I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 319

—————

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

—————

Chapter 319
I let out a long, heavy sigh.
Mother, true to form as a Korean parent, peppered me with questions about Emma.
“Mom, Emma is a famous actress… and she’s a really good person. She studies hard even while acting, and she’s attending Brown University right now.”
– Anyway, I found out about my son’s first relationship through the news, so I’m a bit flustered.
“Mom, I’m sorry.”
– Alright. How are Ji-hee and Min-guk doing?
“Good, they’re both studying incredibly hard.”
– That’s good. Since you’re the eldest, make sure you look after your siblings well.
“Don’t worry, Mom.”
[Sigh… the weight of being the eldest son in Korea…]
Mother’s voice had softened somewhat by the end before she hung up.
“Sung-guk, Ji-hee and Min-guk are really doing well, right?”
“Yeah. I thought Ji-hee should improve her English with this opportunity, so I arranged additional tutoring for her. Same with Min-guk.”
“Korean students really do study so much.”
“That’s what it takes to survive in a small society like Korea.”
I spoke with conviction.
Korea—such a small patch of land.
A population densely packed within it.
To make a living, you naturally have to study until you bleed!
“Sung-guk, but… you’re going back to Korea soon, right? So you and Emma are going to be completely long-distance?”
“Can’t be helped. Dating is one thing, but work is important too, you know? Emma and I have talked about it a lot. She has times when she can’t move for months because of film shoots…”
“Anyway, you two are both amazing. I get thorns in my mouth if I don’t see Mi-mi for even a day.”
“That’s the more impressive thing.”
“And… don’t forget that everyone’s watching your relationship. The paparazzi are going to be all over you.”
“I’m used to being in the spotlight anyway…”
I shrugged my shoulders.
* * *
– FaceNote launches aggressive recruitment drive.
– FaceNote prepares to build new office in Silicon Valley! The terrifying expansion of a rising company!
Articles about FaceNote’s fearsome expansion kept appearing in the news.
Adam, who had gone to Paris, worked remotely from the hotel I’d reserved for him while posting photos from famous Paris landmarks where he ate and drank coffee.
In truth, Paris was a tourist attraction no matter where you took pictures.
At the same time, the malicious posts appearing in IT communities had decreased significantly.
“Mark, are you getting a lot of resumes?”
“Yeah, we’ve definitely returned to previous levels. But there’s no getting around the talk that we make our employees work a lot.”
“In exchange, we pay more than anywhere else. Mark, you get paid for the work you do. If people want to talk about work-life balance, they can work less and get paid less, right? Isn’t that how it works?”
“Sung-guk, please only say that kind of thing when it’s just us.”
“Of course.”
I crossed my arms.
Chairman Jeon Ju-shin, the founding chairman of Samjeon Group, had always been this way.
– Treat people according to the work they do!
Mark checked the time and looked at me.
“You’re going to pick up Peter and Grace, right?”
“Yeah, I should. Mark, I’ll see you at the office building site later.”
“Got it!”
* * *
Peter and Grace arrived at San Francisco Airport.
Peter, who handled FaceNote’s finances and investments, had come to see the new office building site.
I hurried to greet them both.
“Peter, it’s good to see you again.”
“Sung-guk, I thought you came to the United States on vacation… when exactly do you rest?”
“I rest here and there. Haven’t you seen my articles?”
“I have. You were even going on yacht dates with Emma Watson and seemed to be doing well.”
Grace laughed as she spoke.
Peter smiled and grabbed my shoulder.
“I never imagined we’d be watching Sung-guk’s love life unfold in real-time like this… I truly never dreamed it.”
“I never imagined my own love life would be documented in real-time like this either.”
Dating a famous actress meant my privacy was exposed in ways I could never have imagined.
“But… did you rent the yacht yourself?”
“Elon rented it, and I just invited her to come along.”
My first meeting with Emma was also at Elon’s party.
“Sung-guk, where is Emma right now?”
“Brown University starts next week, so she went to the East Coast.”
“Oh no… that’s quite a long-distance relationship.”
Grace expressed her sympathy.
But I actually found long-distance relationships convenient. It meant I could focus on work outside of the time I spent with Emma.
“By the way, what do your parents say?”
Grace asked casually.
“They were surprised when they saw the articles, but once they learned who Emma was, they were happy about it.”
“Emma is truly wonderful. I’m even a bit envious seeing you two have such a beautiful relationship.”
Grace took my hand and patted it gently.
“Sung-guk, shall we go see the site where FaceNote will be located?”
“We should, Peter. I have to go back to Korea next week anyway. I want to resolve this quickly.”
“The East and West Coasts are far apart… and now you’re going to have a long-distance relationship between Korea and the United States?”
“I can’t help it. Work comes before romance for me, Grace.”
“Sung-guk, never say that in front of Emma. That’s advice from me as a woman. Understand?”
“Of course.”
* * *
Peter and I were looking at a massive empty plot of land in Silicon Valley.
Not far from there stood the headquarters of Google and Apple.
Soon Mark arrived, pulling up in an old used car.
“Mark, it’s been a while.”
“Peter, how have you been?”
“I’m doing well as always. Sung-guk has his eye on this land—what do you think of it?”
“Sung-guk and I see this plot every day on our commute. We’ve been saying how amazing it would be if we could build our office building here someday.”
“Hmm….”
Peter stroked his chin thoughtfully.
I could sense what was troubling him.
FaceNote was expanding at an almost phenomenon-like pace across the United States, but it hadn’t gone public yet. There might be limitations in raising capital.
“Peter, I think FaceNote could go public by May 2012.”
“What?”
When I mentioned such a specific timeframe, Peter’s expression showed genuine surprise.
“Sung-guk, is that… really possible?”
Mark’s face also betrayed skepticism.
[Of course it’s possible! I remember everything!]
I looked back and forth between Mark and Peter.
“Peter, I really want to build FaceNote’s office building on this land.”
Peter pondered for a moment, then nodded firmly.
“Sung-guk, let’s give it a shot. This area has plenty of benefits for the IT industry anyway, and with FaceNote’s current momentum, we should definitely be able to go public by 2012.”
Mark suddenly placed his hand over his heart.
“Mark, what’s wrong?”
“My… heart is beating so fast. Our dream is really coming true, isn’t it, Sung-guk?”
“Of course it is.”
[I’m Jeon Sung-guk, after all!]
* * *
We decided to build FaceNote’s office building on the land that Mark and I had dreamed about.
Peter quickly resolved the financial matters, and all the contracts were finalized.
And finally, the time to return to Korea was just a week away.
– Sung-guk, you’re going back to Korea next week?
“Yeah… I have a lot of work at the Korean branch, so I need to go.”
– Then I’ll come out there this weekend.
“Won’t studying be hard on you? Are you sure?”
– The West Coast is closer than Korea anyway. Oh, I have some good news for you.
“What is it?”
– The new Wizard Harry series is coming out at the end of this year, right? Korea is included in the Asia tour, and I’m determined to go.
“Emma, really don’t overdo it. And let’s meet somewhere in between when we have time.”
The midpoint between Emma and me was roughly Hawaii.
– Sung-guk, then I’ll come this weekend.
“Okay, I’ll pick you up at the airport.”
I hung up with Emma and gazed out the window.
Outside was dark, but my heart was full of happiness.
[Is this what love is….]
I’d dated several times in my previous life, but I’d rarely felt this happy.
We carved out time to see each other, coordinated our schedules for calls…. Long-distance romance turned out to be quite romantic.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
My phone on the table rang loudly.
Who could it be at this hour?
“Hello?”
– Hello… I’m Nicholas Cruz, Ji-hee’s private tutor.
“Ah, Ji-hee’s tutor. Of course.”
– Yes…. There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.
“What is it?”
– Would you happen to be free this weekend? My schedule is packed during the week, so I only have time on weekends.
It was the weekend I’d planned to date Emma.
I hesitated for a moment before answering.
“Yes, let me check my schedule. But what’s this about?”
– Ji-hee isn’t following her study plan at all. She’s leaving for Korea next week, and I’m worried about her. Plus, since this is a special tutoring arrangement and I’m receiving additional compensation, I think you should see and assess the situation directly.
“I understand. I’ll visit you.”
I hung up and let out a deep sigh.
Everything in my own work goes according to plan, so why do my younger siblings always cause problems?
This time it was Ji-hee.
* * *
I picked up Emma from the airport and immediately drove toward Ji-hee’s boarding school.
“Emma, I’m sorry.”
“Since I met your younger brother last time, I want to meet your younger sister quickly.”
“Thank you for understanding. She’s heading to Korea next week, and her tutor says he has something to discuss.”
“Then, after we meet with her teacher, should we have dinner with your sister?”
[What are you talking about? Jeon Ji-hee goes straight back to the dormitory.]
But I held back, afraid Emma would think I was a bad older brother if I said that.
“Let’s ask Ji-hee about that.”
“So her name is Ji-hee. What a beautiful name.”
[When you actually see her, she’s not that pretty.]
I drove to Ji-hee’s boarding school with Emma, whose head was full of dreams about meeting her.
* * *
Nicholas Cruz was a young teacher in his early thirties.
When Nicholas Cruz saw Emma and me, he looked quite flustered.
“W-wait…. Are you from ‘FaceNote’ and….”
“Yes, I’m Emma Watson. It’s nice to meet you.”
Emma greeted him first.
“I apologize. I was just so flustered.”
“It’s fine, sir. What did you want to tell me about Ji-hee?”
“Ah, well… Ji-hee has been studying English through American TV dramas in her dormitory room instead of attending my classes. She’s been skipping lessons frequently, and last time she didn’t even show up on test day. I feel terrible about this situation, especially toward her guardian who trusted me with her care.”
[Ji-hee, you brat! I’ve spent so much money on your education, and you’re skipping classes to watch TV dramas?!]
I took a deep breath and asked Nicholas.
“Nicholas, could I speak with Ji-hee privately?”
“I’ll bring her right away.”
Jeon Ji-hee appeared with a sullen expression on her face.
She sat down and alternated her gaze between me and Emma.
“Ji-hee, this is Emma Watson. She’s the lead actress from that Harry Potter series you used to binge-watch.”
“I know, big brother. The internet works fine here too. Your photos with her get posted regularly.”
In just a month, Ji-hee had changed noticeably from how she used to be.
What on earth had happened to her?
“Jeon Ji-hee, your teacher says you haven’t been attending classes and you’re locked up in your dorm room studying English through TV dramas?”
“Sir, studying English through TV dramas is more fun than attending class.”
“What TV drama are you even watching?”
“Friends.”
That famous Friends!
Emma, who had been listening to our conversation in Korean, interjected.
“Sung-guk, would you like me to talk with Ji-hee?”
“Emma, Ji-hee isn’t quite at the level where she can converse with you in English yet.”
That was the moment.
“Big brother, what are you talking about? I understood everything both of them said.”
Ji-hee spoke clearly and deliberately, with an accent that was nearly indistinguishable from native American English.
Emma’s eyes widened as she stared at Ji-hee.
“Ji-hee, your English is excellent.”
“My English is at this level, but Nicholas keeps making me repeat the same sentences over and over. That’s why I told him last week I wouldn’t continue private lessons and asked for a refund, so he called you.”
“Sung-guk, Ji-hee’s English is really impressive.”
Ji-hee shrugged her shoulders.
Then she looked at us.
“Big brother, can we stop the private lessons now?”
“Fine. I’ll arrange that. Then you should keep watching Friends until next week.”
“Okay!”
Ji-hee answered confidently.
At that moment, Emma asked Ji-hee.
“Ji-hee, would you like to go out for dinner with us?”
“Emma, if you hadn’t said that, I would’ve ended up hating you.”
Ji-hee grasped Emma’s hand tightly.
* * *
The next day, my mother called me saying an article like this had been published in Korea.
– Emma Watson having dinner with the younger sister of Jeon Sung-guk, CEO of FaceNote. Is Emma Watson becoming a Korean daughter-in-law?

—————

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

—————