I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 361

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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 361
I felt Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s gaze settle on my face.
I quickly rose from my seat with composure and greeted Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung.
“It’s been a while since we’ve met.”
“Indeed, CEO Jeon Sung-guk.”
Now Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung addressed me as CEO Jeon Sung-guk.
After greeting me, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung turned his attention to Chairman Koo Soo-young.
“Chairman, why don’t we keep breakfast light with something easy on the stomach? The abalone porridge here is quite good.”
“Ha ha. You’re so much younger than me, yet you’re always hunting for health foods. I’ll have the Eggs Benedict and coffee. Namsan Hotel does that exceptionally well.”
“Then I’ll have the same as well.”
Namsan Hotel’s Eggs Benedict was renowned. The coffee that accompanied it was sublime—something I had genuinely enjoyed in my previous life as well.
“Sung-guk, what will you have?”
“Chairman, I’ll have the same. I trust the palates of both chairmen.”
Soon the Eggs Benedict arrived, and it tasted every bit as delicious as I remembered.
After finishing with a clean cup of coffee, I gave a brief explanation of TikTok’s current development status.
“We’re aiming to launch beta service within the year. We’ve even brought Sam, a programmer who handled YouTube in the United States, so we’re gaining considerable momentum.”
“You certainly have the drive to push things forward, CEO. I’m looking forward to it.”
[Of course, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung. You can look forward to it!]
* * *
Chairman Koo Soo-young had another meeting immediately after at the hotel, so he left right away.
I had no choice but to share the elevator with Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung seemed to have something on his mind, exhaling softly before speaking.
“CEO, how is our Tae-guk doing at the company?”
“He’s working diligently in various capacities. He mainly handles coordination with Samjeon.”
“In other words, he doesn’t have any particularly specialized role?”
“Marketing isn’t a specialized field like programming. However, such work requires considerable attention to detail. It’s the driving force that keeps the company running, isn’t it?”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s expression remained stern.
“Before Samjeon, I thought it would be good for him to gain life experience at another company, so I left him at your firm. But lately I’ve been wondering if I should bring Tae-guk back to our company before I grow any older. Looking at Hyojin Group, I’m acutely aware of how dangerous it is to lack a successor.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung seemed to have roughly guessed why Chairman Koo Soo-young had met with me so early.
While Hyojin Group was currently stable, the lack of clarity regarding succession after Chairman Koo Soo-young was a common concern among economic experts.
Because of this, even photographs of Chairman Koo Soo-young visiting the hospital caused Hyojin Group’s stock price to fluctuate.
“If that’s the concern, it might be best to discuss it directly with Tae-guk.”
“Aren’t you Tae-guk’s employer? What’s your take? Is he a talent you’d hate to lose?”
[How can he ask that… Of course I’d hate to lose him. If Jeon Tae-guk leaves, our connection with Samjeon will definitely weaken…]
I smiled slightly and looked at Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung.
“Chairman, Tae-guk’s greatest asset is precisely the fact that he’s Samjeon’s heir. I’m sure you’re well aware of that.”
“So without being Samjeon’s heir, he’s just an unnecessary employee?”
“What I mean is that as Samjeon’s heir, he’s an indispensable employee.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung tilted his head in confusion.
Ding— At that moment, the elevator arrived at the lobby.
Jeon Jae-hyung stepped out of the car first, his gaze settling on me.
“CEO Jeon, I want you to know one thing—I don’t want you to become a competitor to Samjeon. You don’t strike me as merely a successor to Hyojin Group.”
Instead of responding, I bowed respectfully.
Jeon Jae-hyung left the lobby and climbed into the waiting vehicle.
His words had been both a compliment and a warning.
If I were to take over Hyojin Group, it would become Samjeon’s greatest concern.
Samjeon had semiconductors, but if I took control of Hyojin, the SNS business that would lead the world in the future could fall into Hyojin’s hands—TikTok included.
* * *
As I settled into the car, Secretary Kim Mi-so handed me a latte and sandwich from Starbucks.
“The Eggs Benedict tastes good, but I thought the portion might be a bit small for a man in his twenties.”
“Actually, I was just starting to feel a little hungry. I’ll enjoy it.”
“CEO, Chairman Koo Soo-young asked if you could have jjajangmyeon with him at Samjeon Hotel this week. He said he has more things he’d like to discuss. And the 12th is your birthday.”
“Hmm….”
I sipped my latte quietly.
“CEO, when should I tell him works for you?”
“Tell him the evening when the holiday break starts would be good.”
“Yes, understood.”
* * *
“Sung-guk, if you’re not going to eat that sandwich, can I have it?”
Jeon Tae-guk was eyeing the sandwich in my hand.
“William, a chaebol shouldn’t be coveting someone else’s sandwich.”
“I didn’t eat breakfast. Sam and Adam slept at the company, so it felt awkward eating alone.”
[How old is he, and he still can’t eat by himself….]
I handed half my sandwich to Jeon Tae-guk.
“I’m still at the age where I need to eat and grow.”
“Sung-guk, that’s not it. You’re already a full twenty years old…. By the way, when are Mark and Lim Mi-mi coming?”
“Tomorrow. I’m planning to pick them up at the airport myself.”
“Then when do we eat jjajangmyeon at Samjeon Hotel? Oh right, and Sung-guk. I was thinking we could have your birthday party at your father’s restaurant, so I rented out the whole place tomorrow evening. The week before the holiday break, the staff will be busy heading home, and since tomorrow is Friday, it should work out. I’ll tell Mark and Lim Mi-mi to come too.”
“William, I wasn’t planning on having a birthday party.”
“Sung-guk, I’ll take care of all the preparations… you just need to show up. Got it?”
Jeon Tae-guk crunched away at the sandwich.
I stared at him intently.
Jeon Jae-hyung’s words from this morning came to mind.
It felt like Jeon Jae-hyung was gradually preparing to bring Jeon Tae-guk into Samjeon.
“Sung-guk, why are you looking at me like that? Are you upset about giving me half the sandwich?”
“William, can we talk for a moment?”
“Uh… sure.”
It was time to reconsider Jeon Tae-guk’s position.
* * *
“William, don’t you think it’s time you decided on your path forward?”
“What are you suddenly talking about?”
Jeon Tae-guk shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, the truth is William being here is to gain life experience before joining Samjeon.”
“That’s true. And it’s also a fact that I’m needed here. It’s a company jointly invested by Samjeon and Hyojin Group, and with me here, things run much more smoothly.”
“That’s fair.”
It was right to acknowledge what deserved acknowledgment.
“But why so suddenly?”
“Right now, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung is in good health, so there’s no talk of succession yet, but that day will come soon.”
I became chairman at forty. Of course, I died the very next day.
Looking back at my past life, I ascended to the chairman’s position roughly ten years from now.
Ten years was hardly a long time for Jeon Tae-guk to learn the role of successor.
“Hmm… I think about it too, but Dad is still healthy.”
In my previous life, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung stepped down partly because I rose rapidly, but it was when his health began to deteriorate.
Of course, judging by what Jeon Tae-guk is doing now, he might not be able to inherit the company in ten years.
“Is that why? Dad suddenly told me today to come to the Hannam-dong house during the Chuseok holidays.”
“William, isn’t that natural?”
“It is natural. Secretary Yang’s biggest worry before the holiday break is still arranging different travel routes for Mom and Dad.”
It was a familiar story.
Wealthy couples with poor relationships typically went abroad separately during holidays, and had to carefully coordinate their schedules to avoid meeting at places like the Airport Lounge.
One wrong move could make an already strained relationship even worse. Especially if they saw each other’s lovers.
“Anyway, William, you should think carefully about your future from now on.”
“Yeah… I understand.”
Jeon Tae-guk’s voice trailed off.
* * *
“Mark! Lim Mi-mi!”
“Sung-guk!!!”
Mark came running and embraced me tightly.
“Mark, how have you been?”
“Sung-guk, I missed you. You’ve been well, right?”
“I’ve been doing great. How did you manage such a long vacation this time?”
“Well, Lim Mi-mi hardly used any of her vacation days. And because she didn’t use hers, I couldn’t use mine either. We barely took any time off. So this time we took a longer break. Since neither of us was taking vacations, the employees seemed to be hesitant about taking theirs too.”
I quickly greeted Lim Mi-mi as well.
“Lim Mi-mi, it’s been a while.”
“CEO, you come to the United States quite often though.”
“That’s true.”
“By the way, I arranged a room at Samjeon Hotel for you. Is that okay?”
“My parents are already there. They’re so happy they want to live at the hotel.”
Lim Mi-mi smiled with a much more relaxed expression.
The connection between Mark and Lim Mi-mi had lasted this long….
Truly, the ways of the world were unpredictable.
Mark patted my back.
“Sung-guk, do you drive a Porsche in Korea too?”
“Of course.”
“CEO, Mark has been dying to buy a Porsche lately.”
“Mark, you’ve got good taste. That used car of yours is practically a miracle just running at all.”
Mark was still driving the used car he’d bought long ago.
“That’s why I bought some stocks this time. If they go up, I’m getting a new car.”
Lim Mi-mi and I were both startled at the same moment.
“Mark!”
“Mark! You bought stocks again?”
Lim Mi-mi seemed to be hearing this for the first time as well.
“Don’t worry, everyone. This time I really bought blue-chip stocks. This stock can only go up.”
“Which company?”
“Apple!”
Mark answered with obvious pride.
[Wait, Apple?]
I let out a deep sigh.
Charlie Jobs would pass away this year. After that, Apple stock would plummet for a while. In the long term it would trend upward, but in the short term it was destined to fall.
“Sung-guk, Apple is fine, right?”
“Mark, you’re going to hold onto the Apple stock for a while, right?”
“I’ll take short-term profits and use that money to buy a Porsche.”
Mark truly had a negative touch when it came to stocks.
“Mark, you absolutely have to hold onto Apple stock. Just hang in there. For about ten years.”
“That’s ridiculous! Who holds onto stocks for ten years?”
Mark shook his head firmly.
Mark’s stubbornness was genuinely difficult to break at times like this.
“Let’s go grab dinner. Jeon Tae-guk leased Father’s Restaurant.”
“Actually, Jeon Tae-guk contacted me yesterday. He said it’s your birthday and the whole staff is having a dinner. He told me to come eat.”
Mark suddenly rummaged through his bag.
“Sung-guk, you know what I brought as a gift?”
Mark grinned and abruptly pulled out a photograph from his bag.
It was a photo from the Phillips Academy graduation party when I was chosen as prom king.
“Sung-guk, remember this? Looking at it now, you were such a baby.”
“Mark, please put that away and let’s just go eat.”
I dragged Mark and Lim Mi-mi toward Father’s Restaurant.
* * *
The restaurant was dark inside.
[They said everyone would gather here… Could this be another surprise? I’m not at an age to be surprised by things like this anymore…]
I pretended not to notice and opened the restaurant door with a creak.
At the same moment, a video of me began playing on the projector installed inside the restaurant.
From the commercial where I repeatedly shouted “Dad!” to a scene from 【Five Men and a Baby Basket】.
And a photograph taken with my parents in that cramped one-room apartment during my childhood.
Photos from an advertising shoot with Kim Mi-young and Director Kwak also appeared on screen.
The video progressed past my childhood and now moved through my years studying abroad in the United States.
There I was, carrying a backpack larger than my own body, and Mark’s acne-covered face beside me.
And even the photograph of Mark’s prom king photo that he’d shown me at the airport.
The moment that photo appeared, the employees erupted in cheers.
“CEO, you look amazing!”
How I’d milked my story at high school graduation just like Father had done.
And the university entrance photo where I wore a matching Harvard t-shirt.
From the photograph of Mark and me sprawled asleep on a sofa in FaceNote’s first office, the video showed FaceNote growing larger and larger over time.
And countless paparazzi photos of me with Emma Watson as well.
At this point, employees chuckled and giggled throughout the restaurant.
Finally, as if returning to the past, my very first photograph appeared—the one taken with a disposable camera in front of my first birthday table, set up by my young father in that cramped one-room apartment, a memory etched into my mind.
As that photograph faded, the lights came on, and the restaurant brightened.
And I could see familiar faces scattered throughout the restaurant.
Short-haired Kim Mi-young… Director Kwak. And even the members of Just….
Everyone who had witnessed my growth was there.
And all at once, they shouted toward me.
“Sung-guk, happy birthday!”
“CEO, happy birthday!”
I deliberately bit my lip, trying to appear composed.
[Jeon Sung-guk, you’re not the type of person to be moved by something this small!]
It seemed my arrhythmia had flared up again after a long time.

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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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