American History 1988
Chapter 350 - 339: Sapphire

Chapter 350: Chapter 339: Sapphire

"Who is trying to contact you?" Dean stepped out of the car, making a phone call and gazing at the dock not far away.

"He said his name is Tim Draper~" David’s voice came from the other end.

"So it’s the Draper family," Dean said with a sudden realization, "He is a senior partner at Draper Fisher Jurvetson."

"So what should I respond to him? Dean, as you know, I’m not good at this." David was somewhat unsure for a moment.

Although he and Yang Zhiyuan were leading Yahoo’s development, they were still somewhat immature in business negotiations.

"What does Kuger think?" Dean waved his hand, signaling Jennifer Connelly not to wait for him.

"Kuger thinks Yahoo doesn’t need to engage with venture capital for the time being; it’s not good for our future valuations."

Kuger was the executive director employed by Yahoo at the time, a Stanford grad with over twenty years of experience in the management of the tech industry.

"I agree with Kuger’s point of view, after all, it’s only been three months since our last fundraising round."

Though Yahoo didn’t have much for revenue yet, there was still enough in the accounts to sustain for a while.

Raising funds in quick succession would only dilute their shares.

"So I should reject him?" David asked uncertainly, "He previously promised he could bring us advertisers willing to cooperate with Yahoo."

Honestly, David and Yang Zhiyuan were somewhat tempted, because though Yahoo had high traffic, it had yet to attract top-tier brands.

The collaborations Yahoo was receiving were mostly local Californian motels and resorts.

They had little influence and certainly weren’t the high-profile brands David and company were hoping for.

So when Tim Draper said he could bring in computer ads from IBM to Yahoo, they hesitated.

"This is what you do, David, seek advice from Sequoia, they have broader connections in the tech industry," Dean advised.

Dean didn’t insist on David taking his opinion as decree; that wasn’t his style.

He left the problem to Sequoia, confident they’d know what to do.

"OK, I’ll contact Moritz again." David had a good impression of him; there was a unique scholarly air about the man.

His calm and rational demeanor made it easy for David and the freshly graduated Yang Zhiyuan to feel a closeness to him.

However, if they thought Moritz would take their side, the outcome might be disappointing.

Dean knew Moritz would do whatever it took to block Draper Fisher Jurvetson from getting in touch with Yahoo.

The reason was simple: Sequoia didn’t want anyone snatching away their shareholding.

The adage "Competitors are natural enemies" applies everywhere.

After handing off this unpleasant task to Sequoia, Dean finally put down his phone, ready to start his vacation.

It was December already, nearing Christmas, and he had given himself a long holiday.

It was convenient since Spielberg wanted to meet with him; now there was no need to bother him to come to San Francisco.

Dean planned to use the opportunity to take a vacation in Los Angeles as well; he had a villa in Beverly Hills.

But how to get to Los Angeles was another story worth discussing.

This distance could be covered in under an hour by private jet.

So, to thoroughly enjoy the holiday journey, Dean had brought Jennifer and company to the San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf.

Look at that super yacht moored at the dock, the one being photographed by people on the distant street—it’s his new ride.

That’s right, Dean had decked himself out with a luxury yacht, a giant measuring 146 meters in length.

Spread across five floors, it had 55 rooms, enough to accommodate a crew of 48 people.

The interior facilities also exceeded many people’s imaginations, not to mention the private VIP rooms for the owner.

There was also a private movie theater, a spacious sundeck, and notably, the striking blue circular swimming pool on the top.

Besides, even from the wharf one could see the helipad at the stern of the ship.

Unseen from this side, there were amenities like an outdoor bar and water sports facilities for entertainment.

The interior decoration had even more to offer—with massage tubs and private dining rooms not left out.

Today was also Dean’s first trip on it; the yacht had been under construction since last year and had only recently been completed and delivered after inspection.

The total cost was roughly 200 million US Dollars, which in this era, certainly qualified as top-tier luxury.

Looking satisfied at the imposing presence of the gargantuan ship, Dean smiled broadly.

"Jenny, when are your friends coming? I can hardly wait to try out the Sapphire," Dean said.

Sapphire was the name Dean had chosen for this yacht, inspired by the circular pool on its top.

If viewed from above, the azure pool looked like a sapphire embedded on top of the yacht.

"I think they’ll be here soon," Jennifer gazed lovingly at the glowing white Sapphire.

It was so huge and luxurious, no woman could resist such a yacht.

Dean had already promised her that she could use the Sapphire at her leisure in the future.

"Hey, Jenny~" Just as the two of them admired the yacht, a greeting came from behind.

Dean turned around and saw a young girl with dark hair approaching them with a smile.

"Hey, Liv~" Jennifer walked over to embrace her warmly.

"Dean, this is my friend—Liv, Liv Tyler," she introduced.

"Welcome, Liv, just call me Dean," he always felt this girl looked somewhat familiar.

But that wasn’t the point—the girl’s voluptuous figure and the somewhat cold beauty of her face drew his gaze.

Damn, Dean admitted he was taken aback.

"Liv, you look very young," Dean said with a smile as he shook her hand.

"Thank you," Liv Tyler tucked her wind-tousled hair behind her ear, "I’m glad you think so, and you look cooler than I imagined too~"

Liv Tyler had originally thought that Dean, being number three on the Forbes list, would either be overtly sharp-edged or a bookworm like Gates.

But after seeing each other, she realized he was neither.

He was younger and more passionate than she had imagined, seemingly without any airs of a billionaire.

"I’m looking forward to today’s journey; the Sapphire will welcome its first group of guests."

Following Dean’s gaze, Liv Tyler saw the massive white vessel.

"Oh~ my God," she covered her mouth, "Jenny said we’d be going out to sea on a boat today, but I hadn’t imagined it would be like this..."

The brand-new and enormous Sapphire was the superstar at the fishermen’s wharf, visible from afar as Liv Tyler arrived.

She just hadn’t expected that the yacht belonged to Dean.

"Let’s get on board first, I’ll introduce you to it," Dean said gallantly, inviting the lady to board first.

It was precisely during her moment of surprise that it suddenly came to him.

Wasn’t the young girl in front of him the future elven princess in "The Lord of the Rings"?

Damn, no wonder that cool and elegant face seemed familiar.

Thinking of the elf princess full of ethereal grace, Dean couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.

Seizing the moment she turned around, Dean crept up to Jennifer’s side, "How do you know her? She seems to have just come of age~"

Jennifer glanced at him, "I just mentioned to some friends that I was throwing a holiday party at sea, with guests like Spielberg.

Then someone got in touch with me proactively; many of them are from the circle, so you know."

"I see," Dean nodded, it seemed that the reputation of a great Hollywood director was quite effective.

"Actually, I think they may not be interested in Spielberg," Jennifer added.

"What?" Dean was taken aback.

Jennifer looked at him and said nothing.

"Cough~ I’ll take Liv for a tour first, you know..." Dean gestured with his hands, "I’m worried she might get lost, it’s dangerous at sea."

Jennifer pursed her lips; there were security personnel on the yacht, and they were handpicked by him.

However, she didn’t call him out on it as, for the moment, she indeed couldn’t leave, with friends still on their way.

So, as Dean was showing the future elven princess around, admiring the Sapphire’s decor,

Jennifer Connelly welcomed another friend, Winona Ryder.

Five minutes later, Dean, looking at the newly of age yet cool and unparalleled Liv Tyler, and the captivating yet offensive Winona Ryder,

He was torn; the former had just come of age and was easiest to deceive—spit, the most innocent and naive.

The latter, despite various rumors, had reportedly just broken up with her ex-boyfriend, which was an opportune moment.

In the end, after going back and forth, he decided he wanted them all! Only a child makes choices.

However, it was far from over; there were more people boarding this yacht than he had anticipated, including Drew Barrymore, Julie Delphi, and others...

Alright, Dean was looking forward to this holiday trip more than anyone else.

...

"Liv, I rarely see girls as tall as you," Dean said from behind her, adjusting her swimsuit.

He had come to help Jennifer look for a hairpin but then encountered Liv Tyler, who was struggling alone with the back buttons of her dress.

Gentlemanly Dean decided to lend a hand, just as he had helped other ladies before.

"I used to model," Liv Tyler flicked her long hair, giving him a sultry glance.

"Wow," Dean raised an eyebrow, "that profession really suits you."

"You think so?" She tugged at the front of her clothing.

Dean’s hand trembled, "accidentally" unfastening the straps of her swimsuit.

Then the thin, red, super short temptation fell, revealing the limitless beauty beneath.

Dean took a sharp breath, unable to help himself, his hands began to scale the peaks.

"Jenny and the others are still waiting for us outside~" Liv couldn’t help but moan softly.

"It’s fine, the soundproofing here is excellent. Even a cannon could go off outside and they wouldn’t hear it."

Since it was off anyway, Dean quickly stripped himself bare too, for the sake of fairness.

Unsurprisingly, Liv Tyler had a great figure, filled with collagen.

Dean loved the feel of it, and he galloped unrestrained.

"Dean, have you found my hairpin?" Jennifer’s voice came from outside.

"It’s Jenny!" Liv Tyler, propped against the couch, was nervous.

"No... no problem~" Dean, in full swing, had no intention of stopping, "She doesn’t know we’re here."

"But I’m a bit tired," Liv Tyler was struggling to keep up.

"I... will be done soon!" Dean found his rhythm, beginning the final volley!

Ten minutes later, the two returned to the deck outside, laughing and talking.

"Why did you take so long?" Jennifer scolded, "Steve just called, asking when we’ll arrive?"

"We’ll stay at sea for one more day, then head for Los Angeles tomorrow."

Refreshed, Dean still wanted to play for a few more days; with so many Hollywood ladies on the boat, he hadn’t yet had a chance to have heartfelt talks with each of them.