[Chapter 921: Based on My Analysis]
Eric nodded, "If it were another field, it might not be necessary, but for artificial intelligence, I truly hope you can accumulate more knowledge in this area."
When one mentions artificial intelligence, the first thing that likely comes to mind is robots. However, that is just one aspect. Artificial intelligence is merely a branch of computer science; among its practical applications, internet search engines are closely tied to everyday life.
Over the past few years, under Eric's special attention, Yahoo never abandoned its development of more intelligent search engine technology. Thanks to Yahoo's outstanding search capabilities, companies like Infoseek, which were supposed to exist at that time, never made an appearance. Even the AOL portal website integrated Yahoo's search engine.
The plan was to gradually transform Yahoo from a comprehensive portal site into a search engine service provider after the year 2000. Now that Marissa Mayer had approached him for an opportunity, Eric certainly wouldn't keep her stuck in his assistant's office; her best future was clearly at Yahoo.
The IT industry differs significantly from the media industry. The media sector places greater emphasis on experience and creativity; one can attain an executive position in a large media group even without a college degree. However, in the IT field, lacking sufficient knowledge makes it nearly impossible to become an executive at a Silicon Valley tech company.
Eric briefly explained his reasons for encouraging her to pursue graduate studies while working, and Marissa had no objections.
...
After finishing breakfast and leaving Eric's mansion in Atherton, Marissa began to feel that everything that morning had seemingly been rather strange. Reflecting on the experience, she couldn't shake the impression that Eric felt as if he already knew her; there was no awkwardness from him, just an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Yet, she was certain she had never met him before; the idea that Eric had known her previously was highly unlikely. Pondering this without resolution, Marissa decided to chalk it up to Eric Williams' unique charm. After all, he had built an enormous economic empire at such a young age, and surely that came with some extraordinary qualities.
...
Eric had instructed that the plane bringing Miranda from Brisbane would divert to San Francisco instead, making it convenient for him to head directly to New York. After breakfast, he received a call informing him that the Boeing 767 was set to land at San Jose International Airport at 8:30 AM. With time running short, he headed out to the airport, accompanied by two women and a bodyguard.
The direct flight from Brisbane to San Francisco took a long fourteen hours, during which Miranda remained exceptionally excited. After the takeoff, she roamed the plane, akin to a kitten marking her territory, exploring the screening room, conference room, study, bathroom, living room, bar... Until she secretly took a small sip of strong whiskey, sleepiness took over, and she dived into the presidential suite's bedroom for a nap.
As the plane landed on the runway at San Jose International amid light turbulence, Miranda's assistant, Claire, knocked a few times on the door. When she received no answer, she barged in with concern, only to see Miranda sprawled on the big bed, sound asleep.
...
Initially, Eric had intended for someone to send Miranda back to Los Angeles. After entering the airport, hearing Claire's report, he decided to go on board and wake the sleepy girl.
Miranda felt someone tapping her and groggily woke up. Upon realizing it was Eric, she smiled sweetly and opened her arms for a hug.
Eric chuckled as he observed the girl clad in only a tank top and hot pants, throwing off the covers and wrapping her long legs around him like a koala. He playfully swatted her on the bottom, saying, "Time to wake up; everyone's watching you."
Only then did Miranda look around to see Claire standing behind Eric, holding her clothes, while two other young women lingered in the doorway. The petite girl, who resembled a doll, instantly triggered a sense of competition in her, and she pointed to Caroline and Melanie, asking, "Eric, who are they?"
Eric introduced them with a smile, "This is Caroline and Melanie; they're my new assistants."
Noticing the disappointment on Caroline's doll-like face when she turned to look their way, Miranda felt a surge of confidence. She looked at Caroline and said, "Caroline, I'm thirsty. Could you please pour me a glass of water?"
Caroline paused, her disappointment more apparent now, and pressed her thin lips together, glancing at Eric with bright, pleading eyes. Eric had brought Caroline on board to let her gradually familiarize herself with his life, hoping to lessen any feelings she might entertain for him. However, spotting her downcast expression stirred sympathy in him. Without hesitation, he gave Miranda a firm swat on the bottom again, emphasizing, "If you want water, ask Claire. You can't boss around my assistants."
The mood in the bedroom shifted as everyone felt Eric's change in demeanor. Claire wasted no time waiting for Eric's confirmation; she dropped the clothes and exited the bedroom. Miranda, however, felt increasingly dissatisfied with Caroline and Melanie but managed to maintain an innocent expression, saying, "Eric, I'm sorry. I won't do it again; that really hurt!"
Ignoring her exaggerated expression, Eric turned to the two girls at the door, saying, "Carly, Mel, why don't you two go take a break? You don't need to stay here."
Melanie nodded and took Caroline's hand, guiding her out of the room.
Eric refocused on Miranda and said, "Okay, change your clothes. It's starting to get cool here in California; be careful not to catch a cold. I had Carter arrange a car to take you back to Los Angeles."
Miranda immediately snuggled closer, wrapping her arms around Eric's waist, "Eric, school doesn't start for another week! Can I come with you to New York? I want to see Fashion Week!"
"I'm going for work; I won't have time to look after you," Eric replied as he picked up the girl's clothes from the table.
"I can manage on my own! I can stay with Gisele and come back after Fashion Week," Miranda pleaded, not accepting the clothes and pressing her slender frame against Eric while gently rubbing against him.
Overcome by her insistence, Eric gave in with a nod, taking a cup of water from Claire and offering it to Miranda. He then instructed Claire to prepare for takeoff before asking Miranda, "Are you close with Gisele?"
Miranda took a few sips, placing the cup on the side table, and with a clever glint in her eye, she replied, "Not really, but if you ask, they wouldn't refuse, right?"
"Do you not fear embarrassing yourself if they're not happy to see you?"
"Not at all! If they treat me badly, I'll tell you on them," Miranda said, confident and unabashed, before fluttering her eyelashes toward Eric, "Eric, can I use this plane often in the future?"
Eric held her waist firmly, struggling with the temptation as he slowly rubbed lower and shook his head, saying, "That won't work. This plane is for everyone's work; you can't just mess around with it. In a couple of years, once I receive the other planes I purchased, you can use them however you like."
Miranda cheered joyfully and leaned in to kiss Eric on the cheek.
...
After refueling, the Boeing 767 took off from San Jose International Airport, heading toward New York.
Once the plane stabilized in the air, in the midsection lounge area, Melanie unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to a somewhat disheartened Caroline, saying, "Alright, Carly, do you get it now? He's just a jerk; being upset over him is absolutely not worth it."
"No, I'm not upset," Caroline shook her head, looking lost. "I just... I just..."
Melanie pulled Caroline up, "Let's go; I spotted a bar on the plane. We should grab a drink."
Caroline followed Melanie, still muttering, "I just..."
"You're not confused about why the Eric shows interest in other girls yet remains indifferent to you, right?"
Caroline's cheeks flushed immediately, lowering her head and not retaliating.
Melanie led her to the bar, helping herself to an expensive bottle of red wine from the cabinet, then sat down beside Caroline. "But seriously, he is genuinely really nice to you -- everyone can see that. Just now, when that little brat tried to boss you around, he immediately shot her down."
Caroline frowned, "Mel, don't be so rude. That's not polite."
Melanie poured two glasses of wine, pushing one toward Caroline, saying, "Alright, fair enough. Let's find a better name for her: how about Little Beach, like a seaside resort?"
Caroline playfully slapped Melanie's arm, "That's hardly any better."
Unfazed by Caroline's little jab, Melanie laughed, "Okay, back to the original topic -- why does he treat you so well but seems uninterested romantically?"
Caroline lifted her face, keen to hear Melanie continue.
Melanie teasingly sipped her wine, then said, "Based on my analysis, there are two possible reasons."
"Huh?"
"First," Melanie raised a finger, "he's gay!"
Caroline shook her head vehemently. "No way!"
Melanie chuckled, pinching Caroline's chin gently. "I know that if Eric Williams were gay, there'd be no such thing as a normal man in this world, so the only other possibility is..."
"Yeah?"
With exaggerated seriousness, Melanie raised her second finger and declared, "He sees you as a daughter."
Caroline's eyes widened in disbelief, her cheeks reddening, "How is that even possible?"
Confident in her theory, Melanie explained, "Look, after spending time together, you know better than I do that Eric's psychological age is far more mature than his physical age. At times, he seems like an old man. Older men tend to prefer younger girls. You're so innocent, petite, and smart -- not to mention, you follow instructions and fit the ideal image of the perfect daughter in an older man's mind."
After blinking in surprise and pausing for a moment, Caroline finally tried to argue, "He has a daughter named Hawaii. I know that."
"No one says a father can only have one daughter," Melanie responded, shaking her head. She was aware Eric had two children, which wasn't a secret in their circles. Quickly, she picked up on a crucial piece of information from Caroline's words, "Wait, did you just say Hawaii -- like, that's his daughter's name?"
Caroline nodded; Eric had mentioned it in passing.
This was the first time Melanie had learned the name of Eric's daughter. After pondering for a moment, she couldn't help but laugh, "He's really something, giving his daughter such a weird name. Caroline is so much nicer!"
Caroline, having just regained her color, felt her cheeks flush again and stood to leave the bar. "I'm not listening to your nonsense anymore."
...
Four hours later, the Boeing 767 arrived on the East Coast -- not at Kennedy International Airport, which is closest to downtown New York City, but at MacArthur Airport in central Long Island. This location was near East Hampton, and Eric planned to spend a few days with the women and children once back in New York.
As the plane landed, it started to rain lightly in Long Island. The East Coast was not as temperate as California; autumn had set in, bringing with it a chill in the air.
"I already spoke with Gisele; you can head directly to their place on Madison Avenue. I won't be going to Manhattan for a couple of days," Eric instructed Miranda as he stood by a car that had arrived to pick them up, seeing her and Claire off in one vehicle.
Once the girls had left, Eric turned to Caroline and Melanie, noticing a peculiar look in Caroline's eyes. He assumed she was still preoccupied with his relationship with Miranda and shrugged it off. However, he couldn't help but notice Caroline was still wearing a thin wool sweater, expressing his concern, "Where's your coat? It's a bit cold; you should put it on."
Caroline instinctively shook her head and took a step back, her gaze avoiding Eric, "I--I'm not cold."
Next to them, Melanie wore a knowing smile, as if to say, "I told you."
"Then let's get in the car," Eric had ABC send over three vehicles. He opened the door of another black Mercedes for Caroline, saying, "Go on."
Caroline hesitated but obediently climbed into the car, still avoiding Eric's gaze.
Eric accepted a set of keys from the driver and handed them to Melanie, saying, "This is the key to my place on Sixth Avenue. You and Caroline can stay there for now as a work benefit. For the next couple of days, you won't be working, so take her sightseeing around Manhattan."
Melanie readily accepted the keys from Eric, "Thank you, Eric. I'll make sure to take good care of Caroline."
Eric, unaware of the underlying emotions at play between the two girls, watched as they drove off, letting out a small sigh. He thought that letting Caroline gradually move past her feelings for him wasn't such a bad thing after all.
*****
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