Chapter 98

October 1, 1964.

*Fallout 3* was released.

In the third part of *Fallout*, Catherine more subtly alluded to the nuclear policies of the Cold War era before the nuclear war. Of course, to avoid being dissected and cryopreserved in Area 51 by the FBI or CIA, Catherine was very cautious.

Due to the popularity of TV series and movies, *Fallout 3* sold very well.

As a result, the *Wasteland* board game also began to sell well.

However, the *Wasteland* board game series mainly targeted the middle class. Most of those interested in it were from this class. They had enough time to understand the rich background of *Wasteland* and to savor each of its stories.

In *Wasteland*’s board game, Catherine also included multiple endings for certain stories, which were all predetermined. No matter how the story developed, it would always be confined within these predetermined outcomes. These stories also made players feel a deep sense of powerlessness, a sentiment that only the elite or those close to this class could truly appreciate.

Following this, Parchment Book Company continued to release *Harry Potter*.

With the popularity of *Harry Potter*, the intervals between releases became longer, increasing the sales of previous products. This was also a sales strategy.

However, at this time, Catherine was still working hard on the set of *Red Alert*.

The plan to release the novel was set from the beginning, but *Red Alert* was a last-minute idea, and Catherine demanded perfection, so she had to put in a lot of effort. Including the review process, everything had to be completed before November to ensure it could be released before Christmas.

To save time, Catherine even started promoting the film almost immediately after the shooting began.

Although it was for the Pentagon, Catherine was very concerned about the box office. If the box office earnings were below $70 million, she would not do it.

While Catherine was busy filming, Jerry Sanders was concentrating the entire team on single-chip microcomputer technology.

The Z80 technology could not be cracked in a short time, even if the theory was understood, the actual production cost would be very high. However, single-chip microcomputers were much simpler.

A single-chip microcomputer is an integrated circuit chip that uses very large-scale integration (VLSI) technology to integrate a data processing central processing unit (CPU), random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), multiple I/O ports, interrupt systems, timers/counters, and possibly display drivers, pulse width modulation circuits, analog multiplexers, A/D converters, and other circuits into a small and complete computer system.

In simple terms, it is an extremely simple computer that has been pre-set...

For example, future washing machines and microwave ovens generally use intelligent operating systems, which are controlled by single-chip microcomputers.

Most of the simplification and intelligence in life are thanks to single-chip microcomputers. Without them, people in the 21st century would probably still be standing in front of washing machines and microwave ovens.

Moreover, with single-chip microcomputers, TV remote controls could be made—this is the core of remote controls!

As the CEO of AMD, which could rival Intel in the original world, Jerry Sanders placed great importance on this area.

Historically, AMD always faced difficulties in seeking investment because Intel had already approached those venture capitalists. AMD came too late and thus never received investment, preventing Sanders from fully showcasing his talents.

At this time, Catherine finally returned to New York and began promoting *Red Alert*.

ABC began to air *Red Alert* advertisements in a loop, showcasing its ultimate special effects, brilliant storyline, and non-stop action scenes.

Of course, some formalities with the censors were still necessary.

The voluntary film rating system had not yet been established, but it was coming soon. The *Hays Code* had already lost most of its control over the film industry, and many unapproved films were secretly being screened. However, Catherine did not dare to do this, so going through the motions was still necessary.

Although Catherine's investment in this film was $25 million, people were no longer particularly impressed. After all, *Wasteland* had a budget of $20 million, and *Cleopatra* had a budget of $40 million.

However, Hollywood was quite interested in *Red Alert*.

Although Catherine's company had little to do with Hollywood, the film and television companies were keeping a close eye on her DreamWorks.

The biggest difference between Catherine's company and Hollywood was that Hollywood had intricate ties with the underworld, while Catherine's company was off-limits to the underworld.

Although in Italy, the Mafia had reached a level where they could meet with the Prime Minister, this was America.

Especially since Umbrella Corporation was a defense supplier for the United States.

Because of *Cleopatra*, 20th Century Fox had lost a fortune, and other Hollywood companies were wary of such large-scale investments.

They were all looking forward to Catherine's new film, hoping it could bring a turnaround to the entire film industry.

Moreover, the calls to abolish the *Hays Code* were growing louder, and the film industry was moving toward the future.

With the Christmas release date secured, Catherine finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Before the premiere, she had some free time and decided to take Elsa to her and Ada's small villa.

"This is the villa I bought with my friends. Over there is the swimming pool, and over there is another swimming pool..."

Catherine introduced the house to Elsa.

"This one is the indoor swimming pool. Although it looks completely transparent from the inside, it looks like a mirror from the outside! You can see the people on the opposite street, but they can't see in here. And there's a water heating system, so you can swim even in winter!"

"As for that one, it's the outdoor swimming pool. In the summer, you can sunbathe, and there are sand piles and barbecue equipment. You can even have a bonfire at night!"

However, Ada and the others were not there, which was a bit disappointing.

Among them, the busiest one was probably not Catherine, but Lily. She had no confidence in the SAT in November, so she was still studying hard...

"By the way, the third floor is our secret base. There are many interesting devices inside. Come, let's go and see!"

Catherine pulled Elsa up to the third floor and opened the door with a key only they had.

Inside, it was dark, but the panoramic cinema screen displayed a large image. Seeing the image... Elsa blushed, and Catherine was embarrassed.

"Kate, you're here?"

Lily smiled.

She was fiddling with the player, her books discarded to the side, and her notebook was blank, with a ghost face drawn on the cover.

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