I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 394

—————

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

—————

Chapter 394
A familiar silhouette began to emerge in the distance.
The man with tousled, frizzy hair standing beside Dennis Chazelle. It was Steven Spielberg.
Steven Spielberg recognized me at a glance and smiled from afar.
Then, at last, we each took a step toward one another.
I approached Steven Spielberg with a warm smile and extended my hand.
“Thank you for traveling all this way. I’m Jeon Sung-guk.”
“Even from a distance, I could spot CEO Jeon Sung-guk’s face right away. I’m Steven Spielberg.”
That name everyone knows. Steven Spielberg.
And right now, the theater was hosting a retrospective of Steven Spielberg’s films.
“Steven, it’s a coincidence, but the theater is currently running a retrospective of your films.”
[That’s exactly why I invited you here, Steven.]
That was the reason I’d asked Steven Spielberg and Dennis Chazelle to come to Yongsan CGJ Theater.
Steven Spielberg’s eyes widened as he surveyed his surroundings.
Though the posters were in Korean, anyone could see that Steven Spielberg’s films filled the walls.
It was also the perfect moment to introduce Jeon Tae-guk, who kept jabbing me in the ribs from beside me.
“Steven, this is Jeon Tae-guk from Samjeon Group, who made this retrospective such a success.”
“Oh, Samjeon! I know them.”
Steven Spielberg lit up with enthusiasm.
“How do you know Samjeon?”
“My home TV is a Samjeon. I knew it was a South Korean company, but the fact that the company that makes the TV I watch would think to organize something like this retrospective… it’s truly moving.”
“Sung-guk came up with the idea. I simply provided some support.”
Jeon Tae-guk smiled gently.
Steven Spielberg looked at me with mischievous eyes.
“Sung-guk, did you deliberately organize this retrospective because I was coming?”
“Actually… when I heard you were coming, my friends and I just wanted to watch a movie at the theater, but it somehow grew into this retrospective. However… the critical issue is that we couldn’t get advance tickets, so we never got to see the film, Steven.”
“Oh no!”
Steven Spielberg burst into laughter.
Just then, a film ended and audiences began streaming out of the theater.
Someone spotted Steven Spielberg and tilted their head in confusion.
“Doesn’t he look just like Steven Spielberg?”
“Yeah, he really does look similar.”
“Could he have actually come to Korea for his retrospective?”
“Maybe… it’s a reenactment actor.”
“Right. I think I saw him on TV Sunday morning at 11….”
Of course, since they were speaking in Korean, Steven Spielberg couldn’t understand, but Jeon Tae-guk and I could barely suppress our laughter.
Steven Spielberg asked curiously.
“Sung-guk, what are they saying?”
“They’re saying you look remarkably similar to Steven Spielberg.”
“Haha. I doubt they’d ever imagine that I came all the way from America to see Sung-guk, right?”
“Of course.”
That’s when it happened.
A young man who appeared to be a college student strode forward and asked Steven Spielberg something in awkward English.
“Um… are you… Director Steven Spielberg?”
At those words, Steven Spielberg winked and broke into a radiant smile.
“That’s right! I’m Steven Spielberg!”
“Really?”
The young man stood there in stunned silence for a moment, then grabbed me and shook me.
“Um, could you interpret for me? You’re with his team, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
[I’m Jeon Sung-guk… doesn’t he recognize me?]
I interpreted the young man’s words while concealing my true feelings as best I could.
“I’m… a real fan of yours. I’m aspiring to become a film director.”
I conveyed the young man’s words to Steven Spielberg.
Steven Spielberg smiled warmly and replied.
“I hope my films become a source of dreams and hope for you.”
“Um… could I trouble you for a photo and an autograph?”
Steven Spielberg readily agreed to the young man’s request, and as the other spectators witnessed this, they began to gather.
“Wow. So it really was Steven Spielberg.”
“But isn’t that Jeon Sung-guk next to him?”
“Jeon Sung-guk?”
“You know, that genius. The CEO of FaceNote….”
“Steven Spielberg and Jeon Sung-guk together… what’s this combination about?”
[Everyone, I can hear all of you.]
It seemed I could no longer slip quietly out of the theater.
I whispered to Steven Spielberg.
“It looks like people have all recognized you now, Director. What should we do?”
“Let’s have a conversation with Korean fans for a change. Why not?”
Steven Spielberg answered with composure.
* * *
– Steven Spielberg visiting Korea—a sight so surreal it’s hard to believe even seeing it.
Steven Spielberg’s visit to Korea was trending in real-time across various social media platforms.
Steven Spielberg, Steven Spielberg’s Korea visit, and Jeon Sung-guk occupied the top three spots in real-time search rankings.
– Did CEO Jeon Sung-guk bring him to Korea?
– There was a retrospective at CGJ, was it because of that?
All manner of speculation was swirling.
[He came because of me.]
I smiled with satisfaction as I headed toward the Samjeon Hotel.
Steven Spielberg spent about thirty minutes actively engaging with the audience, taking photos and signing autographs.
After that, he boarded a vehicle prepared by Samjeon and moved to the Samjeon Hotel with Dennis.
And I was also heading to Samjeon Hotel with Jeon Tae-guk.
“Sung-guk, you really lucked out with CGJ today.”
“CGJ’s promotion really paid off.”
“But Sung-guk, want to hear something depressing?”
“What is it?”
“Apparently everything’s sold out until the end of Steven Spielberg’s retrospective….”
[It’s really hard to catch a movie these days….]
* * *
The Suite Room at Samjeon Hotel.
Dennis, who had arrived early, opened the door with a bewildered expression.
“Sung-guk, Tae-guk… this place is amazing.”
“I pulled some strings, Dennis. For Steven Spielberg, this level of treatment is the least we can do.”
Jeon Tae-guk strutted in proudly.
I patted Dennis on the shoulder.
“Dennis, you should stay at our place.”
“I appreciate that.”
“By the way, did you talk about anything with Steven Spielberg on the way here?”
“Yeah…. Steven Spielberg’s been interested in this topic lately… something called 【Those Who Remember Their Past Lives】, that kind of book.”
A sharp pang.
For a moment, my heart skipped.
[Could it be… does Steven Spielberg know something about me….]
I forced myself to smile as naturally as possible.
“What does ‘people who remember their past lives’ mean?”
“Most people think of past lives as just the past, but what if there’s a space where the timeline is tangled? Then couldn’t there be people who died in the future and are living in the present? That’s the kind of story it is.”
A sharp pang.
What exactly does Steven Spielberg know?
Suddenly my heart began to race.
“Where would something like that exist in this world….”
“I think the same way, but when Steven sees truly exceptional people like you, he wonders if such people might actually exist in this world.”
“So that’s why he wanted to see me?”
“The rest, you’ll have to hear directly from him.”
Dennis patted my back.
Suddenly, meeting Steven Spielberg began to feel a little frightening.
* * *
“Sung-guk, I was moved by the unexpected welcome earlier.”
Steven Spielberg offered me a glass of whiskey.
“How about a drink?”
“Sure.”
[Steven, are you trying to loosen my tongue with alcohol?]
I accepted the glass while keeping my true thoughts hidden.
“Steven, that must have been a long flight. Aren’t you tired?”
“I’m quite confident in my stamina. To be honest, filmmaking demands physical endurance—it’s absolutely essential.”
Steven Spielberg launched into conversation with a casual remark about the director’s craft.
But I remained vigilant.
At any moment, he could pivot and ask me something unexpected.
“Making films is no trivial undertaking, is it?”
I offered appropriate responses while studying Steven Spielberg carefully.
Then Steven Spielberg’s gaze locked onto mine.
“Jeon Sung-guk… I have something I’m curious about.”
Was this finally it?
“About me?”
“Of course. I didn’t come all the way to Korea just to meet anyone—I came to meet you.”
“Ask me anything.”
“Jeon Sung-guk, I want to make a film about you.”
“About me?”
I feigned mild surprise.
“Steven, I’m really nothing special.”
Steven Spielberg chuckled quietly at my words.
“Jeon Sung-guk, everyone in the world thinks you’re extraordinary. You came to America for studies at a young age, created FaceNote with a high school classmate that transformed the world. Not to mention becoming Harvard’s youngest admitted student and then dropping out. By your teens, you’d already become an entrepreneur commanding Silicon Valley itself. And then there’s the gossip about famous actresses…”
Steven Spielberg rapidly summarized my life.
Under normal circumstances, I might have preened with pride and shrugged my shoulders a few times. But Dennis’s words echoed in my mind, dampening any excitement I might have felt.
“Jeon Sung-guk, I don’t want the genius success story everyone already knows… I want to understand the real you.”
“Hmm… the real me… Steven, what you’re really after is a sensational story that can be adapted into a film, isn’t it?”
“Of course—I’m not planning to make a straightforward biographical film about Jeon Sung-guk.”
Steven Spielberg regarded me with earnest eyes.
As if he wanted to pierce through to my very core.
“Steven, a film about me… that’s intriguing.”
I responded with apparent composure.
“But ultimately, cinema must show audiences what they want to see. Steven, what do you think people want to know about me?”
“Hmm… finding that answer might be where this project begins. But there is something I’d like to know about you first.”
“What’s that?”
“Jeon Sung-guk… are you perhaps someone who came from the future?”
“Pardon?”
I stared at Steven Spielberg with a bewildered expression.
[My child actor training is really paying off now!]
Steven Spielberg laughed and waved his hand dismissively.
“I apologize. There’s a book I’ve been absorbed in lately—’Those Who Remember Past Lives.’ Watching the people in that book who remember their previous existences, I found myself wondering: would it be impossible for someone who died in the future to be born in the past?”
This was something Dennis had mentioned.
“There are several fascinating aspects to Jeon Sung-guk’s success. Specifically, your eye for business ventures. Starting with FaceNote as an SNS platform, everything you touch turns to gold. Honestly, you’d expect some failures along the way. I’ve also done preliminary research on your associates.”
Steven took a sip of strong whiskey.
“Sung-guk has been on such a successful trajectory that naturally talented people have gravitated toward him. But there’s something else—it feels like he deliberately seeks out people destined for future success. Elon Musk, for instance.”
I took a sip of whiskey.
If I told Steven Spielberg the truth, he would undoubtedly be astonished.
Steven Spielberg continued.
“And investing in Dennis’s film—a college classmate of mine—that surprised me too. The moment I watched his short film, I felt this electric thrill run through me. I can’t quite articulate it precisely, but after doing this for so long, there’s an unmistakable aura that radiates from people destined for success. I saw it in Dennis.”
I nodded.
“I rushed up to Dennis and asked if he’d ever considered turning this into a feature film. He said he already had plans to do exactly that, and that he’d already secured an investor. That investor was Sung-guk. In that moment, a thought wouldn’t leave my mind—who exactly is this Sung-guk? Is he someone who came from the future and knows everything that’s going to happen?”
I studied Steven Spielberg carefully.
“Steven, would you like me to tell you the truth?”
“What truth?”
“Steven, I’ll be honest with you. The truth is, I actually….”
Just then, the door opened and Jeon Tae-guk and Dennis, who had stepped away briefly, returned.
Steven Spielberg grabbed my arm urgently.
“Sung-guk, what’s the truth?”
“Steven, there’s only one reason I’ve been able to achieve this level of success.”
“Did you really come from the future?”
I shook my head slowly.
At the same time, both Dennis and Jeon Tae-guk’s attention fixed on me.
“Come on, tell us. Sung-guk.”
“The reason I don’t fail is simple—it’s my family.”
Steven Spielberg’s expression suddenly hardened.
“Your family?”
“Yes. I carry the responsibility of taking care of my family. That’s the destiny of being the eldest son in Korea.”
In that moment, Steven Spielberg let out a soft chuckle and declared firmly.
“Sung-guk, you’re lying right now!”

—————

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

—————