Great Power Reclamation

Ye Yuze put away his phone and looked at the table full of red and white so-called "Korean food" soaking in various broths. His brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly.

Having traveled extensively and tasted food all over the world, he considered himself highly adaptable to various cuisines. However, after several days of facing a food culture that featured almost no stir-fried dishes and mostly pickled, cold, and raw ingredients, emphasizing "original flavor and original taste," his Chinese stomach finally began to protest strongly.

"Axi..."

Ye Yuze subconsciously uttered a Korean phrase he had just learned, which sounded like an interjection, his tone filled with helplessness and disdain.

He missed the large chunks of hand-pulled mutton from the military reclamation city, the fragrant baked buns from northern Xinjiang, and even the sickeningly salty dumpling soup his father used to make. At least that was hot and juicy!

He got up in anger and decided to rely on himself to find something that conformed to normal human dietary understanding.

He vaguely remembered that there was a place called "Myeongdong" where there were many tourists and the food was probably varied.

Wandering through the bustling streets, you see rows and rows of cosmetics stores and trendy clothing stores, but you can't find a single restaurant that looks like a proper place to cook a meal.

Fried chicken? Forget it, it'll give me a sore throat.

Army stew? I've heard its origins aren't exactly honorable, so I'm not interested.

Ginseng chicken soup? It looks bland and watery.

Just when he was about to despair, his eyes suddenly lit up!
Ahead, on an inconspicuous sign, was a picture of a plate of plump, white dumplings that looked like gold ingots!
The first line is in Korean, and the second line is in English: "Korea Traditional Mandu (韩国传统饺子)".

"dumpling!"

Ye Yuze almost burst into tears; it was truly like meeting an old friend in a foreign land! Although the prefix "Korea Traditional" made his heart skip a beat, his homesickness instantly overwhelmed all the slight discomfort.

Who cares, as long as it's dumplings!
He strode into the small shop, which was clean and tidy. He pointed directly at the signboard and held up two fingers: "Two of these."

The proprietress was a little indifferent, but she still quickly brought out two plates of steamed dumplings.

Ye Yuze couldn't wait to pick one up, blow on it, and take a bite...

Then, his expression froze.

What...what is this thing?!
The skin is quite thin, but the filling...

A sweet, sour, and slightly tangy flavor, mixed with some kind of unidentified vermicelli and finely chopped kimchi, completely overturned his perception that dumplings should be savory.

It feels like expecting a shot of strong Erguotou liquor, but instead you drink a glass of vinegar mixed with sugar.

Ye Yuze forced himself to swallow, his expression shifting unpredictably.

He looked around and saw the posters and text on the wall, and the more he looked, the more something seemed wrong.

The painting emphasizes the "Korean tradition" of dumplings and even includes the note, "We are about to apply for World Intangible Cultural Heritage status for our traditional dish, Mandu!"

A surge of evil fire shot up to the top of Ye Yuze's head.

Pointing to the dumplings, he asked the proprietress in as little English as possible, "This... is Korean traditional?"

The proprietress nodded proudly: "Yes! (Yes! Our traditional food)."

Did you know that dumplings originated in China?

Ye Yuze blurted out in Chinese, only to realize afterward that the other person might not understand.

Sure enough, the proprietress looked bewildered, but seeing Ye Yuze's bad expression, she guessed it wasn't anything nice. Her tone hardened, and she mumbled a string of Korean words while pointing repeatedly at the "World Heritage Application" poster on the wall, her attitude quite agitated.

The diners at the next table also looked over, their eyes filled with hostility.

Ye Yuze could no longer contain his anger. The frustration of eating kimchi these past few days, the disappointment with food, coupled with this blatant theft, completely broke down the defenses of this usually cheerful and playful old man.

He slammed his hand on the table (of course, controlling the force so as not to break it), jumped up, and roared in his heavily accented but remarkably clear Mandarin:
"Bullshit! Have you no shame?! You invented dumplings? Why don't you just say the whole world was invented by Korea?! Shouldn't the sun pay you patent fees too? Seriously..."

His shout silenced the shop instantly.

Although most Koreans didn't fully understand his question, which was rich in the folk philosophy of northern China, they were very familiar with the phrase "Ashiba," and coupled with his angry expression and table-slamming gesture, even a fool would know that he was cursing.

The proprietress screamed. Several burly male diners who had been eating (presumably from nearby shops) immediately surrounded her, their faces fierce, shouting, "?!" (What?!) "!" (Chinese bastards!)

It looked like the action was about to begin.

Ye Yuze looked at the three or four people who had surrounded him, and instead of being angry, he laughed. Good grief, they can't win in business, they can't win at dinner, now they want to fight?
He is a genuine successor of Bajiquan, and back in the day, he was invincible in the surrounding area of ​​Junken City. Although he is getting older, he has never given up his kung fu.

Yang Geyong prefers straightforward clashes of force, while Ye Yuze excels at short-range, precise strikes, using skill to overcome overwhelming force.

The first man who rushed over reached out to grab his collar.

Ye Yuze neither dodged nor avoided, but with a quick flick of his left hand, he pulled the man down, tripping him slightly. The man immediately felt a tremendous force coming from his arm, and he lost his balance, crying out "Ouch!" as he fell forward, landing face-first in the dirt.

Seeing this, the second man threw a punch. Ye Yuze dodged slightly to the side, and with his right palm, he gently lifted and tapped the man's elbow joint. The man's entire arm immediately felt numb and sore, and he screamed as he shrank back.

The third one was a little smarter and picked up the wooden chair next to him.

Ye Yuze's eyes flashed with a fierce light. Instead of retreating, he advanced, instantly closing in on the other person. Before the chair could be swung, a simple and powerful elbow strike landed on the other person's chest.

With a muffled thud, the man and his chair tumbled backward, clutching his chest and struggling to breathe for a long time.

In the blink of an eye, all three burly men were lying down.

Ye Yuze clapped his hands, straightened his clothes, and remained calm and composed. He glanced around; everyone else in the store and the security guards who had just arrived were stunned, and no one dared to step forward.

He walked up to the stunned proprietress, pulled out a few US dollars from his wallet, slapped them on the table, and said in English:
"The cost of the meal. Also, I suggest you switch to selling kimchi; don't insult dumplings."

After saying that, he walked out of the "traditional Mandu" shop with his head held high and chest out, amidst a sea of ​​horrified gazes.

As Ye Yuze walked out onto the street, a gentle breeze blew, and his anger subsided considerably; in fact, he found it rather amusing.

At my age, I'm still arguing with a small restaurant; I'm really getting more and more out of touch with reality.

But who is Ye Yuze? He's never one to suffer in silence. He took out his phone and called Ye Feng. "Hello, it's me. Look up a place in Myeongdong, Seoul, called... oh, I don't remember the name, anyway, it's some run-down shop that claims dumplings are a Korean tradition and is even applying for UNESCO World Heritage status."

"Yes, find out all the information about its supply chain, landlord, hygiene, etc. And give it some 'advertising' to make it famous."

Ye Yuze's methods were certainly not as simple as street fighting.

In the following days, negative stories about the store began to circulate wildly online and in tabloids.

Using expired ingredients, falsifying hygiene ratings, tax evasion, and even the owner's wife's son-in-law being suspected of being a member of a cult... the truth and the lies mixed together have an astonishing impact.

Meanwhile, Brother Investment's affiliated companies in South Korea used some minor business tactics, such as "advising" landlords not to renew leases or "reminding" food suppliers to be cautious about cooperating with them.

Less than a week later, the restaurant that had once been "ambitious" enough to apply for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status for dumplings quietly closed down amidst a mess.

Of course, all of this was done flawlessly, making it seem like a self-inflicted business failure.

Meanwhile, Yang Geyong and Li Damei were busy with business at Samsung headquarters. The well-informed Li Damei soon heard about the Myeongdong "dumpling restaurant incident" and the subsequent mysterious closure of the restaurant. After a quick investigation, she sensed something familiar.

She told Yang Geyong the story as a joke: "Your son, Ye Yuze, caused a restaurant to go bankrupt because he didn't like a bowl of dumplings. That old man has quite the temper."

After hearing this, Yang Geyong was first stunned, then slapped his thigh and laughed uncontrollably:

"Hahaha! As expected of him! This old bastard must have been feeling frustrated eating kimchi these past few days, so he's just looking for an excuse to vent his anger! But those Koreans deserve it too, claiming everything as theirs, they need to be taught a lesson!"

After laughing, Yang Geyong stroked his chin, his eyes turning somewhat lewd:
"But then again, it's normal for Old Ye to be irritable, wandering around here all by himself, not eating or sleeping well. How about... we help him cool down?"

Li Damei, being so clever, immediately understood Yang Geyong's meaning and playfully slapped him:
"What are you thinking? Someone like Mr. Ye wouldn't be interested in those..."

“Hey~” Yang Geyong interrupted her, “You just don’t understand. Old Ye looks serious, but he’s actually a bit of a flirt at heart, just a repressed flirt!”

"I used to be quite the ladies' man when I was younger. Now that I'm older, I need to make sure it's consensual and the atmosphere is right. Isn't South Korea known for its thriving entertainment industry?"

"Find someone clean, pretty, and sensible to chat with, take you sightseeing, and introduce you to the local customs and culture. Just think of it as hiring a high-class tour guide! What if Old Ye is happy?"

Li Damei thought about it and felt that although the idea was a bit far-fetched, it seemed to be a way to express "hostly hospitality" and could also ease Ye Yuze's bad impression of South Korea.

As the chairwoman of Samsung, she naturally comes into contact with more than just ordinary entertainment companies.

“Okay, I’ll have my secretary arrange it. JYP has a few trainees who are exceptionally talented, haven’t debuted yet, and are very clean-cut. One of them is named Park Soo-ah; she has a very pure and innocent aura, and I heard she’s even learning Chinese.”

"Okay, okay! This Park Ya-ya is the one! Arrange it! If there's another suitable one, arrange one for me too!"

Yang Geyong made the final decision, smiling like a pimp who had successfully pulled off a matchmaking scheme.

Li Damei kicked out, but how fast did Yang Geyong react? He caught the kick and pressed down on her.

"You donkey..."

The sound was barely uttered before it was muffled, leaving only a suspicious commotion that left much to the imagination…

Ye Yuze was strolling aimlessly along the Han River, pondering whether he should risk trying the supposedly "energizing" loach soup for his next meal, when he received a call from Yang Geyong.

"Old Ye, where are you? I've found you a super guide, absolutely professional, absolutely eye-catching, guaranteed to give you a deep understanding of Korean culture!"

Yang Geyong's voice betrayed an barely suppressed wicked chuckle.

Ye Yuze knew his old buddy all too well; he could tell from the tone that he was up to no good.

"Get lost! I don't have time to waste on your nonsense."

"No! The person has already been sent to you and is waiting in your hotel lobby! She's just showing her affection; don't scare her off. Enjoy yourself! Remember, go deep, you must have a deep conversation!"

Yang Geyong hung up the phone as soon as he finished speaking.

Ye Yuze cursed and intended to go straight back to his room, but somehow he ended up in the hotel lobby.

Sure enough, a girl was sitting quietly on the sofa in the rest area.

She was about eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing a simple white dress, with long, straight black hair, snow-white skin, and delicate features like a porcelain doll. Her eyes held a hint of nervousness and shyness as she nervously twisted her fingers.

Seeing Ye Yuze approach (Yang Geyong had obviously sent the photo), she immediately stood up, bowed very respectfully at a ninety-degree angle, and said in broken, but surprisingly cute, Chinese:
“Mr. Ye…Hello. My name is Park Soo-ah. Please, please take care of me.”

Ye Yuze was stunned. This...this was completely different from the worldly-looking "hostess" he had imagined. This was clearly a sweet girl next door, and a well-behaved one at that, who was also a good student.

Although Ye Yuze has reformed himself in recent years, he still quite likes this type. He is different from Yang Geyong.

Yang Geyong likes spirited horses, but he has always liked people who evoke his protective instincts.

He was momentarily at a loss for words. Should he scold Yang Geyong for being ridiculous? He couldn't bring himself to get angry at such a timid little girl.

"Ahem... Hello."

Ye Yuze tried to keep his tone gentle, "Did Li Damei send you?"

"Yes...yes."

Park Soo-ah answered softly, her face slightly flushed, "The president said you need a guide. I... I'm learning Chinese, and I hope I can... be of help to you."

She clearly knew the task, but acted very simply and formally, more like a social practice.

Ye Yuze chuckled. What was Yang Geyong up to? Sending over such a naive girl.

He was bored anyway, so he nodded: "Alright, then you can come with me for a walk. Don't be nervous, I won't eat you."

So, for the next few days, Ye Yuze had a little follower around him.

Park Soo-ah was indeed very responsible. Although her Chinese wasn't fluent, she tried her best to express herself and took Ye Yuze to some less touristy areas, explaining some historical anecdotes (although Ye Yuze had serious doubts about some of the "history"). (End of Chapter)