I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 220

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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 220
“Right now you….”
Daddy King started to say something, then stopped himself.
Instead, he drank water in silence and kept eating salad.
After a few minutes passed, Mark and Dennis watched Daddy King’s expression carefully.
The sound of a fork being set down broke the silence with a soft clink.
After finishing his salad, Daddy King asked his wife Sean for coffee.
“Sean, could you get me some coffee? Would you all like some too?”
We all nodded.
“Then I’ll go prepare the coffee. Please, continue your conversation.”
The moment Sean left the table, Daddy King placed his elbows on it—his trademark pose—and looked at me.
“Sean hates it when I put my elbows on the table during meals. But I can’t think properly without doing this.”
Daddy King naturally eased the tension.
Mark and Dennis seemed to finally breathe easier as well.
“Sung-guk, I understand your position. You’re testing whether this old man has the guts to leave the Broadcasting Station and forge a new path, aren’t you?”
“Just your appearance on YouTube will make people start paying attention to this new medium. You’re a symbolic figure in American and global media, after all.”
“Of course, you have a stake in YouTube?”
I already knew Daddy King had likely investigated me to some extent.
“Not much, but yes, I do.”
“Hmm… If I refuse here, who else would you approach?”
“I haven’t prepared a second option, Daddy.”
“Why not?”
“Because you absolutely must do this broadcast.”
“Me?”
Daddy King removed his elbows from the table and leaned back. There was something both amusing and endearing about this young man speaking with such certainty.
“Sung-guk, how are you so confident?”
“People think my words are prophecies, but I always reach my conclusions based on scientific analysis, Daddy. Aren’t you curious about this process?”
“I am curious. And frankly, right now you’re getting more attention from Americans than the next presidential candidate.”
“Then I don’t understand why you’d hesitate over just the medium. I’m going to heavily promote this interview through FaceNote. FaceNote is one of the most popular SNS platforms among young Americans, Daddy. That means I can draw them directly to YouTube.”
“But I can’t ignore the middle-aged and older viewers.”
“Once I post the interview on my FaceNote, journalists will start sharing it enthusiastically. Even without FaceNote itself, people will learn about our interview through other channels.”
“Hmm….”
Daddy King nodded.
I pressed my advantage and continued.
“My strategy means only those who need this information will see it. Not people passively listening while their TV plays in the background, but people who actively sought out this interview because they’re genuinely curious—doesn’t that interest you?”
Daddy King was gradually being persuaded by my words.
“Hmm….”
Just then, Daddy King’s wife Sean returned with the coffee.
Daddy King quickly lowered his elbows back under the table. His wife was twenty years younger, but apparently she was the one to be feared.
Sean served coffee to all of us.
“Daddy, why do you always pick the olives out of your salad? Olives are so good for you. At your age, shouldn’t you be eating things you don’t like for your health?”
“Sean, what’s wrong with my age?”
“Daddy….”
Sean called out to Daddy King in a soothing tone while patting his shoulder—as if coaxing a child.
But it seemed to be the decisive factor.
Daddy King finished his coffee and looked at me.
“Sung-guk, give it a try. I think I’ve been too stubborn about one path for too long.”
“Daddy, then I’ll compile the interview materials and send them to you as soon as we return to Silicon Valley. Where and when should we do the interview?”
“I’d like to see Silicon Valley myself. Let’s do the recording over next Saturday and Sunday.”
“We’ll cover all the expenses. Just let us know your appearance fee.”
At that moment, Daddy King waved his hand.
“Sung-guk, I’m already making an enormous amount of money from broadcasting. I won’t be taking an appearance fee from young people like you.”
[Daddy, if the YouTube views do well, you make money from that structure too….]
But I didn’t say it aloud.
Daddy King, true to his word, had already earned enough money that he could never spend it all in his lifetime, even without YouTube revenue.
“Then we’ll arrange the airplane and dormitory reservations and send them to you as soon as we return to Silicon Valley.”
“I’m going to research you thoroughly—leaving nothing out—so you’d better be prepared.”
“Daddy, please don’t forget that the theme of this interview is ‘Jeon Sung-guk: The One Man Who Predicted the American Economy.'”
“I’ll be conducting the interview. The theme is certainly that, but from what I can see, people will be incredibly curious about you as well.”
He was truly a veteran broadcaster.
“I’m going to dig deep into the source of your arrogance!”
At Daddy King’s words, Mark and Dennis laughed loudly for the first time.
* * *
After finishing our meeting with Daddy King, we got into Dennis’s car.
“The flight is tomorrow morning, right?”
“Yeah.”
Mark answered.
“Then, since we’re in Los Angeles, should we go see the stars?”
“You’re seriously asking the three of us to go see the stars, Dennis?”
Mark was somewhat reluctant.
But I really wanted to go.
“Mark, let’s go. To see the stars.”
“Sung-guk, does it make sense for three guys to go stargazing?”
“Mark, once you’re married, you won’t have opportunities like this very often. And if it’s nice, you can come back with Lim Mi-mi next time.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“See, Mark, just mention Lim Mi-mi and there’s nothing he won’t do. Dennis, let’s go see the stars.”
And so the three of us headed to Griffith Observatory to see the stars.
* * *
On the way down from stargazing, Dennis’s eyes sparkled like the stars themselves.
It was clear that Dennis was going through a difficult time lately.
While working on screenplays, I often harbored dreams of becoming a director, but filmmaking wasn’t something that could be achieved through effort alone.
Behind me, Mark was nodding off, exhaustion weighing on him.
“Dennis, when you return to Harvard, why don’t you try directing a short film?”
“A short film?”
“Yes. Everything you’ve written has been feature-length screenplays, but no production company will simply hand you a director’s position based on a script alone. If you first prove your skills with a short film, opportunities will gradually come your way.”
Dennis nodded quietly.
“You’re right, Sung-guk. I think I was trying to climb the ladder all at once. When there’s barely enough time to climb it slowly… and I don’t even have the skills yet.”
“Dennis, you have enough skill. In my opinion, at least. But it will take time for the world to recognize your abilities.”
Dennis listened to my words and smiled softly.
“Sung-guk, you’re a really good friend.”
[Why does this give me goosebumps? Between friends, no less.]
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Sung-guk, you know what?”
“What?”
“Even though you always act superior and behave selfishly, you end up taking care of everyone around you.”
“Well, that’s….”
[It’s because it benefits me, Dennis. In my past life, I was a film enthusiast, and I wanted to have a close filmmaker friend in Hollywood. That’s you….]
I said nothing more.
Sometimes silence makes people feel better than words ever could.
* * *
Dennis was examining the FaceNote office.
“Sung-guk, you want us to film here, right?”
“Yes. Ideally, with the ‘face-note’ written on that wall coming through very clearly.”
“Hmm… that’s not bad, but won’t it look too much like a FaceNote advertisement?”
“That’s exactly my purpose.”
“Seriously, there’s no stopping you. Alright, I think we’ll need to rearrange this space separately today.”
“After the employees leave, of course.”
Dennis had come to Silicon Valley a few days ago and had been staying with us while planning the shoot.
“Sung-guk, I think we’ll need someone to do simple makeup….”
“I’ll ask Elizabeth.”
“Who’s that?”
“The main writer of The Intern.”
I could see Dennis’s eyes light up.
Dennis was weak when it came to women, especially those working in broadcasting.
“Dennis, Elizabeth is already in her forties.”
“Ah… but how did you read my eyes like that?”
“Dennis, I’ve told you countless times that your weakness for women is your biggest problem.”
“Alright, alright. Can you ask if we can borrow some lighting equipment?”
“Dennis, I’d prefer we stick to just an Apple phone for this YouTube shoot.”
“We only need a few lights. I’ll capture this process with your Apple phone as you said….”
“Wait, Dennis! Why didn’t I think of this?”
I quickly grabbed my phone and called Charlie Jobs.
Charlie Jobs’ voice came through shortly after.
– Sung-guk, it’s been a while.
“Charlie, I’m working on something fun that I think you’d absolutely love to hear about.”
– What are you up to now?
“Daddy King is coming this weekend to do an interview with me.”
– Daddy King? The legend of talk shows?
“Yes, that Daddy King.”
– Just hearing Daddy King’s name is thrilling. Come on, tell me, Sung-guk.
I told him everything that had happened and how I came to do this interview with Daddy King.
“Charlie, we’re going to release this interview on YouTube. Given YouTube’s nature, we’ll be filming with an iPhone instead of fancy cameras. What if Apple captures that process and uses it as an advertisement?”
I heard Charlie Jobs’ laughter through the phone.
– Sung-guk, I knew you were a genius, but… this is something we can’t just do casually.
“Of course we need to sign an advertising contract. And we need Daddy King’s permission too.”
– Okay. I’ll handle that right away. We’ve been wanting to do something with our video editing technology and advertising anyway, and this seems like a perfect opportunity. Don’t worry about the money—just make sure you seal this deal with Daddy King. And don’t worry about your appearance fee either, Sung-guk. I shouldn’t just say this—I’ll have a draft contract ready in an hour.
Charlie Jobs hung up and, true to his word, sent the contract in less than an hour.
In the meantime, I spoke with Daddy King to confirm the amount he wanted, and the contract Charlie Jobs sent matched most of Daddy King’s conditions.
Then I handed the contract to Dennis as well.
“Sung-guk, what’s this?”
“You need to get paid for your work too. Let’s sign a contract.”
“You already said you’d pay me. That’s enough for me.”
I had agreed to pay Dennis $1,000 for the filming.
“Dennis, you can’t make a short film with just that.”
“Huh?”
Dennis looked at me with surprised eyes.
“Dennis, this shoot will be released on YouTube, but it’s also going to be used as an Apple advertisement. Your footage will be part of that too. This work is going to be a huge part of your career. And it doesn’t make sense for you not to get paid for filming footage that Apple will use in their advertisement!”
“Sung-guk…”
Dennis paused for a moment.
[He’s touched, isn’t he? This is just who I am.]
Then Dennis suddenly hugged me tight.
“Sung-guk, thank you so much. Really, thank you.”
“Dennis, don’t spend your appearance fee on anything else. You have to make that short film.”
“Of course! I’ll definitely make that short film with this!”
* * *
The night before filming.
I reviewed the shooting outline one last time on my laptop.
I also familiarized myself with the interview questions Daddy King had sent in advance.
Most of them were about work-related matters, but Daddy King would definitely throw personal questions at me indiscriminately, and he wouldn’t give me advance notice of those.
Dennis, fresh from the shower, shook his hair as he asked.
“Sung-guk, aren’t you going to sleep? Tomorrow’s shoot is going to be exhausting. You need some rest.”
“Let me just review a few more interview questions.”
“Fine, I’m heading to bed then.”
“Good night, Dennis.”
Left alone in the corner of the living room, I revised and re-revised my answers to the interview questions.
Just then, my phone on the dining table rang.
Who could be calling at this hour?
The caller ID was unknown.
After a moment of hesitation, I answered the call.
“Hello, who is this?”
– Is this Sung-guk?
A familiar voice came through the phone. Could it be VIP?
– It’s Lim Myung-baek.

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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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