Chapter 1738: Transformation

Zhao Fusheng had never let down his guard against Lee Kun-hee.

That man was a true old fox.

In a sense, if there were a ranking of skill levels in the business world, Lee Kun-hee would undoubtedly be a ninth-dan existence.

This was not an exaggeration, but Zhao Fusheng's admiration for him.

After all, he was the strongman who ruled the Samsung empire.

Although he might seem to be on the decline now, in fact, he was biding his time.

Roh Moo-hyun, as president, wielded national administrative power and could ruthlessly suppress the chaebols. Samsung, as South Korea's largest chaebol, naturally bore the brunt.

If Lee Kun-hee still stood at the forefront at this time, it would undoubtedly be courting death.

Hadn't even former president Roh Tae-woo's son-in-law, Chey Tae-won, been arrested?

Although Samsung was larger than SK Group and might make Roh Moo-hyun more wary, Lee Kun-hee's choice was undoubtedly the most appropriate.

Sheathe his sharp edges, slowly accumulate strength while the enemy is in high spirits, wait for the enemy's momentum to wane—first burst, then decline, then exhaust—and then strike decisively with a fatal blow!

That was Lee Kun-hee's style!

If anyone said that the events after Roh Moo-hyun left office had nothing to do with chaebols like Samsung, Zhao Fusheng would never believe it.

This was a very frustrating matter.

Capital divides the direction of the crowd, dissolving human value, and then we see people taking their seats in capital.

All seated in fine clothes, dividing each other by this; the strivers hustle, the elites bustle; the unconsciousness of the masses, under the baton of capital, gradually becomes a single voice pattern.

This was common everywhere.

Only, it was not as pronounced in China.

Perhaps due to different national conditions, but the status of wealth in China was more about worship than manipulation.

For example, a big shot who styled himself Feng Qingyang could gather a bunch of celebrities to make a martial arts film with him, but he could not make a group of high-ranking officials revolve around him.

Even when the higher-ups called for the development of the Northeast, a group of tycoons worth hundreds of billions rushed to invest there.

The so-called 'investment never crosses Shanhaiguan' was nothing but a joke in the face of orders.

Zhao Fusheng understood this principle well, so he was constantly on guard against someone like Lee Kun-hee, who could leverage the power of a conglomerate to resist a powerful coercive institution.

At first, when Liang Jingyu told him that it was Lee Jae-yong who had made the suggestion, Zhao Fusheng didn't pay much attention.

But upon second thought, he sensed something was off.

Simply put, for such a major matter, Lee Jae-yong was merely the heir of Samsung, not its master. What right did he have to make such a demand of Liang Jingyu?

This wasn't a casual joke that could be changed at any time, but a serious collaboration between two major companies.

The Future Group and Samsung had expended great effort to secure Lotte's share in the cultural and entertainment industry, and before they could even warm their hands on it, Lee Jae-yong dared to make such a significant decision.

Was that possible?

The answer was obvious!

Behind this matter, there must be the shadow of Lee Kun-hee.

Or to put it bluntly, it was a bait.

The target, naturally, was the big fish Zhao Fusheng.

Or rather, what Lee Kun-hee hoped was that Hanxing Investment would take the lead and become Samsung's shield.

Just as Zhao Fusheng had initially schemed against Samsung, if the cooperation were to materialize, the new company would inevitably be seen as Hanxing Investment's move.

Recall that after the previous cooperation with Samsung, everyone speculated about what Hanxing Investment had gained. Twitter's market value and stock price were rising higher and higher, hailed as a unicorn second only to Facebook.

And what the Future Group had obtained from Samsung was considered by many to be too little.

If this cooperation plan were to succeed, the outside world would believe that this was Zhao Fusheng's true goal.

How did it feel to be roasted over the fire?

Clearly, it was uncomfortable.

Previously, Lee Kun-hee had been roasted over the fire by Zhao Fusheng, forced to go with the flow and take action against Lotte.

And now, it was obvious that the other party intended to pay him back in his own coin.

If Zhao Fusheng hadn't reacted in time, he might have fallen into the trap.

Putting down the phone, Zhao Fusheng let out a long breath.

To be honest, as the company grew better and better, he now really felt a bit overwhelmed.

It was a kind of mental fatigue, as if there was a Sword of Damocles hanging over his head, making him tread carefully in everything he did, afraid that one misstep would lead to a chain of mistakes, falling into someone's trap, and plunging the enterprise into an abyss of doom.

To be honest, having tens of thousands of people relying on his decisions for their livelihoods—while it brought a sense of accomplishment—also came with pressure.

By now, the Future Group had developed to the point where Zhao Fusheng hadn't bothered to ask the exact number of employees, but it was certainly in the tens of thousands.

What did that mean?

It meant that tens of thousands of families were counting on him for their livelihoods.

To put it bluntly, if the company ran into trouble, these people would also be affected.

Responsibility, as a concept, is a burden for anyone.

This was no joke. Long ago, Zhao Fusheng couldn't understand why those big shots always deliberated over every decision, even to the point of being overly cautious in the eyes of others.

Only when he himself reached this position did he realize that the reason was actually very simple.

Because when every decision you make determines the fate and future of many people, you have to be cautious.

Not seeking merit, but avoiding mistakes.

Of course, there were also leaders who believed in their own super abilities and liked to take risks when making decisions.

Among these people, some succeeded, and some failed.

Those who succeeded became the big shots; those who failed—some were arrested, others fled abroad.

Running a business, in the end, is an adventure, a gamble.

The victor becomes king, the loser a bandit. Those who win the gamble are naturally worshipped by the masses; those who lose vanish without a trace.

...

...

Liang Jingyu rejected Lee Jae-yong's proposal, and Samsung didn't seem to react much.

This confirmed Zhao Fusheng's earlier guess that this matter was likely a probe by Lee Kun-hee.

After all, for him, there was no loss.

If Zhao Fusheng took the bait, Samsung would profit; if he didn't, Samsung would lose nothing.

That was the old fox's consideration.

Whether you profit or not, I don't lose.

Fortunately, Zhao Fusheng wasn't fooled by him; otherwise, this time he would have suffered a silent loss.

Speaking of which, Zhao Fusheng had to thank Lee Kun-hee. If not for this probe, Zhao Fusheng would have almost forgotten that the future political landscape of South Korea was not so peaceful.

This was a fact: in South Korean politics, one faction always takes the stage while another exits.

Why do all former presidents come to no good end?

The reason was simple: because successors would take retaliatory measures, even after many years, they would settle accounts.

Sometimes it was like a joke, like kids fighting.

If you get hit this time, you'll retaliate next time, and then the next time, and so on.

But oddly enough, this happened in South Korean politics.

So, Zhao Fusheng could never understand the logic of those Koreans, and for this reason, he had always been very cautious in handling matters concerning the Korean company.

There was no choice. Dealing with entities that couldn't be judged by normal logic—if he made a wrong judgment, the losses would be huge.

"So, is this why you refused to cooperate?"

Zheng Yao, in Zhao Fusheng's office, asked him with a surprised look.

She had overheard it when Liang Jingyu was on the phone, so out of curiosity, she asked Zhao Fusheng about it.

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "To be honest, as long as we secure our current interests in South Korea, future development will surely be good. Why take such a big risk and become a target of public criticism?"

Zheng Yao was taken aback, looking at Zhao Fusheng with some surprise. She hadn't expected him to have such a mindset now.

This was somewhat unexpected for Zheng Yao.

This guy was becoming more and more different from before.