Chapter 4

Money isn't everything, but having no money is absolutely impossible.

Li Jingming now doesn't have a lot of money, but he has a fair amount. Facebook and Apple have already collaborated in many areas, and as the planner of the new project in 2007, he has also gained considerable benefits. Nowadays, the elders in his family recognize his abilities and see him as the hope for the family's revival, fully supporting all his initiatives. If Li Jingming wanted to become the world's richest man, it wouldn't be impossible. With the support of his family, the intelligence advantage of being reborn, and his own talents, he could definitely achieve this. Unfortunately, he has other pursuits.

As the warm breeze of early summer blew by, Li Jingming, who was lost in thought, suddenly shivered. It wasn't because he was fantasizing to the peak of his imagination, but because the phone in his pocket was vibrating, giving him a tingling sensation, as if he had eaten a bowl of sour and spicy noodles. It was June, and without a jacket, Li Jingming had put his phone in his pants pocket, not expecting such a stimulating feeling.

"Hello," Li Jingming said without looking at the number, switching to English, "What's up, have you thought it through?"

"Ah, talking to you is no fun. You already know, so why ask? Just give me the address," a hoarse voice came from the other end. The person on the other side knew from the word "all" that Li Jingming fully understood their meaning—it was just a game of patience among friends. They had never seen Li Jingming show any sign of urgency, always maintaining a calm and composed demeanor, just to see his reaction.

Li Jingming didn't tell the other person his location but said casually, "Oh, I'm really sorry, I don't know where I am. Let me call the front desk and ask."

"Are you being so stingy? We just want to see if we have any place in your heart. It seems we are just passersby to you," the other side teased, clearly implying that Li Jingming was petty.

It was just a joke, and Li Jingming laughed a couple of times, "Beverly Hills Montage Hotel, come over."

After hanging up, Li Jingming notified the front desk to bring the people up directly.

Li Jingming had some friends during his university years or while living in Boston. This time, he mainly contacted three people. All three were Asian, two Koreans, and one Sino-Korean mixed. They all lived in East Coast cities. They all had black hair and yellow skin, and with their Korean heritage, they naturally felt close to each other, making it easier to start a business in Korea. Boston is a small city compared to New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Chicago, but it holds a high status in the hearts of Americans, even ranking before Washington, D.C. It is known as the "New Athens." Harvard University and MIT are already two unbreakable brands, and its historical significance in the United States is even higher than its academic standing.

An Hanguk, born in 1987, is a complete Korean, a business student at Harvard University. In Korea, such a person is undoubtedly a talent, especially in the business school, which is much harder to get into than other fields. He is Li Jingming's junior. Although Li Jingming is only one year older, he is already a master's graduate, while An Hanguk is a sophomore. An Hanguk completely admires Li Jingming, partly due to the Korean respect for age, and partly because he recognizes his senior's abilities, which far surpass his own. In school, he always looked up to Li Jingming as a mentor. Especially after interacting with him, he knew that his senior's business was quite powerful, even discussing projects with the likes of Steve Jobs. This made him even more determined to follow his senior, making their relationship more like that of a mentor and disciple rather than just friends.

Song Shikjae, born in 1983, has parents who are Korean Americans. He can be considered almost a complete American. A management graduate from Boston University, Li Jingming met him at the entrance of the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston. At the time, Song Shikjae was going through his first breakup. Li Jingming heard him say some unpleasant things in Korean to a Latina woman, realizing he was also Korean, and they became friends. This incident has always been a way for Li Jingming to tease Song Shikjae. Relying on the fact that the other person couldn't understand, he used Korean to insult Latin American girls, which is like masturbating—only he felt good, and there was no interaction. This guy is a typical example of high IQ and low EQ.

Bai Jieqian, the one who just called, is a formidable rival to Li Jingming. His father is the great-grandson of the "Green Bean General" Quan Bongjun of North Korea. Quan Bongjun was hanged after the Donghak Peasant Revolution, but his descendants fled to the United States and continued the lineage. During the revolution, they also seized some wealth, intended to be capital for a comeback, but due to the times, the Quan family continued in the United States, changing their surname to Bai to avoid trouble. In that era, changing surnames for Koreans was as common as drinking water. If that were all, Bai Jieqian wouldn't be a true rival. The key is his mother, a woman with the surname Situ, whose great-grandfather was Situ Meitang. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the "four-term president" of the United States, served as Situ Meitang's legal advisor. How impressive is that? The Situ family not only has a glorious history but also commands respect, with the Situ family to the Chicago mafia being like the Rothschild family to the Morgan family.

Unfortunately, Bai Jieqian is an outsider and has half Korean blood, so he is not taken seriously by the Situ family. He was born in 1986, studied at Stanford, and has already graduated. His acquaintance with Li Jingming can be summarized by an old Chinese saying, "No fight, no acquaintance." Once, Li Jingming went to Angel City to watch a game, the Red Sox against the Dodgers. After the Red Sox won, Li Jingming was in a great mood and went to MonKee (Wenji Seafood Restaurant) for a good meal. After living in China for four years, Li Jingming couldn't resist the temptation of Chinese cuisine. To him, so-called Korean food was just a mix of strange things with a sauce that looked like feces, and no one could enjoy eating it for two lifetimes. Enjoying a Chinese delicacy was a great pleasure, but at that moment, he met Bai Jieqian. The Dodgers lost terribly that day, and as a Dodgers fan, Bai Jieqian was quite upset, especially when he saw Li Jingming wearing a Red Sox cap.

They brought the game's outcome outside the stadium, first with verbal conflict, then a real fight. Although Bai Jieqian was an outsider, he grew up in the Situ family and received martial arts training from several Hongmen elders. Li Jingming, to avoid repeating the hardships of his previous life, started practicing martial arts from a young age, going to China every year to learn. He not only practiced Korean Hwarangdo and Taekwondo but also learned Shaolin Tantui during his time in China. In a back alley in Los Angeles, two Shaolin martial arts met. The Hongmen's "Thirteen Tai Bao Horizontal Practice" faced off against "Shaolin Tantui (a modified version of Tan Tui)." Naturally, Li Jingming beat up Bai Jieqian. Li Jingming had trained hard since childhood, visiting many masters, and Tantui was just one of his skills. Bai Jieqian, a young man, had only received casual training from the Hongmen elders and didn't take it seriously. Bodyguards, what kind of bodyguards, for a child's fight?

Li Jingming has been going to Wudang Mountain every year since he was five, staying for two months as a prince of the former Li Dynasty. He finally moved the true Grandmaster of Wudang to accept him, practicing the Hanyuan Yiqi Gong (Wudang's, not Shaolin's) for ten years, achieving some success. His leg techniques were all offensive, making him more aggressive, but after practicing Wudang's health-preserving techniques, his demeanor gradually became more peaceful. In the early years after his rebirth, Li Jingming felt a sense of urgency, acting mature beyond his years, almost to the point of being a demon, but he was overly competitive. His family also thought this character was not desirable, fearing that being too rigid could lead to breaking. However, after turning fourteen, Li Jingming changed his style, becoming calm and composed, surprising even the elders. All of this was due to the power of Chinese martial arts.

Before coming to find Jin Zairong, Li Jingming had already called these three friends, explaining that he wanted to return to Korea to develop, not in the information industry where he had already made some progress, but in the entertainment and cultural industry, which he had not yet entered. He wanted these three friends to help him, after much consideration. Li Jingming, having lived in the United States for a long time, had many talented people in his social circle, but the three who could truly help him were the most reliable. They were all young and talented but lacked opportunities, or opportunities that matched their abilities. Most importantly, all three had Korean blood.

These three had also thought about developing in the United States, after all, this is America. In the eyes of most people, if they wanted to develop in the entertainment industry, Hollywood would be the first choice. Li Jingming couldn't think too simply. Although Hollywood is tempting, it is already dominated by the eight major studios, which have ruled for years and won't easily allow others to grow. Even Spielberg, with the support of many investors, couldn't outdo the eight major studios, let alone Li Jingming, who had nothing. If they couldn't grow, what would be the point for them? A Hollywood movie often costs hundreds of millions of dollars, and while some can afford it, Li Jingming definitely can't.

The advantage of being reborn indeed gives Li Jingming foresight, knowing which movies will be big hits and which will win awards. Unfortunately, he doesn't know any directors to make them, and he doesn't have the skills to direct himself. Directing is a high-tech job, not something you can do just by watching a movie. He also doesn't know any good screenwriters to write or adapt scripts, and many finished scripts are revised for years before filming. Lastly, he lacks large-scale distribution channels and promotional means. If he can't distribute, what's the point of making a movie just for himself? So, for big productions, he can only watch from the sidelines.

He has been considering small investments and independent films, which he definitely wants to do, but it's clear that this can't be his main business, at least not in the early stages.

Returning to Korea, his image and strength will be more easily accepted by the public. Americans aren't particularly interested in Asians. He won't hesitate to use his family's influence, with existing distribution channels and promotional resources. Most importantly, his ultimate goal is to gain enough influence in Korea.

The cultural industry in Korea seems to have a low status, with little say, and major entertainment companies are often subservient to the upper class. Achieving significant influence through the entertainment industry in Korea seems like a pipe dream. But the reality is that this is temporary. Don't underestimate the power of habit. Koreans are gradually sinking into the "culture" that brings them everything—dramas, variety shows, and songs. When the world goes crazy for the Korean wave, why wouldn't Koreans themselves go even crazier? Living until 2030, Li Jingming has already seen the consequences. Korea's economy, and even politics, are slowly becoming dependent on "culture," even though this culture is a superficial, entertainment-focused one with weak humanistic content.

This is not a bad thing for Li Jingming.