I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 201

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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 201
A plane was touching down at Incheon Airport.
Before the plane took off from San Francisco, I had sent a representative to Chad Chun, and during the flight, I continuously checked the situation via email.
The moment I stepped off the plane, the representative contacted me.
– We’ve acquired a 5% stake in Chad Chun’s YouTube. All related documents, including the contract, have been sent via email.
A cornered rat had finally waved the white flag.
[I’ll spare your life. Just don’t complain later, Chad.]
I smiled faintly and closed my phone.
“Sung-guk, can I stay at your place….”
“Hyung, please just go home now.”
Jeon Tae-guk seemed determined to stay at our house during this visit as well.
But adding another family member was clearly burdensome for my parents, especially when that member was the heir of Samjeon, South Korea’s greatest conglomerate.
“No… I just… Sung-guk, can’t I at least visit your place?”
“Hyung, we’re only here for a week before going back to the United States.”
“I’m not coming to see you. I’m coming for your home cooking.”
“Hyung, please stay at Samjeon Hotel. For everyone’s peace of mind.”
“Sung-guk, I have one favor to ask instead.”
“What is it?”
“Bang Mu-hyuk—you know, the company where Min-guk and Jung-woo practice? Can you just let me audition there once?”
Jeon Tae-guk was quite serious about it.
“Fine. But if Bang Mu-hyuk says no, please never rap in our house again.”
“Understood. I just want to confirm my talent. When I performed at Chad Chun’s place in Malibu, the reaction was great.”
[That was because it was funny….]
Just then, the gate doors opened, and familiar faces came to greet us.
“Oppa!!!”
The moment Ji-hee saw me, she rushed past Min-guk and ran straight to me.
Jeon Tae-guk watched enviously.
“I have a younger sister too…. But she’s worse than having none….”
At that moment, Secretary Yang, who had been waiting, approached Jeon Tae-guk and bowed respectfully.
“Young Master, the Madam is waiting for you.”
This was a signal that the Iron Lady had something to say to Jeon Tae-guk.
Jeon Tae-guk’s face went pale.
“Mother? Really, Secretary Yang?”
“Young Master, let us go to Hannam-dong.”
“Sigh… Understood. I suppose there’s no choice. Let me at least greet Sung-guk.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jeon Tae-guk approached me with a terrified expression.
The Iron Lady summoning him was honestly not good news.
In my previous life, there was only one time the Iron Lady sent someone all the way to the airport to have him come straight home.
It was because of the issue with Jung-hee.
Everything was perfect for me, so aside from the Jung-hee situation, the Iron Lady rarely sought me out for anything else.
“Sung-guk, try to schedule your appointment with Bang Mu-hyuk as close to my departure date as possible. I think I’ll need to lie low for a few days.”
“Hyung, cheer up. I’ll buy you some bossam.”
“Really?”
Jeon Tae-guk’s eyes glistened with moisture in an instant.
[I know all too well how grueling it is to be interrogated by the Iron Lady. The least I can do is buy him some bossam.]
Jeon Tae-guk gripped my hand tightly before being led away by Secretary Yang like a cow dragged to the slaughterhouse.
Just then, Ji-hee tugged at my hand.
“Oppa, pick Ji-hee up.”
“Our Ji-hee is a first grader now—can oppa still lift you?”
“Oppa, Ji-hee is super light.”
[That’s a lie.]
But older brothers are supposed to do whatever their little sisters ask.
I hoisted Ji-hee up effortlessly.
“Ji-hee, oppa’s struggling here.”
Mother tried to stop me, but Ji-hee only clung tighter to my neck the more she protested.
Ji-hee was nowhere near as light as she claimed.
Father patted my back.
“Sung-guk, aren’t you hungry? Let’s go eat. I made that bossam you love.”
[First class feeds you like livestock, Dad. But I can’t resist Dad’s bossam.]
* * *
This must be what home is.
The kitchen was saturated with the aroma of freshly boiled bossam from Father, while Mother nagged away as she organized my luggage.
“Sung-guk, when you bring clothes back, please fold them properly. How can you just stuff them in like this?”
[I’ve never done that myself because my previous life was as a tycoon.]
Despite crossing to America countless times, forty years of ingrained habits don’t fade easily.
“Mom, I’ll try my best.”
“And what on earth is this?”
Mother pulled out two wrapped boxes.
“Um… Mom, Dad. They’re gifts.”
“What?”
Mother looked at me with surprised eyes.
It seemed I’d never properly brought gifts for Mom and Dad whenever I returned to Korea, so I’d made a special effort this time.
“Where did you get money to buy things like this?”
Mother’s nagging began anew.
“So-young, what’s wrong?”
“Sung-guk brought us gifts. Honey, come see.”
“Okay.”
Father emerged from the kitchen and alternated his gaze between the two wrapped boxes Mother held.
“Sung-guk, which one is mine?”
“The small one is for Dad.”
Father picked up the package box and shook it back and forth.
“What on earth did you buy, Sung-guk?”
“Dad, hurry and open it.”
[Mom, Dad. It’s nothing special.]
I gave a slight shrug of my shoulders.
Father and Mother unwrapped the packaging and looked at me with astonished eyes.
Father even wore a bewildered expression.
“Sung-guk, what on earth is this?”
[What do you mean, what? It’s a watch. Dad, you can’t tell even when you see it?]
“Dad, you’re a franchise representative now. I thought it would be good for you to have a nice watch when you attend official events.”
Father’s gift was a Rolex.
[Dad, of course I paid all the customs duties and brought it in. When it comes time to report taxes, I considered just buying it at a Korean department store.]
Father rubbed his eyes with his hands several times, then looked at the watch again.
Mother asked Father with a puzzled expression beside him.
“Honey, is this expensive?”
“Well… that is. I’ve only seen this before. Sung-guk, this is a Rolex, right?”
“Yes, Dad. There’s an authenticity certificate and everything.”
Mother’s eyes just kept blinking.
“Honey, is a Rolex expensive? Does it cost about a million won?”
“Yes. Mom. About that much.”
I lied for the sake of Mother’s heart health.
Of course, Father seemed to know the actual price somewhat, but he said nothing.
[Dad, a watch really is the thing for a man. Next time, I’ll get you a new car.]
“Mom, open yours too.”
Mother unwrapped the packaging and held a handbag in one hand.
[Mom, that’s the famous Chanel.]
But Mother glanced at the bag and tilted her head.
“Sung-guk, how much was mine?”
“About the same as Dad’s.”
Of course, that was a lie.
Mother tried the bag on in different ways, then smacked my back with a sharp sound.
“Jeon Sung-guk, you should be thinking about saving money. Just because you’re earning a little, you can’t spend it on things like this? What will you do later when your company struggles and times get tough? You’ve been hanging around with chaebol in America, and your spending habits have only grown worse.”
“Mom, I get a salary.”
“You should save your salary! If you just spend it on things like this, how will you manage when things get difficult? I’m really worried about you. You’ve become so wasteful.”
[Mom, I’m a former chaebol. My spending habits were originally much worse than this.]
At that moment, Mother smacked my back once more with a sharp sound.
“Good grief, really. This boy. Honey, after we eat, you need to scold Sung-guk. How can he have such poor financial sense?”
[It’s Mom who has poor financial sense. Mom doesn’t even know how much that bag she’s holding costs.]
Father gave an awkward laugh and looked at Mother.
“So-young, that bag looks so elegant on you—like a wealthy lady’s accessory.”
“Really?”
Mother’s mood brightened instantly at those words, and she began adjusting the bag this way and that, admiring how it looked on her.
Even though Father was a franchise representative and Mother ran a respectable production company handling their finances, they both remained remarkably modest.
Father diligently saved every won he earned, and Mother still examined price tags one by one at the market when shopping.
Neither of them had ever set foot in a department store or outlet mall for shopping.
Father didn’t own a single wristwatch, and Mother perpetually carried around some nameless market-brand bag.
Ji-hee came out and saw Mother wearing the bag, then bounced up and down excitedly.
“Mom, it’s pretty!”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it certainly lives up to its price. Everyone says it’s beautiful.”
Father smiled with genuine happiness.
Mother, like a child who had just received a gift, kept the bag on while reorganizing my luggage.
“Anyway, this Sung-guk. He’s making money and buying gifts like this for everyone.”
Mother’s nagging continued as always, but her smile never faded from her face.
[A bag really is the way to a woman’s heart.]
Just as I was about to shrug, Mother’s expression darkened.
“Jeon Sung-guk!”
“What, Mom?”
“Did you know your underwear has a huge hole in it?”
Mother held up my briefs with a gaping tear across the back.
I quickly snatched them away from her.
“Mom, I’ll organize my own luggage.”
“Instead of buying gifts for your parents, why don’t you buy yourself some new underwear!”
[Nobody knows about the hole! I’m wearing them until they completely fall apart!]
I hastily closed the suitcase.
* * *
The Iron Lady sat in her chair with a cold expression, staring at Jeon Tae-guk.
Jeon Tae-guk hunched his shoulders and nervously glanced at the Iron Lady’s face.
The house was deathly silent, even the classical music that usually flowed through it had stopped.
“Jeon Tae-guk.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Then came the Iron Lady’s sigh.
Jeon Tae-guk felt that sound alone could give him a heart condition he didn’t have.
“Jeon Tae-guk, what exactly is your relationship with this boy Sung-guk?”
What do you mean, relationship?
Jeon Tae-guk was momentarily confused, unable to grasp the Iron Lady’s intent.
“Mother, what do you mean? What kind of relationship would it be?”
“I tolerated the Samjeon Hotel Korean Restaurant becoming a laughingstock because his father runs a Bossam Restaurant. I even tolerated the Samjeon phone becoming a punchline in the news every time because of that photograph of you two at the Apple presentation. But now… every time that boy needs something, the Samjeon Protocol Team and employees from the San Francisco Samjeon Corporation are mobilized. How am I supposed to make sense of this?”
“Mom, Sung-guk’s father’s bossam is really delicious. If you try it, you’ll change your mind.”
Another sigh echoed through the room.
Jeon Tae-guk looked genuinely bewildered, as though he had no idea what he’d done wrong.
“I’m asking you—what’s your relationship with this boy Jeon Sung-guk? You’re even sharing a house!”
Only then did Jeon Tae-guk grasp his mother’s intention.
“Mom, what on earth are you imagining? Sung-guk is a minor.”
“Exactly! That’s why you need to tell me before something worse happens, so I can handle it preemptively!”
The Iron Lady’s fury had reached its peak.
“Mom, I’m being wronged. Father says I learn a lot from Sung-guk and tells me to stay by his side and learn from him… What are you imagining?”
Jeon Tae-guk’s voice wavered with emotion.
“Men are all the same…. Tsk tsk.”
The Iron Lady clicked her tongue and thrust three photographs at him. They were famous female celebrities.
“Pick whichever one you like and go on a date with her. You’ll be photographed, so act affectionate.”
At that moment, his younger sister Jeon Mi-jin walked in.
“Mom, what if I take a photo of me dating Sung-guk instead? He’s been designated as the future son-in-law of Samjeon Group, so our company is taking care of him. That’s why my brother gets along with him too. What do you think of my idea, Mom?”
“Jeon Mi-jin, don’t delude yourself into thinking you’d be a good match for Sung-guk.”
At those words, the Iron Lady’s eyes grew even sharper.
Jeon Tae-guk quickly tried to smooth things over.
“Mom, Sung-guk is incredibly popular with women even in the United States. But since he’s a minor, he’s not dating anyone yet.”
“Jeon Tae-guk, Saturday at 6 PM. Arrange for Sung-guk to meet you and Mi-jin at the Samjeon Hotel Lobby for photos. I don’t want to hear any more half-baked rumors circulating in business circles. Understood?”
“Yes, Mom….”
Jeon Tae-guk reluctantly nodded in agreement.
* * *
After enjoying my fill of Father’s bossam, I settled at my desk in my room for the first time in a while.
I needed to review the YouTube acquisition contract and simultaneously monitor my other investments without missing a single day.
Just then, the door burst open and Ji-hee came in carrying a mathematics workbook.
“Oppa! I’ve collected all the math problems I want to ask you about.”
I gazed at Ji-hee’s workbook with a pleased expression.
Ji-hee was now working through first-year middle school mathematics problems.
“Ji-hee, are you studying all of this on your own?”
“I watch educational broadcasts and solve problems by myself too.”
Ji-hee nodded with a proud expression.
“Then who do you ask about problems you don’t understand?”
“I search online sometimes. I ask my academy teacher. But even when I ask the teacher, the explanation doesn’t feel right to me.”
“Ji-hee, why doesn’t the teacher’s explanation satisfy you?”
“They solve it exactly the same way as the answer key.”
[As expected, our Ji-hee is a genius.]
I gazed at Ji-hee with a satisfied expression.
Compared to when she was younger, her eyes had grown noticeably larger and her nose more defined, but she hadn’t yet manifested even half of our family’s genetic potential.
[Ji-hee, your looks will come in time… Your oppa is earning plenty of money. Just grow up smart!]
Ding.
My phone buzzed with an incoming message.
Who could it be?
It was from Jeon Tae-guk.
[Jeon Tae-guk, even coming all the way to Korea, he’s still a nuisance.]
“Oppa, check your message quickly and help Ji-hee with her problem.”
“Yeah, got it. Ji-hee.”
I hurriedly checked Jeon Tae-guk’s text.
– Sung-guk, our family suspects something between you and me.
[What the hell! What kind of nonsense is this right now?]

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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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