I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 367

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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 367
The moment I stepped out of the airport, a long limousine was waiting.
Donald Trumpet’s secretary, who had come to pick me up, opened the rear door.
“Please get in, Representative Jeon Sung-guk.”
“Thank you.”
As I climbed into the limousine, Donald Trumpet, who was already inside, greeted me with exaggerated gestures.
“Sung-guk, it’s been forever.”
“It certainly has been a while, Donald.”
“You’re still handsome. It’s such a waste, really. You’d make a perfect TV star.”
“I prefer working to appearing on television.”
“These days, the media moves the world. The reason I’m popular is ultimately because I get so much media exposure. There are hardly any Americans who don’t know who I am.”
That was true enough.
No one loved the media quite like Donald Trumpet did.
Thanks to that, Donald Trumpet had achieved remarkable results that exceeded his actual abilities.
The limousine slowly pulled away from the airport.
“Donald, where are we heading?”
“Well, the thing is, I have to fly to New York in exactly three hours. But I absolutely had to see you.”
As he spoke, Donald Trumpet handed me a refreshing cola he had prepared in advance.
It was well-known that Donald Trumpet abstained from alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.
“Welcome to America, anyway.”
“Donald, surely you didn’t fly in from New York just now, did you?”
At my words, Donald Trumpet’s face turned red as he laughed.
“I’ve been caught…”
“Waiting at the airport, leaving in exactly three hours, renting a limousine like this—it all seems like the most efficient use of time.”
“You really can’t fool Sung-guk’s eyes. But let’s catch our breath with a cola anyway.”
I took a sip of the cola Donald Trumpet handed me. And I had a rough idea of why he had sought me out.
“Donald, may I guess why you came looking for me?”
“First you were making prophecies on FaceNote, and now you’re reading people’s minds?”
“I’ve told you repeatedly—I don’t make prophecies; I make predictions. And people’s hearts are easy to read if you simply understand their desires.”
“Alright, Sung-guk. What do you think my reason is for seeking you out?”
“Donald… running for president next year won’t work.”
At my words, Donald Trumpet was momentarily flustered, but he quickly drained his cola. Then he looked at me with an intrigued expression.
“Sung-guk, did you really read my mind?”
“Donald, your interest in politics is far too obvious—everyone would know.”
“But would next year’s presidential race really be that difficult?”
“If you value the significance of participation, you could give it a try.”
“So you’re saying it won’t work.”
I nodded.
“Barack is already firmly established. And that tooth of a problem we’ve been dealing with—Osama bin Laden—he found the secret base and eliminated him. Both the economy and national defense are performing well. It will be difficult to overcome Barack’s popularity. Whoever runs, really. Donald, you don’t usually fight losing battles.”
“Hmm… that’s true enough.”
Yet regret seemed to linger on his face.
Desire sometimes overpowered rational judgment. Donald Trumpet was in precisely that state right now.
“Donald, my advice ends here. You should know that everyone around you urging you to run in this presidential election—whether they’re advisors or anyone else—they’re all flatterers who read your desires and exploit them. Of course, the decision is yours to make.”
“Hmm… I see. This meeting is ending sooner than I expected.”
“Then, how about you drive me back to my dormitory?”
“That sounds right. And this….”
Donald extended an envelope toward me.
“What is this, Donald?”
“It’s a voucher for the Five Seasons Hotel. You seem to be imposing on your friend’s place every time… stay comfortably while you’re here.”
“I find my friend’s place more comfortable than a hotel.”
“Take it anyway. You never know when you might need it… even though your time in America is short, couldn’t romance blossom again during your stay?”
“I don’t think I’ll have use for it, but I’ll take it.”
I accepted the hotel voucher Donald offered.
* * *
When I arrived at Mark’s House, Jeon Tae-guk’s eyes were still red, his luggage unpacked.
“Brother, you haven’t unpacked your bags yet?”
….
Jeon Tae-guk didn’t answer me.
[Could my ominous premonition have been right….]
Just then, Mark quietly approached from behind and handed me a cold beer.
“Sung-guk, let William be alone for a bit.”
“Oh… understood.”
I quietly stepped out to the terrace with Mark.
After a long time, I felt the cool San Francisco breeze and took a sip of beer.
“Mark, what on earth happened? Is it about Lim Jin-seo?”
“Yeah. He couldn’t reach Lim Jin-seo starting from the airport, and he didn’t even know she’d moved.”
“What happened to Lim Jin-seo?”
“I don’t know the details either… but it seems they managed to talk briefly before you arrived. From what I gathered… it sounds like Lim Jin-seo asked to break up.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Mark glanced back at Jeon Tae-guk briefly, then took a sip of his beer.
“Why?”
“I don’t know the details. When William kept pressing, Lim Jin-seo just hung up on him.”
This is bad.
What on earth had happened?
I turned back to look at Jeon Tae-guk with concern.
Just then, Jeon Tae-guk opened the refrigerator, pulled out a beer, and came out to the terrace.
“Brother….”
“William….”
Mark and I couldn’t find the words to continue.
Jeon Tae-guk quietly poured beer and gulped it down several times. Then he suddenly shouted.
“You abandoned me and left! You won’t even make it ten miles before your luck runs out!!!”
Jeon Tae-guk’s heartbreak had become official.
And Teacher Lee of Samcheong-dong’s prophecy had also proven true.
Two separations—one this year and one next year.
But if he experienced one breakup this year and another next year, did that mean Jeon Tae-guk would fall in love again?
I drank my beer seriously.
At that moment, Jeon Tae-guk looked at me with tears glistening in his eyes.
“Sung-guk….”
“Hyung, breakups happen all the time. You’ll meet a better woman.”
“Spare me the hollow comfort.”
[Caught.]
“Sung-guk, could you meet with Lim Jin-seo for me and find out why she wants to break up?”
“Didn’t Lim Jin-seo give you a reason?”
“No. She just said let’s break up. She said that being in America made her realize she doesn’t think about me much.”
[That seems like the decisive reason.]
Just then, Mark jabbed me in the ribs.
“Sung-guk, go meet with her instead.”
“I don’t think it’ll make any difference even if I do….”
Hearing my words, Jeon Tae-guk looked at me with resentful eyes.
“Jeon Sung-guk, don’t you remember when Emma wore her shoes backward? I even borrowed Dad’s money to visit you at the training center!”
[And because of that, I found out something I didn’t know, which made my time at the training center absolutely miserable.]
I drank my beer with a blank expression. Then I looked at Jeon Tae-guk, who could explode at any moment.
“Fine. I’ll meet with her and ask. Once I find out the reason, you can clean up your feelings and move on.”
“Jeon Sung-guk, sometimes you’re like a sociopath! If people’s hearts could be organized and cleaned up so neatly in one go, what would be left of all the breakup songs, movies, and dramas in this world?!”
“Hyung, calm down and unpack your luggage.”
Suddenly, Jeon Tae-guk’s shoulders sagged.
[Why are you doing this again, Jeon Tae-guk?]
A heartbroken Jeon Tae-guk was beyond my capacity to handle.
“It’s the house next to Mark’s. The place where Jin-seo lived. If I go there, I feel like I’ll smell her presence… I don’t think I can go in.”
“Hyung, we lived in that house longer than Lim Jin-seo did.”
“Still!”
[He’s really making up every excuse under the sun…. Since he’s been dumped, I’ll just put up with it today.]
I handed Jeon Tae-guk the envelope containing the hotel voucher that Donald Trumpet had given me.
“Hyung, this is a hotel voucher. You sleep here. I’ll sleep at the house next door.”
“Sung-guk… don’t leave me alone. I don’t know what I might do if I’m by myself.”
I gave Mark a pleading look.
Then Mark suddenly embraced me.
“Sung-guk, I didn’t know you were such a thoughtful friend. Today, comfort William a lot. I can’t leave because it’s Mi-mi’s birthday. If it weren’t for Mi-mi’s birthday, I’d stay with him….”
I clenched my teeth and whispered into Mark’s ear.
“Mark, today isn’t Mi-mi’s birthday, is it?”
“Sung-guk, William just got his heart broken. Imagine how difficult it would be for him to speak English right now. Just stay with him.”
Even Mark was abandoning me….
Fine, I’ll endure it just for today!
* * *
I headed to the FaceNote office at the crack of dawn.
As I opened the FaceNote door and stepped inside, unfamiliar employees greeted me with surprised expressions.
FaceNote had become a massive enterprise in both scale and performance.
“Where is Jin-seo?”
A tall male employee pointed to a desk in response to my question.
Jin-seo was there.
Even when she was in Korea, Jin-seo was a morning person who came to work earlier than others. That habit persisted in the United States as well.
I brewed some coffee and approached Jin-seo.
Upon seeing me, Jin-seo greeted me calmly, as if she had prepared herself somewhat.
“CEO Sung-guk, it’s been a while.”
“How about a cup of coffee?”
“Sure.”
Jin-seo accepted the coffee I offered.
“Jin-seo, you know I’m not the type to beat around the bush, right?”
“I have a rough idea of what you’re going to ask.”
“Why did you do that to Tae-guk? Why did you break up with him?”
Honestly, I was curious about this too.
Jeon Tae-guk might be foolish, but he was sincere with Jin-seo. As the heir to Samjeon Group, he provided her with every convenience he could offer.
Jin-seo took a sip of her coffee and then let out a long sigh.
“Since you’ll find out anyway, I’ll be honest with you.”
“Yes, I’m prepared to listen to anything.”
“Should we go to the garden to talk? It’s in Korean, but I’m worried someone might overhear us.”
“Let’s do that.”
We walked out to the garden with our coffee.
Jin-seo opened her mouth as soon as we took a few steps.
“The truth is, my affection for Tae-guk has faded.”
It was something that could happen to anyone in love.
“Did you tell him that?”
“Yes. But Tae-guk didn’t believe me.”
“He probably didn’t want to believe it. But what’s the reason your affection faded?”
“That’s actually what’s more important.”
Was there some background to this?
Jin-seo took a few more sips of her coffee before continuing.
“After I came to San Francisco, Samjeon started managing me. Tae-guk probably doesn’t know about this.”
[Hmm… that’s so typical of Samjeon….]
“It seems Lim Jin-seo has been assigned a secretary at the San Francisco Samjeon Branch. In name only, of course—they’ve been shadowing her every move, essentially keeping close tabs on her. And they told her not to inform Jeon Tae-guk about it.”
“How did you know that, Representative Sung-guk?”
[How did I know? In my past life, I was the heir to Samjeon Group, so I know these things well.]
Instead of answering, I took a sip of coffee.
“If even you know about it, Representative Sung-guk, then they must have done this before. Anyway, I went through several months like that, and it was suffocating. We were just dating, but if it’s like this… I honestly don’t think I could even breathe if we got married.”
“Ordinary people find it unbearable.”
For those from chaebol families who’d been managed like this since childhood, it was routine. But for ordinary people, it was clearly surveillance, not concern.
“I sent the secretary back to Samjeon several times, and each time, they’d have someone tail me. Honestly, later on I even started having delusions—wondering if Tae-guk had put them there because he was worried I might meet another man here.”
“That’s really not the case.”
“Yes, I know that too. But thinking like that drove me crazy. So Tae-guk became unbearable to me as well. That’s why I asked to break up.”
I nodded in understanding.
The situation made perfect sense to me.
“Lim Jin-seo, you have no intention of seeing him again, correct?”
“Not at all, as things stand now.”
Lim Jin-seo was more resolute than I expected.
“Understood. I’ll speak to Tae-guk and make sure he doesn’t lose heart.”
“Please do. And… tell him to find a woman of similar standing, not someone too good for him. That way Samjeon will be able to accept it.”
“Yes, I’ll pass that advice along as well.”
I slowly turned to leave.
In this life, though I was born into poverty and have done everything imaginable since childhood to build up this household, there was one thing that was undeniably good.
Freedom.
The freedom to choose what I want to do and pursue it. The freedom to be alone.
That’s why I understood Lim Jin-seo’s suffering.
Ding.
Just then, a message notification sounded quietly.
But there are times like this. Sometimes just hearing the alarm sound feels ominous…
I hurriedly checked the message.
And my ominous premonition proved correct.
– Sung-guk, come to our house right away! I’m Charlie’s wife.

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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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