I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 176

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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 176
Mark showed me an office at FaceNote with an excited expression on his face.
“Sung-guk, the view here is incredible. I’ve been saving this office for you.”
Just as Mark said, the space opened up beautifully before me, with trees visible at a glance.
“It’s so much larger than that studio in front of Harvard where we first started. I’ll set up the desk and computer however you want.”
“Hmm… Mark, isn’t this too big for me to use?”
“What are you talking about? Too big? You’re the co-CEO of FaceNote.”
I scratched my temple.
“Mark, I’d prefer a space where I can communicate comfortably with the employees while handling my own work. We’ve always worked in offices like that.”
“That was because there were only three of us—you, me, and Lim Mi-mi.”
“But back then, our communication was better than ever. Whenever Lim Mi-mi had an issue, she’d speak up on the spot, you’d handle it and solve it. We’d often hold meetings right there too.”
“But… a company needs to have systems in place.”
“Mark, we didn’t start FaceNote to run the kind of stuffy company that older people run.”
“But still…”
Mark scratched his unruly hair.
“Mark, when I asked for an office, I just meant a place where I could set down my laptop and work.”
“That’s all?”
“Yeah… and I want to always keep an eye on what you and Lim Mi-mi are doing. Also to monitor whether office romance is ruining the company atmosphere.”
“Sung-guk, are you serious right now?”
“I’m joking.”
Mark put his arm around my shoulder.
“Sung-guk, I know everything you say has no jokes in it. You’re being serious right now.”
[Hmm, I’ve been caught.]
I simply laughed.
“There you go again, just laughing. When things are ambiguous, you get away with it by smiling with that handsome face, but you know that doesn’t work on me, right?”
“Mark, you’ve grown a lot.”
“Sung-guk, as much as you? When I first saw you, you could barely carry a backpack! But now you’re so much taller than me!”
Mark smiled softly as he recalled the past.
Then, at the same time, both my FaceNote and Mark’s FaceNote notifications chimed.
“Who is it?”
“It’s obviously Ashley.”
“Sung-guk, the way you talk, it’s like Ashley is always on your mind.”
[Of course. I know that woman well…]
In my previous life, when I was investing, I met that woman dozens of times in America and was deceived by her. After being deceived, I was so furious that I couldn’t sleep, and I analyzed that woman thoroughly.
At the same time, I pursued dozens of lawsuits.
Each time, that woman made excuses and delayed the trials, which infuriated me.
In this life, I absolutely cannot let things unfold according to that woman’s wishes.
I checked FaceNote.
Just as I thought!
Ashley had sent Mark and me simultaneous invitations via FaceNote to a BloodTherapy party.
“Sung-guk, what on earth is this woman thinking? She won’t even send us a friend request, yet she’s inviting us to a party.”
“Mark, there’s something you probably can’t do unless you’re reborn.”
“What’s that?”
“Playing hard to get. It’s a kind of tug-of-war between men and women to establish dominance. Right now, Ashley Holmes is playing hard to get with us.”
Mark’s face still showed incomprehension.
“Why would she play hard to get with us? We’re not even dating. Honestly, you’re a minor, and I already have a girlfriend.”
“Ashley just enjoys this game. In business too. Once she confirms her superiority through this dynamic, she’ll try to use us like slaves.”
“Sung-guk, how old are you really? When you talk like this, you sound like Bill Gates or Charlie Jobs.”
[Peers, exactly.]
I quickly accepted Ashley Holmes’s invitation.
“Mark, you accept too.”
“But you said playing hard to get? Then shouldn’t I reject it instead?”
“Mark, at first, we need to appear as though Ashley Holmes has won us over. That way, we can approach her more easily.”
“I see….”
I placed my arm around Mark’s shoulder.
“Mark, the fact that you managed to date someone seems like a miracle.”
“Sung-guk, you’re still a minor, so you might not realize this, but from what I can see, dating will be just as difficult for you as it is for me. When you reach dating age, I’ll coach you plenty as your senior in romance.”
Mark shrugged his shoulders.
“Anyway, she even has a dress code. What’s with a suit at a venture company party?”
“I’ll just wear the clothes I bought last time.”
“Sung-guk, aren’t you buying me new clothes this time?”
Mark asked with a playful expression.
“Mark, I’m not rich enough yet to buy two designer suits.”
[At least not until I’ve built wealth equivalent to the Samjeon Group, Mark.]
Thinking about this, I realized I was becoming quite like my father.
In my previous life, I never wore the same outfit twice, but in this life, no matter how much money I earned, I felt like a miser.
[Blood truly runs thicker than water….]
* * *
Ashley Holmes’s venture company was located in one of the most expensive buildings in Silicon Valley.
Mark looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Sung-guk, didn’t you say BloodTherapy just started receiving investments recently?”
“There’s a Korean saying: an empty cart makes the most noise. Isn’t Ashley Holmes exactly like that right now?”
“Sung-guk, wait.”
“What is it, Mark?”
Mark looked me up and down, then buttoned up my shirt.
“Mark, what are you doing?”
“Sung-guk, that’s cheating. You’re supposed to leave three shirt buttons undone only after you turn twenty.”
“I’m a minor. There’s no way women would fall for me doing that.”
“Exactly because you’re a minor—you can’t leave more than one button undone!”
I had no choice but to leave just one button undone and entered Ashley Holmes’s office.
* * *
Ashley Holmes’s party venue was no less impressive than the hotel gathering held previously.
Champagne and caviar. The various finger foods appeared to have been procured from the hotel as well.
Mark quickly grabbed a glass of champagne, popped a finger food into his mouth, and grumbled.
“They should’ve just ordered pizza. This stuff doesn’t even fill your stomach.”
I reached for the caviar beside me and took a bite.
“Hmm….”
Indeed, an empty cart makes the most noise.
Both the champagne and caviar were cheap—merely checking boxes for appearances.
Ashley Holmes spotted us and approached with a smile.
She wore a black dress different from last time, and today she’d taken care to style her hair neatly.
“Oh my, Mark and Sung-guk. I’m so delighted to see you both again.”
“We thought this would be a casual gathering, but it’s quite grand.”
“Besides you and Mark, some important investors are coming today. I’ll introduce you to them later. They’re all serious players. They might even invest in our company.”
Ashley shamelessly revealed her true intentions—showcasing these heavyweight investors to us to promote how solid her business was.
[Probably just gathered some nobodies like Jerry Chang.]
I pushed a salmon roll into my mouth to fill the emptiness in my stomach.
Then, a figure appeared that made me doubt my eyes.
“Sung-guk, isn’t that Tae-guk over there?”
Jeon Tae-guk was walking in with an arrogant expression.
Ashley Holmes approached him with a coquettish smile. Then she even linked her arm through his and began showing him to the office.
[Could the heavyweight investor for BloodTherapy actually be Jeon Tae-guk?]
I stood frozen in place for a moment, staring at Jeon Tae-guk in shock.
Of course, given my past investment failures, it was only natural that Jeon Tae-guk would take interest in Ashley Holmes’s venture.
[It must be because of Samjeon Group’s genetic disease….]
Mark grabbed me in surprise.
“You’re saying Jeon Tae-guk is going to invest here?”
“It would be Samjeon Group making the investment rather than Jeon Tae-guk himself.”
Having been born holding the silver spoon unique in all of South Korea, it was only natural he wouldn’t want to let go of that spoon because of illness.
That’s precisely why I disliked Ashley Holmes even more.
Ashley Holmes had committed fraud using people’s lives.
Fraud that exploited people’s desperation was wickedness at its worst.
Just then, Jeon Tae-guk spotted Mark and me, and cheerfully raised his hand.
“Sung-guk! Mark!”
Mark muttered beside me.
“Sung-guk, if BloodTherapy is really a scam, shouldn’t you give Tae-guk a heads-up?”
“….”
I clamped my mouth shut firmly.
Considering everything he’d done to us as a global fool, I could have shared this information.
But leaking this information to Jeon Tae-guk meant Samjeon Group would move into action.
If a small matter grows into something bigger, it becomes known that I’m behind it.
If that happens, I could face difficulties before exposing Ashley Holmes’s fraud.
I whispered to Mark.
“Mark, not yet. Jeon Tae-guk probably hasn’t confirmed his investment either. Let’s observe the atmosphere before we act.”
“Got it.”
Mark nodded.
* * *
More people had gathered at the party than I’d anticipated.
They all sipped the cheap champagne Ashley Holmes had provided while watching her on stage.
Ashley Holmes brought out the blood diagnostic kit she’d developed and began explaining it.
“Ladies and gentlemen, imagine if we could buy a diagnostic kit at a pharmacy that identifies over 250 diseases from just a few drops of blood. How would our lives change?”
“We wouldn’t need hospitals!”
Someone shouted loudly.
Ashley Holmes looked satisfied with the response and continued her explanation.
“Exactly. That’s precisely what BloodTherapy wants to achieve. Going to a hospital requires appointments and costs a fortune. Because of all these procedures and expenses, many people end up worsening their conditions. If the blood diagnostic kit I’ve developed—’Thomas’—becomes commercialized, imagine how many people BloodTherapy could save. A happy future lies right here in ‘Thomas.'”
Jeon Tae-guk stared at Ashley Holmes as if she were a deity.
I quietly raised my hand.
Ashley Holmes pointed to me.
“Oh my, Jeon Sung-guk, the CEO of FaceNote, is here.”
The room erupted in murmurs at her words.
I could see just how much of an issue FaceNote had become among investors, and simultaneously, Ashley Holmes was leveraging our recognition to promote BloodTherapy.
“CEO Jeon, do you have a question?”
“Yes, I’m curious about something.”
“Please, ask freely.”
“What you’ve said sounds wonderful. I’d also rush to a pharmacy to buy such a blood kit if it existed. However, you’ve only spoken in words—there are no research results showing how many diseases have actually been identified using this blood diagnostic kit. And the kit you’re showing looks similar to a pregnancy test. When exactly will we be able to see with our own eyes how diseases are identified using this kit?”
Ashley Holmes blinked her large eyes.
It was obvious she was searching for an answer to my question.
I pressed on with another question.
“If there’s a diagnostic kit, there must be a machine to analyze it, but I don’t see that machine here.”
The crowd murmured at my words.
Ashley Holmes visibly panicked.
[Come on, Ashley. Stop just talking and show us the real thing!]
I crossed my arms and stared at Ashley Holmes.
Ashley Holmes took a deep breath, then forced a smile, lifting the corners of her mouth.
“We have an impatient audience member here. What I’m about to show you is the machine that analyzes blood collected through this kit to diagnose diseases. I call this machine my—oh, I’ve put so much effort into it that I’m calling it my child.”
Ashley Holmes forced some humor into her words, but the room remained silent.
After taking a deep breath, Ashley Holmes clapped her hands, and an employee emerged from behind, dragging out a machine that looked like a photocopier.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this machine is BloodTherapy, named directly after our company, which will analyze the blood diagnostic kit. Now, to see how this machine analyzes blood, would anyone be willing to donate a few precious drops of blood?”
I raised my hand again, quickly.
“Me!”

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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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