I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 413
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 413
Trevor Milton recognized me instantly. But he deliberately pretended not to know me and greeted Tyler instead.
“Tyler, it’s been a while.”
“You too, senior. How have you been?”
“I’m doing well enough. But you know, I’m not like you silver-spoon types. I’m swamped with work.”
I extended my hand to Trevor Milton first.
“Hello, I’m Jeon Sung-guk.”
“Jeon Sung-guk?”
Trevor Milton continued his charade of not knowing me.
[I know exactly what you’re doing, Trevor.]
It made no sense for anyone on Wall Street not to know who I was.
Trevor Milton’s acting was absolutely terrible. I suspected his character was equally lacking.
Regardless, I introduced myself.
“I’m the CEO of FaceNote and operate YouTube and Instagrim.”
“Ah… the SNS king?”
“That’s too grand a title.”
“What do you mean? There’s not a single American in their twenties who doesn’t use FaceNote. And the growth rate of YouTube and Instagrim is terrifying.”
“You certainly do thorough corporate analysis.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“Trevor Milton’s reports. They’re famous.”
When I gave him a little boost, Trevor Milton smiled and gestured.
“Why don’t you sit at my table? I think we have a lot to talk about.”
[That’s exactly what I want, Trevor.]
I winked at Tyler and took a seat.
* * *
Trevor Milton’s table was in the hottest spot of the club—the best seat. And beside him sat actual models from Victoria’s Secret.
[People with nothing always flaunt themselves with women and money.]
I smiled faintly.
Trevor Milton lit cigar after cigar beside me.
“Sung-guk, you look different in person than in the news. I heard Emma Watson and Anne Hathaway couldn’t help themselves around you, so I thought you must be something extraordinary… but I mean, you’re handsome, sure… but is it really that impressive?”
[Trevor, you wouldn’t know because you’ve never been handsome yourself.]
I forced a smile.
In this game, whoever reveals their true feelings first loses.
And Trevor was already exposing his.
“You’re very observant. I photograph quite well, actually.”
“Haha! That must be it. You look much better in photos!”
Trevor Milton threw his head back and laughed.
He was the only one laughing in this moment.
[I photograph well? Ridiculous. Even a stray dog would laugh at that.]
I was flawless both in person and in photographs.
Tall frame, perfectly proportioned! And those flawless features!
One of Victoria’s Secret’s models sitting next to Trevor Milton looked at him with disdain, then rose from her seat and extended her hand to me.
“I’m Gisele. You’ve heard my name, haven’t you?”
“Ah… You’re the famous Gisele Bundchen, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I just happened to be here for fun… I never imagined I’d end up sitting next to such a pathetic human and listening to this conversation.”
A supermodel known to the entire world.
Moreover, Gisele Bundchen, who had once been the girlfriend of Leonardo DiCaprio, a global star.
And this woman was tearing Trevor Milton apart.
I took Gisele’s hand.
“Gisele… I have something I need to discuss with Trevor at this table.”
At my words, Gisele’s eyes grew cold.
Perhaps she was thinking—so you’re the same kind of person as him.
I quickly added more.
“Gisele, aren’t you curious about what I’m going to discuss with Trevor?”
“Not particularly.”
“Just listen. It’ll be far more entertaining than leaving.”
Swayed by my confidence, Gisele sat back down.
* * *
I gulped down water.
Everyone except me was drinking alcohol and smoking cigars, but I had no desire to do the same.
This was New York, and everyone here except Mark was an enemy.
[I can’t let my guard down….]
Cameron and Tyler Winkle.
No matter how much they treated me with a business-minded approach, the resentment from our Harvard days hadn’t completely disappeared.
And Trevor Milton.
A man trying to swallow TikTok whole by undervaluing it.
Trevor Milton smiled faintly and looked at me.
“Sung-guk, do you think you’re a genius?”
[What? This question with such an obvious answer?]
As I slightly furrowed my brow, Trevor Milton laughed and leaned back.
“Looks like you really do think so.”
“Trevor, actually my IQ is only 121. I’m not a genius.”
“Sung-guk, how can you answer my question so seriously like that?”
Trevor Milton burst out laughing again.
One thing was certain—he was intoxicated by alcohol and cigars, completely out of his mind.
Mark put his arm around my shoulder from beside me.
“Sung-guk, these people seem out of it. Let’s leave. I’m not comfortable in clubs like this anyway.”
“Sure, Mark.”
[I’ll think about how to deal with Trevor Milton slowly.]
I stood up from my seat.
I looked down at Tyler and Cameron, who were slightly tipsy and giggling to themselves.
“Tyler, Cameron. Thank you for tonight.”
“Sung-guk, you’re leaving already? We’re just getting to the fun part.”
[Fun part? Someone’s already passed out drunk.]
I exhaled deeply and regarded the two of them.
“I’d love to stay, but I still haven’t adjusted to the jet lag…”
I also said goodbye to Trevor Milton, who was sprawled out laughing.
“Trevor, see you again soon.”
“Sung-guk! We absolutely have to see each other again!”
Trevor was floundering about in his drunken state.
Mark and I slipped out of the New York club.
That’s when it happened.
Gisele Bundchen followed me out and grabbed my arm.
“Sung-guk, I’m bored here too. How about we hit another club together?”
[Of course I’d like to. But business comes first, Gisele.]
I offered Gisele a gentle smile and whispered to her.
“Gisele, may I ask you for a favor?”
“What kind of favor?”
“Could you go back inside and tell me what Trevor Milton and the Winklevoss Brothers are discussing?”
Gisele’s eyes widened with a wink.
“Are you asking me to play spy?”
But her expression wasn’t one of displeasure.
Then I had no choice but to push forward.
“Yes, exactly. A spy. I think you’d be excellent at it.”
Gisele pondered for a moment, then tapped my shoulder.
“Sung-guk, I’ll contact you once I find out anything. Spy work… it sounds quite fun. But there should be compensation, shouldn’t there?”
“Anything you want.”
“I’ll decide the price later.”
With that, Gisele Bundchen walked back into the club.
Mark, who had been watching the entire exchange, shook his head in disbelief.
“Sung-guk, are you seriously some kind of charmer?”
“Mark… honestly… I have no idea myself.”
Mark gave my back a sharp pat.
“You’re definitely shameless. Sung-guk, let’s head back to the hotel and grab some burgers and beer.”
“That’s exactly what I want.”
* * *
The moment we arrived at the hotel, Mark and I ordered burgers through room service and devoured them.
Mark ate two burgers and even loosened his belt.
“Sung-guk, I’m never going to another expensive, loud club like that again. And listen… I have a request.”
It was a request I could already anticipate.
“I won’t breathe a word of this to Lim Mi-mi.”
“Thanks. The thing is, we’re going public in May anyway. I’m planning to press the button in New York that day, and then propose to Mi-mi that same night.”
“Consider it forgotten.”
“Thanks.”
Mark broke into a sheepish grin.
“Mark, have you picked out a ring?”
“A ring?”
Mark looked at me with innocent eyes.
“You’re proposing without even getting a ring?”
“I thought proposing was just… asking someone to marry you.”
Mark really did need to pay me tuition for life lessons.
“Mark, I appreciate your pure heart, but… rings are incredibly important to women.”
“Oh, really? Well, I guess I could go to the department store tomorrow and pick one up.”
“Mark, do you understand what ‘important’ means?”
“I don’t know much about women’s rings. Besides, what’s the point of a ring? To me, Mi-mi is the best, and if I’m the best to her, isn’t that enough?”
“Then don’t propose at all!”
I let out a string of exasperated sighs.
In my past life, when I lived as the heir to Samjeon, I’d witnessed countless women cry and fuss over rings.
The woman I was to marry was already decided, but rings held a special meaning for women.
“Let’s go to the department store together before you leave New York.”
“Okay… Help me out. You always wear hoodies, but whenever I see you buying something, you’ve got a real eye for it.”
[Well, that’s because I’m a former heir to the Samjeon Group.]
I shrugged and started eating my hamburger. Then I checked the time.
1 AM New York time.
Gisele should be calling soon…
That’s when it happened.
My phone rang loudly. It was Gisele’s number—the one we’d exchanged.
I answered immediately.
“Gisele, it’s me.”
– Sung-guk, I just found out something very interesting.
There was no trace of alcohol in Gisele’s voice.
“What is it, Gisele?”
– Trevor Milton was asking the Winklevoss Brothers to acquire TikTok with him, using your platform.
This was one of the scenarios I’d anticipated.
“Is there anything else?”
– Well, Tyler opposed it… but Cameron agreed. Then Trevor Milton said something even more interesting.
“What?”
– He said he’d write a report that would tank FaceNote right before its IPO. He claimed that to save FaceNote, you’d have no choice but to hand over TikTok to him.
Trevor Milton was truly irredeemable scum.
“Gisele, thank you. That was very important information. So what do you want from me now?”
– Two months from now, there’s a premiere for Christopher Nolan’s film. Of course, there will be a red carpet. Would you be willing to be my partner then?
Two months from now….
I’d need to return to New York for the IPO anyway, so the timing seemed to work out perfectly.
But if it’s a Christopher Nolan film premiere, it’s definitely the one with Anne Hathaway playing Catwoman….
Gisele Bundchen had clearly broken up with Leonardo DiCaprio and was looking to make headlines.
“Gisele, I’d be happy to.”
– You promise?
“Of course!”
After hanging up, I checked the time again.
Then I immediately called Peter.
Peter mumbled in a sleepy voice.
– Sung-guk, what’s going on at this hour?
“It seems Trevor Milton is preparing a corporate valuation report on FaceNote.”
– What?
“Before the IPO, he’s probably going to release a report claiming the company is overvalued or won’t last long.”
– Sigh… Trevor Milton really is as dirty as the rumors say.
“That’s why I’m calling. Peter, we need to do some media play ourselves.”
– Of course we do.
“You know how to do this better than anyone, don’t you?”
– Well… how long have I been working in this field? First, I’ll pump out articles daily about FaceNote’s corporate soundness evaluation. And I can also reach out to Barack Obama, right?
“Yes, please. If Barack uses FaceNote as a platform for communication and achieves results, nothing could be better.”
– After that, I’ll warn various media outlets that negative reports about FaceNote are coming. Once we release the financial statements, no one will be able to criticize FaceNote’s IPO.
“Thank you, Peter.”
Peter chuckled on the other end of the line.
– Sung-guk, you know I’m on your side until the day I die, right?
“That’s why I introduced you to Grace.”
– Ha ha ha. You really are something. Connections matter, after all. Well, I’ll strike first thing tomorrow morning when I wake up.
Click.
The call ended.
Trevor Milton, drunk on alcohol and women at the club, had no idea what kind of morning awaited him.
* * *
– FaceNote opens corporate soundness evaluation ahead of IPO. Financial statements more solid than any other SNS company. FaceNote CEO Jeon Sung-guk added an explanation that the disclosure was intended to quell rumors on Wall Street ahead of the listing.
And at the same time, I quietly released an article about Trevor Milton.
– Wall Street’s genius investor Trevor Milton. His recent report accuracy rate, contrary to what is known, is reported to be less than 5%, shocking the market.
With just this one article, Trevor Milton’s investments immediately faced a crisis. In the world of economics, you had to strike your opponent down before they struck you.
Now Trevor Milton didn’t even have the energy to worry about TikTok.
I closed my laptop and headed to the department store with Mark.
To find Mark’s engagement ring!
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————