I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 337

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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 337
Knock. Knock.
The sound of knuckles rapping against the office door echoed through the room.
Jeon Tae-guk pushed the door open and thrust a McDonald’s breakfast set into my hands.
“You pulled an all-nighter, didn’t you?”
“Yes….”
“I figured as much. I’ll have Secretary Park Sung-hee pick up some fresh clothes for you.”
“Please don’t bother Park Secretary. She probably didn’t sleep much either.”
“Why’s that?”
Jeon Tae-guk asked with a puzzled expression.
I handed him the list I’d received from Sergey Brin yesterday, along with the information Secretary Park Sung-hee had gathered through the night.
Jeon Tae-guk’s eyes widened as he scanned the list.
“Lee Sun-hwa… wait… KGB? You mean the KGB I’m thinking of?”
“Probably….”
I nodded quietly.
“Wow, Lee Sun-hwa is quite a frightening person.”
“Take a look at Secretary Park Sung-hee’s investigation too.”
“Ah….”
Jeon Tae-guk quickly reviewed Secretary Park Sung-hee’s report.
Lee Sun-hwa was far more terrifying than I’d initially thought.
Lee Sun-hwa, who had majored in Russian at a Korean university, apparently made contact with the KGB during an exchange student program in Russia—a chance encounter that would alter her trajectory.
Perhaps it stemmed from childhood fantasies about espionage.
After graduating, she was selected as a scholarship recipient for further studies in Russia, where the KGB’s persuasion drew her into this world.
“So Lee Sun-hwa’s reason for quitting her previous company so quickly—that was because of this?”
“According to Secretary Park Sung-hee, there were no major security issues at her previous company. I believe that when the KGB’s target shifted to me, she naturally left that position and transferred here.”
“So this company is her first assignment.”
“Yes.”
Jeon Tae-guk scratched his brow with his finger.
“But Sung-guk… there’s something that worries me….”
“What is it?”
“If Lee Sun-hwa just quits like this, will the KGB really let her go? Like in the movies—they don’t just kill her or something?”
I smiled wryly.
“William, please just finish reading Secretary Park’s report.”
“Is there something else?”
Jeon Tae-guk quickly finished the report and nodded.
“The modern KGB is surprisingly reasonable.”
Lee Sun-hwa’s relationship with the KGB was strictly contractual.
No results meant no payment, naturally.
And if her identity was exposed, the contract would be immediately terminated, with permanent exclusion from any future industrial espionage activities.
The only condition was that she never speak of the KGB to anyone.
It was a fact that Samsung had discovered through actual contact with a real power broker in the KGB.
I took a sip of my McDonald’s coffee.
“How’s Adam doing, hyung?”
“He’s been a bit listless… so last night he locked himself in his room and kept listening to Misseight songs.”
“If they hold another concert, I’ll have to ask Park Jin-soo to arrange it.”
“So, what are you going to do about Lee Sun-hwa?”
“I’ll fire her the moment she comes to work… and I’ll let people know that Lee Sun-hwa was an industrial spy.”
“And Han Myung-seok?”
“After the workshop, we’ll strengthen security and tell everyone to prepare themselves mentally. Then Han Myung-seok probably won’t be able to hold back from making a move within this week. Of course, I’ll also need to make it clear that Adam has been working incredibly hard.”
Jeon Tae-guk had subtly placed his hand on my McDonald’s coffee.
“Hmm… that’s a good plan.”
“William, I’m curious about something. The tycoon didn’t just buy one McDonald’s, did he?”
“Don’t worry. I personally picked yours and brought it myself. I had them deliver according to the number of employees. By the way, should I tell them about firing Lee Sun-hwa after eating McDonald’s?”
“I’m not sure…”
* * *
I could hear the employees chatting cheerfully among themselves.
The McDonald’s had certainly lifted the mood in the office.
[Well then, shall I dampen this atmosphere a bit…?]
I stepped out the door with a disheveled face.
A startled employee looked at me.
“CEO Sung-guk, you came in early.”
“I didn’t leave yesterday.”
At my words, the employees eating McDonald’s began to exchange nervous glances.
Only Jeon Tae-guk and Adam weren’t reading the room.
Jeon Tae-guk already knew what was about to happen, and Adam didn’t understand Korean very well.
Everyone except the two of them quietly picked up their McDonald’s and returned to their seats.
“Work hasn’t started yet anyway. Please, eat comfortably.”
Everyone shook their heads at my words.
[Did I come on too strong…?]
I called out to Lee Sun-hwa, who was just heading back to her seat with her McDonald’s.
“By the way… Lee Sun-hwa.”
“Yes, Sung-guk…?”
“Lee Sun-hwa, pack your things right now.”
Lee Sun-hwa looked at me with startled eyes.
Everyone alternated their gazes between me and Lee Sun-hwa, wondering what was happening.
I looked at Adam.
“Adam, while Lee Sun-hwa packs, make sure she doesn’t take any of our company secrets with her.”
“Yes, Sung-guk.”
Adam stood up with an expressionless face.
I could feel Lee Sun-hwa looking at Adam with a sorrowful gaze.
[Lee Sun-hwa, staring at Adam like that won’t change anything.]
I crossed my arms and swept my gaze across the employees.
“Yesterday, Sergey Brin, CEO of Google, sent me a list of industrial spies. Surprisingly, we have one spy in our company too.”
I glanced subtly at Han Myung-seok.
Han Myung-seok was calmly sipping his coffee.
It was a stark contrast to the other employees, who were too shocked to eat anything.
Already, everyone’s attention had shifted to Lee Sun-hwa.
I finished my statement.
“William, monitor Lee Sun-hwa while she packs. Adam, check Lee Sun-hwa’s personal computer. And Lee Sun-hwa, you come with me for a moment. We can talk then.”
* * *
Lee Sun-hwa’s face was remarkably composed.
As if she’d always known this day would come.
“Lee Sun-hwa, I know everything about you, so there’s nothing more to say. The police are on their way now. Last weekend evening, someone copied files from Adam’s computer. You were the only one entering and leaving the company at that time.”
Lee Sun-hwa’s eyes showed a hint of surprise.
She hadn’t expected that we’d already prepared countermeasures.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
“What happens to me then?”
“Why are you asking me that? We’ll handle it according to the law, and KGB will disown you as well. But I’m curious about something. Lee Sun-hwa, why did you accept KGB’s proposal? You have excellent credentials, you’re intelligent, and you’re good at your work.”
“Sigh…”
Lee Sun-hwa let out a low sigh.
“Even with excellent credentials, intelligence, and good work, you’re still just a salaried employee. The odds of winning the lottery are lower than being struck by lightning. Sung-guk already has so much, yet you keep running the company to gain even more. Taking some things from someone like that wouldn’t even hurt them, would it?”
“I wouldn’t be hurt. But the people working with me would be. Like you said, they’re salaried employees outside this office. If this company collapses, they lose their livelihoods.”
“….”
Lee Sun-hwa had nothing more to say.
There are people in this world who only think of themselves.
Lee Sun-hwa was exactly that type.
“One last question, Lee Sun-hwa.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Did you ever really have feelings for Adam?”
“….”
Lee Sun-hwa paused. Then she slowly opened her mouth.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A knock sounded at just that moment.
The door opened and Jeon Tae-guk poked his head in.
“The police are here, and Adam finished investigating Lee Sun-hwa’s computer. We have all the files she copied last Saturday and the CCTV footage.”
At that moment, Lee Sun-hwa’s eyes suddenly changed, and she looked at me.
“Sung-guk… I only found out I was KGB’s spy because of the list Sergey sent. But the company has had security programs installed and surveillance running for a long time already. Isn’t there another spy besides me?”
“Lee Sun-hwa, security is the foundation of any company.”
I cut off Lee Sun-hwa’s question.
Soon the police rushed in, and Lee Sun-hwa quietly stood up and followed them.
“I won’t say a word until my lawyer arrives.”
Lee Sun-hwa already knew how to handle this.
There wasn’t much data stolen, and since there were no security cameras in the office, it was ambiguous whether we could prove that Lee Sun-hwa had actually copied files from Adam’s computer.
If she insisted she took them to study, considering she was a first-time offender, she might be released after a few rounds of questioning.
Of course, she’d be marked, and finding employment in Korea would be difficult going forward.
Lee Sun-hwa left Alpha that way.
* * *
“Today we’re conducting a full computer investigation. Everyone, hands off your keyboards right now!”
The police led Lee Sun-hwa away, and I shouted into the now-unsettled office.
All the employees immediately raised their hands and stepped away from their computers.
Han Myung-seok did the same.
“Everyone, please gather in the Conference Room. No one can leave until Adam finishes the computer investigation. Of course, we’ll provide meals and water. You’re free to use the restroom.”
At my words, the employees filed into the Conference Room one by one, their faces darkened.
I saw Han Myung-seok approaching.
“Sung-guk, how does Sergey know about a spy in a Korean company?”
“I don’t see why I need to explain that to you, Han Myung-seok.”
“Ah, I apologize.”
Han Myung-seok quickly lowered his tail.
People like Han Myung-seok are textbook examples of the strong preying on the weak. Weak to the strong, endlessly strong to the weak.
Han Myung-seok turned back around just before entering the Conference Room.
“Sung-guk, then… what about our workshop?”
“The workshop will proceed as scheduled. Given everything that’s happened, we need to have a more discreet conversation among ourselves. And… after the workshop, we’ll need to strengthen our security. Since you’re a programmer, Han Myung-seok, could you help us then?”
“Of course, Sung-guk.”
I put Han Myung-seok’s mind at ease so he wouldn’t grow suspicious.
Han Myung-seok entered the Conference Room with a noticeably more relaxed expression.
[Han Myung-seok, next it’s your turn….]
* * *
Adam locked himself in the office and started the program until the weekend workshop.
I kept going back and forth to Adam’s office, deliberately talking about this project non-stop.
“Adam, it’s progressing faster than expected. Once we’re back from the workshop, we should have a rough outline.”
“There’s a program we used when we made the FaceNote messenger before, so it’s much smoother.”
Adam responded appropriately.
As work progressed bit by bit, the employees too had already forgotten about Lee Sun-hwa and were living their daily lives again.
“By the way, those of you participating in this week’s workshop—thanks for your effort even though it’s the weekend.”
Lee Sun-hwa’s vacant position in the Marketing Team was filled by Jung Seo-hyun and Lee Su-min.
“Han Myung-seok will be coming to the condo by car tomorrow, right?”
“Yes, Sung-guk.”
“Then everyone, don’t overwork yourselves—leave early today! I’m leaving early too.”
I left the company with a deliberately carefree expression.
As I stood in front of the elevator, I heard Adam’s footsteps approaching from behind.
“Adam, what happened to the program you were working on?”
“I talked a lot about it during lunch with the staff. Since it’s a messenger app, they said it should come out soon. I also let slip that Sung-guk seems to be setting up a meeting with someone from China.”
“Adam, your lies are getting worse by the day.”
At that moment, Jeon Tae-guk approached from behind.
“But we can still make the workshop tomorrow, right?”
“Of course we have to go, William.”
“I had a dream last night. A thief broke into our company. I had this nightmare where everything went crazy. When I woke up this morning, my head was pounding so much—it feels like a bad omen.”
I quickly sent a message to Secretary Park Sung-hee.
– Secretary Park, I’m requesting enhanced surveillance on Han Myung-seok tonight.
Just then, a message arrived from an unknown number.
Who could it be?
The moment I opened the message, a familiar name appeared.
– Sung-guk, it’s Lee Sun-hwa. I’m cooperating with the investigation. But I think there’s something I didn’t get to say in the end. You asked how I felt about Adam. I don’t think I answered you back then.
[Hmm, you’re bringing this up now?]
I continued reading the message.
– My feelings for Adam were mixed. I approached him for work, but Adam was genuinely charming too. If Adam was hurt because of me, I hope this helps console him.
I closed my phone.
Lee Sun-hwa’s feelings for Adam were genuine.
What would happen if Adam knew this?
As I stared at Adam, he quickly held out his phone.
“Sung-guk, there’s a Misseight fan meeting. Could you help me get tickets?”
“Of course, Adam.”
Adam bounced up and down like an excited child.
And I kept my mouth shut.
Sometimes it’s better not to know the truth.

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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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