I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 110

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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 110
Grace called me early in the morning.
“Hello?”
I was groggy, having stayed up until dawn discussing the new screenplay with Dennis before finally falling asleep.
– Sung-guk, are you still sleeping?
“Grace, I’m sorry for leaving the dinner early yesterday.”
– No, thanks to you I got to talk a lot with Peter, and it seems I’ve made a good friend in New York.
“That’s wonderful.”
– Before you go, I wanted to stop by the department store… What time is your flight?
“Four in the afternoon.”
– Then can you come to the department store by noon? When I saw you yesterday, you only had hoodies. And they’re practically on the verge of not fitting you anymore….
“Grace, I don’t need new clothes.”
[Grace, my face is enough to compensate for fashion….]
But Grace was resolute.
– Sung-guk, if my son walks around Harvard looking like that, how heartbroken would your mother be?
[When Mother comes up, I always weaken….]
I rubbed my sleepy eyes and got out of bed.
“I’ll bring Mark with me.”
I hung up and glanced at the clock.
It was already ten.
Dennis emerged from the bathroom freshly shaved, looking impeccable.
He looked like a man heading out on a date.
But Mark was nowhere to be seen.
“Dennis, where did Mark go?”
“He left this morning with a gloomy expression, saying he needed to take a walk through Central Park. Something about wanting to experience being a New Yorker.”
“He went to soothe his heartbreak.”
I jumped up and examined my hoodie.
“Dennis, is my hoodie really that worn out?”
“More than that, Sung-guk, I think you’re growing too fast. Your clothes keep getting smaller.”
“That’s normal for teenagers.”
I shrugged.
I was probably around 175 centimeters tall now.
* * *
Grace greeted Mark and me with a bright smile.
“So you’re heading back to Harvard today?”
“Yes.”
“Did that friend Dennis leave earlier?”
“He had an appointment.”
Mark always changed the subject whenever Dennis came up.
“Since I’m in New York, let me buy you some clothes. Please pay attention to your wardrobe, Sung-guk.”
“I find this comfortable. Mark, is it really that strange?”
“Sung-guk, I’m just as indifferent about clothes as you are.”
[Mine is intentional, but yours is genuine apathy.]
Grace entered the department store first.
“Grace, I think a hoodie would be perfect for me. It’s so convenient for going to classes.”
“There’s no helping it. For now, let’s buy a few things you can wear immediately today… I’ll take note of your size and send you clothes later, so please pay some attention to what you’re wearing.”
“Understood.”
I answered reluctantly.
“By the way, Grace… what kind of person does Peter seem to be?”
“He seemed thoughtful and like a good person.”
“Right?”
“Sung-guk, don’t you think you should focus on your own love life before worrying about mine?”
“I’m only twelve years old.”
I shrugged my shoulders.
Then I walked into a brand store and grabbed three gray hoodies and two types of jeans that caught my eye.
Grace shook her head in disapproval.
“Really, that’s all you need?”
“Yes, Grace.”
[Grace, from now on, whenever people hear the name Jeon Sung-guk, they’ll picture me in this gray hoodie and jeans. I have a plan for everything.]
* * *
Damon Winklevoss was furiously angry with his sons Cameron and Tyler.
“I heard you’re in the middle of adjusting contract terms with Peter. What exactly have you two been doing?”
“We….”
Cameron stammered.
“You even invited him to the Lyan Club, and you’ve made no progress with the boy Sung-guk. You said you’d bring the project to us favorably, but what have you two actually accomplished all this time?”
“Sung-guk seemed wary of us from the start. It seemed like he thought we were approaching him intentionally.”
Damon reviewed the documents with an angry expression.
“I’ll look into the conditions Peter has set….”
“Father, what if we approach Face Paper more gradually?”
Tyler quickly brought up the idea.
“Since Peter has already come forward as an early investor, we should wait and see until it becomes clear whether Face Paper is truly a valuable company or not. If Face Paper is still growing in two or three years, they’ll definitely need more investors then. There will certainly come a time when Peter alone can’t handle it.”
“You’re aiming for that moment?”
“Yes. Until then, Cameron and I will win over either Sung-guk or Mark.”
“Remember, an even better outcome would be their division.”
“Yes, Father.”
* * *
Dennis’s Face Paper status finally changed to “In a relationship.”
Congratulatory comments poured in like crazy.
“Dennis, congratulations. Forget all my foolish remarks.”
Mark also offered his sincere congratulations.
First semester of freshman year. Harvard was transforming as well—many students had shifted into dating mode.
Of course, there were exceptions.
Mark and I.
The crucial difference was that I chose not to date, while Mark simply couldn’t.
“Sung-guk, let’s head to class.”
“Yeah.”
I rubbed my bleary eyes and grabbed my textbooks.
My schedule these days was nothing short of murderous.
I was juggling Harvard coursework while collaborating with Mark on Face Paper upgrades, and squeezing in scenario meetings with Dennis for 【The Whip】 whenever I could.
“Sung-guk, don’t you think you need ten bodies to keep up with your schedule?”
“I do. I really do.”
[Even an energetic teenager would struggle to manage this pace.]
I let out a massive yawn.
Mark was yawning constantly beside me too.
“Sung-guk, do you think we can actually balance starting a company and studying at Harvard?”
“I’m wondering the same thing.”
“Honestly, I want to drop out of school, but I think my parents would object.”
[Parents are the same whether in Korea or the United States.]
I yawned again and opened my textbook.
“Mark. Once we finalize the contract with Peter, let’s seriously think about it.”
“Sounds good.”
Mark continued yawning relentlessly.
Jessie appeared before us for the first time in a while.
“Why do you both look like you’re dying?”
“Hey, Jessie.”
Mark no longer acted awkwardly around Jessie the way he used to.
It meant his feelings for her had faded.
“Sung-guk, Mark. You’ll both make it to the Halloween party this time, right?”
[Was Halloween already here?]
I shrugged.
“Sung-guk, a freshman Halloween party is special, you know.”
Jessie tried to persuade the drowsy Mark and me.
“Alright, Jessie. Mark and I will both go.”
“I’m going as Marilyn Monroe. What about you, Sung-guk?”
[Ugh, what a hassle.]
But I’d already committed to going.
“I’ll be Iron Man. What about you, Mark?”
“Then I’ll be Spider-Man.”
“Mark, that’s awesome!”
“Sung-guk, you too! I’m so excited to see you as Iron Man.”
Mark and I giggled like nerds, and Jessie stared at me with a look of disdain.
“Sung-guk, you’re hanging around Mark so much—aren’t you becoming like him?”
[That’s basically an insult, isn’t it?]
For a moment, I snapped to attention.
“Anyway, see you then.”
Jessie vanished in a flash.
Mark looked at me with worried eyes.
“Sung-guk, weren’t you too harsh on Jessie?”
“What do you mean?”
“Everyone who uses Face Paper knows Jessie likes you. She’s always the first to react to your posts. But you’re always putting up walls with her.”
“Mark, I’m still a kid. Jessie should meet a good guy her own age soon.”
“There you go again, talking like an old soul. Anyway, are you really going to show up as Iron Man?”
“Yeah.”
I nodded firmly.
[Back in my conglomerate days, I was the Iron Man of South Korea’s business world, remember? Ha, those were the days. I wielded everything exactly as I pleased. Come to think of it, the heart condition is similar too.]
I smiled bitterly.
* * *
I reviewed the contract Peter had sent.
According to the Hyojin Group’s lawyer’s review, there were no particularly toxic clauses.
It acknowledged Mark and my joint management entirely, and promised investment for the first three years.
The profit distribution rate was far more favorable than other private equity funds.
“Mark, what do you think?”
“I think it’s good. But Sung-guk, I keep thinking—shouldn’t we really commit ourselves to Face Paper from now on?”
Mark was the type who could only focus on one thing.
“Hmm, I feel the same way. Mark, I’ll be honest with you. Even if Face Paper fails miserably, I’ll still be in my teens. I can go back to Harvard or return to Korea and do something else. But you could waste your entire twenties.”
“You can’t succeed unless you risk everything.”
For the first time since I’d met Mark, he looked cool.
“Mark, that’s cool.”
“I have to be cool sometimes too.”
“Mark, let’s do this then. We’ll finalize the contract, and once everything’s signed, it’ll probably be just before winter break. Let’s treat winter break as our last vacation in life—have a blast together, then go all-in on Face Paper starting in March. I’ll tell Peter about our plan in advance.”
“Yeah. Sung-guk, let’s risk it all.”
Mark seemed to have made his resolve.
“But Sung-guk, did you buy the Iron Man costume?”
“Yeah, I ordered it from Amazon.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner!”
“Didn’t you order the Spider-Man costume?”
“If I order now, will it arrive before the Halloween party?”
“Stop talking and order it! Mark.”
Mark frantically opened his laptop and ordered the Spider-Man costume.
* * *
October 31st, 2003.
Samjeon Electronics’ stock continued its steady climb, and Amazon was no different.
In the meantime, I had acquired shares in Apple and Nike as well, giving me a securities portfolio that everyone envied—at least until the Lehman crisis of 2007.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
My phone rang.
It was Father.
[He rarely calls because of the phone charges. What’s this about?]
I answered the call.
“Father! What’s the matter?”
– Sung-guk, how are you doing?
“I’m doing well, Father. Winter break is starting, and there’s a lot I need to discuss with you.”
– I saw you on the Ellen Winfrey Show last time. You didn’t damage your health living on just thirty dollars for a month, did you?
“I’m fine. That appearance led to an investment in Face Paper, and it looks like I’ll be starting a venture with Mark soon.”
– Yes, I heard a lot about it from the Hyojin Group’s lawyer. The reason I’m calling is that the Pangyo area you bought is entering a major development phase.
It was the second half of 2003, so it was certainly the right time for that.
– I hear land is trading for up to four million won per pyeong.
Pangyo skyrocketed at this time, then declined over the next ten years.
South Korea’s lost decade in real estate was fast approaching.
I didn’t care how much ordinary apartment prices fluctuated, but I was sensitive to land prices because I needed to purchase factory sites.
“Father, sell it all and buy land in the two regions I’m about to mention.”
– You want me to use all the money from selling the land to buy more land?
“Yes, Father. Magok and Dongtan—those two regions. Sell the Pangyo land and split the proceeds evenly between Magok and Dongtan.”
– All right, I will. Sung-guk, I’m saying this because I’m worried about you. Don’t push yourself too hard. Understood?
“Yes, Father.”
Hearing Father’s voice after so long stirred something deep within me.
I clenched my teeth.
Just then, I heard Ji-hee’s voice from behind.
– Oppa, it’s Ji-hee. Oppa, how are you?
In that moment, my nose tingled.
In my past life, my younger siblings were so annoying….
Anyway, it seemed I was born into a more emotionally sensitive body in this life.
– Oppa, when are you coming?
“I’ll come during winter break. Just wait a little longer, Ji-hee.”
– When you come, I’ll give you a big hug.
[So this is why everyone becomes a daughter fool, a little sister fool.]
I rubbed my tingling nose and quickly replied.
“Yes, Ji-hee. I’ll come see you soon.”

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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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