Chapter 43

After leaving the shoebox company, Zhang Xun went back to the busy preparations for his movie. Li Chong promised him that after "The Chaser" was released, he would go to help Zhang Xun, starting by reviewing Zhang Xun's script.

Li Chong went to the Film Rating Board again, submitting the re-edited film for rating, with the results to be available in three days.

This time, Li Chong felt much more relaxed. Walking down the streets of Seoul, he found a riverside, lit a cigarette, took a deep puff, and slowly exhaled. These past ten days had not been in vain. As soon as the rating came through, he could start the promotion. Moreover, he could also outmaneuver Liu Xiuli, which made Li Chong feel truly elated.

Li Chong wanted to celebrate but couldn't find anyone. Cheng Youli was busy shooting a TV drama, Li Xiaoli's schedule during the New Year extended into the early hours of the morning, and Zheng Yin Yue's new book was so popular that she was on a nationwide book signing tour before the Spring Festival, leaving no time to pay attention to Li Chong. "I can't possibly go argue with Liu Xiuli, can I?"

"Ring... Ring..." The phone rang. Li Chong looked at it and said, "Oh, you really can't resist, can you? Hello, President Liu, how are you?"

Li Chong was in a particularly good mood and felt like chatting with Liu Xiuli.

"Li Chong, are you still not done? It's been almost half a month. If you don't give me a result soon, I won't be polite anymore," Liu Xiuli said in a condescending tone.

"President Liu, rest assured. The film has been re-edited and is now being rated by the Film Rating Board. You'll know soon. However, I think there might be a small issue, so I hope President Liu will be understanding," Li Chong said, trying to suppress his laughter.

"Okay, I understand. As long as the plot isn't a problem, it's fine. Once the rating is done, come sign the contract," Liu Xiuli said, confident in himself.

"Alright, I understand. Goodbye, President Liu!" After hanging up, Li Chong couldn't help but burst out laughing, holding onto the railing, his stomach aching from laughter.

"Hey, Uncle Li, is there something funny you can tell me?" A pleasant female voice reached Li Chong's ears.

Li Chong looked up and saw a petite girl standing in front of him, wearing a thick pink down jacket and a large scarf, with only her delicate face exposed. It was Girls' Generation's Kim Tae Yeon.

"Aren't you always busy? How do you have time to come to the riverside now?" Li Chong checked his watch; it was only a little past three in the afternoon.

"Oh, I went to an OST audition this afternoon, so all my afternoon schedules were canceled. I didn't expect that after trying out, the composer thought I was good and immediately decided to cast me. My schedule for the evening is free, so I'm a free person now. I haven't been outside for a long time, so I wanted to take a walk by the river. By the way, Uncle, what were you laughing about just now?" Kim Tae Yeon explained why she was there.

"Nothing much, just that my movie has found a distributor and is expected to be released after the Spring Festival. I'm feeling pretty relaxed," Li Chong said.

"Really, Uncle? Your movie is going to be released? We'll definitely come to support you and boost your box office," Kim Tae Yeon said, looking at Li Chong with excitement.

"Hehe, you're free now, right? Want to hang out with me? I was just worrying about who to celebrate with," Li Chong didn't tell her that her age might not allow her to watch his movie, as it was an adult-rated film.

Kim Tae Yeon thought about it and realized she had nothing to do. This event also made her very excited, as it was another step forward in her music career. "Sure, but you have to buy me food. I'm pretty broke right now."

"No problem, I'll cover all your expenses today. Food, drinks, and entertainment, everything. I'm in a great mood today, hahaha!!" Li Chong was truly elated, especially thinking about how Liu Xiuli would react to the scene of the politician in "The Chaser."

"Oh yeah, Uncle, I want to eat ice cream!" Kim Tae Yeon exclaimed.

"Ah, in the middle of winter, are you sure you can handle it?" Li Chong asked, looking at Kim Tae Yeon.

"No problem, I want to eat!" Kim Tae Yeon felt like Li Chong was a doting older brother.

"OK, I'll take you to a great place. It's my secret spot, and I don't tell just anyone," Li Chong said.

Li Chong then drove Kim Tae Yeon to an ice cream shop in the northern part of the city. Even in winter, the shop was packed. Fortunately, the shop had some private booths, or Kim Tae Yeon wouldn't have dared to eat inside. Although Girls' Generation wasn't the hottest girl group in Korea, they still had a significant fan base. If someone spotted her eating ice cream with a man, it could become a scandal.

Li Chong only liked snowball ice cream. Every time he came, he ordered a seven-ball, two chocolate, one matcha, two honeydew, and two butter. He really enjoyed the taste, which was sweet and melted in his mouth.

Kim Tae Yeon ordered an apple flavor, with apple ice cream and lemon slices, a sweet and sour combination.

"Do you like apples?" Li Chong asked.

"Yes, I like apples, oranges, lemons, and tomatoes," Kim Tae Yeon listed.

"Do you really like sour things?" Li Chong asked, listening to her.

"Not really, I like sweet things too. It's just that sometimes these fruits are sour because they're not ripe yet," Kim Tae Yeon said, enjoying the ice cream.

"Uncle Li, how did you find this place? It's so far from where we came from!" Kim Tae Yeon asked, as Li Chong had driven for over half an hour.

"Hehe, there used to be a classmate who, after school, would always walk a bit with me to buy ice cream from this place before going home," Li Chong said, looking at the shop with nostalgia.

"Ah, this place has been around for so long?" Kim Tae Yeon was surprised. The shop's surroundings didn't look that old.

"Hehe, this place was renovated last year. See the posters on the left side of the counter?" Li Chong pointed behind him.

"Yes, I see them. Posters of H.O.T., GOD, Fin.K.L, BabyV.O.X, and TVXQ," Kim Tae Yeon said, amazed.

"I got those and had them put up there. There are also some posters of HOT, TURBO, and Shinhwa from when we were in school," Li Chong said, reminiscing.

"Wow, that's amazing? Uncle, did you used to be a fan?" Kim Tae Yeon became interested in Li Chong.

"Not really, I don't particularly like pop music," Li Chong said.

"What? You don't like pop music. Then how did you become an MV director and achieve such great success?" Kim Tae Yeon thought Li Chong was incredible.

"Hehe, not liking it doesn't mean I don't understand it. I like classical music," Li Chong said with a smile.

"Oh, so Uncle is a genius. I heard you graduated from New York University in the U.S. Can you tell me about your college experience? I might be applying to college this year," Kim Tae Yeon said.

After that, Li Chong and Kim Tae Yeon talked a lot, including about Li Chong's high school days, some funny stories from his time in New York, and some embarrassing moments from college, which made Kim Tae Yeon laugh uncontrollably. Fortunately, she wasn't very famous at the time, so although some people noticed, they didn't think of her as a celebrity.

In the evening, Li Chong took Kim Tae Yeon to a Chinese restaurant, ordering a table full of Chinese dishes. Although Kim Tae Yeon had eaten Chinese food before, this was the first time she found it so delicious. Unfortunately, she ended up overeating and her small stomach was full. "Uncle, next time you have to bring YoonA and Sooyoung, those big eaters. Otherwise, eating so much is really painful."

"Just eat what you like. You have so many demands. If I keep this up, I'll be broke soon. Who knows when I'll be able to eat like this again," Li Chong had already planned out his finances. He had a little over 300 million left, and after spending 300 million on promotion, he would have to tighten his belt until the box office revenue came in. If the box office was good, the first phase of the revenue would come in after a while. So Li Chong decided to treat himself to a good meal.

"No problem, Uncle. If it comes to it, we can treat you. We can't afford Chinese food, but Korean food is no problem. Nine of us, one day each, can't we afford to treat you?" Kim Tae Yeon felt very clever, having sold out all her members without thinking.

"Alright, it's time to go. I'll drop you off at the TV station and then head back. I still have some things to prepare," Li Chong said while driving.

"Okay, Uncle, leave your phone number. When the movie is released, call us, and we'll come to support you." Kim Tae Yeon left Li Chong's phone number and skipped into the TV station.

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