Chapter 110: Catching Crayfish While Digging a Ditch (1)

[Breaking News) SD Corporation Acquires DW Gaming!]

[SD Corporation’s Aggressive Marketing for Gaia Online Classic?]

[CEO Lee Sung-su of SD Corporation: ‘I’ve Wanted to Own a Gaming Team Since the PC Era!’]

[DW Gaming Appoints Former Unicorns Coach Kim Tae-ho as New Head Coach!]

[Lion Korea Launches Audit on Team Unicorns. Reasons Include Player Threats, etc…]

[Congressman Kwak Tae-woo Vows to Uncover the Truth About the Unicorn Incident!]

A week full of events had unfolded, even without considering my first broadcast meeting.

The acquisition of the gaming team by SD Corporation and the concurrent issues with Team Unicorns.

Additionally, the controversy sparked by Coach Kim Tae-ho in a fit of rage quickly spread the story of the troubled Unicorns.

This issue erupted during the League of Storm World Championship held in Korea.

For me, it was like watching popcorn pop in a microwave.

Well, it was more about keeping Sung-shin’s mental state in check than just watching.

Since Sung-su hyung was deeply involved, there wasn’t much I needed to do.

“Hyung, I’m really thankful. I haven’t done anything for you…”

I suddenly remembered Sung-shin’s tearful voice when he called me recently.

Since it was an incident where a student was sacrificed due to adults’ greed, I just warmly embraced Sung-shin.

Moreover, since Sung-su hyung had already assigned competent lawyers to Sung-shin, I believed things would work out well on their own.

From what I heard, the team acquired by Sung-su hyung was also keeping an eye on Sung-shin, so a happy ending seemed likely.

Anyway.

Amidst countless issues, I steadily increased my recognition and welcomed a new week.

As celebrities appeared on my broadcast, many new viewers flocked to Twipod.

Most of them were drawn to my and Na-young’s broadcasts, and the problem was that they became assimilated into the Evil Gang.

Since their first broadcast was mine, it might be said they got addicted to the spiciness.

Thanks to this, my average viewership soared beyond 70,000, and even overseas viewers significantly increased.

The ‘Automatic Translation Subtitle’ system quickly provided by Twipod Korea greatly contributed to the increase in overseas viewers.

Thus, another week passed, and the day of the first shoot of arrived.

As soon as I got up from bed with a light heart, I received a call from Sung-jae.

Did he install CCTV in my room?

His timing was impeccable.

“Hello.”

-This is Lee Sung-jae, the senior managing director of ChickenBox, and I’ll be your day manager today, Chan-sik.

“Senior managing director?”

-Yes, I got promoted yesterday. Although it’s a parachute appointment.

It was a parachute appointment, but in fact, Sung-jae handled all the external affairs of ChickenBox.

It was a deserved promotion.

Although ChickenBox was managed mostly by acquaintances, all the streamers trusted Sung-jae’s capabilities.

I was no different.

Yawning, I said to Sung-jae.

“What brings you so early in the morning…?”

It was 11 a.m.

The shooting of was scheduled to start at 2 p.m.

According to the script provided in advance, today’s shooting was planned to be a simple first greeting and introduction of the cast.

And if Sung-jae accomplished the tasks agreed upon with the production team of , the day would end.

“Is Jin-hyuk at home too?”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“He’s sleeping, but yes, he’s home.”

-I bought two hamburger sets in advance. I’m currently in front of your house, Chan-sik. Shall I come up?

“Ah…”

It seemed he had anticipated my waking time and prepared everything.

Not just a day manager, but Sung-jae was performing a perfect manager role.

Nodding, I answered.

Soon after, the doorbell rang.

Ding-dong.

When I opened the door, Sung-jae, dressed comfortably in a jumper, greeted me with a smile.

“Good morning, Chan-sik.”

“Please come in.”

“Excuse me for intruding.”

Recently, I felt we had too many guests at home, so I had prepared in advance.

I went to the kitchen and made a cup of honey ginger tea for Sung-jae.

“Here you go.”

“Oh, what is this?”

“It’s honey ginger tea. It’s the best during the change of seasons.”

“Indeed, Chan-sik, you know your stuff? Warm ginger tea is perfect for preventing colds.”

Anyone would think we were filming a commercial.

Sipping the honey ginger tea I made, Sung-jae looked at me and exclaimed lightly.

“It’s excellent.”

“Is that so?”

“By the way, did you prepare well for today’s competition?”

Not only was it the first shoot of , but it was also the day of the semifinals of the .

The first match was against a Japanese team.

Nodding, I answered Sung-jae’s question.

“As you know, my Samurai Wars ID was banned. Was that issue resolved?”

“They created streamer-exclusive accounts to ensure fairness in the competition. So, no need to worry.”

“I didn’t particularly need to practice Samurai Wars, and I’ve played Three Kingdoms Heroes a few times.”

I had practiced with the broadcast turned off and had adapted to it.

Besides, I watched videos on MeTube whenever I had free time, so there wasn’t much to worry about.

Though I wasn’t familiar with fighting games, analyzing them wasn’t too difficult.

“But Sung-jae.”

“Yes.”

“How did you negotiate it? Participating in the streamer battle during the shoot of …”

“It worked out for mutual benefit. I’ll explain more on the way. I’ve discussed it well with the other cast members to avoid any inconvenience.”

The starts at 5 p.m.

The shooting of was scheduled to last until 7 p.m. at the latest.

In other words, I had to handle both simultaneously.

Sung-jae, smiling leisurely, said to me.

“We plan to include scenes of your broadcast in . There was a thorough agreement with Director Sung, and he approved.”

If the responsible PDs and other cast members agreed, it wasn’t my concern.

I’d see for myself once I got there.

Nodding, I took a sip of my ginger tea.

One thing was certain.

Today was another day to earn money diligently.

2.

The first shoot of proceeded with a very safe content.

It was a content where we checked the synchronization rate of each cast member’s capsule.

The plot of was about filming the fun events that occurred while enjoying various virtual reality games.

PD Sung himself said it was an experimental plot.

Even though virtual reality games were much more familiar to the public than in the old PC days, producing them as a TV program was uncommon.

PD Sung was someone who had experience producing significant variety shows for public broadcasting.

In other words, he had achieved great success in this field.

For him, it could be seen as a new challenge.

Anyway, the shoot proceeded with a palpable tension typical of a first shoot.

Of course, that lasted only until 10 minutes into the shoot.

“What era are you from? Kihehehehe!”

“Hyung, please control your laughter…”

“Chan-sik, don’t you find this funny? Look at that. A guy who plays games all the time has a synchronization rate of 40%. How does that make sense?”

The Phoenix Infinity capsules we received for the shoot were starting to be distributed in the market.

They were the top-grade capsules mainly used by streamers and pro gamers.

Since they had an automatic synchronization rate check function, we decided on this content.

It was a corner to determine who would become the ace in the upcoming programs based on each cast member’s synchronization rate.

Of course, I was ranked last.

Maybe to avoid giving anyone a relative sense of deprivation?

The first up was Se-yeon noona, and her synchronization rate was beyond our imagination.

40%.

A synchronization rate barely reaching that of an average person.

is a game where synchronization rate is very important, so showing her decent skills with that synchronization rate…

“Se-yeon noona.”

“Why, why. Are you going to make fun of me too?”

“Noona, your game sense must be amazing.”

“…Suddenly?”

“You played a game with me last time, right? If you have that level of skill with a low synchronization rate… you’re a brain-gamer. That’s rare.”

Se-yeon noona blushed slightly at my sudden compliment.

The next up was Hae-chul hyung.

With a confident expression, Hae-chul hyung got into the capsule and said to Se-yeon noona.

“Watch closely, Kim Se-yeon. This is what a real gamer looks like.”

A moment later.

Hae-chul hyung’s synchronization rate was revealed.

[Current user’s synchronization rate: 39%.]

[Warning! Your body is not in optimal condition. Possible diagnosis: ‘cold’. Please visit a hospital promptly.]

[This synchronization rate may change depending on the user’s physical condition.]

“39%, 39%. Did you see that?”

“Hae-chul sunbae… you need to take better care of your health.”

“I knew it from the evenings you spent drinking. Don’t you have fatty liver?”

It unintentionally turned into a PPL commercial shoot for ‘Phoenix Infinity’.

The ‘Phoenix Infinity’ was a very smart capsule, diagnosing the user’s health condition as well.

If the user’s body wasn’t in good condition, it intentionally lowered the synchronization rate to reduce physical strain.

Seeing that, I immediately exclaimed in admiration.

“But no matter how much of a cold it is, a 39% synchronization rate… that’s a bit low. Hae-chul hyung talked as if he had over 70%, but in front of the capsule, no way. By the way, the capsule has various and constructive functions. It’s amazing.”

“Wow, is this the streamer’s advertisement?”

“Praising the capsule here?”

“Amazing, Chan-sik oppa.”

Among the many companies supporting the production of , Phoenix was naturally one of them.

Even though I wasn’t a long-time streamer, I learned from Dong-su hyung that advertisements should be done openly.

I thought cable broadcasting would feel a bit different, so I refrained from mentioning the brand name.

But the other three excitedly clapped and cheered at my ad-lib.

“Why are you all treating me like this, seriously?”

This kind of attention really made me uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, Hae-chul hyung, who came out of the capsule, blushed and said.

“The machine seems a bit faulty… PD-nim, I think this capsule is defective.”

It was a reaction so typical of Hae-chul hyung.

Following him, the synchronization rates of the other members were also revealed.

Yoo Jun-sik, or Jun-sik hyung, had a respectable synchronization rate of 51%.

Indeed, since they all played games frequently, the rates weren’t bad.

But what surprised me the most was the result of the youngest member, Joo-hyun.

“71%?”

“Wow…”

“Being young is really good…”

“That’s insane.”

A whopping 71%.

It was on par with the synchronization rates of many professional gamers.

Of course, the synchronization rate didn’t directly correlate with skill. It merely indicated a person’s potential.

It also indicated the gap between virtual reality and actual reality.

However, it was undoubtedly an impressive number.

Joo-hyun scratched his head shyly as he stepped out of the capsule.

“I’m happy that I scored higher than others.”

Though his words were innocent and without malice, Hae-chul hyung and the other three were left speechless.

He was truly an intriguing character.

From the way they reacted, it seemed he was always like this.

It’s no wonder he’s called the ultimate 4D character among idols.

As the synchronization rate check was about to end, Se-yeon noona, who had been quiet, spoke to me.

“Aren’t you going to check yours?”

“Do I have to?”

“Of course.”

Alright, it’s time to set up my character concept.

I grinned at her and said.

“If I check mine, it might make you all feel relatively deprived… are you really okay with that?”

The concept I had to push in was the same as my broadcast.

An annoying villain.

Though I couldn’t hit my stride with my remarks at the start of the shoot, this time…

“You’ve never been punched by noona, have you?”

“…What?”

“Be careful, Chan-sik. No one who’s tasted Kim Se-yeon’s fist has come out unscathed. Do you know her nickname? It’s the Corn Thresher. Right, Jun-sik?”

“Man, two years ago she was a whirlwind! Honestly, I’m still scared.”

…That’s genuinely terrifying.

Even if I said just one thing, the other four would fill the audio for me, making this so convenient.

Before Se-yeon noona could get to me, I quickly slipped into the capsule.

Various system windows popped up before my eyes.

Since I’d seen the synchronization check alert window countless times, I naturally set it up and moved on to the main course.

A moment later.

My synchronization rate was displayed before my eyes.

[Current user’s synchronization rate: 98%.]

It had gone up a bit since last time.

Honestly, it wasn’t even surprising anymore.

After quickly finishing the synchronization check, I emerged from the capsule to find the other three, excluding Joo-hyun, staring at me with their mouths agape.

“Well, it’s a bit better than usual. This number isn’t absolute, you know.”

The key was to say this in the most annoying way possible.

While the others were still in shock, Joo-hyun nodded and spoke alone.

“Oppa, you got a 96% synchronization rate in VR Star last time, so you’ve improved by 2%.”

“Uh, yeah… How did you know?”

“I told you. I watch your streams often.”

…Seriously.

This kid is the real deal.

As I stared at Joo-hyun with a frozen expression, PD Sung clapped and entered the set, satisfied.

“Cut! Good job, everyone. The mellow feel wasn’t bad at all.”

PD Sung, looking pleased, approached me and said.

“Chan-sik, it’s almost time.”

“Oh, has it already gotten that late?”

“Aren’t you nervous? I’ve looked into it, and the Dongseon Battle is quite a big deal… It’s been trending on MeTube.”

To properly establish my image in the first episode of , they allocated me more screen time. PD Sung and Sung-jae had agreed, saying people unfamiliar with internet broadcasting might find me awkward.

They’d shown such consideration for a mere streamer like me; I couldn’t let them down.

Smiling softly, I addressed PD Sung.

“PD Sung.”

“Yes?”

“You know the first opponent country in the Dongseon Battle, right?”

“Yes, I believe it’s Japan.”

You did your homework thoroughly.

Well, there’s just one thing I need to say.

To ensure my successful cable debut, I had to reveal my ‘true self’ without holding back.

“Just to let you know… you might need a long censorship session.”

“Excuse me?”

I concluded with a sly smile directed at his slightly puzzled face.

“Streamer Shia pursues indecent and provocative broadcasts, after all.”