I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 402

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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 402
The alarm rang, and I got out of bed.
This morning was no different from any other day for me.
But the moment I opened the door, standing there was someone passing through a pivotal turning point in their life.
It was Jeon Tae-guk.
Jeon Tae-guk sat at the dining table with his hair neatly combed.
This was the first time I’d ever seen Jeon Tae-guk wake up earlier than me.
“Sung-guk, let’s eat breakfast together. Secretary Park picked up some hangover soup on the way here. I figure a full stomach will help me get through today’s meeting.”
“Yes, hyung.”
Secretary Park Sung-hee briefed Jeon Tae-guk continuously about today’s meeting while he ate.
“The biggest issue today is the establishment of the Pyeongtaek semiconductor factory. The government is also pushing it strongly. The Chairman has been driving this forward so that the next administration can break ground.”
“There’s a site inspection in Pyeongtaek, right?”
“It’s scheduled for next week. After the Chairman is discharged from the hospital, but it seems you’ll need to go as the representative. You’ll need to lead the semiconductor business as the successor now.”
“Sigh… I’m going to be photographed like crazy.”
Jeon Tae-guk chewed the hangover soup thoroughly, then scratched his head.
“Sung-guk, what do you think about expanding the semiconductor business like this?”
“I don’t know much about semiconductors anyway.”
I took a step back.
In reality, it was a business I knew better than anyone.
In my previous life, it was the business I’d overseen from start to finish, and it was the one that led Samjeon into its second golden age.
“My head hurts. It really does….”
Jeon Tae-guk kept complaining.
[Jeon Tae-guk, don’t be such a baby about this.]
I calmly began eating my soup.
Secretary Park Sung-hee continued feeding information to the reluctant Jeon Tae-guk.
“Young master, the semiconductor business is something the Chairman is driving entirely. Lim Chul-hee, the CEO of Samjeon Semiconductor, will give the full briefing today.”
Jeon Tae-guk let out a low sigh.
“Sigh… By nature, I’m more suited for the entertainment side… Father just had to take on this kind of business… Should I call CGJ right now?”
“Young master, stop sulking and focus on what’s ahead.”
“Yes, yes. Secretary Park.”
Jeon Tae-guk nodded, then drained the hangover soup broth completely.
“Sung-guk, let’s go to the company together. Tell Secretary Kim to report directly to the office….”
“Of course.”
* * *
It wasn’t even 7 AM yet.
Even for Samjeon’s headquarters, there weren’t many people who had arrived.
It was almost the first time Jeon Tae-guk had come to the company at this hour.
Jeon Tae-guk kept drinking coffee as he stepped into the elevator.
Secretary Park Sung-hee pressed the buttons for the Alpha floor and the Strategic Planning Team floor where Jeon Tae-guk worked.
“Sung-guk, let’s meet during lunch after the executive meeting.”
“Brother, don’t you need to have lunch with the executives?”
“If I spend lunch with those people too, where am I supposed to find my happiness? I just want to eat a meal in peace.”
“Understood. See you later.”
I tilted my head slightly as I stepped out of the elevator.
* * *
Secretary Park Sung-hee quickly gauged Jeon Tae-guk’s mood.
Jeon Tae-guk sipped his coffee with surprising composure.
“Young Master, wouldn’t it be better to have lunch with the executives as Sung-guk suggested?”
“Secretary Park… do you know why I eat with Sung-guk?”
“Is there a deeper meaning to it?”
Secretary Park Sung-hee looked at Jeon Tae-guk with a puzzled expression.
The Jeon Tae-guk she knew was always lacking in something, someone who despised work with a vengeance.
“You’ve been assisting me for a long time now, Secretary Park. I think you know me better than anyone.”
“Perhaps not everything, but I know quite a bit.”
Jeon Tae-guk nodded.
“I know my own limits well. Honestly, when Father collapsed and I realized I actually had to inherit this company, I felt the weight of that responsibility for the first time… and that’s when I saw myself clearly.”
Jeon Tae-guk was laying bare his true feelings.
“I’m not particularly bright, and I have no business sense. Until now, I’ve just been riding on what Grandfather and Father left me, living off their legacy without contributing anything. Father always said it—you’re not smart enough, so just learn to surround yourself with good people. You only need to know how to wield the carrot and the stick…”
Secretary Park Sung-hee saw Jeon Tae-guk in a new light.
Perhaps Jeon Tae-guk was becoming someone who could now wield both the carrot and the stick effectively.
“The person I need most right now isn’t the executives who’ve already devoted themselves to Samjeon—it’s Sung-guk. Those who eat Samjeon’s salary will work hard enough for a few bonus points anyway. What I need now is someone who can observe Samjeon from the outside.”
“And that’s Sung-guk?”
“Yes. That’s why having lunch with Sung-guk is more important than eating with the executives.”
Secretary Park Sung-hee nodded in understanding.
“Secretary Park…”
Jeon Tae-guk called out to Secretary Park Sung-hee unusually quietly.
“Yes, Young Master.”
“I know you’re by my side because of Sung-guk.”
Secretary Park Sung-hee was even somewhat startled.
After all, it was CEO Jeon Sung-guk who had placed him in this position.
“But still, you’re my person now, aren’t you?”
“… Yes, Young Master.”
“Not Young Master anymore—call me Executive Director. Next time, you might be calling me Vice Chairman.”
“Yes, Executive Director.”
Secretary Park Sung-hee quickly adjusted his posture.
* * *
[Jeon Tae-guk is going to eat with me instead of the executives? So it’s really beginning now…]
I took a sip of the cafe latte that Secretary Kim Mi-so handed me.
“Secretary Kim, you assist me, but you’re still part of Samjeon, aren’t you?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“From now on, I’m going to make you a proposal, Secretary Kim Mi-so.”
“All of a sudden…?”
“If you don’t accept it, you’ll probably lose your job by the end of today.”
I set my caramel latte down on the table.
The smile vanished from Secretary Kim Mi-so’s face.
For working professionals, losing a job was akin to receiving a death sentence.
Moreover, Secretary Kim Mi-so hadn’t joined Samjeon after growing up in comfortable circumstances.
When Jeon Tae-guk assigned Secretary Kim Mi-so to me, I’d naturally conducted a background check.
Secretary Kim Mi-so was the eldest daughter among two daughters and one son.
Her father ran a small restaurant as the sole breadwinner, and her two younger siblings were still university students.
That meant most of Secretary Kim Mi-so’s salary went toward her siblings’ tuition.
Such was the fate of South Korea’s eldest sons and daughters.
They studied through their families’ sacrifices, graduated, and then sacrificed themselves to support their families.
“CEO, that sounds more like coercion than a proposal.”
“Words change meaning depending on how you package them.”
“Then, may I hear this proposal you’re calling it, even though it sounds like coercion to me?”
“Secretary Kim Mi-so, how much of my movements do you report to Samjeon?”
“That’s…”
It was obviously confidential information.
Speaking about it would breach her contract, and that alone could get her fired from Samjeon.
“Then let me first explain the benefits of my proposal. If you tell me everything Samjeon instructs you to report without omission, and Samjeon finds out and fires you, I’ll immediately take responsibility for your employment. Simultaneously, I’ll have you transferred to our FaceNote headquarters.”
Kim Mi-so’s eyes widened.
Her education and abilities were already proven—she’d been hired into Samjeon Group’s secretarial office. Her work was meticulous and flawless.
“CEO, could you specify that in a contract?”
Kim Mi-so had taken my bait.
“Of course. In exchange, relay any instructions from Samjeon to me immediately. And… try not to get caught for as long as possible. When I finish my military service and head to the United States, wouldn’t it be nice if you came along?”
Kim Mi-so smiled, true to her name.
“You’re making quite the threat, but your words are remarkably romantic. I almost got excited.”
“It’s a path with guaranteed success, so you can be excited.”
“You mean I should tell you everything Samjeon instructs without omission and report in the way you want?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“And I should keep this operation secret at least until you finish your military service.”
“Yes.”
“In other words, I’m a double agent.”
“That’s about right.”
I shrugged.
Secretary Kim Mi-so extended her hand.
“Prepare the contract. I’m ready to sign. And understand one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“This isn’t me betraying Samjeon—it’s me moving to a company with better conditions.”
“Of course. I trust Kim Mi-so. I wouldn’t have made this proposal otherwise.”
I took Secretary Kim Mi-so’s hand.
From what I’d observed, Secretary Kim Mi-so had a remarkably straightforward nature—her unwavering loyalty to the organization.
She’d been loyal to Samjeon all this time, and now was simply the moment for that allegiance to shift.
“This is just a tip for drafting a more favorable contract. The directive came down from Samjeon’s executive office, but it differed from previous instructions, so it seemed like something Executive Director Jeon Tae-guk issued directly.”
“What was it?”
“An order to report on every person I meet while assisting CEO Jeon Sung-guk. Until now, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung showed little interest in CEO Jeon Sung-guk’s movements except regarding the Hyojin Group. But after Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung collapsed, this directive came down immediately.”
“That’s information that would work heavily in your favor in the contract.”
I smiled faintly.
[Jeon Tae-guk, your suspicious nature hasn’t changed between lives….]
* * *
“Sung-guk!”
Jeon Tae-guk loosened his necktie and waved his hand.
Once again, Jeon Tae-guk had claimed Company Cafeteria Table 1.
“I felt like eating something hearty today, so I ordered jjamppong.”
“I’ll have jjamppong instead of jjajangmyeon for a change too.”
We took our bowls of jjamppong and found our seats side by side.
As always, no one sat near us.
Jeon Tae-guk devoured his jjamppong eagerly, then gulped down water.
“It tastes better when you’re working hard. Sung-guk, there’s a lot of talk about continuously scaling down the semiconductor factory in Pyeongtaek…. The international situation isn’t great these days either. Taiwan already has a stranglehold on semiconductors….”
[Is this where it begins?]
I glanced sideways at Jeon Tae-guk.
It seemed like the right moment to offer a hint.
“Samjeon Electronics is honestly in decline now, isn’t it? Plus smartphones are losing to Apple. Samjeon has many solid foundational businesses, but if we keep going like this, we’ll just become another mediocre domestic company in no time.”
At my words, Jeon Tae-guk looked momentarily taken aback before resuming his meal.
Secretary Park Sung-hee and Secretary Kim Mi-so sat down beside us, arriving slightly late.
Both of them radiated a different tension than yesterday.
[So Jeon Tae-guk has brought Secretary Park Sung-hee over to his side….]
“Sung-guk, we need to pioneer new ventures? Is that semiconductors?”
“We’re already pioneering them. Why do you keep doubting me?”
“Semiconductors are such a difficult field, after all.”
“Then study harder.”
I smiled faintly and slurped my jjamppong.
At that moment, Jeon Tae-guk gave a bitter smile.
“Right… I’ve been slacking off too much. Park, prepare some materials for me.”
“Yes, Executive Director.”
[Executive Director….]
My suspicion that he’d brought Secretary Park Sung-hee over to his side was now virtually confirmed.
Now it was time to gauge Jeon Tae-guk’s true intentions.
I stared at Jeon Tae-guk’s Apple phone resting on the table.
“Hyung, shouldn’t you get a new phone now?”
“Apple hasn’t released a new model yet.”
Jeon Tae-guk answered reflexively before suddenly glancing down at his Apple phone.
The only Samjeon employee at Samjeon Group headquarters who used an Apple phone.
Jeon Tae-guk smiled bitterly again and looked at Secretary Park Sung-hee.
“Secretary Park, bring me the new Samjeon phone model.”
“Yes, Executive Director.”
Jeon Tae-guk glanced subtly at me, then looked at my Apple phone.
“Sung-guk, why don’t you switch to a Samjeon phone while you’re at it? This new model is seriously impressive.”
“I still prefer Apple.”
[Jeon Tae-guk, I will never become a Samjeon person in this lifetime!]
I slurped another spoonful of jjamppong.

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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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