I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 506

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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 506
Jack Dorsey’s cheerful laughter came through the phone.
– Sung-guk, I think we’ll need to meet in person soon.
“Should I come to Silicon Valley?”
– Of course. Anyway, congratulations on your graduation. Let’s meet up soon.
Jack Dorsey hung up the phone.
I paused for a moment, tilting my head.
The Documentary Director’s eyes sparkled.
“Sung-guk, it sounds like you just received some kind of proposal from Twitter. Am I right?”
“I’m not sure if it’s a proposal or a trap.”
I left that cryptic remark and headed to the hotel.
* * *
Sitting alone in the darkened hotel room, I contemplated the future.
The person showing the greatest interest in Twitter was none other than Elon Musk.
There was a time when I watched Elon Musk post absurd things on Twitter and even encouraged him to buy it.
But now, what I wanted was Twitter itself.
Unlike when I had urged Elon to acquire Twitter, I now wanted to complete my SNS empire.
Perhaps Jack Dorsey had already seen through my intentions.
Knock. Knock.
I heard a knock, followed by Jeon Tae-guk’s voice.
“Sung-guk, what are you doing? Everyone’s having a drink right now. Come on out.”
But Jeon Tae-guk’s words didn’t register, and I had no appetite for alcohol anymore.
There was only one thing I wanted: Twitter.
“Hyung, I need to take care of some work first.”
“You’re such a workaholic. Finish up and come join us.”
I heard Jeon Tae-guk grumble and fade away from the door.
I quickly called Kim Mi-so.
After just a few rings, Kim Mi-so answered.
– CEO, what’s the matter? Isn’t it your graduation ceremony?
“The ceremony is over. From now on, what I’m about to tell you is confidential. Actually, only you and I should know about this.”
– Yes, CEO.
“Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter, just sounded me out about acquiring Twitter.”
Kim Mi-so listened quietly to my words.
“It seems he wants to sell Twitter. I need you to investigate Twitter’s overall situation, which companies and individuals have expressed interest in acquiring it—everything. As quickly as possible.”
– Understood. But may I ask one thing?
“What is it?”
– You’re interested in acquiring Twitter too, aren’t you, CEO?
“Of course. That’s why I need you to investigate thoroughly.”
– Yes, CEO.
Secretary Kim Mi-so answered quickly and hung up the phone.
And I forced myself to smile as I stood up from my seat.
In any case, tonight was my last evening at Harvard.
* * *
The Hotel Suite Room was filled with my family, Mark, Lim Mi-mi, Jeon Tae-guk and his group, Peter, and Grace.
Everyone had a slight buzz from the wine they’d been drinking since evening.
“Sung-guk, come here.”
Peter smiled brightly and gestured, while Grace, seated beside him, welcomed me.
“Sung-guk, everyone’s been talking about your childhood stories.”
“Grace, please take it easy on me.”
“Among all the children I’ve seen, there’s never been a genius quite like you. From the moment I first saw you, I thought this child would either go to Harvard or at least Yale, and much earlier than his peers.”
“Grace really does have an eye for talent.”
Peter praised Grace.
“Peter, Grace didn’t know that Sung-guk would drop out.”
“Tae-guk, that’s something only God could have known, isn’t it?”
Peter responded appropriately to Tae-guk’s nonsensical remark, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
My parents enjoyed the atmosphere while listening to translations provided by Ji-hee and Min-guk.
I quietly approached Peter.
“Peter, could we talk for a moment?”
“Hmm… I noticed your expression looked stiff from the moment you arrived. Something’s on your mind, isn’t it? What is it?”
“I’ll tell you now.”
Peter followed me out.
* * *
To clear my head from the wine I’d drunk at dinner, I sat at an outdoor table at the hotel and had coffee.
Peter drank sparkling water.
“Today’s a day I’d like to get drunk, but because of you, I’m drinking sparkling water instead. You’ll have to buy me plenty of alcohol after this conversation.”
“Peter, don’t worry about that. Champagne is already prepared.”
Peter smiled faintly and straightened his posture.
“Sung-guk, what did you want to talk about?”
“Peter, there’s a company I want to acquire.”
“A company you want to acquire? FaceNote is doing well. Instagrim’s growth is impressive, TikTok is the new star of SNS. You want another company? And there’s YouTube too. Do you even know how many companies you’re running right now, Sung-guk?”
“I know exactly. But if this company is missing, it’s like losing a front tooth.”
Peter finished his sparkling water at my words and stared at me intently.
“What company could it possibly be….”
Then Peter suddenly remembered something.
“Don’t tell me… you’re talking about Twitter, Sung-guk?”
“Yes, Peter.”
Silence fell between Peter and me.
Peter was shocked, and I could give him enough time to collect himself.
The silence continued for several minutes.
Peter kept sipping his sparkling water, seeming lost in thought.
A moment later, Peter finally opened his mouth.
“Sung-guk, honestly, I never expected this….”
Then he swallowed his words again.
Had I been in Peter’s position, I would have felt the same way.
Peter was renowned on Wall Street as a ruthlessly pragmatic investor. To someone like him, Twitter appeared to be nothing more than a fading social media platform.
The fact that I wanted to acquire such a platform seemed difficult for him to comprehend.
Peter, who had been sipping carbonated water repeatedly, finally spoke.
“Sung-guk, can you please help me understand? Why exactly do you want to acquire Twitter?”
“I want to build an SNS empire.”
“An SNS empire?”
“Yes. FaceNote is a network-based SNS, Instagrim focuses on photos, and TikTok specializes in short videos—all platforms for self-expression. But there’s one crucial thing we’re missing: the most primitive and simple text-based SNS.”
“Hmm… So essentially, you’re saying you’ll acquire every SNS out there? And after becoming the king of SNS, you have other plans in mind?”
“If I acquire Twitter, excluding China’s domestic SNS platforms, I would gain access to nearly 80 percent of the world’s SNS users. Peter, the world runs on oil, of course, and appliances are necessary. But now we’ve reached a point where SNS is equally indispensable.”
Peter nodded.
“So you’re dreaming of something beyond just an SNS empire through that 80 percent?”
“Yes, Peter. The future I envision is one where everything becomes possible based on that SNS foundation.”
Peter drank his carbonated water.
“This sobers you right up… So you’re going to dive into the Twitter acquisition battle, and you want to secure the most advantageous position in that acquisition war?”
“Yes, Peter.”
True to form as a cold-blooded investor, Peter had pierced through my intentions in a single moment.
“Sung-guk, as soon as I return to New York, I’ll review the Twitter acquisition. But don’t expect me to reach a positive conclusion.”
“Of course, Peter. And needless to say, please proceed discreetly.”
“Naturally. So, shall we head inside and taste that champagne you’ve prepared?”
“Yes.”
I headed back to the hotel room with Peter.
* * *
Early the next morning, Secretary Kim Mi-so called.
After drinking late into the night, I had stayed in bed longer than usual today.
“Yes, Secretary Kim Mi-so.”
– CEO, did I call too early?
“It’s fine.”
– Regarding Twitter that you mentioned, CEO. There haven’t been any major issues surfacing yet. Honestly, Twitter has been in such a crisis that there are rumors of its management deteriorating recently.
“Hmm… So that’s why they’re trying to sell Twitter?”
– That’s part of it, but from what I’ve learned, Jack Dorsey needs capital urgently for another business venture, which is why he’s trying to sell Twitter.
“Another business venture?”
My brow furrowed involuntarily.
He’s selling the company he founded for another business?
He truly lacked the qualities of a CEO.
– From my brief investigation, it appears Jack Dorsey is trying to sell Twitter to acquire a tequila company.
“Sigh… Just a tequila company?”
– Yes, CEO. By the way, that tequila company is Don Julio. It’s the representative tequila company from South America.
Don Julio….
I was already familiar with the name of that tequila company.
It was an old company from South America, and among tequilas, it was a premium brand.
“Thank you, Secretary Kim Mi-so. I’ll handle the rest from here.”
– Yes, CEO. Please return safely.
“Thank you, Secretary Kim Mi-so.”
I hung up the phone.
Then I called Peter.
Peter answered in a drowsy voice, having drunk late into the night before.
– Sung-guk, do you know what time it is?
“Peter, Jack Dorsey apparently wants to sell Twitter to acquire a tequila company called Don Julio.”
– Don Julio? I think I’ve had that tequila before….
“Please find out the acquisition price for Don Julio. And if possible, I’d like to acquire that company myself.”
– You?
Peter’s surprise came through clearly over the phone.
“Sung-guk, why not just acquire Twitter directly? Do we really need to go this far?”
– Peter, this method is the fastest way to acquire Twitter.
I stated it with certainty.
It was a solution anyone could understand if they knew Jack Dorsey even a little.
Jack Dorsey was a hippie of Silicon Valley. He acted and made decisions on a whim.
If such a man had taken a liking to a tequila company, it would be a decent company to own, but more importantly, it was a strategic move that would put me in the most advantageous position in any deal with Jack Dorsey.
I hung up the phone and exhaled deeply.
It felt like the moment I became the king of social media was drawing near.
* * *
I finally arrived home.
Of course, I wasn’t alone.
Mother, Father, Min-guk, and Ji-hee were all with me.
[It would be perfect if Huin-dung-i were here too….]
Huin-dung-i was staying at a pet hotel in Korea due to the long flight distance.
Father stretched and walked toward the Kitchen.
“Now that Sung-guk’s home, it feels like I’m really home. Everyone must be tired, right? How about we keep dinner simple with kimchi fried rice?”
“Dad, you’re the best!”
Min-guk drew a big heart, and Ji-hee and Mother nodded with satisfied expressions.
Father turned to look at me.
“What about you, Sung-guk?”
“Sounds great, Dad.”
But my mind had no room for anything like kimchi fried rice.
It was completely filled with Jack Dorsey and Twitter.
I quickly went into my room and turned on my laptop.
Peter sent me an email investigating the financial status of Don Julio Tequila that I’d told him about, and he also detailed Jack Dorsey’s desired acquisition price for the company.
Don Julio Tequila’s financial condition wasn’t good. Though it was a globally renowned brand, the management was corrupt, creating the worst possible structure for generating corporate profits.
It seemed Jack Dorsey was trying to acquire Don Julio using that situation to his advantage.
In that case, I had no choice but to get involved in this game.
I called Peter again.
As the phone rang, Mother approached and stared at me intently.
“Sung-guk, are you busy with something important?”
“Oh… Mom.”
“Are you too busy to eat your father’s kimchi fried rice?”
At those words, I realized Father’s kimchi fried rice was already on the table.
“Well, that’s….”
“Sung-guk, I know you’re busier than anyone else in the world. But can’t you make time to eat the kimchi fried rice your father made with his own hands?”
“….”
I had nothing to say.
“Sung-guk, we’re going back to Korea soon. Your mother and father want to spend even a few more minutes talking with you.”
I nodded.
Mother was right—at this moment, the most important thing wasn’t Twitter or anything else. It was family.
I decisively ended the call.
“Mom, let’s go eat right away.”
“That’s right, Sung-guk. And there’s one thing Mom wants to ask of you… Please make sure you eat well, okay?”
“Okay, Mom.”
Mother swatted my bottom with a pat, pat, just like when I was a toddler.
“Mom, I’m all grown up now.”
“Sung-guk, you don’t realize it, but to your mother, you’ll always be my baby.”
As she said that, Mother swatted my bottom even harder.
But I didn’t mind.
I was simply too happy to have parents who always saw me as their child.
[Jack Dorsey, I’ll think about the Twitter acquisition after eating this kimchi fried rice.]
I quickly sat at the table and gazed down at Father’s kimchi fried rice topped with a perfectly runny fried egg. Then I called out to Father.
“Thank you for this meal!”

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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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