were released.
Having already reviewed **The Ring**'s box office results, Simon headed to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles upon his return to the city.
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was scheduled for the next evening, and today was the final rehearsal.
Not only was Simon in attendance, but LTD Chairman Leslie Wexner and Victoria's Secret CEO Grace Nichols had also come to watch the rehearsal.
The interior of the Chandler Pavilion had been transformed into a fashion show venue with a 20-meter runway. Audience seating was primarily arranged along the sides of the runway, with stage lighting, camera positions, and thematic backdrops all set up.
Of course, the main attraction was the group of 'Angels' ready to dazzle the audience.
Everyone who had seen the final version of the Victoria's Secret Angel costumes, as approved by Simon himself, had the same reaction: stunning.
In the original timeline, Victoria's Secret's early shows in the 1990s were quite plain. Models wore very conservative lingerie with unremarkable makeup, giving off the impression of just having escaped from a remote village.
Simon had elevated this show to the standard of Victoria's Secret's mature period in the 2000s.
The show featured exquisite lingerie, breathtaking costumes, and vibrant wings, alongside some of the top models in the fashion world.
Ultimately, it was the result of a $10 million investment.
Backstage at the theater, director Michael Bay, who had poured his heart into this show for months, was channeling some of his future 'tyrant' persona. Frustrated by the temptations of the beautiful models and the high stakes of this show for his Hollywood career, he barked commands into his headset, directing various teams to prepare. As the assistant director confirmed readiness, Bay gave the signal from behind a row of live monitors.
The music began.
To maintain secrecy until the last moment, only instrumental music was used during the rehearsal.
However, everyone knew the explosive opening track, titled "Angels," with the theme "Psychedelic Angels."
Simon had chosen Vicetone's "Angels" for the opening instead of "Paradise" to immediately energize the audience with its intense rhythm.
Expectations for the show were sky-high, and the opening needed to ignite the long-anticipated excitement to ensure a successful performance.
Inside the theater, only a few people, including Simon, Wexner, and Nichols, were present. As the music started, they paused their conversation and turned their attention to the runway.
The
dynamic opening music was accompanied by vibrant red lighting.
For the theme "Psychedelic Angels," the color scheme was not the expected white but a luxurious gold.
Cindy Crawford, the opening angel, stepped onto the runway.
Wearing white lingerie with golden angel wings that extended along her arms in feather-like patterns, she made a striking entrance.
Simon had not stuck rigidly to traditional angel designs. Cindy's opening outfit was inspired by Gisele Bündchen's look from the 2006 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, portraying a proud and wild golden angel.
Unlike the graceful strides typical of models of this era, Cindy walked with a powerful and rhythmic "scissor step" in time with the music.
For the first theme, Simon had personally approved only Cindy's angel costume, leaving the rest to Victoria's Secret's designers.
However, when Nadja Auermann joined the show, Simon was inspired by her gold armor-style outfit reminiscent of a Norse goddess from a fashion show in his memory, leading to the creation of a second costume.
This time, Nadja's angel outfit featured a cutout design to showcase Victoria's Secret lingerie, a necessary adjustment for an underwear show.
But what truly stood out were Nadja's impressively long legs.
When Nadja appeared later in the theme, even Leslie Wexner beside Simon couldn't help but be impressed. Knowing Nadja was Simon's "leg model," Wexner stifled any personal thoughts but remarked, "This girl was added last, right? She's incredible."
Simon, also satisfied with what he saw on stage, explained with a smile, "It's the angel costume that's stunning and perfectly suits the theme. Nadja's style leans more towards high fashion, lacking the softer allure that Victoria's Secret seeks."
Wexner disagreed slightly, "I think this angel costume will be one of the most memorable outfits of the show."
Simon nodded in agreement.
He understood that the exceptional impression came from the perfect combination of the model and the costume. Replacing either would likely diminish the impact.
Classics often arise from a serendipitous blend of many factors.
The first theme concluded smoothly and perfectly.
After a brief break, the second theme began quickly.
**Heavenly Love**.
The theme song was, of course, the ethereal and expansive "Paradise."
The opening track was explosive, while the second was more soothing.
This created a rhythmic balance.
Though it lacked the intense beat of "Angels," "Paradise" still harmonized beautifully with the runway atmosphere, providing a perfect backdrop for the models.
With five themes in total, five opening sequences meant each Victoria's Secret Angel spokesperson had a chance to shine.
Stephanie Seymour led the second theme's opening.
In fashion circles, opening and closing slots are a measure of a model's prestige and standing.
This show's five themes and ten opening and closing slots, especially the major opening for the first theme and the grand closing for the fifth, had sparked considerable behind-the-scenes competition. To prevent excessive discord among the models, Simon had intervened to assign the ten slots personally.
The second theme, characterized by crystals and sequins, created a heavenly, dream-like feel under the lighting.
In the audience, even after just these two themes, Leslie Wexner was already convinced. The upcoming Victoria's Secret Fashion Show would be a watershed success for the brand.
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