I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 377

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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 377
I closed the scenario for Whiplash with a soft thud after finishing the final page.
Then I checked the time.
2 AM.
It had been three hours since Dennis handed me the scenario.
I had read through the Whiplash scenario from beginning to end, truly without missing a single word.
And now I couldn’t help but share this emotion I was feeling with Dennis.
When I opened the door and stepped out, Dennis hadn’t fallen asleep either. Like a student waiting for college entrance exam results, Dennis sat there anxiously.
“Sung-guk… did you finish reading it?”
“Yeah, I just finished.”
“Sung-guk… what did you think?”
“Dennis, do you want to hear my impressions? Or my plans going forward? Which one?”
“Uh… well… tell me both.”
“First, the Whiplash scenario is incredible, and I’m going to contact investors right now to find funding for it.”
Dennis stared at me silently, his expression utterly stunned.
[Dennis, why are you so shocked? The scenario was just as good as the film I’ve seen.]
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Sung-guk… are you serious?”
“Of course. Now I’m going to call Peter, the FaceNote investor.”
“Right now?”
“It’s daytime in New York.”
I quickly called Peter.
– Sung-guk, you’ve been calling quite often lately.
Peter’s warm voice came through the phone.
A few days ago, I had contacted him about Michael Sandel’s book publication.
“I’ve been making a lot of requests lately, Peter. I mentioned before about my Harvard Dormitory roommate who was aspiring to be a film director, didn’t I?”
– I remember. His name was….
“Dennis Chazelle. I read his scenario, and it’s so good that I’d like to invest in it myself and gather more investors if possible.”
– Sung-guk, is the scenario really that good for you to invest in it personally?
“Yes!”
I answered with complete conviction.
Dennis’s face, listening to my response, grew brighter by the moment.
– Sung-guk, hearing your voice, it sounds like a film worth investing in. Since you’re in Korea right now, I know one Korean film investment company. Why don’t you meet with them first? These days, even if it’s made in Hollywood, investment comes from all nationalities anyway.
“That sounds good to me.”
– Then I’ll make the connection.
The call with Peter ended pleasantly.
Dennis, who had been waiting for the call to end, was staring at me with wide eyes.
“Dennis, Peter said he’ll introduce us to a Korean investment company first.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Now we’re just taking our first step.”
“Sung-guk, I’m so nervous. Do you think we’ll make it?”
“Dennis, this film is definitely going to succeed!”
I was certain of it.
* * *
“Hello. I’m Bae Su-bin, Team Lead of CF Entertainment’s Film Division.”
Short-haired, petite in stature—yet Bae Su-bin carried herself with a composed, resolute presence as she greeted us.
Peter had introduced us to CF Entertainment, one of Korea’s largest investment companies handling film financing and distribution. With their ownership of multiplex theater chains, securing their investment was one of the most critical steps in Korea.
I quickly returned the greeting.
“Hello, I’m Jeon Sung-guk. This is my friend and the screenwriter of 【The Whip】, Dennis Chazelle.”
“Hello, I’m Dennis Chazelle.”
Dennis followed my lead with his own greeting.
“It’s an honor to meet both of you. I really enjoyed reading the screenplay.”
Bae Su-bin delivered her formal pleasantries.
[So, shall we get down to business now?]
We took our seats in CF Entertainment’s Conference Room.
Then we exchanged business cards in the traditional Korean manner.
“To actually meet someone as renowned as CEO Jeon Sung-guk… I’m truly honored.”
[I am quite famous, after all. Globally, even.]
Bae Su-bin knew far more about me than I’d expected.
She even mentioned being a fan since 【Five Men and a Baby Basket】.
“You were such an adorable baby back then—I really wanted to adopt you as my little brother.”
“I hear that often.”
“And look at you now, so handsome! Honestly, whenever an article about CEO Jeon Sung-guk comes out, we all say the same thing—with a face like that, why aren’t you an actor?”
When I translated this for Dennis in English, he gave me a rather amused look.
“Dennis, you’ve known me since way back, so you don’t quite understand.”
“Sung-guk, I know you’re handsome. It’s just that no matter how many times I experience your arrogance, I can never quite get used to it.”
I shrugged and turned back to Bae Su-bin to continue discussing the film.
“Team Lead, what did you think of the screenplay?”
“To be honest with you, I found it absolutely engaging!”
Bae Su-bin spoke with unmistakable conviction.
“But…”
[But? Nothing good ever follows that word…]
I felt a slight tension creeping in.
“My team and I all found it very entertaining, but I’m not sure about the higher-ups.”
“They haven’t finished reading it yet, have they?”
“No…”
Bae Su-bin’s voice trailed off slightly.
It seemed someone higher up had read it and offered unfavorable feedback.
Bae Su-bin made an effort to brighten her tone as she continued.
“They haven’t finished reading it all yet, and my entire team genuinely loved it. Our Vice President is currently on a business trip, so it’s difficult to consolidate opinions. Could you give us a little more time?”
“That’s not difficult, but… could you share the opinions of those who’ve read it with us beforehand? That way, we can think about our next steps.”
Bae Su-bin’s expression grew troubled.
There was a reason I could roughly guess without even asking.
“Since you’ve come this far, I’ll be honest—there were some negative opinions. The scenario itself received all positive evaluations. But what the higher-ups are particularly concerned about is whether this scenario will actually make money. First, it’s a music film, and frankly, there’s nothing visually spectacular about it.”
“I understand Korea is known globally as a country where musical films do well.”
“Those films have songs, though. To be honest, jazz is unfamiliar to Korean audiences.”
Bae Su-bin was subtly voicing the company’s position.
“I see this film as a story about the relationship between a master and student, built on music—or between a boss and subordinate. It represents the various relationships around us. To grow and succeed within any society, it’s important to meet someone who guides you, but if that person is a psychopath, an entirely different story unfolds.”
“We found that point very interesting too. However… many people pointed out another concern—whether a rookie director can pull off a music film.”
No matter how positively Bae Su-bin and her team had read the script, ultimately the decision-makers within this organization were the higher-ups whose faces I hadn’t even seen today.
Bae Su-bin was suggesting that the higher-ups’ opinions would likely be negative. That meant the outcome could only be pessimistic.
I stood up with a smile. There was nothing more to say.
“Bae Su-bin, everyone starts as a newcomer, don’t they? If we only worry about inexperience, new talent will never emerge.”
“CEO Jeon Sung-guk, did my words upset you?”
“Not at all. I’m just beginning to understand what kind of organization CF Entertainment is.”
Dennis stood up following me, bewildered.
Just then, there was a knock on the conference room door, and a young man wearing glasses poked his head in.
“Team Lead, Director Hwang Seo-hyuk has arrived.”
“Ah, yes… I’ll be right out.”
As Bae Su-bin stood up, the young employee looked at us.
“Since the team lead is currently speaking with CEO Jeon Sung-guk, Director Hwang Seo-hyuk said he really wanted to meet CEO Jeon Sung-guk, so he asked me to pass that along.”
[Director Hwang Seo-hyuk… that name sounds familiar….]
At that moment, Bae Su-bin spoke up.
“CEO, do you know Director Hwang Seo-hyuk?”
“I’ve heard the name many times.”
“He directed a film called 【Roe Deer】 that came out this year.”
“【Roe Deer】… you mean the film based on the true incident that occurred at that special school?”
“Oh, you’ve seen it too?”
“Of course.”
The director of 【Roe Deer】….
Director Hwang Seo-hyuk would become known worldwide ten years later for 【Squid Game】.
I quickly looked at Bae Su-bin.
“I’d like to meet Director Hwang Seo-hyuk as well. With Dennis.”
“Ah, then… would you wait a moment? We have some things to discuss with Director Hwang Seo-hyuk.”
“Of course.”
After Bae Su-bin left, I explained the situation to Dennis.
Dennis’s shoulders, which had been lifted with anticipation, sagged.
“Dennis, don’t get discouraged by this.”
“In the end, it’s just a smokescreen to say the film won’t make money and is too risky to invest in.”
[How do I explain this… I can’t exactly say I know the conclusion because I’ve lived through it….]
I couldn’t think of a single word to console Dennis.
“Sung-guk… I don’t think I’m cut out for this. I got rejected in Hollywood too, so how could I possibly succeed in Korea….”
“Dennis, why don’t we meet with Director Hwang Seo-hyuk?”
“Who is Director Hwang Seo-hyuk?”
“He’s the director who made a film called Gorani this year—it was quite a commercial success in Korea.”
[And he’s going to become even more famous worldwide in the future!]
“Since he’s already made several works, he should be able to give you some advice.”
“Yeah… you’re right. A fellow director might be the one who can explain the situation most accurately.”
Dennis tried his best to muster some courage.
* * *
Director Hwang Seo-hyuk entered the Conference Room with a bright expression.
“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting?”
“Not at all. I was just talking with Dennis. By the way, this is Dennis Chazelle, my Harvard classmate and aspiring film director.”
Dennis greeted Director Hwang Seo-hyuk as well.
“I’m actually a fan of yours, CEO Jeon.”
“I think it’s the other way around.”
[I absolutely loved Octopus Game, Director Hwang.]
“You’re making me embarrassed by saying that. It’s actually my dream to tell a story about a genius like CEO Jeon Sung-guk.”
[That’s impossible, Director Hwang. No one could ever imagine my life.]
Director Hwang Seo-hyuk and I exchanged brief pleasantries before we began discussing Dennis’s film, Whiplash.
Director Hwang Seo-hyuk skimmed through a few pages of the screenplay, then looked at Dennis and me alternately with a serious expression.
“Would you mind giving me some time? After just looking at the first few pages, I’d like to read through the entire screenplay here.”
“Director, would an hour be enough?”
“Yes, that should be sufficient.”
* * *
An hour later, Dennis and I entered the Conference Room with trembling hearts.
Even though I already knew this film would succeed, Dennis was so nervous that I found myself trembling too.
As we opened the Conference Room door, Director Hwang Seo-hyuk was just turning the final page of Whiplash.
“CEO Jeon, Dennis… the screenplay is really entertaining.”
[I’ve heard that line way too many times, Director Hwang Seo-hyuk!]
Director Hwang Seo-hyuk continued with a slightly flushed face.
“But I suspect getting investment will be difficult. CF Entertainment likely feels the same way.”
[I’ve already heard that line countless times!]
“What I’m thinking is, what if you shot the climax section of this film as a short?”
“Director, what do you mean by that?”
“There will likely be many concerns about a rookie director making a film about music. I faced many obstacles myself. But we can’t just complain about those obstacles. We have to overcome them.”
Director Hwang Seo-hyuk was offering genuine advice.
“What I mean is, if you shoot the climax as a short film to prove Dennis’s directorial skills and showcase the potential of this story, I’m confident you’ll be able to secure investment.”
[Director Hwang, truly a genius recognizes another genius!]

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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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