Chapter 1772: Courtesy

Dealing with a smart person like Lee Boo-jin was a very comfortable thing.

During the three days in the capital, Lee Boo-jin did not talk much with Zhao Fusheng about CJ; instead, she was quite interested in having Zhao Fusheng take her sightseeing around the capital.

Although Zhao Fusheng was helpless about this, she was a guest from afar, and their relationship was still fairly good. Even after what happened, Lee Boo-jin had not broken off with him.

Under such circumstances, Zhao Fusheng simply could not bring himself to play tricks like avoiding her.

Respect me a foot, and I respect you ten feet.

Zhao Fusheng's principle had always been like this, so when Lee Boo-jin proposed to visit his home, Zhao Fusheng did not refuse.

Lee Boo-jin visited Zhao Fusheng's home quite formally, bringing gifts. When she met Li Yuan and heard Zhao Fusheng introduce her as his mother-in-law, Lee Boo-jin performed a grand bow according to Korean etiquette, startling Li Yuan.

Especially after learning that this was the eldest daughter of the Samsung Group, known as the Samsung Princess among Koreans, Li Yuan repeatedly expressed her thanks.

After all, given her noble status, being so courteous to her naturally warranted gratitude.

Lee Boo-jin was unperturbed, and Zhao Fusheng, rubbing his nose, could only accept her gesture.

At Zhao Fusheng's home, Lee Boo-jin took a great liking to his daughter, playing happily with the little girl, and even stayed for a simple meal.

It wasn't until Lee Boo-jin left that Fan Baobao asked in confusion, "What is she doing?"

"Putting on a show for Lee Jae-hyun of CJ."

Zhao Fusheng smiled slightly and replied.

"Ah?"

Fan Baobao was taken aback, then laughed: "A counter-espionage scheme?"

"Not really a counter-espionage scheme."

Zhao Fusheng shook his head: "Since it's meant for the opponent to see, the purpose is naturally to let them know one's strength. So Lee Boo-jin's real aim is to tell Lee Jae-hyun and the others that the relationship between Samsung and us is still very good."

Fan Baobao was speechless; she really hadn't expected that there would be so many twists and turns in business, even a simple visit carried such profound implications.

"So what are you really thinking?"

Fan Baobao asked Zhao Fusheng casually.

Zhao Fusheng smiled but did not answer her question; instead, he revealed a meaningful smile.

A few days later, Zhao Fusheng boarded a flight to South Korea with Lee Boo-jin.

Upon arriving in Seoul, unexpectedly, although Lee Kun-hee did not come to the airport to greet him, compared to Zhao Fusheng's previous visit to Seoul, the welcoming lineup was absolutely grand.

Even Lee Jae-yong, the heir, appeared at the airport, leading a group of Samsung's top executives to welcome Zhao Fusheng.

Without exaggeration, this time Samsung had given Zhao Fusheng ample face.

Sitting in the luxury motorcade, Zhao Fusheng rested with his eyes closed, beside him a nervous Wu Sijie.

"What are you nervous about?"

When Zhao Fusheng opened his eyes, he saw Wu Sijie's expression and asked with a smile.

"I didn't expect Samsung to be so formal."

Wu Sijie replied: "I think if you didn't dislike the media, they would have brought in the reporters."

"After all, it's Samsung."

Zhao Fusheng smiled, not surprised at all.

If it didn't even have that much influence, Samsung would have wasted all those years operating in South Korea.

The banquet was held at the Shilla Hotel. Lee Kun-hee, who usually kept a low profile, personally greeted Zhao Fusheng at the entrance this time.

"Chairman Lee, you are too kind."

Faced with such a high level of treatment, Zhao Fusheng naturally had to express his gratitude. Getting out of the car, he shook hands with Lee Kun-hee and spoke politely.

Lee Kun-hee smiled: "A guest from afar, it's my duty."

Clearly, he did not think there was anything wrong with fulfilling the duties of a host.

The two walked side by side into the hotel; it was believed that this news would soon spread throughout Seoul.

It was evident that Samsung had shown great sincerity today. Not only were the dishes mainly Chinese cuisine, but also, because Lee Kun-hee personally hosted the banquet for Zhao Fusheng, they had invited notable figures from South Korea.

Representatives of major chaebols and foreign envoys in South Korea—without exaggeration, this place today was undoubtedly the gathering spot for the top elite of South Korea.

And all of this was because of Zhao Fusheng's arrival.

Even Zhao Fusheng himself had to admit it was quite an honor.

Even knowing that they were doing it for show, under such circumstances, to say he felt nothing would be nonsense.

But Zhao Fusheng also knew, as he had told Fan Baobao earlier, that Lee Kun-hee was doing this to send a signal to the outside world. So no matter how grand the scale, in the end, it was all for their own interests.

It's fine to be moved, but if you take it seriously, you'd be a fool.

Since it's a public banquet, it's naturally not appropriate to discuss private matters or business affairs. After all, everyone knows the purpose of such banquets is to help people make friends and get to know each other.

So whether it was Zhao Fusheng or Lee Kun-hee, both acted very calmly, amicably, as if there was no conflict between them at all.

You couldn't tell at all that Lee Kun-hee had smashed a glass because of Zhao Fusheng, or that Zhao Fusheng had cursed heaven and earth at home because of Lee Kun-hee.

They say life is a play and all about acting; Zhao Fusheng and Lee Kun-hee were now putting on a show.

Chairman Zhao is truly a young and promising talent!

You flatter me, you're too kind.

It's rare to see such a young business prodigy.

Indeed, we must seize the opportunity to cooperate.

Words spoken at gatherings like this can be listened to, but there's no need to take them seriously. Zhao Fusheng understood this well.

But since the other party was smiling at him and even taking the initiative to praise him, he couldn't very well put on a cold face, so he naturally held his drink and socialized with them.

As Lee Kun-hee's honored guest, since he didn't drink, naturally no one dared force him.

This was Lee Kun-hee's party; offending his guest would be like slapping Lee Kun-hee in the face.

Zhao Fusheng dared to embarrass Lee Kun-hee because he had the strength and ability, but in South Korea, very few people dared to do so.

As they say, a person's reputation casts a shadow; the name Lee Kun-hee carried that kind of weight in the Republic of Korea.

Soon, as time passed, the party was drawing to a close.

Contrary to Zhao Fusheng's expectations, these Koreans were making plans for the next round.

“It's a custom in our country. Generally, after the main meal, everyone agrees to go to another place to continue drinking,” Lee Kun-hee said, seeing Zhao Fusheng's confusion, and smiled. “What, isn't it the same in China?”

Zhao Fusheng shook his head: “It's not that it doesn't happen, I just didn't expect that these business owners would have such habits.”

That was his honest thought. Originally, Zhao Fusheng thought these important figures would prefer sitting in some room, drinking tea or coffee, and engaging in scheming conversations.

But now they were making plans to drink, which truly surprised Zhao Fusheng.

“They are human too.”

Lee Kun-hee smiled and said to Zhao Fusheng, “Speaking of which, we are all just ordinary people, and we make mistakes, don't we?”

Zhao Fusheng's eyes lit up.

Here came the main topic!

He didn't believe that Lee Kun-hee would bring this up without reason.

“Making mistakes is not a problem; what matters is how to make up for them.” Zhao Fusheng looked at Lee Kun-hee and said with a slight smile, “We have an old saying in China: ‘It's never too late to mend.’ Chairman Lee, do you understand what that means?”

“I understand a little.”

Lee Kun-hee nodded calmly.

He had some knowledge of Chinese culture, so naturally he understood what Zhao Fusheng was hinting at.

“Actually, I think you, Chairman Lee, are too strict in guarding against CJ Group.”

Zhao Fusheng suddenly said to Lee Kun-hee.

“Oh?”

Lee Kun-hee raised an eyebrow. Few people dared to mention CJ Group in front of him, as it was Samsung's family affair. If anyone said something wrong and displeased him, he might make them unhappy for a lifetime.

But Zhao Fusheng had just blatantly brought it up in front of him, and judging by his calm expression, it was clear he hadn't mentioned it unintentionally but deliberately wanted to talk about it.

What exactly did this guy want?

“In the capital, I met Lee Maeng-hee twice.”

Zhao Fusheng looked at Lee Kun-hee and said frankly, “To be honest, although you are also in poor health, in my opinion, your brother is already terminally ill and doesn't have much time left.”

Hearing Zhao Fusheng's words, Lee Kun-hee's expression dimmed slightly.

After all, they were born of the same mother. Although they were at odds over assets, hearing that his brother was about to die still made Lee Kun-hee feel uncomfortable.

Taking a deep breath, Lee Kun-hee looked up at Zhao Fusheng: “Is that the reason you agreed to cooperate with him?”

“Of course not.”

Zhao Fusheng waved his hand: “Although I think Lee Maeng-hee is pitiful, one thing is one thing. If business and personal feelings get mixed up, it's bound to be a disaster. I think you, as a senior in the business world, should understand that better than I do, don't you?”

Lee Kun-hee nodded, not refuting Zhao Fusheng's words.

Obviously, he was waiting for Zhao Fusheng to continue.

Zhao Fusheng smiled and continued, “Actually, I've never understood: since Lee Maeng-hee doesn't have long to live, what are you worried about?

Are you worried about Chairman Lee Jae-hyun and Vice Chairman Lee Mi-kyung? They are your juniors; how could they be qualified to fight a inheritance lawsuit with you? Besides, Samsung is the largest chaebol in South Korea. Although CJ Group has developed well, I don't think you need to worry in front of Samsung. Or perhaps you think that if one day you leave, Lee Jae-yong won't be able to keep the people under him in line?”

Zhao Fusheng looked at Lee Kun-hee, speaking slowly, but by the end, Lee Kun-hee's face had turned completely gloomy.