Great Power Reclamation

Chapter 2912 It's Really Not My Fault
The script for "A Taste of Love" has finally been finalized thanks to screenwriter Wang's tireless work. Old Wang has lost quite a bit of hair.

However, Ye Yuze was very satisfied. The consequence of his satisfaction was a generous manuscript fee, which allowed him to continue working on the set with a monthly salary of 50,000 yuan. Editor Wang was overjoyed, thinking that losing his hair was truly worthwhile, as every single strand had a price.

Ye Yuze waved his hand and issued the order to assemble the film crew, with only one purpose:
Not aiming for the best, but for the most expensive; the lineup must be luxurious, all to support my goddaughter Park Soo-ah!

The news sent shockwaves through the South Korean entertainment industry once again. Despite the immense controversy, Ye Yuze's offer was simply... too tempting! So tempting that many A-list stars temporarily forgot their "nationalistic sentiments" and began secretly contacting the production team.

Of course, there are some "tough nuts" who have publicly stated that they will refuse to participate, and even called for a boycott.

But Ye Yuze didn't care at all. He said to the assistant director in charge of casting (who was also a trusted confidant brought in from China):

"What are you afraid of? With money, you're not worried about not being able to hire people! Tell those who are hesitant, the pay will be doubled! Tell those who are boycotting, they won't get any advertising endorsements from Warrior Group or Samsung from now on!"

The money and the stick approach had an immediate effect. Soon, a national treasure-level veteran actor (given the tripled salary and the historically accurate script) agreed to play the role of the elder royal chef.

Several popular and talented middle-aged actors (after much deliberation, mainly due to the exorbitant salaries and the possibility of a Samsung endorsement) played important supporting roles.

Even the director was a renowned South Korean director known for his beautiful visuals and delicate storytelling (the temptation of an unlimited budget was simply too great).

The production team was thus assembled amidst controversy and a flurry of cash. The cast was so impressive that the entire media was speechless…

The power of capital was revealed to be immense at this moment, while those so-called bottom lines were worthless and utterly defeated.

Ye Yuze was very happy and satisfied. He smiled at everyone, and as a result of his happiness, the boxed lunches were upgraded several levels.

The atmosphere at the press conference was extremely strange. The questions from the media reporters in the audience were increasingly sharp and volatile.

The creators on stage kept their eyes down, either reciting prepared platitudes about "promoting cultural exchange" or simply pretending to be clueless.

Only Park Soo-ah was so nervous that her face turned pale and her palms were sweaty. She answered the questions by relying entirely on what Ye Yuze had taught her beforehand: "smile, bow, say thank you for your concern, and I will try my best."

Ye Yuze didn't attend the press conference at all; he was leisurely in the makeshift "boss's lounge" next to the film set, commenting on things in front of the monitor screen.

"Hmm, this veteran actor is good, he has style! That second male lead's eyes are a bit wandering, tell the director to keep a close eye on him... Oh my, my Xiaoya looks quite lovely in her palace maid look today!"

Yang Geyong chimed in, "Old Ye, you're not an investor, you're practically an emperor emeritus! Remotely monitoring filming, only you could pull that off."

"Nonsense, I invested the money, can't I even take a look?" Ye Yuze said matter-of-factly.

Filming has officially begun, and there are many interesting stories to tell.

One scene depicts the early days of chili peppers when they were first introduced to Korea.

The props team prepared dried chili peppers, and screenwriter Wang strictly followed the historical research, requiring the actors to portray the process of "curiosity - trying - being spicy - shock - actually tasting good".

The actor playing the royal chef was a skilled actor, and everything went very well until he took a bite of a real chili pepper (Ye Yuze insisted on using real ones). He was so overwhelmed by the spiciness that he forgot all about his acting, tears and snot streaming down his face. He ran around the set looking for water, and instead of his lines, he uttered various Korean exclamations and groans.

The director was about to yell "cut," but Ye Yuze, watching from behind the monitor, slapped his thigh:
"Great! That reaction is realistic! Better than acting! Tell the director, this take is good! Use this one!"

Thus, the film preserved a precious scene of a top Korean actor being tortured by chili peppers, resulting in a hilarious comedic effect.

There's another scene where Park Soo-ah plays a young apprentice learning to make dumplings (called "bianshi" in the drama), but she always manages to make them wrong, with the filling leaking out everywhere.

This scene required Park Soo-ah to portray clumsiness and frustration.

As a result, Park Soo-ah was so nervous that she had to do more than ten takes. She was so anxious that she almost cried. Her pitiful and helpless appearance was completely natural and she didn't need to act at all.

Ye Yuze, watching from the monitoring room, was overjoyed and said to the person next to him:
"See that? That's talent! The emotion is spot on!"

Director: "...Mr. Ye, she really can't wrap it properly..."

Ye Yuze: "That's exactly what I want! Perfect!"

Throughout the filming process, Ye Yuze completely let loose and took his nouveau riche lifestyle to the extreme.

The crew ate Michelin-starred meals every day, and their afternoon tea consisted of snacks flown in from Hong Kong.

The RVs where the actors rest are all top-of-the-line. If the weather gets a little hot, a dozen large air conditioners are immediately brought in to blow air onto the set.

Park Soo-ah enjoys "princess" treatment, with a private RV, assistants, and a stylist team that is even more extravagant than the female lead's.

This "not treating money like money" attitude quickly spread throughout the South Korean entertainment industry.

This time, it wasn't just the actresses who were affected; many male actors who considered themselves good-looking also began to look at Ye Yuze with a somewhat subtle change in their gaze.

Those female celebrities who had previously hesitated or even avoided Ye Yuze due to the controversy are now filled with regret. They are now using all their skills and methods to try and get close to him.

Some people came under the guise of discussing the script to "seek advice."

There were "chance encounters" at the restaurants Ye Yuze frequented.

There were even more direct ones, like knocking on the hotel room door at night (although Ye Yuze's penthouse suite was inaccessible to most people)...

Ye Yuze initially found it quite novel and watched their performance with amusement.

Although he had no romantic intentions, being surrounded and flattered by a group of beautiful women, the feeling of being the center of attention, did make him feel quite giddy.

He even deliberately showed a little "interest" in certain actresses on some occasions, watching them fight and compete for his attention, finding it more interesting than watching palace dramas.

Yang Geyong would occasionally come to "inspect" the scene, clicking his tongue in amazement at the sight:

"Old Ye, have you fallen into a spider's web? Can you handle it? Do you want me to help you out?"

Ye Yuze laughed and cursed, "Get lost! What haven't I seen? You think you can break through my fortress with these little sugar-coated bullets?"

Even so, being surrounded by such people every day, hearing soft words and smelling fragrant breezes, Ye Yuze was, after all, a normal man, and it was inevitable that the little flame in his heart would start to stir.

Several times, I almost lost control, especially with that female star known for her "sexy and bold" attitude, whose advances were particularly fierce, and I almost succeeded in getting her.

Park Soo-ah saw all of this.

The little girl's feelings became increasingly complicated. At first, she felt gratitude and admiration, but gradually, she developed feelings of dependence and filial piety.

Seeing those glamorous female celebrities fawning over her sugar daddy made her inexplicably uncomfortable, like someone else eyeing her most beloved toy.

She started finding various excuses to get closer to Ye Yuze, bringing him homemade lunches (though they tasted so-so), reporting on the filming progress, and even clumsily trying to interrupt her godfather's "conversation" with those actresses.

Whenever Ye Yuze talks to a female celebrity for a little longer, her little mouth pouts so much it could hang an oil bottle. Although Ye Yuze sometimes thinks this little girl is a bit too controlling, he mostly finds it amusing, seeing it as his daughter's "possessiveness" towards her father, and he quite enjoys it, occasionally teasing her on purpose.

"Xiaoya, what do you think of that Miss Cui? Isn't she very pretty?"

Park Soo-ah immediately pouted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on and said angrily:
"Dad! She's obviously had plastic surgery! And her acting is terrible! Last time she had to do over ten takes!"

Ye Yuze laughed heartily.

However, even the best can stumble, and at a celebratory banquet, Ye Yuze, having successfully completed a certain phase of filming, generously booked an entire upscale club to celebrate.

For a time, the air was filled with clinking glasses and boisterous laughter. Those scheming actresses seized the opportunity to take turns toasting Ye Yuze and sending him flirtatious glances.

Park Soo-ah was also given a few drinks, and her face was flushed.

Looking at her godfather, who was surrounded and laughing heartily, and then at the women who were practically clinging to him, she felt her jealousy and resentment reach their peak.

Suddenly, she mustered her courage, grabbed a glass of wine, rushed over, pushed through the crowd, and shouted at Ye Yuze:

"Dad! I toast you! Thank you!" After saying that, he tilted his head back and downed a glass of strong liquor, choking and tears streaming down his face.

Everyone was stunned. Ye Yuze was also startled and quickly helped her up:
"Oh, you silly child, if you can't drink, then don't drink!"

Fueled by alcohol, Park Soo-ah grabbed Ye Yuze's arm and, in a daze, announced to the stunned female celebrities around them:

"This is my father! You...you are not allowed to take him!"

The scene became quite awkward. Ye Yuze, feeling a bit embarrassed, quickly tried to smooth things over:

"Haha, the kid's had too much to drink, too much to drink..."

She quickly had her assistant take Park Soo-ah, who was already unsteady on her feet, back to her hotel room to rest.

The celebration banquet ended hastily. Ye Yuze was a bit flustered and had drunk quite a bit. When his assistant helped him back to his suite, he was already dazed with intoxication.

He vaguely remembered falling onto the bed, and then... it seemed like someone came in... was it Park Soo-ah? Didn't she go home drunk?

...(800 words omitted here, describing a chaotic process haunted by intoxication and possibly deliberately reversed)...

The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, Ye Yuze was awakened by a headache.

He sat up, rubbing his temples, and was about to call his assistant for water when he suddenly realized that there was someone sleeping next to him!

Her long, black hair was spread out on the pillow, revealing a delicate and familiar profile—who else could it be but Park Soo-ah?!

When he lifted the blanket again... Ye Yuze's head buzzed, as if struck by lightning!

Finished!

It's all over!
Ye Yuze, with his illustrious reputation and impeccable chastity (at least during his time in Korea), actually... actually... slept with a young girl while drunk?! What the hell is this?!
While he was reeling from the shock and self-reproach, Park Soo-ah woke up.

She blinked her big, hazy eyes, and when she saw Ye Yuze beside her, she was stunned for a moment, then her face instantly turned bright red, like a ripe apple.

She suddenly pulled the blanket over her head and let out a whimper of extreme embarrassment:

"Waaah... Father..."

This cry of "Father" made Ye Yuze feel even more ashamed, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into!

This is even more upsetting than being swindled out of a billion by a business rival!
"Xiao... Xiaoya... I... we..." Ye Yuze stammered, he had never been so embarrassed in his life.

Park Soo-ah mumbled from under the covers, "...It's...I came here on my own...It's not Dad's fault..."

Ye Yuze: "???" (Was it not me who acted recklessly while drunk?)

It turned out that after Park Soo-ah was sent back to her room, the effects of the alcohol subsided a little, but jealousy and a strange impulse made her secretly run back.

Seeing Ye Yuze completely drunk and unconscious, she didn't know where she got the courage... so she... (500 words of Park Soo-ah's active thoughts and actions are omitted here)...

After listening to the stammering, fragmented narration, Ye Yuze was completely petrified. He hadn't been forced into a relationship?! And by his own goddaughter?!
This is fucking... this is fucking...

Looking at Park Soo-ah, who was huddled under the covers with only her eyes showing, her gaze filled with shyness, fear, a hint of smugness, and determination, Ye Yuze was completely speechless.

Curse? How could I curse? Hit? Even less likely!

Oh no, this is a huge mess.

Ye Yuze, a seasoned businessman for decades, had never suffered such a loss! This was simply the biggest Waterloo of his life!
"You...you should get dressed and go back to your room...let me have some peace and quiet..."

Ye Yuze waved his hand weakly, feeling as if he had aged ten years overnight.

Park Soo-ah obediently (even a little excitedly) put on her clothes, and before leaving, she quickly kissed Ye Yuze on the cheek before running away with a blush on her face.

Ye Yuze was left alone on the bed, looking at the messy sheets, and was plunged into a deep, indignant, and slightly... indescribable feeling of lingering reminiscence.

He sadly discovered that on his trip to South Korea, he hadn't enjoyed the kimchi or the dumplings, and in the end... he had actually gotten himself into trouble!
Moreover, it happened in such an unexpected way that left him both amused and exasperated.

"Yang Geyong! I'm not finished with you!"

Ye Yuze let out a silent roar at the air. It all stemmed from that bastard's terrible idea!

At that moment, Yang Geyong, who was enjoying breakfast with Li Damei, suddenly sneezed twice.

"Who's thinking about me?" He rubbed his nose and said to Li Damei, "It's probably Old Ye, he's probably feeling great right now. I need to call and ask about the situation!"

Li Damei took an elegant sip of coffee, smiled slightly, and had a deep look in her eyes, as if she had already seen through everything.

However, she glared at Yang Geyong and said, "I'm warning you, you're not allowed to have a second woman in South Korea, or I'll kill you!"

Yang Geyong got angry, grabbed her, and without caring that they were eating, cursed:
"I'll kill you first! No, I'll make you wish you were dead..."

The sun was shining warmly outside the window, but the room was so hot it would melt a living person...

(End of this chapter)