I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 492

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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 492
Jeon Tae-guk laughed cheerfully and thrust a photo taken from Economy Class in front of me.
“Sung-guk, they’re calling me Samsung’s mascot.”
“Your belly looks like it’s about to burst through your shirt, so that’s probably why.”
“You never say anything nice. I’m starting a diet now. Since I’m flying Economy Class, alcohol doesn’t taste good anymore and I’m naturally losing weight. Next time I go to Korea, I should try it again.”
“Hmm… well, that would certainly create a completely common-man-friendly tycoon image.”
Jeon Tae-guk clapped his hands sharply.
“If our father had the image of an aristocratic tycoon, maybe it wouldn’t be bad for me to go in that direction instead?”
“Is that so….”
I was reviewing the final design blueprints of the FaceNote Campus, so Jeon Tae-guk’s chatter was nothing but noise to me.
Looking over my shoulder at the blueprints, Jeon Tae-guk asked.
“Wow, is this the FaceNote Campus?”
“Yes….”
“It really looks like a university campus?”
“That’s our concept. Something feels slightly off, but I can’t figure out what.”
As I brought my hand to my temple, Jeon Tae-guk asked as if he’d been waiting for this moment.
“Sung-guk, Ji-hee and Daniel are going on a Stanford tour tomorrow. How about you come along? You dropped out of university, so your sense of campus aesthetics is a bit lacking.”
It wasn’t entirely wrong.
“I should join with Mark too.”
* * *
Daniel arrived at the house early in the morning with coffee and sandwiches.
The new sandwich shop we’d switched to instead of Starbucks was a huge success. I loved the distinctive sauce, and with plenty of vegetables, it was definitely more nutritious than Starbucks.
“For you, sir: a latte with a turkey sandwich. For Miss Ji-hee: an Americano with a beef sandwich.”
“Have you eaten, Daniel?”
“I prefer Korean food, sir. I had rice with doenjang-jjigae that my mother made early this morning with my father.”
The moment I heard that, both Ji-hee and I found our sandwiches tasteless.
We ate Korean food from time to time, but after being abroad for so long, the craving for Korean food never truly disappeared.
Daniel seemed to sense our disappointment and quickly asked.
“Why don’t you come to our house sometime and have a meal my mother prepares? She’s really good at Korean cooking.”
“Then I won’t refuse.”
“Me too.”
Ji-hee answered as well.
Daniel looked at us both, barely suppressing a smile.
“You two really look like siblings no matter where you go. It’s obvious at first glance.”
“I hate hearing that too. Both me and my younger brother. Daniel, shall we head out? Oh, by the way, Jeon Tae-guk and Lee Kyung-soo are coming on this tour as well….”
“It would be inconvenient to fit everyone in one car, so we agreed to meet at the school’s main gate at 9 AM. Mark said he’d arrive on time as well.”
“Then let’s go.”
* * *
Mark was the first to arrive. And he brought Olivia and Rose with him.
One was in a stroller, and one was clinging to Mark’s hand.
“Uncle!!!”
The moment I stepped out of the car, Olivia, who had been holding Mark’s hand, came running toward me.
“Olivia, did you come with your dad?”
“Yeah. Dad said you were coming.”
Olivia now gripped my hand tightly.
Mark approached and let out a heavy sigh.
“Sung-guk, I’m sorry. Mi-mi had to go to work, but the babysitter suddenly bailed on us.”
“It’s fine. Leave Olivia with me.”
“That’s what I was hoping for. Honestly, managing both of them without Mi-mi is rough….”
Mark already looked exhausted before we’d even started.
Soon after, the car carrying Jeon Tae-guk and Lee Kyung-soo arrived.
The moment the car door opened, Jeon Tae-guk stepped out wearing a Jansports backpack.
Sporting a snapback that was all the rage these days and a hoodie to match, he looked like a typical middle-aged man trying to blend in with college students.
“Ji-hee! Sung-guk!”
Ji-hee leaned over and whispered to me.
“Do you think Americans will see Tae-guk as just an ordinary student walking around campus?”
“Absolutely not.”
Jeon Tae-guk opened his Jansports backpack and handed Ji-hee and me each a snapback he’d prepared in advance.
“Here, take these. They say it’s the most popular hat among American college students these days.”
“Hyung, I’m good. Hats don’t suit me.”
“Me neither.”
Ji-hee refused outright as well.
Daniel accepted the hat somewhat awkwardly.
“CEO, I look good in hats. I’ll wear it.”
“Daniel, it’s fine. These two siblings always scold me with their words and reject me, so something like this doesn’t bother me at all. And I kind of expected it anyway… it always turns out exactly as I predicted.”
“Still, please let me wear it. There aren’t many trees here, so a hat comes in handy.”
“Then Daniel will wear it.”
“Thank you.”
Fortunately, Daniel accepted the hat, and Olivia wore the remaining one.
“Olivia, the sun is pretty strong here, so wearing a hat is a good idea.”
“Okay, Uncle!”
Daniel, now wearing the snapback Jeon Tae-guk had given him, led the way.
We entered Stanford University like a tour group being led by a snapback-wearing tour guide.
* * *
“At this hour, you’ll see students rushing to get to class. The campus is so sprawling that everyone’s preoccupied with just finding their classrooms. Especially during the first week of the semester. One time I went to what I thought was my French class, and the room was completely empty. I was wandering around wondering if I had the right place, and thankfully there was another student just as confused as me. But it turned out the professor had cancelled the first class, and only the two of us didn’t know about it.”
Daniel explained every corner of the school, even throwing in his own anecdotes.
Olivia, complaining that her legs hurt, ended up in the stroller with Rose.
Mark’s face grew heavier as he pushed the stroller.
“Sung-guk, our campus was sprawling too… but back then I didn’t think much of it. But why does it feel so exhausting today?”
“Because you’re pushing two daughters in a stroller. And you’re older now too….”
“I think I’ll need to exercise as soon as we get back.”
At that moment, Olivia, sitting in her stroller, looked up at Mark.
“Daddy, is this your school?”
“I attended Harvard, a university on the East Coast, but…”
As Mark said this, he glanced at me.
“Sung-guk, what do I say in this situation? That I graduated…?”
“Mark, when are we receiving our honorary diplomas?”
“They said it’s at this semester’s graduation ceremony, so probably around the end of May. They’ll contact us with the detailed schedule later.”
I smiled at Olivia.
“Olivia, Mark and I will be graduating from Harvard on the East Coast this year. You should come with us then.”
“Really? But Dad, you haven’t graduated from university yet?”
“Many people graduate from university a bit later, Olivia.”
We refocused on Daniel’s Stanford tour.
Soon, a vast plaza came into view.
“This is the largest plaza at our school, so to speak. There aren’t many students here right now, but normally this place is bustling with them. Students heading to class. Students waiting for class. Students going home. You could say everyone meets here. They even discuss parties and such in the corners. Once you part ways here, you naturally go your separate directions fairly.”
At that moment, I stopped walking.
Because of that, Jeon Tae-guk, who had been following behind me, bumped his forehead against my back.
“Sung-guk, what are you doing stopping suddenly like that?”
I swept my gaze across the plaza once more.
Just as Daniel said, paths to each building at Stanford spread out from the center of the wide plaza. Here, people meet and disperse.
“Mark, I think I found it.”
“Found what?”
“The problem with our company’s blueprint.”
“What is it?”
“There’s no plaza. On the campus!”
I quickly opened my phone and started taking pictures. Then I sent them to the design staff member.
– The FaceNote campus needs a plaza.
* * *
After finding the answer, I walked through Stanford’s grounds with a much lighter heart. I could see many students using bicycles because of the large campus.
“Mark, our FaceNote campus won’t be large enough to require bicycles, will it?”
“When you combine all the buildings, it’s quite substantial. Should we introduce a bike-sharing system?”
“A bike-sharing system sounds good.”
Mark and I continuously came up with ideas for the FaceNote campus, but everyone clearly looked exhausted.
Olivia tugged at Mark’s pants.
“Dad, I’m hungry.”
Mark and I finally checked the time, and Daniel looked at us sheepishly.
“You two were so engrossed in conversation that I couldn’t join in. How about we grab a meal and continue the tour afterward?”
“I completely agree!”
Jeon Tae-guk raised his hand enthusiastically.
* * *
Daniel led us to the Student Cafeteria near the Business School.
“Of all the places I’ve eaten, this one is the best.”
Stanford’s Student Cafeteria operated like most universities—you picked your desired menu, paid at the register, and then ate.
While we stood in line, I suddenly heard murmuring from students who were already eating.
What was that about?
In that moment, several female students approached me.
[Oh no… they recognized me again.]
I picked up a salad as calmly as possible and placed it on my tray.
Just then, a plain-looking female student with minimal makeup drew closer.
“Are you… Jeon Sung-guk, the CEO of FaceNote?”
[As expected… this popularity is relentless….]
“Yes, that’s correct.”
At my words, screams erupted from various corners of the cafeteria.
“Could I take a photo with you? I want to post it on my FaceNote.”
Photo requests came flooding in all at once.
Ji-hee shook her head vigorously, quickly grabbed her tray, and found a seat, while Daniel, acting like a proper secretary, tried to calm the students.
“The CEO is currently on a Stanford tour.”
“It’s fine, Daniel.”
And I took photos with several students.
There were also several people around me taking my picture.
At that moment, one female student raised her hand enthusiastically.
“Come over here and take a photo with us too.”
But then, that female student shook her head firmly.
“Actually, I have a suggestion for you.”
“A suggestion?”
“I’m a FaceNote user too. I mean, not using it these days is basically like being ostracized. But lately, there are so many fake accounts. Strange users are sending friend recommendations left and right. CEO, do you have any plans to address these problems?”
Simultaneously, questions poured in from all directions.
“I have a question too. There really are way too many fake accounts lately.”
“CEO, our security is solid, right?”
The Student Cafeteria descended into chaos, and it was clear this couldn’t continue like this.
I called for Mark.
“Mark, since we’re here at Stanford, we should gather some field data before we leave, don’t you think?”
“Let’s hear what’s really on the ground for once in a while.”
And I called out to the students.
“Since you all came here to eat, please finish your meals first. How about we gather in the Public Square in an hour and have a Q&A session with Mark and me?”
Cheers erupted from all around.
And at the same time, I posted this announcement on FaceNote.
– In one hour, I’ll be having a Q&A session with Mark and students at the Business School Public Square at Stanford University. All interested students are welcome to participate!
* * *
An hour later, the Public Square in front of the Business School was packed with students shoulder to shoulder.
Daniel quickly retrieved a microphone, and Mark and I suddenly found ourselves standing before the students.
“Sung-guk, I’m really nervous….”
“Don’t worry, Mark. I’m here with you.”
And we engaged in countless conversations with the students.
Among them were personal questions about love and marriage, inquiries and solutions regarding current issues with FaceNote, and even a recruitment presentation for FaceNote.
What we’d anticipated would be an hour-long conversation ended up stretching past three hours.
The moment we set down the microphone, Mark and I shook our heads in disbelief.
“Sung-guk, I don’t think these guerrilla events are for me….”
At that moment, I looked at Mark with sparkling eyes.
“Sung-guk, you’ve come up with another idea, haven’t you? You have that exact look in your eyes right now.”
“Mark, what if we held these kinds of guerrilla lectures, performances, and events at our FaceNote campus too? People could enjoy the company like they’re still in school, and it would become a comfortable space for communication.”
“It does sound good… Sung-guk, but I really don’t want to hold a microphone again.”
Just then, Olivia came running over and hugged Mark tightly.
“Dad, you were so cool today!”
“Really?”
“Yeah, people really loved you and Uncle so much.”
Hearing that, Mark looked at me and winked.
“Sung-guk, I think I have to listen to what you’re saying.”
[There’s no father who can resist his daughter, after all.]

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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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