I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 148

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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 148
Mark and Lim Mi-mi settled comfortably onto the sofa.
I rose from my seat and perched on the armrest beside them.
Jeon Tae-guk’s eyes darted about frantically—his discomfort was unmistakable.
“Tae-guk, just present it like you would at school. Relax.”
“Well, I… that is…”
Judging by Jeon Tae-guk’s demeanor, it was painfully obvious he’d never given a proper presentation at school in his life.
[Since it’s his first day, maybe he’ll accept that he wasn’t fully prepared…]
I fixed him with a cold stare.
But Jeon Tae-guk clenched his teeth and cast a resentful glance at Young Secretary Yang.
It was crystal clear who would bear the brunt of his frustration.
“Tae-guk, you weren’t prepared because it’s your first day, right?”
“Yeah… that’s right, Sung-guk.”
Jeon Tae-guk answered quickly.
His initial arrogance had vanished entirely, and he clung to my words as though they were a lifeline dropped from heaven.
But this was a rope that would fray and snap at precisely the wrong moment.
[I’ll let him fall once he’s climbed high enough that he can’t retaliate against Secretary Yang.]
“Tae-guk, you’re clearly still adjusting to company life. But please at least respect the office hours—arrival and departure times. And since you’re an intern at FaceNote, analysis is naturally expected of you. On your final day as an intern, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung and the executives from Samjeon Group will be visiting to see what you’ve accomplished during your month at FaceNote. We’ve scheduled another presentation in three days as preparation. Yang Chul-soo, you’ll help him prepare as well.”
“Got it, Sung-guk.”
Jeon Tae-guk finally exhaled and forced a smile.
“So what’s everyone doing tonight? I feel bad about being late this morning… I’d like to buy you all drinks somewhere nice.”
“I have my younger brother to look after, and I’m not old enough to drink anyway. I apologize.”
I cut him off preemptively.
“Sung-guk, you can still eat, right?”
“My brother is waiting for me at home. I’m afraid it won’t work out.”
Mark didn’t seem particularly interested either.
“Tae-guk, we’ve been to plenty of fancy places with Sung-guk. We prefer somewhere comfortable. And since Sung-guk’s brother is here, let’s just have a casual welcome dinner at home and drink some beer. I really love having beer with Korean food, you know.”
“I’m all for it!”
Lim Mi-mi enthusiastically agreed.
“You… you’re Korean, right?”
“I’m from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Tae-guk. In our Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the concept of conglomerates is considered an enemy of the people, but I look forward to working with you going forward.”
Jeon Tae-guk froze exactly as expected at Lim Mi-mi’s introduction.
I shook my head slowly.
[Lim Mi-mi is truly extraordinary.]
With that single remark, she had completely shut down any attempt Jeon Tae-guk might make to flirt with her while simultaneously ensuring he wouldn’t underestimate her for being a woman.
Just then, a notification appeared on my FaceNote.
It was from Chad Chun.
– Sung-guk, are you free today? There’s an investment briefing this afternoon from some company, and it looks like almost everyone in the venture community will be there. I told my friends about you and they’re all insisting I bring you.
– Sounds great! I’ll attend.
I responded without hesitation.
– Then I’ll pick you up at noon!
I checked Chad Chun’s comment and suddenly glanced at Mark and Lim Mi-mi.
Mark looked at me with an ominous gaze.
“Mi-mi, it looks like Sung-guk is about to assign us something again.”
“Mark, don’t look at me like that. That’s exactly the look of someone plotting something.”
I forced a smile.
“Wow, that smile is even scarier. Sung-guk?”
“Mark, Lim Mi-mi. What if FaceNote users had their own messenger?”
Mark slapped his head with his palm.
“Sung-guk! You’re telling us to build it!”
“Mark, please distribute your scheming more evenly. I heard there are lots of expensive and delicious restaurants around here.”
Lim Mi-mi seemed to have already given up.
“Yes! I understand. Well, I have an appointment, so I’ll head out and come back.”
I glanced at Jeon Tae-guk, who was organizing his desk, and Young Secretary Yang.
“You two, familiarize yourselves with the company work. I’m looking forward to the presentation in three days! I’ll see you this evening! Oh, and Secretary Yang, could I ask you to pick up Min-guk on your way home?”
“It’s not a request—I consider it part of my job.”
[Secretary Yang’s thoughtfulness never changes!]
I greeted them and left the office.
* * *
Chad Chun took me to a gathering held at a hotel near Silicon Valley.
Though he’d introduced it casually, it was a meeting where companies of considerable scale gathered.
I fidgeted with my hoodie unnecessarily.
“Sung-guk, just like last time. You look handsome even in just a hoodie.”
“What kind of gathering is this?”
“Well… someone from China is holding a business briefing. We came here to grab a quick bite and see what kind of businesses are booming in China these days. Plus, everyone tends to show up at these kinds of events, so it’s good to network and get familiar with faces.”
Chad Chun was nothing like when he lectured—he wasn’t nervous at all, and he wasn’t breaking into a cold sweat.
[Who’s the businessman coming from China?]
I followed Chad Chun into the hotel.
The small auditorium in the hotel was already crowded with people.
I spotted several faces I’d already seen at the Venture Expo and the Forum.
Just then, someone gripped my shoulder firmly.
“Sung-guk!”
I could tell who this man with the South African accent was without even looking.
“Elon!”
I greeted Elon warmly.
“Sung-guk, I saw FaceNote. I was planning to contact you anyway, but Chad beat me to it. When I heard you’d be here today, I rushed over.”
“You didn’t come just to see me, did you?”
Elon glanced around and whispered in my ear.
“I need to grab some lunch. Tesla’s been killing me lately—I feel like I’m dying.”
“I’ll join you then.”
At this point, Elon Musk’s Tesla was not expected by anyone.
On top of that, he was pouring all the money he earned into it, so Elon’s financial situation was dire.
Elon and Chad Chun unhesitatingly headed to the prepared food section and grabbed something to eat.
Just then, I noticed the host company of this event.
A banner hanging in the auditorium.
– Alibaba Investment Briefing Session
[Alibaba! Of course!]
I smiled faintly and spotted Ma Yun, the founder of Alibaba, whose American name was Steve Ma.
During my time as vice chairman of Samjeon Group, I had met Ma Yun from Alibaba several times.
He was a remarkable figure who started as an English teacher in China and became China’s wealthiest man through Alibaba, an internet commerce company comparable to Amazon in China.
I quickly located Ma Yun.
His distinctive face—small in stature with unique features—was unforgettable.
Ma Yun was moving busily between groups of people.
“Sung-guk, let’s grab some food first and then step outside to talk privately.”
Elon grabbed my arm.
“Elon, I’ve become interested in investing here.”
“You’re going to invest in a Chinese company?”
“Just like that. I’ll eat later.”
I quickly shook off Elon and approached Ma Yun, greeting him warmly in Chinese.
[Even if I look like this, I speak six languages.]
“Hello.”
“Oh? Are you Chinese?”
Ma Yun blinked his characteristically large eyes.
“No, I’m Korean. I’ve just studied Chinese a bit.”
“It’s more than just a bit. I’ve been struggling having to speak English constantly since I arrived here, but speaking Chinese feels so much more comfortable.”
Ma Yun relaxed visibly and spoke more naturally.
[I was right to keep studying Chinese….]
I smiled with satisfaction.
No matter how fluent Ma Yun was in English, constantly dealing with people in a foreign language would exhaust anyone. Without it being your native tongue, there were always limitations in expression.
I seized that opening.
“Ma Yun, could you tell me about the company Alibaba?”
“It’s similar to Amazon in the United States. It’s an internet commerce company. But as you know, China has vast territory and an enormous population. If we become number one in China, we could achieve success comparable to becoming number one in America—that’s the potential of this internet commerce platform.”
Ma Yun’s explanation was precise.
But internally, I shed tears of blood once more.
I didn’t have enough money!
“By the way, what’s your name?”
“Jeon Sung-guk.”
“Sung-guk. That’s a wonderful name. I’m Ma Yun. Ma is my family name. I also have an American name—Steve Ma.”
“Which name would you prefer to be called?”
“Of course Ma Yun. It’s the name my parents gave me.”
Ma Yun flashed a benevolent smile.
Without realizing it, I felt a kinship with Ma Yun—the camaraderie of those who came from nothing.
[Hmm… will this actually work…?]
I decided to leverage this sense of connection.
“Ma Yun, I founded a company called FaceNote with Mark, my high school classmate.”
“Actually, I already knew that. I was a bit surprised when Sung-guk came in.”
“How did you know about me?”
“I saw your presentation at the Forum for a New Era held in New York.”
[Once people see me, they don’t easily forget.]
I gave a slight shrug.
“At that time, I was genuinely amazed by the imagination of such young people. All I do is gather existing products from the internet and sell them, but you young people—you’re actually selling ideas. That’s what I thought.”
“We’re continuing to develop and improve.”
“And when I saw Sung-guk’s appearance, I nearly fainted. I’m short, so I failed countless times in company interviews. Perhaps because of those memories, I decided I had to build a business that no one could reject.”
Ma Yun revealed his shortcomings without hesitation.
Indeed, people became more honest when speaking in their native language. And I was hearing stories that other investors would never hear.
“But Sung-guk, even from my perspective, you’re so handsome that I keep wanting to look at you. The world really is unfair, isn’t it?”
“The world is unfair. To be honest, I was born into extreme poverty. Even my study abroad in the United States was sponsored.”
“Really?”
Ma Yun’s eyes widened further.
“Yes. Both of my parents are orphans. They met with absolutely nothing, got married, and had me. When I was young, our entire family lived together in a single room.”
“Wow! I was the same!”
[Indeed, those of us from humble beginnings understand each other regardless of borders!]
Ma Yun continued speaking.
“So you came to study abroad through sponsorship and started this business?”
“Yes. How did you start your business, Ma Yun?”
Of course, I already knew the story, but people always desperately want someone to listen to how they started their work.
Ma Yun was no exception.
Ma Yun had taught English at a technical college, his first job, to people engaged in trading.
He began recounting an anecdote about how he realized that trading could earn more money than teaching English.
“Being an English teacher, even with marriage and children, life was really tough. So I decided to jump into trading, and by chance, I discovered something called the internet. It was truly a new world. When I first introduced the internet to Chinese people, everyone called me a scammer. But now, Chinese people are beginning to open their eyes to the internet.”
Once Ma Yun started speaking Chinese, he became an incredibly talkative person.
Ma Yun told me about how he founded Alibaba and started the business with initial capital.
And he continued without pause, speaking about how he now planned to expand the business by receiving various investments from different countries.
I waited patiently for Ma Yun to finish speaking.
Like a tiger on the savanna patiently waiting for a deer to collapse from exhaustion.
After finishing his speech, Ma Yun gulped down a refreshing glass of juice.
I seized that moment and pressed forward.
“Ma Yun, would it be alright if I made a proposal?”
“Anything.”
“I don’t have much money. But as someone who started from the same circumstances as you and built a business, I want to contribute whatever small strength I can. Would you accept a modest investment from me?”
In ten years, when Alibaba goes public, I’ll recover more than 3,000 times my initial investment.
[Ma Yun, we both came from nothing. Please, let me ride on Alibaba’s coattails and escape poverty!]

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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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