I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 404

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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 404
“Hyung, are you alright?”
“Sung-guk… A crow trying to follow a stork ends up tearing its crotch. I overreached.”
Jeon Tae-guk lay motionless on the Medical Office bed, shaking his head weakly.
“Why did you push yourself so hard?”
“I thought if I lived like you, I could chase after even half—no, a tenth of what you do…. I was foolish….”
[You’re only realizing that now?]
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Hyung, you should go to the Hospital now and get an IV. Before the Chairman worries.”
“You’re right….”
That was when it happened.
The Medical Office door burst open, and Secretary Park Sung-hee rushed in urgently.
Secretary Park Sung-hee’s face was completely rigid.
Secretary Park Sung-hee’s greatest weakness was that everything showed on her face.
“Secretary Park, what’s wrong?”
“Well….”
Secretary Park Sung-hee shut the Medical Office door firmly and made a request to the doctor on duty.
“We have something to discuss privately. Just for a moment.”
“Yes, understood.”
The doctor closed the door and left.
Secretary Park Sung-hee then approached us quietly.
“What is it, Secretary Park?”
“Secretary Yang was looking for me urgently. He said to prepare myself mentally.”
“What? Did Father suddenly take a turn for the worse? The doctor said it was just minor shock!”
Jeon Tae-guk shot up from his seat. Secretary Park Sung-hee quickly stopped him.
“That’s not it… Please let me finish.”
[Could it be… that incident back then….]
I stroked my chin thoughtfully.
Innate charisma, swift decision-making, and powerful execution.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung had everything similar to me, but there was one thing where we differed. It was women.
Of course there were many women around a tycoon.
But whether one succumbed to those women was another matter entirely.
I was cautious with women, while Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s guard frequently crumbled.
Jeon Tae-guk pressed Secretary Park Sung-hee.
“What exactly is it? Prepare myself mentally?”
“It seems a scandal will break within the next few days.”
“A scandal? What kind of scandal?”
“Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s woman trouble.”
Just as I thought….
My instincts were never wrong.
“Tell me the details. It’s not like Father’s woman troubles are a new thing that people gossip about.”
Jeon Tae-guk was well aware of Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s affairs.
“This scandal is bigger than expected. It seems the woman recorded a video.”
[Sigh… So it’s that incident I remember.]
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung had spent a night with a woman he met at a party, and she had recorded a video to blackmail him.
While there was no explicit footage, the conversation between Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung and the woman sitting on the Hotel Suite Room sofa was enough to suggest what had transpired between them that night.
Of course, Samjeon had attempted to settle with the woman, but it was the Iron Lady who refused the settlement.
There was only one reason.
To solidify Jeon Tae-guk’s position as successor.
It was truly a family relationship devoid of blood or tears.
Secretary Park Sung-hee explained the current situation to Jeon Tae-guk.
“A few months ago, the Chairman attended a modest party with close business associates, and afterward went up to a Hotel Suite Room with a certain woman. It appears that woman recorded a video at that time.”
“And she tried to blackmail Samjeon with it?”
Jeon Tae-guk also seemed unable to comprehend it.
“Usually Secretary Yang would step in to handle such matters, but according to Secretary Yang, there was an order from above not to negotiate this time.”
“If you say ‘an order from above’ when Father is incapacitated…”
“Yes, it’s an instruction from your mother, the Executive Director.”
Jeon Tae-guk pressed his forehead with his hand.
“Really… Why would Mother do this? No matter how much she dislikes Father, this is too much…. Father’s woman troubles aren’t exactly new…. A few million won they’re demanding is pocket change for our family!”
I gripped Jeon Tae-guk’s shoulder firmly.
“That’s not it, hyung.”
“What do you mean, Sung-guk?”
“Mother wants the Chairman to become vulnerable.”
“What?”
Jeon Tae-guk looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“If the Chairman becomes vulnerable, your position becomes unshakeable.”
I spoke calmly.
In my previous life, this scandal catapulted me directly to the position of Vice Chairman.
And Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung gradually ceased to appear in public.
While health issues played a part, the critical factor was that the man whose video the entire nation had seen appearing to discuss the company’s and nation’s future lacked credibility.
Of course, the Iron Lady was behind it then as well.
Perhaps the Iron Lady had lived all this time simply waiting for this day to arrive.
The day her son would solidify his throne.
Just then, Secretary Park Sung-hee’s phone rang frantically.
“Hello… Yes, I understand.”
Secretary Park Sung-hee hung up and looked at Jeon Tae-guk.
“Young Master, your mother will arrive in 10 minutes. Are you feeling alright?”
“Whether I’m alright or not, I have to meet her! Why is Mother like this….”
* * *
The Iron Lady visited the headquarters for the first time in a long while.
I had been living as a virtual stranger to Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung, with no reason to visit headquarters except for official occasions.
Secretary Yang, who had been waiting in advance, quickly greeted the Iron Lady.
“Let’s go to the Chairman’s Office. Where is Tae-guk?”
“Executive Director Tae-guk is currently in the Medical Office because he has indigestion from lunch. It’s nothing serious, and he should be coming to the Chairman’s Office shortly.”
“Then, let’s go.”
The Iron Lady stepped into the elevator.
And she headed toward that seat—the Chairman’s Office—a place she could never have occupied before.
* * *
Jeon Tae-guk quickly checked his appearance.
“Secretary Park, does it look alright?”
“Yes, Executive Director.”
Then Jeon Tae-guk looked at me.
“Sung-guk, let’s discuss this briefly on the way up.”
“Of course, hyung.”
In my previous life, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung had caused the scandal, and the Iron Lady had exposed it. The cleanup had fallen to me.
That’s why I could handle this situation better than anyone else.
And as I helped manage this cleanup now, there was certainly something I would gain from it.
Jeon Tae-guk walked briskly toward the elevator.
Passing employees quickly stopped and bowed, but unlike usual, he barely acknowledged their greetings.
“Sung-guk, about Father’s situation. Mother said she wants to quickly establish my succession plan, right?”
“Yes, hyung.”
“What am I supposed to do? This is something I can’t let tarnish Father’s reputation.”
“Hyung, from what I can see, no one can stop this. Your mother may have been waiting for the moment when Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung would let his guard down while in the hospital.”
“She’s truly our mother, but she’s a terrifying woman. So what?”
“If you can’t stop it, there’s only one way.”
“What is it?”
“You have to bury a scandal with another scandal.”
Jeon Tae-guk suddenly stopped and looked at me.
“Sung-guk… surely you’re not suggesting I create a sex scandal by meeting with a woman….”
“Hyung, if it’s a sex scandal and you create another scandal in that direction, you’d be dragging Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung down with you.”
“Ah… right.”
“The Pyeongtak Factory site inspection next week will be your first official appearance after the scandal.”
“I suppose so….”
“That’s when you’ll need to make an appropriate move.”
“What kind of move?”
“First, meet with Mother well. And be prepared to reward me for the appropriate action I have in mind.”
“Right, if this gets cleaned up, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you….”
Jeon Tae-guk quickly stepped into the elevator.
* * *
The Iron Lady gazed down from the Chairman’s Office.
Despite graduating from as prestigious a university as Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung and receiving an excellent education, he had never once claimed that position.
Click.
The sound of the door opening announced Jeon Tae-guk’s arrival.
The Iron Lady then quietly turned away.
“Mother, what’s the matter that brought you to the company?”
“Did you hear through Secretary Yang?”
“I heard through Park Secretary. Father, did you cause an accident?”
“Yes. That accident. This time, I won’t cover it up. I’ve spent so many years covering up your father’s accidents, and now I’m simply exhausted.”
“Mother, still… it’s something that could be resolved with a bit of money. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?”
Jeon Tae-guk wanted to verify directly whether Sung-guk’s prediction was correct.
“This is your chance to rise. Your father’s image will plummet, and even if he keeps the title of Chairman, it won’t be easy for him to take an official position.”
“Mother….”
Indeed, Sung-guk’s prediction had been accurate.
“And… you need to prove yourself. There’s no guarantee you won’t face something like this in the future. Think of this incident as a dry run—a chance to practice how you’ll handle it then.”
“Mother….”
Jeon Tae-guk couldn’t close his gaping mouth.
The Iron Lady stared coldly at Jeon Tae-guk.
“Tae-guk, I have two children. Of course you’re the eldest, but you and Mi-jin were equally lacking in academic talent. I married into Samjeon and could only manage a gallery for external activities, but I don’t want my daughter to be limited the same way.”
The Iron Lady was now threatening Jeon Tae-guk as well.
“Tae-guk, in this day and age, what does it matter whether you’re male or female? The capable person takes the position.”
That statement implied that the successor could very well be Jeon Mi-jin.
“Tae-guk, the video will break precisely this weekend. Let me see how you handle it.”
* * *
“Sung-guk! Sung-guk! Sung-guk!”
Jeon Tae-guk called my name urgently as he walked into the Conference Room.
It seemed the Iron Lady had threatened Jeon Tae-guk appropriately as well.
Click.
The Conference Room door opened, and Jeon Tae-guk thrust his pale face inside.
“Sung-guk….”
“Yes, hyung.”
“Tell me your solution. You said we cover a scandal with another scandal.”
I regarded Jeon Tae-guk leisurely, arms crossed.
“Hyung, I need to hear your conditions first.”
“Go ahead, tell me everything.”
“In March, there’s a major IT industry expo in Silicon Valley. That’s when Alpha will unveil TikTok. I think we’ll need Samjeon’s full support.”
“Full support means?”
“The largest booth, of course, and I’d like to request Samjeon’s comprehensive cooperation in all other aspects.”
In truth, Alpha’s scale was still insufficient to claim a main event at such an expo. But if Samjeon stood behind us, that would change everything.
“Fine, yes! I can do that much! But only if your solution actually works.”
[Jeon Tae-guk, now he’s setting conditions too….]
But I was confident.
“Of course.”
* * *
Just as the Iron Lady had said, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s video dominated every major portal over the weekend.
The terms “Samjeon,” “Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung,” and “video” seized the real-time search rankings across all portals, and sensationalist articles flooded in from every direction.
Speculation erupted everywhere about whether the protagonist of this video was really Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung.
Because of this news, the atmosphere in our Hannam-dong home felt different than usual.
Jeon Tae-guk had been in a foul mood since morning, and Sam and Adam stayed in their room, too nervous to come out and face him.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Jeon Tae-guk knocked and opened the door.
“Sung-guk, let’s have some coffee.”
“Yes, hyung.”
I had already explained the solution to Jeon Tae-guk.
But this time, he didn’t trust the solution I’d proposed.
I accepted the coffee he offered.
“Sung-guk, no matter how much I think about it, I don’t think that solution you mentioned will work.”
“Hyung, first, the media outlets controlled by Samjeon will flood the market with speculative articles saying it’s not Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung.”
“I’ve already instructed them to do that, but will people actually believe it?”
“Some will believe it, and some won’t.”
“Wouldn’t it be more advantageous to bury the scandal by announcing I’m marrying some famous celebrity?”
“That method would bury the scandal, sure. But what about your image?”
“What do you mean?”
“The method I suggested buries the scandal while simultaneously elevating your image as Samjeon’s successor.”
“That’s true, but…”
Jeon Tae-guk was hesitating.
Right now, we were preparing a massive deception for the entire nation.
The director: me, Jeon Sung-guk.
The actor: Jeon Tae-guk.
The supporting actor: a reporter holding an Apple phone.
I gripped Jeon Tae-guk’s shoulder firmly.
“Hyung, please just act properly!”

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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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