I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 278
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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 278
– Samjeon Electronics Model Choi Bin’s secret romance is none other than Myung Hae-jin, the eldest daughter of Myung Jin Group!
– A secret meeting at the Vancouver Olympics. A love that has lasted three years.
– Choi Bin’s swift acknowledgment of the relationship. But his stance: “I am not a male Cinderella.”
– Contract termination following Samjeon Electronics’ Choi Bin’s romance scandal. He gained love, but was it a hollow victory?
Various articles dominated internet portals from morning onwards.
I had deliberately leaked the romance between Myung Hae-jin and Choi Bin extensively through journalists I knew in Korea and Bang Mu-hyuk’s network—to a degree that even Samjeon couldn’t contain.
Besides, the general public didn’t know that Samjeon’s Jeon Tae-guk and Myung Hae-jin were in marriage negotiations, so Samjeon didn’t seem particularly concerned.
I handed the articles to Jeon Tae-guk, who had just woken up.
“Brother, take a look at this.”
“Hmm… quite the sensation. Male Cinderella, huh… Sung-guk, do you really think Myung Hae-jin will continue dating Choi Bin?”
“No. I’d say a breakup article will surface once this scandal dies down. They were frightened by public attention… busy schedules and so on. There are plenty of excuses. Though Choi Bin may struggle now because of his romance with Myung Hae-jin, his public recognition will have risen considerably. Besides, the two of them are already in a state of separation, aren’t they?”
“And Myung Hae-jin gains her freedom from this?”
“Presumably.”
Jeon Tae-guk scanned the article with a slightly disappointed expression.
“Sung-guk, will I ever meet a good person and experience love like Mark and Lim Mi-mi?”
“Brother, don’t think so urgently. What are the odds that Mark, born into an American middle-class family and educated as an elite, would fall in love with Lim Mi-mi, who defected from North Korea?”
“0.00000001%?”
“Exactly. You have far more options than that. You have money, a stable career… and your appearance is similar to Mark’s.”
“Jeon Sung-guk!”
“Brother, isn’t Father looking for you?”
I quickly changed the subject.
“Oh, right. My phone. I turned it off before sleeping.”
Just then, there came a knock on the hotel door, followed immediately by Secretary Park Sung-hee’s urgent voice.
“Young Master! The Chairman is looking for you.”
It was finally happening.
“Sung-guk, should I wear several layers of thermal underwear?”
“As many as possible.”
Jeon Tae-guk began dressing with a resolute expression.
Now it was finally time for the village dog to step into negotiations.
* * *
As the suite room door opened, Secretary Yang, who had been waiting, greeted Jeon Tae-guk with a stern expression.
It was a kind of warning.
When Secretary Yang’s face was smiling, the situation was usually nothing serious, but a stern expression like this indicated a considerably uncomfortable situation.
Secretary Yang took Jeon Tae-guk’s outer coat and whispered.
“Chairman, he is in quite a foul mood.”
“Yes… I’ll be careful.”
Then, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s voice came from the living room.
“Secretary Yang, have everyone else leave and wait outside.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
Secretary Yang took Jeon Tae-guk’s overcoat and led everyone, including the bodyguard, out of the suite room.
Click.
As the suite room door closed, goosebumps erupted across Jeon Tae-guk’s back.
Jeon Tae-guk entered the living room with hushed footsteps.
“Father… I found you.”
In that instant, something on the table flew toward Jeon Tae-guk.
Of course, Jeon Tae-guk easily twisted his body to the right and dodged it.
Crash. The sound of something breaking echoed.
Turning around, I saw a crystal glass shattered on the floor.
“Father… please calm down.”
“How could I possibly stay calm after seeing such garbage reporting!”
As Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s voice rose, Jeon Tae-guk immediately dropped to his knees. In negotiations with Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung, prostrating oneself first was always crucial.
Jeon Tae-guk then quickly bowed his head.
Like a crown prince bowing before his king.
“Father… actually, this turned out well. If we brought a woman like that into Samjeon Group, people would talk about it later too. Look at Shin-sung. He married an entertainer as his daughter-in-law and only received media spotlight before eventually divorcing anyway.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung listened silently to Jeon Tae-guk’s explanation.
“Actually, I noticed something off about Myung Hae-jin even back in San Francisco, so I had someone keep an eye on her.”
“You did?”
“Yes… She was the one who first suggested we date, but clearly her heart was elsewhere.”
“You really had someone follow her?”
“Yes….”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s anger gradually subsided.
‘Trust no one.’
It was something Chairman Jeon Ju-shin, the founder of Samjeon Group and Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s father, always said.
I was somewhat surprised to hear such words from Jeon Tae-guk’s mouth—the very person who had foolishly trusted others and constantly upset Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung.
“The general public doesn’t know, but in wealthy families, everyone is aware that marriage talks between you and the Myung Jin Group’s daughter have circulated. Perceptive people probably already guessed roughly that Myung Jin Group entered as the food supplier for the Olympics we’re sponsoring. What are your plans going forward?”
“Father… I actually want to delay my return to Korea for a bit.”
“What are you talking about delaying? You just graduated.”
“If I enter Samjeon headquarters right after graduating from university, people will gossip anyway. I didn’t even graduate from a prestigious university… So I’d like to work as a trainee at the San Francisco Branch of Samjeon for about a year.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung slowly nodded his head.
It wasn’t a bad idea.
He could gain practical experience, become familiar with the company’s atmosphere, and entering headquarters later would actually make him more approachable to the employees.
Besides, a year would allow various issues to settle down.
“Father… I’ll work hard at the San Francisco Branch for a year and make sure I don’t bring shame to your face.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung was pleased with this final remark.
The man who had only brought disgrace to his name until now finally seemed to have matured.
* * *
Click.
The hotel door opened… and Jeon Tae-guk stepped inside.
His expression was brighter than expected.
“Are you okay, hyung?”
“Sung-guk… Dad came by today. Today… he only hit me twice. And that was just a kick to the backside and a punch to the solar plexus… considering the magnitude of the incident, I’d say I dodged a bullet, right?”
[He shouldn’t have hit you at all in the first place, Jeon Tae-guk.]
But I said nothing more.
For someone accustomed to violence, this might have been the best possible outcome.
“Hyung, did the negotiation go well?”
“Yeah! I managed to get another year living with you. Sung-guk, isn’t that great?”
[Great, sure. I’m an adult now, and I’d really like to live completely on my own for once!]
“Hyung, since I was already planning to cover your apartment rent anyway… what if we moved to a place closer to the San Francisco Branch?”
“What are you talking about? I’m not going to work that hard anyway. If the apartment’s far away, at least I have an excuse for being late or skipping work without getting too much grief.”
I shook my head in disbelief.
“I should probably buy another car… but with the company people watching, I guess I’ll have to go with a Porsche. Oh, and those Gucci suits I gave Mark! What should I do… I think I need to ask for them back!”
Jeon Tae-guk called Mark and quickly left the hotel room.
In the end, a dog raised at a village school remains a dog from a village school.
People don’t change.
* * *
“Tae-guk, isn’t this too much? How can you ask for something back after giving it away?”
“I’m not asking for everything back. Just the limited edition Gucci pieces. Those are impossible to find now….”
“Tae-guk, fine. Please just go home and talk about this there.”
“Mark, isn’t it great that I’ll be living right in front of your house for a year?”
“Hmm… I’ll have to think about that.”
While Tae-guk and Mark bickered over the Gucci clothes, I stepped outside the hotel.
Perhaps because the Athletes’ Village wasn’t far away, I could frequently spot athletes who had finished their competitions.
Jann White, the legend of snowboarding, was walking by….
I gazed at Jann White with a satisfied expression.
I hadn’t done much snowboarding since it was dangerous, but I had attended all of Jann’s competitions in my previous life.
Just then, Jann White spotted me and came running over.
Why is he doing that?
Jann White stopped in front of me, caught his breath for a moment, and looked at me.
“Are you… perhaps… Sung-guk?”
“Yes… how did you recognize me?”
“How could I not? I’ve seen your face in Time Magazine several times. And I’m a FaceNote user. Sung-guk, would you like to be my friend on FaceNote?”
“Of course. Being friends with the legend of snowboarding—naturally I should.”
“Legend is….”
[You’ll become a legend, Jann.]
Jann White pulled out his phone.
“Sung-guk, could we take a photo together? I want to post it on FaceNote.”
“Of course.”
While Jann White and I took a photo, athletes began lining up around us.
“Sung-guk, me too!”
The long line even included the United States men’s ice hockey team.
Passersby stopped and stared, wondering if some famous athlete was walking by. The commotion caused a brief disturbance in the area.
“Um… I need to head back inside. How about we take a group photo together?”
“Sounds great!”
In the end, everyone in line and I gathered together for a group photo.
Click.
I quickly called out to everyone who had taken the photo with me.
“I’ll post it on my FaceNote! Everyone, feel free to grab it!”
* * *
I pushed through the crowd and finally caught my breath.
Just then, I heard someone calling me. It was a familiar Korean voice.
“Excuse me.”
When I turned around, it was Kim Yeo-na.
“Oh, hello.”
I greeted her immediately.
“Um… are you FaceNote, by any chance?”
[I’m not exactly FaceNote myself….]
Since what Kim Yeo-na said was true, I nodded.
“Yes… You’re Kim Yeo-na, correct?”
“Yes… I was actually in the group photo with everyone earlier.”
“Really?”
“Yes… Actually, I chased after you because I wanted to say hello. I’ve seen a lot of articles about Sung-guk in the past. As a South Korean, I was truly proud.”
“That’s what I should be saying to you, Kim Yeo-na. I really want to thank you on behalf of all South Korean citizens.”
“Oh, how embarrassing.”
Kim Yeo-na had a cheerful side to her.
And I couldn’t just let this connection slip away.
I quickly handed her my phone.
“I’m not sure how you’ll feel about this proposal.”
At my words, Kim Yeo-na’s eyes lit up.
“What kind of proposal?”
“We’re planning to expand FaceNote’s business into Korea in earnest. I was wondering if you’d be willing to become a model for our FaceNote. I should have contacted you through your agency, but I apologize—I was just too eager. I hope you understand.”
“I love FaceNote, and the founder is also from South Korea, so I’m really pleased. Still, please contact me through my agency first.”
Fortunately, Kim Yeo-na showed great interest in my proposal.
“Kim Yeo-na, I’m going to watch the gala show too. I’ll cheer enthusiastically from the audience! Kim Yeo-na, you’ve got this!”
I shouted encouragement and headed back to the hotel.
* * *
Mark and Jeon Tae-guk were staring at me with serious expressions.
“You took a photo with Kim Yeo-na, exchanged contact information, but didn’t say a single word about grabbing a meal together, and then just shouted encouragement and left after saying you’d cheer at the gala show?”
“Yes, hyung.”
Jeon Tae-guk shook his head with a look of exasperation.
[A dog at a village school—that’s the exact look I give when I see you….]
Mark pressed his forehead too.
“Tae-guk, I told you. Sung-guk definitely has something wrong with him. Which hospital should we even take him to?”
“Mark, Tae-guk. Why is everyone acting like this?”
“What do you mean? If you met Kim Yeo-na like that, you should’ve at least asked her to grab a meal right then! How could you just let Kim Yeo-na go?”
“She has the gala and other schedules, so she must be busy.”
[I was being considerate, in my own way. Athletes are so busy, and they need to manage their bodies….]
I blinked my eyes.
“Ah, it seems you two really want to have a meal with Kim Yeo-na.”
“Exactly! You’re only understanding that now?”
“Sung-guk, even I, an American, really want to eat with her!”
I smiled and crossed my arms.
“Since I suggested the FaceNote Korea model offer to Kim Yeo-na, we’ll have plenty of chances to meet. Let’s have a meal together then!”
“Amazing!”
“Jeon Sung-guk, you’re not completely hopeless after all!”
[So, I’m Jeon Sung-guk!]
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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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