Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 1074: The Ghostly Appearance of Admiring Foreigners (Second Update, Two-in-One)

1957 was an extremely important year for Nanyang.

This year, Nanyang's GDP exceeded US$600 billion for the first time and was heading towards the 700 billion mark.

After ten years of accumulation, Nanyang has the foundation to rank third in the world in terms of technology, economy, and industrial production. Although it still lacks a little foundation - 70% of university professors and 60% of senior engineering and technical experts are foreign professors of German, Japanese and other descents, everything is moving in a good direction. Every year, hundreds of thousands of college students and graduate students graduate, and these talents are destined to grow into the backbone of various industries.

At the same time, the rapid economic development made Nanyang the most popular place in the world in the 1950s.

Nanyang Miracle!

With the launch of artificial satellites and the limelight in international affairs, this term has spread from Asia to the world. However, the most profound impact is still in Asia, especially in East Asia. In fact, as early as ten years ago, when South Korea was still under the trusteeship of the United States, like Japan, "going to Southeast Asia" became the dream of many women on the peninsula.

By 1958, although the threshold for "going to Southeast Asia" was getting higher and higher, every corner of Korea was filled with the "Nanyang atmosphere". The most popular things in Korea were always Southeast Asian clothing and Southeast Asian movies. Southeast Asian movie stars were sought after from all walks of life in Korea. Even Fanta soda, which came from Southeast Asia, sold much more in Korea than Coca-Cola.

Like many young people, even Quan Rihai, an officer, likes to watch Nanyang movies. In fact, he himself is not so obsessed, but because his lover Li Shunzi is obsessed with Nanyang movies, although Quan Rihai, an officer, is a poor boy, but after learning that a Nanyang movie is being shown in the cinema, he still runs to the cinema to queue up to buy tickets.

Most of the people queuing were young people, including couples of both men and women. Although it was only May, many women were wearing fashionable dresses. Even if you stayed in the Army Officer School all day, Quan Rihai could recognize that these dresses were the most fashionable Nanyang styles. They might not be Nanyang products, but at least the styles were indeed Nanyang.

"The heroine in Chang'an Holiday is so beautiful."

"Yes, I heard that she is a British aristocrat..."

"Haha, she is not only a British aristocrat, but is also said to be the lover of the Nanyang Grand Commander."

When people's voices were heard, Quan Rihai couldn't help but look up at the movie poster. Seeing the beautiful face of the heroine on the poster, Quan Rihai couldn't help but whispered.

"What a very beautiful woman..."

After waiting in line for half a day, Quan Rihai finally bought two movie tickets. Then he walked towards the beauty salon where Shunzi worked. Along the way, he occasionally cast his eyes on the roadside signs. Those signs were mostly written in Chinese characters, both on the signs and newspapers.

Although the president promulgated the "Law on the Exclusive Use of Hangul" as early as the beginning of independence, it was abolished only three years later. This was not only because more and more people in South Korea were learning Chinese characters and Chinese, but also because South Korea needed assistance and loans from Southeast Asia.

For this reason, Chinese language education has once again become popular in South Korea, which has even led to less and less writing of Hangul. In the past seven years, to a certain extent, Hangul has almost disappeared from newspapers. Many Koreans are proud to speak fluent Chinese.

Looking at the roadside signs and advertisements written in Chinese characters, Quan Rihai thought of what a colleague had said: "South Korea got rid of Japan's colonization, but plunged into the embrace of Southeast Asia."

Finally, they arrived at the beauty salon where Shunzi worked. Looking at the sign that read "Kuching Beauty Salon", Quan Rihai frowned slightly. In today's Korea, anything high-end must be related to Nanyang. Even Chinese cuisine is now called Nanyang cuisine.

Is this country still South Korea?

Isn't South Korea a country with no other land? Why has it become so foreign-worshiping now?
When Quan Rihai was waiting for his lover on the street, Li Shunzi was treating a lady in the beauty salon. The lady said with her eyes closed:
"Shunzi, look at my skin, isn't it much better than before?"

"Yes, ma'am, when you came in I saw that you looked even younger than I do."

"Haha, Shunzi, you are really good at talking. I just changed my cosmetics recently. They are high-end products from Nanyang. I heard that Miss Hepburn used this brand..."

The lady who was traveling with me asked:
"Oh, high-end stuff like that must be expensive."

"It's not cheap. A set costs several dozen yuan, and it's still Nanyuan..."

For a moment, the beauty salon was filled with exclamations of surprise. For Koreans, whose per capita income is only a few dozen dollars, such cosmetics are absolutely astronomically expensive, and even these ladies cannot afford them.

So at this time they could only envy, and Li Shunzi just listened with a smile, her eyes full of envy.

Finally, after working until the evening, Li Shunzi got off work. As soon as she left the beauty salon, she saw her lover who had been waiting for her for a long time. Although she was hungry and tired, she still ran over and said:
"Rihai, why are you here?"

"Today is the weekend, so..."

Quan Rihai raised the movie ticket in his hand and said:
"I bought two movie tickets for 'Chang'an Holiday'. Let's go to the movie together later."

"Why are you wasting money again?"

Li Shunzi said.

"You know, I don't have to watch a movie. If you buy a movie ticket, what will you do for dinner later?"

This poor boy was really too poor. Although he was an officer, officers were also very poor. But after buying two movie tickets, he would definitely have trouble eating.

Although he was poor, he was the man she fell in love with. Although Lee Sun-ja had been admitted to the medical school of Ewha Womans University, she gave up her studies to marry Jeon Il-hae. She obtained a beautician qualification to make a living and also mastered knitting techniques. The daughter of the chief of staff of the non-commissioned officer school worked in a beauty salon, which was a joke to everyone, but as long as she could be with him, it was fine.

"It's okay. I'm going to the camp to train students next week, so I don't have to buy my own meals. Haha, it's a good opportunity to save money and buy two movie tickets. Let's go to the movies together."

In fact, at the beginning, Quan Rihai was not willing to be with Li Shunzi. He was very conflicted that he couldn't even buy a glass of juice for his lover. He didn't want her to suffer with him, but she gave up her studies for him. How could he not be moved?
"Ah."

Li Shunzi took his lover's arm and felt that he was a little nervous, so he said.

"Hey, this is a very normal contact in Nanyang, don't be so old-fashioned." "Nanyang, everyone says Nanyang,"

Quan Rihai, who was holding his girlfriend's arm, was a little excited in his heart, but he still said.

"It's as if Nanyang is heaven."

"Isn't it? Even the president said that South Korea's future lies in learning from Southeast Asia."

"That's to get help from Southeast Asia, South Korea..."

Pursing his lips, Quan Rihai stopped talking. South Korea cannot be separated from Southeast Asia. Modern industry in South Korea basically does not exist. The small amount of industrial base left over from the Japanese colonial period was also destroyed by the war. Although the Americans helped South Korea survive, they had no interest in developing South Korea's economy. For South Korea, with a GDP of only 13 billion US dollars, there is nothing else except a country that has been beaten to pieces.

At that time, for South Korea, the largest foreign exchange income came from remittances from overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia. There were more than 500,000 Korean women working in Southeast Asia, most of whom married Southeast Asians. The remittances they sent to their families helped South Korea get through the most difficult period. Families with daughters in Southeast Asia became the envy of everyone. Not only did they live a good life and wear the most fashionable Southeast Asian clothes, some even bought bicycles and built new houses.

But the most important thing is the low-interest loans from Nanyang. As early as 51, Nanyang helped South Korea with its post-war reconstruction by providing loans. At the beginning, there were only or million Nanyang won, and now it is as high as or million Nanyang won. This is also the reason why South Korea promotes Chinese. It doesn’t matter whether Chinese is popular or not. What matters is that Nanyang won is really popular!

"With the help of Nanyang, Korea's future will be better."

In this way, the two of them walked to the cinema hand in hand. When they entered the cinema, although many people bought popcorn and Fanta, Li Shunzi didn't even look at them. After all, a cup of Fanta cost ten won, which was too expensive for them.

Although the cinema seemed a bit stuffy in May, the audience was staring at the screen, waiting for the movie to start, Li Shunzi said softly.

"Rihai, do you know? I heard that this movie is about the story of Princess Margaret..."

"really?"

"Everyone says so,"

The movie started as I was speaking. As soon as the opening credits ended, what appeared before people's eyes was Chang'an - Chang'an under the color film looked like a dream city, with tall buildings, wide streets, moving cars and the blue Taiping Bay. Then, accompanied by the sound of news broadcasts, the princess played by Hepburn appeared. The moment she appeared, her angelic face and noble temperament attracted everyone's attention.

Soon, from the princess running away from home to meeting the male protagonist, a romantic love story is presented to the world, and its background is the prosperous international city of Chang'an. While people are fascinated by the pure love story in the film, more often than not, the audience will involuntarily cast their eyes on the background - Chang'an.

Although Chang'an has often appeared in movies before, in this "Chang'an Holiday", the hero and heroine are just like ordinary tourists. The princess in her prime years escaped from the royal family for a short time, indulged her true nature in the noisy sunshine of the streets, and greedily enjoyed the freedom of being a commoner. They traveled around the city and presented Chang'an in its entirety to everyone. The movie not only closely links this city with romantic love, but also makes many of the filming locations in the movie become places that many people yearn for.

The movie ends with the protagonist's back. From walking away with his back to the protagonist to turning around unnaturally, the audience, like him, are expecting something. But in the end, people finish watching the movie with regret.

After the movie ended, like everyone else, Li Shunzi sat there, with a slightly sad look on his face, muttering.

"Why don't they want to be together? Why does it have to end like this? Shouldn't the ending be that the prince and princess live happily together?"

Listening to Shunzi's words, Quan Rihai comforted him.

"Shunzi, isn't Princess Margaret living happily with the king?"

While comforting his lover, Quan Rihai felt more shocked in his heart - the impact brought to him by the Chang'an City in the movie was indescribable. At this moment, he seemed to understand why so many people in Korea were chasing after Nanyang.

Just the Chang'an shown in the movie is enough to make them fascinated by it, let alone those who have been there in person?

After figuring this out, Quan Rihai looked at the Chinese signs on both sides of the road and listened to the occasional conversations in stiff Chinese. He couldn't help but speak Chinese.

His change made Li Shunzi, who was standing beside him, somewhat surprised and he spoke in Chinese.

"Hey, Rihai, don't you dislike speaking Chinese?"

"I don't like it, but you see..."

Quan Rihai looked around and said
"Almost everyone in Korea is learning Chinese characters and speaking Chinese now. Everyone wants to go to Southeast Asia. Women want to marry in Southeast Asia, and men want to study abroad in Southeast Asia. If we don't learn Chinese, we will soon be eliminated..."

Although he was reluctant to face this fact, Quan Rihai had to admit that perhaps for Koreans, learning Nanyang, even speaking Chinese and writing Chinese characters, was the best choice.

After all, the United States is too far away and will not provide much help to South Korea, but what about Southeast Asia?
Nanyang is in the south. As long as they follow him and study hard, even what leaks out of Nanyang will be a huge fortune for South Korea.

"Yes, I heard from the newspaper that the Nanyang government is discussing recruiting male trainees from South Korea. If they work in Nanyang, they can earn 15 US dollars or even 20 US dollars a month!"

When mentioning this number, even as the daughter of the Chief of Staff of the Army Officer School, Li Shunzi's tone was full of envy. After all, her monthly income from the beauty salon, if converted into US dollars, is only three or four dollars, and that is the official price. If it is the black market price, it may be less than three dollars!
"Oh, really, how can Nanyang be so rich?"

Quan Rihai was a little confused. He really couldn't understand it. A country that gained independence only two years earlier than South Korea, and before independence was probably even worse than South Korea - with no factories and no minerals... except for oil of course, how could it develop so rapidly in just a few years? Even when South Korea gained independence, Korean women began to go to Southeast Asia as trainees and work there to earn money.

In fact, many people can’t figure out why this is the case, but it is precisely because of this that it becomes the object of their envy and yearning.

Just at this moment, a barefoot newsboy came running over from a distance, waving a newspaper and shouting.

"Read the newspaper! Read the newspaper! The South Korean national football team is heading to Southeast Asia to compete for the qualification for the World Cup."

(End of this chapter)