Chapter 5

Nowadays, South Koreans might still be basking in the success of K-pop, feeling proud of the popularity of Korean dramas, and being delighted by the success of variety shows. However, more and more industries are relying not on the quality of their products but on the popularity of celebrities to maintain sales. More and more politicians are not relying on excellent proposals or outstanding abilities but on publicity and marketing to gain public support. All of this is dangerous.

To break and then to build—that is Li Jingming's plan. Even if the Milky Way collapses, it can still be repaired with stones.

It is better to guide than to block, which is the great wisdom Li Jingming learned from the Heavenly Dynasty. The Americans once enacted the Volstead Act, also known as the Prohibition, which almost ruined the country. Li Jingming would never think of issuing a "Prohibition on Entertainment." He doesn't have that kind of power. What he can do is to try to make the best use of this trend.

Of course, if you believe all these grand theories, as Master Fan would say, you are being fooled.

Li Jingming's goal is to persuade the older generation at home to give him some convenience. After lying a thousand times, he might even believe it himself. How can he deceive others if he can't deceive himself? Li Jingming can't tell his grandfather, "Old man, I'm tired of scheming and plotting behind the scenes. I've been given a second life, and if I don't show off and become famous, and if I don't date a few beautiful actresses, wouldn't I be wasting the good intentions of the god who sent me back? Give me a few billion dollars and a hundred or so people to be my subordinates."

Even the most enlightened parents couldn't tolerate that. If Li Jingming dared to say such things, his father, Li Rong, would likely become the head of the family clan in a few days, and his grandfather, Li He, would be so angry that he would die.

The scoundrel speaks human language, and the ghost speaks ghost language—that is the true meaning of being a scoundrel.

So when Li Jingming is trying to persuade people, he has two "buffs" like the red and blue buffs in the jungle: "scoundrel" and "ghost."

For example, now, as Li Jingming looks at the four people sitting in the living room, he is preparing to use his scoundrel skills again.

When dealing with the old folks, he naturally has to talk about national righteousness, starting with how great South Korea is and ending with how great the Li family is. After they are satisfied, they will give Li Jingming some benefits to make him happy too. But the four young people in front of him, all in their twenties and from prestigious universities, can only be moved by the promise of a bright future. If Li Jingming guarantees that they can achieve great things and be remembered in history, they will definitely work hard. Koreans place great importance on this, after all, these three people have some Korean blood.

Before coming to Los Angeles, Li Jingming had already explained his plan to them and gave them three days to think about it. The reason for three days is to prevent them from thinking too much. It's best if their blood rushes to their heads and they sign the contract immediately. It can't be too short, or it would seem too casual, making them feel disrespected. Li Jingming and they are friends, after all. He is starting a company and recruiting executives, not opening a hall to recruit subordinates. However, a woman fears marrying the wrong man, and a man fears entering the wrong profession. Li Jingming is confident that these three will come.

Li Jingming, having lived two lives, is already sixty years old. In his previous life, he held a high position and was very skilled at managing people and attracting talent.

Li Jingming's plan is not small, and these three people are determined to make a big move. If they win, they will become business elites and young legends. If they lose, they will only waste a few years and gain experience.

Of the three, two brought their luggage, but only Ahn Hyeon-jean did not. It's not that he wasn't ready to join, but that he hadn't graduated yet. For now, he just needs to stay in the U.S. and take care of the business here. The other two will go to South Korea to lay the foundation for a new empire.

When Li Jingming saw the three come in, he laughed and hugged each of them. Then he took out two plane tickets from his pocket, for a flight from Los Angeles to Incheon in a week, and gave them to Baek Geum-hum and Song Seok-jae. He then took out two keys and threw them to Ahn Hyeon-jean. The keys were for an apartment in Los Angeles and the Aston Martin Li Jingming was driving today.

The two who received the tickets were very happy, feeling that Li Jingming truly understood them and had anticipated everything.

Li Jingming patted Ahn Hyeon-jean's shoulder and said, "This is my cousin, studying at UCLA. You'll mostly stay in Los Angeles, so help me take care of him."

Ahn Hyeon-jean was even more moved. With the cousin of his senior here, and the keys to the Aston Martin and the apartment, the senior's status in Korea is significant. Generally, when a senior asks for something, it must be done. Ahn Hyeon-jean had been in the U.S. for a short time but still had Korean habits and mindset.

"The car is pretty good, use it to show off and attract some beautiful girls. The apartment will come in handy, ha-ha!" Li Jingming tried to act like a good big brother, "But don't get involved with bad people. You have to take care of your own future. If something goes wrong, don't come crying to me."

The first part was a promise of benefits, the second part a warning. Ahn Hyeon-jean, a high achiever from Harvard Business School, couldn't fail to understand.

"Work hard. If you do well in Los Angeles, we seniors will have face. It's all up to you." Li Jingming stopped there, adding, "The senior can only help you so much."

Later, Li Jingming and the three reviewed the plan, mainly focusing on setting up a music company and an independent film company in Los Angeles and recruiting staff. Specific details couldn't be finalized at once, and Li Jingming, in his previous life, wasn't in the entertainment industry, so he was also a beginner. He had long had the idea of getting into entertainment and had been learning about it, but like driving, theoretical knowledge might not be enough, while those who learn by doing might become experts. Li Jingming and his team were feeling their way forward.

After a while, Li Jingming took out a flash drive and gave it to Ahn Hyeon-jean, containing his plans and suggestions. In theory, this flash drive was as valuable as a secret plan in a silk bag.

However, Li Jingming planned to stay in Los Angeles for a few more days before returning to South Korea. They would start the work together. Starting something is always difficult, and Li Jingming himself wasn't confident of success. Relying on Ahn Hyeon-jean alone to do everything would be hard, so he decided to lay the groundwork first. Ahn Hyeon-jean should be able to handle the routine work.

Jin Jae-yong listened to the four discuss the plan again, feeling amazed. It turned out that his cousin's plan to become a star was so ambitious. If successful, it would change the entire landscape of South Korea, and most importantly, it would attract countless young women...

His cousin had never failed before. Jin Jae-yong remembered his cousin's proud demeanor when he won ten consecutive rounds of card games and took away the beef jerky from the other kids, his cousin's dominance at the amusement park when he won all the prizes, and his cousin's invincibility in the rooster fight on the playground. All these memories came flooding back. His cousin could win at rock-paper-scissors, so this plan would surely succeed.

Jin Jae-yong finally understood that his cousin didn't just want to hang out. He wanted Jin Jae-yong to keep an eye on Ahn Hyeon-jean. As a member of a large family, Jin Jae-yong understood more. If the plan succeeded, there would be a chance to become a big player. Such a large enterprise couldn't be entrusted to an outsider.

Jin Jae-yong knew himself. He had no big ambitions, just a love for basketball. He came to the U.S. to chase his basketball dream, working hard to get into UCLA, a powerhouse in college basketball. He planned to play in the university team and try to make it to the NBA. If not, he would become an assistant coach or a scout. His heart was in basketball.

Loving basketball didn't mean he was incompetent in other areas. UCLA isn't easy to get into, and his upbringing had given him a good foundation. Supervising the work was within his capabilities. Being a supervisor wouldn't interfere with his basketball dreams, so Jin Jae-yong immediately agreed. Li Jingming would stay for a few more days, and Jin Jae-yong would follow him to get familiar with everything.

After the discussion, everyone decided to go out and have some fun. Li Jingming wanted to celebrate the birth of his entertainment business. Everyone was excited. Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world, and there's always something to do. They talked about going to a nightclub, but only Song Seok-jae, who had American habits, liked the atmosphere. He was a novice in dating and didn't know how to flirt. The others had no interest in the noisy environment. They talked about going shopping, but as men, five guys going to Rodeo Drive would look gay. They talked about going to Disneyland, but without kids or women, it would be strange. Universal Studios? No way, what's the difference between watching Shrek and Mickey Mouse?

In the end, they decided to go eat and drink. Jin Jae-yong, who still had the taste of a burger in his mouth, was even more resentful. His stomach was only so big, and he regretted drinking that soda.

It wasn't a high-end place, The Original Pantry, but it was delicious and affordable, with a great reputation and high popularity. The first time Li Jingming came, he was surprised. This was the best steak place in Los Angeles? It looked so shabby... It wasn't as bad as he imagined, just a bit old, having been established in 1924.

This steak house could satisfy almost all ages and tastes, including Li Jingming. True foodies don't pretend to seek out obscure or high-end places. Any popular place has its unique strengths. Li Jingming often went to famous restaurants in the Heavenly Dynasty to satisfy his appetite, rarely being disappointed. This place was just as good as Bird's Nest Coffee said: delicious!

There was one more thing: the owner of this restaurant had paid Facebook for online advertising.

Eating is a good way to build relationships. Koreans, Chinese, and Americans all like to talk business over meals. During this meal, Li Jingming introduced Jin Jae-yong to the others, focusing on introducing him to Ahn Hyeon-jean, as they would be working together for a while.