I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 250

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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 250
The suit that Barack Obama had lent me fit perfectly.
Michelle had specially called in a Stylist who pinned down a few loose areas with clips and even styled my hair.
“I’ll just apply a bit of powder to the T-zone area to prevent any shine. That should make it absolutely flawless.”
[Why state the obvious? As for me, Jeon Sung-guk, I’ve been a natural in front of cameras since I was barely past one year old.]
The Stylist applied powder to my T-zone and broke into a beaming smile.
“Sung-guk, you really don’t have a girlfriend? Your FaceNote profile still shows you as single.”
“Yes, I’m still a minor. In Korea, people generally don’t date until they become adults.”
Well, whether in Korea or the United States, those who want to date will date anyway.
“I’m really looking forward to your speech today.”
“I’m just going to do my best with what I’ve prepared.”
“You really don’t seem nervous at all, Sung-guk.”
Knock. Knock.
At that moment, I heard a knock, and Malia, Barack Obama’s eldest daughter, poked her head through the door.
“Sung-guk oppa… are you getting ready well?”
“Yeah. Malia, did you come to cheer me on?”
“Yes. And I was curious.”
“About what?”
“Sung-guk oppa, you always wear hoodies and jeans. But I was really curious to see what you’d look like dressed up like Dad today.”
“How do I look?”
I turned to face Malia.
Malia’s face lit up with a bright smile that bore a striking resemblance to Barack’s, and she quietly approached me to whisper in my ear.
“This is a secret, but you look more handsome than Dad.”
Then she pulled out a camera and handed it to the Stylist.
“Could you take a photo of me and Sung-guk oppa, please?”
“Of course. Now, both of you smile brightly! One, two, three!”
Click.
* * *
A tense moment.
The White House briefing room, where countless journalists and cameras awaited me.
I walked down the long corridor toward it.
Bodyguards surrounded me on all sides, and beside me, Gary, one of Barack Obama’s aides, offered reassuring words not to be nervous.
But there was something they didn’t know.
I wasn’t nervous at all.
And standing before the numerous White House press corps, I delivered my prepared speech without a single deviation.
Applause erupted, followed immediately by a barrage of questions from the journalists.
Soon the White House spokesperson stepped forward to calm the situation.
“We won’t be taking questions right now as President Barack Obama is prepared for an interview with Jeon Sung-guk. I believe all the answers to your questions can be found in Jeon Sung-guk’s speech.”
I bowed respectfully in the Korean manner and left the briefing room.
* * *
Barack Obama greeted me with his characteristic radiant smile.
“Sung-guk, that speech was absolutely perfect.”
“I practiced a lot.”
Humility had its place, depending on the moment.
“Even with all the practice in the world, many people still can’t pull it off… Why are Korean people so incredibly intelligent?”
“I think it’s probably because of Korea’s education system.”
“The Korean people I met during my lawyer days all said the same thing—that Korea’s education is special, and the passion for education is even more special. I believe America’s public education has serious problems.”
Barack Obama shared his concerns about American public education.
While people from other nations harboring vague fantasies about America might see no educational environment as perfect as America’s, the reality of American public education was dire.
In America, if you had no money, you couldn’t study—it was that simple.
That was America.
“In Korea, education is viewed as the only ladder for social mobility. Even if parents were poor, they believed education was one way their children could escape that poverty.”
“While many people think that way, it’s not easy to actually put it into practice. The fact that Korean people actually do it is truly remarkable.”
Barack Obama leaned forward further, then asked quietly.
“And I’m genuinely curious about something… How much do teachers in South Korea earn? I’ve heard so much about the quality of public education there that I’ve been really wondering.”
“Teachers in South Korea are civil servants. In other words, once you’re hired, the salary isn’t huge, but it’s guaranteed until retirement. Of course, there are private schools too, but South Korea maintains the quality of public education through a tenure-guaranteed teacher system, keeping it on par with private education.”
Of course, there were exceptions, but compared to many other countries including America, South Korea’s public education was genuinely world-class.
Moreover, the fact that each teacher had to handle an exceptionally large number of students meant that relentless rote education was implemented, which also contributed to raising the students’ average performance.
“By the way, Sung-guk… I’m planning to visit Japan, Korea, and China in November this year. Would you accompany me as a special envoy?”
“As a special envoy?”
“If you’re willing, yes. Of course, if you’re too busy with work, you don’t have to go. But I’d really like you to come with me. The truth is, I don’t have a deep understanding of the East. Especially regarding Korea—I think having you by my side would be incredibly helpful.”
“If that’s what you wish, I should accompany you. I’ll clear my schedule.”
“And according to Gary, you still haven’t given me an answer about the citizenship I offered you.”
“Barack… Korean men must complete their military service. It’s a national obligation. If I were to renounce military service and accept citizenship, my family would be in an uproar.”
“What a shame—a talent like you should be American. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear your answer for now, so think it over carefully.”
“Yes, Barack.”
Our conversation had been more of a casual chat about South Korea’s excellent education system and the citizenship question than about hate crimes against Asian entrepreneurs.
As our private conversation drew to a close, Barack glanced around before speaking quietly.
“Sung-guk, what do you think of our Malia?”
“Well…”
“She asked me to ask you. I suppose I’m just a doting father. Malia says she wants to marry you, and I approve.”
“Barack… in ten years, Malia’s heart will probably have changed.”
“Right now it’s quite firm. What should I tell her?”
“Tell her to come back when she’s over twenty.”
“Yes, that sounds good. And this conversation is absolutely secret.”
Barack Obama squeezed my hand firmly.
* * *
The first-class cabin on the flight to San Francisco was packed with people—a sight rarely seen.
I browsed through newspapers I hadn’t had time to read while diving into managing FaceNote.
My speech at the White House and photographs from it were plastered everywhere in the news.
– Sung-guk to the White House!
– Sung-guk, you look so sharp in that suit! Please, just throw away the hoodies and jeans already!
The comments were as expected—plenty of positive reactions.
– I wish that arrogant bastard would get out of South Korea.
But negative comments were just as common.
Still, the internet was a place where people could freely express their opinions, and it had to be that way.
That’s when I heard a loud cough from behind me.
A flight attendant approached the passenger and asked carefully.
“Are you alright?”
“I took cold medicine before boarding, but it’s not getting any better.”
“Would you like some warm tea?”
“Please.”
The man’s harsh coughing continued, and suddenly a memory flashed through my mind—an event from the past.
In 2009, a novel influenza virus struck the world.
And it all started in the United States.
I quickly called for the flight attendant.
“Is there anything you need, sir?”
“The cabin is quite dry. Could I get some warm water and maybe a mask? I think covering my mouth would help.”
“I’ll prepare that for you right away.”
The flight attendant soon brought me a mask and hot water.
I quickly drank the water and put on the mask.
Novel influenza spreads through the air.
I anxiously glanced at my watch.
Three hours until we landed at San Francisco Airport.
I could be exposed to the novel influenza virus for three more hours!
While the novel influenza had a low mortality rate, it was a virus that had terrified people for quite some time.
That’s when it happened. Crash!
I heard someone collapse with such force that the vibration shook the floor.
What was that?
When I turned around, the passenger who had been coughing was lying on the floor.
The startled flight attendant checked the passenger’s condition, then began a cabin announcement in an alarmed voice.
“We have a medical emergency in first class. If there is a doctor on board, please come to first class immediately.”
As soon as the announcement ended, a tall man wearing glasses entered first class.
“I’m Noah Brown, an internal medicine doctor at San Francisco Hospital.”
“The passenger said he had cold symptoms when he boarded, and he suddenly collapsed after coming back from the restroom.”
“Let me take a look.”
Noah Brown examined the man’s condition and tilted his head in confusion.
“It looks like some kind of fever. We should have an ambulance waiting at the airport.”
“Yes, I’ll contact the airport to have an ambulance on standby.”
If the man who had collapsed really had the novel influenza, there was only one treatment available.
I quickly rose from my seat and approached Noah Brown, who was attending to the collapsed passenger.
“Excuse me, Doctor.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“If any of the passengers happen to have Tamiflu on them, wouldn’t it be worth trying to give it to this patient?”
“Tamiflu? That’s a treatment for Type A influenza.”
“Yes, I’m well aware. I’ve read papers suggesting Type A flu might become prevalent this year. The symptoms are similar as well.”
Of course, it was a blatant lie.
But claiming to be a doctor or someone who worked at a pharmaceutical company would have been even more absurd in this situation.
Inside the cramped airplane, people began murmuring softly at my words.
Then I had no choice but to push forward.
There was no one here who could verify the truth of what I was saying.
“I’ve been observing this patient’s condition since earlier, and it does look like the flu. With this year’s Type A flu pandemic, the key is to lower the fever early on, isn’t it?”
“Tamiflu does serve that purpose, but….”
Noah Brown looked uncertain.
“We still have three more hours before we reach San Francisco Airport. The patient’s fever is rising like this right now… who knows what could happen in that time.”
At my words, Noah Brown looked toward the flight attendant.
“Could you check if any passengers have Tamiflu prescribed to them? And please bring all the fever reducers from the emergency medical kit as well.”
“Yes, I’ll make an announcement.”
Soon, an announcement echoed through the cabin asking for any passengers carrying Tamiflu.
Meanwhile, the collapsed passenger’s condition continued to deteriorate.
And in this cramped cabin, not a single person besides me was even wearing a mask.
Given the nature of airplanes where people are packed tightly together in a confined space, if this man truly had a novel flu, the odds were high that we had all already been infected.
Soon, a flight attendant came rushing from the back.
In the attendant’s hand was Tamiflu.
“Here it is! Here’s the Tamiflu! A passenger said they had it prescribed before boarding the plane.”
Noah Brown helped the collapsed passenger sit up.
“This is Tamiflu, a common flu medication. From what I can see, with the high fever and cough, this could be seasonal influenza. Would you be willing to try taking this?”
“…Yes….”
The passenger nodded weakly and took the Tamiflu.
* * *
As soon as we landed at San Francisco Airport, paramedics who were waiting transferred the collapsed passenger into an ambulance.
Noah Brown was about to board the ambulance himself when he approached me again.
“I… wanted to thank you for earlier. The patient’s fever seems to have come down a bit. Could you give me your contact information? Of course, it was my decision, but I’ve never heard of that paper about Type A flu becoming prevalent.”
“Go check the situation at the hospital first and let me know. My name is Jeon Sung-guk.”
“Could it be… that ‘FaceNote’… the one who gave a speech at the White House?”
“Yes… that’s correct.”
At my words, Noah Brown’s suspicion vanished.
“I’ve heard you’re a genius. A genius would certainly have better memory than an ordinary doctor. I’ll head to the hospital now, so if there’s any update, I’ll contact you through ‘FaceNote.'”
“Yes, please do.”
Noah Brown boarded the ambulance with the paramedics, and I headed toward the gate.
I then searched on my phone for the stock price of Gilead Sciences, the pharmaceutical company behind Tamiflu.
The stock was currently trading at sixteen dollars.
[Hmm… should I buy just ten thousand dollars’ worth?]
I quickly purchased ten thousand dollars of Gilead Sciences stock.

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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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