I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 491

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

Chapter 491
Dennis Chazelle was waiting for me at LA Airport.
Apparently mindful of the Academy Awards ceremony, he’d trimmed his shaggy beard and lost some weight since we last met.
“Dennis, you’re looking sharp.”
“Sung-guk, if I’m going to stand next to you, I have to make an effort too.”
At that moment, Jeon Tae-guk stopped in his tracks.
“Wait, I need to get photos with Sung-guk too.”
Then he shot Lee Kyung-soo a resentful look.
“We’ve been having barbecues all the time, and I’m at my heaviest right now. What do I do?”
“Sir, starting a diet today won’t make any difference anyway. Just enjoy yourself. It doesn’t make sense to skip the party because of a few photos when you could be having fun.”
Lee Kyung-soo offered the perfect answer, and Jeon Tae-guk seemed satisfied with what he wanted to hear.
“Even if I diet from now on, it won’t show… Sung-guk, let’s just try to avoid being in photos together as much as possible.”
“Don’t worry about it. I don’t mind being photographed with anyone.”
At my words, Ji-hee shook her head disapprovingly.
“Ji-hee, you’ve grown even more since I last saw you.”
“Dennis, I’m past the age of growing taller now.”
“I meant you’ve become more mature.”
While Dennis greeted the sharp-tongued Ji-hee, Samsung employees approached Jeon Tae-guk.
“Young master, was the flight not tiring?”
[Just a few hours—what’s there to be tired about?]
In any case, Jeon Tae-guk’s mood was incredibly important to the Samsung staff.
Watching them, I briefly reflected on my past self.
The workaholic version of me from my previous life—sharp in every way, keeping even employees on edge. But now?
“San Francisco to here—how long is that? I drank champagne the whole way, so I’m in a great mood. Let’s head to our hotel.”
“Yes, young master.”
Jeon Tae-guk certainly had a good-natured personality.
But he hadn’t always been this way.
When I first saw Jeon Tae-guk as a child, he was the only son of the Samjeon Family—twisted by the Samjeon’s characteristic sharpness and pickiness combined with his own complexes.
Yet Jeon Tae-guk had definitely changed.
The drug-addicted, troublemaking Jeon Tae-guk from my previous life didn’t exist. Now, even if he lacked ability, his personality had improved.
[Is this all because of me? Did I turn my brother from my past life into a proper person?]
“Sung-guk, what are you thinking about so hard?”
Dennis asked, grabbing my luggage.
“Old memories.”
“When I heard you’d been nominated for the Academy Awards, memories came flooding back—from the day we first met as roommates in the dormitory, through all those times you gave me straight talk when I was whining about films and women. It all felt like a lantern show passing before my eyes.”
[My old memories are on a different scale entirely, Dennis.]
“Dennis, let’s talk all about those old days over dinner tonight.”
“Right, but first we need to do a press conference with the supporting cast. Everyone seems more focused on the fact that you, as FaceNote’s CEO, are investing in and producing a film for the first time.”
“That’s not it. The film is good, so they’re paying attention to me as the producer because of that.”
Dennis smiled knowingly.
[Dennis, I’m being sincere. Meeting you was fortunate for me, and you meeting me was even more fortunate.]
* * *
The moment I stepped into the Hotel Lobby, Jeon Sun-hee’s boisterous voice rang out.
“Sung-guk! Ji-hee!!!”
Of course, the emphasis was placed squarely on Ji-hee rather than me.
“My goodness, Ji-hee, you’ve grown taller and prettier since I last saw you. Goodness gracious. How tall are you exactly?”
“I haven’t measured myself recently, but during freshman orientation physicals, I was about 167 centimeters.”
“You must be close to 170 centimeters now.”
She quickly summoned her attendant.
“Secretary Choi, let’s search for a few more dress options for Ji-hee. She seems taller than I anticipated.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Just as I’d expected, Jeon Sun-hee had taken care of everything, from Ji-hee’s dress to every other detail. To be honest, even though she was my sister, the fact that she was female meant there were aspects I simply couldn’t attend to properly myself.
“Tae-guk, it looks like you’ve gained some weight, doesn’t it?”
And she struck at Jeon Tae-guk’s greatest weakness.
“Noona, please don’t bring that up. Dieting doesn’t happen overnight, and I plan to enjoy the party.”
“That’s just what you say. You should pay attention to your physique like your father does.”
“I don’t want to be like Father.”
“There you go—true to our family. Father and son relations are always strained in our household.”
As Jeon Sun-hee’s boisterous welcome continued, I saw J.J. Simmons walking into the Lobby.
“Sung-guk!!!”
J.J. Simmons greeted me with an unusually bright smile.
[J.J. Simmons, don’t tell me he’s welcoming me so warmly because he’s thinking about getting ten times his appearance fee?]
“J.J., it’s been a while.”
“Sung-guk, about that promise.”
“You mean my promise to give you ten times your appearance fee if you don’t win Best Supporting Actor?”
“Exactly! I was thinking, what if we brought that up at this press conference? I feel like if people hear about it, whether I win or not, it would draw more attention to our film.”
In truth, it was going to be difficult for “The Whip” to draw attention at this Academy Awards ceremony.
There was already the work of Director Alejandro Mendoza, who had swept the Cannes Film Festival, and the work of Director Wes Vanders, who was called the director’s director.
The actors were formidable as well.
There was Benedict Cumberbatch, the renowned British actor famous for playing Sherlock Holmes.
A combination of a rookie lead actor and director, and J.J. Simmons, who always played supporting roles, would be difficult for the Academy to take notice of.
“J.J., I’ve already discussed this with Dennis. Let’s bring it up at the press conference at the right moment. I’m sure many people will be curious whether I’ll end up losing money.”
“Either way, I don’t lose. If I don’t win Best Supporting Actor, I get the money, and if I lose the money, I get the Oscar trophy.”
“Exactly.”
* * *
The beginning of the press conference was unremarkable.
Questions about the film’s production background and anecdotes between the actors.
And questions came about the background of how I, as the representative of FaceNote, came to produce this film.
Just as the press conference was beginning to feel a bit tedious, I, Dennis, and J.J. Simmons exchanged glances with one another.
[Well, shall we get started?]
J.J. Simmons was the first to speak.
“Actually, when I decided to take on this role, there was a quite amusing episode.”
“Would you mind sharing that episode with us?”
As expected, the reporters immediately took the bait.
“At that time, I had just received an offer for a Marvel film. I was quite tempted myself, but Jeon Sung-guk told me something. He said if I didn’t win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for 【Whiplash】, he would personally pay me ten times my acting fee.”
The press conference hall came alive again, just as we’d anticipated.
Reporters raised their hands one after another.
“We understand that you predicted the Lehman Brothers crisis and Japan’s major earthquake. Should we consider J.J. Simmons winning Best Supporting Actor as another prediction?”
I smiled ambiguously.
“What I said wasn’t a prediction—it was based on science and statistics. It just happened to be correct. When I read the 【Whiplash】 script, I couldn’t imagine anyone but J.J. Simmons in this role. So I made a rather bold bet. I have quite a bit of money, after all.”
Laughter echoed throughout the hall.
“That’s quite a remarkable contract that only the wealthy could make. Do you still believe J.J. Simmons will win Best Supporting Actor? Or should we call it a prediction?”
“Those who have seen 【Whiplash】 will understand—this isn’t a prediction, it’s science.”
The press conference grew even more heated, and naturally, questions poured down on Dennis and the cast, who were nominated for the Academy Awards for their first film, as well as on me, the producer.
* * *
– The astounding contract between Jeon Sung-guk and J.J. Simmons: If he doesn’t win Best Supporting Actor for 【Whiplash】, he’ll pay ten times the acting fee.
– Will J.J. Simmons receive ten times his acting fee? Will Jeon Sung-guk have to pay that amount? All eyes are focused on the Kodak Theatre on February 22, 2015!
– All attention is on whether J.J. Simmons will win Best Supporting Actor for 【Whiplash】. Some view Jeon Sung-guk’s move as sophisticated marketing….
– We all wait for February 22 to see two things: Jeon Sung-guk’s suit charisma and whether he’ll lose money on this contract or not!
[They’re expecting suit charisma….]
I dressed in the black suit that symbolizes the Academy Awards.
Beside me, Jeon Tae-guk, wearing the same black suit, was struggling to breathe properly.
“Sung-guk, it feels even tighter here. The buttons are suffocating me.”
“Hyung, didn’t you enjoy the parties a bit too much?”
“Sigh… I should have enjoyed them more moderately. But Sung-guk, if J.J. Simmons doesn’t win Best Supporting Actor, will you really pay ten times his acting fee?”
“The contract is written that way, so of course I will. A contract is a contract.”
“Is that actor really that important to you?”
“Of course. I never considered anyone but J.J. Simmons for this role.”
“By the way, we’re all betting among ourselves, excluding you. Daniel and Ji-hee both bet that J.J. Simmons will win, while Tae-guk, Sun-hee, and Lee Kyung-soo bet on the ten times acting fee.”
I adjusted the collar of my suit.
[So the Samjeon Family is split against the non-Samjeon Family?]
“Do you have any particular reason to think J.J. Simmons won’t win Best Supporting Actor?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. But one thing seems certain—the people who bet on me paying ten times the fee want to see you lose money.”
“How much is the bet per person?”
“A hundred dollars each. Pretty modest, right?”
“Hmm. So this is a battle between reason and irrationality.”
Jeon Tae-guk’s eyes widened at my words.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Simply that it’s a confrontation between people who bet a hundred dollars just because they want to see me lose money, and those who judge based purely on facts regardless of such sentiments.”
“If our side wins, what do you want to do? Let’s make another bet on it. You like betting anyway.”
Jeon Tae-guk was provoking me.
If that’s the case, I had no choice but to respond.
“Then when we return to San Francisco, how about the loser of the bet flies economy class? Money bets don’t mean much to us anyway.”
Jeon Tae-guk’s lips curled into a subtle smile as he gave me the okay sign.
“Deal. You’re not going back on your word, right?”
“That’s what I should be asking you.”
“I’m going to take several photos of you on economy and preserve them forever, so remember that.”
“We’ll see about that….”
It was obvious that Jeon Tae-guk would be the one preserved in those photos.
* * *
– Jeon Sung-guk’s Prediction Comes True Again! J.J. Simmons Wins Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor!
– In his acceptance speech, J.J. Simmons said he thought it would be better to receive ten times his acting fee before getting the Oscar trophy, but after receiving it, that thought disappeared… an emotional acceptance speech!
– Jeon Sung-guk has now conquered the Academy Awards with 【The Whip】! This suggests he will make a full-scale entry into the film industry!
An airport announcement indicating first-class boarding was made.
I and my group all stood up. Except for Jeon Tae-guk….
Jeon Tae-guk had lost both the hundred dollars and his first-class seat.
Even Lee Kyung-soo tried to comfort Jeon Tae-guk.
“Director Jeon, I’ll see you at San Francisco Airport. I’ve taken economy many times, and since it’s a short flight, you’ll be fine.”
“All of you, get out of my sight.”
“Brother, you’ve got this!”
“Sung-guk, please don’t appear before my eyes for a while!!!”
And so Jeon Tae-guk alone boarded economy class toward San Francisco.
A few days later, a very amusing photograph circulated online.
– Samjeon’s Heir Jeon Tae-guk Flying Economy Class Alone Without His Secretary!
It seemed a Korean passenger on the same flight had recognized Jeon Tae-guk and uploaded the photo. Interestingly, the comments were quite favorable.
– Even Samjeon’s heir takes economy, so I need to be more humble too.
– That’s the face of someone taking economy for the first time without an entourage. So awkward.
– Humble guy Jeon Tae-guk. Whatever he does is funny. He’s like Samjeon’s mascot.
I shrugged my shoulders.
Samjeon’s mascot, huh….
It seemed I had inadvertently created yet another image for Jeon Tae-guk.

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————