I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 180

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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 180
On the airplane, Jeon Tae-guk drank like a man facing imminent death.
“Brother, we’ll land in Korea in ten hours. Shouldn’t you stop drinking so you can at least sober up a bit?”
“Sung-guk, what am I going to do….”
“Brother, three hundred million won was a bit much, wasn’t it?”
[You said it was just a tiny diamond ring!]
“Sung-guk, you’re still young so you wouldn’t understand… but when people fall in love, they all act like this.”
[My relationship with Ashley Holmes wasn’t love—it was lust….]
I took a long sip of plain water.
“Brother, don’t say things like that to the Chairman.”
“Then what should I say?”
“That the woman demanded the ring, and you had to give it to her because she said she’d only give us investment opportunities if you did. You know, a simple lie like that.”
Jeon Tae-guk stared at me with his brow deeply furrowed.
“Sung-guk, you’re not lying to me about various things too, are you?”
[I can’t say no. Besides, I dislike you, but I’m not showing it.]
“Brother, just get some sleep.”
“I’m going to drink until the very end. Otherwise, I might actually jump out of this airplane.”
[I’d bet ten thousand won that you won’t.]
Jeon Tae-guk took another swig of whiskey.
The real problem, as I saw it, wasn’t that Jeon Tae-guk had spent three hundred million won on Ashley Holmes.
The problem was that Samjeon Group’s name had been mentioned in the tabloids, and worse, the world now knew that the man who gave her the ring was Jeon Tae-guk, the heir to Samjeon Group.
* * *
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung reviewed the materials that Secretary Yang had gathered, one by one.
“You brought every single mention of Samjeon in the tabloids, just as I instructed, correct?”
“Yes, Chairman.”
Secretary Yang bowed his head.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s mood was thoroughly displeased.
The three-hundred-million-won diamond wasn’t the issue.
He could always give that much to any woman he dated or met. Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung had given far more to countless women.
But the problem was giving a three-hundred-million-won diamond to Ashley Holmes, a con artist.
The tabloids were ranting about Jeon Tae-guk, the heir to Samjeon Group.
– Ashley Holmes didn’t receive investment for her company—she received investment for herself. The heir to South Korea’s world-class conglomerate Samjeon Group allegedly gave Ashley Holmes a diamond ring worth over three hundred million won, and Ashley Holmes revealed in an interview that it was purely the goodwill of the Samjeon Group heir.
“Goodwill?”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s eyes narrowed.
– Jeon, the heir to Samjeon Group, dropped out of a university in Utah. Within the company, he’s already earned a reputation as a liability.
The article even added an assessment of Jeon Tae-guk.
The fact that it was true and couldn’t be refuted only infuriated Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung further.
– Ashley Holmes, who used the older man John Khan as a stepping stone, has bewitched both Jerry Chang, the founder of Yahoo, and the heir to South Korea’s world-class conglomerate Samjeon! A woman of fatal charm!
Though her business failed, the publishing industry is already fiercely competing to acquire her autobiography.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung stared at Secretary Yang without relaxing his furrowed brow.
“Is there a possibility that Ashley Holmes will publish?”
“Actually, it’s become the biggest issue in America right now since Clinton’s scandal.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung smoothed his furrowed brow with his middle finger.
“Secretary Yang, is there any way to prevent that woman from talking about publishing or doing interviews?”
“We could set up a fake publishing house and offer her a substantial contract in exchange for transferring all rights to her autobiography’s content, then simply not publish it. Instead of the large sum, we could include clauses prohibiting interviews and other conditions favorable to us in the contract, sir.”
“Really… do we have to go this far?”
“Chairman, while it’s certainly troublesome, this incident occurred in America. It may not have a significant impact on domestic public opinion.”
Jeon Jae-hyung pressed his temples with his fingers.
“That’s only true for now. Soon the world will be completely connected. Just look at FaceNote—the number of registered users worldwide is exploding.”
Secretary Yang said nothing more.
“When does Jeon Tae-guk arrive?”
“He arrives at 4 p.m. I’ve already made a reservation at the Samjeon Hotel Restaurant.”
“Pick him up directly from the airport so he can’t run off anywhere.”
“Yes, sir.”
* * *
The moment Jeon Tae-guk and I stepped off the airplane, Samjeon Group staff were lined up in front of the gate.
Secretary Yang was among them.
Secretary Yang greeted Jeon Tae-guk with a warm smile.
“Young master, I hope you’ve been well.”
“Secretary Yang, I know Father sent you to make sure I don’t run away, so you don’t need to be so courteous.”
“Young master, shall we head out right away? The Chairman is waiting at the Samjeon Hotel.”
Jeon Tae-guk looked at me.
“Secretary Yang, you know Sung-guk, right?”
“Of course.”
Secretary Yang’s gaze fell upon me.
A look of admiration crossed his face.
[No need to be amazed, Secretary Yang. I’m pretty impressive, aren’t I?]
“Young Sung-guk has grown quite a bit. Your pants are even too short for you.”
[What?]
I immediately looked down at my pants.
The pants I’d bought a few months ago had become short again.
I handled it as calmly as possible.
“I’ve been growing taller every time I wake up lately.”
“You’re at that age where you grow fast. You’ve really become more handsome, Sung-guk. You were already good-looking, but even more so now.”
[Finally, I’m hearing what I wanted to hear. Secretary Yang, I’ve always been consistently impressive.]
I shrugged my shoulders.
Just then, Jeon Tae-guk suddenly gripped my arm tightly.
“Secretary Yang, I already asked Sung-guk to have dinner with me tonight.”
“Young master, but your father….”
“Father would want to see Sung-guk after all this time too. You said he’s waiting at the Samjeon Hotel?”
“Yes, sir.”
I could see Secretary Yang’s bewilderment.
But Jeon Tae-guk had nowhere left to run.
“Secretary Yang. I’ll go with Sung-guk. The car is ready, right?”
“Sir, your father….”
“Secretary Yang, why are you talking so much? I made a promise to Sung-guk. Father will be happy to see Sung-guk after all this time.”
Jeon Tae-guk gripped my arm firmly and pulled me along.
“Sung-guk, let’s go.”
“Yes, hyung.”
I answered quickly.
A deal was a deal, after all.
* * *
As we entered the Chinese Restaurant at Samjeon Hotel, the Manager on duty hurriedly guided us to the innermost private room.
Secretary Yang stepped ahead and entered the room first, alerting Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung to the situation.
Soon after, Jeon Tae-guk entered the room where his father, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung, was waiting.
“Father, it’s Tae-guk.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung didn’t respond.
I quickly bowed in greeting.
“Hello, Chairman. I’m Jeon Sung-guk.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung remained silent.
A heavy atmosphere hung over the room.
Jeon Tae-guk and I took our seats, but Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung sat with a stern expression, saying nothing.
[This feels ominous….]
Of course, I’d accepted Jeon Tae-guk’s proposal because there was something to gain, but there was something only Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s inner circle knew.
In a confined space with no escape, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung showed no deference to anyone.
And that fact was soon proven.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung rose from his seat and struck Jeon Tae-guk’s head hard with the file in his hand.
“Ah, Father…. Why are you doing this?”
Jeon Tae-guk looked up at Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung in shock.
“Are you trying to overcome this crisis by bringing Sung-guk here?”
“Ah, Father. That’s not it. I really made a promise to Sung-guk.”
“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’m truly furious with you.”
Jeon Tae-guk immediately rose from his chair and fell to his knees, bowing his head to Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung.
“Ah, Father. That ring is nothing. I just bought it to win over Ashley Holmes. Three hundred million won is nothing. Father, you’ve given actresses much more before.”
This only further provoked Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s anger.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung slapped Jeon Tae-guk’s cheek directly.
Crack!
The sound was so sharp that I flinched and looked at both of them.
Jeon Tae-guk held his reddened cheek in both hands.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung quickly released his hand and drank some ice water.
“Do you have any idea how many times Samjeon Group’s name has appeared in American tabloids because of your pathetic attempt to win favor?!”
“Father, I truly had no such intention.”
“Of course you didn’t. Where is your head, exactly? If that woman gives interviews for money during the trial or publishes a book, what do you think will happen to Samjeon Group’s image and yours as the heir?”
“Father… Americans don’t really believe that kind of media anyway.”
Smack!
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung struck Jeon Tae-guk’s head once more with the documents he’d been reviewing.
“Because of you, the company image that your grandfather and I have struggled to build has collapsed in an instant!”
“Father, if Samjeon falls in South Korea, the country falls with it.”
Jeon Tae-guk continued to speak with that infuriating nonchalance.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung said nothing more. He breathed heavily to calm his rage, straightening his collar, and shortly after rose from his seat.
“We’ll talk when I return from my business trip. And Sung-guk….”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“I trust you won’t speak of what you’ve seen here. You have your own gains to consider, after all….”
“Don’t worry, Chairman.”
“Sung-guk, you still like jjajangmyeon, don’t you?”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“Then have some before you go.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
I answered Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s questions as briefly as possible. I didn’t want to give him any openings.
The door closed with a soft click, and Jeon Tae-guk wiped the sweat from his forehead before sitting back down. Then he exhaled a long sigh.
“Phew… Sung-guk, I think I got off lighter today because you were here. Otherwise, I’d probably have a few broken ribs.”
I said nothing.
I knew Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s temperament all too well.
If I hadn’t been there, Jeon Tae-guk would have been beaten so badly he wouldn’t have been able to get up tomorrow morning.
Of course, in my previous life, that never happened to me. I always brought Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung the best grades and results.
Jeon Tae-guk wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and instructed Secretary Yang.
“Secretary Yang, bring some food.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Following Jeon Tae-guk’s order, Chinese food soon arrived.
Jeon Tae-guk began eating with casual composure.
“Sung-guk, you eat too.”
“Yes, hyung.”
I began devouring the jjajangmyeon from Samjeon Hotel—my favorite thing in this world.
Jeon Tae-guk watched me intently before setting down his spoon.
“Sung-guk, I have one more favor to ask….”
[What now, Jeon Tae-guk? Why do your favors keep piling up?]
Jeon Tae-guk looked at me with desperate eyes.
“Sung-guk, could you let me stay at your place just for tonight?”
“Hyung… your meeting with Father is over anyway. But why?”
“Sung-guk, you don’t know our father like I do. He was only gentle because you were here. If he hears I’m alone, he’ll come running like a madman to beat me or interrogate me. Sung-guk, please save me.”
I finished slurping down the jjajangmyeon.
[What benefit would I gain if I saved Jeon Tae-guk right now?]
While I was thinking such thoughts, Jeon Tae-guk dropped a bombshell.
“Sung-guk, if you do me this favor, I’ll give you a lifetime free pass to eat jjajangmyeon at Samjeon Hotel whenever you want without waiting.”
[So I’m the kind of person who weakens over food… Yeah, that’s me!]
I nodded readily.
“Brother, let’s go to our home!”

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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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