Chapter 29 - Chapter 29: Planting Internet Seeds

Zeta-Jones, Julie Delpy, and Cate Blanchett were, at this point in their careers, hardly household names. Of the three, Julie was the most recognizable, having recently starred in a film that garnered the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. A prestigious award, certainly, but it went to the director, leaving Julie's own star only marginally brighter – a third-tier flicker in the Hollywood constellation. Zeta-Jones trailed behind as a fourth-tier glimmer, while Blanchett remained a virtual unknown. They were, in essence, Hollywood's invisible women.Milo, however, was a different story. He remained a fixture in the American news cycle, though his fame rested on his religious writings and his novel. The media, in their coverage, rarely featured his image. The few existing photographs were either childhood snapshots or older, grainy pictures. This relative anonymity allowed Milo the freedom to move about with the women without constant harassment. Of course, he took precautions—oversized sunglasses were a staple—but it was a far cry from a life lived entirely in the shadows.He'd enjoyed the previous night immensely. It was a rare occurrence, a genuine connection. While he'd had his share of group encounters in the past—some bordering on the absurd with over a dozen participants—those were remnants of his previous life, and the "quality," as he thought wryly, paled in comparison to the intimacy of the night before. Amusingly, Julie and Blanchett had initially been hesitant, acutely aware of Zeta-Jones's presence. But when they saw her seemingly oblivious, watching as Milo casually pulled Julie closer by the pool, initiating a spontaneous embrace, their anxieties eased. With Zeta-Jones's quiet approval and even subtle encouragement, the rest of the evening unfolded naturally.Noon found them at Spago Beverly Hills, the same restaurant they had visited before. Blanchett and her companions perused the menu, but their attention kept drifting towards the front of the restaurant. There, Milo, accompanied by several sharply dressed men and the ever-present Wendy, was deep in conversation and negotiation."…Next group!" Milo announced, dismissing two men with a curt nod. He turned to Wendy. "How many more?"Wendy consulted her notes. "We've spoken to seven. Eleven more to go."Milo sighed. "We need to tone down the hyperbole. That last group, for God's sake, they came in talking about 'Internet 2.0'… What the hell is Internet 2.0? The internet has barely even taken off!""Well…" Wendy shrugged. "That is what you told them to say. Logically sound, technically challenging – remember?""I know what I said. But we can't be like NASA, launching a manned mission to the moon without even trying an unmanned one first, and expecting it to succeed, can we?" Milo countered. "The technical side can be difficult, but the logic has to hold up. It can't be so outlandish that it screams 'scam' from the start. That's the only way we can persuade—convince—investors to part with their cash."It had been a little over three months since Netscape's successful IPO. The internet whirlwind was tearing out of Silicon Valley and sweeping across the globe. Netscape's market capitalization had skyrocketed to over twelve billion dollars. Investors, who had poured in less than fifty million over three years, were now reaping unimaginable rewards. Fifty million turning into twelve billion in three years. Anyone could do that math. From Wall Street to London's financial district to Tokyo's central wards, everyone smelled the blood in the water, like sharks converging on a feeding frenzy.They were descending on Silicon Valley in droves. In this parallel reality, between 1995 and 1997, the internet and IT sector's contribution to the US GDP was exploding. Initially, it represented a mere 0.08%. In just two years, that figure ballooned to 11.8%. It was a frenzy unlike any other, surpassing even the shattered remnants of Japan's economic bubble. That bubble had been fueled by a single nation's resources. This NASDAQ bubble… this was a global phenomenon, driven by Washington's blessing, Wall Street's might, and the combined capital of the world.Milo, caught in the eye of this hurricane, naturally wanted to dance in the storm. Investing in Netscape, Yahoo, and other companies he remembered or had vaguely heard of was one avenue. What he was doing today was another way to ride the crest of this tidal wave."Your idea is quite interesting. Online personal journals, showcasing individual…" This was the tenth group of "entrepreneurs" Wendy had presented. Their proposal outlined an internet company they were developing. In their plans, Milo recognized the nascent form of the blog. Later, wildly popular platforms like Twitter, WeChat Moments, Instagram, Weibo, and even early QQ Space status updates would all evolve from this foundation."This has potential," Milo said to Wendy.She nodded. "I'll note it. Next."It was well past three in the afternoon when Milo finally finished meeting with this latest batch of "entrepreneurs." Why the quotation marks? Because they weren't genuine entrepreneurs. Many of them had been recruited by Wendy. Some were former salespeople, some had served time for fraud. Some were simply skilled talkers. A couple of these types, paired with two or three programmers, could be packaged into a miniature startup. With a few months of careful grooming, a new crop of internet companies would sprout in Silicon Valley. Most would never see an IPO, but they could still generate returns of hundreds, even thousands, of times the initial investment for the earliest backers. And if one of them, by some stroke of luck, became the next Google, Yahoo, or Twitter… the returns would be astronomical, beyond even the wildest lottery win. The initial investment was only a few million dollars, after all. Even if it all went to zero, it wouldn't be a devastating loss. Milo also provided them with certain "hooks," marketing angles to help them stand out from the crowd.By the time he'd seen off the last group, it was four o'clock. The three women, who had been waiting since noon, having eaten lunch and remained, were thoroughly bored. Seeing him finally approach, Julie Delpy, on the verge of falling asleep, managed a smile."Oh, thank goodness, you're finally done!""Yeah.""That's wonderful!" Julie exclaimed, rising to her feet and looking at Blanchett and Zeta-Jones, who were also smiling. "Don't you think?""Absolutely!" Zeta-Jones agreed.Blanchett, as always, simply smiled, continuing her role as the quiet, younger companion."Don't blame me," Milo chuckled. "I didn't expect it to take this long. And I did tell you to go shopping. You insisted on waiting." He paused, a playful glint in his eye. "But it's not too late now…"