I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 11

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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 11
“Alright, let’s trust Michael today.”
When Tae-hyung, the eldest member of the group, vouched for Michael, the other members had no choice but to prepare for bed.
I crawled quietly toward the kitchen.
I could have walked by holding onto the wall, but crawling was still more convenient when I needed to move quickly.
Just then, Beom-seon scooped me up with one arm.
“Sung-guk, the kitchen is dangerous.”
[I need to keep an eye on what that bastard is doing with my food. Do you guys really trust Michael?]
As I babbled, Beom-seon carried me into the kitchen.
“Michael, what’s for Sung-guk’s dinner?”
“Oh… baby food, of course. You know, that porridge-like stuff Sung-guk’s mother made during the day.”
“But what’s behind you?”
As Beom-seon tried to look behind Michael, Michael quickly hid something behind his back.
“What do you mean there’s something behind me?”
Michael protested indignantly.
It was a dead giveaway that he had something to hide.
“Hey, hand it over now. What are you trying to pull!”
At Beom-seon’s shout, all the members came rushing over.
“Michael, what are you hiding back there? Hand it over.”
At Tae-hyung’s words, Michael suddenly grinned brightly and held out a bottle of hot sauce.
“Hyungs, I was just going to add it to his baby food for fun. But I haven’t done it yet.”
[You son of a bitch! You were going to pour hot sauce on my sacred meal!]
As I flailed about, Beom-seon held me even tighter.
Tae-hyung’s face turned menacing.
Then he clenched his teeth and whispered to Michael.
“I’m letting you off this time. Try pulling a stunt like this again.”
Tae-hyung quickly snatched the hot sauce away.
That night, Michael picked fights with me over everything.
He threw a ping-pong ball at me while I sat quietly, and when I got drowsy, he blew a squeaky toy trumpet right beside me.
Startled out of my wits, I burst into tears.
Thanks to the other members forming an iron defense around me, I managed to get through the night safely.
After that eventful night, morning broke.
It was my first night without Mother.
The moment the door opened, I saw Mother’s silhouette.
I crawled toward Mother with all my strength, gripping the wall.
“Mama! Mama!”
Then I clung to Mother’s skirt, tears and snot streaming down my face.
[Mama, I couldn’t sleep a wink because of Michael.]
I quickly pointed at Michael and babbled.
“Sung-guk, did you miss Mama so much?”
[Call that talking!]
I burst into tears and nestled into Mother’s arms.
“Waaah. Mom! Waaah. Mom!”
* * *
21.9%
The pilot episode of “Five Men and a Baby Basket” achieved the highest weekend viewership rating, becoming a hot topic.
The Broadcasting Station’s phone lines went haywire with viewer requests to air it as a regular series.
Talk of Just’s rising popularity and my own fame from the washing machine commercial spread everywhere—at schools, companies, and markets alike.
The Short-haired Woman who visited Mother was explaining my newfound popularity to her.
Mother had only heard from the Director of “Five Men and a Baby Basket” that the response was positive.
“107, the response to ‘Five Men and a Baby Basket’ is incredible. Everyone at our company talks about nothing but Sung-guk.”
“They talk about Sung-guk that much instead of Just?”
“They talk about Just too, of course. But Sung-guk is at the center of all those relationships, you see. Everyone’s already decided—Tae-hyung is the dad, Jae-hyun is the mom, Michael is the rival. Sung-guk is completely the main character.”
I smiled contentedly. Then I pressed my legs firmly and practiced walking while holding onto a low shelf.
My intention was to naturally showcase my first steps during the first recording once we became a regular series.
The Short-haired Woman glanced at me sideways.
“Sung-guk seems like a child born to become a star.”
[What are you talking about? You think I was born to become some mere entertainer? My goal is to become a tycoon! This is just the first step toward that. Short-haired Woman.]
I clenched both my fists tightly!
Mother stared at me intently.
“Sister, I’m so worried though. The schedule seems too demanding for a child not even two years old yet. After the last night shoot, when I picked him up in the morning, Sung-guk clung to me and cried so much.”
[That was because I was so angry at Michael. You could call them tears of rage.]
Mother continued quietly.
“When I told the Director that Sung-guk finds it difficult and we can’t do it even if it becomes a regular series, the Director came all the way to our home and pleaded with me, saying he’d take care of not just the appearance fee but everything else.”
“Why won’t you do it then?”
[Exactly what I’m thinking!]
The Short-haired Woman pressed harder.
“Sung-guk just turned one, and soon the second child will be born too… I don’t think I can keep chasing after Sung-guk anymore.”
“Since Sung-guk seems talented in this field, don’t keep him stuck with you—look into a Talent Agency.”
“A Talent Agency? Oh, right.”
Mother pulled out a business card from the shelf and handed it to the Short-haired Woman.
“You know more about this than I do anyway, sister. It’s a card Lim Sun-mi gave me. She recommended her agency. Do you know this Talent Agency?”
“It’s Shinsung Entertainment.”
The Short-haired Woman’s brow furrowed.
At the same moment, my brow furrowed too.
There was one fact I had overlooked.
Shinsung Entertainment, where Lim Sun-mi worked, was one of the agencies that had grown by connecting entertainers and tycoons.
And Shin Sung-joong, the representative of Shinsung Entertainment, was the type of person I disliked.
Having started as a road manager from a poor rural background before becoming the representative of Shinsung Entertainment, he was unscrupulous in his methods.
Father Jeon Jae-hyung regarded Shin Sung-joong, who had established himself in the entertainment industry despite his rural origins, quite highly, but I did not.
And one of my iron rules was to never get entangled with Father’s people in any way.
They trusted Father and often made unreasonable demands of me or expected me to treat them the way I had treated Father.
How dare they make such demands of me, Jeon Sung-guk!
I had to prevent a contract with Shinsung Entertainment by any means necessary.
[Mother, contracts require careful consideration…]
I hurried toward Mother.
At that moment, Mother looked down at me with startled eyes.
“Sung-guk, are you walking right now?”
[Uh… this is…]
I was indeed walking without holding onto anything.
My legs grew weak and unsteady from time to time, causing me to wobble, but I was undeniably walking without relying on anything for support.
“Mom!”
I began walking again.
Toddling along.
“Oh my, Sung-guk.”
Mother’s face filled with emotion as she spread her arms wide. I nestled snugly into her embrace.
The warmth of Mother’s arms.
Mother’s scent was that of clean soap.
[Ah, so this is what a real mother’s embrace feels like.]
Before my regression, the Iron Lady had always carried the scent of heavy perfume.
Even searching my earliest memories, I had rarely been held by her.
I surrendered myself to Mother’s embrace, something I could have whenever I wished.
The Short-haired Woman broke the spell.
“Unit 107, Shinsung Entertainment talks a lot, but since Lim Sun-mi recommended them, let’s at least meet with them first. You should meet with several talent agencies and then sign with whichever offers the best terms.”
“When I worked in accounting, I was careful about contracts too, but I guess I’ve been stuck at home too long. And… Seoul is a bit scary. Could you come with me, sister? Since you work in the Accounting Department at Samjeon Entertainment, you’d know much better than I would.”
I looked at Mother again.
Mother was asking the experienced Short-haired Woman for help.
Recognizing one’s own shortcomings and keeping capable allies close—that was the most crucial element in business.
The Short-haired Woman pondered for a moment, then nodded.
“Go ahead and call the number on the business card Lim Sun-mi gave you. I’ll help you out with what I know about this industry.”
“Sister, thank you so much.”
I cried out silently to myself.
[Still, Shinsung Entertainment is absolutely out of the question!]
I tugged at Mother’s collar, but she didn’t understand.
* * *
Mother, I, and the Short-haired Woman were examining a contract inside Shinsung Entertainment’s office, furnished in the latest style for 1993.
Perhaps because the end of the century was approaching.
Shinsung Entertainment’s office was filled with a decadent atmosphere.
Before us sat an employee of Shinsung Entertainment with thick eyeliner, cautiously observing our reactions.
I read through the contract that the Short-haired Woman and Mother were examining from the corner of my eye.
[A ten-year contract? A fifty-fifty revenue split? Are they joking? These people are insane.]
In short, this was practically a slave contract.
The contract duration and revenue split ratio themselves were incomprehensible.
I glanced back and forth between Mother and the Short-haired Woman.
For something like this, the Short-haired Woman seemed far more capable than Mother.
I quickly snatched the Short-haired Woman’s contract with both hands and slapped it down sharply.
[Look at this part right here!]
Specifically, I pointed out the sections containing the duration and revenue split.
“Sung-guk, you can’t do this.”
Mother quickly stopped me.
The Short-haired Woman smiled faintly, then carefully examined the clauses I had tapped with my hand. She then lifted her gaze toward the employee.
“These clauses don’t have to be accepted as-is, do they?”
“Why do you ask?”
I detected uncertainty in the employee’s tone.
That tone already suggested the contract terms couldn’t be changed.
[Shinsung Entertainment is the kind of company that sucks rookies dry to the bone! I’m not accepting a slave contract!]
I muttered indignantly.
“The contract duration and revenue split seem like areas that could use some adjustment. And there appear to be quite a few detailed provisions that would need revision as well.”
I could see the employee’s confusion.
“I’ll consult with the representative and return.”
“Yes.”
I crossed my arms and studied the Short-haired Woman.
[Not bad for a short-haired woman. She’s got some skill.]
* * *
Click.
Moments later, the conference room door opened and Shin Sung-joong entered directly.
I crossed my arms and scrutinized Shin Sung-joong carefully.
An oily face. Hair slicked back. Flashy shirts were his trademark.
[Representative Shin, it’s been a while. Your hair is still quite full.]
The last time I saw Shin Sung-joong before I died, his head was completely bald.
Shin Sung-joong rubbed his hands together and sat across from us.
I truly despised that gesture.
It was as if his entire body was expressing: I’m about to start talking now, and I’m a merchant who doesn’t pretend to be dignified.
“So this is Sung-guk. You photograph well on screen, but in person you’re even prettier. They say you can tell a winner from the start, and this must be what they mean.”
[This kid? Where does he get off talking down to me, Representative Shin?]
Shin Sung-joong’s gaze turned toward Mother.
“Your wife is quite beautiful too. Genetics really are crucial in this industry, aren’t they?”
Then he looked at the Short-haired Woman.
“Is this person an aunt? A relative?”
“A neighbor. Her name is Kim Mi-young, and she works at Samjeon Entertainment.”
It was then that I learned the Short-haired Woman’s name for the first time.
Kim Mi-young.
“I see.”
Shin Sung-joong offered a curt greeting before moving to the heart of the matter.
“So it seems there are aspects of the contract that don’t sit well with you.”
“The contract duration and profit-sharing ratio. As you know, Sung-guk isn’t exactly a complete newcomer. But a ten-year contract with a fifty-fifty split doesn’t seem right. There are already countless advertisements waiting for Sung-guk’s broadcast to end.”
Kim Mi-young struck decisively.
And she drove the wedge home.
“The directors I’ve worked with have recommended other talent agencies, but since this was the place Lim Sun-mi recommended, I came here first.”
[A man like Shin Sung-joong is weak to authority. Well done, Short-haired Woman.]
I patted Kim Mi-young’s back twice.
Shin Sung-joong’s face darkened as he rubbed his palms together nervously.
Shin Sung-joong was a textbook example of a bully—strong against the weak, weak against the strong.
Kim Mi-young, who had attached herself to him like a wart, was merely an annoyance to him.
“Of course I understand. In the advertising world these days, Sung-guk is a blue-chip prospect. But you see….”
Shin Sung-joong paused deliberately.
He was gauging his counterpart’s mood before presenting his position.
Soon Shin Sung-joong reached his conclusion and opened his mouth.
“The baby model market isn’t as expansive as one might think. The appearance fees are pittance compared to adult actors. And since communication is difficult, shooting times stretch longer, which means our company staff must remain on standby continuously.”
[He sees us as peons.]
It was clear that Shin Sung-joong had sized us up at a glance—my pregnant mother in shabby clothes, me as a small child, and the Short-haired Woman working in the Accounting Department at Samjeon Entertainment—and deemed us easy marks to steamroll.
I folded my arms skeptically and listened to Shin Sung-joong’s words.
My answer was already decided, but I was curious to hear how he would spin his argument.
“And a child’s face changes more than a dozen times in a year. Sung-guk is beautiful now, but a month from now, a different face will emerge. Honestly, after a brief period of popularity, as his face changes, advertising offers will dwindle. Yet our fixed expenses remain, don’t they?”
“In other words, changing the contract terms is impossible—is that what you’re saying?”
Kim Mi-young interjected.
My frustration evaporated completely.
Shin Sung-joong flashed his palms and let out a nervous laugh.
“I’m simply explaining our company’s position. I have a favor from Sun-mi, and I genuinely wanted to sign someone with star potential like Sung-guk, which is why I reached out.”
It was a transparent maneuver to secure terms favorable to himself.
There was nothing more to hear.
I rose abruptly from my seat.
Mother tried to quickly pick me up, but I wobbled toward the door.
Regardless of my resolute will, my bottom swayed awkwardly.
“Sung-guk!”
[Come on, Mother! Don’t just sit there!]
The Short-haired Woman also sprang to her feet. Then she looked at Shin Sung-joong.
“We don’t think we can accept the terms you’ve proposed. Please reconsider, and if you’re interested, adjust the contract conditions and contact us again.”
[Short-haired Woman, that was perfect!]

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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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