I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 210
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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 210
Donald Trumpet?!
My brow furrowed.
There seemed to be no reason for Donald Trumpet to be seeking me out.
“What’s this about?”
– I want to open a FaceNote account myself, Sung-guk.
“You can just follow the manual for that. FaceNote is open to everyone.”
– What I mean is, I’d like to see you in person. And while we’re at it, I’ll open that FaceNote account.
“Why would you want to see me?”
I threw a fastball.
Conversations with Donald Trumpet had a way of dragging on unnecessarily.
– Hmm… I heard you’re in Korea. Is that right?
It seemed he already knew where I was and what I was doing.
“Yes.”
– When are you coming back to the United States?
“Next week.”
– Then let’s meet up then.
“I’ll contact you once I arrive in the United States.”
– Do that.
The initiative had shifted to me.
With someone like Donald Trumpet, where everything was a competition, the first impression was crucial. Once you started being led around, you’d be led around forever.
“Oppa, Sung-guk oppa!”
I heard Ji-hee calling for me from the room.
As I opened the door and stepped inside, Ji-hee had black bean noodle sauce smeared all around her mouth and was waving me over eagerly.
“Oppa, come eat quickly. The noodles are getting cold!”
“Got it, Ji-hee.”
I quickly started eating the black bean noodles.
Jeon Tae-guk watched Ji-hee and me from the side with obvious envy.
“I wish I had a younger sister like that. I’d have no more wishes.”
“Hyung, it would probably be faster for you to get married and have a daughter.”
Jeon Tae-guk let out a low sigh. Then Secretary Park Sung-hee chimed in from beside him.
“Young Master, having a cute younger sister like Ji-hee… even getting married seems impossible for you at the moment.”
“Park. Sung. Hee.”
Jeon Tae-guk called out Secretary Park Sung-hee through gritted teeth. Regardless, she was eating the eight-treasure rice with practiced efficiency.
In any case, since Ji-hee had been cast thanks to Jeon Tae-guk, I decided to ease up on him a bit.
“Tae-guk hyung, let’s go to the United States together after watching Ji-hee’s shoot.”
“Really? I can really come watch?”
[Of course. That way the director will stop acting so high and mighty.]
“Of course. Secretary Park, could you change our flight tickets to the day after the shoot?”
“Understood.”
“Park Secretary. You’re my secretary, so why does it feel like Sung-guk listens to you better than me?”
“It’s not a feeling—it’s the truth. Secretary Yang mentioned it. He said whenever he’s unsure about something, he asks Sung-guk.”
“Everyone’s really too much!”
At that moment, Ji-hee glanced at Jeon Tae-guk and smiled softly.
“Tae-guk oppa, don’t be upset. Eat your jjajangmyeon before it gets cold.”
“Oh… Ji-hee. I’m not upset. I was just… coordinating opinions.”
Jeon Tae-guk’s irritation melted away at a single word from Ji-hee, and he eagerly devoured his noodles.
* * *
The Samjeon Hotel Lobby was bustling with people as always.
Just as I was about to slip out of the lobby while holding Ji-hee’s hand, a familiar woman approached us.
“Oh my, Sung-guk!”
It was Jeon Mi-jin, my younger sister from my previous life. She was also Jeon Tae-guk’s younger sister in this life. And we had been classmates at Samjeon Kindergarten.
“It’s really you, isn’t it?”
I quickly elbowed Jeon Tae-guk in the ribs.
“Did you tell her I was here?”
“No. Mi-jin’s on break, so she must be staying at the hotel. I don’t even have her phone number.”
Mi-jin spending her time at her own hotel was far more natural than me eating jjajangmyeon here.
“Sung-guk… Wow! You’ve become so handsome.”
At that moment, Mother quietly approached my side.
“Sung-guk, who is this?”
“Tae-guk’s younger sister.”
“Oh my, Mi-jin? Your classmate from Samjeon Kindergarten?”
“Mother! How have you been?”
[Who is your mother?]
Jeon Mi-jin approached Mother and greeted her warmly.
“Mother, it’s Mi-jin. You remember me, don’t you?”
“Of course. I only saw you when you were a baby, but now you’ve become quite the young lady.”
“Mother, it’s been so long since I’ve seen Sung-guk. Would it be alright if we talked for a bit?”
“Of course. Sung-guk, we’ll go wait at the parking lot first.”
“Mother, you don’t need to do that. Our secretary will drive Sung-guk.”
I quickly whispered to Mother.
“Mom, I’d rather just go with you.”
Then Mother smiled kindly and spoke softly.
“Sung-guk, spend some time with your peers. We’ll go ahead, so come along when you’re done.”
Jeon Tae-guk even winked at me playfully.
“Sung-guk, let’s see each other alive again!”
And so they all left me standing alone in the Samjeon Hotel Lobby.
* * *
“Sung-guk, our hotel’s mango bingsu is really famous. Have you tried it?”
“I’m not really into sweet things.”
Samjeon Hotel’s mango shaved ice was so renowned that people would visit the hotel solely for it, yet even in my previous life, I hadn’t particularly enjoyed it.
“By the way, Mi-jin. Is there something you wanted to tell me?”
“Why are you saying something so hurtful to an old classmate we haven’t seen in ages?”
[Before we were classmates, in my previous life we were less than family.]
To avoid further conversation, I forced the mango shaved ice I didn’t particularly care for into my mouth.
“Sung-guk, even if you don’t like sweet things, this is delicious, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. It’s fine.”
[I’m eating because I don’t want to talk, Mi-jin.]
Mi-jin casually flipped her hair with one hand in front of me, trying to look pretty.
Fate was truly cruel.
Why did my younger sister from my previous life—someone I despised so much—have to see me as a man?
Tae-guk was at least a pushover. But Mi-jin, who boasted about her fashion business as her future, had absolutely no substance whatsoever.
“Sung-guk, every time I heard news about you, it felt like you were living in a completely different world. But seeing you in person like this… I’m speechless.”
“Why? Because I’m impressive?”
If that was the case, I had no choice but to act impressively aloof.
“Of course. In all my life, I’ve never met anyone as impressive as you.”
“Mi-jin, how’s school treating you?”
“Huh?”
At the mention of school, Mi-jin looked flustered.
Both Tae-guk and Mi-jin had mediocre intellects. In short, neither of them was good at studying.
“Well… school is school, you know. I go to get into university. I’m planning to go to New York to study fashion.”
[I know well. You’re talking about it so confidently.]
Because Mi-jin bragged about creating a fashion brand, it only accumulated losses, and eventually the brand shut down.
“It’s not because you’re bad at studying that you’re doing fashion, right?”
“Ah… you caught me. Actually, I’m better at fashion than academics.”
This wasn’t the direction of conversation I had anticipated.
“Mi-jin, I should get going. I have a lot of company work to handle back in Korea, so I don’t have much time.”
“Oh… okay. Do you want to take some mango shaved ice with you?”
Now that I thought about it, I had never shown Mother and Father the taste of this famous Samjeon Hotel mango shaved ice.
“Sure.”
“Sung-guk, do you know something?”
“What?”
“You don’t need to act so impressively aloof with me.”
Was Mi-jin this perceptive? I tilted my head slightly.
“Sung-guk, I have a boyfriend. So I’m not particularly interested in you. Of course, if you’re interested in me, I’ll break up with my current boyfriend.”
“Mi-jin.”
“Yes?”
“I will never be interested in you. So please, stop pretending to know me.”
At that moment, the packaged mango shaved ice arrived.
I picked up the mango shaved ice and rose from my seat with unhurried composure.
“I’ll make my own way home. I hope you continue to get along well with your boyfriend. And another thing.”
I pointed my finger at the people hiding in the corner, snapping photos of Mi-jin and me.
“Mi-jin, it seems you want to take pictures of us together and mark me as Samjeon Electronics’ son-in-law. I’d appreciate it if you’d abandon such fantasies. There’s one thing Samjeon cannot do in South Korea—and that’s buying me, Jeon Sung-guk, with money.”
Mi-jin stared at me with a look of shock.
There are no coincidences in this world.
Jeon Tae-guk had quietly informed Secretary Park Sung-hee of this fact, and of course, Secretary Park Sung-hee had informed me.
With Samjeon Group’s image already tarnished by Jeon Tae-guk’s nude photo scandal, they were subtly showcasing the relationship between Mi-jin and me to quell doubts about the succession structure.
I left the dumbfounded Mi-jin behind and leisurely exited the Samjeon Hotel Lobby.
[There’s one thing Samjeon cannot do in South Korea—and that’s buying me, Jeon Sung-guk, with money. That’s actually a pretty cool line…]
My shoulders rose proudly toward the sky.
* * *
After successfully completing Ji-hee’s commercial shoot, I departed for the airport with Jeon Tae-guk and Secretary Park Sung-hee to head back to the United States.
At the airport, three people clung to me in tears, causing quite a commotion.
“Jung-woo, why are you crying?”
“Sung-guk, saying goodbye like this again… it reminds me of the day we moved back then….”
“Sigh… Really. Min-guk, Jung-woo. Listen to me carefully. Listen well to Bang Mu-hyuk, don’t hang around with weird kids just because you think you’re into music… everyone practice hard. Got it?”
“Yes, Sung-guk!”
“Hyung! I’m going to the United States again to see Eminem’s concert.”
“After seeing Eminem, I’ll have you do a concert in Korea. And our Ji-hee.”
“Yes, oppa.”
Ji-hee raised her hand eagerly.
I quietly whispered into Ji-hee’s ear.
“Ji-hee, you understand your worth, right?”
“Yes! Ji-hee’s worth! Since I started late like oppa said, I’ll work hard from now on!”
Behind us, Mother and Father, who had been watching our tearful farewell, also had reddened eyes.
Father patted my back.
“Sung-guk, you’ve always done well on your own….”
[Of course, Dad.]
“But don’t forget that your family is always cheering for you from afar in Korea, okay?”
“Mm-hmm.”
My throat tightened unexpectedly.
The airport was a strange place—tears of joy when meeting, tears of sorrow when parting.
Just as my eyes were about to redden, I turned sharply and headed toward the airport gate. I didn’t want anyone to see my tears.
At that moment, the cameras of the waiting reporters began flashing frantically as we headed toward the gate.
“Jeon Tae-guk, could you explain the circumstances of the nude photo distribution incident involving girl group Na-hee?”
What I expected had finally come to pass.
Jeon Tae-guk glanced at me once, then bowed deeply to the reporters in apology.
“I sincerely apologize for causing concern. After someone drugged my drink, I have no memory of what happened, so I’ve been troubled as a victim myself. However, to ensure that innocent victims like me don’t suffer again, I’ve decided to press charges against Na-hee as a matter of principle.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Secretary Park Sung-hee organized the reporters.
“We will send an official statement to each news outlet.”
Jeon Tae-guk passed through the gate with his head bowed and a dejected expression, but the moment he spotted me, he winked with a sly grin.
“Sung-guk, how was my acting?”
“It was passable.”
Jeon Tae-guk’s apology contained the two most crucial elements.
He was both a victim and a cautionary tale.
The journalists would receive the official statement from Samjeon Group along with the accompanying hush money, and they would undoubtedly portray Jeon Tae-guk as an innocent victim—a figure through whom social justice could be demonstrated.
* * *
Inside the airplane heading toward San Francisco.
Secretary Park Sung-hee, riding in First Class for the first time, chattered away excitedly.
“First Class is really my first time. If you fly this all the time, even Business Class must feel so uncomfortable, right, Young Master?”
“If there’s no seat, I’ll take Business. But Economy… I absolutely cannot take that again.”
“You’ve flown Economy before?”
“My parents made me do some commoner cosplay, so I’ve taken it a few times. My legs ached… I never want to do that again.”
I listened to their conversation while reading through the various newspapers available on the aircraft.
I needed to stay informed about what was happening in the United States during my time in Korea.
The United States was just as heated with presidential election fervor as Korea.
Most outlets predicted Barack Obama’s victory.
And everyone praised the turning point: the moment Dick Powell announced his endorsement, Obama seized the advantage.
There were also numerous articles analyzing me—the FaceNote CEO who had become a bridge between conservatives and progressives through hamburger diplomacy.
Could Donald Trumpet already be preparing for a presidential run?
It was still too early for Donald Trumpet to emerge as a U.S. presidential candidate.
Right now, Donald Trumpet was busy shouting “You’re Fired” on a program called The Apprentice.
I scratched my head.
[When exactly did Donald’s ambitions begin…?]
In the distance, the runway of San Francisco Airport began to come into view.
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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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