I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 412
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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 412
Peter greeted me with an ambiguous smile.
“Sung-guk, we’re all familiar faces here, aren’t we?”
“Of course.”
I greeted Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung first.
“Chairman, how are you feeling now?”
I spoke in English deliberately.
They probably didn’t know about the recent health concerns surrounding Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung.
The Chairman maintained his poker face.
“I’m always the same as ever. Aren’t you the one pushing yourself too hard in America?”
“Pushing myself? I came here for TikTok-related work. This schedule is nothing I can’t handle.”
Cameron and Tyler greeted me warmly.
“Sung-guk, it’s been a while.”
“You two are still the same. Cameron and Tyler.”
Cameron appeared likable but carried an air of pretension.
Tyler had a distinctly calculating nature.
As the twins aged, their appearances seemed to follow their personalities.
Now the differences between them were unmistakable.
“Sung-guk, you’re still impressive. Well, back then you seemed like a young upstart, but now you’re truly a man.”
“I saw the scandal with Anne Hathaway following Emma Watson. You were never the type to stay in a small pond.”
In the years since we’d last met, both had become more business-oriented.
They’d learned to navigate the sensibilities of others.
“Well, since we’ve all gathered here after so long… shall we begin discussing what brought us together today?”
Peter opened the conversation about TikTok, the reason we’d assembled.
* * *
“It seems there’s been a significant misunderstanding.”
This was Cameron’s opening statement.
[A misunderstanding? Winklevoss Investment is trying to swallow TikTok whole!]
I remained silent and waited for more.
Tyler restrained the excited Cameron.
“Cameron, let me handle this.”
Then Tyler looked at me.
“Sung-guk, Cameron got excited, but… I think there’s a small misunderstanding between us.”
“Hmm, do you have evidence of this misunderstanding?”
“I’ll be honest with you.”
Tyler was quite serious.
[Then I’ll listen.]
“The SNS you created this time is receiving harsh criticism, but I found it quite entertaining. I couldn’t attend the expo personally, but my employees went and showed me footage from TikTok’s presentation venue… Within a few years, it seems very likely to become commercialized. People always want something new and hate being bored. TikTok fits that perfectly.”
I nodded.
[Tyler, you’re making sense.]
Tyler continued.
“Text has its limitations, and YouTube videos are too long. A single photograph isn’t enough to convey everything I want to say.”
[So you’re criticizing FaceNote, YouTube, and Instagrim all at once, Tyler?]
“But TikTok felt fresh to me. I can express myself through short videos… and since they’re not too lengthy, anyone can easily engage with them. That’s why I contacted Peter. I told him we were interested in TikTok… but we absolutely didn’t orchestrate any media play.”
“That’s the truth, Sung-guk. We’re not the greenhorns we were back at Harvard’s Lyan Club anymore.”
Cameron chimed in with equal conviction.
“What proof do you have that you’re not greenhorns?”
I asked directly.
Anyone could claim innocence with words alone. What I needed was facts.
[Show me the facts!]
At that moment, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung interjected.
“Sung-guk, the Winklevoss Brothers are right.”
I looked at Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung. Simultaneously, everyone’s attention shifted toward him.
“What do you mean, sir?”
“Someone else contacted us about acquiring Samjeon’s stake in TikTok.”
What?
“Who is it?”
“Trevor Milton—a renowned investor even in New York.”
In that instant, Peter’s expression grew grave.
“Trevor Milton made contact?”
“Yes, Peter.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s answer was resolute.
“Peter, who is Trevor Milton?”
“May I explain?”
Tyler stepped forward.
Tyler’s eyes gleamed. Trevor Milton was clearly no ordinary figure.
“Trevor Milton is, in a word, someone capable of destroying an entire company.”
I waited patiently for Tyler’s next words.
“Trevor Milton is an investor who rose rapidly on Wall Street in recent years, and there’s a fascinating aspect to him. He first made his name in this industry by publishing a report exposing misconduct at a major American corporation.”
“Reports like that flood Wall Street constantly.”
“True, Sung-guk. But what made Trevor Milton famous was the accuracy of his predictions in those reports. The company in question was even regarded as a blue-chip enterprise among ordinary investors. After that, Trevor Milton established his own investment firm and has been aggressively expanding his influence through acquisitions, mergers, and resales. Honestly, there are persistent rumors that he doesn’t care about the means or methods he uses.”
I crossed my arms.
The Winklevoss Brothers, traditional American wealth, understood where the line was drawn.
No matter how unscrupulous, maintaining business ethics was their unspoken creed.
But those like Trevor Milton who suddenly appeared on Wall Street lacked even that conviction.
Cameron grumbled beside me.
“Because of people like that, even those of us who invest traditionally get lumped in with them and vilified.”
At that moment, I noticed Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s eyes narrow.
It seemed Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung hadn’t yet fully grasped who Trevor Milton was.
I looked at Peter.
“Peter, calling in the Winklevoss Brothers was a misstep on your part.”
“That’s not it. The Winklevoss Brothers were interested in TikTok’s shares too. But looking at this now, it seems Trevor Milton is the one using dirty tactics—manipulating the media to drive down the share price.”
I turned to Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung with a question.
“Chairman, did you really intend to hand over your TikTok shares because you thought the company wasn’t worth much?”
“Well… it’s more than that….”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung rose from his seat before finishing his thought. Then, as always, he bowed with impeccable courtesy to everyone present.
“I’m afraid I must take my leave now. I have another appointment lined up. It seems we’ve cleared up most of the misunderstandings, so let’s schedule another meeting with Peter to discuss TikTok.”
“Of course.”
* * *
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung stepped into the elevator.
Secretary Kang, who was accompanying him on the business trip to the United States, stood beside him.
I quickly boarded the same elevator and pressed the button for the lobby floor.
“Chairman, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“I thought as much. What is it?”
A few minutes until the elevator reached ground level.
That was all the time I needed.
“I’d like to share some information with you.”
“Why?”
“In exchange, transfer your Samjeon shares to me.”
“Are you telling me to pull out of TikTok entirely?”
“When you heard the proposal to sell your shares, and when you saw the industry news about TikTok’s poor performance, you wavered, didn’t you?”
“….”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung said nothing.
“Were you perhaps planning to use the TikTok shares to test both me and my brother Jeon Tae-guk?”
“….”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung remained silent, his lips firmly sealed.
Silence was usually affirmation.
“Chairman, I’ll give you one piece of information. I believe that information is worth approximately your TikTok shares.”
“Are you proposing a deal with me?”
“You won’t be able to refuse.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s brow furrowed.
“What is it?”
“First, if the information proves valuable, I’d like you to transfer your TikTok shares to me in proportion to your investment amount. Oh, and by the way… everything being said right now is being recorded. Since we can’t draw up a contract here.”
“Let me hear it.”
“If I help you win your divorce lawsuit against the Iron Lady overwhelmingly, could you transfer your TikTok shares to me?”
In that moment, Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung’s eyes narrowed.
The divorce lawsuit with the Iron Lady showed signs of becoming a protracted battle.
No matter how much evidence emerged of the Iron Lady attempting a counterattack while Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung was down, the years they had spent together as a couple were long.
Even if the divorce was finalized, the issue of alimony would inevitably become another point of contention.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung looked at me.
“Tell me.”
“Virgin Islands.”
“Virgin Islands?”
“Ma’am, there’s likely a shell company there.”
[I’m sorry, Iron Lady.]
I was informing Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung about the shell company in the Virgin Islands where the Iron Lady had secretly siphoned off slush funds in my previous life.
“Sung-guk… what are you saying right now?”
“Ma’am likely established a shell company in the Virgin Islands to hide slush funds. A wealthy family’s wife running a gallery secretly creating slush funds behind her husband’s back and funneling it overseas? That’s grounds for divorce, and it would give you a significant advantage in alimony litigation.”
“How could you possibly know that?”
Ding!
At that moment, the elevator arrived at the lobby.
With people waiting, our conversation could go no further.
I bowed respectfully to Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung as he stepped out of the elevator.
“Chairman, this should be enough for you to transfer your shares to me, shouldn’t it?”
“I’ll contact you once I verify the facts.”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung stepped out of the elevator.
I pressed the button for the floor where Peter’s Office was located.
* * *
“Sung-guk! Now that you’re in New York, trust only us Winklevoss Brothers.”
“Wait… can I call Mark for a moment?”
“Mark? That freckled boy?”
“Why? He’s now a proper FaceNote representative.”
The Winklevoss Brothers, their misunderstanding cleared, beamed with excitement at the prospect of showing me around New York’s nightlife.
“Call Mark right away. The club we’re heading to now isn’t a place just anyone can get into.”
My interest was piqued.
“You mean a club where only New York’s elite go?”
“It used to be that way. These days, Wall Street types who’ve made some money, celebrities, people like that come and go too.”
At Cameron’s words, Tyler shrugged his shoulders.
“Still, we Winklevoss family are eternal VIPs! Sung-guk, see you at 9 in front of the club.”
“Got it.”
* * *
Mark’s face flushed with excitement as he straightened his collar.
The club entrance was packed with people trying to get in.
“Sung-guk, is this… really a place we can go? Isn’t this membership-only?”
“Don’t worry. The Winklevoss Brothers, who are members here, will be arriving soon.”
“This is crazy. I’ve never been to a place like this. Mi-mi can’t find out about this.”
“I’ll turn a blind eye just for tonight.”
At that moment, the Winklevoss Brothers arrived in a luxury sedan. Cameron stepped out and waved at us.
“Sung-guk! Mark!”
Beside me, a nervous Mark whispered.
“Sung-guk, why are the Winklevoss Brothers being so kind? They’re not the type to be nice without reason.”
“Of course there’s a reason. I think Trevor Milton frequents this club too.”
“Ah, that dirty investor who pulled the TikTok media stunt?”
“Yeah.”
I adjusted my hoodie and walked over to the Winklevoss Brothers.
Cameron gave me a pitying look when he saw my hoodie.
“Sung-guk, no matter how much that hoodie is your trademark, it’s a bit awkward here.”
“Cameron, you don’t know something. My trademark is my face.”
Just then, I heard women screaming.
“Aaaah! It’s Jeon Sung-guk!”
I shrugged and glanced at Cameron.
“See?”
“You’re still as annoying as ever.”
And thanks to the Winklevoss Brothers, we entered as VIPs into one of New York’s hottest clubs.
* * *
The bass-heavy music pounded relentlessly.
The lighting was appropriately dim.
Women who looked like Victoria’s Secret models dominated the club floor.
And wealthy or famous men sat at their tables, Cuban cigars between their lips, whiskey in hand.
Then Tyler tapped my shoulder.
“Eleven o’clock. Trevor Milton.”
“Then… I should introduce myself?”
“Fortunately, I know Trevor a bit. He was my high school senior.”
The moment Tyler Winkle walked toward Trevor Milton, a message arrived on my phone.
It was from Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung.
– The Virgin Islands shell company checks out. Our deal is valid.
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung was indeed the type to keep his word.
[Well then, time to deal with Trevor Milton.]
I walked toward Trevor Milton with a smile spread across my face.
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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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