Chapter 278

Chapter 278

Somehow, there are many dictators or long-term rulers in the neighboring countries of Korea. North Korea, Japan, Russia, China, Philippines, etc.

At this point, it seems strange to me that Korea changes its president every five years.

I saw Zhang Pinghua’s tin.

He looked comfortable and friendly, but without realizing it, he felt a strong sense of intimidation. The interpreter next to him looked expressionless, but he could tell he was very nervous.

He was born as the son of a revolutionary elder and was downgraded during the Cultural Revolution, after which he returned to central politics and rose to the position of president of the country. As a figure who has gone through all of China’s modern history, he holds the most powerful power since Mao Zedong.

The public also has overwhelming support for him, who has taken complete control of his party.

Of course, such a person cannot be an ordinary person.

I introduced Taek-gyu.

“This is my friend, Taek-gyu Oh. He is also a business partner.”

“Good morning.”

President Zhang Pinghua also shook hands with Taek-gyu.

“Getting good friends is harder than making a lot of money.”

If you’ve researched me, of course you’d know about Taek-gyu.

We took our seats.

“I have heard many stories about CEO Kang Jin-hoo. I thought that I would like to meet you sometime, and I am glad that I got this opportunity.”

“It’s an honor to meet you too.”

We drank tea and talked.

Contrary to expectations, President Zhang Pinghua did not show any signs of anger or resentment.

After a few conversations, he squirmed a question.

“How do you see the Chinese economy?”

“… … .”

What answer do you want to hear?

trade war? Or, what about the future prospects for the Chinese economy?

Many people mistakenly think that I know the economy well, but the truth is, they don’t know.

There are many smarter people than me in the world, and there are not a few self-proclaimed experts who are eager to talk about the economic outlook.

“I do not know. I believe that the Chinese economy depends not on my mouth, but on the Chinese. It’s hard to believe what the experts are saying.”

One thing is certain: the high growth so far will come to an end soon, and China will also fall into a swamp of low growth.

It is absurd that a country the size of China in the first place continues to achieve rapid growth of 7 or 8 percent.

Rapid economic growth has several side effects.

China also faces a number of problems. The gap between the rich and the poor, the regional gap, the price increase, the real estate boom, the demand for democratization, etc.

The reason the problems didn’t come up on the surface is because the economy has grown so fast. Growing jobs and wealth justified the Communist Party’s rule.

However, its growth is gradually slowing down. In addition, various national projects carried out to maintain the growth rate are returning as a boomerang of overinvestment.

The trade dispute that occurred in this situation was both a bad news and a good news.

It is a bad thing that the Chinese economy, especially high-tech industries, took a hit, but it is a good thing that the United States can be blamed for the poor economy and the slow growth rate.

In fact, there is nothing like an external enemy to attract the support of the people. As can be seen from the Zhou tea incident, China’s patriotism (gukppong?) is skyrocketing.

Well, Ronald must have done that too.

Rather, what worries me is the issue of personal President Zhang Pinghua. Most dictators have good intentions.

Hitler alone wanted to rebuild Germany, which had been defeated in World War I, and Mao Zedong also wanted to make the Chinese people prosperous.

However, the result was the exact opposite of intention.

Hitler started World War II, which killed tens of millions of people and drove Germany into ruin. Mao Zedong not only starved to death tens of millions of people as a result of the failure of the Great Leap Forward, he even launched the Cultural Revolution.

To prevent such a situation from happening again, Deng Xiaoping created a collective leadership system… … . Now that he has returned to the one-man leadership system, it is no exaggeration to say that China’s fate is in his hands.

Of course, democracy is not a perfect institution. Because there is a lot of risk that the majority will make the wrong choice. However, at least there is a mechanism to check the power, and if necessary, the regime can be changed.

If Korea had been a dictatorship, would my neck still remain by now?

For South Korea, it is a problem for China to become too strong and come out as hegemonic, but it is a bigger problem that the Chinese economy collapses or the political system becomes unstable.

It would be best for China to respect neighboring countries and continue its growth.

I pondered for a moment whether or not to speak, but I decided to just say it.

“Even the best leaders can make bad decisions. The important thing is that when you say that a sparrow is a harmful bird, is there anyone around you who will say no? And I think it’s good to hear that if possible.”

The interpreter’s expression hardened slightly at my words, but he conveyed the words mechanically.

President Zhang Pinghua smiled.

“I have heard good things. Unfortunately, it is time to wake up.”

“I had a great time.”

If not for this opportunity, when would you have had a conversation with the Chinese President?

he looked at me and said

“Nice to meet you. Come to China anytime. The door to China is wide open.”

* * *

After we finished talking, we left the hotel and looked around.

“It’s been a long time in New York.”

I invested in a startup the other day and stopped by when I was traveling around the world.

Like a city of skyscrapers, high-rise buildings that seemed to pierce the sky were lined up in a row. Perhaps thanks to the booming real estate market, construction was in full swing.

In the past few years, the world and we have changed significantly.

We got into the prepared car and headed home.

The location of the hostel was on the top floor of a building on the Upper East Side, which is also classified as a wealthy village in Manhattan.

Upon entering, we were amazed.

It used the entire two floors, and the interior was splendid. The furniture is old-fashioned, and the electronics are all state-of-the-art.

A panoramic view of Central Park could be seen through the glass wall. The weather was nice today, so I could see New Yorkers resting in the park.

Huge modern art paintings hung on the walls. In terms of texture, it does not appear to be a replica.

It is a luxurious penthouse that looks like something out of a Hollywood movie.

Taek-gyu stuck his tongue out.

“How much will this house cost?”

“Well. Wouldn’t it be at least fifty million dollars?”

Recently, it became a hot topic that an apartment in Gangnam was sold for more than 10 billion won, and the price of a high-end home in the United States is beyond imagination.

Originally, Manhattan, New York, along with San Francisco, is a neighborhood famous for housing prices in the United States. But as San Francisco disappeared due to the Big One, house prices in Manhattan skyrocketed.

The situation was similar in other areas, such as Chicago and Miami.

Japan was unintentionally harmed. After 20 years of decline, Japanese real estate, which had rebounded, turned to a downward trend again as concerns about an earthquake grew.

“Did my sister get this as a gift?”

The owner of this house is none other than Hyun-joo’s older sister.

The reason I got this luxurious penthouse in the middle of Manhattan is because Henry’s grandfather James gave it to me as a gift for her pregnancy.

In addition to this penthouse, he received another mansion in Beverly Hills. The gift tax was also handled by James.

From the point of view of the general public, it is like a thousand bucks, but Hyun-joo’s noona is literally a ‘gift’ as she owns a lot of property.

“Looking at this house, I can see that my older sister got married to a wealthy family.”

While Taek-gyu and I have gotten rich over the years, the Goldman family is a rich family that has been passed down from generation to generation. Moreover, like stock rich people, we own most of our assets in stocks, and not much cash and real estate. The Goldman family, on the other hand, owns a huge number of real estate in major cities around the world.

“Then will your sister live here later?”

“It could be.”

Golden Gate’s headquarters are on Wall Street. If Henry later becomes CEO of Golden Gate, wouldn’t the two of them come and live here?

* * *

The US-China summit has begun.

The meeting was held privately, and the world’s attention was drawn to New York. Over the next three days, we will be discussing important issues.

Between breaks, Ronald told reporters.

“The talks are going well. I am talking frankly with President Chang. I am hoping for a good outcome for everyone.”

* * *

We stayed in New York during the conference.

Dinner was a steakhouse listed in the Michelin Guide.

Originally, you had to make a reservation a few months in advance, but fortunately, there was a reservation program for residents, so we were able to make a reservation right away.

As I sat by the window to eat, Taek-gyu said in a low voice.

“uh! Isn’t that girl that girl?”

“Huh?”

I turned my head. There were two blondes in dresses sitting there. One of them has a very familiar face.

I remembered her name.

“Was it Rose McDowell?”

“I will.

“Why was that woman famous?”

Come to think of it, she is neither a singer nor an actress. But she was so famous that no one in the world didn’t know her.

“Famous for being famous.”

“What do you mean?”

Then Taek-gyu chewed the meat and said,

“Really. People are interested in you because you say you are famous, and you are more famous when people are interested in you.”

“… … .”

Is it like a bandwagon effect?

Taek-gyu explained it for me, who was not familiar with it.

As an unknown model, she first became famous when she dated her famous Hollywood actor, Louis Kidman.

But three months later, a scene where she was having an affair with Lewis’ best friend Jason was filmed by the paparazzi, and she said, “This is why she made all kinds of entertainment news and tabloids, and made her name public in earnest.”

After that, she continued to date celebrities and spread many rumors, and with her fame gained in that way, she appeared on reality shows and became a celebrity that everyone knew.

She’s really famous, so it’s fitting to say that she became famous.

If I had done something similar in Korea, would I have been buried? This is also possible in the United States.

“uh! look this way Didn’t you recognize your face?”

“surely… … .”

Taek-gyu put down her fork.

“Oh, it’s boring. I ate it all, would you like to go up?”

“I’ll just have one more drink and go.”

“Okay. I’ll go and play first.”

I drank beer and watched the night view of New York. Alone, I suddenly remembered Ellie and her mother. I wish I had come with you.

Mother, I’ll give you a tour of New York.

As I was thinking about it, I heard the creaking of shoes. She turned her head to see Rose McDowell standing in front of her.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Do you know me?”

She naturally sat across from her and said.

“of course. How can you not know the richest man in the world? How amazing. You will actually see Mr. Kang Jin-hoo here.”

The clothes she is wearing are silk dresses that cling to her body. It’s hard to keep an eye on her because her chest bone is visible.(Read more @ wuxiax.com)

It’s really pretty when you see it up close.

With a voluptuous body, and with abundant blonde hair, is she a typical Western beauty? So many men must have passed.

“Do you have any plans after dinner?”

“I do not know.”

Rose smiled seductively.

“If it’s okay, would you like to have a drink with me? There is good wine in the room.”

Then she took the card key out of the bag she was holding and held it toward me.

Are you doing this because you really like me, or do you want to use me to make you famous?

Either way is a specification.

“You don’t like Asians that much, do you?”

She has previously apologized after remarks that Asians seem to smell like her when her accusations poured in.

Rose lightly licked her lips with her tongue.