I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 26

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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 26
Jeon Jae-hyung rolled his stiff neck.
“Has it really gotten this late already…?”
The clock showed 10 p.m.
Knock. Knock.
Right on cue, Secretary Yang entered.
“Vice Chairman, you should head home.”
“Right, is tomorrow the final shoot for Samjeon Electronics?”
“You remember that?”
“Thanks to that kid Sung-guk, Samjeon Electronics completely succeeded in transforming its image. It’s become far more approachable, and our sales have even beaten Lucky’s products for the first time.”
“Exactly. Last year, we thoroughly avenged our loss to Lucky in baseball.”
Jeon Jae-hyung shook his head.
“We couldn’t even make the playoffs, so I can’t say we were robbed of a championship.”
Yet his expression remained regretful.
No one loved baseball more than Jeon Jae-hyung, yet the Samjeon Group consistently fell short of expectations.
“I’m thinking of visiting tomorrow’s shoot myself… where will it be?”
“At Sampung Department Store. And there’s a fan signing event scheduled right after.”
“Will Sung-guk, Just, and Sun-mi be there?”
“Yes, all the exclusive models for Samjeon Electronics will be present. Since it’s Sung-guk’s final shoot.”
“Time really does fly.”
Jeon Jae-hyung smiled bitterly.
Time flew, yet Chairman Jeon Ju-shin remained as formidable as ever, and his younger brother waited eagerly for any misstep from Jeon Jae-hyung.
Secretary Yang glanced carefully at Jeon Jae-hyung’s expression.
“Vice Chairman, it seems Chairman is quite pleased with Samjeon Electronics’ significant image transformation.”
“I want to develop semiconductors more now, but Father is too set in his ways…”
“Don’t worry. Chairman Jeon Ju-shin will surely view this success of Samjeon Electronics as your excellent decision and will support your next moves.”
Jeon Jae-hyung nodded.
Secretary Yang had once served Chairman Jeon Ju-shin directly, and even now, everything about Jeon Jae-hyung was reported through Secretary Yang.
Perhaps no one understood Chairman Jeon Ju-shin better than Secretary Yang.
“By the way, keep my visit tomorrow a secret.”
“I will.”
This meant it was a secret to Sung-guk and the other exclusive models for Samjeon Electronics, but hardly a secret to several major media outlets.
The Vice Chairman’s surprise visit would naturally yield photographs and serve as a publicity tool.
* * *
—To stay awake through the night with eyes wide open.
This was the first moment in my five-year-old life when I truly felt this phrase with my entire being.
I couldn’t sleep a wink.
My eyes were closed, but I wasn’t asleep.
There were moments when drowsiness crept in, but each time, goosebumps erupted across my back.
Sampung Department Store!
And today is precisely June 29th, 1995.
How do you expect me to remember all of this?
Many executives from Samjeon Group lived in apartments near Sampung Department Store.
Some survived unscathed, but many lost their families.
For a while afterward, the atmosphere at Samjeon Group was utterly grim.
Rustle, rustle. I heard Father stirring awake.
Father was still working at Uncle Won’s Bossam Restaurant in Suyu-ri.
After the move, he was still in the process of surveying the local commercial district and scouting for a new location, so for now he was commuting to the distant Uncle Won’s Bossam Restaurant.
Father opened his eyes groggily and kissed Min-guk and me.
[Dad, your breath smells.]
But I didn’t open my eyes.
Soon I heard Father washing up, and Mother also woke, kissed Min-guk and me, then headed to the kitchen.
I could hear Mother chatting with Father about this and that.
“So-young, when will Sung-guk’s schedule wrap up today?”
“Catalog shoot during the day, and a fan signing event too. After that’s done, Lim Sun-mi said she booked a restaurant with good food at Sampung Department Store. We’ll eat dinner there and call it a day.”
[Good heavens!]
This was a schedule so packed it left no room for anything else—a death march of a timetable.
“So Sung-guk’s modeling career is really wrapping up now. Have you looked into kindergartens for him?”
“It’s difficult to transfer mid-year, but I’ve got one place on the waiting list. Kim Mi-young’s friend lives in this neighborhood and recommended a good kindergarten.”
“Manager Kim is truly a lifesaver.”
“Honey, you should call her Director Kim now. I’m an employee at her company.”
I heard Mother laugh.
SKJ Planning had become a proper office operating around Lim Sun-mi and me.
Kim Mi-young had also decided to settle her one-room apartment building and relocate her residence here. Moreover, SKJ Planning’s office was scheduled to move to Gangnam, where accessibility was superior.
“On my days off, I need to scout out this neighborhood’s commercial landscape quickly. With so many apartments around, I think a bossam restaurant focused on delivery wouldn’t need a large storefront.”
Father seemed to possess genuine foresight when it came to business.
[That’s right, delivery is the future. In my past life, the moment I got out of prison, I ordered chicken delivery. Sigh. But I shouldn’t be thinking about this now…. After five grueling years of this life, am I really going to die today….]
As I tossed and turned, Min-guk woke and gently patted my face with his hand.
“Hyung-ah. Morning. Hyung-ah, morning.”
When I opened my eyes, Min-guk was overjoyed, kissing my face and drooling all over it.
[Don’t do this. I’m getting attached.]
I bolted upright from the bed.
[To live or to die, that is the question!]
* * *
The car Kim Mi-young was driving was also a newly purchased 1995 domestic jeep.
The ride wasn’t particularly smooth, but compared to the compact car I’d ridden in before, it had more spacious and stable handling.
I sat in the car seat and frowned.
Kim Mi-young glanced at me through the rearview mirror.
“Sung-guk’s mother, Sung-guk seems to be in poor condition today.”
“I’m worried too. This morning after a quick shower, something seemed off with him, so I briefly considered whether we should go to the hospital.”
“I’m worried. After the catalog shoot, there’s a fan signing event at 5 PM.”
I glanced at the clock on the dashboard.
2 PM.
From what I remembered, Sampung Department Store would collapse as evening approached.
The news reports of housewives who had come shopping for dinner preparations being caught in the disaster were still vivid in my mind.
Bump.
The car rolled over the rough pavement.
Right on cue, my stomach began to churn.
And in the distance, Sampung Department Store came into view.
Kim Mi-young’s car pulled into the department store’s parking garage.
Bump.
As Kim Mi-young’s car crossed over the parking barrier, it jolted once more.
Yes, this was it!
“Bleeeegh—”
“Sung-guk, what’s wrong?”
I vomited everything I had eaten.
“Bleeeegh— Bleeeegh— Bleeeegh—”
I felt terrible for Kim Mi-young, who had just bought this new car, but in three hours, she’d definitely be grateful to me.
Mother quickly wiped up my vomit with tissues and opened the door.
“Sister, take him to the restroom so he can finish throwing up.”
“We should probably go to the hospital anyway. Vomit first and come right back out. I’ll keep the car running here.”
“Yes, sister.”
Mother scooped me up and began to run.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
I could hear the urgent pounding of Mother’s heart.
“Sung-guk, where does it hurt?”
[Mom, I’m okay. It’ll be fine. But… we need to go to the hospital, not the restroom…]
Sleep deprivation made my eyelids heavy, and my stomach was in turmoil.
On top of that, my sphincter, which I was clenching with all my might, felt like it was about to give way.
[And I’m already potty trained…]
As Mother hurried into Sampung Department Store with me, I spotted Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung walking in with Secretary Yang and other executives.
[Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung is here too. If I mess this up, we’ll all be meeting in the afterlife… That’s not ideal…]
Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung recognized Mother and me at once.
“Secretary Yang, isn’t that Sung-guk?”
“Indeed. He seems to be ill.”
“Go check on him.”
“Yes, Vice Chairman.”
Secretary Yang rushed over to Mother.
“Are you alright, Sung-guk’s mother?”
“Sung-guk seems strange, Secretary Yang.”
“Bleeegh—”
I vomited a little onto the pristine department store corridor floor.
And I also lost control of my bowels.
Pfffft— pfffft— pfffft—.
“Oh my, Sung-guk.”
Mother, her face drained of color, held me and rocked me gently.
I’d emptied my stomach and my bowels both.
From not sleeping a wink, my eyes grew heavy and closed on their own.
I heard voices near my ears.
It was Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s voice, approaching from somewhere.
“Cancel today’s catalog shoot and the fan signing event.”
“Vice Chairman, why don’t we proceed with everyone except Sung-guk?”
It was the voice of one of the executives.
“Since ‘Just’ had a schedule change and only the catalog shoot is planned anyway. It’s with Lim Sun-mi and Sung-guk for both the shoot and fan signing, so I think it’s best we cancel.”
When Secretary Yang offered his opinion, no one objected.
“Ma’am, please rinse Sung-guk off quickly. Let’s head to Samjeon Hospital together. We should be able to see him right away.”
“Yes, thank you so much.”
Mother hurried me into the restroom and patted my back.
I barely clung to consciousness as I emptied my stomach and bowels completely one last time.
My lower body felt relieved.
The moment Secretary Yang wrapped a towel he’d hastily prepared around me, I lost consciousness entirely.
* * *
[This doesn’t feel like Kim Mi-young’s car….]
Voices drifted in occasionally.
They were Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung and Secretary Yang’s voices.
“Vice Chairman, I’ve called the pediatrics department. They can see him right away.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
I heard Mother’s worried voice.
“But because of us today, our schedule is all messed up. What should we do?”
“Don’t worry about it. As a parent myself, there’s nothing more worrying than a sick child. Let’s focus on taking care of Sung-guk first and reschedule later. We can’t have him work when he’s this ill.”
Those were Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s words.
[Did Father ever care when we were sick?]
While I was thinking that, Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s car came to a stop.
Security personnel who had been notified in advance came out and quickly guided Mother and me to the pediatrics department.
* * *
Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung waited briefly in the car.
Secretary Yang, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around.
“Vice Chairman, should we head back to Sampung Department Store?”
“Just is only doing the catalog shoot, right?”
“Yes, we received word that Lim Sun-mi has already returned to her residence.”
“In that case, I think it’s best we simply monitor Sung-guk’s condition and see how things develop. Our model falling suddenly ill troubles me greatly, and if the child’s state were to deteriorate further, it would directly impact Samjeon Electronics’ image, wouldn’t it?”
“That’s my concern as well. For now, let’s trust in the doctors at Samjeon Hospital—they’re the finest in the country. Shall we wait in the car?”
The smell was far too strong for that.
“I’ll step outside and get some fresh air.”
“Yes, Vice Chairman.”
Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung descended from the car and made his way toward the gardens of Samjeon Hospital.
His security detail followed silently in his wake.
As evening drew near, a cool breeze began to drift through the air.
“It feels like it’s been ages since I’ve taken a stroll through a hospital garden.”
“Wasn’t this your first time since Chairman Jeon Ju-shin collapsed?”
“Yes.”
Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung nodded in acknowledgment.
Early last year, when Chairman Jeon Ju-shin had collapsed, it had caused quite a commotion.
Stock prices had plummeted, and questions about succession had resurfaced once more.
Since then, he’d only heard rumors that Chairman Jeon Ju-shin was quietly resolving matters of inheritance to ensure there would be no problems even if he were to die suddenly.
It was Vice Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung who had orchestrated Samjeon Electronics’ image transformation and achieved record-breaking sales, yet if something were to happen to Sung-guk and damage that image, no one could predict who would claim the throne of the Samjeon Group.
No one knew what lay in Chairman Jeon Ju-shin’s heart.

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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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