I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 276

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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 276
Myung Hae-jin’s departure was quickly filled by Seo Se-jung’s arrival.
One side of Seo Se-jung’s cheek was flushed red.
Given Myung Hae-jin’s temperament, she wouldn’t have been let go without incident.
“You were slapped?”
“Yes, but I anticipated it, so it was fine.”
Seo Se-jung spoke matter-of-factly.
I handed her the hotel reservation and airplane tickets I’d prepared in advance.
“You were probably fired on the spot. This is a hotel for you to stay in for about a week. Enjoy yourself sightseeing, and here’s your plane ticket back to Korea.”
Seo Se-jung accepted everything with a satisfied expression, as if all the work she needed to do was complete.
“Before I start preparing for the bar exam, this will be a valuable experience. Honestly, while I was in university, I had to work for scholarships and part-time jobs, so I never got to take a proper trip.”
“It’s only a few days, but enjoy yourself and study well.”
“But… Sung-guk, is it okay if I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
Seo Se-jung’s eyes sparkled as she looked at me.
“Do you perhaps have feelings for me?”
“What?!”
I looked at Seo Se-jung in surprise.
“Otherwise, I don’t think you’d help me this much.”
[Sigh… women… the moment I show even a little interest, they react like this…]
I began to clarify the situation.
“Seo Se-jung, I want Jeon Tae-guk of Samjeon Group to either marry Myung Hae-jin cleanly or end things completely. And I want to keep Myung Hae-jin’s weaknesses in my hands for life. You’re the person holding the most important key in this relationship. Do you understand my explanation?”
Seo Se-jung smiled slightly.
“I made a mistake because I’m inexperienced with romance. I apologize.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for. Thank you for your help. I may need your assistance more in the future.”
“I understand. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Even when I took on the role of Myung Hae-jin’s personal secretary, I knew it would be difficult work, but I didn’t refuse.”
“I’ll do my best to make only reasonable requests.”
I drew a line.
I didn’t want to become someone who controlled Seo Se-jung’s life just because I was sponsoring her.
“By the way, Seo Se-jung, regarding sponsorship, if you provide me with a plan, I’ll support you accordingly.”
“Yes, thank you. I feel so much lighter now. I can give the money I’ve earned to my family and focus entirely on studying.”
“You promised you’d pass within a year. Is that really possible?”
“As a personal secretary, the work wasn’t that demanding, so I’ve been studying in my spare time. I’m confident in sitting down and studying. And this…”
Seo Se-jung handed me a USB drive.
“It’s a personal record of Myung Hae-jin and the Myung Jin Group family.”
Just as I’d predicted, Seo Se-jung had brought the key she held properly.
“Originally, it should have been destroyed, but I copied it and then destroyed the original. I have a confidentiality clause in my contract, so I can’t say anything, but you’re different, aren’t you?”
“You still have a copy, though?”
“Yes…”
Seo Se-jung nodded slightly.
I picked up the USB drive that Seo Se-jung handed me.
“Our business is concluded, but since we’re hungry, shall we grab a meal? What do you say?”
“I’ve always wanted to eat comfortably at a casual restaurant like this.”
And so Seo Se-jung and I shared a meal without much conversation.
We exchanged the occasional joke, but that was all.
A dry, understated relationship.
It seemed this was how things would remain between Seo Se-jung and me going forward.
* * *
Late at night, at the FaceNote Office Building.
I examined the USB drive that Seo Se-jung had given me.
Seo Se-jung had compiled everything about Myung Jin Group and Myung Hae-jin that she’d gathered during her time there onto the drive.
Myung Hae-jin was relatively liberal in her romantic relationships, but not as promiscuous as one might have expected.
The male actor who modeled for Samjeon Electronics coming to Vancouver was someone she’d been seeing for quite some time.
In fact, they’d broken up a few months ago, but it was the man who couldn’t let go of Myung Hae-jin and kept reaching out to her.
The trip to Vancouver seemed driven more by Myung Jin Group business than by the male model, though it was certainly a situation anyone could misinterpret.
“Hmm….”
The information about Myung Jin Group that Seo Se-jung had organized contained many intriguing details.
I’d mentioned conducting considerable research when accepting Jeon Tae-guk’s wife in my previous life, but there was much I hadn’t known.
For instance, Chairman Myung Tae-pyung of Myung Jin Group, famous for being family-oriented, had a hidden illegitimate child who was attending school in Hawaii.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
At that moment, I heard a knock on the door.
Mark poked his head in.
“Sung-guk, aren’t you heading home?”
“Mark… you’re still here?”
“I should be going….”
“Mark, let’s go together….”
I closed my laptop and stood up from my desk.
Mark rubbed his sleepy eyes.
“Sung-guk, I’m going to borrow your car tonight. I’m too tired to drive. Sung-guk, doesn’t our company make you work too much?”
“Mark, you’re the CEO of our company… you can’t really say someone’s making you do anything. You’re staying late of your own volition.”
“Anyway, I can’t argue with that. But Sung-guk… that woman who came by here last time.”
“Seo Se-jung?”
“Hmm… I think that was her name. What’s your relationship with her?”
“We’re nothing to each other. Why?”
“Just seemed like you two matched well….”
[What? I’m Jeon Sung-guk. There’s no way I’d match well with a woman who’s just short and cute. My ideal type is like my mother—strikingly beautiful with a sharp, commanding presence!]
I looked up at Mark.
“Mark… I’m not thinking about dating right now.”
“Sung-guk, it’s strange that the CEO of FaceNote is an adult but doesn’t date, don’t you think?”
“Mark… that’s not something you should be saying to me.”
“I wasn’t famous at your age. But… I’m saying this because I want you to think seriously about love now. I really hope you get to experience what true love feels like.”
“Mark, aren’t you getting in my car today?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Stop nagging me!”
Mark pouted and closed the door.
In my previous life, I dated and even married, but in the end, I died alone.
On the cold carpet of a Samjeon Hotel Suite Room, no less.
[Love? Marriage? It’s all meaningless… Everyone dies alone anyway.]
* * *
“Sung-guk! Myung Hae-jin contacted me about going to Vancouver together.”
“The Vancouver Olympics?”
“Yeah. Samjeon is sponsoring it, and Myung Jin Group is coming in too. I was going anyway… but I didn’t expect Myung Hae-jin to go. Let’s go together. I think it’s a good opportunity to introduce her to our parents.”
It seemed Myung Hae-jin had clearly chosen Jeon Tae-guk.
Things were finally starting to make sense.
“Brother… Samjeon Group has finished investigating Myung Hae-jin, right?”
At my words, Jeon Tae-guk paused for a moment.
Did Jeon Tae-guk already know everything about Myung Hae-jin?
“Sung-guk…”
Jeon Tae-guk called my name in an unusually low voice.
“Yes, brother.”
“Sung-guk… are you talking about the Samjeon Electronics model?”
[Does Jeon Tae-guk already know this fact?]
“…”
I said nothing and waited for Jeon Tae-guk to continue.
“That’s… something only I know.”
“Brother… how did you find out about that?”
“I asked Seo Se-jung to look into it. Don’t misunderstand. I just wanted to know why Myung Hae-jin’s feelings toward me were so inconsistent… And actually… I thought her feelings were wavering because she had feelings for you instead…”
Jeon Tae-guk drank water as if his throat were parched.
“But then Seo Se-jung told me that she dated the Samjeon Electronics model for a long time, and that guy still has lingering feelings and keeps contacting her… Apparently, that’s why Myung Hae-jin couldn’t approach me so readily. She must have been bothered by the fact that she dated our company’s model. Sung-guk… isn’t our Myung Hae-jin so pure?”
Jeon Tae-guk was already a lovesick fool.
“Honestly, I’m not clean either with the nude photo leak incident and all. I’ve done pathetic things and been rejected countless times… But she’s a woman who met such a wonderful man. And they’ve already broken up, so it’s that model who’s being clingy. So that’s why she was lukewarm toward me!”
Just as Jeon Tae-guk was interpreting Seo Se-jung’s information in his own way, a message arrived from Seo Se-jung.
– I threw out some bait to give Mr. Tae-guk reason to suspect that Miss Myung Hae-jin might like Sung-guk. For the sake of your friendship.
I replied with a brief thank you.
“Brother, now that you know why Myung Hae-jin was lukewarm toward you all this time, try to do this relationship properly.”
“I will! Sung-guk, you’re going to Vancouver too, right?”
“Of course. I have to see Queen Yeo-na’s coronation in person.”
“You’re talking like Kim Yeo-na is guaranteed to win gold.”
[That’s obvious…]
“No matter how well Kim Yeo-na performs, the Olympics are unpredictable. If Asada Mao from Japan lands a triple axel, Kim Yeo-na might not win gold.”
“Brother, should we make a bet?”
At that moment, Jeon Tae-guk scratched his forehead with a troubled expression.
“If I bet on Asada Mao, I’ll look like a traitor to the country….”
“Brother, you’ve been a traitor since you threw away your Samjeon phone and started using an Apple phone, haven’t you?”
“Ah, that’s right! I’ve always been that kind of guy. Sung-guk, I’m betting that Asada Mao will nail a triple axel and take the gold medal!”
“I’m obviously going with Kim Yeo-na.”
[Jeon Tae-guk, there’s no way you’re winning this bet.]
“Right, what should we bet?”
“Hmm… Brother… could you always have faith in me?”
“Huh? What did you say? Sung-guk… I didn’t mishear, did I? Faith? Not money, not a car… not stocks!”
“Yes, faith. Brother, you secretly asked Seo Se-jung earlier because you thought Myung Hae-jin liked me, didn’t you? The reason Myung Hae-jin was lukewarm was because of me, and you made that request because you were curious if I had the same feelings, right?”
“That’s….”
Struck by the truth, Jeon Tae-guk couldn’t say anything.
[Jeon Tae-guk, Myung Hae-jin really isn’t my type.]
“Sung-guk… I’m sorry. I was just….”
“Brother, that’s exactly why. We’ve been seeing each other for several years now. You even want to spend holidays at our home. But… suspecting me over such a small misunderstanding makes me uncomfortable. And if you have doubts, you could just ask me directly. Why do you have to act like a South Korean chaebol and send people to investigate?”
Jeon Tae-guk looked at me with an apologetic expression.
“Sung-guk, I’m truly sorry… Anyway, regardless of Kim Yeo-na’s competition results, I will always trust you completely. And if I have even the slightest doubt, I’ll ask you directly.”
“Thank you, Brother.”
I had gained Jeon Tae-guk’s unwavering trust.
In this life, Jeon Tae-guk was both the karmic debt from my previous life and the nourishment for the business I would build in South Korea.
“Sung-guk, I’ll take care of booking the Vancouver tickets and hotel for you.”
“Thank you, Brother. By the way, could you also book tickets for Mark and Lim Mi-mi? They haven’t had a proper vacation in a while.”
“Got it! By the way, Sung-guk… did you sell my Bugatti and buy stocks?”
“Not yet.”
“Aren’t you going to buy Apple?”
“Tesla will go public this year. I’m planning to buy some Tesla stocks then.”
“You’re going to buy stocks in an unproven company? That doesn’t sound like you….”
“High risk, high return, right?”
“Why don’t you buy Samjeon stocks instead! We’re doing really well these days.”
[Tesla and Bitcoin over Samjeon….]
I smiled faintly.
* * *
Vancouver Pacific Coliseum.
It was the moment just before Kim Yeo-na’s free skate, having taken first place in the short program.
The arena fell silent, and all eyes turned to the ice.
In this moment, even the traitorous Jeon Tae-guk who had predicted Asada Mao’s victory, and Myung Hae-jin who had been properly criticized by me and gone to Jeon Tae-guk, and Lim Mi-mi from North Korea, and Mark who had only met Kim Yeo-na yesterday—all held their breath.
And then, Kim Yeo-na’s free skate, which I had always wanted to see again, began with the music.

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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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