I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 453

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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 453
Jeon Tae-guk rolled up both sleeves.
“If our Ji-hee is interested, then I should step in again.”
Our Ji-hee?
The phrasing bothered me slightly, but since Jeon Tae-guk needed to be the one to handle this, I kept my mouth shut.
“Hyung, but… relations with Uncle’s company aren’t exactly great, are they?”
“The relationship between Father and Uncle is honestly the worst. But I still keep in touch regularly, and my cousins and I work together on Peno anyway.”
Was this one of Jeon Tae-guk’s strengths?
Unlike me, who had been a lone wolf as Samjeon’s successor, Jeon Tae-guk in this life lacked ability but consequently had far fewer enemies.
“I think Sun-hee noona probably handles the entertainment side, so I’ll ask her as soon as I get back to Korea.”
“Could you arrange a meeting with her?”
“Sure. It might actually work better if you talk to her directly rather than me. Our Sun-hee noona absolutely loves handsome men.”
I knew Jeon Sun-hee better than anyone else.
Born into the Samjeon family, she possessed a dazzling genetic inheritance that no one else had.
With a natural inclination to stand out, her fashion sense was flamboyant, and she loved being in the spotlight.
This temperament drove her into the entertainment business, and she had achieved remarkable growth.
But she had significant weaknesses too.
Her emotional volatility meant she constantly battled depression, and she was taking antidepressants that were illegal in Korea.
And there was the fact that she was a party enthusiast.
Having been educated and raised in the United States since childhood, her familiarity with party culture had contributed to her entertainment ventures.
Building connections with renowned directors and celebrities at parties, which then translated into business—that was the game.
But Jeon Sun-hee often took things too far.
She’d used company funds to create a lavish party room in the office building called a “business lounge,” where artists and actors from certain agencies frequently came and went, receiving preferential treatment.
I took a sip of wine.
And if Jeon Sun-hee rejected my proposal or quoted an inflated price, I continued to recall the weaknesses I could use to pressure her.
[Sun-hee noona, it’s been a while since I’ve seen her face….]
* * *
A knock sounded at the hotel room door, followed immediately by Dennis’s voice.
“Sung-guk, it’s me.”
“Just a moment.”
I quickly opened the hotel door.
Dennis stood at the entrance with an anxious expression.
“Sung-guk, you know there’s an interview after the screening of 【The Whip】 this weekend?”
Usually, after a film’s screening, the director and related staff conducted interviews with journalists.
“Would you do the interview with me?”
“Me?”
“Yeah. You’re our film’s investor too… and earlier, when I did the interview with the journalists, I was so nervous I don’t even remember what I said.”
As a novice director, Dennis’s nervousness was plainly evident.
But I had no intention of dampening Dennis’s brilliant debut.
“Dennis, you’re the director of this film.”
“I understand….”
“I’m just an investor. But if I appear in an interview with you right now, all the spotlight will fall on me.”
Dennis scratched his head.
“The truth is… I actually want that. I was so nervous I don’t even remember what I said.”
“Dennis, this is something you’ll face countless times ahead. You have to pull off your first debut stage without anyone’s help—only then can you shake off that nervousness for the next stage.”
“But….”
I placed my hand on Dennis’s shoulder.
“Dennis, I’ll be watching the interview that day and cheering you on.”
“Yeah… Sung-guk. This must be the fate I’ve taken on.”
“You’ll do great. You’re more remarkable than any director I’ve ever seen.”
“Getting encouragement from a billionaire gives me a little courage.”
Just then, Jeon Tae-guk walked down the corridor.
“You two are having another drink without me?”
“We were just talking about the film.”
“Oh, and Sun-hee also came to the festival. She arrives tomorrow, I hear. That’s why I arranged for you to meet up with her.”
Jeon Sun-hee, who had a keen interest in film, was apparently coming to the Sundance Film Festival too.
“Thanks, hyung.”
“Dennis, come with us too. Do some promotion for 【The Whip】. Our sister is a major player in the Korean film industry.”
“I will, Tae-guk.”
* * *
Snow had been falling in Park City since morning, and it continued to drift down until dusk.
It was truly a winter landscape.
Standing by the window with coffee in hand, I recalled one by one the weaknesses that Jeon Sun-hee possessed.
From the list of family weaknesses I’d kept in my previous life….
Depression.
Party enthusiast.
And… there was something else I couldn’t quite remember….
I simply couldn’t recall it.
The fact that I couldn’t remember it suggested it might not be a significant weakness.
But issues like antidepressant medication or being a party enthusiast could become fodder for media gossip, yet they weren’t enough to shake Jeon Sun-hee.
What was that minor but powerful weakness….
Just then, my phone rang loudly.
It was Jeon Tae-guk.
The moment I answered, I heard Jeon Tae-guk’s urgent voice.
– Sung-guk! Sun-hee arrived, and she’s desperate to see you right now.
I checked the time.
It was just past five in the afternoon.
“I’ll get ready and head out.”
– Oh, and bring Ji-hee with you too.
“Ji-hee as well?”
“My sister wants to see the girl who got a perfect score on the college entrance exam. Sun-hee has a lot of affection for people. She likes smart people.”
[Of course I knew that well.]
Jeon Sun-hee was also famous for her generosity toward others.
Especially toward people she took a liking to, she gave unconditionally, and that temperament extended to favoritism in business dealings.
“Yes, I’ll bring her along.”
* * *
Ji-hee emerged into the hallway wearing a neat one-piece dress she rarely wore.
“That’s a new outfit.”
“Tae-guk sent it to me. He said the person we’re meeting today would dislike it if I showed up in jeans….”
Jeon Sun-hee placed particular importance on appearances.
It seemed Tae-guk had taken care of Ji-hee, who had only brought a padded jacket for the winter.
“Right, it’s a first meeting—there’s no benefit in making a bad impression.”
“Oppa, did you want to talk about something? Is that why you asked to see me first?”
“Yeah. There are a few things to be careful about with the person we’re meeting today.”
Ji-hee looked up at me with round eyes.
“I searched online too. You’re cousins with Samsung, and she runs a broadcasting station and invests in film companies, right?”
“Yeah.”
The internet only had a brief biography of Jeon Sun-hee. There was no reason her personality would be public knowledge.
“But she’s a bit moody, so you need to be careful with your words.”
“What kind of words?”
“She might keep probing you and me today. Especially since I’m interested in the distributor for 【Winter Palace】.”
“So I should seem a bit naive?”
“No. Rather than naive, you should seem smart.”
Ji-hee looked a bit confused.
“Oppa, I want to buy that distribution company because I think the film will do well. Can I talk about these things openly? Shouldn’t I be hiding them instead?”
“No, speak boldly. And tell her why you’re interested in the film too.”
Ji-hee nodded.
“Got it, oppa.”
Ji-hee would definitely win Jeon Sun-hee’s heart.
She was smart, had strong convictions, and was beautiful.
Jeon Sun-hee was particularly weak for people like that. And once she took a liking to someone, she’d support them to the end.
I was trying to exploit that aspect of Jeon Sun-hee’s personality today.
* * *
When we entered the restaurant where we were supposed to meet, surprisingly Jeon Tae-guk was sitting alone.
Jeon Tae-guk looked at Ji-hee with satisfaction.
“Ji-hee, does the outfit fit well?”
“Yes, oppa.”
“Our Ji-hee looks just like a little lady dressed like this.”
“Oppa, I’m not little anymore.”
“I’ve known you since you were this small.”
Jeon Tae-guk and Ji-hee bickered the moment they met.
“Hyung, weren’t you supposed to meet with Jeon Sun-hee first?”
“Oh, she said she’d come right after unpacking. I know her pretty well—it’ll take some time to unpack. Besides, I have things to tell you and Ji-hee.”
“What things?”
“Never act humble in front of her.”
[Jeon Tae-guk, that’s unexpected? He actually understood Sun-hee’s personality?]
Jeon Tae-guk let out a low sigh.
“Sun-hee’s personality is no joke. How do I put it… it’s like she’s constantly riding a roller coaster. Up and down, you know?”
“….”
I nodded quietly.
[I know that personality better than anyone.]
“And she absolutely loves intelligent people. You two siblings have everything she’d like—you’re smart, good-looking, and pretty.”
[Ji-hee isn’t really that pretty. She’s just barely past being plain.]
“Anyway, she says intelligent people acting humble is wrong. She thinks buying clothes from street vendors while being born a chaebol heiress is just pretending to be humble, not actually being humble.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Yeah… and I found this out through the Planning Department—the import company you’re trying to buy has terrible performance right now and is already one of the restructuring targets. Don’t let that show either. She absolutely won’t admit her instincts were wrong.”
“Got it. I’ll approach it carefully.”
A roller coaster personality. Plus stubbornness on top of that.
She was just as difficult to deal with in this life as in my previous one.
Just then, Jeon Sun-hee walked in wearing an elaborate dress, with a man following behind her in attendance.
[Jeon Sun-hee has never been involved in any scandals about men….]
Unlike other chaebol women, Jeon Sun-hee wasn’t the type to keep a lover by her side. And more importantly, she had a preference for entertainers.
The moment Jeon Sun-hee saw us, she broke into a smile that showed all her teeth.
“Oh my, wow. To see Jeon Sung-guk, the CEO of Peno, like this… it’s an honor!”
“The honor is mine. I’ve heard about you from Tae-guk.”
“I knew Tae-guk was close with you, but since our families don’t really get along, I couldn’t openly ask him to introduce us. Oh my, seeing you in person, you’re so handsome. You really are a man of fatal charm!”
And true to memory, she was chatty and loud.
I gestured toward Ji-hee.
“This is my younger sister, Jeon Ji-hee.”
“Hello, I’m Jeon Ji-hee.”
When Ji-hee greeted her, Jeon Sun-hee responded with exaggerated enthusiasm again.
“Oh my, perfect score on the college entrance exam and Seoul National University! Amazing! And so pretty too—I’m telling you, being born this smart and beautiful is better than being born a chaebol!”
Then she suddenly paused.
“Wait… now that I think about it… Jeon Sun-hee, Jeon Ji-hee. Our names are similar… I feel like we have something in common. Don’t you think so, Ji-hee?”
“I think so too.”
Ji-hee responded appropriately to the situation.
Jeon Sun-hee exchanged loud greetings with Ji-hee, then introduced the man who came with her.
“This is Lee Kyung-joo, a team leader at our company.”
At that moment, the name Lee Kyung-joo surfaced in my mind.
A team leader at the company Jeon Sun-hee runs, but a unique existence who didn’t belong to any particular department.
A smile spread across my lips.
Lee Kyung-joo, the team leader, had passed the bar exam and was a lawyer, but he’d also received a divine calling and was a shaman. And he was Jeon Sun-hee’s greatest weakness.
It only occurred to me now.
Lee Kyung-joo extended a greeting.
“CEO Jeon, I’m Lee Kyung-joo, the team leader. It’s an honor to meet you.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time.”
[Lee Kyung-joo, it’s been such a long time.]
I smiled meaningfully.
Lee Kyung-joo was Jeon Sun-hee’s weakness because he was the only person the temperamental Jeon Sun-hee would actually listen to.
And I knew Lee Kyung-joo’s weakness better than anyone.
Lee Kyung-joo had graduated from Seoul National University’s Department of Economics and passed the bar exam, making him someone Jeon Sun-hee trusted even more, but the performance of his privately-run investment team was in the red.
He was keeping this thoroughly hidden from Jeon Sun-hee.
Now I just needed to take hold of Lee Kyung-joo’s reins.
Jeon Sun-hee trusts Lee Kyung-joo’s words, and I know his weakness!

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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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