I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 130

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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 130
[North Korea? You mean the actual North Korea?!]
Her words froze me in place.
In my previous life, during the period of inter-Korean reconciliation, I’d gone to Kaesong as a business delegation representative and visited Pyongyang, where I ate cold noodles at Okryugwan and watched performances by the Moranbong Band.
My photos were splashed across the news, and the people I met were among North Korea’s elite.
To be honest, I’d never met an ordinary North Korean citizen one-on-one before.
The woman shot me a piercing look.
“You understood what I said, right?”
Though her Korean had been refined considerably, a strong North Korean dialect still clung to her speech.
“Ah, yes… Since my friends here don’t speak Korean, let’s switch to English from now on. Is that okay?”
“Fine by me.”
The woman’s English was quite competent.
Her pronunciation was slightly off, but that was a trait anyone not born in this land possessed.
Mark glanced at me sideways, then asked the woman.
“From the way you’re talking with Sung-guk… are you Korean?”
“Yeah. More precisely, I’m from North Korea.”
In that instant, both Mark and Dennis froze. Their bewilderment was unmistakable.
In America, North Korea was a dictatorship constantly provoking war.
“North Korea? You came from North Korea?”
“All that’s annoying. I came for the reward money. When are you giving it to me?”
“Oh, right!”
Mark slapped his palm.
“Sung-guk, this person seems to know who the criminal is. You should ask her!”
“Of course she would.”
I’d already regained my composure.
[Where does she think she’s going to sell this information?]
“If I give you a thousand-dollar reward, you won’t be able to join our company. Would that be acceptable?”
The woman’s pupils trembled for a moment.
“Sung-guk, what are you talking about?”
Mark looked bewildered, glancing around.
Dennis, on the other hand, reacted intensely.
“Sung-guk, are you saying this person is actually that hacker?”
“Who would know and report a hacker that even Microsoft couldn’t find? Unless she went around bragging about it herself.”
The woman shot me a sharp look.
“Are you really offering me a job?”
“You’ve already proven your skills.”
“So… you’ll really pay me a Silicon Valley entry-level salary?”
“First, let’s conduct what we call an interview here. How does that sound?”
I was confident about interviews.
Especially pressure interviews!
It was something I had done countless times in my previous life.
“Sure, whatever.”
The woman nodded.
She was petite with a lean frame, and the piercings in her ears and lips certainly didn’t make her look ordinary.
“First question. Why did you hack?”
“That’s my resume. How can you evaluate someone’s skills with just a few letters?”
Her blunt way of speaking had a North Korean dialect’s rough edge to it.
“So you’re saying you weren’t confident in your resume?”
“Who in the United States would even recognize North Korean credentials?”
“North Korean credentials. I’m curious about that.”
Now I was beginning to feel genuine curiosity about this woman.
Mark and Dennis felt the same way.
The woman rolled up her sleeves. Her arms were covered in tattoos. Combined with her monochromatic clothing, she had the appearance of someone deliberately trying to look tough.
The woman stretched her neck casually, then glanced toward the refrigerator.
“You have beer, right?”
“Yes! Would you like some?”
“Yeah.”
Mark was already moving toward the refrigerator the moment her words left her mouth.
“Mark, I’ll have milk.”
Mark opened the refrigerator and pulled out beer and milk.
Even as Mark handed the beer to the woman, he couldn’t tear his eyes away.
“Mark, stop blocking my view, will you?”
“Oh, sorry….”
Now that I thought about it, all of us standing there staring at her did seem strange.
“Does your leg hurt? Let’s sit down and talk. Your skills are already verified, so instead of a resume, tell us the rest in person. We need to know what kind of person you are before we hire you, right?”
“You’re not planning to reject me after hearing my whole story, are you?”
“If we don’t hire you, I’ll give you a thousand dollars for your time. And of course, I won’t report you to the FBI either. It’s not a bad deal, is it?”
“Hmm… alright then.”
The woman took a long swig of beer and sat down on the sofa.
Mark, Dennis, and I shuffled onto the opposite sofa and stared at her.
The woman looked at the three of us and then said,
“Are you watching animals at a zoo right now?”
“Oh, sorry about that… wouldn’t our legs hurt if we stood? Should we get up?”
Mark quickly made an excuse.
I gritted my teeth and patted his back three times.
[Mark, you staying quiet is actually helping.]
“Well, I guess it can’t be helped. So, what should we start with instead of a resume?”
I took a sip of milk and began my questions.
“When did you come to the United States?”
“Three years ago.”
“So what did you do in North Korea?”
“Student. I attended Kim Il-sung University.”
Kim Il-sung University was North Korea’s most prestigious institution. It wasn’t just about ability—your family background had to be impeccable to gain admission.
Mark leaned forward slightly, growing increasingly absorbed in the woman’s story.
Dennis watched her with interest, arms crossed, as if observing a film.
“If you attended Kim Il-sung University in North Korea, you must have been an elite. And from a good family background too.”
“Ah, so you came from South Korea—you actually understand North Korean affairs.”
“Did you learn computers there?”
“I majored in computer science at Kim Il-sung University. The department selected outstanding students for hacker training, and I was chosen. I received over a year of instruction and then was deployed to active operations.”
The woman spoke without reservation.
Mark raised his hand tentatively.
“Sung-guk, sorry to interrupt, but we don’t even know this woman’s name.”
“That’s right! I got so caught up in the story I forgot to ask.”
Dennis nodded in agreement.
I too had forgotten, startled by the revelation that she was a defector.
The woman gulped down her beer and spoke.
“Lim Mi-mi. Family name is Lim, given name is Mi-mi.”
“That’s such an American name!”
Mark responded quickly.
“You didn’t change it after coming to America, did you?”
“You keep your name Sung-guk as is. I do the same with mine. Americans accept it without much resistance, which is fortunate, though people do make jokes based on the name alone, which gets tiresome.”
“Right? In America, when they hear Mi-mi, they immediately ask where Ken is, making that joke.”
“I’ve heard that joke countless times.”
Mark treated it as humor, but Lim Mi-mi didn’t bat an eye. Then she opened up about her past.
“Both my parents were teachers in Pyongyang, from a good family background. My uncle was a high-ranking diplomat, but he defected to America without permission from the party, and because of that, both my parents were sent to a political prison camp.”
Lim Mi-mi paused as painful memories surfaced, then sighed and continued.
“Fortunately, because of my hacking skills, I wasn’t sent to the political prison camp. Instead, I was under 24-hour surveillance in Thailand, hacking foreign banks and sending the money to North Korea. Then one day when surveillance was lax, I just ran away.”
“This is completely like a movie.”
“If you want to write about it later, I’ll tell you everything in detail. Of course, you know there’s no such thing as a free lunch, right?”
“You’ve learned capitalism very quickly.”
“This is the flower of capitalism—America, after all.”
As Lim Mi-mi spoke, her rigid expression gradually softened.
“Exactly! This is America!”
Mark enthusiastically agreed with her words.
I took a sip of milk and asked what still puzzled me.
“You’re not undocumented, are you?”
“My uncle who defected to America essentially both killed and saved my family. He apparently gave America some information, though I don’t know the details. I did receive permanent residency.”
Mark’s eyes sparkled as he turned to me.
“Sung-guk, if she has permanent residency, there’s no problem at all.”
[So you like her, Mark?]
I finished my milk without showing any reaction.
Her distinctive appearance and commanding tone were impressive. Her skills had been verified, but whether she’d fit well within the organization remained uncertain.
“What have you been doing in the United States all this time?”
“Fixed computers… served tables… cleaned stuff.”
If that was the case, this job seemed exactly what Lim Mi-mi needed.
I seized back the initiative.
“Lim Mi-mi, how about working as an intern at FaceNote for a month? I’ll pay you properly even for just one month. If you don’t like it, you can take a thousand dollars right now and leave.”
Lim Mi-mi thought for a moment before answering.
“Hmm… sure, why not.”
“Then, come to this office by 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. Since I didn’t ask for your address or age, it would be good if you could tell me before you leave.”
“I’m twenty-five. I live in the semi-basement across the street. That good?”
“Yes! See you at 10 a.m. tomorrow.”
Lim Mi-mi gave a small nod and left the office.
At the same moment, the three of us let out the voices we’d been quietly holding back.
“Jackpot!”
* * *
Mark chattered away the entire time we were eating pizza.
“Sung-guk, that woman Lim Mi-mi has some serious presence, doesn’t she?”
“Seems like she’s just pretending to be tough, Mark.”
“I agree with Dennis.”
“Really? I felt like she had real presence. Am I the only one who felt that way?”
Mark had been talking non-stop about Lim Mi-mi since earlier.
[Could it be another instant crush….]
I threw a comment at Mark.
“Mark, workplace romance is forbidden.”
“W-wait, Sung-guk. What are you talking about! I just met this woman today, and you think I’ve already fallen for her?”
“Then why are you panicking?”
Dennis leaned back beside me, laughing hard.
“Mark, you’re really just like Sung-guk says—a jellyfish.”
“What? Why am I a jellyfish, Sung-guk?”
“Because everything inside you is transparent.”
“No, no, that’s not it. She’s just so unique, you know? A short, skinny woman with piercings and tattoos. And from Kim Il-sung University or something. She was active as a hacker in North Korea… isn’t that just cool?”
[Mark’s fallen again….]
I shook my head in disbelief.
“Mark, based on your long history starting with Bianca in high school and then pining alone for Michelle, Dennis’s ex-girlfriend, I’m giving you this advice….”
I took a bite of pizza.
“Mark, absolutely don’t let your imagination run wild. And I’m emphasizing this again—no workplace romance whatsoever until FaceNote gets back on track!”
“Sung-guk, when did I ever say I wanted to date? I told you last time too. I’m not even thinking about dating anymore—I’m just going to focus on work.”
“Mark, the more you talk, the more your true colors show.”
“Sung-guk, I’m just fascinated by Lim Mi-mi.”
“And don’t you dare look at me with curiosity either.”
Mark thumped his chest in frustration.
“Can’t I at least admire you as a fellow programmer?”
“Admiration is also forbidden.”
“We work at the same company—we could grab a beer after work on Friday, go for a walk or catch a movie on the weekend… just as colleagues!”
[He’s already imagined holding hands, kissing, everything!]
I answered firmly.
“Mark, even that kind of imagination is forbidden!”
“Sung-guk, you’re being too harsh!”
Mark actually turned around and sat with his back to me, pizza in hand.
Dennis let out a quiet chuckle, glancing at me.
“Sung-guk, but aren’t you worried at all? A defector with unclear identity—you’re really going to trust him with FaceNote’s security? Can you really believe in him?”
“We’ll know after a month of observation.”
[Dennis, Jeon Jae-hyung, the chairman of South Korea’s renowned Samjeon Group, always said something like this: Never trust a person after seeing them once, never trust them after seeing them twice, and never trust them even after seeing them three times. In other words, never trust anyone from beginning to end.]
I finished inhaling my pizza.
* * *
Mark showed up at our room at 8 a.m. sharp, pestering us relentlessly.
“Sung-guk, when are we going to the office?”
“We’re leaving at 9:40. It’s only a ten-minute walk from here.”
“Let’s go now. We can grab pizza on the way… and pick up Lim Mi-mi too. Just so you know, this is purely about looking out for a colleague, so don’t get the wrong idea.”
[I’ve seen people eager to get to school, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone eager to get to work, Mark.]
I let out a long yawn and looked at him.
“Mark, I’m going to finish this book before I leave, so you go ahead first. Why won’t you just go by yourself?”
“Because Lim Mi-mi might already be there.”
Watching Mark’s behavior, I felt a bit confused.
Yesterday he seemed very interested in Lim Mi-mi, but today it seemed like he wasn’t.
“Lim Mi-mi doesn’t even have a key to the office yet. So what if she’s there? You two can just go inside together.”
“Well, that’s true, but… honestly, being alone with Lim Mi-mi in one space is kind of… scary, Sung-guk.”
Mark’s face flushed red as he scratched his messy hair.
“You know I’ve never been alone with a woman in the same space before.”
[Sigh… this hopeless romantic…]
I snapped my book shut.
* * *
A security guard was stationed in the lobby of the building where our office was located.
As we pushed through the doors, the guard, Ray, quickly greeted us.
“Welcome, Harvard students.”
Ray gave us an enthusiastic welcome.
“Ray, would you like a slice of pizza?”
“I’m on a diet, Sung-guk.”
Ray pointed to his substantial belly.
“I truly hope you’ll succeed.”
Just then, a husky female voice called out from behind.
“Hello, bosses!”
Lim Mi-mi greeted Mark and me with impeccable courtesy.
“Sung-guk, did Lim Mi-mi just call us bosses?”
“Uh…”
Mark and I exchanged bewildered glances as Lim Mi-mi approached with a radiant smile—a complete 180 from yesterday.
“Lim Mi-mi, did you just call us bosses?”
“This is the United States, the land of capitalism. You must show respect to those who pay you. Isn’t that capitalism? Come on, bosses, let’s head upstairs.”

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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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