I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 190

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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 190
“Sung-guk….”
Barack Obama made no attempt to hide his astonishment, his gaze fixed on me.
[What’s so surprising, Barack? Sure, I’m Korean, so I can’t be the US President, but I’m Jeon Sung-guk.]
I gave the slightest, most subtle shrug of my shoulders.
Dick Powell flashed a bright smile and gestured welcomingly.
“Barack, come sit here. Or should I say… Barack Hussein?”
Dick Powell deliberately broached today’s hot-button issue.
He was indeed a master of political maneuvering.
“You’re too much, sir. You know I’m already struggling with that issue.”
Barack played along, offering an appropriately rueful response.
A former Secretary of Defense meeting informally with the current presidential frontrunner and future president—what a gathering this was.
I sat between them, observing both men.
They had lived similar yet distinctly different lives.
Dick Powell had immigrated to the United States, grown up in Harlem, become a soldier, and through relentless effort, successfully entered politics.
As a war hero who served in Vietnam and the Gulf War, he was practically a living page from American history.
At the same time, as a person of color who overcame discrimination in American society, he commanded respect from both Republican and Democratic supporters alike.
And facing him sat the presidential candidate Barack Obama, who appeared to have followed an elite trajectory by comparison.
Barack Hussein Obama was born to a Kenyan father and a white mother.
Growing up amid his parents’ divorce and remarriage, surrounded by diverse cultures and half-siblings, he had actually lived a life far removed from any elite path.
Yet through his own relentless efforts, he had graduated from Harvard Law School and entered politics.
Barack Obama posed a question to Dick Powell with a hint of urgency.
“But… how do you know Sung-guk?”
“Well, I use FaceNote myself, Barack.”
I followed up with an explanation.
“When you joined FaceNote, sir, I sent you a friend request. Since then, we’ve occasionally checked in on each other.”
[A place where everyone becomes friends, regardless of age, race, or position! Isn’t that what FaceNote is all about?]
Of course, my approach was deliberately calculated.
It had been since Barack Obama announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination and asked me to serve as his SNS strategist.
Even when I declined the advisory position, I knew that SNS would wield tremendous influence in the presidential race, so I fully expected Barack Obama to reach out to me.
The “Hussein” issue was a famous turning point that caused a single reversal in polling between Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Republican candidate John McCain.
When I was Vice Chairman of Samjeon Group, I naturally monitored the US presidential election as one of my most sensitive concerns.
And the only person who could reverse this polling trend was Dick Powell.
Barack continued to regard me with wonder.
“I’ve read articles about a presentation you gave before, Sung-guk. This is truly the moment when FaceNote’s ideal of connecting the world is realized!”
[Stop flattering me. I can see right through you, Barack.]
“Barack, I think he’s right. Thanks to FaceNote, I’m connected with this young man from Korea. When I served with the US military in Korea, I often thought of those times—we really hit it off.”
Of course, I knew Dick Powell’s career extremely well.
Though Dick Powell wouldn’t remember, we had actually met in my previous life.
It was when he visited Korea during his time as Secretary of Defense. Back then, Dick Powell had lamented that his schedule was too tight to enjoy his favorite Korean-style hamburger at the stand in front of his favorite US military base in Korea.
“When Dick was serving as a US military officer stationed in South Korea, he missed a hamburger he used to eat there so much. I told him I’d figure out the recipe and make it for him, and it turns out today is that day.”
Of course, we all knew this coincidence wasn’t actually a coincidence.
Barack looked at me again with surprised eyes.
“Sung-guk, how did you find out that recipe?”
“My father runs a famous Bossam Restaurant in South Korea. I asked him to go there, taste it, and write down the recipe as accurately as possible.”
Of course, it was a lie.
I told Jeon Tae-guk I’d let him have dinner with Charlie Jobs in exchange for using all of Samjeon’s resources to get the recipe.
Jeon Tae-guk, who was completely infatuated with Charlie Jobs these days, agreed immediately. And he brought me the recipe in less than a day.
I looked back and forth between Dick Powell and Barack Obama.
“We’re hungry anyway—why don’t we discuss the details while we eat the Korean-style hamburger?”
“I’ve been waiting for this.”
“Sung-guk, I’m really looking forward to it.”
At that moment, the door opened and a Korean chef walked in carrying freshly made Korean-style hamburgers.
Suddenly, Dick Powell jumped to his feet.
“Mr. Jin!”
“How have you been, Dick?”
Jeon Tae-guk didn’t just send the recipe to the United States.
He sent the owner of the hamburger shop in front of the US military base that Dick used to frequent directly to America.
Dick and Mr. Jin embraced each other after a long time.
“I was so happy when I heard you became Secretary of Defense.”
“Mr. Jin, I really wanted to visit when I was in South Korea… I’m sorry.”
“Not at all. I’m just grateful you remembered me like this. I made it exactly the way you always had it. It’s fresh—please, enjoy it.”
Dick Powell quickly handed the foil-wrapped hamburgers to me and Barack Obama.
“This is the hamburger I enjoyed most in South Korea. With vegetables and a fried egg, it really tastes like something my mother made at home.”
“By the way, should we take a photo before we eat our hamburgers?”
“I already took a bite….”
Everyone burst out laughing at Dick’s words.
Soon I took a photo with the camera I had prepared.
Of course, with Mr. Jin from South Korea too!
* * *
Dick Powell finished one hamburger in one go with a happy expression.
“Mr. Jin! Could I have another hamburger?”
“Of course. I’ve already written down the recipe for your wife.”
“Is it okay to just give away trade secrets like that?”
“You’re not planning to open a hamburger shop in the United States, are you?”
“Well, who knows what the future holds.”
I could feel Barack Obama watching for the right moment amid the warm atmosphere.
It seemed I needed to seize that moment.
“Dick, Barack is busy as a presidential candidate.”
“Ah, that’s right. I got lost in nostalgia. Barack Hussein Obama, tell me why you sought me out.”
“Dick, you know better than anyone that I’m not Muslim.”
“I can’t see into people’s hearts.”
Dick took a step back.
Barack showed a hint of bewilderment, but quickly recovered with practiced ease.
“Dick, both you and I have experienced discrimination in American society as people of color. Honestly, I’m not Muslim, but in the United States—a guardian of free democracy—discrimination based on religion shouldn’t happen. America is a nation where people of countless races and religions come together to live.”
Dick nodded.
At the same time, he began eating another freshly made hamburger.
“Barack, the video you made this time had a great effect. Isn’t that enough?”
“To be honest, that video idea came from Sung-guk too. The video did recover our approval ratings significantly, but we need one decisive blow.”
“Barack, want another hamburger?”
“Of course!”
Dick smiled subtly.
It was the smile of someone with nine levels of mastery in politics.
“I think you’ll become the President of the United States. Frankly, I really dislike Sarah, who came out as the vice presidential candidate.”
Dick pulled up Twitter on his phone.
“Barack, I’m going to retweet your post and reply to it. That’s okay, right?”
“Of course.”
Dick thought for a moment, then retweeted Barack Obama’s post and added a reply.
– Barack Obama is clearly Christian. Even if he were Muslim, what would it matter? The clearest fact is that Barack Obama is American.
Dick’s tweet spread rapidly across the platform.
Barack Obama shook hands with Dick Powell and smiled with satisfaction.
The three hours Barack Obama invested today would be three hours that changed his life.
* * *
After Barack Obama left, Dick smiled and placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Sung-guk, there’s one thing I’m curious about.”
“Ask away.”
“May I ask why you’re helping Barack Obama? You’re Korean, after all. Of course, you’re running a business in the United States, but still.”
“It’s just my personal view.”
But my voice carried conviction.
“I believe Barack Obama will become the President of the United States. Just as your country is the United States, mine is Korea. China above, Japan below, and right next to North Korea—that’s where my family lives and where my roots are.”
Dick smiled warmly.
“I understand well. There’s no country more sensitive to international affairs than Korea.”
“I just hope Barack remembers my sincerity today.”
My late grandfather, Jeon Ju-shin, the founding chairman of Samjeon Group, always used to say this.
– Those who have eaten say nothing.
In the international landscape that would unfold ahead, I decided to watch how Barack Obama would act when unfavorable situations arose.
[So this is what they call hamburger diplomacy….]
Dick laughed and patted my shoulder.
“Sung-guk, have another hamburger, won’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Mr. Jin! Come over here and let’s eat while we talk about Korea.”
“Yes, Minister!”
“I’m not a minister anymore, am I?”
Dick sat down with a hearty laugh.
And after that, I ended up eating three more Korean-style hamburgers.
* * *
“Sung-guk, what’s all this?”
Mark asked, eyeing the stack of hamburgers in my hands.
“Korean-style hamburgers sold in front of the US military base—the kind Dick Powell loves most. The restaurant owner came by personally and made a ton of them today. Share these with the staff.”
“Uh… Sung-guk, what about you?”
“I’ve already eaten four.”
I quickly waved my hand in protest.
If I ate even one more, I might never be able to eat another hamburger again in my life.
Mark laughed and took a bite, then his eyes widened.
“Sung-guk, Korea really is a unique country. You bring in coffee, throw in some things, and suddenly you’ve created the most delicious mix coffee in the world. And now hamburgers….”
“That’s just how Korea is. Look at me. Whatever input I get, I produce output that exceeds it.”
Mark shook his head in disbelief.
“Showing off again….”
“Mark, just sell your Notia stock. I’m giving you this advice as a real friend.”
“Sung-guk, Notia and I have decided to share joy and sorrow together.”
“I clearly gave you my advice.”
[Looks like only sorrow is left in the future….]
I shook my head.
“Mark, how are things progressing with Lim Mi-mi regarding marriage?”
“Mi-mi says absolutely no marriage until she saves up enough for a house.”
[It might be difficult now, but it’ll happen soon. We’ll be rich soon anyway.]
Mark looked at me seriously.
“Sung-guk, I heard mortgage loans are being approved really easily these days. I’m thinking maybe I should take this opportunity to buy a house too. Even if it’s not for marriage, it’s not a bad idea to take advantage of this and buy property, right?”
“Mark, absolutely not!”
2008 was approaching.
The very event that would shock the American economy and the world.
The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers!
Because of this crisis triggered by American mortgage problems, the US real estate market would plunge into its worst recession.
Mark looked at me with frustration.
“Sung-guk, you always try to stop me whenever I want to invest in something. I’m not that stupid.”
“Mark….”
[How am I supposed to explain this to him?]
I fell into serious contemplation.

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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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