Chapter 1610: The Emperor

Zhao Fusheng did not know that because of today's events, Lee Boo-jin had already decided to divorce Im Woo-jae.

This was ten years earlier than in the original timeline.

Life is like that; we never know what will happen in the next moment, or what we will encounter tomorrow.

The unpredictability of fate is sometimes full of risk, and other times bittersweet.

"Help me find Lee Boo-jin's information when we get back."

Zhao Fusheng said to Park Sun-young on the way back.

Park Sun-young was startled for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, Chairman."

She did not follow others in calling him 'President,' which was the Korean way.

Because companies in Korea were generally called something like 'XX Corporation,' and the boss was either called 'Director' or 'President.' Of course, only medium to large enterprises used 'President'; small bosses were all 'Directors.'

As for why Zhao Fusheng wanted to investigate Lee Boo-jin, Park Sun-young did not want to know. He was the boss and could do whatever he wanted; there was no need to explain to a subordinate.

Zhao Fusheng sat in the car, watching the scenery recede outside the window, lost in thought.

He found it strange—Lee Boo-jin had been too eager.

Indeed, from start to finish, she seemed very anxious to cooperate with him.

"What's really going on?"

Zhao Fusheng frowned deeply, pondering silently.

He did not believe in so-called love at first sight or instant rapport. Human connections required events to build friendship.

For Zhao Fusheng, although he had a good impression of Lee Boo-jin, he still did not quite understand why she wanted to cooperate with him.

Was it really to elevate her family's status?

With such doubts, Zhao Fusheng returned to his residence.

"Back? How did it go?"

When Zhao Fusheng entered, Jiang Wen was actually sitting in the living room watching TV. Seeing Zhao Fusheng come in, he smiled and said: "Samsung's eldest princess, tsk tsk, she really is beautiful."

Zhao Fusheng shook his head helplessly, utterly speechless at this guy.

"I never noticed before that you were such a gossip."

Zhao Fusheng said to Jiang Wen, exasperated.

Jiang Wen laughed heartily: "That's because you haven't spent enough time with me. Spend more time, and you'll find I'm actually quite gossipy."

"Get lost!"

Zhao Fusheng cursed without ceremony: "By the way, how are the negotiations for your film's copyright going?"

"Not bad."

Jiang Wen shrugged: "The Korean side is somewhat interested in that type of film. I estimate that both the Busan International Film Festival and Baeksang Arts Awards will have people wanting to buy. When the price seems right, I'll agree."

Then he said to Zhao Fusheng: "The Busan International Film Festival is in three days. Why don't you come along and take a stroll?"

"Alright."

Zhao Fusheng thought for a moment and nodded: "I don't have much to do here anyway."

That was the truth. With Liang Jingyu handling operations at Hanxing Investment, he, as the boss, was superfluous, having never been in Korea and not understanding the local situation.

Zhao Fusheng could offer advice and direction on the big picture, but he knew that in specific execution, Liang Jingyu's opinion should prevail. After all, if you employ someone, you trust them; if you don't trust them, you don't employ them—that was beyond doubt.

He was not arrogant enough to think he could strategize from a thousand miles away.

That was something only geniuses could do. Zhao Fusheng knew he was no genius; in fact, he didn't even know the most basic rules of the Korean real estate market.

The only thing he knew was that Korean land prices would plummet in the next few years and only improve after Roh Moo-hyun stepped down.

As for specific times and events, sorry, before his rebirth, Zhao Fusheng was not a computer and had no records of that. He only knew that Korean film and television production was very successful, and the development of the entertainment industry was very promising.

That was why Zhao Fusheng tried to make arrangements in this area.

Otherwise, he would have to be crazy to care about Bong Joon-ho and others forming a film industry mutual aid association.

"And Samsung..."

Once the others had left, Jiang Wen quietly asked Zhao Fusheng.

What he worried about was whether dragging Zhao Fusheng to the Busan International Film Festival would interfere with his cooperation plans with Samsung.

Zhao Fusheng hesitated for a moment, then smiled: "I think this might be an opportunity."

"Opportunity?"

Jiang Wen was puzzled, clearly not understanding what Zhao Fusheng meant.

Zhao Fusheng chuckled. Since Old Jiang was his friend, he had to explain: "Because I'm a bit confused about why Lee Boo-jin wants to cooperate with me. So going with you to Busan might be an opportunity to test whether she really intends to cooperate."

"Alright, you guys really know how to overthink things." Jiang Wen shook his head helplessly, completely unable to comprehend the thinking of people like Zhao Fusheng and Lee Boo-jin.

"You see, business and film are sometimes the same thing, sometimes different. Understand?" Zhao Fusheng smiled and said to Jiang Wen.

Jiang Wen was taken aback, then nodded. Zhao Fusheng's words actually made some sense.

...

...

Cheongdam-dong, the Lee family mansion.

"Eldest young lady."

Lee Boo-jin entered the villa, and someone bowed to her in greeting.

"Where is Father?"

Lee Boo-jin asked the man who looked like a butler, about fifty years old with graying hair and a stern expression.

"The Chairman is resting." The butler said to Lee Boo-jin.

Lee Boo-jin nodded: "Then I'll wait for him."

The butler was startled: "Do you have something to discuss, young lady?"

Usually, if Lee Kun-hee was resting, Lee Boo-jin would take her leave and not wait. But now, clearly, she did not intend to leave.

That meant she had something to discuss with Lee Kun-hee.

As an old follower of Lee Kun-hee for many years, he understood this well.

Lee Boo-jin smiled and nodded but said nothing more, heading straight to her own room.

Although she was married with children, she still had her own room at home and would occasionally stay with her father for a few days. Since her youngest daughter Lee Yoon-hee's suicide, Lee Kun-hee's health had indeed deteriorated, and his energy was not what it used to be.

After reading in her room for a while, someone came to inform Lee Boo-jin that Lee Kun-hee was awake and wanted to see her.

Following the servant to Lee Kun-hee's study, she opened the door and saw her father, the king of the Korean economy, sitting there, calmly looking at a photograph.

Lee Boo-jin knew it was of her younger sister Lee Yoon-hee.

"Boo-jin..."

Lee Kun-hee's voice sounded, somewhat weary, perhaps due to age or poor spirits. He did not look very energetic.

"Father." Lee Boo-jin quickly bowed.

"Why are you back?" Lee Kun-hee asked indifferently.

His children now all had their own careers and rarely came to see him without prior notice.

They usually called ahead.

"Father, I want a divorce."

Lee Boo-jin stood before her father and suddenly spoke.

"Divorce?"

Lee Kun-hee was startled, raised an eyebrow, looked at his eldest daughter, and finally nodded: "Alright, then divorce."

"You... won't you ask me why?"

Hearing her father's words, Lee Boo-jin was somewhat surprised, never expecting him to agree so readily.

After all, when she married Im Woo-jae, he had been strongly opposed.

"What, surprised?"

Lee Kun-hee glanced at his eldest daughter and asked calmly.

"You... won't ask the reason?"

Lee Boo-jin said softly.

"My daughter, Lee Kun-hee's daughter, does not need a reason for anything she does." Lee Kun-hee said calmly, but the power in his words made Lee Boo-jin tremble.

Yes, he was Lee Kun-hee!

The emperor of Samsung, the controller of the Korean economy.

With just one word from him, even the entire country would tremble.

And now, he was just a father.

"Father..."

Lee Boo-jin's eyes reddened as she looked at Lee Kun-hee. She was truly moved, never expecting her father to be so good to her.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, go back. I need to rest."

Lee Kun-hee seemed unwilling to say more, waving his hand to dismiss Lee Boo-jin.

Lee Boo-jin thought for a moment and said to her father: "Father, I've been in contact with a Chinese person recently."

"Oh?"

Lee Kun-hee was startled, raised an eyebrow, and looked at Lee Boo-jin: "Are you divorcing because of him?"

Clearly, he misunderstood Lee Boo-jin's meaning, thinking his eldest daughter wanted a divorce because she had fallen for a Chinese man.

Lee Boo-jin's face immediately flushed. She looked at her father helplessly: "He's only twenty-eight and already married. I contacted him because he's a shareholder of Facebook."

"Facebook?"

Lee Kun-hee was taken aback: "That American company?"

"Yes."

Lee Boo-jin then recounted the process of getting to know Zhao Fusheng and shared the information she had gathered about him, finally concluding: "I think he also seems interested in cooperating with me."

Lee Kun-hee listened to his eldest daughter's words and remained silent for a long time.

"A shareholder of Facebook, an emerging Chinese plutocrat..."

Tapping his fingers lightly on the table, Lee Kun-hee weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

After a long while, Lee Kun-hee looked up at Lee Boo-jin and slowly said: "You may cooperate with him, but first, do it in your personal name as a test. If it goes smoothly, we will cooperate further."

If just now he was a father, then at this moment, he was truly the emperor, the emperor of the Samsung Empire!