I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 416

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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 416
Gulp.
The distinct sound of the ring sliding down Huin-dung-i’s throat.
Our family frozen in place.
And in that moment, the first person to scoop up Huin-dung-i was none other than Mother.
“Sung-guk, drive! Let’s get to the animal hospital right now.”
“Yes, Mom.”
I quickly grabbed the car keys.
* * *
The Chinese restaurant at Namsan Hotel was quiet.
Tae-guk adjusted his collar.
As the door opened, the Iron Lady sat alone inside.
“Mom, Sung-guk had something to take care of at home today….”
“I see. It’s been a while since I’ve had a meal with my son.”
Eating alone together with just the two of them.
For Tae-guk, this itself was an unfamiliar experience.
Tae-guk took a deep breath and sat down.
‘Why am I getting nervous in front of Mom?’
Soon, the course meal that the Iron Lady had pre-ordered began to arrive.
“Did you see things well in the United States?”
“Yes, Mom. Since it was a Silicon Valley exploration, I toured the expo with Samjeon employees and looked around. How have you been?”
Tae-guk asked as carefully as possible.
In truth, the divorce lawsuit itself was already quite a significant matter.
“You’re as oblivious now as you’ve always been. Or are you deliberately pretending not to know?”
‘Mom’s still as blunt as ever….’
Tae-guk swallowed the words that had risen to his throat.
“Mom… I know something bad is happening. I’m hearing updates on how things are progressing.”
“There’s something odd that’s been bothering me.”
The Iron Lady picked at her food halfheartedly, then set down her chopsticks.
“What’s odd?”
Tae-guk asked as cautiously as he could.
“How did your father find out that I have a paper company in the Virgin Islands?”
“Mom, that’s something I didn’t even know about.”
“Exactly. If you don’t know about it, then who does? Could Sung-guk have known?”
“Mom, are you suspecting Sung-guk?”
….
The Iron Lady said nothing.
Silence was itself an affirmation.
“What is Father saying about that?”
“Ask your father about that yourself.”
It seemed like I had presented divorce settlement terms that were incredibly humiliating to his pride.
Tae-guk took a sip of his tea.
All he wanted was to escape this place as quickly as possible.
* * *
“It’s finally out!”
The veterinarian at the animal hospital lifted the yellow diamond ring with a face full of joy.
“Just a moment. I’ll clean it thoroughly for you. And please praise Huin-dung-i. Fortunately, we didn’t have to touch any organs, but it must have been quite an ordeal.”
Mother quickly stroked Huin-dung-i.
“Huin-dung-i, you’ve been through so much.”
[So much? Because of you, I’ve been going through absolute hell ever since I arrived in Korea!]
I looked down at Huin-dung-i coldly.
Just because he was the youngest to enter our household didn’t mean everything was forgiven.
At that moment, Min-guk interjected smoothly.
“Mom, are you really going to return this ring?”
Mother seemed to be in thought for a moment.
“Mom, the ring came out through Huin-dung-i’s rear end… I don’t think returning it is an option.”
“I agree with hyung!”
Min-guk also agreed.
“But… how can I wear something so expensive? And it’s so big that it gets in the way….”
“Mom, from now on you’ll have plenty of occasions to appear at official events. I’m becoming an idol, and hyung is going public with FaceNote.”
“Mom, when Ji-hee gets into Seoul National University, you’ll have to go to the entrance ceremony too. And won’t my scandals die down if you’re seen with me?”
I added my own argument.
Only then did Mother nod her head.
“You’re right. It seems like Huin-dung-i swallowed it because he wanted me to wear it.”
“Yelp—.”
Even lying down, Huin-dung-i let out a whimper of agreement.
“There, the cleaning is all done!”
The veterinarian handed the ring to Mother.
“Ma’am, this ring is truly beautiful. So please wear it beautifully!”
“My son bought it for me… I suppose I have no choice but to wear it.”
Mother put on the ring while looking embarrassed, slipping it onto her finger.
Though I’d bought it without knowing her ring size, it fit perfectly on her fourth finger.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
My phone in my pocket rang.
Who could it be?
Secretary Yang’s name appeared on the caller ID.
I quickly answered the call.
“Secretary Yang?”
– Yes, this is Secretary Yang. CEO Jeon Sung-guk. The Chairman is hoping to set up an appointment. He’s leaving for Saudi Arabia this weekend, so would it be possible to meet before then?
“I’m curious if you’ve prepared what you’re going to give me.”
Jeon Jae-hyung agreed to hand over all of Samjeon’s shares in Alpha in exchange for information about me that would work in his favor during the divorce proceedings.
– I believe we’ll need to discuss that aspect as well.
“Understood. Then, shall we meet this evening?”
– Yes, I’ll confirm the location and contact you.
* * *
The meeting place was the Samjeon Hotel Chinese Restaurant.
It was exactly where I’d expected.
Jeon Jae-hyung was already waiting in a private room deep within the establishment, and Secretary Yang was with him.
“Chairman, it’s been a while.”
Secretary Yang greeted me with a benevolent expression.
Jeon Jae-hyung regarded me with a somewhat strained face.
“Sung-guk, have a seat.”
“Yes….”
Jeon Jae-hyung’s face looked noticeably more exhausted than it had been days before.
The business trip to the United States, the divorce proceedings, and the recent scandal—all of it was taking its toll.
“Secretary Yang, step outside for a moment.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
The door slid shut with a soft whisper, leaving only Jeon Jae-hyung and me in the room.
Jeon Jae-hyung sipped his tea quietly.
“She’s accumulated quite a substantial slush fund in the Virgin Islands.”
Though Jeon Jae-hyung didn’t specify the exact amount, I already had a rough idea of its scale.
It was worth approximately 5 billion won.
“And when I looked into various matters during this opportunity, I found she’d purchased Samjeon stock under shell companies, and there were all sorts of suspicious movements—as if she were preparing for a life longer than mine….”
Jeon Jae-hyung understood that the Iron Lady had been preparing to exert influence over Samjeon if he died prematurely.
I nodded in acknowledgment.
If they hadn’t divorced, the Iron Lady would certainly have had such intentions.
She’d been planning to control their children, Jeon Tae-guk and Jeon Mi-jin, and manipulate them through her grip.
[Since his children aren’t like me, the Iron Lady was quite greedy.]
I waited calmly for Jeon Jae-hyung to continue.
“Whenever I see you, I find myself opening up about things.”
[Don’t believe that, Jeon Jae-hyung.]
One shouldn’t mistake a charismatic person’s vulnerable moments for genuine weakness. In business, everything is calculated.
“Chairman, about Alpha….”
“Right. That’s what we’re here to discuss.”
Jeon Jae-hyung exhaled slowly.
[Should I at least pretend to listen to his grievances….]
Jeon Jae-hyung handed me a document envelope that had been resting on his chair.
“Take a look. A promise is a promise, after all. My lawyer says that given the slush funds my wife hid and various other circumstances, I should be able to navigate the divorce favorably.”
If Jeon Jae-hyung’s lawyer had said such a thing, the likelihood of a decisive victory was substantial.
“Of course, she’ll criticize my infidelity, but we should try to settle this through an amicable divorce.”
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a document stating that Samjeon would sell me all of its shares in Alpha.
The terms were straightforward, and I certainly had the funds to purchase all of Alpha’s shares.
My lips were just beginning to curve upward when—
“And….”
Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung continued.
“We’d appreciate it if you’d also vacate the Alpha Office from our headquarters.”
In that instant, any fleeting compassion I’d felt evaporated completely.
[Of course. People don’t change.]
“Then I’d like to settle the share transfer first, and if possible, have a few months’ grace period before relocating the office.”
“Fair enough. But I’d like you out before July.”
“Understood.”
* * *
The moment I stepped out of the hotel, I called Chairman Koo Soo-young of Hyojin Group.
– Sung-guk, it’s been a while.
Chairman Koo Soo-young always greeted me warmly first.
Perhaps in this lifetime, he was the most precious connection I had.
“Chairman, I have something I’d like to discuss regarding Alpha.”
– You sound busy. Where are you?
“At Samjeon Hotel.”
– Hmm… Your car?
“It’s parked in the parking lot.”
– I should be passing by in about ten minutes. I’ll pick you up. There’s a small cafe nearby that I’ve been frequenting lately. By the time you’d arrive, I assume you’ve already eaten.
“Yes, that works.”
And exactly ten minutes later, Chairman Koo Soo-young arrived at the Samjeon Hotel Lobby.
* * *
“The view here is truly lovely.”
The cafe Chairman Koo Soo-young took me to was a small establishment with a view of Namsan.
“Sitting here and watching Namsan, it does something strange to the soul. I grow older, but this place doesn’t….”
“Chairman, you’re still in excellent health.”
“It’s been how long since I turned seventy….”
Chairman Koo Soo-young lamented that he now limited himself to just one cup of his beloved coffee a day.
“Anyway, what’s the reason for meeting today?”
“I wanted to report on TikTok and the expo.”
“Report? Just tell me what happened when you were there.”
In truth, Chairman Koo Soo-young had likely already received a full briefing on how harshly TikTok had been criticized.
“As you know, it received quite severe criticism.”
“Ha. When someone pushes ahead, these things happen.”
“I believe it’s a matter that requires more time… but it doesn’t seem Samjeon sees it that way.”
Chairman Koo Soo-young had likely already heard that Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung had been traveling back and forth to the United States.
“What is Samjeon saying?”
“First, I’ve decided to acquire all of Samjeon’s shares.”
“Hmm… Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung is quite ruthless. One shouldn’t treat people that way just because of a bad review.”
“Actually, it feels more like an opportunity for me.”
“Right, I think that’s why you wanted to meet today….”
I nodded.
“Chairman, I think we need to relocate the Alpha Office from Samjeon Headquarters.”
“My goodness. Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung is quite cold-hearted. He’s making you move offices too?”
“Yes….”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll find you an empty office in one of our company buildings. Or rather, I’ll clear one out for you.”
“I’ll pay the rent properly.”
“This is our investment. Aren’t I an investor in Alpha?”
“You’ve always done so much for us.”
Chairman Koo Soo-young fell silent for a moment, then looked at me.
“Sung-guk, let me ask you a favor. I know you’re already in a position to influence our company.”
I already held shares in Hyojin Group that Chairman Koo Soo-young had gifted to me.
“How about taking on the position of outside director at our company?”
“Me?”
It was somewhat unexpected.
“Stop helping Samjeon… and help our Hyojin now.”
There was weight behind Chairman Koo Soo-young’s words.
And perhaps this proposal was something I couldn’t help but accept.
“Chairman, could you give me some time to think about it?”
“Of course. I know you’re in military service and need to return to the United States. So we’ll look into the legal aspects on our end and contact you again.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
* * *
Chairman Koo Soo-young drove me back to Samjeon Hotel and left.
Chairman Koo Soo-young was already past seventy, and Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung was beginning to experience health issues.
Now was the time when both Samjeon and Hyojin needed gradual change.
As soon as I started the car, Min-guk called me.
– Hyung, where are you?
“Heading home.”
– Our place?
“No, the Hannam-dong house.”
Strangely, Min-guk’s voice sounded completely deflated.
If he was debuting in June, this should be when he was practicing intensively….
“Min-guk, what’s wrong?”
– Hyung….
[He only calls me hyung like that when something’s really bothering him….]
– Hyung… you know JM Entertainment, that major talent agency? They’re debuting a new boy idol group this time. They’re debuting two months before us.
“Why’s that?”
– I saw pictures of those guys….
Min-guk let out a heavy sigh before his words tumbled out like a confession.
– They’re way too handsome! Hyung, I think we’re finished!
[I really can’t tell him what the future holds… this is so frustrating….]

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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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