I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 249

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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 249
“Sung-guk, is this really your first time driving a car?”
Even the examiner was impressed by my driving skills.
“Yes, this is my first driver’s license.”
“That’s remarkable. Perfect score!”
[Of course. I’m Jeon Sung-guk, after all.]
I confidently accepted my license and got out of Adam’s car.
Then I tossed the car keys to Adam, who had been waiting anxiously.
“Adam, not a single scratch on Jenny!”
Adam caught the keys and immediately wrapped his arms around Jenny, stroking her affectionately.
“Jenny, you did great.”
* * *
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of knocking on the door was loud and insistent.
“Sung-guk! Open the door! The door!”
I opened the door with bleary eyes.
“Secretary Park, I told you I couldn’t sleep for two days while editing videos. I said today I absolutely had to rest.”
“I know. But a car just arrived in the Underground Parking Lot.”
“Ah, right. Chairman Koo Soo-young promised to give me a car once I got my driver’s license.”
“The owner needs to take possession of it.”
I rubbed my sleepy eyes and headed down to the Underground Parking Lot.
Secretary Park Sung-hee followed me.
“If it’s a gift from Chairman Koo Soo-young, it must be quite an impressive car, don’t you think?”
“He said it would be a safe car. Probably something like what an older gentleman would drive, right?”
I was grateful, honestly, but I wasn’t expecting much.
A car from Chairman Koo Soo-young, whose son had passed away in a car accident… It was probably some family sedan or SUV known for safety.
The elevator stopped at the Underground Parking Lot, and the doors finally opened.
And there it was—the car.
A Porsche!
Sleep vanished from my mind instantly.
[A Porsche. An actual Porsche!]
I excitedly walked around the vehicle, examining it.
The dealer smiled warmly at my reaction and handed me the keys.
“Everyone who buys a Porsche gets excited like this. As you know, this Porsche is the brand’s first-ever SUV.”
[I know that!]
The moment Porsche announced the launch of an SUV, I was the first person in South Korea to receive one.
There were many supercars more expensive than this, but this was the only vehicle I owned that was the first of its kind in South Korea. That made it feel even more special.
I immediately called Chairman Koo Soo-young the moment I received the keys.
His hearty laughter came through the phone.
– Sung-guk, did you get the car?
“Chairman, a Porsche! That’s far too generous.”
– Jun-ho had a serious accident while driving the Porsche sports car. A truck coming from the opposite direction crossed the center line due to drowsy driving and flipped over. If it hadn’t been a Porsche, they wouldn’t have even recovered his body. But since sports cars aren’t exactly known for safe driving, I sent an SUV instead. Drive safely, understood?
“Yes, Chairman!”
* * *
There’s a term called “car presence.”
It refers to the attention people give you when you step out of a vehicle.
I deliberately parked the Porsche in the closest spot to the FaceNote office building entrance.
Then I stepped out of the Porsche, deliberately closed the door slowly, gave my shoulders a subtle proud shrug, and walked into FaceNote.
I could feel the gazes of employees sitting by the windows.
[Of course, a real man drives a Porsche.]
Then I heard Jeon Tae-guk’s voice from behind.
“Sung-guk!”
When I turned around, there was a Bugatti sports car—a world-renowned masterpiece of which only a handful exist in the entire world.
Jeon Tae-guk had driven it and parked it right next to my Porsche.
My brow furrowed involuntarily.
“Brother, what brings you here?”
“You wrecked my car, didn’t you? Since I just picked up a new one, I thought I’d take it for a spin. Sung-guk, how’s the Porsche treating you?”
“It’s… fine.”
“The Bugatti’s a bit inconvenient, though. Everyone stares at it everywhere I go.”
Jeon Tae-guk shrugged his shoulders.
[So that’s what an obnoxiously smug pose looks like.]
Just then, employees came running over, completely captivated by the Bugatti.
“Um, can we take a picture with this car?”
“Go ahead. Just know you’re liable if it gets scratched.”
“Yes!”
The employees with their phones were busy taking commemorative photos of Jeon Tae-guk’s Bugatti parked right next to my beloved Porsche.
Mark came running out too.
“Sung-guk, I’ve never actually seen that car before.”
“The Bugatti?”
“Yeah. It’s seriously incredible. Being a chaebol really is something.”
I walked into the office building alone, leaving the murmuring crowd behind.
[Sigh, so there are days when I get outshined.]
In that case.
The moment I sat down, I sent a company-wide message.
– Departmental inspection meeting in 10 minutes! Any department that fails the inspection will have the responsibility placed on all members of that department.
The instant I sent that message, employees came rushing into the office building like madmen.
Mark looked at me with an exasperated expression.
“Sung-guk, you’re doing this because you’re jealous that the Bugatti’s getting all the attention on the day you bought your new car, aren’t you?”
“Mark, employees shouldn’t be staring at cars when they should be working. I’m just doing my job as CEO.”
“You really are impossible.”
“Mark, let’s review the Instagram project you and Adam are working on right now. I’d like to see Instagram wrapped up before we head to the White House next week. Mark.”
“Sung-guk, just kill me.”
“Mark, I believe in you. As long as you’re not just window-shopping for cars like Buffett.”
“You really know how to hold a grudge.”
[A person needs to hold grudges. That’s how you develop resentment and drive yourself to improve, Mark.]
* * *
I made the journey to the White House alone.
Everyone else had commitments and couldn’t spare the time.
When I landed at Washington D.C. Airport, the White House’s secretary and a bodyguard were waiting to greet me.
“Welcome, Sung-guk. I’m Gary Oldman, one of the President’s secretaries.”
“Hello, I’m Jeon Sung-guk.”
“This evening, after you finish dinner with the Barack Obama family, you’ll be transported directly to a nearby hotel. We’ve reserved a suite room for you. Tomorrow morning at 10 a.m., you’ll deliver a speech on anti-Asian hate crimes at the White House, followed by a meeting with President Barack Obama. Everything will be broadcast live.”
“Understood.”
Gary Oldman finished the briefing cleanly.
“Then, shall we head to the hotel now so you can rest before dinner?”
“What time is dinner?”
“Typically we start at 7 p.m. I’d like to give you free time, but we need to be prepared for any contingencies, so if you let us know your schedule, our bodyguards will provide discreet protection.”
“That’s fine. I’m actually sleep-deprived, so I’ll just rest a bit and then head to the White House.”
“Very well.”
I boarded the official protocol vehicle that had been prepared and headed to the hotel.
* * *
The moment I arrived at the hotel, I took a hot shower and reviewed my speech.
While I was indeed sleep-deprived, what I really needed was enough time to thoroughly familiarize myself with and memorize the speech.
– I was born in South Korea, a small nation in Asia.
I came to study abroad at a young age from that small country and developed an SNS called ‘FaceNote’ with my high school classmate.
‘FaceNote’ is now used not only in the United States but by people around the world.
We have created a space for exchange that transcends nations, races, and languages. And the United States has embraced many talented Asian entrepreneurs like myself.
I took a sip of coffee.
– The recent hate crimes against Asian entrepreneurs have been truly unfortunate.
If hate crimes against Americans were to occur in Asia or other continents, how would you feel about that?
That is clearly something that should never happen.
Ladies and gentlemen, the world is now transcending nations, races, languages, gender, religion—everything—just like our ‘FaceNote’.
What we must do going forward is not conflict and jealousy, but embrace. That is the message I wish to convey.
And I hope I will never again stand at this podium as a survivor of terrorism targeting Asian people.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
I applauded myself.
[That’s truly an excellent speech.]
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A knock sounded at the hotel door.
I checked the time—it was already time to head to the White House.
As I opened the door, Gary Oldman glanced at me with a slightly startled expression.
“Sung-guk, are you planning to go dressed like that?”
“Is something wrong with my outfit?”
I was wearing my usual hoodie and jeans.
“It should be fine for tonight’s dinner, but you’re not planning to stand like that at tomorrow’s briefing, are you?”
“Oh, that…”
To be honest, I hadn’t thought that far ahead.
“Gary, what time does the nearest department store close?”
“By the time we finish dinner, it’ll probably be closed. If you give me your measurements, I’ll have the hotel manager prepare a few of the most formal suits for you.”
“I’m not really sure of my measurements…”
“Hmm. Then just tell me your height and shoe size. You’re so lean that even the smallest men’s size should fit you perfectly.”
“Then, I’d appreciate it.”
“Of course, don’t worry. Let’s head to the White House.”
* * *
“Sung-guk!!!”
Barack Obama greeted me enthusiastically.
“Barack, it’s been a while.”
In truth, not that much time had passed since his inauguration.
“You haven’t changed a bit, have you? Well, I’ll admit you’ve gotten more handsome. And you seem taller?”
“I’m still at an age where I’m growing.”
“Still confident as ever, I see. This is your first time dining with our family, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
Barack Obama led me to a small dining room in the White House.
There, I found Michelle Obama, his wife, and their daughters.
Malia Obama, the eldest daughter, and Sasha Obama, the second daughter, peeked out shyly from behind Michelle, their heads barely visible.
Michelle extended her hand first.
“Sung-guk, welcome. I’ve heard so much about you from Barack, and I’m thrilled we finally get to have dinner together. And our eldest daughter, Malia, is a huge fan of yours.”
“Mom!”
Malia tugged at Michelle’s skirt, embarrassed.
“Malia, say hello. You were the one who kept asking to see Sung-guk.”
“Mom, why would you say that?”
Malia, now in her upper elementary school years, blushed as if hitting puberty.
I offered her the warmest smile I could manage and waved at her.
“Malia, hello. I’m Sung-guk.”
“Oh, I know.”
“How do you know me?”
“I’m subscribed to YouTube.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Congratulations on getting your driver’s license, Sung-guk.”
“Wow, so you’ve watched all the recent videos?”
“Yes. The car is really impressive.”
[That’s not just any car—it’s a Porsche.]
Malia Obama nodded shyly. Then she asked casually.
“Sung-guk, do you have a girlfriend?”
“No, not yet.”
The moment she heard those words, Malia Obama’s face lit up.
Barack Obama quickly offered me a seat.
“Sung-guk, come sit down. At this rate, we won’t even get to eat dinner.”
“Yes, I’ve been looking forward to dinner at the White House.”
“I wish you could have a glass of wine with us. That’s a shame.”
“I’ll come back when I’m older. Please invite me again next time.”
Finally, the food began to arrive.
The food wasn’t particularly different from what I’d expected. The well-cooked steak was truly delicious.
Michelle Obama suddenly looked at me and tilted her head.
“Sung-guk, how tall are you?”
“I think I’m a bit over six feet.”
“Barack, you two seem to be about the same height.”
“You’re right.”
Michelle Obama looked me over carefully.
“Sung-guk, I hope I wasn’t staring too hard. Gary mentioned earlier that you didn’t bring formal wear for tomorrow?”
“Yes, Gary said he’d prepare a few suits for me.”
“Why do that? Why don’t I lend you one of Barack’s suits?”
“I beg your pardon?”
Barack, who had been listening to the conversation, nodded as well.
“Looking at Sung-guk, he’s about my height, lean like me, and our builds seem similar. I think my suits would fit you well, honestly.”
“Sung-guk, after dinner, I’ll give you a few suits to try on.”
I was about to decline, but I stopped and looked back and forth between Michelle Obama and Barack Obama.
“I think it would be good to add this to my speech.”
“What would that be?”
“Tomorrow, I will be wearing a suit lent to me by President Barack Obama. We are different in race, age, and background. Yet despite all those differences, we can wear the same clothes. Before rejecting people of color, before rejecting Asians, I ask you to remember one thing: that we are the same people, transcending race, age, gender, and religion.”
“Wow! Sung-guk, you’re the best!”
Malia Obama exclaimed in admiration.
Then Barack Obama felt a twinge of jealousy.
“Oh no. I’ll have to make sure my daughter doesn’t see this speech tomorrow.”
I simply smiled.
[Once you fall for me, Barack, there’s no turning back.]

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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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