I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 58

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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 58
The camera captured Mother, Min-guk, and me.
As Min-guk and I placed the gold we’d brought with our small hands onto the scale, a staff member smiled and weighed it.
Behind me, a long line of people stretched out.
At that moment, a reporter naturally approached us.
“I see the brothers Jeon Sung-guk and Jeon Min-guk, who are famous as child models and actors, are here too. Hello, would you mind if I conducted a quick interview?”
“Yes!”
I raised my hand eagerly, and everyone watching broke into smiles—Mother and Father’s smiles.
“Sung-guk, did you bring out your first birthday ring today?”
“I didn’t receive one at my first birthday celebration, so I don’t have one. I brought the one I received at my younger brother’s first birthday celebration.”
“How admirable. Sung-guk, how old are you this year?”
“I’m eight years old.”
“We’ve been watching you since you were a baby, and now you’re an elementary school student. Sung-guk, do you know what the IMF is?”
“South Korea’s economy is struggling.”
The reporter smiled warmly.
“You understand well, Sung-guk. With your help, South Korea’s economy will recover, won’t it?”
“Yes, South Korea’s economy will definitely rise again. Don’t worry!”
At my confident declaration, everyone watching began to applaud.
The reporter began his closing remarks.
“I, and all of us, share the same sentiment as you, Sung-guk. This is Lee Sun-woo reporting from the gold collection site.”
* * *
Chairman Koo Soo-young gazed at his deceased son’s room for a long while.
The bed his son had used, the books he’d read, even the computer—everything remained unchanged.
During school breaks, he would come to Korea and continue studying diligently, so most of the books were ones he’d been reading recently.
Chairman Koo Soo-young’s eyes grew red.
He had never imagined such a thing could happen to him.
Though he came from a chaebol family, Chairman Koo Soo-young had emphasized harmony in his household and had never taken a mistress after marriage. His eldest son was brilliant, his daughters were unpretentious. They were a family everyone envied.
Chairman Koo Soo-young closed the book and sighed.
Knock. Knock.
A knock sounded, and the door opened. It was his second daughter.
“Dad, come out and have dessert with us.”
“All right.”
Chairman Koo Soo-young forced a smile and went to the living room.
The nine o’clock news was just beginning.
The news was reporting on the IMF foreign exchange crisis.
His youngest daughter offered Chairman Koo Soo-young a macaron.
“Dad’s favorite macaron.”
“Thank you.”
It was indeed a macaron that Chairman Koo Soo-young loved dearly, but since there were few good places for them in Korea, his daughters would often bring them back when they went to Hong Kong or France.
His wife and daughters all behaved and conversed as usual, but they were all pretending everything was fine.
Chairman Koo Soo-young bit into a macaron, but it didn’t taste as delightful as it once had.
“My goodness, isn’t that the baby who appeared in the parenting diary with Just?”
His second daughter beamed brightly for the first time in ages, pointing at the television.
“Oh my, sister. He’s already eight years old? Wow, but how did he grow up looking exactly the same as when he was little? That’s amazing.”
“Mom, you loved that show so much too.”
His wife also smiled while watching the screen, a genuine expression crossing her face for the first time in a long while.
“My goodness, he really hasn’t changed.”
“Mom, isn’t Sung-guk really handsome? He’s going to be something else when he grows up.”
“He really is.”
Chairman Koo Soo-young watched the news along with his daughters’ chatter. The interview was conducted with remarkable clarity and poise.
“Dad saw him not too long ago.”
“Really? Where did you see him, Dad?”
His second daughter perked up with interest.
“I went to a year-end gathering at Samjeon Hotel, and I happened to see him in the lobby. It looks like Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung is sponsoring him.”
“Oh, that’s right. He was a model for Samjeon Electronics before.”
“Dad, let’s use him as a model for our group this time.”
“Sister, don’t reveal your true intentions like that.”
“What, scheming over an eight-year-old?”
His daughters bickered with each other for the first time in ages.
For the first time since his eldest son’s death, the family laughed together.
Chairman Koo Soo-young smiled warmly while watching Sung-guk.
Perhaps because it hadn’t been long since his eldest son’s death, seeing Sung-guk reminded him of his son’s childhood.
“Let’s establish a scholarship foundation in Jun-ho’s name as well.”
At the mention of Jun-ho, silence fell over the living room.
It had been a long time since his eldest son’s name had left Chairman Koo Soo-young’s lips. Since the boy’s death, speaking that name had felt like a taboo.
“Dear, I think that’s a wonderful idea.”
It was Chairman Koo Soo-young’s wife who spoke first.
She wanted to do anything to honor her deceased son.
“Dad, then let’s steal Sung-guk away from Samjeon.”
“That wouldn’t be honorable.”
“Samjeon copies our electronics all the time anyway. Is that honorable?”
“First, let’s find out what Sung-guk’s situation is.”
Chairman Koo Soo-young finished his macaron. A sweet fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose. It seemed his lost appetite was returning for the first time in ages.
* * *
Father looked at me with a stern expression.
“Sung-guk….”
[Dad, please don’t say I can’t. Please….]
“I asked around about real estate, and they told me that minors need parental permission to purchase property.”
[I know that too. If I hadn’t needed it, I would’ve bought it myself already.]
I pressed my lips together and listened to what Father had to say.
Father opened his mouth with a look of determination.
“Sung-guk, try investing once. In real estate or stocks.”
“Hooray! Long live Father!”
I sprang to my feet and bounced up and down excitedly. Then I rushed over to Father and planted kisses on his rough cheeks. I knew well enough that no father dislikes kisses from an eight-year-old.
“Jeon Sung-guk, Father hasn’t finished speaking yet.”
[Scary, why are you like that, Father.]
I wiped my lips with the back of my hand.
“Sung-guk, you’re going to attend elementary school.”
“….”
I paused before responding.
Every night before sleep, I had contemplated the conditions I would set depending on whether Father said yes or no. I had anticipated that if Father said yes, he would attach the condition that I attend elementary school. In that case, my answer was already prepared.
“Father, I’ll attend elementary school.”
“Sung-guk, you thought well. This isn’t a condition I’m setting in exchange for allowing your investment—it’s something everyone born in South Korea must do: attend elementary school.”
“Father, in exchange, if I study well at elementary school, will you let me take the GED exam?”
“….”
Father fell silent, lost in thought.
I gazed into his eyes earnestly.
Finally, Father spoke.
“Let’s do that.”
At those words, I leaped up again and began bouncing with joy. The path was now open—I wouldn’t have to attend school with elementary school children!
Mother embraced me.
“Sung-guk, are you that happy?”
“Yes!”
I answered with an excited, loud voice.
“Mother, I want to buy land in Pangyo.”
“Let’s look into it a bit more.”
“Yes!”
[Right, I can wait this long!]
I quickly buried my face in Mother’s belly.
* * *
Chairman Koo Soo-young was receiving a report about Sung-guk through Secretary Kim.
“It appears that Chairman Jeon Jae-hyung of Samjeon Group took particular interest in Jeon Sung-guk because of his exceptional genius.”
“Genius?”
“Yes. Both of Jeon Sung-guk’s parents are orphans.”
“I see….”
“Despite their excellent grades, they began working in society early due to their orphan status, and they married young as well.”
“Hmm….”
As Chairman Koo Soo-young heard their story, his heart ached.
“Jeon Sung-guk’s father learned cooking early and worked in a tavern kitchen in Suyu, and now operates a ssam specialty restaurant. Jeon Sung-guk’s mother graduated from a commercial high school and briefly worked as an accountant at a company, but quit after having Jeon Sung-guk. Currently, she works as a team leader and practical owner of SKJ Entertainment, where Jeon Sung-guk is affiliated. The surrounding reputation is quite excellent.”
“What I’m curious about isn’t the parents—it’s Jeon Sung-guk.”
“Let me explain. As you know, Jeon Sung-guk has built his popularity through advertisements and weekend variety shows. What’s truly remarkable, however, is that Jeon Sung-guk speaks English and French fluently without a single private lesson. According to Jason Lee, who recently resigned from Samjeon Investment Securities, he appears to have a particularly sharp grasp of economics.”
“Is that even possible?”
“I found it strange as well, so I investigated through multiple channels. Jeon Sung-guk’s academic achievements and his perspective on economics can only be described as genius by any standard. And….”
Secretary Kim paused, choosing his words carefully.
“Recently, it appears he’s been looking into land investments near Pangyo.”
“Pangyo?”
“Yes.”
Chairman Koo Soo-young was taken aback. The fact that a child was making investments was surprising enough, but Pangyo of all places…. Before the IMF crisis, he’d heard whispers about Pangyo from various quarters.
“Secretary Kim, what’s the relationship between Jeon Sung-guk and Samjeon Group?”
“Samjeon Group has already promised to support Jeon Sung-guk from kindergarten through university, graduate school, or wherever his studies take him.”
“A Samjeon Group scholarship is prestigious—he wouldn’t pass that up.”
“But here’s what’s truly surprising… Recently, Jeon Sung-guk has begun refusing Samjeon Group’s support. Particularly for his elementary school enrollment, it appears he’ll be attending a regular elementary school rather than Young-sung Elementary School.”
“Does that mean he’s cutting ties with Samjeon Group?”
“I can’t say for certain, but it seems Jeon Sung-guk finds Samjeon Group’s full support somewhat uncomfortable.”
Chairman Koo Soo-young bit his lower lip slightly. If that was the case, it seemed an opportunity had presented itself to him as well.
“Secretary Kim, arrange a meeting with Sung-guk.”
“Yes, understood, Chairman.”
“And… look into what our company can support Jeon Sung-guk with, then report back to me.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
* * *
After receiving the call from the Real Estate Agent, Mother and I rushed to Bundang with Kim Mi-young in tow.
The Real Estate Agent said a property matching what I was looking for had come up.
Originally, the land had been listed at over 400 million won, but circumstances had become urgent. It was undoubtedly a case of mounting debt collection pressure.
As we stepped through the real estate office door, the agent greeted us.
“Can we see the land?”
Kim Mi-young spoke first.
Throughout the drive to Bundang, Kim Mi-young had lectured us that buying land without seeing it was foolish.
“Of course. You should see the property before buying.”
The Real Estate Agent answered as if it were obvious.
We climbed into the agent’s car and headed toward the listed property.
It was near Pangyo Station—exactly where I had pinpointed. Though the acreage was slightly smaller, its location near Pangyo Station made it even more valuable on paper.
“Here it is. Flat land, just as you wanted.”
The Real Estate Agent hadn’t forgotten what I’d said.
I scanned the surroundings quickly.
A barren wasteland.
That description fit perfectly.
But in twenty years, this place would become the hub of South Korea’s IT industry. Simultaneously, it would become Gyeonggi Province’s crown jewel.
I whispered to Mother.
“Mother, I like it.”
Hearing my answer, Mother looked toward the Real Estate Agent.
“How did this land become available, sir?”
“The usual story these days. A son’s business ran into trouble, so his parents put the land up for sale. They said they needed money urgently—at first they wouldn’t hear anything below 400 million won, but now they just want to find a buyer quickly. Honestly, interest in land purchases has dried up recently.”
I raised my hand decisively.
The Real Estate Agent looked at me as if I were a child.
“Sung-guk, what is it?”
“Sir.”
“Yes?”
“I’ll buy this land!”
I spoke with absolute conviction.

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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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