I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 378

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

Chapter 378
Dennis, who had been discouraged by Director Hwang Seo-hyuk’s advice, found his spirits lifted once more.
“Director Hwang, thank you for the advice. I’ll greet you on behalf of my friend. Would it be alright if you joined us for dinner?”
“Ah, well… I have business at the Film Directors Association today.”
Director Hwang Seo-hyuk wore an apologetic expression.
“CEO Jeon, would it be okay if I met with you separately next time and requested an interview? I’m genuinely very interested in a genius like CEO Jeon Sung-guk.”
“Of course. I’ll grant the interview, and when you make your Hollywood debut later, Dennis and I will help you then.”
“Hollywood… just hearing about it makes me happy. Please definitely help me later.”
Director Hwang Seo-hyuk thought it was mere flattery, but I already knew his entire future.
[Director Hwang Seo-hyuk, let’s meet exactly ten years from now.]
* * *
I started the engine of the Porsche.
Dennis, sitting in the passenger seat, looked at me with a worried expression.
Everyone said they found the scenario for “The Whip” entertaining, but at the mention that its commercial viability remained uncertain, he still seemed dispirited.
“Sung-guk, I’m curious about something….”
“Ask away.”
“Will it really work if we do what Director Hwang Seo-hyuk said? Making a short film first and then seeking investors?”
“The core of what Director Hwang Seo-hyuk said is probably that a rookie director must prove himself anytime, anywhere. A short film is one good way to do that.”
“I suppose so….”
Dennis’s voice grew increasingly weak.
“Dennis….”
I called to Dennis quietly.
“What is it, Sung-guk?”
“I’ll be honest with you.”
“Sung-guk… did you not really like my scenario?”
“You know that’s not true.”
“Then what’s this honesty about?”
“I asked Peter to arrange meetings with investors so I could hear other people’s opinions about your scenario as well.”
“Yeah… thanks to that, I got to hear plenty today.”
Dennis grew discouraged again.
“Dennis, I found “The Whip” very entertaining, but honestly, I didn’t expect everyone to find this scenario enjoyable.”
“They say it’s entertaining, but everyone says it’s a scenario that would be difficult to make into a film.”
“What does that matter.”
“It matters. No matter how much you invest, films aren’t made with just a couple of dollars. When they say it’s a hard-to-finance film, it also means there’s little chance of commercial success… In America, or anywhere in the world for that matter, there’s no need for a film director who can’t make commercial films.”
“Dennis, let me finish what I’m saying.”
Dennis finally stopped talking and looked at me.
“Dennis, listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”
“Alright, Sung-guk.”
“I want you to make a short film based on this scenario, just as Director Hwang Seo-hyuk suggested. And then we’ll submit that short film to a prestigious short film festival in the United States.”
“That is the proper sequence, I suppose.”
I glanced at Dennis, who looked dejected, as I drove.
“Dennis, I’m testing you right now.”
“What are you talking about, Sung-guk?”
“Whether I should invest the full amount in your film or not.”
“Huh? What?”
Dennis’s eyes widened in surprise.
[Dennis, did you really think I’d scrape together pocket change from here and there to make a film? I’m Jeon Sung-guk.]
“Sung-guk… are you saying you’ll invest the entire budget for my film?”
“Yeah.”
I couldn’t quite remember, but The Whip had been famous in Hollywood as an ultra-low-budget film.
In this life too, my goal was to shoot it on an ultra-low budget and make it a massive hit.
“Today, when I listened to your feedback on the scenario, it was to verify whether it would resonate in Korea as well. If the scenario works in Korea, then it’s a film with the potential for international success.”
Dennis touched his cheeks with both hands, his face completely stunned.
“Sung-guk… I have no idea what you’re saying.”
“Dennis, as your full investor, I’m going to validate your scenario and continue to do so. First, the scenario has gotten good reactions in both Hollywood and Korea. The only concern is that you’re a rookie director, so everyone’s worried. We need to offset that concern with a short film based on this scenario.”
“Sung-guk… then, couldn’t we just move straight to a feature film?”
Dennis asked with a dazed expression.
[Save someone from drowning and they ask for your bundle… Dennis, you need more validation!]
“Dennis, I’ve never seen a short film you’ve directed. The reason I’m listening to Director Hwang Seo-hyuk’s advice to make a short film and show it to investors is twofold. One is to gauge your abilities, and if that film gets recognized at short film festivals, expectations for your feature film will naturally rise, and hurdles like casting actors will become much easier to overcome. In film, casting is everything.”
“S-Sung-guk….”
[Dennis, in my past life I knew how amazing your film was, but variables exist in this life too. Absolutely! Absolutely! Absolutely! Dennis, I’ll keep to myself the fact that I can’t trust you 100%!]
Dennis looked at me with a moved expression.
“Sung-guk, you’re really my true friend.”
“Dennis, in that spirit, could you clean up your room? Sam and Adam said they nearly suffocated when they went in there.”
“Oh, sorry. I’ve been too busy working.”
“Dennis, we need to go to the United States to make the short film.”
“Yes, investor!”
Dennis smiled brightly for the first time in a while.
“Before that, there’s one thing I need to do, Dennis.”
“Sung-guk… every time you add something, my heart races.”
“It’s nothing big.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll see when we get there.”
* * *
The damp smell of the semi-basement.
The sound of music thumping loudly within it.
Dennis tilted his head as he came down the semi-basement stairs.
“Sung-guk, you’re not saying the setting for The Whip should be here, are you?”
“It does seem somewhat similar now that I see it. The story of young people chasing their dreams is similar too….”
“Sung-guk, you’re the youngest among us.”
[Dennis, I may look young on the surface, but inside I’m well past sixty.]
I shrugged my shoulders and descended the semi-basement stairs. Then I opened the practice room door.
The moment I opened the door, the Sevens members greeted me with loud voices.
“Hello!”
It was the handsome Dohyung, the one Ji-hee had once harbored feelings for.
[The kid’s still good-looking….]
And Jung-woo and Jae-hee waved their hands warmly.
“Sung-guk, what brings you here?”
Of course, only Min-guk—my eternal burden and younger brother—glared at me.
“Hyung, what’s going on all of a sudden? We were in the middle of practice….”
“Didn’t Bang Mu-hyuk tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“First, I have someone to introduce.”
I introduced Dennis to the Sevens members.
“This is Dennis, my classmate from Harvard and an aspiring film director. And Dennis, these are Sevens—who will likely become a world-class idol group.”
“Oh, hey!”
Dennis greeted them with a bewildered expression, then whispered urgently to me.
“Sung-guk, why did you suddenly come here?”
“I’m about to tell you.”
I quickly looked at Min-guk and the Sevens members.
Sevens’ debut was about half a year away now.
So it was time.
“Dennis is going to film the music video for your debut song.”
At those words, Min-guk and the Sevens members bowed ninety degrees to Dennis with delighted faces.
“Director! We look forward to working with you!”
“Uh, uh….”
Dennis answered almost reflexively, then looked at me again.
I patted Dennis on the shoulder.
“Dennis, you know there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world, right?”
“Investor, so… you’re saying I film your brother’s group’s music video and then go back to America?”
Dennis asked playfully, understanding the situation.
“Dennis, since I need to get to the company, work with Min-guk and the Sevens members to nail down the music video concept. From planning to shooting—exactly one week. How about it?”
“That’s plenty!”
Dennis approached the Sevens members again with renewed confidence.
I quietly called Min-guk over to the side.
“Your hyung’s friend is really going to film our music video?”
“Yeah.”
Given Bang Mu-hyuk Entertainment’s financial situation, hiring a renowned domestic music video director was out of the question.
So I had no choice but to leverage my connections.
Besides, a genius director and a world-class star recognizing each other in their obscure days!
When Dennis swept the world with “Whip” a few years later, this music video he’d filmed during his obscure days would inevitably ride YouTube’s algorithm straight into global consciousness.
I called out to Min-guk in a hushed voice.
“Min-guk….”
“Yeah, hyung.”
Min-guk instinctively responded in an equally low voice.
In moments like these, we were brothers perfectly in sync.
“Since I’m the investor in Dennis’s film, don’t let a single second slip by. Push him relentlessly. Got it?”
“Hyung, I’m confident about that! That’s the only thing I’ve learned from you.”
“Little brother, I’m counting on you. Fighting!”
“Hyung, don’t worry. Whose brother am I! Fighting!”
* * *
“Wait!”
I caught the Elevator just as it was closing.
At that moment, a woman inside greeted me brightly.
“CEO Jeon!”
Who was this?
“I’m… you don’t remember me? I’m Lee Hyun-hee.”
“Aren’t you the president of my fan club?”
“Oh, you do remember me!”
“Of course.”
Truth be told, I’d been too busy to visit the fan club cafe.
“We need to decide on a name for CEO Jeon Sung-guk’s fan club and hold our official founding ceremony.”
“Do we really have that many people?”
“Absolutely! It’s a fan club within the Samjeon Group, and we’ve grown by nearly a thousand members since then!”
Lee Hyun-hee chattered away excitedly.
“Would you please visit our fan club cafe and cast your precious vote on the name we’re deciding right now?”
“Yes, I’ll vote when I have time.”
“It’s until 9 PM tonight, so please vote before then!”
“I’ll vote after work.”
“Thank you so much, CEO!”
Lee Hyun-hee was absolutely delighted.
* * *
After work, I closed my office door and opened my laptop.
Then I followed the link Lee Hyun-hee had given me and entered my fan club.
Just as Lee Hyun-hee had said, the fan club membership had surpassed two thousand.
[This popularity is something else….]
I blew my bangs back with a breath and scanned the voting section.
– Hello, I’m Lee Hyun-hee, the cafe manager of CEO Jeon Sung-guk’s fan club within the Samjeon Group.
We’re now voting on the official name for our fan club ahead of our founding ceremony. We’d appreciate your votes!
(UPDATE!!! – I met CEO Jeon Sung-guk in the Elevator today, and he said he’d vote directly for us!)
1. Your Majesty Sung-guk
2. In Heaven and on Earth, Only Sung-guk Reigns
3. Sung-guk’s Devoted Fan
“Hmm, everyone’s imagination is rather impoverished.”
None of the fan club names particularly appealed to me.
Then, option 4 caught my eye.
4. The World’s Most Handsome Sung-guk
The World’s Most Handsome? What does that even mean?
I tilted my head in confusion and called Ji-hee.
It seemed like internet slang, so the younger Ji-hee would likely know better.
– Oppa, I’m studying right now. What’s going on?
“Ji-hee, what does ‘The World’s Most Handsome’ mean on the internet?”
– It’s short for ‘the most handsome person in the world.’ Why are you asking all of a sudden?
“Got it. Ji-hee, go back to studying.”
I hung up the phone quickly and cracked my knuckles.
There was only one fan club name I could choose.
“Well, it’s actually the truth anyway….”
I clicked firmly on option 4 with my mouse.
The moment I did, a cafe popup appeared.
– CEO Jeon Sung-guk has selected option 4, ‘The World’s Most Handsome Sung-guk.’
What is this?
Comments from cafe members began flooding in immediately after.
– Wow, CEO Jeon Sung-guk voted for option 4.
– So he knows he’s handsome too.
– Oh my, you’re so cute haha.
– I suddenly want to quit the club.
Wait, does everyone know I clicked on option 4?
Isn’t this supposed to be a secret ballot?
Just then, a message came from Lee Hyun-hee, the cafe manager.
– CEO, I apologize for not mentioning that this is a public vote. I’m truly grateful for your precious vote! Hearts!
A public vote?
[What the X!]

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————