I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 324
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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 324
The proposals from Samjeon and Hyojin Group were nothing short of extraordinary.
They were even willing to hand over 80 percent of the shares and more to me….
Even if we donated 20 percent in the names of Hyojin and myself, if this fact became public, the perception of me would likely not be favorable.
“Hmm….”
As I deliberated, Jeon Tae-guk urged me from beside me.
“Sung-guk, don’t you need to decide soon? Applying for defense contractor status and everything else takes longer than you’d think.”
“I’m thinking of making a different proposal, William.”
“What? You’re going to make another proposal when the conditions are this good?”
“Yes.”
A way to secure both Samjeon and Hyojin Group.
That was the proposal I intended to present.
I looked at Jeon Tae-guk.
“William… may I ask you for a favor?”
“What is it?”
“I’d like you to meet Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung as William from FaceNote, but when you do, I’d appreciate it if you could persuade him about this situation as the successor to Samjeon Group.”
“Sung-guk, sometimes I think you overestimate me. I can’t pull off something that difficult.”
I gripped Jeon Tae-guk’s shoulder firmly.
“Just tell Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung exactly what you think. That will be enough.”
“Alright! I’m confident about that!”
* * *
“Chairman, Sung-guk has sent a newly prepared proposal through Young Master Tae-guk.”
At Secretary Yang’s words, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s brow furrowed.
He’d already given 85 percent of the shares, and now another proposal? And it came through Jeon Tae-guk, the successor to Samjeon?
‘This young man’s ambition knows no bounds.’
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung barely suppressed his anger and nodded.
Soon the door opened and Jeon Tae-guk appeared holding a document.
“Chairman… or rather, Father….”
“You’ll be thirty in just a couple of days, so you should graduate from calling me that.”
“Ah, it just slips out. F-A-T-H-E-R. This is what Sung-guk sent.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung accepted the document without a word.
Let me see what kind of proposal he made and how.
But the contents of the proposal were quite different from what Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung had anticipated.
– Dear Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung of Samjeon Group.
I am deeply grateful for the proposal you presented previously.
However, I also received a favorable proposal from Hyojin Group, which has left me in considerable deliberation.
Both Hyojin and Samjeon are precious companies to me, and they have provided tremendous support in bringing me to where I am today. I am truly grateful for the effort both have made regarding my military service as well.
Therefore, I would like to present a proposal to both companies simultaneously.
I propose to reduce my stake in the defense contractor company that I will personally organize and operate to 60 percent, while maintaining Hyojin and Samjeon’s stakes at 20 percent each, with all profits from both groups’ shareholdings being donated in the names of Hyojin, Samjeon, and myself for the revitalization of South Korea’s IT industry and the improvement of military barracks in the South Korean armed forces.
After reading through Sung-guk’s proposal, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung let out a wry smile.
In the end, the proposal was for both Hyojin Group and Samjeon to simultaneously invest in the defense industry company that Jeon Sung-guk would operate, with all profits being donated.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung looked up at Jeon Tae-guk, who had brought the documents.
“Jeon Tae-guk, you understand the contents, don’t you?”
“Yes, Father.”
“What would be the wisest course of action in your opinion?”
“If it were me… to be honest, I think I would accept this proposal.”
“Why?”
“FaceNote, YouTube, and Instagrim—every SNS Sung-guk touches becomes a hit. Within the United States, analysts are saying that if FaceNote goes public, Sung-guk and Mark will become wealthier than Google. That’s the assessment.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung nodded.
“An SNS developed by someone like Sung-guk during military service? Everyone will be curious about it. Just by having Hyojin and Samjeon invest without expecting profits, we’re essentially getting world-class advertising. And if the SNS Sung-guk develops becomes successful, both Hyojin and Samjeon will continue to be mentioned in connection with it.”
“Quite impressive… Did Sung-guk tell you to say that?”
“Father… this is my own thinking. And if possible, I believe we should include a clause where advertisements from both Hyojin and Samjeon are exposed together up to a certain point. That way, we’re both donating and advertising—it’s a win-win business strategy.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung smiled faintly.
Sending Jeon Tae-guk under Sung-guk had indeed been the right decision. He wasn’t quick, but he was definitely growing more solid than before.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung handed the documents back to Jeon Tae-guk.
“Chairman Koo should have received the same documents, so let’s finalize it by agreeing on the advertising terms.”
“Yes, Father. I’ll relay this exactly to Sung-guk.”
“Tae-guk…”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung called back Jeon Tae-guk, who was about to leave.
“Yes, what is it?”
Jeon Tae-guk was actually frightened by Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s unusually gentle tone.
“You’ve grown a lot under Sung-guk. But you must never forget that you are Samjeon’s heir.”
“Of course, Father.”
“And… when you decide to strike out on your own, that choice will be yours to make.”
“What do you mean by that…”
“The way things are now, it seems you don’t need to build your career from the bottom of Samjeon. Being at Sung-guk’s side appears to be contributing more to your growth.”
“Father… so, do I not have to join Samjeon?”
“Do as you wish. I’ll respect your choice—at least once or twice.”
“Yes! I understand!”
Jeon Tae-guk left the Chairman’s Office with excitement.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung watched Jeon Tae-guk rush out, his smile tinged with bitterness.
“The boy I gave up on… Jeon Sung-guk is molding him into a fine man…”
* * *
A small banquet hall in Samjeon Hotel.
It was the venue for Chairman Koo Soo-young’s seventieth birthday celebration.
I arrived an hour before the seven o’clock start time. I had a gift to present to Chairman Koo Soo-young.
I called Chairman Koo Soo-young from the lobby.
After a few rings, Chairman Koo Soo-young answered the phone.
– Sung-guk, have you arrived?
“Yes, Chairman.”
– This is a suite room. Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung is here as well, so please come up comfortably.
“Yes.”
I quickly walked toward the elevator.
* * *
The suite room door opened, and Chairman Koo Soo-young, who had been sitting on the sofa, rose to his feet.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung stood up as well.
“Sung-guk, it’s been a while.”
“Chairman, I hope you’ve been well.”
“Don’t greet me like that. It makes me sound like an old man.”
“My apologies.”
“Yes, yes. From now on, just ask how I’ve been doing. That’s enough.”
“I will, Chairman.”
Then I quickly greeted Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung as well.
Of course, the look in Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s eyes as he regarded me couldn’t have been pleasant.
“We’ve been seeing each other quite often lately.”
“Thanks to the fresh proposal you gave us, I haven’t seen Chairman Koo Soo-young this frequently in quite some time.”
“Thanks to Sung-guk, Hyojin and Samjeon have been meeting so often… and on top of that, we can work together on such wonderful ventures… where could you find a better relationship than this? Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Absolutely, Chairman.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung nodded, concealing his true feelings.
I quickly handed the contract to Chairman Koo Soo-young.
Chairman Koo Soo-young smiled faintly.
“You’ve reviewed it thoroughly, haven’t you?”
“Of course. I’m a busy man with many commitments, as you know. I had my lawyer clean everything up and signed it. Chairman, I did push myself a bit to get this done in time for your seventieth birthday.”
“Thank you… truly. I think this might be the most precious gift among all my birthday gifts. The fact that the young man I sponsored has grown so magnificently and is contributing to South Korea’s economic development… it makes me feel that the Junho Foundation’s funds haven’t been wasted.”
For a moment, Chairman Koo Soo-young’s eyes glistened with moisture.
It seemed his deceased son, Jun-ho, had come to mind.
“I’ve gotten a bit emotional. At my age, regrets and lingering attachments suddenly wash over me from time to time. Chairman Jeon, when you reach my age, don’t hold too tightly to your only son. Treat him well.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
Chairman Koo Soo-young stood up from his seat.
“Well then, shall we go? It was supposed to be a modest dinner, but with the Junho Foundation scholarship students gathering and Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung from Samjeon joining us, it seems I have no choice but to use the banquet hall.”
“If you had just let me know beforehand, I would have reserved an even better hall for you.”
“No need. What’s there to boast about getting old?… Still, Samjeon Hotel’s food is well-known, so that’s more than enough. Sung-guk, what are you most looking forward to today?”
“When it comes to Samjeon Hotel, I always look forward to their jjajangmyeon the most.”
“That’s right. Samjeon Hotel means jjajangmyeon.”
Chairman Koo Soo-young squeezed my hand firmly and left the suite room.
* * *
– Will Emma Watson, the lead actress in the new series of the Wizard Harry film, 【The Wizard Harry and the Deadly Curse】, come to Korea for promotion?
– Will Emma Watson choose to go to Korea to meet her boyfriend, CEO Jeon Sung-guk?
– Jeon Sung-guk confirmed for alternative military service at a defense contractor supported by Hyojin and Samjeon, aimed at developing their own SNS platform!
– Will Emma Watson wait for CEO Jeon Sung-guk, who has gone to the military?!
As articles about my alternative military service began circulating, being linked with Emma Watson was unavoidable.
South Korea was, after all, a nation where military service was a mandatory obligation.
Even with alternative service through a defense contractor, I still had to complete four weeks of basic training at a recruit training center.
I explained this situation to Emma over the phone.
“After I finish the four weeks at the recruit training center, I’ll just be living in Korea like I’m going to work at the company every day.”
– You have to go through four weeks of military training?
“Yeah, once I’m in there, I probably won’t be able to call or use the internet.”
– Sung-guk, I’m going to miss you so much. How am I going to survive four weeks!
“If we’re doing long-distance dating, there will probably be times we can’t see each other for even longer than that…”
– I’ll definitely come to Korea to promote the new Harry Potter film.
“Are you sure you can tell me that?”
– Yeah, you’re the first person I’m telling… My schedule will probably be officially announced in a few weeks.
“The Korean media is going to go crazy again.”
Emma listed all the things she wanted to see and eat when she came to Korea.
– Is it that boiled pork your father makes? What’s it called?
“Yeah, that’s right. Boiled pork.”
– I definitely want to go there.
“I’ll let Father know in advance. I’ll tell him to give Emma the best boiled pork.”
– Wow, I’m already so excited. Sung-guk, how are you going to wait until then?
“If I have time, we can at least see each other for a bit in Hawaii.”
– I want to do that too… but because of the movie promotion, I have to clear my schedule at the end of the semester, so I have a ton of assignments to submit early.
“We can work on them together when we meet. I’ll help you with your assignments.”
– Sung-guk?! Why didn’t I think of that!
Emma and I decided to meet in Hawaii in a month, and we even booked plane tickets.
It was quite a while before we finally hung up.
Knock. Knock.
I heard a knock from outside.
Jeon Tae-guk poked his head in with an exaggerated yawn.
“Sung-guk, Father called me saying you weren’t answering your phone. He called me an hour ago asking me to tell you to hang up and call him back.”
“Oh, sorry, hyung.”
“Please at least put someone on call waiting. You’re not the only one dating.”
“Got it.”
I quickly called Father.
The phone rang only briefly before he picked up.
– Jeon Sung-guk, you’re hard to reach.
His tone was slightly teasing.
“Oh, that’s… From now on, Father, send me a message first. Then I’ll call you right back.”
– Your father doesn’t want to interfere with your first love.
“It’s not like that.”
Talking about dating between father and son was somehow a difficult subject to broach.
I quickly changed the subject.
“Father, what did you want to tell me?”
– Ah, Sung-guk. Do you have time this weekend?
“Yeah.”
– Then let’s go somewhere with your old man.
“Where?”
– I’ll tell you when the time comes.
* * *
Father climbed into the passenger seat of my car.
“Father, where are we going?”
“Apgujeong Hyunsung Apartments.”
“Why there?”
Father looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Sung-guk, don’t you remember?”
“Remember what?”
“You specifically asked me to buy you an apartment there.”
No way….
“You’re going to be stuck in Korea for a while because of military service anyway. It’s not right to keep relying on Jeon Tae-guk’s place forever…. So your father bought you a unit at Hyunsung Apartments, just like I promised.”
“Father….”
I was so shocked I couldn’t close my mouth.
“Why the surprise? When Emma visits Korea, it wouldn’t be right to invite her to Jeon Tae-guk’s place. We should invite her to your own home.”
Father winked at me with a knowing smile.
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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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