I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 322

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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 322
Military Service Issue?
I’d end up serving at Samjeon as an industrial engineer anyway… so what problem could there possibly be to discuss?
I hung up with Secretary Yang and, lost in thought, headed toward the gate.
That’s when I heard a commotion in the distance, followed by someone calling out my name.
“It’s CEO Jeon Sung-guk!”
What?
In an instant, a barrage of camera flashes erupted!
And then a torrent of questions from the reporters followed.
“CEO Jeon Sung-guk, your romance with Emma Watton is making headlines. How did you two meet and where?”
“CEO Jeon Sung-guk, have you two made any future plans together?”
“CEO Jeon Sung-guk, who asked to date first? Did Emma Watton make the first move?”
“CEO Jeon Sung-guk! What is Emma Watton’s true personality like?”
“Does Emma Watton have plans to visit Korea?”
“CEO Jeon Sung-guk, look this way please!”
I paused for a moment.
If I simply brushed past the reporters without acknowledging them, I’d be branded as rude, but answering each question individually felt beneath me given their superficial nature.
The best approach in situations like this was to be appropriately polite while remaining deliberately vague.
I quickly offered the reporters a respectful greeting.
“I didn’t expect so many of you to come all the way to the airport. First, thank you for your interest. However, we’re still young and just beginning our relationship. I’d appreciate it if you could watch over us with warm hearts as we move forward together.”
Then I continued on my way.
The reporters called after me with more questions, but I only occasionally turned back to smile and bow respectfully without offering any further responses.
A single word from me could significantly impact Emma Watton’s image.
Besides, I had no desire to feed ammunition to reporters who were already speculating about Korean daughters-in-law based on a single meal with Ji-hee.
Secretary Yang, who had been waiting for me to escape the reporters, greeted me respectfully.
“Sung-guk, the Chairman is waiting for you.”
“A military service issue? What’s this about?”
“I don’t have the details myself. The Chairman will likely explain everything directly.”
That’s when I saw Jeon Tae-guk burst through the entrance like a madman.
“Sung-guk!”
Jeon Tae-guk looked startled when he spotted Secretary Yang.
“Secretary Yang, what brings you to the airport?”
It seemed this meeting was something Jeon Tae-guk knew nothing about.
“Young Master, the Chairman wanted to see Sung-guk separately.”
“Father?”
“Yes.”
Secretary Yang said nothing more.
And Jeon Tae-guk, understanding the meaning behind Secretary Yang’s silence, asked no further questions.
Even between parent and child, business was business—that was the Samjeon way.
Jeon Tae-guk scratched his head with a disappointed expression.
“I was planning to drag Sung-guk here right away and mooch some bossam off your parents….”
“Hyung, what about Jin-seo?”
“She’s waiting outside.”
“Hyung, then take Min-guk and Ji-hee to see our parents instead of me and get some bossam.”
“Sung-guk, aren’t you subtly pawning off two people on me?”
[Jeon Tae-guk has gotten sharper since I last saw him. Is this the power of love?]
“Hyung, either way, we’re eating bossam, right?”
“Fine. I was planning to go with you today and introduce Jin-seo to our parents… what a shame.”
[Why are you introducing Jin-seo to our parents! She’s not your parents’ daughter!]
Jeon Tae-guk grinned and patted my shoulder.
“Hyung, enjoy a delicious meal with Jin-seo. You know our mother once handled Lim Sun-mi’s management, right?”
“Ah, that’s right. We’ll have plenty to talk about today….”
Then Jeon Tae-guk leaned in close and whispered to me.
“Sung-guk, one of my dreams is… to go on a double date with a friend couple. When Emma Watton arrives, let’s do a double date with us. Got it?”
“Hyung, that’s for later. Right now, please take care of Min-guk and Ji-hee.”
“Got it!”
* * *
Secretary Yang’s car headed not to the Samjeon Hotel where I always met Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung, but to Seocho-dong where Samjeon’s headquarters was located.
“Secretary Yang, are we going to headquarters?”
“Yes, Sung-guk. He’ll be waiting there.”
I had many questions, but Secretary Yang didn’t seem like he’d answer anything more about today’s meeting.
I gazed silently out the window.
How much time had passed?
Samjeon’s headquarters came into view right ahead.
[It’s been a while… Samjeon.]
In my previous life, it was a place I commuted to every day, but in this life, I’d only seen it in passing since coming here for contract-related matters during my child model days.
It was now a place completely unrelated to me.
At that moment, Secretary Yang posed a question he’d been holding back.
“Sung-guk, how is Yang Chul-soo doing?”
“Yes, I saw him briefly since I’ve been busy. He’s finishing his thesis and will start working at FaceNote headquarters from September.”
“How does he look?”
Perhaps all fathers’ hearts were like this.
Whether their son was doing well. If his health was fine. How his face looked. If anything was wrong with him.
“He seemed a bit thin from studying, but he said he actually prefers being able to focus solely on his work.”
“I see….”
Secretary Yang’s words carried a lingering weight.
Yang Chul-soo had been serving as Jeon Tae-guk’s secretary since childhood, so he couldn’t focus 100 percent on his studies.
“Secretary Yang, don’t worry about Yang Chul-soo. He looked thin but healthy, and he’s still in his twenties, finding his own path.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Sung-guk.”
Secretary Yang said that and looked ahead again.
And finally, the vehicle began to enter Samjeon’s headquarters parking lot.
* * *
Secretary Yang pressed the button for the 23rd Floor.
The 23rd Floor?
The Chairman’s Office was clearly on the top floor….
The 23rd Floor was just office space, so Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung was there?
Secretary Yang, reading the confusion in my expression, quickly offered an explanation.
“Young Master Sung-guk, it seems the Chairman wants to show you something.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Something he wants to show me….
I truly had no idea what to expect.
Ding—
Soon the elevator arrived at the 23rd Floor.
What on earth was here?
In my previous life, I rarely visited office spaces, so I had no memory of what was on the 23rd Floor.
As the elevator doors opened, I saw an empty office.
The entire 23rd Floor was barren, not a single piece of furniture in sight.
And there, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung stood gazing out at the darkening cityscape beyond the windows.
As I stepped out of the elevator, Secretary Yang rode back down in the same one.
Now only Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung and I existed in this space.
When he heard my heavy footsteps, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung slowly turned around. In his hands were a bottle of wine and two glasses.
“This wine is from my winery in California. Would you care for a glass?”
“Yes, Chairman.”
I accepted the glass.
“Since the winery is still quite new, it doesn’t have a deep flavor yet. But it’s pleasant enough to drink casually.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung poured wine into my glass.
And we drank our wine in quiet silence.
The empty office was so quiet that even our voices would echo.
The only light came from a single small lamp.
The lit offices of the Opposite Building came into full view. There, businessmen in neckties moved busily about.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung observed them for a moment, then looked at me.
“Sung-guk, congratulations on your romance.”
“….”
Congratulations on my romance?
Honestly, I had no idea how to respond.
“Haha. Are you flustered?”
“No, sir. The entire world is watching my romance.”
“That’s just like you. Whatever you do, it transcends domestic scale. I believe people are born with a certain vessel, you see….”
This was something Chairman Jeon Ju-shin, the founder of Samjeon, used to say often.
According to Chairman Jeon Ju-shin, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung was the man who would make Samjeon a top-tier domestic company, and I, his son, was the vessel destined to elevate Samjeon to world-class status.
Of course, he died young at forty, so I never saw how it all ended….
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung took a sip of wine and continued speaking.
“Isn’t it about time you went to military service?”
“I could defer it, but I’m planning to go at an appropriate time.”
“Right, well, getting annoying things done quickly is one approach. So here’s the thing….”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung paused for a moment.
And I waited patiently for Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s next words.
“I’ve been bothered by the thought of you spending time as an ordinary defense contractor employee in some department at Samjeon…. So here’s what I’m thinking….”
Today, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung was being particularly deliberate with his pauses.
“Chairman, please speak freely.”
I gently urged Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung forward.
“How do you feel about this place?”
“This place?”
“The 23rd Floor of Samjeon Group. I’d like to give you this entire floor….”
“You want to give me this floor…? What do you mean by that?”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung spoke in a somewhat cryptic manner.
[Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung, just throw it out there like you usually do. Don’t dance around it!]
I took another sip of wine.
Only Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung could unravel the mystery of the 23rd Floor.
“What if you created an SNS development team here that you’ve always wanted? You’d take responsibility, assemble the team, and recruit talent. Then Samjeon could apply to register that company as a defense contractor.”
Of course, if Samjeon applied to register as a defense contractor, there was no chance of rejection.
But I couldn’t discern Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s exact intentions.
“Chairman, are you saying I should create an SNS development team under Samjeon?”
“Exactly. I don’t think you’re the type of person to work under someone else’s command.”
[That’s true, but….]
I silently waited for Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s next words.
“Sung-guk, I’m making you a proposal. You’ll have to do alternative military service anyway, and Samjeon will help you with that. I’m giving you wings so you can fully display your abilities.”
“There must be a price for those wings.”
“Of course, the SNS you develop will have to be jointly developed with Samjeon, and you’ll have to split the profits as well.”
That was only natural.
“Joint development. Fair profit sharing….”
As I repeated his words, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung added,
“Exactly 50-50. Samjeon gets 50 percent. And you get 50 percent.”
I thought for a moment, then looked at Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung.
In any case, it wasn’t a bad proposal.
I could do my military service while developing, and I could assemble and run the team exactly as I wanted.
It was far more attractive than spending my time as a salaried employee.
“However, there is one condition.”
“What is it?”
“After I’m discharged from the military, I want the independence of this 23rd Floor SNS team.”
“Independence?”
“I want FaceNote to exist as an independent company rather than a subsidiary of Samjeon. However, I’d like to maintain the original terms—Samjeon Group as the investor retains 50 percent equity, and I keep the remaining 50 percent.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung smiled faintly and took a sip of wine.
Then he looked at me.
“You truly are cut from different cloth. I’ll have the legal matters reviewed and organized by the end of this month. And… go ahead and assemble the team you want. We’ll begin your defense industry service once that team is complete.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
I finished the remaining wine.
* * *
My heart soared at Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s bold proposal.
FaceNote, YouTube, and Instagrim had all grown to a scale where they could operate smoothly without my direct involvement.
It was during this period that a certain hunger began to stir within me.
The desire to challenge something new once more…
And at precisely that moment, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung had extended this proposal to me.
Of course, I understood his true intentions perfectly.
– Keep your friends close. But keep your enemies closer.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung had taken a step back to keep me—a potential threat at any moment—even closer.
But I planned to use this opportunity to create something truly fascinating: a short-form video SNS platform.
A video platform and social network for producing and sharing short-duration videos. TikTok, precisely.

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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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