Chapter 2037 Explanation

The reason Zhao Fusheng left Korea was simple: he needed to go back and prepare for his son's full-month celebration.

After all, it was already September 10th, and in less than half a month, his precious son Zhao Feng would be one month old.

"Yiming, what do you think will become of Korea's chaebol this time?"

Sitting on the plane, Zhao Fusheng asked Liu Yiming.

Liu Yiming was taken aback, then shook his head: "I think nothing much will change."

"How so?"

Hearing this answer, Zhao Fusheng was somewhat surprised and looked at Liu Yiming with curiosity.

Liu Yiming shrugged: "Because the Korean chaebol have completely ruled this country. No matter how they fight among themselves, in the end, it's still the same people. And these people are all under the command of the United States, so nothing really changes—it's just wealth shifting from one family to another."

He paused, then curled his lip: "For ordinary people at the bottom, it's meaningless."

Zhao Fusheng heard his words and fell silent.

He had to admit that Liu Yiming was absolutely right.

In Korea, class stratification is severe, and wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few—this is an established fact.

It's not something that one or two outstanding politicians can easily change.

So Roh Moo-hyun was destined to fail.

When wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few and circulates only among them, it inherently means that the lower class has lost any room for upward mobility.

To put it bluntly, no matter how hard you try, at best you'll end up as a high-level wage earner.

Completing a rags-to-riches reversal is absolutely impossible.

Saying this is cruel, but it's the truth.

Those fangirls who shout "Oppa, oppa" all day will never know that their oppas are just tools for making money.

From top to bottom, food, clothing, housing, and transportation—everything is closely tied to the chaebol.

With foreign troops stationed on its soil, euphemistically called 'protection,' and having to bear their military expenses, how could such a country have the power of independence and autonomy?

It's easy to imagine who the true masters of the nation's wealth are under these circumstances.

Thinking of this, Zhao Fusheng felt immensely grateful that he had been reborn in China in this life. At least he didn't have to live like a Korean chaebol, possessing enormous wealth yet living in constant fear.

"I hope this time we can go a step further."

Sitting on the plane, looking at the white clouds outside the window, Zhao Fusheng thought to himself.

Everyone has ambition, and so did he. Although it was very difficult, Zhao Fusheng still hoped that Hanxing Investment could become a behemoth in Korea.

To that end, he had even made interest exchanges with Lee Kun-hee and Lee Meng-hee.

He just didn't know if he would still be favored by the goddess of fortune this time.

...

...

"What exactly did you discuss with Lee Kun-hee and Lee Meng-hee?"

As soon as Zhao Fusheng returned to the capital, Zheng Yao came to find him.

For Zheng Yao, the agreement Zhao Fusheng had reached with the Lee brothers was very important.

After all, Hanxing Investment accounted for a significant portion of Future Group's overseas capital, and more importantly, in Zheng Yao's view, Hanxing Investment's layout was undoubtedly an opportunity for the entire Future Group to expand overseas.

Now that Zhao Fusheng had gone to Korea and inexplicably returned, she naturally had to inquire.

Zhao Fusheng smiled upon hearing this and said to Zheng Yao, "What, worried I might be fooled by them?"

"Fooled? Not likely."

Zheng Yao shook her head: "With your brains, forget about fooling you—they don't even have the ability to set a trap for you."

This was her honest opinion.

Zhao Fusheng might not have the domineering aura of other corporate leaders, that relentless drive to achieve goals at all costs. But one had to admit that Zhao Fusheng was very cautious.

Without full certainty, Zhao Fusheng would not easily do something.

It's often said that character determines destiny. This personality, which dislikes gambling the company's future, ensured that Zhao Fusheng wouldn't casually reach a cooperation agreement with Samsung.

In other words, unless the conditions offered by Lee Kun-hee and Lee Meng-hee satisfied Zhao Fusheng and he felt the deal wouldn't harm him.

Otherwise, Zhao Fusheng would never cooperate with the Lee brothers.

After all, those two were notorious old foxes.

Upon hearing Zheng Yao's words, Zhao Fusheng couldn't help but smile.

Sure enough, the one who understood him best was still her.

After so many years of cooperation, Zheng Yao might not be Zhao Fusheng's closest partner in some sense, but she was definitely the woman who understood his character the most deeply.

At the very least, even Fan Baobao, in certain matters, did not understand him as well as Zheng Yao did.

"Those two from the Li family plan to take this opportunity to crack down on the Korean chaebols."

Zhao Fusheng said calmly to Zheng Yao, "We're just taking a share of the spoils."

"At what cost?"

Zheng Yao asked pointedly.

What they could gain was actually not important; since it was about taking a share, it was definitely a matter of money.

What truly concerned her was what price the Future Group would have to pay.

You have to give to get.

If you want benefits, how can you do so without putting up some real money?

Zhao Fusheng nodded with satisfaction.

Clearly, Zheng Yao was still clear-headed, not losing her judgment and rationality because of his words just now.

An ordinary person might focus on what the Future Group could gain, without considering what the company would need to sacrifice to obtain those benefits.

That was the gap between an excellent corporate manager and an ordinary one.

The latter only sees the immediate benefits within reach, while the former considers what the company must give up to obtain those benefits.

This issue was actually very critical.

For any enterprise, risk and opportunity always coexist.

No one can reap benefits without taking risks.

But within this, there is a matter of degree.

You cannot risk universal condemnation for a petty gain.

And similarly, you cannot miss a great opportunity for profit just because of a small risk.

How to grasp this balance is a significant problem.

Zhao Fusheng had always worried that the leaders of the Future Group might have rash ideas, but now it seemed that this situation would not occur, because Zheng Yao, as CEO, was far too clear-headed.

With such a person as the leader, even if someone in the company had a muddled mind, they would soon be taught a lesson.

"Financial support."

Zhao Fusheng smiled and said to Zheng Yao, "Those two old fellows are setting traps for SK and Hyundai and a few others."

Facing Zheng Yao, he could naturally tell the truth.

"Are they crazy?"

Zheng Yao looked shocked, unable to believe Zhao Fusheng.

She had never imagined that Lee Kun-hee and Lee Maeng-hee's target was actually other chaebols.

"This... is this going to trigger a war among Korean chaebols?"

Murmuring to herself, Zheng Yao was truly incredulous.

In Korea, it was often said that chaebols are ironclad while presidents come and go.

Few would think that chaebols could also go bankrupt.

After all, even the Daewoo Group, after declaring bankruptcy, still lived a life of luxury.

"It's not quite a war."

Zhao Fusheng shook his head and said, "The Li family's matter is an internal affair. Since someone dared to reach out, if they cut off that hand, no one can say anything."

"That's true."

Zheng Yao nodded. Zhao Fusheng's words were indeed correct.

"Then we don't need to do anything else?" Zheng Yao asked Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng shook his head: "No need. The more you do, the more mistakes you make. Korea is a very xenophobic place."

Zheng Yao then did not ask further.

On this point, she agreed with Zhao Fusheng; Korea was indeed very xenophobic.

In fact, regarding the entire Korean chaebol system, neither Zheng Yao nor Zhao Fusheng trusted them.

Otherwise, they would not have been so cautious.