Since we are both reborn, of course I would choose the rich woman!

Chapter 255 Sigh, I'm a little homesick (6k views, please subscribe)

The flight from Sannam International Airport to Silla Seoul takes just over two hours and covers a distance of less than 1,000 kilometers.

If it takes off from Jiaozhou in Shandong Province, the distance is even shorter.

As a result, you can find very authentic Korean food in cities along the Yellow Sea coast in Shandong Province.

This short distance was only enough for Lü Yao to take a nap on the plane.

Back when he was on the verge of bankruptcy before his rebirth, he drove his beat-up Audi wagon from Sangnam, enjoying the ride along the way. He drove for nearly 2,000 kilometers before finally reaching the south side of Dongdaemun University, while Seoul is less than 1,000 kilometers away from Sangnam… Such a short distance made Lü Yao not even realize he had gone abroad until he was about to land.

Not to mention, you can occasionally hear people speaking Chinese in the business class at the back of the flight.

It wasn't until the plane landed and Lu Yao and his group got off that Lu Yao realized—oh, they'd finally gone abroad.

After retrieving their luggage from the baggage carousel, Lü Yao and Jian Xiaojie pushed four fully loaded luggage carts toward the exit.

As soon as they exited the station, Lü Yao and his group saw his and Jian Xiaojie's names among a group of welcome signs.

The people who came to greet them were Xu Shuncai and Guiya, whom they had chatted with on the chat software.

Because Lu Yao and his group had communicated beforehand that there was no need for any special display, Xu Shuncai and Gui Ya were accompanied by a dozen or so men who looked very strong and agile.

Upon seeing Lü Yao and his group in the crowd, Xu Shuncai immediately led his dozen or so men through the crowd to greet them at the exit. As soon as Lü Yao arrived, Xu Shuncai bowed to him with his hands folded in front of him and said, "Hello, Mr. Lü, you must be tired from your journey."

Seeing this setup, Jian Xiaojie couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Doing this? It's a bit over the top."

After Jian Xiaojie pointed it out, Xu Shun suddenly realized and chuckled, "I've been here for too long and I'm not used to it yet."

Lu Yao reached out and laughed, "It is indeed a bit exaggerated. You've been waiting for a long time, haven't you?"

Xu Shuncai laughed heartily and said, "Of course."

As he spoke, he called to his men behind him and said, "Call him General Manager Lü. From now on, he's my boss."

Xu Shuncai spoke in a very serious tone, like a superior giving orders to a subordinate in the military. His strong military aura even made Ni Hui, who came from a military background, squint her eyes slightly.

Xu Shuncai's men immediately followed suit, bowing to Lü Yao and saying, "Hello, President Lü."

This ostentatious scene almost made Lü Yao cringe.

He quickly said with a smile, "Alright, alright, let's get out of here quickly."

A dozen or so men in custom-made suits, looking exceptionally fit and agile, greet you respectfully—this might be filmed and posted online as a joke for a whole year in China, but in places like Shilla or Japan, it's a common courtesy.

Some powerful organization leaders, such as the leaders of the Chilseong faction in Busan and the Yeongdeungpo faction in Seoul, would have dozens of underlings come to greet or see them off when they returned from trips or left their territories.

Although Silla also began to focus on cracking down on organized crime after the turn of the millennium.

However, the methods used here are more about eliminating dissidents and those forces that act too unruly and excessively.

Meanwhile, powerful organizations like Yeongdeungpo and Chilseong are still thriving and have even been rehabilitated into well-known large enterprises in Silla, maintaining close cooperation with local political and business circles.

Having seen such scenes so often, many people at the airport who come to pick up passengers are no longer surprised by it, and there are hardly any people at the airport who take out their phones to secretly take pictures of these things.

With the help of Xu Shuncai's men, the large amount of luggage that Lu Yao and his group brought was properly arranged. Then, a convoy of six Maybachs departed from the airport and headed towards Gangnam District in Seoul.

The terrain in Seoul is similar to that of Chongqing, a mountain city that Lü Yao had visited. The terrain has a great difference in elevation, and a large part of the city is built on the hillside. The roads in the city are also winding and undulating. After the convoy turned around and around, it finally stopped in a residential area where the buildings looked quite artistic.

This residential area is situated high on a small hill, surrounded by private residences with high walls.

The place that Xu Shuncai led Lü Yao and the others to seemed unremarkable at first glance, but once Xu Shuncai opened the main gate of the building's courtyard for Lü Yao and the others, they could see a patch of lush green bamboo adorning the staircase and passageway leading into the building.

Once they reached the top of the staircase, a bright and clear view suddenly opened up before them.

A spacious, verdant lawn appeared before Lü Yao and his companions.

The main building of this residence is located on this green ground.

This is a huge, two-story building with exposed concrete exterior walls adorned with large glass curtain walls and original wood materials, creating a very cool and serene atmosphere, and a mansion full of artistic flair.

Judging from the design style, it has the style of the architectural design master Tadao Ando.

To be honest, this place is pretty good.

But Xu Shuncai apologized, saying, "The conditions here are limited, and we really can't find any decent accommodations. Please make do with this place for now."

Before Lü Yao could speak, Jian Xiaojie commented, "It is indeed a bit average, but you can tell that it was designed with care. The terrain and usable area here are fragmented, but this house thought of leveling the slope and then creating a sense of openness through the contrast of the stairwell landscaping and the spacious courtyard. You can tell that the person who designed this house has a lot of ideas."

Lu Yao really didn't have much artistic talent, so when Jian Xiaojie gave her comments, he could only nod repeatedly and say "Well said."

Jian Xiaojie's words, which started by downplaying the situation and then praised it, put Xu Shuncai at ease.

After settling Lü Yao and the others' belongings, Xu Shun said, "Our people will be stationed here 24 hours a day. I hope you don't mind."

Lü Yao smiled and said, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness."

As he spoke, he called Xu Shuncai and Guiya over, and then took out the things that Qiao Maozhong had asked him to bring from several large suitcases, saying, "These are local specialties from your hometown that Uncle Qiao asked me to bring you."

When Qiao Maozhong saw what Lü Yao took out of his suitcase, his eyes lit up!
Guiya, who had been keeping a straight face and acting even more aloof than Ni Hui, was finally moved and revealed a hint of nostalgia for her hometown, which was mainly expressed in her throat.

Lu Yao took out the soybean paste, pickled cabbage, sausage, pickled vegetables, pickled lemons, and some stir-fry ingredients, then put his hands on his hips and said, "It's all here."

Xu Shuncai rubbed his hands together and laughed when he saw the huge pile of things. "Oh my! I was wondering why Uncle Qiao didn't send me more of the things he sent before. Turns out you brought them over."

Lu Yao laughed and said, "Uncle Qiao said these were all brought from your house; you can't get them anywhere else."

of course.

Uncle Qiao's main purpose in having Lü Yao bring him over was to facilitate Lü Yao's efforts to get closer to Xu Shuncai and the others.

Although Xu Shuncai was tasked with taking care of Lü Yao and the others, a task is a task, and personal relationships are personal relationships. With personal relationships involved, things can be done more flexibly.

Jian Xiaojie hadn't been to the South much. Staring at the jars of various fruits soaking in the water on the table, she asked curiously, "Are these fruits canned?"

Guiya then said, "This is a specialty of my hometown called 'Suanye,' which is made from various fruits or vegetables."

As she spoke, Guiya took out a few bottles from a pile of bottles and jars and said, "These pickled wild vegetables, when mixed with plum powder, licorice powder, chili powder and a little seasoning, will become very delicious."

Jian Xiaojie immediately replied with great interest, "Oh really? Then I'll give it a try!"

Guiya smiled and said, "Okay."

As she spoke, she took some of the pickled fruit from the pile of jars and bottles and started preparing it at the kitchen counter.

In addition, she also picked out fresh sour plums and crisp green mangoes from the pile of local specialties. She crushed the sour plums and then mixed them with sour plum powder, chili powder, licorice powder, and seasonings. The crisp mangoes were light green when cut open and very crisp. After slicing them, she sprinkled them with licorice salt and ate them directly.

After the food was almost ready, Jian Xiaojie took a bite, and her eyes twitched involuntarily the moment the sour fruit entered her mouth.

They were clearly surprised by the complex taste.

Having never tried this flavor before, Jian Xiaojie was a little taken aback by its impact. But once her taste buds adjusted to it, she found it incredibly appealing.

"Hmm~"

Chien Hsiao-chieh nodded repeatedly: "Not bad, it's a very novel flavor."

Guiya smiled as she appreciated the local specialties: "The mango I just gave you was pickled, which had a fairly moderate flavor. The pineapple in this dish is sweeter, and the papaya and star fruit have a stronger flavor."

Jian Xiaojie exclaimed, "Delicious! Delicious!"

Seeing this, Guiya smiled and said, "This is what my mom made herself. It tastes more sweet and sour. The flavor of sour dishes varies greatly from family to family. Some are sweet, some are spicy, and some are sour to the core. But I still prefer the sweet and sour kind."

Jian Xiaojie immediately grabbed a small plate and ran to Lü Yao: "Here, have a taste."

Lü Yao took a bite.

It is indeed crisp, sweet and sour, and very palatable.

Lu Yao had been to southern cities and had tried many of the foods in Guangdong and Guangxi. For Lu Yao, the food in Guizhou Province was better than that in Guangdong Province, especially the white-cut chicken in Guangdong and the chicken flavor that the old Cantonese people talked about. Lu Yao still didn't know what that tasted like.

Perhaps Lü Yao is tongue-tied.

In contrast, Lü Yao's favorite food is actually from Qianzhou Province, especially the chili peppers there. To Lü Yao, the chili peppers from Qianzhou are better than those from Ganzhou, Sichuan, and Hunan.

But Guizhou's pickled wild vegetables are indeed unique.

Seeing that the atmosphere was gradually warming up, Lü Yao suggested with a smile, "Since we have so much delicious food here, why don't we have a meal together here tonight?"

Sharing food is always a joyful experience and the best way to bring people closer together.

Xu Shuncai immediately said excitedly, "That's great! I'll make you some sauerkraut and pork dumplings."

This is considered a famous dish in Northeast China.

Lu Yao also spent some time in Northeast China with a kind older sister from Northeast China who lives in Hainan, and she has always missed the sauerkraut and pork dumplings there.

then.

Lu Yao and his group went to buy ingredients, some became the head chef, and others assisted.

A group of people were busy in the open kitchen of the house, chatting with each other, and the atmosphere among them became exceptionally harmonious. This lively feeling even made Lü Yao feel a little dazed for a moment.

In his many fantasies throughout his past and present lives, this is what the New Year should feel like: everyone gathering together in harmony, chatting, sharing their experiences and delicious food... Unfortunately, before leaving home, every New Year he celebrated was accompanied by his parents arguing.

After he left home, he stopped going home for the New Year. He no longer had his parents arguing, but he also lost the company of his friends and partner.

During the Lunar New Year, all the girls who usually called him "brother" or "older brother" would either go abroad for travel or go back to their hometowns to visit relatives and friends, leaving Lü Yao all alone in the deserted city.

Actually, when he was in China, he often had meals with Rong Nianqing, Gan Xiaoxi and others. At that time, Lü Yao would not have had so many feelings.

Perhaps it's because I've just arrived in a strange place and met people from the same place that I don't know very well, that I've become so sentimental.

After a flurry of activity, Lü Yao and his team worked from three or four in the afternoon until after six in the evening to prepare everything.

Pork and sauerkraut dumplings, Guiya's lemon duck, Lü Yao's home-style dishes, and Jian Xiaojie's "Wow wow wow~" made this meal not only delicious and visually appealing, but also full of emotional value.

Opening a beer also produced by Dongda University, Lü Yao raised his beer glass and shouted, "Cheers!"

Xu Shuncai and Guiya cheered and raised their beer glasses.

A refreshing beer paired with a steaming hot sauerkraut and pork dumpling—the taste is something you can't understand until you try it. It's so delicious that everyone can't help but let out a satisfied sigh.

Seeing the almost identical expressions on everyone's faces, Xu Shuncai's expectations were greatly satisfied, and a kind smile appeared on his bronze face: "In my hometown, there's a saying that dumplings go well with wine, and the more you drink, the better!"

He then ate a dumpling and raised his glass again: "Cheers!"

"Dry!"

After a few rounds of drinks, everyone sat in the spacious and atmospheric living room. The front of the living room had a huge floor-to-ceiling window, which offered a clear view of the green lawn outside. The green lawn, combined with the carefully planted greenery around it, looked very elegant and was perfect for relaxing.

Slightly drunk, Xu Shun tugged at his collar, looked out the French windows, and suddenly sighed, his expression turning somewhat melancholy.

Lu Yao asked, "Brother Cai, what's wrong?"

Guiya said on his behalf, "He's probably homesick."

Although Silla is closer to the northeast from a land perspective, it is closer to Luju province in a straight line.

Having been here for so long, the food and drinks are all different from those in my hometown. The difference in taste is so hard to ignore that every now and then, my longing for my hometown grows stronger.

Xu Shun let out a breath and forced a smile: "Yeah, I'm a little homesick."

Seeing the low spirits emanating from Xu Shuncai and Guiya, Lü Yao understood that because life here was dangerous, stressful, and even shady, they were more homesick than ordinary travelers.

Lu Yao didn't know how to comfort the two of them, nor did he know what arrangements Uncle Qiao and Uncle Li had made for them.

So I could only keep urging them to drink.

But as they drank more, Xu Shun waved his hand and said, "President Lü really can't drink anymore. It's not that I'm being stubborn, it's just that I can't drink too much. I have a mission to complete."

Having said that, Lü Yao naturally stopped trying to persuade him.

Around 8 o'clock, Xu Shuncai and Gui Ya left the residence together. The dozen or so men he brought with him dispersed into the surrounding area. His two most capable men stayed in the servants' quarters to keep an eye on Lü Yao and the others.

As for the servants here, Xu Shuncai said before leaving that he was delayed because of the background check, but he could arrange for someone to come over by the day after tomorrow at the latest.

However, Ni Hui rejected this arrangement.

Even after conducting a thorough investigation, she didn't want outsiders to frequently come and go from here. They could handle the daily chores themselves, so Xu Shun finally agreed to this.

On their first night in Silla, Lü Yao and Jian Xiaojie weren't in much spirits (there's a typo here), so after quickly finishing up their chores, they went back to their rooms to rest.

The building has more than a dozen rooms on two floors, including the master bedroom, guest rooms, and servants' quarters, which is more than enough for their group to live in.

Back in his chosen room, Lü Yao took out his phone and sent a message to Li Rongzhen: "I've settled in at Silla."

Lee Yong-jin replied almost instantly: "I received news of your arrival in Silla, but I don't know your address yet, so I can't visit you."

Lu Yao replied with a smile, "No need. It's better for us to keep our distance. If there's anything that needs to be discussed in person, we should arrange it in advance and try to avoid being seen by others."

Li Rongzhen replied, "I understand."

Lu Yao finally replied, "Then I'll rest now. Contact me if anything comes up."

Li Rongzhen: "Okay."

After sending a message to Li Rongzhen, Lü Yao sent another message to Wang Shu, asking how her evening went and if she was alright.

He sent messages to Wang Shu and Rong Nianqing to let them know he was safe as soon as his plane landed. Now that he's completely settled, he's letting Wang Shu know as well.

Wang Shu quickly replied, "I'm fine, it's just that I'm suddenly all alone at home again, and I'm not used to that empty feeling."

So this is what it feels like to be home alone.

While texting with Lü Yao, Wang Shu suddenly thought of Lü Yao during the Chinese New Year... At that time, the entire city of Shangnan was almost empty. How miserable must Lü Yao have been in such an empty city?

wrong.

He probably isn't alone...

Wang Shu knew that, at least during last year's Spring Festival, Lin Yongzhen was with Lü Yao.

Lu Yao was not only texting Wang Shu, but also Rong Nianqing, and even Gan Xiaoxi, Cheng Xinyu, and Zhou Bella.

So sometimes, when you have many women around you, it can be a very arduous task to take care of them all.

After finishing his conversation with everyone, Lü Yao noticed that it was almost 10 o'clock.

"call--"

Lu Yao let out a long sigh, threw himself heavily onto the bed, and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Lu Yao, who had just arrived in Silla, fell into a deep sleep, but his arrival made many people toss and turn, especially in Silla and Seoul. People in this place don't usually sleep much. They work overtime until nine or ten o'clock, then go out for team building and drinking, and after drinking, they go to karaoke or have some fun around midnight.

Therefore, you can often see gyms here that are still open at two or three in the morning.

When Lü Yao landed in Silla, news of his arrival quickly reached Samsung's Lee Jae-young and other Silla chaebol owners.

Most business owners didn't have any particular thoughts about Lu Yao's arrival, and even those who did were mostly thinking about whether there could be some cooperation. However, among all the chaebol groups in Seoul, there were three groups of people who were most concerned about Lu Yao's arrival.

All three groups share the surname Li.

One of these groups was naturally Li Rongzhen, who had reached a cooperation agreement with Lü Yao.

The other group consists of Lee Yong-jin's current rivals, Lee Jae-young, the biggest competitor for the Samsung Group's assets.

The other group consists of owners from the CJ Group.

Lee Mong-seok, the founder of CJ Group, and the former owner of Samsung were brothers. As the older brother of the former owner of Samsung, the founder of CJ Group was the eldest son of Lee Byung-gil, the founder of Samsung Group. Initially, Samsung Group was also meant to be handed over to him.

Later, this former Samsung heir was stripped of his management power by his father due to mismanagement that led to losses at Cheil Sugar. Subsequently, Lee Geon-seok became the de facto successor, and the Lee Maeng-hee faction was gradually marginalized. Ultimately, he inherited the Cheil Sugar Plant, formerly part of the Samsung Group, which was later renamed CJ Group.

Today, CJ Group is doing quite well in Silla. Although CJ Group is not among the top ten chaebols, its continued growth shows that Lee Meng-seok may not have been so bad back then. The so-called mismanagement and the subsequent raw material smuggling incident were just inevitable events in the struggle for family succession.

The former owner of Samsung is now lying in the hospital like a living dead, while the owner of CJ Group is also terminally ill and barely clinging to life.

However, the owner of CJ Group is still paying close attention to many things happening right now.

Especially those related to Samsung.

Because of his lung cancer treatment, Li Mengxi, the owner of CJ Group, is currently lying in Dongda Jingcheng Hospital. Since he is at Dongda, he knows more or less about Lü Yao and what kind of entity is behind Lü Yao.

So when Lu Yao fell out with Samsung and then appeared in Silla with the intention of investing and developing in Silla, the terminally ill Lee Meng-seok sent a message to his son Lee Jae-hyun.

Hopefully, he can contact Lü Yao's side to see if there's any opportunity for cooperation.

If we can use Lü Yao's help to defeat Samsung, we are willing to give him our full support, even if it means giving him half or more of Samsung's assets.

So many years have passed...

Li Mengxi still harbors resentment over what happened back then.

Over the years, he and the Samsung Group have been locked in a fierce battle, and the original Cheil Sugar Factory has become the thriving CJ Group... Yet he still cannot let go of the fact that his brother took the Samsung Empire from him.

just now.

What happened to their generation has happened to Lee Geon-seok's descendants again. Perhaps this is retribution!

And this is very likely his last chance.

If he could see Samsung return to his hands in his lifetime... even if he died right after getting it, he would be content.

Li Mengxi's obsession was so strong that the pressure he exerted even made his son, Li Zaixian, feel uncomfortable.

But it is precisely at times like these that we must remain calm.

In any case, it can’t hurt to get to know them first.

(End of this chapter)