Chapter 1284: Strategy for Seoul

Zhao Fusheng had never thought of doing anything earth-shattering. He was no great figure; as a nobody given a second chance, his greatest ambition was probably just to take care of himself and those around him.

As for the company, Zhao Fusheng was also considering whether he should find someone capable of integrating resources and overseeing the whole picture.

There was no helping it. Zheng Yao's personality and vision determined that she was more suited to lead Future Advertising rather than the entire Future Group. Bai Jie had already established herself in financial management, while Dong Chenxi, in terms of investment management, had adequate managerial skills but relatively poorer judgment.

As for other companies, Future Film was nothing to worry about. For Future Network Technology, Zhao Fusheng was also considering assigning a deputy to Dong Guoxiang.

It had nothing to do with academic qualifications or specialties; it was purely a matter of personal ceiling.

Management is a discipline of balance. While it certainly requires a loyal person in a key position, that does not mean allowing a mediocre manager to run the company.

The balance between checks and development—the grasp of this measure needed to be determined by Zhao Fusheng himself.

After all, he was the boss.

Take Zhao Fusheng himself, for example. He knew very well that when it came to corporate management, he probably couldn't even match Captain Chang from the civil war era, since the latter had at least attended military academy, while he himself had never even studied business management, relying solely on self-study since his rebirth.

Many people always think that someone reborn should conquer all and succeed in everything.

Bullshit!

If they really had that ability, how could they have failed utterly and lived in poverty in their previous life?

Unless you were a successful person in your past life, only then would you have a chance to soar in this one. Otherwise, since you're a nobody, you need to be prepared to act cautiously.

Did they really think everyone was like Ning Liheng, the Bloody Hand, who could sweep the world whether doing business in his past life or being a live-in son-in-law in his next?

"In short, this time in Korea, let's observe and listen more, and speak less." Zhao Fusheng smiled and instructed Dong Chenxi.

He was here to survey the market, not to be a sucker. If the Koreans wanted to swindle money out of him, they were dreaming. If there was an opportunity, he'd make a profit; if not, Zhao Fusheng would rather invest that money in Amazon and bask in the glory of that future world's richest man.

"I understand." Dong Chenxi nodded at Zhao Fusheng and said nothing more.

He was the boss; what he said went.

Many times, you definitely couldn't ignore the boss's instructions, but whether you could carry them out was another matter. After all, the boss cared about attitude, not results.

...

...

The plane landed at Seoul International Airport.

The cloudless sky had not a trace of cover; the azure expanse stretched to the horizon. The roaring plane slowly stopped at the airport. In the distance, a few white clouds drifted across the sky, like a soaring roc. As he stepped out of the cabin, the warm and gentle sunlight shone unsparingly on his body, spreading to every corner within sight.

"How comfortable," Zhao Fusheng said with a smile as he stretched his body after leaving the airport.

After sitting on the plane for several hours, the feeling of setting foot on solid ground was truly wonderful.

Zhao Fusheng turned to Dong Chenxi as he spoke: "Today, we don't have to do anything. Everyone should rest well."

He paused, then glanced at Dong Chenxi: "Especially you, so Fan Baobao won't blame me."

Dong Chenxi was indisposed; Zhao Fusheng had heard it from Fan Baobao. In Fan Baobao's words: "You're too heartless as a boss. Who forces someone to go on a business trip when they're on their period?"

Zhao Fusheng had looked utterly innocent at the time, unable to tell his girlfriend that he actually hadn't known about it.

But regardless, now that he knew, he still had to take care of her.

Dong Chenxi chuckled, feeling a small touch of gratitude. Zhao Fusheng was just that kind of person, always surprising people with the details others overlooked.

Women are actually very sensitive creatures. Grand, passionate gestures can move them, but sometimes the small, unnoticed details bring unexpected delight.

Of course, there was no romantic involvement between Zhao Fusheng and Dong Chenxi, but even as friends, this feeling was quite pleasant.

"Chairman, Manager Dong."

At that moment, a few people walked over and greeted Zhao Fusheng and Dong Chenxi respectfully.

These were the advance team sent by Future Investment. After all, with such a large group, if they hadn't sent people ahead to scout, arriving abruptly would have made arrangements difficult.

"Let's go," Zhao Fusheng said, nodding to Dong Chenxi and the others.

The group boarded a rented bus and headed toward their destination.

"We did some reconnaissance and finally rented an apartment near Cheongdam-dong," said Liang Jingyu, the deputy manager of the investment department at Future Investment, who was in charge of the advance team.

Zhao Fusheng was taken aback, then thought for a moment and said, "We'll stay there for now. Keep looking around—it's best to buy an office building nearby and also an apartment."

"Huh?"

Everyone on the first bus was stunned.

"Chairman, property prices here aren't low," Liang Jingyu said with a wry smile.

Zhao Fusheng shook his head. "Buy now. If we don't, it'll only get more expensive later."

He was telling the truth, because Zhao Fusheng had once seen an article in a WeChat feed: from 2003 to 2008, housing prices in South Korea continued to rise. The government tried every means to control the real estate frenzy. At the time, some people, unable to pay exorbitant rents, even chose to end their lives. In Seoul's Gangnam district, prices rose the fastest, coining the term "Gangnam不败" (Gangnam Invincible), as many believed that housing prices in Gangnam would never fall, only rise.

"Gangnam District" is the wealthy area of Seoul, and it is also the district with the highest housing prices in Seoul and even the entire country. Over the past two years, the average price of apartments in Gangnam has risen by 53%, reaching 30 million won per pyeong, equivalent to 70,000 yuan. Buying a mid-sized apartment of 30 pyeong in Gangnam often costs 1 billion won. In just over a year, the number of apartments worth over 1 billion won in Gangnam has more than doubled, and luxury homes costing over 100,000 yuan per square meter are everywhere. There is a myth circulating in South Korea called "Gangnam不败" (Gangnam Invincible), meaning that investing in property in Gangnam only brings profits, never losses, and there is even a saying that the government is no match for "Gangnam Invincible."

The period of the most frenzied price increases in Gangnam was this year and next. Especially next year, it was common to hear stories of luxury homes in Gangnam rising by 100,000 yuan per week. At that time, many people envied those who owned homes in Gangnam: first, the living conditions were good; second, the rising prices made homeowners overjoyed, as the monthly increase in housing prices was close to a year's salary.

Although the South Korean government made efforts to adjust, even by May 2007, the average housing price in Seoul was 30,000 yuan per square meter, and it should be noted that 3.3 square meters equals one pyeong.

In other words, one pyeong was also about 100,000 yuan, which converted to roughly 20 million won.

Moreover, in the following years, housing prices in Seoul would continue to rise.

Therefore, in Zhao Fusheng's view, rather than renting, it was better to buy a building and then rent it out.

"Alright." Liang Jingyu shrugged. Since the boss said so, he could only go to a real estate agent to handle this matter. Fortunately, the exchange rate between the won and the yuan was very low at that time, only 180 to 1, otherwise it would have been really unbearable.

That's right, the Korean won is worthless, very worthless. For example, Yoo Jae-suk, the most famous host in South Korea, until around 2010 when his fame peaked, the price for inviting him to host a wedding was about 60,000 yuan.

That's right, it was 10 million won.

It might be hard to believe, but that was the top host in South Korea, with the highest fame and the highest value.

But that's how it was. Who could imagine the scene of Wang Han or He Jiong hosting a wedding for 60,000 yuan?

It just goes to show that different countries have different conditions.

"Are you really planning to buy an office building?" Dong Chenxi asked Zhao Fusheng in a low voice.

Zhao Fusheng smiled: "Yes, barring any surprises, it will cost about 200 million yuan, more than enough to buy a ten-plus-story office building."

200 million yuan, converted to Korean won, was as high as over 36 billion.

At that moment, Dong Chenxi suddenly felt that Zhao Fusheng was really too extravagant.