I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 107

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Chapter 107
Peter had just received a report from Miranda in New York.
“Peter, that boy Jeon Sung-guk’s 30-day project appeared on the Ellen Winfrey Show.”
“What?”
Peter was somewhat taken aback.
“It was a small segment called ‘This Week’s Hot Issue,’ and the writer in charge of that segment uses Face Paper. After seeing Sung-guk’s project and finding it interesting, they aired an interview. Apparently, thanks to that, the number of users trying to access Face Paper increased so much that the server crashed. It’s been restored now.”
“It appeared on the Ellen Winfrey Show?”
“Yes. I’ll give you the rerun time. You should check it out.”
“Ah, thanks, Miranda.”
After Miranda left, Peter wore an ambiguous smile.
First and foremost, what troubled me most was that Face Paper had become far more famous than expected. Of course, this also served as confirmation of the potential I had believed in.
Face Paper’s future was undoubtedly bright.
* * *
“Sung-guk, I saw your broadcast. You gave quite an interesting interview.”
I was currently listening to Michael Sandel’s lecture, “What is Justice?”—a course that would become globally renowned ten years from now.
Michael Sandel, with his receding hairline, had apparently seen my interview as well.
All eyes turned toward me.
Mark, Dennis, and Jessie, who were taking the same lecture, looked at me with pride.
“Sung-guk, I really enjoyed that interview. But I have a slight concern about Face Paper that you created. Imagine if I were a man stalking a female student sitting here in front of me.”
[This is getting interesting, Michael.]
I remained silent and waited for Michael Sandel’s next words.
“Face Paper has a function that shares your current location, doesn’t it? Am I right?”
“Yes, Professor.”
“So I simply posted my location on Face Paper to stay connected with friends, but what happens if a stalker sees that location and comes to find me?”
Michael Sandel’s questioning had begun.
This was his distinctive Socratic method of teaching.
I took a deep breath and posed a question back to Michael Sandel.
“There could be the opposite scenario too, Professor. Consider a situation where a child has gone missing or been kidnapped. Wouldn’t sharing one’s location be incredibly important and potentially provide crucial clues to solving a crime?”
“Are you now discussing the dual nature of a single action?”
“Yes. Airplanes allow us to travel to countries around the world, but when war breaks out, they carry bombs. Air conditioners and refrigerators saved us from the heat, but ultimately they’ve led to environmental destruction and a decline in life on Earth, haven’t they? Every invention and new challenge has a dual nature.”
“Hmm… that’s an interesting point.”
“Professor, every innovation can potentially be misused. But if we feared that, how could the world ever progress? Stalking was already a concern before Face Paper existed. What we can do is build the strongest safeguards possible.”
“Can you give an example?”
“Not sharing your location with anyone except friends, or making your location visible only to people you choose. Building necessary safeguards step by step.”
Michael Sandel nodded in agreement.
“I sincerely hope those features will contribute to Face Paper’s positive functions going forward. That concludes today’s class.”
After class ended, Michael Sandel approached me.
“Sung-guk, your development is quite fascinating. Your challenge through Face Paper is equally intriguing. May I join as well?”
“Of course.”
“I look forward to what comes next.”
Michael Sandel bowed and left the classroom.
Jessie looked at me and gave me a thumbs up.
“Sung-guk, did you see how well the broadcast turned out? My friends are going crazy asking me to introduce them to you.”
“Make sure you mention my age too. I’m still a minor, you know.”
[Being underage has its advantages in situations like this.]
I grabbed my heavy backpack.
“Sung-guk, let me buy you lunch today. Let’s go together.”
“Jessie, I’m sorry. I promised myself to turn down every favor for thirty days. Now that my challenge has become so famous, if we’re seen eating together, it’ll end up on Face Paper in a heartbeat.”
“I wasn’t thinking ahead. Once you succeed at this challenge, we’re definitely grabbing a meal together, got it?”
“Yeah.”
* * *
– Only one hour left until the thirty-day project finally ends. In the refrigerator: one orange and two hot dogs. And this much protein shake remaining. For anyone considering a similar challenge, let me offer some advice—protein shake was truly the worst choice I could have made.
I posted the message on my Face Paper account.
Supportive comments began flooding in endlessly.
Along with countless offers to buy me a meal.
Dennis brought over both hot dogs, warmed up.
“Sung-guk, I warmed up both hot dogs specially for you.”
“Dennis, would you eat one? If I eat both of these hot dogs, I might never be able to stomach another one again for the rest of my life.”
“You’re really something. How did you even come up with the idea to live like this for a month?”
“I had no idea it would be this terrible when I started.”
I picked up the last hot dog.
Dennis and I clinked our hot dogs together in a final toast, and I took a bite.
[I’m never touching a hot dog again for as long as I live.]
Still, I forced the hot dog down my throat.
Dennis ate his hot dog with genuine enjoyment.
“Sung-guk, your Face Paper is like a festival right now. Everyone’s doing a countdown. It’s almost midnight, so your challenge is ending soon, right?”
“Yeah….”
I tossed the wooden stick from the last hot dog into the trash with a flick.
[It’s finally over!]
At that exact moment, there came a knock. Knock.
“Who is it?”
Before Dennis could finish speaking, the door burst open and Mark and Jessie rushed in carrying pizza and all sorts of food.
Behind them, I could see Michelle Jonah and a camera crew.
“Sung-guk, that broadcast became such a huge issue that I came by in a rush without even calling. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
Michelle Jonah quickly delivered a brief on-camera comment.
“Today marks the end of Jeon Sung-guk’s thirty-dollar-for-one-month living project. The Harvard Dormitory is already buzzing with celebration. His friends have brought pizza and all sorts of food to commemorate the end of the project.”
Dormitory friends from around gathered near my room.
Everyone was sharing in the final moments of my project together.
“Alright, Sung-guk. Less than a minute left now. Let’s all count down together.”
Everyone agreed with Michelle Jonah’s words.
I stood among the students and counted down with them.
“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Congratulations!”
Michelle Jonah thrust the microphone toward me.
“Sung-guk, what’s the first thing you want to eat right now?”
“Boiled pork that my father makes.”
“Korean food, I see.”
“Yes.”
“Unfortunately, it seems difficult to find that here right now. So what’s the one you’d most like to eat from these options?”
“Of course!”
I immediately grabbed a perfectly fried chicken leg.
“Chicken!”
Then I took a big bite.
At the same time, my friends cheered loudly once more.
* * *
My dormitory room had transformed into a party venue.
Michelle Jonah joined the party, eating and enjoying the food with us.
“Sung-guk, the broadcast went out and the message boards went crazy. So many people were curious about you, and everyone was amazed—how could someone with such genius also be so handsome?”
“Thank you for putting on such a great broadcast.”
I was eating whatever food I could get my hands on.
After unintentionally fasting for a month, I’d lost considerable weight, and thanks to that, I looked even better on camera.
Mark came over and handed me my favorite burger.
“Sung-guk, your favorite burger. I even borrowed a car to go get this for you.”
A long-time friend truly was different.
“Mark, I really appreciate it.”
Just then, my phone rang loudly.
I had a feeling I knew who was calling.
As expected, Peter Brenton’s name appeared on the caller ID.
I picked up my phone and headed toward a quiet corner.
As I walked to the corner, my classmates offered their congratulations.
Once I’d settled into the corner, I answered the call.
– Sung-guk, congratulations! I just checked the results on Face Paper.
“Thank you.”
– Sung-guk, can you and Mark come to New York next weekend? I’ll cover everything—plane tickets and hotel. Oh, and bring your roommate too.
“There’s no catch, right?”
– Of course not.
“I’ll see you in New York next week.”
I readily accepted the trip to New York.
* * *
As dawn broke, my classmates left the dormitory.
Mark and Dennis were visibly drowsy as well.
I glanced at them quickly.
“By the way, we’re all going to New York next week. Peter said he’d book the flights and hotel for everyone.”
“Me too?”
Dennis asked.
“Yeah. Peter said he was grateful for your help when he joined Face Paper. I mentioned to him that I’m writing a screenplay set at an art school in New York. Wouldn’t it be good to go see it in person?”
“No way! Sung-guk, I can’t believe it. Being around you makes me feel like everything is possible.”
[Of course it is—I’m Jeon Sung-guk, after all.]
I shrugged my shoulders as humbly as I could manage.
“Mark, let’s prepare a bit on how we’ll move forward with Peter on the business side.”
“Sung-guk, are we really starting a company with this?”
“Mark, I’ve been planning to do this ever since the moment I first told you about this idea.”
Mark patted my shoulder.
“Yeah, let’s go for it. When else will we get a chance like this?”
[Of course the results will be magnificent, Mark. Just trust me.]
I smiled with the confidence of victory.
* * *
“We’re really in first class right now, aren’t we?”
Mark and Dennis’s eyes went wide.
[How provincial of them.]
I’d been fortunate enough to fly first class constantly, from my previous life straight into this one.
Mark glanced at me sideways.
“Sung-guk, does this mean Peter thinks very highly of us?”
[Look at that—after spending time with me, Mark’s starting to read situations pretty well.]
I nodded slightly.
“Seems like it. Whatever happens, we’ll be able to steer things in our favor. Face Paper has apparently become hugely popular among ambitious American mothers who want to send their kids to Harvard.”
“Thanks to the Ellen Winfrey Show.”
“Yeah.”
I was just beginning to grasp the true influence of the Ellen Winfrey Show, which dominated the ratings in the United States.
I’d learned through Michelle Jonah that investment offers were already pouring in from various places, with calls to the Broadcasting Station and even to the school. But what I wanted was proven, stable investment.
In the meantime, Dennis had already scheduled a visit to one of several art schools in New York he’d researched.
“Sung-guk, it would be great if you could come too. Will you have time?”
“When’s the appointment?”
“Tomorrow evening. I’m planning to stop by and interview a few students.”
“I’m having lunch with Peter, so I should be able to come right after that finishes.”
“I’ll count on that then.”
Soon the plane took off.
I yawned deeply and drifted into sleep.
The plane climbed steadily toward greater altitude.
My life right now was exactly like that.
I was mustering my last ounce of strength toward the summit.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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