Chapter 1289: The Problem of Ability

BoA knew her teacher well; he only showed this expression when faced with a difficult problem. And in the current Korean entertainment industry, there weren't many things that could make Lee Soo-man so cautious.

"Teacher, was that Kim Young-min on the phone just now?" BoA asked curiously.

Lee Soo-man nodded: "Yes, he gave me a problem."

"Huh?"

BoA was completely baffled. Lee Soo-man was a proper graduate of Seoul National University, the most prestigious university in Korea. But because she had debuted early, she had never attended university, not even finishing high school.

Hearing Lee Soo-man's words at that moment, she was naturally at a loss.

"Hehe..." Lee Soo-man patted BoA's head: "I'm very curious whether this Chinese person is Kim Young-min's man or someone with ulterior motives."

Some say that in the business world, there are two kinds of people: collaborators in the same camp and opponents in the hostile camp.

But after so many years of navigating the business world, Lee Soo-man knew that there was actually a third kind of person in business.

You see, sometimes even enemies can become friends, and even rivals can respect each other, like him and Yang Hyun-suk. Even though they were competitors, it didn't stop them from respecting each other.

"Chinese person?"

BoA frowned, puzzled.

Clearly, she didn't quite understand this.

Lee Soo-man chuckled lightly and didn't continue. Instead, he asked about BoA's Japanese album, since it was her first Japanese album and very important.

...

...

The two giants of the largest entertainment company in the Korean music industry were entangled because of Zhao Fusheng.

But for Zhao Fusheng, he knew nothing about this. At the moment, he was staring in surprise at the several dishes in front of him.

"I didn't expect to eat such authentic Chinese food in Korea," Zhao Fusheng looked up and said to Liang Jingyu with emotion.

Liang Jingyu laughed: "Yeah, I didn't expect it either. When I heard those international students telling me before, I thought they were bragging, but it turns out it's really authentic."

There were ten dishes in total, five meat and five vegetable. Leaving aside the vegetable dishes, the meat dishes alone were eye-catching.

Authentic Northeastern Guobaorou, when eaten, wasn't the sweet taste Koreans like, but a flavor that left a lasting aftertaste. There were also Braised Pork Hock and Dry-Braised Pork, which were simply amazing.

Braised Pork Hock used top-quality pork hock, cut into long strips, alternating fat and lean, fragrant and delicious. It was similar to the method of Meicai Kou Rou, the only difference being that it was padded with cabbage underneath.

Dry-Braised Pork used pure lean meat. Generally, meat cooked this way tends to be dry, but this dish wasn't; the texture was tender, showing the chef's excellent control of heat. The highlight was the sauce, which seemed to have a secret recipe. It was poured over the meat pieces, presenting a golden color, fundamentally different from the thick oil and dark sauce of red-braised meat.

When Liang Jingyu first mentioned it, Zhao Fusheng didn't quite believe it. After all, in a foreign country, eating authentic Chinese food wasn't easy, especially in a place like Korea. In Zhao Fusheng's impression, apart from Korean barbecue, other things were better left alone.

As for so-called Korean cuisine, ha, Zhao Fusheng felt it wasn't as comfortable as having a hotpot.

"Indeed, Old Liang, you found a good place." Dong Chenxi tasted a dish, a satisfied smile appearing on her face as she said to Liang Jingyu.

Strangely enough, at home she didn't particularly like greasy meats, but being abroad, being able to eat an authentic Chinese dish made her feel very satisfied.

"By the way, Chairman, I want to recruit some people from among our country's international students. What do you think?" While eating, Liang Jingyu deliberated and asked Zhao Fusheng.

This was a decision he made after careful consideration. Although he had arrived in Korea half a month early, his understanding of the situation here was not very comprehensive. Now that he bore the heavy responsibility of establishing a branch, Liang Jingyu believed he must prioritize stability.

In other words, making no mistakes was the greatest success.

After all, his primary goal was to establish a foothold in Seoul, then proceed gradually.

On this point, Liang Jingyu believed that Zhao Fusheng, as the boss, was as clear as he was.

Therefore, he considered that the first batch of employees should be recruited from among Chinese students studying in Korea. After all, these people had education and were young; in his view, they should be a group full of energy.

Hearing his words, Zhao Fusheng frowned, glanced at Dong Chenxi, but didn't speak.

Dong Chenxi was also somewhat surprised and said to Liang Jingyu: "Do you mean to have these people stay in Korea?"

"Yes," Liang Jingyu nodded. "After all, international students relatively understand both the situation here and back home."

Dong Chenxi nodded: "That consideration is reasonable."

Clearly, she agreed with Liang Jingyu's proposal.

Listening to them, Zhao Fusheng sighed helplessly.

Neither Dong Chenxi nor Liang Jingyu had noticed the crux of the problem. Fortunately, he had asked them; otherwise, if they proceeded with the current plan, the Korean branch might cause all sorts of trouble.

"Have you considered what the core of a company is?" Zhao Fusheng looked at Dong Chenxi and Liang Jingyu and slowly asked.

Both were taken aback simultaneously, somewhat puzzled.

"Hmm, maybe my question is too broad. Let me put it another way: how should one control an enterprise?" Zhao Fusheng looked at Liang Jingyu: "Old Liang, you answer me."

Liang Jingyu knew the chairman was testing him. He thought for a moment, then said: "I think it's to control the company's personnel and financial powers."

Dong Chenxi nodded in agreement, clearly thinking Liang Jingyu was right.

Not only her, but the other Future Group cadres at the table also nodded, obviously believing this was the most correct management approach: once a company grasped financial and personnel powers, the rest was much easier.

Zhao Fusheng smiled bitterly. He knew these people hadn't yet stepped out of their domestic mindset, thinking that as long as they followed the rules, there would be no problems.

With that in mind, Zhao Fusheng said to Liang Jingyu: "Controlling financial and personnel powers is certainly fine, but the question is, can you personally recruit every employee of the company? Can you guarantee that you know every employee's situation inside out? Moreover, do these international students really understand the current state of the Korean entertainment industry? Although they come from China, do they have work experience? You expect them to help you build a foundation in Korea, but have you considered what if they lack the ability? Would you have to recruit another group of people?"

After Zhao Fusheng finished speaking, not only Liang Jingyu but everyone was stunned.

"Then, according to you, should we recruit locals—Koreans?" After a long while, Liang Jingyu asked Zhao Fusheng hesitantly.

Clearly, the chairman disapproved of his previous plan.

Zhao Fusheng shook his head: "What I mean is, even if we recruit, we must consider the actual situation. Forget about international students. We can recruit among Korean Chinese; many of them speak both Korean and Chinese, communication is not a problem, and they are familiar with Korea. Also, we should recruit local Koreans. In Korea, workplace competition is fierce, especially in the entertainment industry. Countless entertainment companies close down every year. In both the film and music industries, there are countless people waiting in line for jobs, beyond your imagination. So you don't need to worry about having no one to hire."

As he spoke, Zhao Fusheng's expression turned serious: "We are all family here, so I won't mince words. We came to Korea to make money. The checks in our hands are like bones, and those Koreans are like lapdogs. If we throw them bones, these people will wish we lost our senses. So if you want to stay here, the first thing to do is to control yourselves, not to forget who you are after a few cups of flattery..."

Everyone was taken aback. Although Zhao Fusheng rarely appeared in the company, everyone knew that this chairman was a formidable figure; his words were final in the company.

And now, clearly, Zhao Fusheng was warning them.

For a moment, everyone expressed their stance, saying that if they stayed in Korea, they would work diligently and not let the company's interests suffer.

But Dong Chenxi looked at Zhao Fusheng: "Do you mean we should hire Koreans here?"

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "Not only Koreans, but as Old Liang said, on the basis of controlling financial and personnel powers, the company's main composition should definitely be Koreans."

Then, looking at Liang Jingyu, he said: "This is Korea, and it's very xenophobic. Do you think if you fill the company top to bottom with people from our country, how well can our business do?"

Liang Jingyu was startled, then understood Zhao Fusheng's meaning.

"Chairman, I know what to do," Liang Jingyu nodded emphatically.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do—this is needed not only in life but also in business.

Zhao Fusheng glanced at Liang Jingyu. He felt he should consider whether to hire someone here to assist Liang Jingyu.

Ability, sometimes, truly determines a person's ceiling.