I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 257

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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 257
I seized the moment when Mike Tyson flinched and shouted to everyone around us.
“Someone help! Please save Mark!”
[Ah, Sung-guk crying for help like that!]
But few people would worry about their dignity in front of Mike Tyson.
Sam and Adam quickly appeared with something in their hands, and a group of burly male staff members rushed over in an instant.
Mike Tyson looked bewildered, his gaze alternating between the gathered crowd and Lim Mi-mi, a petite and wiry woman who had trained with North Korean special forces.
I quickly calmed Mike Tyson with a measured tone.
“Mike Tyson, you’re about to hit a woman right now. You already know your public image isn’t great, don’t you?”
Mike Tyson exhaled roughly and released his grip on Mark.
“Hah… damn.”
After spitting out a few crude expletives, Mike Tyson looked at me.
“You look like that guy from that Korean drama… you do YouTube too, don’t you?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
It seemed Mike Tyson had watched my YouTube channel.
“So you’re some kind of icon of this era or something?”
“It’s not quite that much.”
[Why is the conversation suddenly turning toward me?]
“I’m telling you, I’ve hated guys who look like that Korean drama character my whole life.”
Mike Tyson muttered to himself, then took advantage of our momentary guard being down to suddenly spin around and thrust his fist threateningly toward Mark.
“Ahhhhh!”
Mark screamed, but Mike Tyson’s fist stopped just inches from his face. Seeing Mark’s ashen complexion, he slowly lowered his hand.
“Let’s call it even with that one punch.”
Mark collapsed right there on the spot.
Mike Tyson patted Mark’s shoulder.
“You’ve got a good girlfriend.”
“….”
Of course, Mark was too dazed to say anything.
Mike Tyson walked toward me with heavy footsteps.
[Why am I so nervous about this? I don’t even have a North Korean special forces girlfriend to protect me….]
I took a subtle step backward.
Then Mike Tyson grabbed my shoulder firmly.
The weight of his hand on my shoulder was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. It was as if Ulsan Rock itself had descended upon my shoulder.
Mike Tyson looked into my eyes and threw out his words.
“Sung-guk, let’s have a match together.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
This was a completely unexpected turn of events.
“YouTube. I’ve got an account myself. I’m on the verge of bankruptcy, so I need to make a living too. What do you say? Let’s go a round in the ring.”
“Why… specifically me?”
“Mark or whoever—that guy would be KO’d the moment he stepped in the ring. You look young and have some guts to you.”
“Mike Tyson… I think there’s been some misunderstanding. Me stepping into the ring with you would be like a newborn baby fighting an adult man.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure there are proper safety measures in place. And it won’t be at a professional level anyway…. I’ll give you time to prepare. A month should be enough, right? To face a washed-up heavyweight champion?”
“Well, that’s….”
“Then think it over and let me know.”
“…Yes.”
I answered in a daze.
Mike Tyson casually left the office, and Mark and Lim Mi-mi rushed over to me.
“Sung-guk… are you okay?”
“I’m not okay. I just received a challenge to a duel from Mike Tyson.”
Death or injury.
Either way, the outcome was obvious to anyone.
* * *
Even crispy Korean fried chicken couldn’t comfort me today.
Mark, Lim Mi-mi, Jeon Tae-guk, and Secretary Park Sung-hee, seated around the table, were already chattering about my odds of winning against Mike Tyson.
“But do you think Sung-guk could actually win?”
“That’s impossible.”
“Still, Mike Tyson is much older now. His prime is long past….”
“Even past his prime, Mike Tyson is still Mike Tyson. If he doesn’t have his fists, he’s got his teeth.”
I drained my cola and looked at everyone.
“Do you all really think I’m going to actually fight Mike Tyson?”
“Sung-guk, I think if you fought Mike Tyson, it would be the day YouTube takes another leap forward.”
Mark knew me too well.
Honestly, I was wavering because of that.
A match between Mike Tyson and me!
And exclusively on YouTube!
YouTube would undoubtedly experience another surge, but….
I quietly reached for a chicken leg.
“Since I’m going to fight Mike Tyson, I can eat the chicken legs, right?”
This was a table with one American who didn’t care about chicken legs and three Korean people who did.
Lim Mi-mi pushed all the chicken legs toward me.
“Boss, whether you’re from North Korea or Korea, you can’t give chicken legs without love, right? You’re really committed to this, aren’t you?”
[I hate myself for this… but if it makes money, Jeon Sung-guk doesn’t pass it up!]
“Lim Mi-mi, I’m curious about something. Are you really from a North Korean special forces unit?”
“Yes.”
“But why didn’t you tell us until now? If you were from a North Korean special forces unit, you’d be able to kill people with one hand and jump over electric fences and stuff like that, right?”
“Boss, I’m from a North Korean hacking special forces unit. I’m not from one of those killing machine special forces units. So it’s not wrong to say what I said.”
[Is love really that great?]
Mark gazed at Lim Mi-mi with loving eyes.
“Mi-mi… how did you think of standing up to Mike Tyson like that?”
“Mark, you would have saved me if I were in danger of being hit by Mike Tyson too.”
[Could it be that cowardly Mark?]
Everyone waited for Mark’s response.
“Mi-mi… I would have taken a knife for you instead.”
Clatter.
In that instant, Jeon Tae-guk shot to his feet.
“Sung-guk, let’s go back to our place and finish that chicken. Man, eating chicken really gives me the chills.”
“Yes, hyung. Let’s do that. I don’t really want to get caught between those two today either.”
“Come on, everyone. Let’s head out. I’ll order two more chickens! For Jeon Sung-guk’s victory!”
* * *
This was my third chicken leg.
Both Jeon Tae-guk and Secretary Park Sung-hee kept yielding their chicken legs to me. It felt like a last supper.
“Hmm… Sung-guk, how are you really planning to fight Mike Tyson?”
“Tae-guk hyung, please recruit an expert for me. Someone who can turn me into the greatest boxer in a short time.”
“Of course. I’ll find you the best trainer and bring them over. You said a month, right? If you train hard during that time, you should at least be able to land a punch on Mike Tyson.”
At that moment, Secretary Park Sung-hee asked me casually.
“Sung-guk, do you have life insurance?”
“No.”
“Then there’s a good plan with Samjeon Life Insurance. Get it before you announce the match. That way you can get better terms. If you get it after announcing the match, the premiums will skyrocket with all the underwriting and such.”
I bit into the chicken leg roughly.
“Secretary Park Sung-hee.”
“Yes, Sung-guk.”
“Recommend the most expensive and best life insurance plan. Bring the documents tomorrow right away.”
“Yes, Sung-guk!”
* * *
The moment I signed the life insurance, I called Mike Tyson.
“Mike, it’s Sung-guk.”
– Yeah, I remember. Parasite oppa!
“Mike, I wanted to meet and talk about the match. I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to do it. Not a duel… a match.”
– Alright, where should we talk? Can you come to my place?
“Wouldn’t I be in danger if we meet at your house?”
Mike Tyson laughed heartily.
– Sung-guk, I’m only going to hit people in the ring from now on. If you’re still worried, I’ll come to your office.
“Yes, Mike. Let’s meet at our office and finalize the details of the match.”
– Sounds good! I need to loosen up anyway. A month is enough, right?
“It shouldn’t be insufficient.”
– You’re really confident. Make sure you’re ready to step into the ring in a diaper that day.
“Mike, you prepare some knee braces. You’re at the age where you need to protect your joints.”
– This fighting spirit is something else. See you soon then.
After hanging up, I was seized with regret.
[This damn personality of mine… what did I just say to Mike Tyson.]
At that moment, Jeon Tae-guk poked his head into the Conference Room.
“Sung-guk, when are you going to talk with Mike Tyson?”
“We’ve scheduled a meeting this week to discuss the match.”
“So when are you planning to hold the match?”
“A month from now.”
“Hmm… that’s tight.”
“Tae-guk, is the coach I asked you to arrange ready?”
“Of course. I spent some money on it.”
“Who is it?”
“Someone who knows Mike Tyson better than anyone else. George Foreman.”
George Foreman?
George Foreman was a legend of American boxing in a different sense.
He had spent his prime years as a heavyweight champion, then made a comeback in his forties to become heavyweight champion once again—a legendary tale.
“Sung-guk, from what I can see, you need someone of this caliber attached to you, or else Mike Tyson will beat you to a pulp.”
I embraced Jeon Tae-guk tightly.
For the first time, I felt genuinely grateful to Jeon Tae-guk.
“Hyung… thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Sung-guk, I’m not even hoping you’ll win. Just please take fewer hits. Got it?”
[Should I call this encouragement…?]
In any case, I had committed to the match with Mike Tyson, and now all that remained was training—and more training.
* * *
“Have you seen this?”
Jessie, who visited on the weekend, kept searching for and showing me articles about the match between Mike Tyson and me, her face flushed with excitement.
“Sung-guk, you’re really going to livestream it exclusively on YouTube a month from now?”
“Yes.”
“And George Foreman is your coach?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow, incredible. How should I even describe this? All the legends of boxing coming together in one place. Plus, you said you’re donating all the proceeds from this match to the Anti-Sexual Violence Association?”
“Yes.”
Jessie looked at me with an expression of deep emotion.
“Sung-guk, let’s cover this as an interview… no, as a special feature article.”
“You want to write a special feature about how badly Mike Tyson beats me?”
“No… that’s not it. You’re an icon of this era right now. But these days, people are obsessed with mixed martial arts instead of boxing.”
Boxing’s popularity had indeed faded considerably.
“It’s so cool that you, an icon of this modern age, are challenging a sport that’s had its day. Plus, you’re taking on an impossible match that everyone expects you to lose.”
“Jessie… I never agreed to do an interview with Bella.”
“Sung-guk, we’re preserving your most beautiful moment in our Bella.”
“What do you mean?”
“Think about your body after four weeks of grueling training. You’ll be in your late teens—your most radiant self.”
[Oh no… a narcissist can’t resist this kind of temptation!]
Jessie leaned in and whispered to me with subtle intent.
“Sung-guk, you’re going to stand in front of our Bella’s photographer with that perfect visuals of yours. You know you’re our cover shoot master, right?”
“…Jessie, can I take the narrative for this special feature instead?”
“Of course. Do you have something in mind?”
“Jeon Sung-guk’s Impossible Challenge. That’s the concept for this one.”
I explained the concept I’d been thinking about to Jessie.
“People think I have the Midas touch—that everything I touch turns to gold. But the truth is, I’m always taking on impossible challenges. From entering Harvard as a Korean at such a young age. Every challenge I’ve undertaken has seemed impossible on the surface.”
“But you’ve always pulled through.”
“That’s what everyone thinks, but I’ve actually failed more often than I’ve succeeded. There are investments that didn’t yield the returns I expected.”
Of course, I was laying it on a bit thick.
“This interview will begin with an impossible challenge and end with a beautiful defeat. And I want to tell people this: if you fought hard, you deserve applause, no matter what.”
Even if I lost a fight against Mike Tyson, it didn’t seem like it would turn into a laughingstock.
Jessie touched my shoulder subtly.
“Sung-guk, you’ve gotten even more attractive since the last time I saw you.”
[As if that’s news.]
I took a small step backward and called out to Mark, who was eavesdropping through the crack in the open door.
“Mark, let’s go grab dinner. We should have a proper high school reunion.”
“Sounds good!”
As Jessie left first with a disappointed expression, Mark whispered to me.
“Sung-guk, don’t you think it’s time you opened your heart to women?”
“Mark, I’ll only love a woman who’s better than me. I’m a narcissist, after all.”

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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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