I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 266

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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 266
A practice room located in Nonhyeon-dong.
As I descended into the basement, a musty smell of mold assaulted my senses.
Christie Kennedy asked with a slightly startled expression.
“Oh my… Sung-guk, the trainees practice here?”
“Apparently…”
“With a smell like this?”
“The company’s been struggling financially.”
“Won’t the company go bankrupt before the trainees even debut, Sung-guk?”
“That won’t happen.”
[Because I’m here!]
Creak— even the practice room door groaned in protest.
As I opened it, Bang Mu-hyuk was already waiting with Lee Jae-hee.
A faint smile crossed Lee Jae-hee’s lips upon spotting me.
[Hmm… he remembers me, Lee Jae-hee.]
Of course, someone like me wasn’t easy to forget once seen.
Christie whispered beside me.
“Sung-guk… is that really Jae-hee? Wow… he’s even cuter in person. What do I do.”
[What am I going to do with you, Christie Kennedy?]
When Sevens debuts, people will cheer louder for idols on stage like Min-guk and Jae-hee than for me.
I suppose I need to grow accustomed to the spotlight shifting away.
Perhaps that’s what growth truly means?
Bang Mu-hyuk greeted me warmly.
“Sung-guk, how did you manage to come all the way here with such a busy schedule?”
“Sir, I need to return to Cheong Wa Dae shortly. I wanted to introduce you to a friend. She’s been keeping an eye on Jae-hee.”
“On Jae-hee? From the United States?”
Bang Mu-hyuk looked quite surprised.
“She absolutely loves Korean culture. By the way, she was originally a White House intern, but she got fired today after posting something about comfort women.”
“Oh my… she did something good…”
“Sir, isn’t your company looking for someone in overseas marketing?”
“Well, yes… but surely you’re not recommending her?”
“She watches a lot of Korean dramas, so she speaks some Korean. She’s smart, so it’ll improve quickly. She’s a Harvard graduate.”
“I’m not sure if someone this highly educated would be a good fit for our company.”
Bang Mu-hyuk seemed a bit troubled.
Bang Mu-hyuk’s current production company lacked the ability to offer a salary befitting someone as highly educated as Christie Kennedy.
“If you just let her indulge in her fandom, salary negotiations should go smoothly. And for the record…”
At that moment, Christie interjected.
“Sung-guk, let me introduce myself.”
“Sure.”
Christie bowed respectfully to Bang Mu-hyuk in the Korean manner and greeted him in Korean.
“Hello. I’m Christie Kennedy.”
“Oh… You really do speak Korean.”
“Just a little.”
“But… your surname is very familiar. Everyone will probably ask if you’re related to the American president.”
As Bang Mu-hyuk’s words continued, Christie looked bewildered.
I quickly resolved Bang Mu-hyuk’s curiosity.
“Sir, that’s right. That famous president is her great-uncle.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Christie seemed to understand why Bang Mu-hyuk was so surprised.
“Sir, let’s start with the audition first.”
“Alright….”
Bang Mu-hyuk looked at Jae-hee and gave a few instructions.
“Jae-hee, do you have a different version prepared of the song and dance from last time?”
“Yes…. One is a cover song. The other is a dance I performed when I was auditioning for high school. It’s a modern reinterpretation of Swan Lake.”
“Alright… let me see it.”
Jae-hee took a moment to steady his breathing, then began to sing.
It was a song that suited Jae-hee’s beautiful voice well, but the voice was thin and the vocal range didn’t seem particularly wide. Still, it was undeniably a captivating voice.
Christie played the role of enthusiastic supporter beside me.
“Sung-guk, that voice is art. It’s like an angel’s voice.”
“Christie, we’re in the middle of an audition.”
“Oh… sorry.”
And then Jae-hee performed a modern reinterpretation of Swan Lake, the dance he had performed for his high school entrance audition. Though he was male, his lines were particularly beautiful and striking.
Of course, Christie beside me was letting out exclamations of admiration one after another.
Bang Mu-hyuk stood up the moment the dance ended and began to clap.
“Jae-hee, that was truly wonderful.”
Only then did Jae-hee wipe away the sweat dripping down his face.
“Jae-hee, I’m really grateful you came today.”
“Director, I… what about the results….”
“It’ll probably be within a few days. Whether you pass or fail, I’ll call you, so don’t wait too anxiously. Understood?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Then Jae-hee put on his outer jacket and walked out of the practice room with heavy steps.
I followed Jae-hee for a moment. And I called out to him.
“Lee Jae-hee?”
At that moment, Jae-hee flinched in surprise and turned around.
“Uh… me…?”
“You came to this talent agency on purpose, didn’t you?”
While Jae-hee hesitated, I pressed forward first.
Then Jae-hee’s eyes wavered.
“Um… that’s… could it be that I…”
“Speak comfortably.”
“Then… you’re the Jeon Sung-guk I remember, right? You told me to come find you if I wanted to rebuild my family.”
“Yeah, that’s right. You remember it exactly.”
Tears glistened in Jae-hee’s eyes.
“So… you really did remember me…”
“Of course.”
[It’s not that you’re special—I just have a good memory. Don’t get the wrong idea, Lee Jae-hee.]
Jae-hee pressed his reddened eyes with his hand. Then he forced a smile.
“I’ve heard a lot about you… To be honest, my position as a child actor became ambiguous, and I was gradually being forgotten. I was struggling with what to do with my future when I heard your brother was here as a trainee, so I came all this way.”
He didn’t say it outright, but it felt clear he’d been rejected by all the other major talent agencies.
“Your audition was impressive.”
“Th-thank you, Sung-guk.”
“By the way, your mother is doing well, right?”
“Ah… yes, Mother understands the reality now and is working. I got into the arts school on a scholarship.”
“Good. Let’s see each other again if we can.”
“Yeah. Sung-guk, I’m really going to give it my all. So… give me a chance too.”
[He knows exactly who to impress.]
I smiled faintly.
“The director will make the final decision.”
“Right. Just convey my feelings to them.”
“Got it.”
And so Jae-hee turned back again.
Born with a silver spoon that made him envious of no one, yet his family had collapsed in an instant.
What started as a challenge in entertainment to create memories had become a desperate livelihood he couldn’t afford to abandon.
I watched Jae-hee’s retreating figure quietly.
[I’ll repay the debt for punching Lim Sun-mi and getting discovered, Lee Jae-hee.]
* * *
“Director, I’ll work hard! I really love the trainees here. Jae-hee is great too. I’ve been watching Sung-guk’s brother Min-guk’s YouTube since way back. And Jung-woo, who practices with us, is so cool too.”
Christie Kennedy was already chatting away with Bang Mu-hyuk in English.
“Christie really knows everything about the Korean entertainment industry.”
“When I was little, I watched this drama called Doonsan! Doonsan! and fell in love with Korea, so I came all the way here.”
“That’s impressive.”
When I made my presence known, the two of them finally stopped chatting.
Bang Mu-hyuk looked at me with a bright expression.
“Sung-guk, I want to hire this friend. She’s more sincere about Korean culture than anyone.”
“I told you she was a good person.”
“We’ll need to negotiate the salary… By the way, what about Jae-hee?”
“I think he’s amazing!”
Christie answered enthusiastically from the side.
“Christie, we need to exclude evaluations that are too influenced by fandom.”
“Sung-guk, don’t be so harsh. Anyone can see he’s an impressive friend.”
“What did you think, sir?”
“Honestly, I’ve seen him twice now because there’s something that concerns me. Since he’s a former child actor, his image seems a bit awkwardly established already. I was worried there wouldn’t be anything fresh about him.”
“I think image can be transformed. If Jae-hee takes the stage as an idol and no one realizes he’s a former child actor, wouldn’t that actually be a success?”
“That could be true….”
Bang Mu-hyuk still seemed to be deliberating.
[Sigh, Bang Mu-hyuk. Look at how Christie’s going crazy over him. Jae-hee may not be as good as me, but he’s exactly the type women go wild for!]
“Sir, his face is a bit ordinary, but he has a friendly image. His voice is quite charming. And… his dancing is excellent too. In my opinion, there’s no reason not to recruit him as a trainee.”
“Actually, this guy has already been rejected by several major agencies.”
“Sir, if he were the type to pass at a major agency, he wouldn’t be here. We at smaller talent agencies need to distinguish between jade and stone. Major agencies with their image already established won’t recruit trainees who don’t fit their image from the start. But we do the opposite—we bring in people whose image isn’t yet defined and create that image for them.”
Bang Mu-hyuk nodded as if he’d made a decision.
“Alright, let’s accept Jae-hee! My royalties are going to take another hit. I’ll just live on ramen!”
[The hardships you endure now will nurture them into golden geese that lay eggs of fortune in the future, Bang Mu-hyuk.]
* * *
I arrived at Cheong Wa Dae wearing the Gucci suit Jeon Tae-guk had bought me.
Gary Oldman, who was waiting, and a secretary guided me inside Cheong Wa Dae.
“Sung-guk, the President is currently in a summit meeting. Once it concludes, he’ll move on to meet with South Korean business leaders.”
“What exactly is my precise role?”
Interpreters from both countries were already being prepared.
“The President will likely be curious about subtle nuances that interpreters from both sides might not convey properly, or content that may have been interpreted with bias. At the same time, when Sung-guk speaks with the two groups you already have connections with, we’d like you to interpret directly.”
“Me?”
“Well, those two groups are among the largest corporations in South Korea. Their names are known worldwide. The American economy is in difficult times right now. The President wants to attract investment from South Korean companies into the United States. Since these are delicate negotiations, rather than using interpreters each side brought, we’d appreciate it if you—someone who conducts business in America—could convey things smoothly.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Since the Korean War, America had always operated this way.
With China, the Soviet Union, and North Korea looming above South Korea, they’d rescued the nation to secure it as a military base for their sphere of influence. Now that the country had grown, they pressured it for military spending, or threatened economic sanctions if it didn’t invest in America—all while smiling and making various threats.
In my previous life, I’d stepped forward countless times whenever an American president visited and reluctantly fulfilled obligations against my will.
Gary Oldman looked at me and flashed a knowing smile.
“You look really impressive today, Sung-guk.”
[I’m always impressive, Gary.]
I shrugged and entered the banquet hall.
* * *
Chairman Koo Soo-young of Hyojin Group and Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung of Samjeon were engaged in conversation with smiles.
Behind them, familiar faces came into view at once.
Chairman Kim Soo-yong of LSE, leading the Korean Wave through cosmetics.
Chairman Hyun Sung-ho of Hyunsung Automotive.
And I could also see the face of Chairman Choi Dae-sun of Seonju Group, who had grown into a major conglomerate through telecommunications and various business ventures after becoming the President’s son-in-law, having previously only manufactured school uniforms.
Because they’d taken over earlier than other third-generation heirs, they were all figures I’d met frequently in my previous life.
Just then, I heard a voice calling me from behind.
“Sung-guk!”
[That’s Jeon Tae-guk’s voice….]
When I turned around, I was startled to find Jeon Tae-guk standing there.
“Hyung, how are you here?”
“When we talked on the phone last night, I was at the airport.”
“But your exams aren’t even finished yet.”
“Father told me to make an appearance here. To get my face stamped in front of several people.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung happened to glance at us.
“Tae-guk, come over here and greet them. Oh, and Sung-guk too….”
Jeon Tae-guk grabbed me and whispered quietly.
“Sung-guk, Father thinks I’ve already graduated. This is really a secret.”
[Sigh… Jeon Tae-guk, you should count yourself lucky you weren’t born as my younger brother in this life!]

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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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