I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 307

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 307
In truth, YouTube’s shift to profitability had been showing signs since early 2010.
And by exclusively broadcasting Apple’s new product showcase, we drove the final nail into the coffin of losses.
Going forward, all of Apple’s new product showcases were scheduled to be released exclusively through YouTube.
The fact that Sergey had sent me this message directly was clearly because of our contract.
After taking over as CEO of YouTube, Google’s problem child, I liquidated my entire personal fortune to purchase 10% of YouTube’s shares.
The 5% stake from Chad Chun that I already owned.
The 30% YouTube stake I would receive if I turned YouTube profitable within two years.
Now that YouTube had achieved profitability, my personal stake in YouTube amounted to 45%.
Since taking over as YouTube’s CEO and operating it through a collaborative system with FaceNote, combined with the promised shares, FaceNote and I now held over 50% of the company.
In short, YouTube could no longer escape from me and FaceNote.
I quickly sent a reply to Sergey Brin.
– Sergey, don’t worry. I’m far from satisfied with just this level of profit. And congratulations to you too. Google’s stake in YouTube may have diminished, but you’ll see far greater returns going forward than when you entrusted YouTube to me two years ago!
Sergey Brin didn’t respond after that.
All the share transfer procedures would be finalized within the next three months.
And now I had truly become an individual owning 45% of YouTube.
[I’m so thrilled! I’d love to celebrate this day with someone….]
I quietly listened at Jeon Tae-guk’s door.
Jeon Tae-guk, having discovered the past between Lim Sun-mi and Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung, was still sniffling.
Well then, should I call Mark?
I called Mark, but Lim Mi-mi answered instead of him.
– Boss, what’s the matter? Mark is showering right now.
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
– Boss, we’re going to see a movie this evening. Would you like to join us?
“No, thanks. Enjoy your date.”
I hung up the phone.
Neither the karma from my past life nor the best friend who raised me seemed available today.
But it felt wrong to let this day pass without doing something special.
So then…
I sent a group message to people who seemed like they’d have nothing special to do 365 days a year.
– Let’s have dinner together tonight. You’ve all worked so hard!
* * *
“Wow… I’ve never been to a place like this before.”
Susan entered the restaurant with her mouth agape.
And Sam and Adam followed in succession.
“Sung-guk….”
Sam scanned the interior of the restaurant with a bewildered expression.
[Why are they all looking at this like it’s so amazing? I used to come here all the time in my past life. It’s upscale, right?]
In contrast, Adam looked at me with a worried expression.
“Sung-guk, places like this serve portions that only preschoolers would be satisfied with… are you sure about this?”
“Adam, don’t worry. Eat as much as you’d like.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Today we’re gathered here to celebrate FaceNote and YouTube, which have come this far thanks to three people!”
[Well, it’s not like I called you because I had no friends or anything….]
I quickly pulled out Susan’s chair.
“Thank you, Sung-guk.”
“Susan, you worked incredibly hard on this Apple demonstration. Your ideas were excellent, your execution was meticulous, and everything was absolutely perfect.”
“When you praise me like that, Sung-guk, I feel a bit embarrassed….”
“It’s my way of saying do even better going forward.”
When I moved to pull out chairs for Adam and Sam, they both quickly waved me off.
“Sung-guk, we’re not ladies.”
Then they promptly sat down.
I took my seat and opened the menu, ordering the most expensive course available.
Then I glanced at the wine list.
[Today is a special day, so… I should have a glass of wine….]
Suddenly, the Restaurant Employee looked at me with a peculiar expression.
“Excuse me, but… how old are you? I actually saw an article about you, Sung-guk, in the newspaper personally, so I know your age.”
Oh no.
Under California state law, you had to be at least twenty-one to order alcohol.
It would have been easy enough at some cheap dive bar or through illicit channels, but at a high-end Michelin-starred Restaurant like this, it was impossible.
“It’s not for me to drink… it’s for my staff members. They’re all of legal drinking age.”
“Ah, I see. Then please go ahead and order.”
I reluctantly ordered an expensive bottle of wine. And then.
“I’ll have sparkling water, please.”
“Yes, I’ll prepare that right away.”
As I made a bitter expression, Sam offered me some consolation.
“Sung-guk, not being able to order alcohol just means you’re still very young, so there’s no need to feel so disappointed.”
Hearing Sam’s words, that made sense.
In my previous life too, when I was young, I wanted to grow up quickly and do everything adults did.
Of course, once restrictions were lifted and I reached an age where I could do everything adults did, I learned that there were more responsibilities to bear than things I could actually do.
In this life, I’d carried heavy responsibility from a young age while managing household affairs, but regardless, I was still young.
“Sam, your consoling skills seem to be improving.”
“It’s not consolation, it’s just the truth. Sung-guk, anyway, let’s all enjoy ourselves tonight.”
Just then, Adam glanced at me.
“Adam, what is it? Are you worried the portions will be small?”
“That’s not it…. Sung-guk is always such a popular person that I wouldn’t normally notice, but… seeing you today, you seem somehow different from usual.”
“Me?”
Adam observed my expression a few times before continuing.
“It’s just that today, you somehow feel like you belong to our group of nerds.”
“What do you mean by that, Adam?”
[I’ve never been a nerd in my entire life, Sam.]
“Sam said this morning that YouTube has turned profitable and that Sung-guk now has complete control of the shares.”
Sam had been a YouTube programmer from the very beginning, so he knew YouTube’s situation better than anyone.
“Then today must be a day of huge celebration. But… seeing you treat us to such a nice meal like this…”
Adam paused for a moment.
[Seeing? Come on, say the rest, Adam!]
“You know how it is. I want to celebrate, but there’s no one to celebrate with. So I figured maybe that’s why you called us three—the group that’s always available without plans.”
Adam’s words were the truth.
[The truth really does sting.]
But I calmly sipped my sparkling water.
“Adam, I’ve never thought of you three as nerds.”
[Of course I always have. The biggest nerds of them all…]
“You three are indispensable to our FaceNote and YouTube. So on the day YouTube turned profitable, shouldn’t I naturally share this joy with you three?”
“Adam, don’t say things like that. Why would Sung-guk have no one to celebrate with? He’s a guy I want to spend Christmas break with…”
[Christmas break is still far away…]
“That’s right, Adam. My friends are dying to actually see Sung-guk. There are even friends asking me to take a photo of him.”
Susan joined in as well.
“Oh, is that so… I’m sorry, Sung-guk. I said something weird.”
Adam scratched his head apologetically.
Everything Adam said was true, but if I acknowledged it again here, I felt like I’d become too pitiful today.
“Adam, it’s fine. And Adam, you’re partially right too. I don’t have many friends. I’ve skipped so many grades that Mark is my only school friend. And my one and only friend Mark is getting married soon…”
[The more I talk, the more pathetic I feel. Is it just me?]
“Ah, let’s stop talking about this and just enjoy eating and drinking today!”
I gulped down my sparkling water.
My throat felt particularly parched today.
* * *
After one bottle of wine got Adam, Sam, and Susan in high spirits, I sent them off for a second round with my unlimited credit card.
[I’m being ostracized even by drinking nerds…]
I sighed deeply and drove my Porsche toward home.
While the car was stopped, I checked my phone repeatedly, but there wasn’t a single message for me.
[Why do I feel like I’ve wasted my life today…]
I wanted to tell my parents that I’d become the actual owner of YouTube, but they were in Korea.
[Suddenly I miss Mom and Dad… Sigh… What was I doing on a happy day like this in my previous life…]
I fell into thought for a moment.
In my previous life, I did inherit the Samjeon Group, but there was still plenty to do.
It’s always harder to maintain being number one than to achieve it.
Back then, whenever something good happened…
In that moment, my final day came to mind.
Just before I took office as Chairman of the Samjeon Group… that day I was completely alone, distant from my family.
In the Suite Room of the Samjeon Hotel, I drank wine made from a winery I owned.
I had always savored that loneliness in my previous life….
So why did it ache so unbearably in this one….
Honk!
A car horn blared loudly from behind me.
Lost in thought, I hadn’t even noticed the traffic light had changed.
“Move it!”
I pressed down on the accelerator.
* * *
Just as I was pulling into the Parking Lot, my phone rang.
Who was it?
Mark’s name flashed on the caller ID.
I answered immediately.
“Mark, it’s me….”
[Why are you calling instead of watching the movie?]
– Sung-guk, we have a major problem.
“What happened?”
– FaceNote got hacked and we’ve got twenty thousand user accounts compromised. This is bad! Get to the Office right now!
“Got it, I’m on my way. Mark, while I’m driving, contact the legal team and make sure they’re ready to handle the fallout from this incident quickly. Understood?”
– Got it! Just get here!
I turned the ignition back on.
Twenty thousand accounts….
The United States was more sensitive about personal information than anywhere else.
And it was famous for lawsuits.
If we weren’t careful, this could spiral into class action litigation and threaten the entire company.
* * *
I parked hastily and rushed toward the FaceNote Office Building.
The lights were clearly on inside, but all the windows had their blinds drawn.
It seemed they’d closed all the blinds for security reasons.
[We absolutely have to prevent a class action lawsuit….]
I hurried over and yanked open the FaceNote door.
* * *
“Sung-guk! Congratulations!!!”
“Congratulations!!!”
What on earth was going on?
Every employee from FaceNote and YouTube had gathered in the Office. They all wore ridiculous headbands on their heads.
“Sung-guk! Congratulations on YouTube turning profitable!”
Sam shouted loudly from the back.
“Sam… what are you all doing here?”
[Didn’t I give you my unlimited credit card for the second round anyway?]
Adam and Susan stood beside Sam as well.
[What are they all doing here?]
At that moment, Mark walked over wearing the same ridiculous headband as the employees, carrying an enormous cake.
“Sung-guk, congratulations on YouTube turning profitable!”
“Mark… didn’t you say FaceNote had a data breach?”
“FaceNote has Mi-mi, a genius hacker from North Korea—how could that even be possible?”
“That was… a lie?”
“Of course. I made it up to get you to come to the company.”
My heart swelled in that instant.
[Did they all gather here to celebrate me? Really?]
I swept my gaze across Mark, Lim Mi-mi, and the employees.
The two nerds Sam and Adam standing in the back, and Susan.
Jeon Tae-guk, who’d been moping alone over heartbreak, and Lim Jin-seo, who had no idea about any of this….
Everyone had gathered in one place.
To celebrate me!!!
At that moment, Lim Mi-mi approached and placed a ridiculous paper crown on my head.
“Boss, you didn’t think we knew, did you?”
“You all knew?”
“Don’t move your head. You’ll crush the crown.”
Lim Mi-mi placed the crown on me and smiled brightly.
“Congratulations on becoming the true king of YouTube, boss!”
I pressed my reddened eyes gently with my hand and shouted silently within.
[I am the king of YouTube!!!]

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————