Chapter 138: One Mountain After Another (3)

“No one else in the world would think of making content with malicious commenters like you.”

“Well, do you really think I’m the only one who thought of that?”

“Probably?”

We were at a clothing store in Cheongdam-dong.

I was shopping for clothes to wear in America with Dong-su hyung, and we were chatting about various things.

It seemed that Dong-su hyung had heard about my lawsuit from Sung-jae.

“So, what are you going to do with the malicious commenters?”

“Well, I’m thinking of making a public service announcement type of content where, in exchange for dropping the charges, they come on the show and read out the malicious comments they wrote as a challenge.”

“Oh! That’s really slick.”

“I plan to settle with those who read all their comments from start to finish.”

Lawsuits.

They played a very important role in modern society.

In fact, malicious comments directed at public figures or streamers were quite dangerous.

Since the PC era, there had already been several precedents showing it was something that should never be done.

People who left malicious comments on those who appeared on broadcasts would receive legal notices.

Moreover, with the increase in celebrities committing suicide due to malicious comments, related laws had been tightened significantly.

When the laws were revised, people thought malicious comments would disappear, but that wasn’t the case.

There were still many people who posted malicious comments.

People avoided filth because it was dirty, not because they were afraid of it.

I remembered that there were quite a few people who left malicious comments on streamers, including Dong-su hyung.

Even Na-young had her share of malicious commenters.

Anyway.

The issue of malicious commenters was a very sensitive matter for content producers.

“Hey.”

Dong-su hyung tried on a leather jacket hanging nearby and spoke to me.

“Yes, hyung.”

“For the Evil Gang, aren’t malicious comments almost a daily thing? It could potentially harm your broadcast.”

“Well, that’s a bit different.”

“How so?”

“Those in the Evil Gang who can’t keep their boundaries should be punished. Actually, I don’t usually read malicious comments… but as you know, I’m a maniac for money and content.” 𝘙

“…Sometimes I think it’s a good thing you’re on my side. You’ll spare me, right? I think I remember leaving a malicious comment in the past…”

“By the way, Jin-hyuk was freaking out about the lawsuit earlier.”

“I figured he would. Watch out for that guy. One day, he’ll stab you in the back.”

Dong-su hyung joked in a historical drama tone and then took the jacket he was wearing to the counter.

I had bought quite a lot of clothes today too.

Originally, I had planned to come shopping again with Na-young, but unfortunately, it was hard to get in touch with her.

Ju-hyun, who had planned to go down to Busan, decided to stay at Na-young’s place for a while.

It was the best choice for game enthusiast Ju-hyun.

Thanks to Na-young being the daughter of a capsule room owner, Ju-hyun would be able to use the capsule room comfortably.

I heard that Na-young had suggested doing a joint broadcast with Ju-hyun.

She proposed they broadcast together while Ju-hyun stayed at her place.

Their broadcast was starting today, so I needed to be on alert.

Lately, it was already tough competing with Na-young for viewers, and if Ju-hyun joined in…

Phew.

I might have to concede the trend to Na-young for a while.

Seeing this, it was clear that Na-young had a good business sense.

“Chan-sik, when are you going to confess to Na-young?”

“Are you asking again?”

“I heard you had fun at the drinking party yesterday. You even got a suggestion to have a fling with an idol?”

“…Sung-jae seems to have a looser tongue than I thought.”

“He’s tight-lipped about business matters, but he’s quite free with fun stories. So, who is it?”

“Ah, hyung! Who are you talking about now?”

“Well, I shouldn’t have asked.”

When I was with Dong-su hyung, I unknowingly got drawn into his flow.

It was a testament to his eloquence, one of his strengths.

Thanks to his smooth talk, he maintained his current position.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

I just let out a deep sigh, and Dong-su hyung nodded as if he understood.

“You’re worried about Na-young, aren’t you?”

Even I, as clueless as I was, knew how big a risk a relationship could be for a female streamer.

That’s why I couldn’t easily advance my relationship with Na-young.

She accepted my suggestion to start broadcasting on Twipod and established herself with her unique character.

Now she was on the fast track, and if a dating rumor with me broke out in this situation?

Given the nature of our fans, a negative reaction was likely.

That’s what worried me.

“How pathetic.”

“Then what should I do?”

“In my experience as an ancient god of Twipod, if you two become a couple, the fans will welcome it with open arms.”

Come to think of it, I remembered a donation message someone jokingly sent last time.

‘[ShyungCoin100000] donated 10,000 won! [ㅋㅋIf you two get married and have a kid, make sure they become a streamerㅋㅋ If the dad is Shia and the mom is Na-young? Oh, shitㅋㅋ Have the first birthday party on stream tooㅋㅋ]’

That donation came when I was co-streaming with Na-young, right?

I smiled wryly as I recalled the donation message.

Then I looked at Dong-su hyung and said.

“We’ll have to see.”

“By the way, what time should I come on Saturday?”

“Are you really coming?”

“I’m still mad I couldn’t make it to the last fan meeting. Hey, I’m coming as a guest. Make sure to prepare a fee.”

This Saturday was the big day.

The second fan meeting.

My fan club and community were already filled with posts from the winners, showcasing their enthusiasm.

I heard that they were actively researching things like ‘How to steal Shia’s underwear’ and ‘How to piss off Shia with Jin-ten.’

I shuddered at the thought of the chaos the Evil Gang would cause.

Seeing me trembling, Dong-su hyung spoke, amused.

“I’m definitely coming as a guest to see the Evil Gang mess with you. Have you reserved the place at the restaurant that makes great Yukgaejang? I trust you?”

“Hyung, you might end up going before me.”

“Yeah, I’ve lived longer than you. Even if I go now, I’d still be better off than you.”

He really wouldn’t let me win even one word.

Anyway, this Saturday would be a life-threatening day for me.

It seemed this year was particularly unlucky for me.

I sighed deeply and paid for the dress shirt I was holding.

…Well, it’s better to have a lot to do than nothing at all.

As I barely managed to keep my composure and continued shopping, the part-time worker ringing up my clothes spoke to me cautiously.

“Hey, you’re Shia hyung, right?”

“Oh, yes.”

This is why being famous is so tiring…

“Hyung, I feel a bit awkward saying this, but… today, fans…”

Crazy bastards.

I wished they would all just drop dead.

6.

Time flew by, and Saturday, the day of the fan meeting, arrived.

I woke up early, polished myself from head to toe, and headed straight to the Chicken Box office.

As always, the first to greet me was Sung-jae.

“Welcome.”

“Yes, Sung-jae. I heard you’ve been talking a lot about me outside lately?”

“No way. Dong-su is family, isn’t he? Haha! We were just chatting about various things among family.”

If only he didn’t talk so much…

Both Dong-su hyung and Sung-jae were so good with words that I had no grounds to get mad.

“Ah, the lawsuit against the malicious commenters that you mentioned last time is being processed through our contracted law firm. You should have results within two weeks if things go quickly.”

“That’s quick.”

“We’ve gathered enough evidence to file lawsuits against 37 individuals, and we plan to continue our discussions moving forward.”

Good.

So, I get to pick from the 37?

Having preparations in advance always felt reassuring.

It felt like having 37 bowls of hearty soup.

After discussing the ongoing matters, we got straight to the point.

“The selection process was transparent, so there shouldn’t be any issues. We’ve received word that today’s invited guests have already arrived.”

“Is Huh-soo here too?”

“Huh-soo is also here. You’re the only one left.”

With four members of the crew, Dong-su hyung, and Ju-hyun.

Today’s guest lineup was impressive enough to hold a large-scale collaborative broadcast.

It could be considered the official launch ceremony of the crew.

It didn’t take long to reach the convention hall where the fan meeting was scheduled.

About ten minutes by car?

After finishing my conversation with Sung-jae about business matters and checking the necessary documents, we headed out.

While driving, Sung-jae turned to me and said,

“About next week’s Twipod party in the US.”

“Yes.”

“I heard many Japanese and Chinese Hiyatv streamers are invited. They call it a platform for global internet harmony… You should be careful. I mean it.”

As the day of the US trip approached, I felt a mix of excitement and nerves.

But, as Sung-jae pointed out, there was a chance of unexpected incidents.

Given my efficient use of Chinese and Japanese coins so far, jokingly, there was even a possibility of a fistfight breaking out as soon as I arrived.

Of course, I had made some preemptive arrangements.

My only foreign friend, Sharaout, and his colleagues were waiting for us.

That’s why global connections were essential.

As Sung-jae and I chatted, we arrived at the convention hall where the second fan meeting was to be held.

Unlike last time, when we rented only part of the hall, this time we rented a larger space.

Unlike the previous fan meeting, which was only for fans, this one included reporters.

“Chan-sik!”

The first to greet me as I entered the convention hall was Oh-wang, Byung-moon hyung.

“Hyung, you look great these days. Is it because you’re in a public relationship?”

“Haha, really?”

“You should’ve brought your wife too. It’s a free buffet.”

“We fought yesterday.”

“Oh!”

If they fought, it’s understandable.

Since joining our crew, Byung-moon hyung had been actively streaming more.

He was already good at talking, so there wasn’t much need for my help.

“I’ll be waiting for good news soon.”

“Pardon?”

“I hope you become a public couple too. Wouldn’t it be fun to do a joint broadcast with a double date vibe? Awesome…”

Byung-moon hyung said that and then whispered in my ear.

“I’m a ShyungCoin. Got it?”

Ah… Yes.

Byung-moon hyung had shaken me up and then happily went over to Sung-jae.

Just as I felt exhausted from the start, a blunt voice came to my ear.

“Who do we have here? The one who beat me in the bet using his students, Kim Chan-sik?”

“Huh-soo.”

“I’m not participating in your fan meeting. I’ll just show up to introduce the and then head home. Keep that in mind.”

“Hey.”

“What?”

“When did I ask you to participate in the fan meeting?”

“…Bastard.”

As usual, Huh-soo clenched his fists and glared at me.

Other people might not know, but teasing this guy was truly enjoyable.

Anyway.

I lightly greeted Ju-hyun and Na-young, who followed Huh-soo.

One peculiar thing was that the two, who initially seemed to be in competition, now stuck together like close sisters.

The world of women had attributes that were hard for men to understand.

I decided to let it go.

After greeting the guests and reporters gathered for today’s event, I took a deep breath and looked at the door.

It was about time for the fans to enter.

I felt much more relaxed than during the first fan meeting.

No matter what, could there be more crazy people than last time?

The Evil Gang knew how to maintain some boundaries.

“The fans are entering.”

But a moment later, as I looked at the faces of the fans coming through the door, I was speechless.

Even without them saying a word, one fact was clear.

Those eyes gleaming with madness and the fans licking their lips at the sight of me.

“Hey, you’re going to have so much fun today.”

“…Shut up?”

“Look at the fans’ eyes. They’re practically dripping with honey.”

Huh-soo knew exactly when to push my buttons.

I shoved Huh-soo with my shoulder and tried to take another deep breath.

“Hey! Get ready for the auction of cherished items! You got the tissue Shia used, right? I came all the way from Busan to buy that!”

“Why are you boasting? I flew in from Seattle to get our evil gang member’s nail clippings.”

“If I donate in person, will you react immediately? Kukukuku.”

The frenzied party was just about to begin, one that couldn’t be endured with a sane mind.

“S**t… should’ve said no to this fan meeting…”