Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2651 Remnants of the Old Era (First Update, Please Subscribe)
Sur, southern Lebanon.

Sur was one of the core cities of the ancient Phoenician civilization, with a history dating back to 2700 BC. It was famous for its maritime trade and purple dyeing techniques, and it was allied with King David of Israel. It was also ruled by Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Alexander the Great, and the Roman Empire on several occasions.

During the Crusades, Sur was captured in 1124 and became an important city in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, where coronation ceremonies were held in the 12th and 13th centuries. Even after Jerusalem was conquered by Saladin, Sur, like Beirut, remained one of the last Christian cities in the land.

"They have lived here for over a thousand years."

Sitting in the car, Randolph looked out at the city and said to his colleague:
“From the Phoenician era to the present, the Romans and the Arabs have conquered them, yet they have stubbornly lived here. I think I can understand why they have persisted here…”

While he was speaking, the cameraman Nasir simply nodded slightly without saying a word. His appearance bore strong traces of Middle Eastern features. He just quietly looked out the car window without uttering a sound.

When the sea breeze blows in from the ocean, it brings with it the laughter of children playing on the beach.

Everything before my eyes seemed somewhat unbelievable, after all, southern Lebanon was one of the regions most severely ravaged by war.

But this city is an exception. Unlike the ruins of other areas, this city is bustling and shows almost no signs of war. Sunlight falls on the Byzantine-style church spires, reflecting an almost false sense of tranquility.

In the past few years, this city has been the only isolated island in this land torn apart by civil war that has not been ravaged by the fighting.

A few years ago, the flames of the Lebanese civil war spread throughout the south. The government forces suffered repeated defeats under the fierce offensive of sectarian militants, who burned, killed, and looted, turning towns and cities into scorched earth.

Just as the militants were forcing the city's government forces into a hasty retreat, Lorenzo Casam stepped forward.

Unlike many others, he came from a wealthy family and had studied in Europe for many years. Shortly after the outbreak of the civil war, he returned to Lebanon from Europe.

He not only brought a large number of sophisticated weapons and equipment, but also hired mercenaries from Europe. Subsequently, he rallied the scattered militia, not only rearmed them, but also trained them accordingly. It was thanks to this that the city was defended.

The sectarian attack was repelled.

After securing the city, Lorenzo did not stop. He launched a counter-offensive with the well-equipped Qassam Brigade, and in three months, pushed the front line dozens of kilometers forward, ultimately controlling several thousand square kilometers of surrounding land.

This area became a refuge for refugees, with crowds fleeing from various sectarian conflict zones in the south flocking here. Lorenzo opened the doors, distributing food, setting up tents, and even organizing temporary schools and hospitals.

In the days when Beirut was still shrouded in war, the city, like Beirut itself, became the last stronghold of Christians and a refuge for many people in the chaos.

Last year, with the intervention of the coalition forces, this civil war, which had lasted for several years, finally took a turn for the better. With air support and ground troops from the coalition, the government forces made rapid advances, recapturing the entire southern Lebanon and defeating the sectarian militias that had been entrenched for many years. Millions of displaced refugees were finally able to return to their homeland, and peace was finally restored to the land of southern Lebanon.

However, beneath the surface of peace, undercurrents never ceased to surge. Although the Lebanese government in Beirut nominally restored its rule over the south, it adopted a tacit attitude towards these warlords who had risen during the civil war. After all, they needed the militias to deal with sectarian armed groups and those outsiders who had usurped their positions.

They acknowledged the existence of Lorenzo and the Casam brigade and allowed him to govern this place and everything here.

Lorenzo Casam naturally became the true master of this ancient seaside town.

American journalist Randolph came specifically to see him, hoping to use his camera to let the United States and even the world know about this man.

Lorenzo himself also took this interview very seriously.

He needs to showcase himself to the international community through various channels, using the camera and words to portray himself as a savior and a hero, thereby building his reputation and paving the way for the future.

Ten minutes before the interview, Lorenzo stood in front of the sink in the bathroom. The man in the mirror was dressed in military uniform and looked no different from an ordinary soldier.

The only difference is the lieutenant colonel rank on the collar insignia, which comes from Beirut's appointment.

Looking at himself in the mirror, he took a deep breath, his chest surging with ambition that had been suppressed for many years—he never wanted just one city, but the whole of Lebanon.

"Don't worry, Father. I will definitely fulfill your dream." After talking to himself, he thought of his father who died in the plane crash. His brows furrowed slightly; even now, he still didn't understand what had happened.

What happened to the plane my father was on? Why did it crash?

Until the black box is found, nothing can be answered.

But his father's death plunged him into a predicament—without external financial support, how long he could hold on was something only God knew.

"Okay, this is a new beginning."

Then I took a deep breath.

Then, the corners of his mouth slowly turned up, forming a standard and appropriate smile. The smile was just right, carrying a touch of gentleness and humility, enough to put anyone who met him for the first time at ease.

After calming himself down, he pushed open the bathroom door and stepped into the living room.

Randolph was already waiting there. As Lieutenant Colonel Kassan approached, the impressions people had made of him before he set off involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

Some say that Kassan was a very classy man, with elegant speech and polite manners; but others privately call him "the butcher" with gritted teeth.

They said that the Qassam Brigade was involved in several massacres during the counter-offensive, including the killing of captured sectarian militants and refugees from abroad.

However, it was all just a rumor, and there was no solid evidence whatsoever.

Regardless of these two evaluations, Lorenzo Caesar was very popular with the public.

After all, the people here crave revenge.

As two completely different assessments intertwined in Randolph's mind, Kassan walked up to him, extended his hand, and smiled:

"Mr. Randolph, welcome."

Randolph stood up, took his hand, and said.

“Mr. Kassan, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

As the two shook hands, the photographer had already set up his camera. Seeing that they were ready, the photographer turned the camera towards them, focusing on their faces so that he could capture both of them simultaneously.

As the interview officially began, no one noticed that the cameraman standing behind the camera subtly changed his expression. His gaze shifted from the lens to Kassan's smiling face, a barely perceptible ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.

At this moment, no one noticed the photographer's unusual behavior, and no one realized that his finger was pressing an inconspicuous black button on the side of the camera body.

The moment the button was pressed, a violent explosion suddenly rang out!
A powerful shockwave erupted from inside the camera, instantly engulfing the entire living room. Amidst the deafening roar, everything in the room was consumed by the raging flames.

Soldiers from the Qassam Brigade, who were on guard duty outside the manor, were thrown to the ground by the blast wave. Their ears were ringing and their vision was blurred by the flying dust.

"How is this going?"

People struggled to look up, only to see a scene of utter devastation—a huge hole had been blown in the roof of the reception room, which was now completely shrouded in smoke and dust.

The location of the reception room is now a ruin.

Within the sectarian-controlled area, upon hearing the news, people fired shots into the air to celebrate the butcher's death, after all, too many of their loved ones had died at his hands.

A few days later, a sectarian armed group claimed responsibility for the assassination. It wasn't just one, but several; after all, Lorenzo was the infamous butcher.

In response, the successor of the Qassam Brigade declared that he would retaliate against them. However, their retaliation remained superficial because they had to face another issue next—Beirut had also shown interest in them. With their key figure gone, the rest was much easier.

In particular, the European mercenaries quickly chose to leave, since without continued funding from their patrons, they could not continue to serve their employers.

The loss of leadership, coupled with the cessation of departmental funding, made it easy for Beirut to incorporate the armed group and regain control of Sur.

In some respects, the Beirut authorities are the biggest beneficiaries.

This has led some people to doubt the authorities, after all, Kassan's death was just too bizarre.

But that doesn't matter, because with Kassan's death, everything ended.

……

it's all over!
Is it all over?

Some people must be dealt with, and they must pay the price; that's how this world works.

Li Yi'an never doubted this, which is why he instructed Hydra to handle the matter.

This was the most devastating blow to Lorenzo. He dreamed of rebuilding the glory of his ancestors.

It's almost like a dream.

"This is just the beginning."

With a cold laugh, Li Yi'an closed the document again.

In a sense, it's all over. As for the so-called Duke, he'll slowly die in prison until he reveals all his secrets.

A few days later, Li Yi'an, who was fishing by the lake, heard footsteps and said:
"sit down."

The man who arrived was Jason. He had just flown in from New York. Now in his thirties, he looked more composed than before.

"dad,"

Jason, as usual, sat down, picked up a fishing rod, and began fishing with his father.

“I remember you used to enjoy fishing with me when we were little, but it seems like you never fish yourself.”

Jason, who had just swung the club, smiled and said:

"Yixuan and the others don't like fishing, so at this time, it's just the two of us..."

Jason's answer made Li Yi'an's heart skip a beat. He turned to look at his son, staring at him for a long while before saying:
"I'm so sorry I haven't spent enough time with you."

Jason hummed in agreement and then said:

“I know, and I understand. I feel the same way myself now, in Brazil, in Chile…”

Then he smiled helplessly, saying that sometimes people end up living the kind of life they don't like.

And so, the father and son sat together by the lake, fishing and chatting, mostly about business. In the end, Li Yi'an asked Lorenzo about it.

Do you know Lorenzo?

"Isn't he the Medici of the Medici family? Why is Father asking about him?"

"I saw this in the news. This person seems interesting. It's a family that has been around for hundreds of years. I heard that his family has had a great influence in the financial world of Europe and America for hundreds of years, is that right?"

"He did have some influence, but he was just a pathetic guy."

Jason said:

"The Medici family, as the Pope's bankers, had a very large influence centuries ago. It was from that time that they deeply penetrated the European financial industry. Both the local financial circles of various countries and the Jews wanted to cooperate with them. After all, they represented the Pope, and they also owned their own city-states. Their influence even reached the Ottomans... But that's all in the past."

Looking at the buoys on the lake, Jason said again:
"His tragedy lies in this: he always thought about restoring his family's past glory. Perhaps he successfully avoided the losses of the war before World War II and gained a great deal of reward, but so what? Times have changed. Besides, if he is not a Medici, how could he possibly be a Medici?"

Li Yi'an nodded slightly at his son's explanation, and then he asked:
"So, what will they do now that this Medici, who is not Medici, is dead?"

He was referring to those who had worked with Lorenzo, and Jason's answer was quite direct:

“Father, Wall Street is a jungle where only wild beasts roam. Even when the king of beasts dies, the other beasts will pounce on it, tear it apart, and devour its carcass. That’s the rule of Wall Street. There is no eternity, only profit. That’s why Lorenzo was eliminated.”

Then, Jason said in a sarcastic tone:
"Not the Medici of Medici... only Europeans would think that so-called title could be passed down for hundreds of years."

Hearing his son's words, Li Yi'an nodded slightly, then wholeheartedly agreed:
"Yes, they are all just remnants of the old era; they will inevitably be eliminated..."

(End of this chapter)