I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 427

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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 427
VIP grasped my hand with a radiant smile.
The next administration will remain conservative anyway. It won’t last long, but….
Then the only option is to use it appropriately.
“Indeed, these matters are best explained by someone who understands Korea’s situation well. That way, it truly makes sense.”
“That’s precisely why Barack sent me.”
This kind of give-and-take was too risky to convey over phone or internet—you could never be certain of the other party’s true intentions.
That’s why Barack Obama had strategically deployed me.
VIP’s smile faded as he posed the question he’d been holding back.
“By the way, what’s your take on the upcoming U.S. presidential election?”
[Now it’s time to drive the final nail in.]
The future I knew would only strengthen VIP’s resolve.
“I’m no prophet, but this is ultimately just statistics. I believe Barack will secure reelection. His approval ratings are already quite high, and there appear to be virtually no variables that could derail him.”
“In other words, hosting this international conference will put me in an even more advantageous position for maintaining relations with the United States going forward. Correct?”
“That’s a judgment call you’ll need to make yourself, VIP. I’m merely offering my perspective.”
Never commit both feet.
In politics, that was essential.
VIP read my intentions and smiled knowingly.
“CEO Jeon Sung-guk, I’ll be counting on your help during the international conference as well.”
“I’m currently serving at my country’s call, so I’ll take the lead on anything that proves beneficial.”
“Your words alone are reassuring. You must be exhausted coming straight from the United States. Go rest now. I’ll contact the White House right away about today’s matters.”
VIP released me with a show of magnanimity.
* * *
I arrived at my home in Pangyo.
After enduring a murderous schedule bouncing between the East Coast, West Coast, and Washington D.C., then flying straight to Korea, even a body in my twenties was struggling to keep up.
[If I’m this exhausted, Secretary Kim Mi-so must be feeling it even worse.]
Yet Secretary Kim Mi-so still regarded me with her characteristic resilience.
“CEO, I’ve confirmed the Alpha schedule. There are no major meetings or appointments to schedule for the time being. It looks like you’ll just need to prepare for the Hyojin Group meeting next week. The U.S. schedule must have been quite grueling, so if you don’t mind, I’d suggest taking tomorrow off and returning to work the day after.”
“Hmm… let’s do that.”
I needed time to recharge as well.
But right now, even if I went to bed, I doubted sleep would come. It was like those nights when you’re so exhausted that sleep eludes you entirely.
“Secretary Kim, you take tomorrow off as well and come back the day after.”
“Thank you.”
[Should I say this or not….]
I hesitated for a moment, then spoke up just as Secretary Kim Mi-so was turning to leave.
“Would you perhaps join me for a glass of wine right now?”
“Right now?”
Secretary Kim Mi-so’s eyes widened.
“You know those nights—when you’re so exhausted that sleep won’t come? That’s exactly where I am right now. Let’s go somewhere nearby and comfortable, have a glass of wine or beer, then head home and collapse. That sounds perfect to me.”
“Well, there’s a small pub in our Officetel Shopping Complex nearby. How does that sound?”
“That’s nice. It’s right across the street.”
“Then I’ll go home and drop off some things before heading down.”
Secretary Kim Mi-so hurried out of the house.
For some reason, today it felt like it wouldn’t be so bad to have a beer with someone rather than alone.
* * *
The pub that Secretary Kim Mi-so mentioned was quiet since it was still before the evening rush.
A female employee who was working approached me as soon as she saw me. Her youthful face appeared to be around my age.
The female employee asked with a slightly flushed expression.
“Is this your first time at our shop?”
“Yes….”
“Will another guest be joining you?”
“Yes, one more person will be coming.”
“Then, please have a seat over here.”
The female employee kindly guided me to a table.
She even brought the menu herself and offered a thoughtful explanation.
“The two most popular beers at our shop are the ones at the top of the menu.”
She kindly recommended the beers.
Just then, I heard the bell above the door chime as Secretary Kim Mi-so entered.
I raised my hand, and Secretary Kim Mi-so quickly came over to the table.
“You arrived early.”
At those words, I noticed the female employee who had been kindly explaining the beer menu to me stiffen visibly.
Well, I was used to this sort of thing.
People were always kind to me—it was all thanks to my appearance.
“The staff member recommended these beers. Let’s go with those.”
“Yes, CEO.”
The employee who had been watching us both interjected subtly.
“You two must be colleagues?”
“Yes.”
Secretary Kim Mi-so answered with her usual formality.
“I’ll bring the beers right away.”
The employee returned to prepare the beers with a bright expression.
Secretary Kim Mi-so smiled knowingly and looked at me.
“Did you know that everyone becomes kind when you’re around the CEO?”
“Is that so?”
I deliberately feigned ignorance in my response.
In truth, it was something I barely paid attention to.
Having been in the spotlight since childhood, I had grown numb to such gazes.
“It seems the CEO has been receiving such attention since you were young, so you’re accustomed to it.”
“Perhaps so….”
Soon the beers we ordered arrived, and for the first time in a while, I drank without any burden.
“By the way, Secretary Kim Mi-so. Why did you reject when Jeon Tae-guk asked you to date him? You said you were against marriage, didn’t you?”
Once the alcohol loosened my tongue, the question I’d really wanted to ask came tumbling out.
Last time, I hadn’t gotten a proper answer because of Adam.
“I thought you’d understand, CEO.”
What did she mean by that?
“I’m the eldest of three siblings. My two younger siblings are still in college.”
“Is it a sense of duty as the eldest daughter?”
“I think I’ll only be able to comfortably think about dating or marriage once I see my siblings establish themselves in society. I’m a bit old-fashioned—once I start dating, I feel like I have to think about marriage too.”
I nodded in understanding.
“So it is a sense of duty as the eldest daughter.”
“Yes, CEO.”
“I feel that same sense of duty as the eldest son, but sometimes I wonder—do my siblings understand what I feel?”
“Our parents love us and help us, and we’re grateful for that, but we’re not grateful every single day, are we? We take some things for granted. I do things for my siblings because I want to, but I don’t expect repayment. Growing up as the eldest, I probably received benefits my siblings didn’t either….”
Benefits?
I sipped my beer and recalled the past with a bittersweet smile.
How hard I’d worked just to feed that brat Min-guk when he was in diapers….
And then there was Ji-hee too.
Just thinking of my siblings brought tears to my eyes.
“You take terribly good care of your siblings, CEO.”
“It’s not so much taking care as it is… I have this sense of obligation. Since I was born into a poor family, I had to make sure my siblings could at least fend for themselves.”
“But CEO, you’re not poor anymore.”
“That’s exactly why they can’t rely on that money! Everyone has to earn their own keep!”
My voice rose without my realizing it.
I could see Secretary Kim Mi-so smiling.
We ordered more beer. Time seemed to slip away from us.
And our stories kept coming.
“My family was incredibly poor too. We all lived in a room attached to my father’s restaurant. Until I was in elementary school. Then the restaurant started doing better, and I still remember the day we moved to an apartment nearby. We only had two rooms, so sleeping in one room with my siblings felt incredibly happy.”
I wasn’t about to lose this competition!
“My first memory is of a small one-room apartment. My mom, my dad, me, and Min-guk… In the middle of summer with no air conditioning, we’d sleep with the door open and a fan running.”
“My goodness, you remember being that young, CEO?”
Oh no, did I go too far with that?
“Of course, a genius like you would have exceptional memory. I always thought those articles about geniuses remembering things from when they were one year old were lies, but you’re proof that people like that actually exist.”
I let out a relieved breath.
“Not much, but I do have some memories like that.”
“Then you must remember everything from ‘Five Men and a Baby Basket’?”
“I don’t remember that one very well.”
[I remember everything, of course. How much Michael put me through… always pointing that camera at my naked body….]
As we kept sharing our stories, the beer went down smoothly.
Secretary Kim Mi-so also let her guard down and drank freely.
Secretary Kim Mi-so—born as the eldest daughter in a poor South Korean family, caring for her siblings, becoming her parents’ pride at Samsung, while still having to look after her younger siblings!
“CEO, I… I really want to work hard and join you at the FaceNote headquarters.”
“Secretary Kim, don’t worry. Let’s go to the FaceNote headquarters!”
* * *
I opened my eyes in my bed at home.
My head was pounding.
Just then, I spotted a hangover cure on the nightstand.
I clearly remembered drinking beer with Secretary Kim Mi-so yesterday and sharing our stories with each other.
And I also remembered her firmly stating that she had no thoughts of dating, that she had to live harder for her younger siblings’ sake….
[Secretary Park Sung-hee had passed by, seen us, and come in….]
I quickly checked my phone.
There was a message from Secretary Park Sung-hee.
– CEO, the hangover cure is on the nightstand. Please take good care of yourself.
Recalling the details, Secretary Park Sung-hee had driven me home and even prepared the medicine for me.
And there was also a message from Secretary Kim Mi-so.
– CEO, it’s Secretary Kim Mi-so. Thank you for the wonderful conversation today. Just as you said, I won’t date anyone. I’ll work hard and make sure to go to the FaceNote headquarters with you!
What was this about?
What on earth had I said to Secretary Kim Mi-so!
I tried to recall the last memory from last night, again and again.
After shouting “Secretary Kim, don’t worry. Let’s go to the FaceNote headquarters!” I had declared to Secretary Kim Mi-so:
– Secretary Kim, we were born as the eldest son and eldest daughter of South Korea, so we can’t even dream of dating until all our younger siblings are settled. We just work hard!
Secretary Kim Mi-so had responded enthusiastically to those words.
As this memory came back to me, I kicked off my blanket.
* * *
Secretary Kim Mi-so checked the message.
– Secretary Kim, please rest well today too. I’ll see you tomorrow.
A brief message.
CEO Jeon Sung-guk seemed like a completely different person when sober compared to when drinking.
When drinking together, their situations felt similar—the responsibility for younger siblings, family matters—and there was a sense of connection.
But in that final moment, CEO Jeon Sung-guk’s words had stuck with her.
– We just work hard!
Just work hard….
Secretary Kim Mi-so shook her head vigorously.
“What am I even thinking….”
And then she refocused her resolve.
From now on, I’ll really just work hard!
And I’ll make sure to go to the FaceNote headquarters with CEO Jeon Sung-guk!
* * *
Bang Mu-hyuk sat with a serious expression on his face.
Sevens’ debut was just around the corner, but aside from the temporary debut stage he’d managed to secure, there were almost no broadcast appearances.
“Sung-guk… what do we do about this. Can you help me out? Let’s try lobbying now. That seems like our only way to survive.”
Bang Mu-hyuk’s conviction about not lobbying the Broadcasting Station was beginning to waver.
[This won’t do. We’re supposed to write the miracle story of a small entertainment company….]
“Sir, your conviction shouldn’t waver. Sevens should become a testament to history—proof that success is possible through talent alone, without lobbying.”
“I think so too, but… to become history, you have to step onto the stage. If we’re buried like this, it’s not history—it’s garbage.”
Bang Mu-hyuk’s words weren’t wrong either.
“No matter how much you try with YouTube, it still hasn’t shown much real effect.”
“Sir, actually, I have one contract in place.”
“A contract?”
To be precise, it was a contract between Min-guk and Jeon Tae-guk.
“Samsung has a contract with Executive Director Jeon Tae-guk to cast Sevens as models right after their debut.”
A very long time ago!

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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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