I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 155

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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 155
James Sakamoto detailed the story of how he came to conceive of virtual currency.
Probably very few people in the world would ever hear this story.
“In a few years, I’ll start by registering a domain and publishing a paper on virtual currency, then begin discussing the concept in earnest.”
James Sakamoto concluded his explanation in his characteristically composed tone.
While he shared some similarities with Elon Musk, his personality was truly the opposite.
“James, we’ve met by fate like this—what if we formed something like a secret society between us?”
“Elon, are you talking about something like the Freemasons?”
James’s voice remained measured.
“I’m not well-versed in grand conspiracies or such things. I was thinking—since we’re destined to become part of world history—what if we simply met occasionally, listened to each other’s ideas, and helped one another comfortably? I’ve earned considerable wealth and weathered crises with Tesla, yet genuine friends seem to disappear the more successful you become.”
Elon spoke without his usual vigor.
As Elon said, true friends vanish with greater success.
“James, Elon—since we’ve already made a secret oath as you suggested, let’s meet often and share our thoughts.”
“Sung-guk, let’s give ourselves a proper name. What do you think?”
“Hmm… what would be good?”
Then I recalled what we three had in common.
“Elon, you’re the eldest son too, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, I’m the firstborn.”
“James as well?”
“Yes. I have a younger sister with a different father, so I’m the eldest son too.”
“I’m also the eldest of three siblings. What about the Firstborn Club?”
At my suggestion, Elon and James both smiled, their lips curling upward.
“That’s amusing, actually. It doesn’t sound serious at all.”
“It’s more like a social club.”
James picked up on Elon’s comment.
“Then, shall we name ourselves the Firstborn Club as Sung-guk suggested?”
“Elon, I’m in favor!”
“Of course I agree!”
We pressed our palms together.
Elon and James—there was a reason we’d clicked from our first meeting.
We were all the eldest sons of our families.
* * *
Elon and I left James Sakamoto’s Office.
Both our faces were flushed with excitement.
“Sung-guk, isn’t it truly remarkable? A currency accepted everywhere in the world… It completely subverts the existing value controlled by each nation’s central banks.”
Elon spoke about virtual currency with fervent enthusiasm, as if he’d just met a deity.
“Elon, the virtual currency James described will truly create new history in the coming future.”
“James said the same thing about you and me.”
I simply smiled.
[Elon, we’re going to be history too!]
“Sung-guk, listen… there’s something I need to tell you.”
Elon suddenly stopped in his tracks and stared at me intently.
“Could you let me stay at your place for a while?”
“Elon, what’s wrong?”
“Sigh…”
Elon exhaled a long, heavy breath.
“The truth is, Tesla’s core technology—the battery—has hit a critical problem. We might have to start from scratch. It’s not Tesla’s battery that’s drained; it’s me. I felt like I was going to lose my mind if I didn’t stop thinking about it, so I came to meet James Sakamoto like I was running away. I needed to escape…”
I gently patted Elon’s shoulder.
“Elon, come stay at our home. It’s a bit chaotic, but everyone there is good-hearted. They’ll definitely welcome you.”
“Thanks, Sung-guk.”
“Don’t mention it. That’s not how we talk to each other.”
[Besides, Elon promised me Tesla stock anyway.]
But now Elon Musk felt less like a genius to me and more like an older brother who was somehow lacking.
Always passionate, always confident, yet somehow growing smaller and smaller behind closed doors… that’s what my brother was like….
[I wonder if Min-guk thinks of me the same way?]
* * *
Click.
As I opened the door and stepped inside, Min-guk, Mark, and Lim Mi-mi were eating pizza in the living room.
Jeon Tae-guk and Young Secretary Yang, who now spent most of their time at our home instead of their dormitory, greeted us warmly.
“Sung-guk, why are you just getting here! Tae-guk’s intern brought pizza.”
Min-guk jumped up from his seat and shuffled over to greet us.
“Hyung, who is this person?”
“Elon, this is my younger brother, Jeon Min-guk.”
“Hey, Min-guk. I’m Elon Musk. I’ll be staying here for a few days, so let’s get along. By the way, I have a lot of sons too.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
Min-guk quickly bowed respectfully.
Jeon Tae-guk looked at Elon and me with a displeased expression.
“Sung-guk, the house is already cramped. Now you’re bringing in a freeloader?”
“Tae-guk hyung, I don’t think you’re in a position to say that.”
“Pfft—”
Lim Mi-mi nearly spat out her pizza.
Elon grabbed my arm gently, looking embarrassed.
“Sung-guk, maybe I should just find a hostel nearby.”
“Elon, don’t mind what that hyung said. His dormitory is the house next door, and he’s the real freeloader here. Oh, you know Samjeon Electronics, right? He’s their successor.”
“Really?”
“He’s interning at FaceNote right now.”
“Interesting… so what’s a successor of a world-class South Korean company like? Let’s talk about it.”
Elon quickly wedged himself into the group.
[He’s going to be disappointed….]
Min-guk hurried into the kitchen and returned with a plate, which he handed to me.
“Min-guk, what is this?”
“Hyung, you love Hawaiian pizza. This one disappears the fastest, so I quickly set aside two slices for you.”
“Min-guk….”
“Hyung, I did good, right?”
“Yeah.”
I reached over and ruffled his hair.
Then, a sudden curiosity stirred within me.
“Min-guk, I’m curious about something….”
“Yeah, hyung.”
“Do you take care of me because I seem lacking in some way?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“Because you’re my hyung. That’s why I take care of you. And who says you’re lacking? You’re smart, handsome, tall! You’re amazing at business! Who would say you’re lacking? Should I smack you with the frying pan again?”
“Min-guk, if you do that one more time, you’re really going to jail.”
“You’re so extreme, hyung. Just eat your pizza already.”
“Thanks, Min-guk.”
I took a bite of the Hawaiian pizza Min-guk had saved for me.
* * *
The night deepened into darkness.
Min-guk’s leg suddenly kicked me in the stomach.
“Ugh—.”
I gently moved his leg aside and got up from bed.
[If it weren’t for that Hawaiian pizza, you’d be getting a back-smashing….]
Just then, I heard rustling sounds from the living room.
[Is Elon having trouble sleeping too?]
I opened the door and stepped out to find Elon sitting motionless on the sofa, sipping whiskey.
“Elon, is the sofa uncomfortable?”
“No… I just wanted to spend some time like this for a change. Sung-guk, I wish you could drink whiskey too.”
[My palate is too refined—expensive whiskey will taste great to me soon enough. Just wait, Elon.]
“I’ll have water instead.”
I picked up a glass of water and sat across from Elon.
The clock was approaching 2 a.m.
“Sung-guk… I’ve lived my entire life without a single gap, without any slack. I’ve always worked. I’ve always been in relationships. I got married, and I have five children. I’ve lived as if there couldn’t be any gaps in life, constantly whipping myself forward, telling myself to keep my eyes ahead and run…. But now that my faith has been shaken, I wonder if this life I’ve lived is even right.”
Elon sipped his whiskey slowly.
“While others have dinner with their families and sleep peacefully watching their children sleep, I’ve always been working and awake.”
“Elon, do you regret it?”
“A little….”
I could tell his regret wouldn’t last long.
“Sung-guk, you’re still young—don’t live like I have.”
“I think someone would want to live like you, Elon.”
“You can live like me. Just make sure to protect your family when times get tough. When family falls apart, it feels like all your strength to endure disappears.”
I didn’t say anything, but I sensed that Elon was already going through a crisis with his wife.
Elon wiped his tired face with his hand.
“But you know what’s strange, Sung-guk? Not working like this makes me anxious….”
“Elon, are you done resting now?”
“Yeah, seems like it. Don’t think it’s strange if I’m not here in the morning. I need to go to the Tesla Factory to check on the battery situation and convince investors to bring in more funding. Maybe today—meeting James and coming here with you to eat pizza with your friends—might be the last vacation of my life.”
Elon stared blankly at his whiskey glass.
“Sung-guk, I’ve always been impatient, so I drank whiskey quickly too. But… today I’m going to drink it really slowly. Until all this ice melts.”
Elon seemed to need some peace for himself.
I stood up from my seat.
“Elon, have a good night.”
“Sung-guk, how about 10 Tesla stocks as thanks for listening to me tonight?”
“Since you even let me vent, add 10 more.”
“Alright, I’m feeling generous today. Sleep well, Sung-guk.”
I left Elon alone in the living room and returned to the bedroom. I looked down at the bed.
Min-guk was asleep with his blanket completely kicked off by his feet.
I pulled the blanket up to Min-guk’s chest and curled up beside him to sleep.
The sound of Min-guk’s breathing was like a lullaby, and I soon fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
“Hey, that guy’s not here. Hyung, wake up! No wait! Today’s finally the day I capture a video showing your true self!”
Min-guk muttered to himself, then pulled out a camera and started recording.
“Hyung! Wake up. It’s morning.”
I forced my eyes open.
“Jeon Min-guk, just five more minutes for hyung. Five more minutes.”
“Hyung, it’s morning! You need to wake up!”
“Min-guk, hyung really just needs five more minutes.”
I pulled the blanket back over myself.
* * *
Within two days, both Min-guk’s dance video and my daily life video were uploaded to YouTube.
Since it was still in beta service, there weren’t many users, but interest in the small Eastern child dancing was intense.
Moreover, the daily life video featured me, the founder of FaceNote, which resulted in explosive view counts.
I quickly linked the YouTube video on FaceNote and started a popularity poll.
– Jeon Sung-guk VS Jeon Min-guk! Vote for your preference!
Voting closes in 24 hours!
“Hyung, if I win, take me to Disneyland even if I don’t score above 90 on my final Language Academy test.”
“Deal.”
I agreed readily.
I could hear Mark and Lim Mi-mi murmuring behind me as they watched the video.
“Sung-guk, you should be nervous. There are so many comments saying Min-guk is cute.”
“Restaurant Owner, as expected, relatability wins people over.”
Min-guk grinned widely.
“Hyung, don’t be too heartbroken about losing the popularity vote.”
“Min-guk, you never know how a game will end until you play it through.”
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
The phone on the table rang.
Min-guk rushed over eagerly, checked the screen, and answered immediately.
“Min-guk, it’s your brother calling.”
Tears suddenly streamed down Min-guk’s face.
“Dad! Yes! It’s Min-guk! Dad! I miss you so much!”
[This kid, even though he’s been pretending to have fun every day, he’s still only twelve.]
I quickly took the phone.
“Father, it’s Sung-guk. It seems Min-guk really misses the family.”
– Sung-guk, actually… your mother, Ji-hee, and I were all planning to come visit you. Is the timing okay?
“Father, you’re coming to the United States?”
– Min-guk went all the way there, and your mother is insisting we need to check out your new place and make sure you’re eating properly. We’re planning to come, take care of you, and bring Min-guk back with us.
I heard Ji-hee’s voice in the background.
– Oppa! Oppa! It’s Ji-hee! Oppa, I miss you so much!
Elon’s words about protecting family to stand by you in difficult times came to mind.
“Ji-hee… oppa’s here! I miss our Ji-hee so much too!”

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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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