I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 268

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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 268
The highest salaries and incentives, along with comprehensive benefits from Samjeon Group.
In my past life, I had used the same method that Jeon Tae-guk mentioned to gather talented people.
Of course, I possessed superior management abilities compared to Jeon Tae-guk and had a keen eye for talent, but ultimately, gathering many talented individuals was necessary so that I could select those who truly fit Samjeon Group.
[Samjeon hasn’t changed at all.]
As I wore a bitter smile, Jeon Tae-guk’s official vehicle pulled into the Samjeon Hotel.
That’s when a banner hanging at the hotel entrance caught my eye.
What on earth is this?
– We welcome Jeon Sung-guk, Korea’s proud son and SNS emperor, to the Samjeon Hotel. All Samjeon Hotel staff.
As I stared at Jeon Tae-guk with astonished eyes, he smiled calmly.
“Sung-guk, what do you think? Pretty amusing, right?”
“Hyung, what is all this? I wasn’t even planning to stay here!”
[Could it be that Jeon Tae-guk actually put thought into this? Making me stay at the hotel and promoting it? Could it really be?!]
“I told Secretary Yang that I’d be bringing you here. Even though I’m part of the owner’s family, I still need to make a hotel reservation. So the hotel staff suggested putting up a banner like that to promote the hotel.”
For a moment, I had doubted whether Jeon Tae-guk possessed the capability to use me for hotel promotion.
But ultimately, what Jeon Tae-guk did was simply bring me here, while it was the excellent Samjeon Hotel staff who orchestrated the promotion.
“Sung-guk, anyway, Father was right, wasn’t he? I only thought about bringing you here and having fun at our hotel. The staff had already planned the promotion themselves. I guess employees earning the highest salaries in the industry really are different.”
Soon as the official vehicle arrived at the hotel entrance, security personnel and hotel staff who had been waiting greeted me with great fanfare.
A beautiful female employee even handed me a bouquet of flowers.
“Mr. Jeon Sung-guk, we welcome your visit to Samjeon Hotel. We will do our very best to serve you.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
I had no choice but to accept the bouquet and walk into the hotel.
My parents and younger siblings waiting in the lobby had their eyes wide open in surprise.
[Everyone’s shocked. But I’m the kind of person who receives this treatment wherever I go. Mom, Dad.]
Except at home, that is.
“Sung-guk, you should have called when you arrived. Are you going to make us find out through the news again?”
Mother’s nagging had begun.
“Ah, Mom. I was working and came straight here. I was completely out of it.”
Of course, Mother’s back-hand smack came without fail.
“Mom, people are watching. Stop it!”
“Now this brat’s gotten bold enough to talk back to his mother.”
“Mom, that’s not what I meant.”
“So-young, our Sung-guk has his dignity too. Let’s go upstairs.”
This time, Father surprisingly intervened.
“Jeon Sung-guk, your mother has plenty to say. Like that fight with Mike Tyson.”
[Maybe I should just go to the designated hotel and rest.]
Ji-hee gripped my hand tightly.
“Oppa, let’s go to the swimming pool with Ji-hee. Ji-hee wants to swim with oppa.”
I couldn’t possibly leave this small, soft thing behind.
“Sure, let’s swim with oppa. You said oppa is good at swimming too, right?”
[In my past life, I was someone who enjoyed swimming with Baek Tae-hwan.]
I enjoyed golf with Baek Se-ri and Ryan Woods, and I even took swimming lessons from Baek Tae-hwan.
“Sung-guk, you can swim too?”
Jeon Tae-guk asked with a puzzled expression.
“Just a little, I suppose.”
[There’s no such thing as “just a little” in my life. I actually won an amateur swimming competition. Since it’s from my past life, I can’t even brag about it—my lips are practically itching to say something.]
I kept my mouth firmly shut and simply smiled faintly.
“Sung-guk, want to have a swimming race later? I’m pretty good at it myself.”
Jeon Tae-guk seemed quite confident about his swimming abilities.
“Hyung, don’t cry when you lose.”
“What are you talking about? I’ve been swimming since I was five. Alright, how about we make a bet?”
“Sounds good!”
As expected, I only felt the competitive spirit when something was on the line.
“What should we bet?”
“I’m not sure.”
Jeon Tae-guk jumped in while I was still thinking.
“Sung-guk, if I win this swimming race, you know I’m back in Korea now. So here’s the thing.”
[Stop dragging this out and just say it, Jeon Tae-guk!]
“Can I come to your house and eat with you every holiday?”
“What?”
“Well, our house doesn’t really feel like a holiday, even on holidays.”
I knew this family trait all too well.
After Grandfather Jeon Ju-shin passed away, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung never spent holidays with the Iron Lady.
He had business trips often, and even more often he was with other women.
The children would visit out of courtesy, but it was only for a few hours. Most of those hours were spent talking about work.
Nominally, we gathered for a meal once a month, but it was really just a business meeting.
The family bonds were maintained solely thanks to Samjeon Group stocks and succession disputes.
“Hyung, that’s all?”
“Yeah, that’s enough for me. And if you win, I’ll do as you say. If you tell me not to come, I won’t. If you tell me to come, I will. How about it?”
“Sounds good!”
I readily accepted.
There was no way I could lose to Jeon Tae-guk.
* * *
With the whole family watching, Jeon Tae-guk and I began warming up.
After finishing my warm-up exercises, I glided lightly through the water, swimming back and forth across the pool.
“Oppa, fighting!”
Encouraged by Ji-hee’s cheer, I cut through the water with even more force.
Jeon Tae-guk’s eyes widened as he watched my skill.
“Sung-guk, I’ve never seen you swim when you were in the United States. When did you learn to swim?”
[Skills learned through the body are never forgotten.]
“I learned it during special classes in high school.”
Of course I learned it, but I was naturally gifted at swimming.
[A skill even Baek Tae-hwan acknowledged.]
However, Jeon Tae-guk’s abilities were no joke either.
Though Jeon Tae-guk lacked intellect, he excelled at athletics.
He’d gotten a military exemption for a herniated disc and spent his days at golf courses, which earned him plenty of criticism from the media in my past life.
“Alright, warm up your bodies properly and let’s begin the race!”
To ensure fair results, Secretary Park Sung-hee, who had flown in with Jeon Tae-guk, was appointed as the referee.
Secretary Park Sung-hee’s inflexibility was nothing new.
After warming up adequately, we both took our positions at the starting line.
A fitting tension rippled through my entire body.
Secretary Park Sung-hee announced the rules to us both.
“Alright, both of you prepare yourselves. When I blow the whistle, you start. Just know that false starts will result in immediate disqualification.”
True to form, Secretary Park Sung-hee applied international competition rules even to this modest race.
Jeon Tae-guk and I nodded solemnly.
Even Ji-hee, who had been cheering my name, fell silent.
The swimming pool became deathly quiet, and soon Secretary Park Sung-hee gave the starting signal.
“Alright, get ready!”
Wheeee—
With the sharp blast of the whistle, Jeon Tae-guk and I cut through the water with powerful strokes.
* * *
Samjeon Hotel Swimming Pool Changing Room.
I had just finished showering and was getting dressed.
Jeon Tae-guk, wearing a robe, handed me a bottle of water.
“Sung-guk, drink some water. You must be thirsty, right?”
“Thank you, hyung. You really swim well.”
“Sung-guk, about that race just now. You let me win on purpose, didn’t you?”
“What?”
I had lost the race—by just a palm’s width.
“Until the final turn, you were clearly ahead. Definitely.”
“I suppose I ran out of strength at the end.”
“That’s not it. During my final turn, I made a mistake and my foot slipped slightly. With that kind of error, you should have won easily if you hadn’t made a major mistake. I’ve been swimming longer than anyone, so I know the patterns well. A gap that small is absolutely impossible to overcome with equal skill levels.”
I simply pretended not to hear what Jeon Tae-guk was saying.
“You were clearly moving at a speed I couldn’t catch up to, but suddenly at the end, you drastically slowed down.”
“Hyung, that’s not—”
In that moment, an emotional Jeon Tae-guk suddenly embraced me.
“Sung-guk, thank you so much. I never knew you cared about me this much. You actually liked me, didn’t you? You wanted to spend the holidays together with me.”
[Jeon Tae-guk, don’t overdo it!]
“Sung-guk, I love you!!!”
At Jeon Tae-guk’s cry, all the naked men in the changing room stared at us.
To any observer, I—handsome and tall—was being embraced emotionally by the pathetic Jeon Tae-guk.
I quickly wriggled free from Jeon Tae-guk’s grip.
“Hyung, I got it. I got it. Anyway, let’s spend the holidays together with our family from now on.”
“Sung-guk, I’m really grateful. I’ll become a magpie repaying kindness and treat your parents well every holiday.”
[It’s a swallow, not a magpie, Jeon Tae-guk.]
Fortunately, Secretary Park Sung-hee’s urgent entry into the changing room cut short Jeon Tae-guk’s sentimental narrative.
“Young Master, please get ready. In the lobby, a blind date with Myung Hae-jin, the eldest daughter of Myung Jin Group, is prepared for you.”
“What? A blind date right now?”
“Yes, I just received those orders. It’s quite sudden.”
“I’m the one going on the blind date—there’s nothing sudden about it from Secretary Park’s perspective.”
“I just wasn’t mentally prepared to set you up on a blind date. Especially given your appearance, Young Master.”
“Secretary Park! Seriously. If it weren’t for the contract with our father, you’d be fired on the spot.”
“Young Master, since we’re already here, just think of it as a blind date to reduce the swelling and prepare yourself.”
It seemed Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung had arranged this blind date without warning, likely because Jeon Tae-guk would otherwise try to escape.
I patted Jeon Tae-guk’s shoulder.
“Hyung, good luck on your blind date.”
[After all, you’re destined to marry Myung Hae-jin, the eldest daughter of Myung Jin Group. You’ll have a child or two, and then you’ll divorce.]
The eldest daughter of Myung Jin Group was the food industry company that Chairman Jeon Ju-shin had so desperately wanted to defeat.
In my past life, valuing prestige, I formed matrimonial ties with a politician’s family instead of Myung Hae-jin, leaving Jeon Tae-guk to connect with Myung Jin Group.
Honestly, Myung Hae-jin was an elite with outstanding qualities, and many in the chaebol world wanted her as a daughter-in-law—she was truly wasted on Jeon Tae-guk.
But unaware of this, he foolishly had an affair beyond his station and ended up divorced in my past life.
“Young Master, Myung Hae-jin will arrive in 30 minutes. Please go upstairs to your room and change into the outfit prepared for you. Time is tight.”
“Okay, I got it. Sung-guk, I’ll buy that cake Ji-hee likes and bring it up later. Make sure to give it to her.”
“Yes, Hyung. Good luck on your blind date!”
Jeon Tae-guk left the changing room still in his robe.
I dried my wet hair in the cool breeze of the fan.
After swimming for the first time in a while, my body felt light as if it might float away.
While drying my hair, a familiar-faced man approached me.
“I watched your swimming competition earlier. You were great.”
[It’s not Baek Tae-hwan!]
I almost eagerly extended my hand for a handshake.
“Aren’t you athlete Baek Tae-hwan?”
Since it was 2009, Baek Tae-hwan had won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was riding high in popularity.
“Yes, you know me. I thought only I knew Jeon Sung-guk.”
“You’re far more famous than me—an Olympic hero. I’m a huge fan.”
[We used to cut through the water together in my past life.]
Baek Tae-hwan and I exchanged greetings.
“But I’m curious about something. During that last race…”
“Yes. Ask me anything.”
“At the end, you got a slight cramp in your leg, right?”
[I’ve been caught.]
Baek Tae-hwan smiled knowingly.
“I watched the race earlier, and it looked like you were pushing too hard in the beginning. When that happens, a lot of runners hit the wall at the end. Still, it was impressive that you finished the entire race.”
“Baek Tae-hwan.”
“Yes?”
“You can keep this between us, right? My reputation depends on it.”
“Of course, don’t worry. But could I ask for one photo of us together to post on FaceNote?”
“Absolutely!”
[If he keeps my secret, I’d take a hundred photos with him!]
I quickly took a photo with Baek Tae-hwan.
With this, Jeon Tae-guk would forever owe me a debt of gratitude, and I would remain the gracious loser to the very end.

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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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