[Chapter 643: Gradually Standardizing the Public Auction]
William White had no interest in how the U.S. planned to manipulate its European partners. What he needed to know was that he could profit from the situation; whether the British ended up unlucky was of no concern to him.
As the plane landed at the private airport on Lanai Island, William White noticed a marked improvement in his mood. It felt odd, and though he didn't want to admit it, it was the truth. In this life, he had something to care about, and the reckless William White seemed to be a thing of the past.
The sudden burst of emotions left him feeling a bit out of sorts. But he thought, let it be; if being a sensitive guy is the new normal, then so be it -- acting cool all the time can be quite annoying anyway.
"Daddy!"
Seeing his daughter hurtling toward him like a missile, William could only smile wryly. That girl had no semblance of a lady about her.
"Athena, where's your mommy? Wow, you've grown quite a bit!"
"Mommy is with my little sister -- I took a break because that piano teacher is driving me crazy."
"Ahem, Athena, that's a skill you really should learn. It's useful, but let's skip it for today."
While he pampered his daughter, he still had his limits. As his child, she could be not smart or not pretty, but she must not be uneducated.
Athena wasn't fond of Lanai Island; she found it too dull. Most of her friends were back in Los Angeles, and there wasn't much of a social scene here for her.
"Honey, Athena seems a bit unhappy."
"The kid wants to go back to L.A.; it's not that I don't want her to -- I just can't let her go right now. L.A.'s too chaotic at the moment."
Michelle Reis was curious. She didn't really understand why William insisted on keeping them here. Now she knew -- he genuinely meant it.
"Honey, is L.A. going to be okay?"
"It's not too bad compared to Beverly Hills; it's safer here. It's just that with all of you here, I really don't know how to deal with the chaos there."
"Honey, you can send some security over there. We don't need this many people here."
William found himself wanting to laugh, though he was also a bit touched. Was this what they called developing feelings over time?
Honestly, there's a difference between humans and animals. If you raise a kitten or puppy long enough, you'll grow attached -- even more so with people.
"Everything's fine; I actually have plenty of people. It's just that in the U.S., it's not suitable to arrange so many."
"Good, then."
"Alright, I'll go check the warehouse. Can you have them prepare more food? My appetite has been pretty good lately."
"Already taking care of it -- come back soon."
...
[Chapter 644: The Unexpected Trouble Has Arrived]
"Steve is coming? Tell the ladies I'll be a bit late. Let the kids eat first; I'll try to get back as early as I can."
"Got it, sir. I'll call them right away."
William White certainly wasn't going to shy away from anything on Lanai Island. What's the big deal about the ladies? Not married, anyway. He's just that shameless. Dare to complain?
"Steve, are you here for a vacation? Where's your wife?"
"My company needs investments; I'm looking to pour in some more."
"Ahem, Steve, you're really straightforward. Is it Next or Pixar? I'm only interested in Pixar; as for Next, come on, lay off the perfectionism -- does it really matter?"
Jobs wasn't bothered by William's teasing at all. He was stubborn that way and believed only obsessives succeed. In fact, he saw William White as a fellow obsessive.
"You know, Ross Perot doesn't like Bush. He's planning to run for president; he has to set aside other matters for now."
"Ross Perot? President? Ahem, Steve, your boss... Well, okay, I won't laugh. Not laughing."
Seeing Jobs' complicated expression, William struggled to hold back his laughter.
"Go ahead, laugh. Better that you laugh yourself to death."
"Alright, alright, Steve, even though I don't like Ross, I have to admit he's quite a remarkable guy. If he could be a bit more focused, I think he could become president of IBM."
"Let's not mention him anymore. Are you in or not?"
"Okay, how much?"
"Twenty million. Intel's 586 is out, and I've seen the engineering card -- pretty solid architecture."
"I'm in. But that 586 name... didn't you mention they were planning to change it?"
"Those idiots have lost their minds, thinking of trademarking 586."
"Hahaha! Those two engineering nerds are something else. If you trademark 586, I'll trademark 686 and 786. I'll collect all the relevant numbers."
"Cut it out, that won't get approved. I heard they're calling it P5 internally. What's important is it's a brand new structure -- at the same frequency, it's at least 30% faster than 486. William, are you afraid? That's why you aren't developing new architectures?"
William White wasn't about to admit the truth; there's no monopoly in the U.S. Since he focused on GPUs, of course, he had no intention of pursuing CPUs.
"New architecture, Steve? We have no new plans, but AMD does. From what I know, the differences between them are minimal. In fact, AMD's stability might even be a bit higher."
"Sigh, with all this hassle, merging would be easier."
"Steve, I promised my wives I'd spend time with them today. We'll go play ball tomorrow. You won't leave tonight, right?"
"Not leaving. My wife is coming in a couple of days for Thanksgiving, so I'm not heading back to San Francisco."
"Alright then, let's catch up tomorrow."
William White slipped away while Jobs remained at the hotel, seething with indignation.
What a jerk! Not married, yet referring to them as his wives. Two wives... Damn it, I was just a little careless, yet I've been ridiculed for so many years.
...
William White had every reason to tease; he was proud of his kids. How could they be the same? One moment claiming his 'ammo' was harmless, the next checking DNA. Talk about a twisted situation.
William was in a hurry to leave, but it wasn't just to get back for dinner -- he realized Ross Perot could be the unexpected twist that led to Bush's fallout.
A guy captaining an aircraft carrier landing a sales job at IBM is already impressive. To be sales champ -- now that's even more miraculous.
Starting a business, and in just a few years, being worth a billion? If this guy isn't a time traveler, he must be backed by some serious power.
"Tanner, just keep an eye out. If you notice anything unusual, let me know."
"Understood, master. Ross, right?"
Looking at the photo in hand, Tanner was curious. This guy looks so odd. Isn't he some sort of alien? Regular people's ears aren't that pointy.
At the moment, he couldn't dwell on that too much; he hung up the phone and started making arrangements.
Alright, perhaps William was overthinking it. Ross Perot certainly has talent, and whether he's a time traveler is hard to say, but he undoubtedly doesn't belong to any faction.
This is really no good; that damn angel situation has William White quite conflicted. For someone with such a peculiar look, he was curious to learn more.
...
"Honey, done talking with Jobs?"
"Steve had a new idea. He wants to use computers to make animated films. It's a cool concept -- if he pulls it off, Disney will have a lot more opportunities."
"Oh, is that so? Clearly, you're good to go. Let's eat; the kids have been waiting for you." Michelle Reis shot him a glare, thinking, this Steve Jobs is something else. Doesn't he know her husband is on vacation?
"Alright, time to eat. Thank the Lord for this meal..."
William White wasn't all that into these rituals but had to play along for appearances.
In the U.S., differences in skin color aren't a huge issue. But if faith varies, it's hard to fit into mainstream society.
Sure, Jewish Americans swim quite comfortably, but you can believe they might have a Black president or even an Asian one. The only definite is that there won't be a Jewish president.
You must be a Protestant; otherwise, you're just on the fringe. You could be an entrepreneur or a banker, but you can't be president.
Strange, isn't it?
The U.S. is actually a traditionally religious country. Many of its laws are built around religion.
As for how it seems different...
Haha, there's nothing to be done. Americans might be really suppressed, which leads to a rebellious mentality. The counter-mainstream culture's popularity might relate to this long-standing oppression.
"Suzuki, today's oysters are pretty good; they don't look local."
Suzuki covered her mouth and giggled. The kids have grown, and that naughty guy isn't teasing her about her teeth anymore, yet this habit of covering her mouth she can't shake.
"They're Belmont oysters; they say they're the best."
"Hehe, they are good, but the flavor is quite strong."
"Eat more, Fulton says this type is too cold for us; we shouldn't eat a lot."
"Is that so? Then I'll have some more; Hawaii is just a bit too hot."
William White had certainly tasted those legendary military factory oysters before. Although he found the heavy metallic taste a bit unbearable, he had to pinch his nose and eat.
It's said that the French love to cheat on their partners, and these oysters are somehow involved. Those guys really are heartless, picking on poor oysters that can't speak up. Seriously, did I invite you guys to eat?
...
The sunset bathed Lanai Island in beauty; lounging in the hot spring, sipping ice wine, life was quite carefree.
The kids were taken by the nanny; this moment belonged to the three of them.
"Honey, you're not leaving before Christmas, are you?" Michelle Reis felt a bit excited; for some reason, she didn't want to part ways just yet.
"Not leaving. It's been a hassle lately, so I'm just going to relax here on Lanai. Perfect time to spend more time with both of you."
As soon as he finished speaking, William was momentarily taken aback. Those restless hands halted their movements, and he realized his most sensitive area seemed to be firmly in someone's grasp -- more than one hand, in fact.
The atmosphere suddenly turned a bit suggestive. It seemed those oysters he just had would soon come into play. Just unsure if he could produce in time.
*****
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