I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 376

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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 376
I drained a glass of cold water in one long gulp.
Michael Sandel emerged from my room with tousled hair.
“Michael, would you like some water?”
“My throat was parched when I woke up. Soju is truly a magnificent drink. I had no idea when or how I got drunk….”
Michael Sandel had also consumed quite a bit of alcohol at last night’s gathering.
“Sung-guk, did you sleep well?”
“I slept fine. But weren’t you uncomfortable, Michael?”
“Uncomfortable? No, I slept well since you gave me your room.”
Last night’s gathering had run late, so Michael Sandel came to our home instead of staying at the hotel. I had given him my bedroom and slept on the sofa.
Michael Sandel gulped down the water and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Sung-guk, I’m curious about something….”
“Please, speak freely, Michael.”
“I noticed several things about your behavior yesterday that puzzle me. One of them is your attitude toward Jeon Tae-guk. You seem not to fully trust him one hundred percent, yet you’re looking after him in subtle ways.”
[That’s karmic debt from my past life…. Plus, he’s an inadequate Samsung heir.]
This was truly a matter that couldn’t be explained in words.
“Michael, you seem to question every single action. Human behavior often has aspects that are difficult to explain rationally. The lectures you give at Harvard address exactly that kind of content, don’t they?”
“That’s true.”
“By the way, Michael, would it be alright if I made a suggestion?”
“What kind of suggestion?”
“Among all the classes I attended at Harvard, your lectures were the most fascinating. You always present propositions that can’t be judged by moral standards and listen to students’ opinions. Through that, you discuss what justice truly means beyond our superficial understanding.”
“That’s right.”
Michael nodded in agreement.
“I think it would be wonderful if you published that content as a book. I’ve always felt it was a shame that such excellent lectures were only heard by Harvard students.”
Michael Sandel furrowed his brow, rubbing it with his finger as he considered the idea.
“Hmm… it’s a good suggestion, but my lectures are almost entirely in a dialogue format. I’m not confident that the content would be conveyed as effectively in written form as it is in the classroom….”
“I think you could first make the decision to publish and then worry about those details together with the publisher.”
Michael Sandel smiled faintly.
“Sung-guk, you really have a relentless side to you. Perhaps that very drive of yours is what makes you a businessman.”
“Since we’re on the subject, I’ll contact Peter, who runs an investment firm in New York, and connect you with a publisher.”
“Hmm….”
Michael Sandel hesitated.
[Michael, don’t worry! Your book will become a worldwide bestseller!]
“Michael, at least meet with a publisher first.”
“Hmm…. Alright.”
Michael agreed after careful consideration.
“But Sung-guk, I have a condition too. I’d like you to come to my lecture and give a talk.”
“Me?”
“Not so much a lecture as a natural discussion with students using propositions about what you do. You’re essentially the representative of FaceNote, Instagrim, and YouTube—the platforms students use most these days. SNS is certainly a space for self-expression and communication, but it’s also an area where we can’t avoid moral issues.”
“Michael, would it be alright if I gave a lecture at Harvard after FaceNote goes public?”
“Adding conditions to conditions—that’s just your nature, isn’t it?”
“It’s the entrepreneur’s instinct. Everything requires an exchange.”
“I like that. When you go public, let’s definitely do a lecture together at Harvard.”
“Yes, Michael. Then I’ll contact Peter right away.”
I immediately reached out to Peter to discuss Michael Sandel’s book, and he promptly recommended several publishers.
“Michael, once you’re back in the United States, the publisher’s staff will come find you.”
“Your momentum is truly… something I want to learn from.”
“Michael, life isn’t that long. Time flows even in the moments we hesitate.”
Michael Sandel looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“You sound just like what my grandfather says in his old age….”
[Michael, when you live life twice, you come to understand everything….]
Click.
At that moment, the door opened and Jeon Tae-guk emerged with a disheveled face.
“Hyung, are you okay?”
“Not at all. I told Park Secretary to bring me hangover soup.”
Jeon Tae-guk had literally crawled home on all fours like a dog yesterday.
“Sung-guk, but here’s the thing. During yesterday’s dinner, someone kept calling me a ‘schoolhouse dog.’ A schoolhouse dog.”
A pang of guilt.
Could he possibly know it was me?
I had muttered “schoolhouse dog” near Jeon Tae-guk’s ear when he was passed out.
“I don’t know, hyung…. Maybe it was just a dream?”
I spoke with deliberate indifference.
“Maybe… but still, ‘schoolhouse dog’ is kind of funny. If it’s a dog, it’s a dog. But what’s a schoolhouse dog about….”
[The schoolhouse dog has sharp ears. I’ll need to watch my words from now on.]
I kept my mouth shut and opened a bottle of mineral water.
* * *
Knock. Knock.
I knocked on Adam’s office door.
Adam’s voice came from inside.
“Come in.”
I opened the door and quietly entered Adam’s office.
“Sung-guk, you seem unusually cautious today. What’s going on?”
“Adam… there’s something I’d like to ask you personally.”
“Sung-guk… you’re not retaliating because of what I said during night study time yesterday about not giving me any more work, are you?”
Adam’s eyes were wavering.
Now that I thought about it, I remembered what Adam had said during night study time yesterday about having too much work.
“S-Sung-guk… that was just because the mood was good yesterday. You know I like working. I don’t really have anything else to do anyway.”
“Hmm… well, before I give you work, I’ll give you a carrot first.”
“What carrot?”
“Misseight is having a concert in Jamsil next month. How about it?”
“Sung-guk! I’ll do anything you ask!”
For Adam, there was no carrot quite like Misseight.
“Adam, I want to develop an app.”
“Another app besides TikTok?”
“Yes. But this isn’t a profitable SNS like TikTok. It’s more of an internal company app, you could say.”
Adam tilted his head in confusion.
“Sung-guk, an internal app?”
“Yesterday I noticed our employees have a lot they want to say, but communication isn’t working well—not just with me, but with other employees too. I thought we could create an anonymous app shared only among Alpha staff members.”
“You mean an anonymous bulletin board, Sung-guk?”
“Exactly. We’d make it so only Alpha employees can access it.”
“Hmm… that’s actually a good idea. But if you develop it, Sung-guk, employees won’t feel comfortable saying anything negative. We have about fifty staff members now. Honestly, wouldn’t everyone figure out who wrote what eventually?”
I smiled and crossed my arms.
“Adam, that’s precisely why no one can know I developed this anonymous app. And the employees can’t know I’m even aware it exists.”
“So you’re saying… I should develop it and distribute it, and tell everyone it’s just an app employees share among themselves?”
I gripped Adam’s shoulder firmly.
“Adam, I’ve obtained information that Misseight is having a fan signing event after their concert. You know how much harder it is to get into a Misseight fan signing than to buy concert tickets, don’t you, Adam?”
“Sung-guk… the reason I’m the one making this difficult request instead of Sam is… obviously because I’m weak when it comes to Misseight, right?”
My grip on Adam’s shoulder tightened.
“Adam, why are you asking if you already know?”
“Sigh… Sung-guk, if I refuse this proposal…”
“Then fandom activities in Korea will be impossible for you going forward. Breaking through that competition rate while working here would be nearly impossible, wouldn’t it?”
“Sung-guk… there are several reasons I like you, but there’s one reason that stands out above all the others.”
Adam continued in a trembling voice.
“You really don’t hesitate to use any means necessary to achieve your goals, and you’re incredibly skilled at exploiting people’s weaknesses.”
“And that’s why you like me?”
“Most people… can’t do that.”
Adam laughed with a wry smile.
I extended my hand to Adam.
“Adam, so we have a deal, right?”
“Of course!”
Adam grasped my hand firmly.
* * *
Developing the anonymous app wasn’t difficult.
Adam pulled several all-nighters creating the app, then quietly distributed it through the internal messenger.
– Let’s communicate anonymously among ourselves. The CEO absolutely doesn’t know about this app 【Donkey’s Ears】!
As Adam wrote that final sentence, he felt a twinge of conscience, but believing the app had more advantages than drawbacks, he boldly introduced it to the employees.
The app’s name 【Donkey’s Ears】 was derived from a story from the Samguk Yusa that Sung-guk had mentioned.
Adam quietly sent a link to Sung-guk as well.
– Sung-guk, most employees have signed up. Since we don’t want more users than staff members, please log in with my ID and password. My nickname is ‘Wage Slave’.
* * *
“A wage slave?”
My brow furrowed.
“Adam, let’s be precise with our words. Not a slave to wages, but a slave to Misseight.”
I followed the link Adam sent and downloaded Donkey Ears.
Then, just as Adam instructed, I logged into Donkey Ears using his ID and password.
Many employees had already accessed Donkey Ears, and several posts were already up.
– I want to quit because I’m not happy with the break room.
That was the title of one post I saw.
The content complained that the beverages and snacks in the break room were too meager. Comments had already accumulated below.
– A rich break room doesn’t make a company good, though.
– I think our company’s break room is a bit sparse too. It would be nice to have at least milk.
– Let’s not let the break room become Loopang.
– Couldn’t they add a couple more types of snacks? We get tired during meetings. Sung-guk must say something about it all the time.
[Is the break room really that sparse? And… am I really that talkative?!]
I suppressed my momentary excitement and headed to the break room, pretending to brew coffee.
As I made the coffee, I surveyed the available beverages and snacks.
There were various types of tea and cookies.
They weren’t items people reached for frequently.
Just then, Adam entered the break room and jumped back in surprise when he saw me.
“Sung-guk…”
“Adam, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I… did you come right after seeing the post on Donkey Ears?”
Adam whispered so no one else could hear.
“Adam, only you know that I check Donkey Ears, so don’t worry. I drink coffee frequently anyway.”
“Ah… yes.”
“Adam, this is what they mean by ‘a thief’s feet itch.’ So please, act naturally.”
“Yes… Sung-guk.”
Adam wiped away the cold sweat trickling down his face.
I surveyed the break room once more.
[Cookies and milk could probably use some restocking…]
* * *
– No way! I posted yesterday that the break room was sparse, and this morning when I went to the break room, milk and cookies were added!
– And they’re from Kim Young’s Bakery too. Their chocolate chip cookies are my absolute favorite.
– And there are two types of milk—regular and low-fat!!!
– Could it be that Adam or Sam saw this and suggested it to Sung-guk?
– One coincidence after another… could it be… that Sung-guk is reading this too?
– That can’t be. The number of users is exactly our employee count.
– That’s true, but… something feels off about this.
– So should we request our next workshop be in Jeju Island?
– Jeju Island? Let’s go to Bali. Bali!
After work, I scrolled through the posts streaming live on Donkey Ears.
It seemed I’d moved too quickly with this whole affair.
[Next time, I should implement changes more gradually.]
I shrugged my shoulders.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I heard the sound of someone rapping on the door.
The door opened, and Dennis stepped inside.
Dennis’s eyes were hollow, and his hair was greasy and unkempt.
During this time, Dennis had been holed up in his room writing the screenplay, making him difficult to see.
“Dennis, what brings you here at this hour?”
“Sung-guk! I finally finished the Whip screenplay!!!”
Dennis thrust a stack of A4 papers toward me, his face radiant with emotion.
[Hmm… Now I should seriously begin investing in films myself.]

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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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