I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 475

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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 475
I loaded two packaged mango shaved ice into the car.
And after a long time, I headed to my parents’ home.
Min-guk was still in group training with the Sevens members, and Ji-hee had moved into an officetel near school to prepare for the judicial examination.
Finally, my parents were enjoying some intimate time together, just the two of them.
Come to think of it, my parents never had the kind of newlywed phase that young couples experience these days.
They got married right after having me, and their newlyweds’ home was a single room.
If sharing leftover sea snails that Father brought home and sipping soju together every night counts as a honeymoon, then perhaps it was—but….
I still don’t understand why soju and sea snails, things I never touched in my entire previous life, were so appealing back then.
[The fact that I’m reminiscing so much about the old days must mean I’m getting old too….]
I smiled bitterly.
Since I was born with all the memories of my past life intact, I was already past sixty in terms of years lived.
I slowly pulled into the parking lot of my parents’ home.
The moment I arrived at the parking lot, I spotted a familiar car—Father’s.
Why was Father’s car in the parking lot at this hour?
Father was sitting in the car, apparently waiting for someone.
And soon I saw Mother coming out. Unlike usual, she had light makeup on and was wearing heels.
Mother climbed into Father’s car naturally, and he quickly drove out of the parking lot.
It seemed my parents were going on a date.
I smiled softly and turned the car around, heading back to the company.
[I can’t interrupt my parents’ date….]
* * *
“Sam, Adam. Thanks for all your hard work. Here, have this. It’s mango shaved ice.”
“Perfect timing, I was getting hungry. Sung-guk! Thanks for the treat!”
One mango shaved ice for Sam and Adam. And the other one was for—
“Secretary Kim, this is mango shaved ice. Tae-guk mentioned recently that he’s gained weight because of this, so I picked one up for you. Enjoy it during your break.”
“This mango shaved ice is famous for being expensive. I’ll enjoy it, CEO.”
Secretary Kim Mi-so smiled brightly, then picked up her tablet and followed me back inside.
“CEO, I know you’ve been busy with Executive Director Jeon Tae-guk’s matters lately. But I think we should start preparing for our e-sports team’s founding ceremony soon. We’ve assembled all the players and coaches with Fate Player as the core. The League World Championship is coming up soon, after all.”
“The League World Championship, you say…. Please arrange a meeting with the Alpha players. We need to seriously prepare for the championship.”
After beta service through the end of this year, we would launch Alpha’s TikTok globally in early next year.
It seemed Alpha’s name would likely become known to the world first through winning the League World Championship before that.
“By the way, Secretary Kim. I think it would be good to include TikTok advertisements in this League World Championship sponsorship.”
“CEO, the service hasn’t even launched yet. You’re advertising already?”
“Since we’re launching in early next year, we need to start advertising now. And there’s no better advertising opportunity than the League World Championship.”
And launching TikTok meant my military service period was approaching its end.
If we launched TikTok in the first half of next year, I could return to the United States by at least the second half of next year.
Secretary Kim Mi-so glanced at me, reading my expression.
“CEO, what are you thinking so hard about?”
“Secretary Kim, you’re studying hard, aren’t you?”
“You’re talking about studying English, right?”
“Yes.”
Secretary Kim Mi-so nodded with a subtle smile playing at her lips.
“I’m working on it in my spare time. CEO, with the League of Legends World Championship sponsorship and TikTok opening next year, your military service will be almost over soon. You’re already preparing to go to the United States, aren’t you?”
“It was decided before I came back to Korea… You should prepare slowly too, Secretary Kim.”
“Yes, CEO.”
I had much to accomplish before heading to the United States.
Not only company matters, but I also needed to resolve Min-guk’s lawsuit, help Ji-hee with her studies… and as the saying goes, even a dog from a village school can be taught….
* * *
Lee Kyung-soo’s column pointed out the Korean entertainment industry with sharper insight than expected.
– Many small and mid-sized talent agencies are preparing idol debuts.
Due to low recognition and insufficient capital, it’s common for talented individuals to be poached by large agencies.
Despite these hardships, these agencies produce idols, but afterward they face invisible suppression from the major agencies.
Recently, articles flooded in accusing a group whose member is the younger sibling of a famous entrepreneur of chart manipulation.
The media outlet that published these articles primarily covers idol news for a certain major talent agency.
Media outlets receiving money from major agencies in exchange for favorable coverage is one of the oldest practices.
I was well aware of even the darker side of Korea’s entertainment industry.
– Witnessing this incident, I personally couldn’t bear the bitterness.
The way emerging idol groups from small agencies, just beginning to show noteworthy results, are saddled with unfounded suspicions.
And this is precisely when the major agency that appears to be this media outlet’s financial backer is preparing for a stock listing.
As an investor watching entertainment stocks, what troubles me most is how the individual efforts and sacrifices poured into debuts are destroyed simply by the greed of adults.
Along with appropriate concern and sighs.
Lee Kyung-soo’s column quickly became the talk of idol fandoms.
It received overwhelming support especially from small agency idol fans.
Lee Kyung-soo had kept his promise, and I intended to meticulously plan his entry into YouTube.
A YouTube channel from an investment expert delivering easy and quick economic knowledge.
Korea needed someone like this.
And when that person was on our side, it was the best possible outcome.
I picked up my phone and called Jeon Tae-guk. His voice came through shortly.
“Hyung, do you have time right now?”
– Let’s grab coffee at the first floor cafe. I didn’t know about it, but their tiramisu is amazing.
* * *
Jeon Tae-guk placed his hand on his noticeably fuller belly and ordered coffee and tiramisu.
“Sung-guk, I used to think there was no restaurant in Korea better than Samjeon Hotel. But working here, I’ve discovered so many hidden masters in obscurity.”
“If Samsung is a major agency, then places like these are truly small agencies. They all pour blood and sweat into survival, so their flavors might actually suit the public’s palate better.”
“I should look into some of these hidden gem restaurants near the department store and suggest opening a pop-up….”
[Could it be… the village school dog actually just had a good idea?]
I looked at Jeon Tae-guk with slightly surprised eyes.
Fortunately, Jeon Tae-guk was too absorbed in the tiramisu to notice my gaze.
“By the way, Sung-guk. Lee Kyung-soo’s column was really well done, wasn’t it?”
“The fandom’s responding well, and it seems to be working out.”
“The lawsuit is still ongoing, right?”
“Yes. As long as I’m around, nothing’s going to happen to my brothers.”
“If you hadn’t stepped in, I was planning to have Samjeon take the lead. Sevens is our model group anyway. Stock manipulation? That’s ridiculous. I heard the international response on YouTube and places like that is explosive these days. You know about it, right?”
Of course, I hadn’t checked it myself.
But it was already something I knew.
Sevens had become a miracle for a small talent agency precisely because the international response had been explosive.
Behind that lay YouTube and other social media platforms.
“I think Korean singers these days can’t just focus on the domestic market or Japan and China anymore. So many singers are becoming globally famous through YouTube.”
“Sung-guk, what if Min-guk ends up becoming more famous than you?”
“Brother, I really hope that happens.”
[Only then will Min-guk finally earn his keep!]
* * *
Jeon Tae-guk continued talking about E-Samjeon while devouring his tiramisu.
“Sung-guk, I think E-Samjeon really needs to open in Pangyo. Being out in the field feels better than being cooped up in the headquarters building.”
“Is that… your own thought, brother?”
Could it be?
“Of course! Well, sort of!”
Jeon Tae-guk laughed sheepishly.
“I had a lot of direct conversations with the staff members during this hiring process. Sung-guk, when you said you’d do things the way Father set it up for E-Samjeon initially, and then you told me it would fail if we did that—I’m really grateful for that. If you hadn’t said that, I’d probably be sitting at a desk right now with no idea how the company even operates.”
Jeon Tae-guk thanked me sincerely.
“Brother, we don’t have results yet anyway.”
“The results could be a failure. Honestly, nobody knows the future. But through this opportunity, I feel like I’ve learned so much. How to handle people, how to hire them. All that stuff. Oh, Lee Kyung-soo will be coming to the office this afternoon. The contract terms have been adjusted, so we’re signing it then.”
“That’s great. It’s thanks to you allowing him to work both jobs.”
Jeon Tae-guk scratched his brow at that remark.
“Sung-guk, but you… you guided Lee Kyung-soo into doing an economics YouTube channel, didn’t you? Right?”
[The village idiot finally developed some intuition?]
“He expressed interest, so I just offered to help.”
“I know Jeon Sung-guk a little bit… You always plan things out thinking far into the future. I think the reason you’re helping Lee Kyung-soo become an influential YouTuber is because it would benefit you too, right?”
I felt my body stiffen for a moment.
[The village idiot is starting to recite poetry now?]
Jeon Tae-guk calmly sipped his coffee and smiled faintly.
“I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Brother, you seem to be working really hard these days.”
I neither denied nor confirmed it.
Because Jeon Tae-guk already knew the answer.
“I need to get my act together now. Father’s getting older, and I’m almost thirty myself.”
“By the way, brother. I’m going back to the United States next year. You know that, right?”
“….”
At those words, Jeon Tae-guk remained motionless for a long moment.
The tiramisu I’d been mindlessly devouring no longer appealed to me.
After a long pause, I finally spoke.
“Sung-guk, if I’d been just a little less mature back then, I would’ve thrown a fit and demanded Father send me to the U.S. branch office… but I can’t do that anymore. I’ve taken on serious responsibilities here now.”
In the meantime, Jeon Tae-guk had matured considerably.
It seemed the project to turn a stubborn mule into a proper person was finally nearing completion.
Just then, I spotted Ji-hee entering the cafe—she’d come to help with the family business.
“Oh… Ji-hee’s here….”
Jeon Tae-guk raised his hand first.
“Ji-hee, your older brothers are here.”
Ji-hee’s eyes widened as she approached, and she looked Jeon Tae-guk up and down.
“Ji-hee, what’s wrong?”
“Oppa, why have you gotten so fat?”
“That, well….”
Jeon Tae-guk was flustered and couldn’t continue.
“Jeon Ji-hee, is that really the first thing you say when you see your brother?”
I scolded her as the eldest should.
“Oppa, Tae-guk oppa only hears good things from everyone around him. So sometimes he loses touch with reality. That’s why I need to tell him the truth.”
“Ji-hee’s right, Sung-guk. I’m surrounded by nothing but flatterers. Ji-hee, thanks. But have I really gotten that fat?”
“Oppa, put down your spoon right now and start dieting.”
At that moment, Jeon Tae-guk dropped his spoon as if struck by lightning.
“I’ve been eating without any self-control lately…. Ji-hee’s right, I need to get my act together and diet. Ji-hee, let me buy you a coffee and tiramisu. The ones here are amazing.”
“Yes.”
Jeon Tae-guk stood up to buy coffee and tiramisu for Ji-hee.
And I watched his retreating figure for a moment.
Without even realizing he’d gained weight, Jeon Tae-guk seemed to have grown a little through meeting people.
[I thought he’d throw a fit wanting to do YouTube too…. Now I won’t have to worry about him going to America…. That stubborn mule….]

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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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