I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 191

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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 191
I looked at Mark.
Since freshman year of high school until now, we’d been together, so I knew Mark better than I knew my own family.
Mark was brilliant, of course, and passionate about work.
But when it came to financial management, he had the Midas touch in reverse.
It was because of Mark’s stubbornness.
Once he started believing in something, he thought it was absolute.
“Mark….”
I called out to him calmly.
“Sung-guk, don’t call me in that tone. It’s scary.”
[You should be scared, obviously.]
I exhaled slowly and looked at Mark.
“Mark, look at the US real estate market right now. Before taking out a loan, you need to examine the current real estate price trends first.”
“What’s that?”
[There’s a good Korean saying: patience three times over can even spare one from murder.]
I clenched my teeth and answered.
“Don’t you see the real estate market turning downward? In a situation like that, banks will loosen lending, so what do you think it means to buy a house right now?”
“Sung-guk, please don’t explain it so complicatedly. I just need a house right now….”
Mark was gradually losing confidence in his own words.
“Mark, think about it carefully. During a real estate downturn, banks loosen lending. The reason is that when people who already borrowed heavily to buy houses end up in debt and have to sell, if banks tighten credit, there won’t be new borrowers, right?”
“Why is this so complicated….”
[Mark, this is easier than the programming you do!]
The door clicked open and Lim Mi-mi walked in right on cue.
[Lim Mi-mi, welcome. I was about to give up on my third stroke of patience.]
Lim Mi-mi’s eyes widened when she saw the hamburger.
“What kind of hamburger is this?”
“It’s a Korean-style hamburger sold in front of the US Military Base in Korea. Try it!”
Lim Mi-mi, who had defected over hamburgers, rushed forward and started unwrapping and eating it. Then her eyes widened just like Mark’s.
“Wow. This is a completely new flavor.”
“Dick Powell used to eat it a lot when he was stationed with the US military here.”
“Hey, hamburgers really are delicious. But what were you and Mark talking about?”
“….”
I closed my mouth and looked at Mark.
It seemed better for Mark to answer this directly.
“Oh, well… I said I wanted to buy a house. But Sung-guk is against it. So we were having a discussion about that.”
Lim Mi-mi asked Mark with a puzzled expression.
“Mark, we don’t have money to buy a house.”
“Well… in America, there’s something called a mortgage, a home equity loan that works really well.”
At that moment, Lim Mi-mi’s expression hardened.
“Mark, you mean you’d go into debt to buy a house?”
“Yes, Mi-mi. That’s actually very common in the United States.”
“You have debt, and that’s supposed to be my home? It’s the bank’s home!”
Lim Mi-mi cornered Mark with an agitated voice.
I knew all along that Lim Mi-mi would be the one to solve every problem.
Mark tried to soothe her with an awkward expression.
“Mi-mi, that’s not it… I just said I needed a house if I was going to get married….”
“Mark, are you even listening to me? I’m happy with how we’re living now. I want to focus more on work right now.”
[Lim Mi-mi, you’re doing great!]
I quietly closed my mouth and watched the two of them.
“Mi-mi, I understand that… but I want to get married and live a stable life. For that, I need a house.”
“Of course we need a house. But Mark, how can a house buried in debt be stable?”
[A North Korean defector is better than Mark, who grew up in capitalist society. Where’s the popcorn?]
Indeed, quarrels between lovers are hell when I’m the one involved, but watching them is pure entertainment.
As Mark cowered, Lim Mi-mi even tried to comfort him a little.
“Mark, I meant that I want us to work together and buy a house. But that’s not what you’re doing. You’re thinking of taking on debt first.”
“Mi-mi, I’m sorry.”
“Please consult with me first! Are you living with me? Or are you living with the owner?”
Is the fire now turning toward me?
[Mark, Mi-mi. Why are you like this? I didn’t even say anything.]
I didn’t want to get involved, but I felt I had to say something.
“Mark, Lim Mi-mi.”
The two of them, each heated for different reasons, turned to look at me.
“What is it, Sung-guk?”
“What is it, owner?”
What do you mean why?
“I’d appreciate it if you both remembered that this is a company. As a co-representative with Mark here, I’d prefer that there be no personal controversies beyond work matters within the office.”
Mark’s face flushed red.
Lim Mi-mi’s did as well.
I drove the final nail in.
“This is exactly why I opposed workplace romance!”
* * *
The company terrace.
The sun was setting.
Unlike the daytime, a cool breeze blew, and even as we headed into midsummer, I could breathe easier.
Click— the sound of a door opening.
And a familiar voice that followed.
“Owner….”
“Lim Mi-mi.”
I looked at Lim Mi-mi with earnest eyes.
“Lim Mi-mi, I’ve already talked you out of buying a house. Now I just need to get you to sell your Nokia stock!”
“Chairman, Mark seems to love Nokia stock even more than I do.”
“Sigh… Really. Mark….”
Despite offering sincere advice as a friend countless times, Mark had closed his ears to it all. So I ultimately chose to use Lim Mi-mi as my approach.
Lim Mi-mi already carried a sense of obligation toward me for helping her parents, and while she found Mark’s naive, oblivious side endearing, she thought it made him unsuitable for investments.
“Chairman, I also hope Mark will end his love affair with Nokia. From what I can see, he’s buying Nokia stock every single day. At this rate, he’ll end up buying the entire company.”
“What? The iPhone is changing the world, and he’s still obsessed with Nokia?”
“Exactly. Chairman, his phone is still Nokia too. He says every day that even if Nokia stops production, he’ll never use an iPhone.”
I took a sip of coffee.
“Lim Mi-mi, I think we need to consider the next step.”
“What should we do?”
“Should we halt his salary, claiming the company is short on funds? That way he can’t buy more Nokia stock?”
“Chairman, but wouldn’t the other employees get suspicious if they’re all still receiving their salaries?”
“Hmm… Well, they say executives with high salaries should set an example first by making sacrifices.”
“That’s not a bad idea. I’ll subtly mention that the company’s situation seems to be deteriorating lately. I’ll suggest he focus more on the company instead of spending time on stock investments….”
“That seems like our best option for now.”
I nodded while gazing at the distant sunset.
[I thought escaping the single life and meeting a good woman would lighten one burden in my life….]
Mark was still one of the burdens hanging on my shoulders.
And another burden that had recently been added sent me a message.
– Sung-guk, we’re still meeting this Saturday evening with Charlie Jobs, right? Charlie Jobs reserved the best restaurant in the city. Should we rent out the entire restaurant so we can dine comfortably, just the three of us?
– Hyung, let’s just meet casually. Please….
* * *
Ever since Jeon Tae-guk became obsessed with Charlie Jobs, our home had been completely overrun with Apple products.
In fact, every time Jeon Tae-guk bought an Apple product, he posted it on FaceNote, causing the Samjeon Group to suffer headaches.
While they managed to suppress articles in South Korean media, they couldn’t stop articles from news outlets around the world.
– How far does the Samjeon Group heir’s love for Apple go?
– Thank goodness Apple doesn’t make washing machines!
– The Samjeon Group heir practicing one Apple product per day.
I shook my head in disbelief, but I didn’t stop him.
Secretary Yang had contacted me with a worried voice, asking me to rein Jeon Tae-guk in, but I refused. There was only one reason.
– Companies need competitors to develop and grow. For Samjeon to advance, they need to understand their rivals better. I think Tae-guk’s behavior now might actually help the company later.
Secretary Yang hung up after hearing that explanation.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung must have ordered it, but regardless, I decided to support Jeon Tae-guk’s enthusiasm.
Chasing after Charlie Jobs seemed far more productive than chasing after women.
“Sung-guk, what should I wear today? Should I wear the new Gucci suit I bought?”
“Hyung, just wear something comfortable.”
“Ah… I’m so nervous I couldn’t sleep.”
“Hyung, you might end up dozing off during dinner. Why don’t you get some sleep now?”
“Okay… Got it!”
Jeon Tae-guk went back to his room.
In any case, Jeon Tae-guk had been a benefactor to Dick Powell, having brought the Hamburger Shop owner from in front of the US Military Base in Korea.
I quickly turned on the television.
Barack Obama, who had been nominated as the presidential candidate through the Democratic primary, was about to see the first poll results released after being overtaken by Republican candidate John McCain due to the “Hussein” name issue.
After Barack Obama’s advertisement asking “Are you American?” aired, the fake news that Barack Obama was Muslim began to lose traction.
On top of that, Dick Powell’s weighty tweets seemed to have decisively reversed the tide online.
But there’s a saying that you don’t know until you open the lid.
I maintained my tension and waited for the poll results.
* * *
The Barack Obama Campaign was also closely watching the first poll results following the reversal in support.
Of course, Barack Obama himself wore the most serious expression.
“Candidate, it seems we’ve definitely reversed the momentum online.”
“That’s online… Let’s quietly watch the results.”
“Yes, Candidate.”
The atmosphere in the campaign felt like walking on thin ice.
Although Hillary Clinton had promised to campaign, there was a strong possibility she would withdraw if the polling numbers dropped.
Barack Obama wrung his hands as he waited for the poll results to be announced on the news.
Soon the anchor began announcing the polling numbers in a clear voice.
– This week was truly fascinating. It was the first poll conducted after candidate Barack Obama faced misunderstandings of being Muslim due to his “Hussein” name and saw his support overtaken by candidate John McCain for the first time. Now, let me announce the survey results!
The election office fell silent for a moment.
– Candidate Barack Obama has overtaken candidate John McCain! It’s a narrow margin of 2%, but it seems the rumor about being Muslim will no longer affect the race. Dick Powell’s statement played a major role in this.
After that, the report covered Dick Powell’s influential statements and tweets, as well as Barack Obama’s youthful campaign efforts through FaceNote, while also mentioning the distinctions from the seasoned Republican John McCain.
The report also expressed curiosity about who had connected Dick Powell and Barack Obama, who had no prior connection.
The Barack Obama Campaign finally took a breath of relief.
* * *
Ding.
A FaceNote notification chimed.
It was a notification that Barack Obama had posted several photos.
The photos included me, Dick Powell, and Mr. Jin.
Barack Obama had written this caption:
– The day I ate the most delicious hamburger of my life!
[Ah, this looks like a headache….]
I scratched my temple slightly.
What I wanted was to stay out of the spotlight, but if I’m exposed like this, won’t I become too famous?
But I knew all too well why Barack Obama had posted this photo together like this.
It was to boast that Dick Powell and I, the founder and CEO of FaceNote, had also lent him support.
Soon a message came from Barack Obama.
– Sung-guk, this reversal is all thanks to you.
Politics was a game where you had to reward favors whenever you received them.
With this message, Barack Obama was essentially promising me compensation now.
At that moment, Jeon Tae-guk, dressed in a Gucci suit, emerged from the door.
“Sung-guk, shall we head to the Restaurant now?”
“Sounds good, hyung!”
It was time for me to repay a debt I owed to someone.

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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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