I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 407

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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 407
Jeon Tae-guk drank more champagne, complaining that his head was throbbing.
“What do you mean the succession structure is shaking, Sung-guk?”
“Just don’t trust Father too much. You know how Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung got to where he is.”
In that moment, Jeon Tae-guk’s eyes widened.
“Sung-guk, how do you know our Father’s history?”
“Well….”
[Because I was the successor to Samjeon in my past life, of course!]
“I’ve read a lot of articles circulating online. Chairman Jeon Ju-shin was no pushover either. It seems it took a long time before he came to trust Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung.”
“Grandfather really is something else. Even after designating Father as his successor, he kept testing him. Could it be… Father is planning to do the same thing…. With Mi-jin and me left behind….”
“Anyway, what’s certain is that you can’t ride on Mother’s line anymore.”
“Why?”
“Because this divorce lawsuit will ultimately be won by Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung.”
I stated it with certainty.
In fact, everyone in South Korea could have said the same thing.
“Sigh… to hear about family matters through news articles… I should call Mom and Dad once we arrive in the United States.”
Jeon Tae-guk rubbed his throbbing head and soon fell asleep.
I found myself increasingly fascinated by Samjeon’s changing future.
[A divorce… This was something I didn’t anticipate, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung.]
* * *
As soon as we arrived at the airport, Mark greeted us.
“Sung-guk! Tae-guk! Adam! Sam!”
Mark called out our names with a bright smile.
“Mark, skip the welcome speech and let’s head to the hotel right away. I want to monitor the TikTok program.”
“Sung-guk, you really haven’t changed at all. How can you talk about work the moment we meet? You should at least say something like ‘how have you been?’ as a greeting.”
“Mark, what kind of formalities do we need between us?”
“Fair point….”
Mark shrugged and led us along.
“Sung-guk, the presentation is tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you ready?”
“We’re always perfect. The response after that is a separate issue….”
TikTok was flawless.
The only problem was that the environment to properly operate this SNS hadn’t been fully established yet.
“Once the presentation tomorrow is done, do you have some free time? Mi-mi asked me to come have dinner. By the way, Sung-guk… my Korean cooking skills have really improved lately.”
“Mark, I’m sorry, but go with Adam, Sam, and Tae-guk instead of me.”
“Why not you?”
“I think I need to head to Los Angeles right after the presentation.”
“Why Los Angeles?”
“I’m joining Dennis for a movie audition.”
Mark’s eyes widened.
“Sung-guk, I’m genuinely curious about this. Is Dennis’s film really worth investing in? I’m not doubting Dennis’s abilities—I’m just curious why you’re putting money into it.”
“Mark, have you ever seen me invest in something that doesn’t make money?”
“Well, that’s true, but… even monkeys fall out of trees sometimes.”
[Mark, are you really comparing me to a monkey right now?]
At my pointed look, Mark broke into an embarrassed grin.
“You can’t succeed at everything, right? And while I’m here on business, spare some time to evaluate my cooking skills. Who knows? Maybe I have incredible talent in the kitchen.”
[Mark, that’s absolutely not happening. Just focus on FaceNote!]
I gripped Mark’s shoulder firmly.
“Mark, let’s talk about going public on NASDAQ with Peter after we get back from Los Angeles.”
“Great, then I can show off my cooking skills at that meeting.”
Mark continued to laugh with his characteristic optimism.
* * *
– Even monkeys fall from trees!
– Harsh criticism pouring in over SNS king Jeon Sung-guk’s new social media platform TikTok!
– Amid reactions that it seems like an unfinished product was unveiled, CEO Jeon Sung-guk insists that their SNS is perfect, but current technology simply hasn’t caught up yet!
– CEO Jeon Sung-guk, please just do what you’re already good at… Expert criticism continues to flood in.
– CEO Jeon Sung-guk’s solitary figure descending from the presentation stage!
My figure descending from the presentation stage became the headline of IT-related articles.
I hadn’t felt solitary at all—I’d simply come down with composure—yet the reporters wrote as if I’d suffered some catastrophic failure.
I let out a sigh.
[Just wait and see… In a few years, everyone who wrote this article will want to break their own fingers…]
I sipped my coffee with unshakeable composure.
In three hours, I’d need to board a flight to Los Angeles for Dennis’s film audition.
Sam and Adam appeared late, coming downstairs for breakfast.
Both of them had noticeably puffy eyes.
Sam and Adam approached me hesitantly.
“Sung-guk…”
[I really wish everyone would stop worrying.]
“Adam, Sam…”
I called out their names in a low voice.
They looked at me with swollen faces.
“Adam, Sam. Don’t worry. I told you—I never make investments that fail.”
“But… this is the first time we’ve received such harsh criticism. It feels like Sam and I did something wrong… and you even raised our salaries.”
“Adam, Sam. That’s precisely because I trust you both that much. You’ve worked hard all this time, so since you’re back in America for the first time in a while, go see your families and get some rest before you return.”
“We don’t have the nerve to do that.”
Sam spoke in a voice that seemed to shrink into itself.
“Please don’t worry. I have to leave soon for Los Angeles anyway. You two take your time with breakfast. It’s traditional American food you haven’t had in a while, after all.”
I did everything I could to comfort them both.
TikTok’s beginning may be humble, but its end will be magnificent—I knew this better than anyone. And because of that knowledge, I felt not a single trace of worry.
But it was only natural that Adam and Sam, unaware of the future, felt dejected.
They hadn’t even touched the mountain of bacon piled before them.
[I can’t exactly claim to know the future either!]
“Adam, Sam. You’re hearing harsh criticism too. YouTube went through the same thing, right? And looking carefully at the critical articles, I can see problems we overlooked. Let’s go back to Korea and focus on fixing those issues.”
“You’re right.”
“And please, eat and enjoy yourselves! You’ve both worked so hard! I’m going to check how much you two have actually relaxed since coming back from LA!”
I checked the time and quickly stood up.
* * *
Even after Sung-guk left, Adam only sipped his coffee without touching a single piece of bread.
“Sam, don’t you think Sung-guk is overdoing it because we’re feeling down?”
“You felt that too? That’s what I thought.”
Sam couldn’t finish even one piece of bacon, his favorite, sitting right in front of him.
“Adam, should we ask Sung-guk to cut our salaries a bit? You saw the evaluation that came out after our presentation yesterday. We’re the developers, but I feel terrible that Sung-guk is taking all the criticism.”
“I really think Sung-guk’s composure is remarkable. The harsh criticism is one thing, but now articles are saying his era has passed. Even the SNS king can’t escape it. Articles like that are actually coming out.”
Adam and Sam sighed simultaneously.
“Sam, let’s talk to Sung-guk about cutting our salaries when he gets back. What do you think?”
“I was thinking the same thing. I can’t shake this uncomfortable feeling.”
The two of them then slowly began eating their bacon.
* * *
When I arrived at the Los Angeles Airport, Dennis waved brightly.
“Sung-guk, over here!”
Dennis’s face seemed brighter than when I’d last seen him.
“Dennis, you look happy since the film is starting?”
“I am, investor. But are you really going to be this tight with the budget? All the actors are newcomers, and the director is really struggling.”
Dennis whined.
Then I had to whine even more!
“Dennis, didn’t you see my articles? TikTok is absolutely tearing me apart right now. ‘The era of SNS king Sung-guk has ended.’ Articles like that are going up one every minute. How can I boldly invest in a film under these circumstances?”
“I’m at a loss for words. But Sung-guk! I really hope we can secure this actor.”
Dennis’s face flushed with excitement again.
“You’re talking about the conductor role?”
“Yes. J.J. Simmons—he’s a fairly well-known actor. I really want him for this role. When I saw the first audition, I got a strong feeling about it.”
“J.J. Simmons. The name alone gives me a good feeling….”
I threw out a casual joke.
J.J. Simmons would win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his brilliant performance in this film.
“But there’s a problem.”
Dennis’s voice quickly deflated.
“What problem?”
“J.J. Simmons has scheduling conflicts with another film… and honestly, our film has such a tight budget, and I’m a first-time director too. There are several things making him hesitant.”
“Hmm… I should meet him myself as the investor. The fact that he made it to the second audition means he’s interested in the role, doesn’t it?”
“That’s true, but his agency is strongly opposed. He has a casting offer for a supporting role in a Marvel film….”
“Let’s go for now.”
Dennis led the way with a somewhat gloomy expression.
When an actor of J.J. Simmons’ caliber chose a film by a rookie director, there had to be a compelling reason.
Either money or prestige!
* * *
On the drive to the audition venue in Dennis’ old car, he received a phone call.
In that instant, Dennis’ face turned ashen.
“Yes… I understand. Could you check if he can come to our audition after that one finishes? We have plenty of time to wait.”
From what I could hear, the audition wasn’t unfolding as expected.
Dennis hung up and let out a heavy sigh.
“Sung-guk… It looks like we’ll have to proceed with the second round auditions without J.J. Simmons.”
“How many actors besides J.J. Simmons made it to the second round?”
“Just two more.”
“Why can’t J.J. Simmons come?”
“That Marvel studio I mentioned earlier moved their audition to today. The agency probably pulled some strings. Since J.J. Simmons seemed interested in our film, they’re probably worried he might choose us instead. And honestly, Marvel’s offering more money.”
“Hmm… Dennis, could you push back our audition time and find out when and where the Marvel audition is happening?”
“J.J. Simmons won’t be the only one at that Marvel audition. Let me check through my other agency contacts.”
Dennis immediately started making calls.
After several calls, we finally got a lead.
“Sung-guk, that Marvel audition is happening at a studio in two hours.”
“Two hours… that’s plenty of time. Dennis, head toward that studio… and contact J.J. Simmons directly. Ask him for just ten minutes.”
Dennis wore a troubled expression.
“What good will that do? The agency seems to be pushing pretty hard already.”
“And add this—tell him the investor wants to meet him directly.”
I was still more famous in the United States than Dennis was.
Dennis nodded with determination.
“Got it. I’ll call him right away!”
* * *
“J.J. Simmons said he can spare about ten minutes before the audition.”
The fact that he made time for Dennis’ earnest request suggested J.J. Simmons wasn’t entirely uninterested in this film.
Dennis’ car headed toward a cafe near Marvel Studio, our designated meeting place.
J.J. Simmons was already there at the cafe, reading the script.
I adjusted my hoodie as I walked toward him.
J.J. Simmons recognized both Dennis and me at once and offered a courteous smile.
“Here you are!”
“Hello, I’m Jeon Sung-guk, the investor in this film.”
“What an honor. I’m a FaceNote user myself.”
We shook hands and took our seats.
I quickly glanced at the script J.J. Simmons was reading. It was Dennis’ film, “The Whip.”
“Mr. J.J. Simmons, “The Whip” is interesting, isn’t it?”
“I’ll admit the story and characters are quite compelling. However….”
I didn’t wait for J.J. Simmons to finish and asked first.
“You’re hesitant because it’s a debut director with a modest budget, aren’t you?”
“Yes, that’s accurate. There are plenty of good scripts. But there are just as many directors who ruin them.”
I could roughly sense what J.J. Simmons was worried about.
“J.J. Simmons, I’d like to make you a proposal. Listen and think it over.”
“Go ahead.”
“What if we include a clause in the contract stating that if you don’t win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this film, I’ll compensate you ten times your acting fee?”
Both Dennis and J.J. Simmons were taken aback by my words.
And I calmly crossed my arms and waited for J.J. Simmons’s response.
[J.J. Simmons, decide now.]

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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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