I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 348

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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 348
Han Tae-jin glanced at Jeon Tae-guk before immediately shifting his gaze toward me.
Then he strode forward and extended his hand.
“You’re CEO Jeon Sung-guk, right? I’m Han Tae-jin from Hansung Automobile.”
“Yes, hello. I’m Jeon Sung-guk.”
“You’re even more handsome in person than what I’ve seen in the media. And quite tall too.”
[Everyone says that—it’s embarrassing.]
I gave a slight shrug.
I could feel the cold glint in Jeon Tae-guk’s eyes as he watched us.
“I’m delighted to meet you at our gathering today. Tae-guk has been bragging about you quite a bit.”
“My older brother?”
“Ah, so you two are sworn brothers.”
[In my past life, I was actually his real older brother.]
Han Tae-jin smiled and looked at Jeon Tae-guk.
“Jeon Tae-guk, you were such a pathetic mess back when you went to the States for early study abroad, but look at you now—you’ve even made such a great younger brother.”
“Han Tae-jin, when was I ever pathetic!”
Jeon Tae-guk snapped irritably without thinking.
Without the title of heir to Samjeon Group, Jeon Tae-guk’s past was nothing but a history of mediocrity.
He couldn’t study well, had a rough personality, and had no friends.
Only after coming to the States and meeting me did he start becoming a decent person.
In contrast, Han Tae-jin had gone through a relatively respectable growth process.
He came up through middle school in South Korea, studied abroad in the States during high school, and followed the textbook path of studying business at Princeton University.
Of course, it was a stretch to say he did it all on his own, but the fact that he managed to keep up with it was itself an ability among third-generation chaebol heirs who were born with everything and lacked willpower.
And currently, he was working at Hansung Automobile.
“Han Tae-jin, we’re not middle schoolers anymore. Stop teasing.”
Park Sung-hee, the good-natured one from Forbes, stepped in.
“I’m not teasing. I’m just stating facts.”
“Anyway, you two are wearing the exact same watch.”
Shin Dae-sung, who became rich selling gum, suddenly interjected.
Jeon Tae-guk and Han Tae-jin simultaneously looked down at their watches.
Neither said anything, but it was clear both had bought the watches for this Cheolsamhoe gathering. And the fact that they happened to wear the exact same watch seemed to have bruised their pride.
Choi Gwang-mo, who became a tycoon selling school uniforms, suddenly asked.
“Tae-guk, where did you buy yours?”
“I got mine at Samjeon Department Store.”
“Tae-jin, what about you?”
“I got mine at Hansung Department Store.”
Choi Gwang-mo tilted his head and looked at Shin Dae-sung.
“Dae-sung, can you check if our department store carries that watch? I want to buy one too.”
“Sure… If Samjeon and Hansung have it, our department store definitely will too.”
Among those present, only two didn’t own a department store—Park Sung-hee and Choi Gwang-mo.
“Hey, don’t you guys buy one. This is the only one that came to Samjeon Department Store, and I bought it.”
[Hmm, I think it’s time for me to step in.]
“Ha ha.”
I let out a subtle laugh.
Instantly, everyone’s gaze turned toward me.
“Are you all really going to engage in this kind of power play over a single watch?”
I could see Han Tae-jin’s brow furrow at my words.
“Just a watch? That’s quite a harsh thing to say, CEO Jeon Sung-guk.”
“Isn’t it true? You can buy that watch if you have enough money.”
“There aren’t that many people in Korea or the world who have enough money to afford this watch, CEO Jeon Sung-guk.”
Han Tae-jin made his displeasure evident.
“Isn’t it because you both want to be the only one wearing that watch? You and Han Tae-jin?”
When I asked, Han Tae-jin and Jeon Tae-guk fell silent.
[How childish, like typical third-generation chaebol heirs….]
“Then, how about we do this?”
“How, Sung-guk?”
“We play a game, and whoever wins becomes the sole owner of that watch in South Korea.”
“But Tae-jin is already wearing one. What about that?”
“The loser’s watch gets smashed right here.”
Both Jeon Tae-guk and Han Tae-jin looked shocked at my words.
At that moment, Shin Dae-sung glanced around cautiously before chiming in.
“I just checked, and fortunately our department store doesn’t have one. So the two of you are wearing the only two watches of this kind in South Korea.”
Either way, breaking a watch worth over a hundred million won wasn’t an easy thing for even third-generation chaebol heirs.
I could see Jeon Tae-guk and Han Tae-jin hesitating.
[Then I need to give them a little push.]
“Or you could both just wear the watch and go around together.”
Jeon Tae-guk was the first to feel provoked by those words.
“Yeah, let’s do it! Let’s go!”
Han Tae-jin also glanced around before responding.
“Fine. But what game are we playing?”
[I already have a game in mind.]
I crossed my arms and answered.
“From now on, any incoming calls must be answered on speakerphone.”
Everyone was astonished at my words.
Han Tae-jin asked calmly.
“And then?”
“Whoever receives a call from the person with the highest status wins this game.”
“Sung-guk, how many hours is the time limit?”
“How about three hours?”
“Yeah, that should be enough time to enjoy the gathering while we do it.”
Park Sung-hee agreed without hesitation.
“But… what if we participated too?”
Choi Gwang-mo interjected shamelessly.
“You guys too?”
“Honestly, I really want that watch. But there are only two in all of South Korea, right? It’s not even coming to Shin Dae-sung’s department store. So here’s what I’m thinking—let’s change the rules like this. The loser between two people breaks their watch, and the remaining one goes to whoever gets a call from the person with the highest status.”
“If Jeon Tae-guk and I don’t get one, we end up donating anyway.”
Han Tae-jin wore a disgruntled expression.
“Then the winner can sell it to me.”
At that moment, Jeon Tae-guk eagerly unfastened his watch and placed it on the table.
“I think Gwang-mo’s suggestion is fun. We’re just passing around a watch worth a little over 100 million won between friends. Sung-guk, since you proposed the game first, what do you think about changing the rules like this?”
“I think it’s interesting. I’d like to participate too.”
“So it just comes down to Han Tae-jin’s approval… Tae-jin, you and I are the successors of the most successful companies in our country. Let’s just say we’re donating to these members here who don’t make as much money as us.”
Jeon Tae-guk even showed off a bit.
Han Tae-jin reluctantly unfastened his watch and placed it on the table.
“Fine. Sure, why not. It’s just a watch anyway…”
I smiled faintly and checked the time.
Five minutes before 3 p.m.
“Then, let’s start the game at exactly 3 o’clock. Everyone put your phones on the table the moment it hits 3.”
Everyone nodded at my words.
* * *
3 p.m.
The game finally began.
For the first few minutes, everyone sipped their drinks nervously, watching each other’s expressions.
But the phone didn’t ring.
After several dozen minutes passed, everyone simply continued the gathering, chatting about this and that as usual.
“CEO Jeon Sung-guk, what’s Emma Watson really like?”
Choi Gwang-mo, who was naturally interested in women, asked.
“She’s smart and straightforward. She doesn’t expect special treatment just because she’s an actress.”
“But why did you really break up? Was it because of the military service?”
“Well, yeah.”
I brushed it off vaguely.
My pride wouldn’t allow me to say I’d been dumped by the Military Training Center.
“Oh right, ‘FaceNote’ is huge in the States these days… I opened an account myself.”
“Dae-sung, you need to activate your ‘FaceNote’ more. What’s the point if you don’t even have friends on it?”
“I guess I need to actively promote myself as Shin Dae-sung. That way people will gather around, right?”
That’s when it happened.
Just as everyone was chatting without any suspicion, the phone rang.
“Who is it?”
Park Sung-hee looked at her phone with delight.
“Gwang-mo, it’s your call.”
Choi Gwang-mo glanced at his phone with a hint of nervousness.
The caller ID displayed the name “Lee Mi-jung.”
“Mi-jung? You don’t mean that Mi-jung?”
“Hey, just answer it!”
“Why do I have to be the first one to take her call….”
Choi Gwang-mo’s face flushed as he picked up the phone.
Lee Mi-jung’s voice soon flowed through the speakerphone.
She was a rising star who had worked as a school uniform model for Choi Gwang-mo’s company before recently exploding in popularity through a television drama.
– Gwang-mo oppa, where are you?
“Uh… Mi-jung.”
Choi Gwang-mo answered the call with considerable awkwardness.
“Mi-jung, what’s going on?”
– What do you mean what’s going on? We agreed to go to Hawaii next week, oppa. You said you were close with the Shinsung Department Store people and we’d go to the duty-free shop together. When are we going?
“Uh… Mi-jung, could I call you back?”
– Ugh, oppa. If you keep this up, I’m not going to Hawaii.
“Mi-jung, no, that’s not it. Let’s go tomorrow. I’m sorry, oppa.”
Choi Gwang-mo, growing desperate, was trying to appease Lee Mi-jung.
– I guess there’s no choice. Fortunately, I don’t have any schedules tomorrow, so I’ll see you then.
“Yeah, that’s right, Mi-jung. Oppa will buy you anything you want. Don’t worry.”
– Okay.
After hanging up with Lee Mi-jung, Choi Gwang-mo wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“Our Gwang-mo really is a romantic.”
Park Sung-hee tapped Choi Gwang-mo’s shoulder playfully.
“Lee Mi-jung. You know she’s one of the rising actresses these days, right?”
Just as pride welled up on Choi Gwang-mo’s face, Park Sung-hee’s phone rang.
“Hey, that’s my call!”
Park Sung-hee showed us the caller ID with a proud expression.
“It’s Director Park Wook. You guys know him, right? He won an award at Cannes for 【Old Man】.”
Park Sung-hee quickly answered the phone.
“Director, it’s Sung-hee. What can I do for you?”
– Sung-hee, you mentioned before that you were very interested in film business opportunities.
“Of course. I’m interested now, and I’m even more interested in working with you, Director.”
– I’m planning to arrange a meeting with some people I know around next week.
“Director, just let me know the date and I’ll be there right away.”
– Understood. I’ll contact you again once I’ve set the date.
“Yes, Director!”
Park Sung-hee hung up and scanned her friends with a satisfied expression.
“Isn’t Director Park Wook, who won at Cannes, on a higher level than these rising actors these days?”
“Of course.”
Shin Dae-sung quickly agreed.
* * *
After that, for a while, only advertising calls came through.
Jeon Tae-guk and Han Tae-jin still hadn’t received any significant calls.
Then Han Tae-jin’s face brightened as he grabbed his phone and showed the caller ID to everyone.
‘Presidential Secretariat Director.’
Han Tae-jin answered with a satisfied expression.
“Yes, Director.”
– Tae-jin, I’m calling about the President’s economic inspection tour scheduled for next month.
“Of course I’ll attend. I’ll make time no matter what, so please coordinate through the Secretariat.”
– Understood. I’ll proceed with that arrangement.
Han Tae-jin hung up and looked at Jeon Tae-guk.
“To beat the Presidential Secretariat Director, who would need to call? The President himself?”
Jeon Tae-guk pressed his lips together repeatedly.
And at that moment, Jeon Tae-guk’s phone rang.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward him, but his face didn’t look particularly bright.
“Tae-guk, who is it?”
Three words displayed on the caller ID: ‘Father’
It was none other than Jeon Jae-hyung, Chairman of Samjeon Group.
Though highest in rank, there seemed to be concern about what Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung might say.
Jeon Tae-guk reluctantly answered the call.
“Dad, it’s me.”
– You shopped at Samjeon Department Store before it opened this morning, didn’t you?
“Ah, that’s… We had a Cheolsamhoe meeting today.”
– You’re still doing that pathetic club?
At those words, the Cheolsamhoe members fell silent as mice.
“Dad, what’s this about?”
– Just testing. Let’s talk again next time.
And Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung hung up.
Jeon Tae-guk, relieved, looked at the Cheolsamhoe members.
“My father called directly. The representative of Samjeon Group. Not some rising actor or a director who won at Cannes. Not the President, and certainly stronger than the Presidential Secretariat Director so far. My father is the strongest, right?”
And only ten minutes remained.
The atmosphere made Jeon Tae-guk’s victory seem almost certain.
And the only phone that hadn’t rung once was mine.
“If it ends like this, Jeon Tae-guk should buy us drinks tonight, right?”
“It’ll cost less than Tae-jin’s watch. I’ll cover all the drinks.”
Just as Jeon Tae-guk was about to boast, the phone rang.
“Uh… It’s Jeon Sung-guk’s call!”
“Hey, there’s still four minutes left!”
“But… there’s no caller ID showing. Is it spam?”
“Answer it anyway, Jeon Sung-guk.”
Who is it?
I answered the call with perfect composure.
A very familiar voice came through the receiver.
– Sung-guk, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? How are things in Korea?
“Barack, it really has been ages. I’m doing well, keeping busy with work. How are things at the White House these days?”
In that moment, everyone from Cheolsamhoe fell silent, their mouths hanging open.
Today, I was the victor of this game!

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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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