I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 244
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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 244
Lehman Brothers’ bankruptcy is Asia’s fault for parasitizing the American economy?
It was illogical, just as Mark said.
“Sung-guk, do you think this makes any sense?”
“Mark, people have always needed an outlet for their anger. When Rome burned, Christians were persecuted. During the Great Kanto Earthquake, Koreans were massacred. They’re trying to vent their rage through us Asians—we’re weak and a minority.”
“I’m ashamed to be American with people like that. Truly ashamed.”
Mark rubbed his flushed face with both hands.
“Mark, calm down. We’ll know whether this is a joke or serious once we see what happens.”
“See what happens? What if something terrible occurs while we’re waiting? Sung-guk… this is basically a death threat. We have to report it.”
“Of course we do.”
“We should request protective custody… no, actually, let’s hire private security for this. This is serious.”
“I’ve told you before—while I’m living with Jeon Tae-guk, I don’t need to worry. There are bodyguards positioned everywhere.”
“Those people are protecting Jeon Tae-guk, not you!”
Mark grew increasingly agitated.
He clearly disapproved of my composed demeanor.
“Mark, please calm down. We need to respond to this coldly, not emotionally.”
“Sung-guk, how can you be so composed about something like this?”
“Anyone can write anything on FaceNote. If we tried to screen all the sexual discrimination and racist posts, we wouldn’t have enough staff even if we reassigned everyone.”
“But this is the first time your name has been mentioned directly like this. This is a death threat. Clearly!”
I looked again at the FaceNote post from the person threatening to kill me.
My name appeared at the end of a list of ten Asian executives.
The people listed before me were ones you’d only recognize if you studied economic publications obsessively.
[So that means I’m quite a big shot in America too?]
I felt a slight surge of pride.
Mark gripped my shoulder firmly.
“Sung-guk, this is not the time to be smug.”
[Mark knows me too well.]
But this was no longer just my problem.
“Mark… we’re going to have wealth and fame that most people could never possess.”
“Sung-guk, every time you talk like this, you seem like an incredible optimist.”
“Mark, look at what we’ve accomplished in this time. FaceNote will definitely surpass a billion users within a few years, we’ll take the company public on NASDAQ, and we’ll become among the wealthiest people around.”
“Okay, okay. This isn’t the time for that. Sung-guk, I’ll look into private security. And let’s report this to the police and catch this extortionist for sure.”
“Of course we need to catch the extortionist. And we need to see whether the perpetrator was just bluffing or not.”
Mark stared at me with startled eyes.
“Sung-guk… you’re not saying….”
“I’m going to livestream this incident on YouTube.”
“Sung-guk, your life is on the line here! And you want to livestream it?”
“That’s exactly why I’m doing it. Because my life is on the line.”
I had already made up my mind to respond forcefully.
I had lived through my previous life experiencing kidnappings, abductions, and death threats countless times.
Would I have tracked down the extortionists and negotiated with them every time?
No.
I made sure they got a taste of their own medicine.
The moment I started negotiating with extortionists, I’d be at their mercy.
I don’t know where or when they’ll strike, but they could be watching me constantly.
So why not make everyone watch me instead?
At the same time, it was the perfect opportunity to upgrade YouTube’s live streaming feature.
* * *
Sam’s hands were trembling.
“Sung-guk… our live streaming isn’t quite that stable yet, you know.”
“I know, Sam. That’s exactly why we need to use this opportunity to dramatically improve our live service quality. Sam, if we don’t, I might actually die.”
“Sung-guk… don’t say things like that. It’s scary.”
Having died once before, I didn’t find death particularly frightening anymore.
But if I died like this in this lifetime, my heart would surely ache.
Because of my beloved family.
“Sam, honestly, it’ll be hard for them to target me while I’m at FaceNote. They’ll probably try during my commute or when I’m traveling for meetings… and that’s when I’ll go live to connect with people.”
“Sung-guk… with YouTube’s current infrastructure, if more than ten thousand people access simultaneously, there will definitely be problems.”
“Exactly. So we need to make sure that doesn’t happen. Sam, my life is in your hands.”
That was when it happened.
A scream echoed from outside the office.
What was going on?
I saw Mark rushing over urgently.
“Sung-guk, this is bad. Chad Chun was attacked. That extortionist listed his name first!”
Chad Chun was YouTube’s founder and the idiot who handed over 5% of his shares to me.
“So he’s dead?”
I asked Mark.
“Not exactly. An intruder broke into Chad Chun’s house.”
“So… is Chad Chun dead?”
“Sung-guk, that’s not it. There was only a housekeeper at home. Chad Chun was out.”
“Then we don’t even know if that intruder is the extortionist or not.”
“Sung-guk, are you really going to sit there spouting such calm nonsense?”
“I’m standing, actually.”
“Jeon Sung-guk!”
Mark was angrier than I’d seen him in recent memory.
“This won’t do. You could be in danger even while traveling. We need to report this to the police right now and catch whoever posted that message!”
* * *
The person who posted the threatening message about killing me on FaceNote had already deleted the account and disappeared.
Of course, screenshots of the posts were circulating, but we were one step too late.
We could trace the IP based on the screenshots, but there was no guarantee that person would still be at that location.
Mi-mi worked diligently to trace the IP, but the location pointed to Hawaii.
It was a typical method used to shake off pursuers.
“This bastard really seems to have planned this out.”
“Mark, the intruder at Chad Chun’s place today could just be a simple burglar. Chad Chun brags about money so much on FaceNote.”
A grand mansion in Malibu.
Parties held every day and beautiful women.
Luxury brands and high-end supercars.
These were the things Chad Chun posted on FaceNote every single day. So tacky!
“Sung-guk, I have a strong feeling that guy is definitely the blackmailer.”
“I’m not sure.”
There was no way to know anything until it was caught.
“Mark, I want to go home and rest now. Come with me.”
“Private bodyguards will start tomorrow… but we’ll keep watch over you today, Sung-guk.”
Mark seemed absolutely determined.
* * *
Thanks to Mark’s fussiness, a police car followed behind Mark’s vehicle.
And Sam and Adam sat on either side of me in the back seat. The two of them were pressed against me so tightly I could barely breathe.
“Sam, Adam. Could you please give me some space?”
“Sung-guk, it’s just because the car is small. Please bear with us.”
Adam seemed unwilling to budge an inch.
[I can’t tell if this is genuine dedication or if they’re acting this way because I gave them a raise….]
Anyway.
“Sam, is the live situation improving at all?”
“Actually, I’m planning to go back to the company and pull an all-nighter with the team.”
[Now that’s true dedication!]
I smiled warmly.
At that moment, Mark looked at me coldly through the rearview mirror.
“Sung-guk, remember this: no matter how big the company grows or how much money you make, it’s all worthless if you’re dead.”
That stung.
Mark’s words hit right at the heart of the matter.
The last day of my previous life flashed through my mind.
The day before my inauguration as chairman, I died of a heart attack while intoxicated with wine, drunk on victory.
“Mark, I understand. I’ll be careful from now on.”
Then I gazed out the window with a melancholic expression.
[Sigh, in this life I need to earn money and actually enjoy it! For real!]
* * *
The darkening night.
I was in the living room, and Jeon Tae-guk and Secretary Park Sung-hee sat closely on either side of me.
“Brother, and Secretary. Could you please leave me alone for a bit?”
“Sung-guk, you’re under a death threat right now. I asked the company to station bodyguards all around the house.”
“Then, couldn’t you sit a little further away?”
“Sung-guk, listen to what the young master is saying. The United States is a country with gun freedom, right? That blackmailer might be someone our bodyguards could subdue with one hand and lift up—maybe even a former special forces soldier deployed to Iraq.”
“Sigh, hasn’t everyone just watched too many movies?”
Just then, news began playing on the TV.
The news showed footage of an intruder captured on Chad Chun’s home security camera.
– This is footage of the intruder who broke into the home of Chad Chun, YouTube’s founder and billionaire, earlier today.
Of course, he was wearing a black mask, so his face was completely unrecognizable.
– Recently, a message was posted on FaceNote claiming that America’s current economic crisis is due to Asian business leaders controlling the economy, warning of terrorist attacks against famous Asian entrepreneurs. The message was quickly deleted. Chad Chun, whose name appeared first on the list, was attacked. We’re also reporting that other entrepreneurs whose names were listed have received death threats.
The camera then cut to the front of a company in New York.
It was the investment firm operated by Hailey Yang.
– Hailey Yang, a famous Taiwanese-American investor, was attacked by someone on her way home from work a week ago and is currently hospitalized with a head injury.
“Sung-guk, did you hear? They’re all being attacked right now.”
“Hmm… but this guy’s range of activity is wider than expected.”
“Sung-guk, what do you mean by that?”
“A week ago he was on the East Coast, and today he was on the West Coast. The airfare alone would be astronomical.”
Then it wasn’t just one person?
I jumped up from my seat and called Mark.
– Sung-guk, are you okay?
[I’m fine, that’s why I’m calling.]
“Mark, I think these guys are organized. It doesn’t seem like just one or two people. I want to escalate this situation. What do you think?”
– Escalate it? How?
“By exploiting their divisions.”
I smiled faintly.
* * *
On the way to work.
I picked up my phone.
And I began streaming my commute on YouTube.
“Hello. My name is Jeon Sung-guk. I’m from South Korea. As you know, I’m the founder of FaceNote and currently serving as the CEO of YouTube simultaneously. I’m also the final boss on the death threat list that was posted on FaceNote not long ago.”
Mark shook his head beside me.
I pressed on, filming the bodyguards surrounding me with my phone.
“Right now I’m surrounded by bodyguards. There are private security personnel called by my business partner Mark, and there are also bodyguards called by my close friend Jeon Tae-guk, the villain of the 【Intern】 and heir to South Korea’s Samjeon Group. They all have incredible credentials. Some are former presidential security detail.”
I was practically surrounded by bodyguards as I climbed into Mark’s car.
“And while I move to the office, there’s Sam and Adam, employees of YouTube and FaceNote, who will protect me. So, what do you think? Can that killer actually kill me? See you again on the way home! Oh, and there will be bombshell statements on the way home, so stay tuned!”
The comment section erupted at my provocation.
– Wow, if you can get through that security, you should be specially recruited into the special forces.
– Jeon Sung-guk’s class really is different.
– But seriously, Sung-guk isn’t even nervous?
– Looking forward to the way home!
And I lowered my phone.
Sam’s arm, which was holding mine, was trembling instead.
“Sam, stop shaking. By the way, the live stream numbers have improved a lot. You’ll probably see even more tonight, so prepare yourself well.”
“Yes, Sung-guk.”
Mark glanced at me through the rearview mirror.
“Sung-guk, what kind of bombshell are you planning to drop on your way home from work?”
“I’m going to put a bounty on that blackmailer’s head.”
There’s no way they’re working alone.
After all, money has a way of dissolving even the strongest friendships, doesn’t it?
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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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