I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 380

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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 380
On my way to work.
As I stood before the elevator, Samjeon employees gathered behind me one or two at a time, murmuring amongst themselves.
[Surely I’m just imagining that everyone’s whispering about me, right?]
I kept my mouth firmly shut as I stepped into the arriving elevator.
In that moment, a massive company bulletin board caught my eye.
– ‘The Best Sung-guk’ Fan Club Founding Ceremony! Saturday, December 24th, 2011, Christmas Eve at 2 PM. Samjeon Art Hall Grand Theater.
The Samjeon employees sharing the elevator with me were visibly stifling their laughter.
“Ahem….”
I let out an awkward cough.
The elevator fell silent again, but I had no idea how much more of this humiliation I’d have to endure.
My phone vibrated incessantly in my hand.
I didn’t even need to check.
Everyone was clearly notifying me about the ‘The Best Sung-guk’ Fan Club founding ceremony plastered across the elevator.
Ding!
The moment the elevator arrived at the floor where the Alpha Office was located, I bolted out.
Then I opened my phone to check my messages.
But… the messages weren’t what I expected.
They were from United States President Barack Obama.
– Sung-guk, please contact me right away!
What was going on?
I immediately called Barack Obama.
I was probably the only person in South Korea who had Barack Obama’s personal cell phone number.
After a few rings, I heard Barack Obama’s voice.
– Sung-guk!
“Barack, is something wrong?”
– Well… where are you calling from right now?
“From the office hallway.”
– Can you go somewhere private and continue this call?
“Of course.”
I naturally opened the Alpha door and stepped inside, heading to the nearest conference room. Then I closed the door.
“Barack, I’m alone now.”
– Sigh….
I heard Barack Obama’s heavy sigh through the phone.
Then he continued speaking.
– Sung-guk, you’re probably going to be the first person in South Korea to hear this news.
His voice was noticeably calmer than usual today. Somehow, that made me tense.
“What on earth is it, Barack?”
– Kim Jong-il of North Korea has died. We just received word that he suffered a heart attack while traveling by train.
I quickly checked the date.
December 17, 2011.
[That’s right, in my previous life, Kim Jong-il died of a myocardial infarction too….]
The domestic media reported it a few days later.
There was the pretext of fact-checking, but in reality, it was delayed due to political considerations.
I quietly asked Barack Obama.
“Barack, but why did you contact me?”
– North Korea must be in chaos right now with Kim Jong-il’s sudden death. The successor, Kim Un, is still in his twenties, so it’s an unstable situation, and I hear that his aunt’s husband, Jang Sung-hae, will seize power.
Barack Obama was now telling me matters of national security over the phone.
“Barack, I don’t understand, but isn’t this classified?”
– Hmm… you’re right, it is classified.
“Then why are you telling me this?”
– Sung-guk, you know there’s a U.S. presidential election next year, right?
For Barack Obama, it was a reelection bid.
Of course, I knew Barack Obama would be reelected and was certain of it, but he didn’t know that yet.
“Yes, of course I know. You’re going to run for reelection, after all.”
– That’s what I intend to do. But… now a very big issue called North Korea has emerged.
Now Barack Obama’s true intentions were beginning to surface.
– To be honest with you, Sung-guk. If war broke out on the Korean Peninsula right now, it could actually be good news for the American economy. But fundamentally, I don’t want war to happen in South Korea.
[Be more honest, Barack. With Kim Jong-il’s death and North Korea’s system thrown into chaos, wouldn’t it be better for us to sell defense equipment to our country if it remained stable?]
I listened quietly to what Barack Obama was saying.
– The reason I’m giving you this information is this. Hmm… it’s awkward to beat around the bush, so I ask for your understanding even if I’m being rather direct.
“Yes, Barack.”
– I would very much like you to become a person with tremendous influence in South Korea.
What did that mean?
– Of course, you’re already being called the prince of SNS, aren’t you?
People often called me, the representative of FaceNote, Instagrim, and YouTube, the prince of SNS. It meant I was someone with considerable influence in the world of social media.
– But your influence in Korea still can’t be measured, can it?
“I’m popular, but as you say, I can’t really call that influence.”
At my words, Barack Obama let out a few hollow laughs.
– I really can’t compete with your wit.
[It’s not wit, Barack, it’s facts.]
Barack Obama stopped laughing and continued.
– Sung-guk, I’m giving you this information because I hope you become a person with considerable political influence in Korea.
“Barack, don’t tell me… you want me to post this news on SNS before any domestic media outlet?”
– Exactly. And cite the FBI as your source.
There was clearly political calculation involved.
“Barack, what do you gain if I post this news on SNS?”
– I gain the most influential person in South Korea.
Right now, Barack Obama, the President of the United States, was trying to make me the most influential person in South Korea.
“Barack, are you planning to use me regarding North Korea issues during the next presidential election?”
– Ha ha ha.
Barack Obama’s exaggerated, cheerful laughter echoed through the line.
– You’ve caught on, Sung-guk. The North Korea issue will definitely explode during my reelection campaign next year. When that happens, I need the people of South Korea standing beside me, speaking with the same voice as I do.
“That’s me?”
– Of course. Handsome, young, popular! And on top of that, someone with global influence! Sung-guk, what do you say?
It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.
Being able to receive information directly through America’s hotline would completely reshape my position in South Korea.
Until now, just as Barack said, my position had been that of a young, handsome, popular, and wealthy global entrepreneur.
But if I gained political power as well, no one in South Korea would dare touch me.
“Barack, I accept. What should I do from now on?”
– I knew you’d take the offer.
“But I have conditions too, Barack.”
– Just remember that I have conditions as well.
“You go first, Barack.”
Barack laid out his conditions without hesitation.
– As I mentioned earlier, when the North Korea issue comes up in next year’s presidential election, you’ll stand completely with me. And more importantly, through the information I provide, you must become not just a celebrity in South Korea, but an influential figure with political power.
“Just watch, Barack.”
– Then I’ll send you one of the FBI agents stationed in Korea. He’ll help you with your work going forward. Now, tell me your conditions.
“Barack, as you know, I’m a businessman.”
– That’s true.
I had a feeling Barack Obama could guess what I wanted.
“Barack, FaceNote will go public on NASDAQ next year.”
– That’s news I’ve been waiting to hear. Sung-guk, at this rate, you’re going to become the world’s richest man, aren’t you?
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Barack, what I want is for you to actively use FaceNote instead of Twitter in your 2012 reelection campaign.”
– So you want me to advertise for you.
“There’s no better advertising model than you.”
In fact, Barack Obama had been using Twitter more than FaceNote in his campaign efforts so far.
– Sung-guk, I promise you this: whether I win or lose the election, next year will be the year of FaceNote!
* * *
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Exactly one hour after I hung up with Barack Obama, the FBI agent he mentioned knocked and entered the conference room.
“Hello, CEO Jeon Sung-guk. I’m Dennis Oh, with the FBI.”
“Are you Korean-American?”
“Yes, I am.”
Dennis Oh answered in a somewhat stiff tone.
“Dennis, have you eaten?”
“Not yet.”
“Then let’s talk over a meal. The food at the Samjeon Company Cafeteria is quite delicious.”
Dennis Oh looked slightly taken aback.
“CEO, there’s something important we need to discuss… would the Company Cafeteria be alright?”
I showed Dennis Oh the brief piece I had written over the past hour after hanging up with Barack Obama.
– North Korea’s Kim Jong-il, Chairman of the National Defense Commission, dies of acute myocardial infarction while traveling by train.
Amid the opaque succession structure and power struggles in North Korea, what preparations is our government making?
Dennis Oh tilted his head.
“CEO, this is phrased as a question.”
“Yes, I’m posing a question to the government right now. When the people are anxious, we’ll see how they reassure them.”
“By the way, I think you should mention that you received direct contact from the FBI in the United States.”
“No, I’ll write that I received a call from Barack Obama this morning and we discussed the Korean situation together.”
“Is this something you’ve coordinated with the President?”
“Of course it hasn’t been coordinated, but if we’re the kind of people who exchange information like this while speaking directly with the American President, shouldn’t South Korea have some leverage?”
At my words, Dennis Oh nodded.
“I’ll report this matter after we eat.”
“Very well.”
I quietly closed the conference room door behind me and posted the piece I had written directly to FaceNote.
What Barack Obama wanted was for me to become a politically influential figure in South Korea.
[Well, I suppose I should do at least this much.]
* * *
The moment I stepped into the Company Cafeteria, I was hit with an unexpected ambush.
A notice for the founding ceremony of the “Most Handsome in the World Sung-guk” fan club was posted on the cafeteria bulletin board.
Dennis Oh saw it and turned back to me.
“CEO, is the ‘Most Handsome in the World Sung-guk’ fan club actually a fan club for CEO Jeon Sung-guk?”
“Ah, yes…”
I had no choice but to answer.
“Since I’m a Korean-American, I’m quite weak with abbreviations and neologisms. What on earth does ‘Most Handsome in the World’ mean? Is it something like Latin or Hebrew?”
“Ah… well…”
Just then, a familiar voice came from behind.
“Most Handsome in the World. It means the most handsome man in the world.”
It was Lee Hyun-hee, my fan club café manager.
Dennis Oh was quite flustered by Lee Hyun-hee’s sudden appearance.
“Ah, yes… that’s a nice meaning.”
“It’s a fan club name that our CEO Jeon Sung-guk personally chose. By the way, I’m Lee Hyun-hee from the Samjeon Group Marketing Team, and I manage CEO Jeon Sung-guk’s fan club café.”
Lee Hyun-hee was announcing my fan club name and founding ceremony to everyone in the Company Cafeteria with her loud, clear voice.
“CEO, I was actually trying to contact you.”
Thump-thump.
Just hearing from Lee Hyun-hee now made my heart race with worry.
[What on earth is she trying to say?]
“CEO, our fan club founding ceremony is on Saturday, December 24th at 2 PM. You’ll obviously be coming to the founding ceremony, right?”
“Lee Hyun-hee, shouldn’t you have asked me to coordinate my schedule first before setting the founding ceremony date?”
“This prickly attitude is what makes you charming, CEO. After investigating various things, I found out that on Saturday, December 24th—Christmas Eve, that is—CEO Jeon Sung-guk’s schedule is free. Of course, Secretary Kim Mi-so told me this because she thought it would be better for you to attend the founding ceremony than to spend Christmas Eve alone and lonely.”
“I’m in.”
At that moment, Lee Hyun-hee shook her head vigorously.
“CEO, just prepare one song and one dance for us, please.”
“Why me?”
“It’s your fan club inauguration ceremony. The rest of us and the fan club executives will handle everything else.”
I shook my head with a wry smile, mentally running through songs to perform and the latest trending dances.
[Ah, Jeon Sung-guk… there’s really nothing you can’t do!]
That was when it happened.
The Company Cafeteria began to buzz with commotion.
“Wow… Kim Jong-il, the National Defense Commission Chairman, has died….”
“Really?”
“Yeah… CEO Jeon Sung-guk heard it directly from US President Barack Obama this morning….”
In that instant, all eyes turned toward me.
I casually shrugged my shoulders.
[That’s me—that’s the kind of person I am….]

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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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