I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 437

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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 437
After dinner, Lim Mi-mi said she was tired and headed to her room first.
It seemed she deliberately excused herself to give Mark and me time to talk.
Mark took a sip of beer and spoke quietly.
“Sung-guk, what I said earlier… I actually meant some of it.”
“I figured as much.”
In truth, Mark and I had been running relentlessly all this time.
While others should have been enjoying the romance of university, we poured our passion into work.
“Sung-guk, this might just be me talking, but what if you acquired my shares? You have significant stakes in YouTube and TikTok anyway.”
“I don’t have the money to buy your shares.”
Acquiring Mark’s shares would only be possible in a year when Bitcoin surged.
With my current assets, buying out Mark’s stake was beyond my reach.
“Yeah… my shares aren’t cheap.”
Mark exhaled a quiet sigh.
His face looked exhausted.
“Mark, are you experiencing burnout? Is work becoming difficult?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure yet. I’ve never not worked, you know. I’ve been obsessed with FaceNote since high school.”
“Mark, what if you tried taking parental leave? Our company employees use it quite often these days.”
Mark’s eyes lit up.
“Why didn’t I think of that?”
“But there’s a condition.”
“What is it?”
“You should only use it when I return to FaceNote. I’m serving in the military, so I’m in Korea, and if you also go on parental leave, who’s going to look after FaceNote?”
“That’s true.”
Mark scratched his head sheepishly.
“Mark, you and Mi-mi have been doing nothing but working at FaceNote all this time. Now that you have a child, make sure you both take proper days off and rest. From now on, focus more on management rather than doing the work directly.”
“You’re right. Mi-mi and I have been doing a lot of direct work, which meant bringing work home, and she was coming in on weekends too.”
“Mark, there’s a saying that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
It meant balancing work and life properly.
“You’re right. I think I’ve been working too much. Sung-guk, I should seriously consider parental leave like you suggested.”
“Do that, Mark.”
I took a sip of beer and gazed out the window.
When Mark and Lim Mi-mi left this house, this view would probably be the last time I’d see it like this.
“Sung-guk, when is Secretary Kim coming in?”
“Next week.”
“He must have been completely comfortable without you here, but now that he’s coming back to the States, things are going to get really busy.”
“I have a lot to handle regarding my schedule in the States. I asked him to help Mi-mi a lot.”
“Thanks, Sung-guk.”
[It’s only natural as a business partner, Mark.]
I shrugged my shoulders.
I didn’t want to make a show of gratitude with empty words.
“By the way, Sung-guk… when Secretary Kim arrives, would you like to come house hunting with us this weekend?”
“House hunting?”
“A place where Mi-mi, our child, and I can all live together.”
“You want me to look at houses with you?”
“During all the time we’ve spent together, I’ve never once searched for a house without you. You found this one too, and I just followed you in. For some reason, it feels like you should see this one with me too….”
[I suppose I need to show off my eye for real estate again, now that I’m living as a tycoon.]
“Mark, don’t worry. I’ll pick out a great one for you!”
* * *
Mark went house hunting in Palo Alto, where the wealthy of Silicon Valley resided. It was also where Charlie Jobs had lived.
The real estate agent who came to guide us turned out to be an unexpected middle-aged Korean woman.
“Hello, I’m Michelle Choi.”
Michelle Choi greeted us and quickly asked in Korean.
“But… aren’t you CEO Jeon Sung-guk?”
“Your Korean is excellent.”
“I immigrated during high school. Korean is still more comfortable for me sometimes.”
“My friend Mark is the one looking for a house, and since he doesn’t speak Korean, I’d appreciate it if we could conduct this in English.”
“Of course, that makes sense.”
She then began leading us to a grand mansion in Palo Alto.
Michelle Choi explained the property warmly from beside Mi-mi.
“There’s nowhere better for raising children. How many months along are you?”
“Four months… I’m worried I’ll get so big I’ll have to get married looking like this.”
“Is this your first?”
“Yes.”
“When’s the wedding?”
“August 15th.”
“That’s soon. Well, there will be some showing, but not too much. I actually had my child around the same time and got married then too, and with a good bouquet, it didn’t show in the photos.”
“I’ll keep that advice in mind.”
Michelle Choi offered Mi-mi various pieces of advice.
Mark and I carefully examined the house in the meantime.
The first house was a grand mansion with a flashy exterior, six bedrooms, six bathrooms, a swimming pool, a tennis court, and an annex house.
But it wasn’t Mark’s style.
“Mark, this one’s not for you, is it?”
“No, it’s too flashy and big.”
Michelle Choi, listening to our conversation, interjected.
“It’s the style young wealthy people prefer these days. A modern architectural design with a swimming pool, tennis court, and an annex for guests—don’t you like it?”
“My taste is a bit more modest.”
Mark spoke his preferences candidly.
“Then, if you tell me what matters most to you, I can show you houses like that.”
“I just want a comfortable place for our child and us to live in.”
“You’re saying privacy protection is important, right?”
“Ah, yes! And somewhere close to the company.”
Michelle Choi nodded with a smile.
“Then let me show you a different property. To be honest, I was hesitant to show you this one since it’s priced lower, but it’s close to FaceNote and has a forest nearby, which is excellent for privacy.”
We followed Michelle Choi to the next house.
* * *
Just as Michelle Choi had said, the dense forest surrounding the property was ideal for privacy.
And it was only about a ten-minute drive from FaceNote.
For Mark and Lim Mi-mi, it was a perfect location.
However, compared to the previous houses we’d seen, this one was slightly smaller.
“This property has five bedrooms and five bathrooms, along with a swimming pool and spa facilities next to it. The thick trees surrounding the area make it difficult to see from outside.”
“The house is a bit modest….”
At my comment, Mark gave my shoulder a gentle nudge.
“I actually like it for that reason.”
Mark clearly had already taken a liking to this house.
“I don’t play tennis anyway, so I don’t need a tennis court. The swimming pool is fine for just splashing around. A large lawn is hard to maintain, and this size is perfect. What do you think, Mi-mi?”
“I don’t really like overly modern or flashy houses either. This feels like a real home, Mark.”
It seemed that couples truly do share similar tastes.
I quietly asked Secretary Kim Mi-so.
“What do you think, Secretary Kim?”
“I prefer houses like this too. They feel cozier. If a house is too large, it’s hard to see family members’ faces.”
[Hmm… Secretary Kim Mi-so has that kind of taste too.]
Michelle Choi looked at Mark and me with satisfaction.
“Do you like it?”
“I’d like to go with this house. When can we move in?”
“Next month should be sufficient. The current owners are on vacation, but they’ve lived here since their newlywed days and raised three children in this house.”
“I’d like to do the same.”
At Mark’s words, Lim Mi-mi jabbed him in the ribs.
“Mark, you need to discuss that with me first.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Mi-mi.”
Watching the two of them bicker, we all burst into laughter.
Now the most important thing was the price.
“Michelle, I’m actually most curious about this house’s price.”
“It’s listed at 7 million dollars, but since this area is only sought after by certain people, there might be some room for negotiation.”
Seven million dollars was roughly 8 billion won in Korean currency.
The moment Mark heard the price, his eyes widened. Lim Mi-mi’s did too.
[Mark, acting so unsophisticated? You’re one of the richest people in America now.]
Mark closed his mouth and asked Michelle Choi again.
“This house really costs 7 million dollars?”
“Yes, the previous house was 10 million dollars. Everyone knows how expensive Palo Alto real estate is. Still, I hope you and Mi-mi can start a new life in this house. The couple who lived here had such a harmonious family, and there’s no safer or better place to live than this neighborhood.”
The best neighborhoods to live in across the United States were invariably those with excellent security and education—places where everything thrived, yet commanded premium prices. Palo Alto stood among the most expensive of them all.
Mark studied Mi-mi again, his expression tense.
“Mi-mi, do you like this house?”
“Well… I do like it.”
The moment Mi-mi hesitated over the price, Mark turned to Michelle Choi and declared his decision.
“I’m buying this house!”
I had known from the instant I first laid eyes on it that Mark would purchase this property.
In my previous life, this was the actual home where Mark, the founder of FaceNote, had lived. Of course, I’d only seen it in magazines back then.
After making his impulsive decision, Mark turned to me with a look of sudden panic.
“Sung-guk, did I do the right thing?”
“Mark, from the moment I first saw this house, I thought it was absolutely perfect for you and Lim Mi-mi.”
At that, Mark’s face broke into a radiant smile.
* * *
While Lim Mi-mi and Secretary Kim Mi-so were out touring wedding dresses, Mark and I sat at home with beers in hand, positioned in front of the television.
Today marked the first televised debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, the Republican Party’s candidate.
Though Barack Obama’s popularity far exceeded Romney’s, Mitt Romney commanded considerable enthusiasm among conservative voters.
Having served as governor of Massachusetts, a traditionally Democratic stronghold, Romney had even managed to siphon away some support from Democratic voters.
Mark watched the debate with keen attention.
“Sung-guk, you’re obviously supporting Barack, right?”
“Yeah. What about you, Mark?”
“Me too. And… while Mitt Romney is a fresh face, I don’t think he can catch up to Barack Obama’s approval ratings.”
I already knew how the future would unfold.
Yet in this life, variables occasionally emerged.
I sipped my beer and continued watching the debate.
“By the way, will the YouTube public debate air right after this?”
“Yeah. The TV debate takes priority, so it comes first.”
“Then don’t we need to differentiate ourselves?”
“Of course. We’re already discussing it with both Barack’s and Mitt’s campaign headquarters—casual attire unlike television, policy discussions combined with personal background verification. In short, we need to inject some tabloid sensationalism. Otherwise, why would people watch YouTube?”
“You’re ruthless when it comes to these things, Sung-guk. You support Barack Obama yet you want to expose their private lives?”
“But these two candidates don’t really have much to expose.”
That was the truth.
Barack Obama’s personal life had already been thoroughly vetted in the previous presidential election, and Mitt Romney was renowned for his conservative lifestyle as a Mormon presidential candidate.
“Sung-guk, but isn’t Barack falling behind a bit today?”
It appeared that in this first debate, Barack had underestimated Mitt and viewed him as inferior, causing Barack to struggle in several respects.
Could this actually become a variable that would influence this election?
At that moment, Mark thrust his phone toward me and began laughing.
“Sung-guk, look at this.”
What Mark showed me was one of Mitt Romney’s campaign advertisements.
“Did you find something strange?”
“You’re not saying this is wrong, are you?”
It was a typo in Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign advertisement—AMERICA misspelled as AMERCIA.
Soon the first presidential debate concluded.
The panelists all agreed that this debate was a victory for Mitt Romney.
I immediately called Barack.
– Sung-guk… did you watch the debate?
“Yes.”
– I got completely crushed today.
Barack Obama’s voice sounded exhausted.
“You can win decisively in the YouTube debate.”
– I need to pull myself together and prepare properly this time.
“Can I offer you some help?”
– What do you mean, Sung-guk?
“Mitt Romney’s internet advertisement was quite interesting.”
– Really?
Then I heard Barack Obama telling someone to find Mitt Romney’s advertisement over the phone.
Soon Barack’s laughter burst through.
– Sung-guk, I was feeling down after losing the debate… but I should open with this in the next one. Thanks.
“I just informed you of the facts. Barack, I’ll see you at the YouTube debate.”
– I’ll prepare relentlessly by then, so watch me!
[Of course you will, Barack!]

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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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