I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 277

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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 277
– 228.56
Kim Yeo-na’s competition score flashed across the scoreboard.
It was the combined score of the short program and free skate.
In that moment, everyone in the arena erupted in cheers.
It was a world record, and for the first time in women’s figure skating history, the elusive 200-point barrier had been shattered.
In that instant, regardless of the connections or conflicts among those gathered, everyone embraced one another.
* * *
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung watched Jeon Tae-guk and Jeon Sung-guk cheering from the VVIP section.
Secretary Yang, standing beside him, wore a bright smile.
“Chairman, Kim Yeo-na has won the championship!”
“Indeed… But Tae-guk came with Hae-jin, correct?”
“Yes, Chairman.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung glanced back and forth between Jeon Tae-guk and Myung Hae-jin.
“Let’s invite this group as they are to dinner this evening.”
“Understood, Chairman.”
* * *
Vancouver was entirely swept up in Olympic fever.
Every hotel restaurant was packed with officials and tourists, more lively than ever.
And there we all sat around the table at the gathering Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung had invited us to.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung was forcing a smile.
Yet something clearly made him uncomfortable.
“Sung-guk, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you at a gathering like this. I hear various things through my channels. They say the growth of FaceNote and YouTube is frightening?”
“We still cannot compare to the Samjeon Group.”
[Though we’ll surpass you soon enough.]
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung regarded me with thoughtful eyes for a long moment.
[I doubt you ever imagined that the boy crawling around in diapers would come this far, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung!]
I shrugged subtly, keeping my expression neutral.
“You’ve grown up just as you were as a child, Sung-guk. You’re twenty years old by Korean age now, correct?”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“Then… let me buy you a glass of champagne tonight.
[I can’t grant you that honor, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung.]
I quickly waved my hand in refusal.
“Chairman, I appreciate the sentiment, but I’ll have to decline. I’ve never even touched alcohol, and I don’t feel any particular desire to start.”
[Though I haven’t… it’s been twenty years of endurance.]
“Isn’t there always a first time for everything?”
“I’d like my first time to be with my parents. Alcohol is something one learns from their father, after all.”
“Ah…”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung let out a short sigh. Then he glanced at the tactless Jeon Tae-guk.
Jeon Tae-guk averted his gaze and busied himself with the appetizers.
“The food here is really good. Don’t you think so, Mark?”
“Yeah, Tae-guk. I’m glad I get to eat so much delicious food thanks to you.”
“Tomorrow, let’s go somewhere else. You’re fine with that, aren’t you, Lim Mi-mi?”
“See, being a chaebol is great. Right, Mi-mi?”
Of course, Lim Mi-mi sensed something uncomfortable and discreetly jabbed Mark in the ribs.
“Mi-mi, you don’t like it?”
But Mark remained oblivious.
“Mark, just eat and keep quiet.”
“Uh….”
Mark simply grinned from ear to ear.
And at this moment, besides Jeon Tae-guk, there were two others who weren’t enjoying themselves—myself and Myung Hae-jin.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung concluded our conversation.
“Well… I suppose there’s no helping it. Once I learn to drink from Father, I’ll buy you a round next time.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
Just then, I noticed people from the Myung Jin Group entering from the other side.
It was Myung Hae-jin’s father, Myung Tae-pyung.
Myung Tae-pyung, with his tall stature and warm-hearted features, presented a different image from Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung of the Samjeon Group.
If Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung was like a cold, sharp, well-honed blade, then Chairman Myung Tae-pyung was like a trident that could be wielded in one hand.
Both were lethal, however.
“Chairman Jeon!”
Myung Tae-pyung approached with good humor.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung rose from his seat to greet him.
“I heard you were coming.”
“I couldn’t miss Kim Yeo-na’s match. By the way, I’m thinking of bringing this girl back since she’s been abroad for too long.”
“I think it’s wonderful that she’s becoming close with our Tae-guk. I’m quite pleased about it.”
“Hahaha, are you already showing mother-in-law affection?”
“Thank you for thinking of it that way.”
Formal, hollow pleasantries.
[I’ve had so many conversations like that myself….]
The true feelings of these two men were likely quite different.
Chairman Myung Tae-pyung was concerned that his daughter had been in America for so long without confirming marriage plans with Jeon Tae-guk, and strange rumors might circulate among the chaebol families. Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung, on the other hand, seemed indifferent to such matters.
Lim Mi-mi whispered to me from beside.
“Boss, am I the only one who finds this uncomfortable?”
“I’m extremely uncomfortable too.”
“Why do Korean chaebols always talk in such roundabout ways?”
“Indeed.”
While we were talking, Chairman Myung Tae-pyung also joined our table.
The situation felt like it was growing larger.
“Ah, so you’re the famous genius Jeon Sung-guk!”
“I’m not really that famous, and I’m certainly not a genius.”
[I’m someone who studied until my butt was covered in sweat, Chairman Myung Tae-pyung.]
In my past life, Chairman Myung Tae-pyung was my in-law, so I saw him often.
He had a bold, cheerful, and uninhibited personality, but there was a vindictive streak to him.
“I’ve been keeping up with the news, Sung-guk. I know better than anyone how impressive what you’ve accomplished is. Running a seasoning company in South Korea is difficult enough, and yet you launched such a business at such a young age? That’s remarkable.”
“This is Mark, my co-founder.”
“Ah, I heard you’re both Harvard alumni… is that right?”
“Sung-guk and I are Phillip Academy alumni, and we both got into Harvard but didn’t graduate.”
Mark scratched his head sheepishly.
“Geniuses don’t need credentials. By the way, I hear you’re quite close with Jeon Tae-guk too—it makes me see him in a new light. Birds of a feather flock together, as they say.”
“Thank you, Chairman.”
I noticed Jeon Tae-guk’s shoulders lift slightly.
* * *
Jeon Tae-guk opened the hotel room door and stepped inside.
Even though he’d come to Vancouver with Myung Hae-jin, his face seemed weighed down with worry.
“Hyung, weren’t you supposed to be dating Hae-jin?”
“She said she was tired…”
Myung Hae-jin had clearly shifted her attention toward Jeon Tae-guk, yet maintained a certain distance.
That distance was why Jeon Tae-guk kept returning looking dejected.
“Maybe she’s being cautious since our parents are here in Vancouver too.”
“Maybe… Anyway, she said she was tired again today… She’s bright when she’s around other people, but the moment it’s just the two of us, she says she’s exhausted.”
“Hmm…”
I fell into thought for a moment.
In my past life, marriage was naturally a matter between corporations, so emotions weren’t a consideration.
Compared to Jeon Tae-guk’s character and qualifications, Myung Hae-jin seemed almost wasted.
But in this life, my perspective had shifted somewhat.
“Hyung, you do love Hae-jin, right?”
“Yeah…”
Jeon Tae-guk nodded deeply.
“And it’s true that Hae-jin is hesitating too.”
“Yeah… Sung-guk, why is my love life such a mess? Is it because I’m the heir to Samjeon Group?”
[Without that, who would even look at Jeon Tae-guk? This is frustrating.]
I let out a sigh.
“Hyung… what would you do if Hae-jin wanted a political marriage with no feelings involved?”
“I don’t know… I just want to date and marry someone I love, unlike Mom and Dad. Sung-guk, you know this too. No matter how much money you have, I don’t want to leave my children a life where they hate coming home.”
[Hmm… that’s an impossible mission.]
But somehow, it seemed I could prevent this unhappy marriage.
* * *
Late at night, in the Hotel Lobby.
I came down to the lobby.
Myung Hae-jin was already waiting there, her face bare of makeup.
“Why did you want to meet at this hour? Don’t you think there’s nothing left for us to discuss?”
“Myung Hae-jin, what are you planning to do about Jeon Tae-guk?”
I cut straight to the point.
“What do you mean? Our families made a promise to each other. Becoming the daughter-in-law of Samjeon Group isn’t a bad thing. It’s a position where I can enjoy every privilege imaginable.”
“You’re already enjoying plenty of privileges as it is.”
South Korea’s conglomerates were, in a sense, aristocrats.
Born into wealth, they reigned above the top 99.9% of South Korea.
“The President of South Korea changes every five years, but the position of Chairman of Samjeon Group doesn’t. And the probability of Samjeon Group’s wealth collapsing is slim. Even among conglomerates, there’s a hierarchy, and within that hierarchy, someone must bow their head to someone else. But if you become the daughter-in-law of Samjeon Group, I doubt you’d ever have to bow your head to anyone.”
Myung Hae-jin was intelligent. But she looked unhappy.
“You have wealth you won’t even spend in a lifetime—why choose unhappiness?”
At those words, Myung Hae-jin looked at me again.
“What do you mean by that?”
“You’re a smart person, Myung Hae-jin. Of course, you’d think it’s unreasonable to expect love in a political marriage tied to economic interests and everything else. But if you’re not happy for even a single day, what good is the position of mistress of Samjeon Group?”
“….”
Myung Hae-jin said nothing.
After all, the families were already entangled in complex relationships.
And with Jeon Tae-guk actively pursuing her affections, Myung Hae-jin seemed to have little choice.
“There’s nothing I can do. You say such romantic things because you were born into an ordinary family, but I don’t really have much choice in this matter.”
“Then why did you approach me?”
“Because only someone like you could convince my family to let me leave Samjeon Group.”
[Hmm… that’s a fair point.]
I shrugged and offered Myung Hae-jin a solution.
“You’re staying at a hotel near the Samsung Electronics Model, aren’t you?”
“That’s….”
“There’s a way to escape this marriage. It’s a bit dirty, though.”
Myung Hae-jin, who had been thinking for a moment, looked at me.
“You don’t mean… a scandal?”
“The prospective daughter-in-law of a family with marriage negotiations in progress meets another man at the Vancouver Olympics, where Samjeon is a sponsor. I don’t think it’s a scandal that Samjeon Group would overlook.”
“Samjeon will suppress the article.”
“Samjeon doesn’t seem to want you that badly. It’s actually Chairman Myung Tae-pyung who wants this.”
Myung Hae-jin let out a small laugh.
“That’s right… it’s my father who wants it.”
“The choice is yours, Myung Hae-jin. I’m just here to help.”
Myung Hae-jin thought for a moment, then looked at me.
“Our family only has two daughters. It doesn’t sound so bad to join Myung Jin Group, learn the business step by step, meet an ordinary man I like, and get married. Just as you said, we’ve accumulated wealth in our coffers that we’ll never spend in a lifetime—why was I about to choose unhappiness?”
“When you’re addicted to unhappiness, you don’t realize you’re unhappy. It’ll probably be plastered all over the portal sites tomorrow. Are you okay with that?”
Myung Hae-jin smiled brightly.
“It sounds intriguing.”
“Myung Hae-jin, be happy from now on.”
“Yes… and you’re an adult now too, so make sure you meet the person you love.”
“….”
I said nothing.
* * *
Secretary Park Sung-hee contacted the Samsung Electronics Model and requested that he receive Myung Hae-jin in a state of partial undress.
The shirtless model embraced Myung Hae-jin warmly as she arrived.
To anyone’s eyes, they looked like lovers.
Jeon Tae-guk, Secretary Park Sung-hee, and I gathered together to review the photographs.
“Brother, I think the photo of them embracing would look best. What do you think?”
“Hmm… Not bad. Anyone would see them as lovers. And passionate ones at that.”
Jeon Tae-guk selected the photos with a noticeably lighter expression now.
“But Young Master, are you sure about this?”
In truth, all of this had been Jeon Tae-guk’s and my plan.
“I never had a serious relationship with Myung Hae-jin anyway. From now on, I’m going to say no to women who don’t interest me!”
“Brother, people will still talk about this… and you have to go to headquarters in March anyway.”
“Sung-guk, I’ve learned something from being around you.”
What was that?
“Actually, I don’t want to go back to Korea. I think I’ll say I was deeply hurt by this and need to work at the San Francisco Branch for about a year. Father probably won’t say anything, but he’ll find it hard to refuse. The thing he hates most in the world is losing face.”
I patted Jeon Tae-guk’s shoulder reassuringly.
[So now he knows how to negotiate with Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung….]
“Brother, you’re quite skilled at this.”
“I learned it all from you, Sung-guk.”
It seemed that even a dog at a village school could recite poetry after three years.

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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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