Chapter 145: Korean Countryside Bumpkin

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Producer Sung! My name is Son In-wook, and I’ve just joined VRN Broadcasting.”

This was an office at VRN Broadcasting.

Although there was no nameplate yet, it was already a bustling office with a busy production team.

As expected of a broadcasting company affiliated with a large corporation, when they recruited a producer, they often brought in the entire production team at once.

I had heard that this was a common practice in this industry.

Producer Son In-wook.

I heard he was originally a producer for a famous terrestrial TV entertainment show.

However, Producer Sung from had been inspired after watching a program produced by VRN.

The first impression was that he was a bit more unique compared to Producer Sung.

Unlike Producer Sung, who had a relatively gentle and gentlemanly image, this person’s impression was…

“My nickname is ‘Mad Dog’, haha! Once I latch onto something, I go after it like a mad dog.”

“I see.”

“I think Shia and I will make the best team.”

Mad Dog.

The nickname couldn’t have been more fitting.

There was an unspeakable aura of wickedness emanating from his face.

Since the last fan meeting, my “villain radar” had become very sharp.

I had encountered pure-blooded villains with high purity.

And on my radar, this producer definitely didn’t seem normal.

Producer Son held my hand and smiled.

Then, he continued in a slightly excited voice.

“Oh! I’m getting too excited… Please, take a seat over here.”

“Yes.”

“Hey, bring us two cups of coffee!”

“Yes, Producer.”

We entered a pre-set meeting room.

It was a meeting room I had been to a few times while filming at the broadcasting station.

There were a series of documents on the desk.

Sung-jae and I carefully examined the documents as we sat in the chairs in front of the desk.

“Since this is the first meeting, there will probably be many disagreements. However, I heard Shia will be visiting the U.S. soon, so I wanted to meet you before that.” ℞

While Producer Sung had a slightly serious and heavy style, this person was different.

The passion emanating from his body felt like it was hitting my skin.

In fact, I really liked people like him.

Just being around them was fun.

It felt like being around Dong-su, full of a similar kind of energy.

It felt like a lot of interesting things would happen just by being near him.

Alright.

Let’s hear what he has to say.

As I looked through the documents, I casually asked Producer Son a question.

“Whose idea was this? I’m really curious.”

“I agree. Our company wanted to recruit that producer at a high price.”

Sung-jae really liked talented people.

Which company wouldn’t love talent, but Sung-jae was particularly unique.

Although Chicken Box employees seemed ordinary, they were quite famous in their respective fields.

Producer Son gave a sly smile at Sung-jae and my repeated compliments.

“Shall we negotiate the terms first? Although I haven’t been here long, if the conditions are too good to refuse, I might accept, haha.”

“It seems like this idea came from Producer Son’s head.”

“That’s right.”

Producer Son’s idea was challenging and experimental, which showed why he was the best producer.

When I first heard about it on the phone, I was shocked.

I nodded slightly and then looked at Producer Son as I continued.

“For this kind of content, it might be better suited for online streaming rather than cable TV…”

“Ah! Don’t worry. Like , we plan to edit and broadcast it after streaming it live, but!”

“But?”

“Unlike , every episode will be streamed live. Simply put, Shia will stream on VRN Broadcasting’s account, and we’ll handle the editing.”

It was a pretty bold idea.

There had been a program with a similar plot on terrestrial TV before, which had received a decent response.

Moreover, nowadays, online broadcasting had grown far beyond the days of just PC broadcasting.

Since streamers often appeared on terrestrial or cable TV these days, a more active response could be expected.

“But will there be students who want to participate in this program?”

The item proposed by Producer Son.

It was called ‘Shia’s Small Restaurant.’

It was a program where I would personally visit and help students who dreamt of becoming pro gamers or streamers.

It sounded very plausible and hopeful just from the description.

It seemed like it could be educational for students as well.

On the surface, it looked like a program that could easily be aired on terrestrial TV.

But Producer Son had not come here to create such a safe program.

As I listened to Producer Son’s explanation, I couldn’t help but be impressed.

“Producer Son, I apologize for saying this on our first meeting, but…”

“It’s quite insane, right? Haha!”

“That’s not it…”

“That’s how planning works. You make it sound all fancy, but the real goal is somewhere else.”

The reason for recruiting me for such a heartwarming program.

That was exactly…

“Only parents can apply for the program. And we plan to select the most mediocre ones from the meticulously selected stories.”

“So, you want to show those kids the harsh reality?”

“As you know, these days, many young kids, without any preparation, claim they want to become streamers or YouTubers.”

“Ah…”

“Making them realize the harsh reality. And the intense reactions that will come from that process! That’s the main focus of our program. What do you think?”

In nice words, it was about making them realize the reality, but in bad words… I thought everyone would understand.

Anyway, in just a few minutes, I realized one thing clearly.

This person, Producer Son…

Was truly insane.

It was almost an evil program. Such a sinister purpose would soon be packaged under the guise of ‘Fulfilling students’ dreams!’

Producer Son looked at me with a sly smile.

“I heard you said something meaningful to an elementary school student during the fan meeting yesterday.”

“Because unrestrained viewing of YouTube by elementary students is harmful to their mental health.”

“Exactly.”

The madness in his smile deepened.

And shortly after, Producer Son nodded in satisfaction and said.

“For the first time in VRN history, we plan to create a program that gains support from parents. If we add Shia’s unique spicy flavor to it… Can’t you imagine?”

I found myself getting drawn into his way of speaking.

Although the madness in Producer Son’s eyes was growing, this program was definitely attractive.

A terrible hybrid that shouldn’t exist in the world.

To me, who always pursued crazy broadcasts, it seemed like the most desirable fruit.

Finally, after making my decision, I asked Sung-jae.

“What do you think, Sung-jae?”

Sung-jae also smiled and nodded.

“Do as you wish, Chan-sik. We’re just here to support you.”

It was practically permission.

Good.

I’ve decided.

“Producer Son.”

“Yes.”

“When is the next meeting?”

It was the moment when another crazy program was added to my portfolio.

2.

After a constructive discussion about ‘Shia’s Small Restaurant,’ the big day finally arrived.

The Global Twipod Party hosted in LA.

Early in the morning, I got up, grabbed my suitcase, and climbed into the van driven by Sung-jae.

Three streamers from Chicken Box were attending the Global Twipod Party.

It was decided that Sung-jae would come along to help us.

Sung-jae was proficient in various languages, including English, Japanese, and Chinese. As our handler, he would be the most reliable support for us.

The van with me inside headed straight to the next destination.

That was Na-young’s apartment.

When we arrived at Na-young’s apartment, Mr. Lee and Na-young were waiting outside.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah.”

“Chan-sik, please take good care of my daughter. It’s her first time abroad, so it’ll be hard for her.”

…It’s my first time too, sir.

I wanted to say that, but Mr. Lee’s arms were bulging despite the chilly wind, as he stood there in a short-sleeved t-shirt.

I nodded, smiling brightly.

“Of course. You can count on me.”

“Okay, honey. Have fun. Make sure to contact us when you arrive. Don’t save on international calls, okay?”

“I got it, Dad.”

“Sung-jae, please take good care of Chan-sik and Na-young.”

“Don’t worry, sir.”

We planned to meet Dong-su at Incheon Airport.

With Na-young on board, the van sped towards Incheon Airport.

It didn’t take long as it was a straightforward route on the highway.

I glanced at Na-young, who was sitting in the back seat with me.

She looked prettier than usual.

Her makeup was more pronounced, and her clothes were trendy.

The off-shoulder top she wore gave off a sexy vibe.

On the other hand, I was just in a sweatshirt and slacks. If I’d known, I would have dressed up a bit more.

“Chan-sik.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you going to stream when we get to the airport?”

“Hmm.”

I hadn’t thought about it.

Doing a departure stream might get a good reaction from the viewers.

“Don’t you think the viewers would want to see the airport?”

“Probably?”

“They love those things, right? Vicarious satisfaction?”

Sure enough, since Na-young had been streaming regularly, she had a better grasp of what content the viewers wanted.

Well, to be honest, the viewers would be happy just to have a stream.

With Dong-su, Na-young, and me all together.

It’s not often they get to see the three of us at once.

“By the way, Na-young.”

“Yeah?”

“I heard you’re doing cooking content lately. I watched a video once when it was donated.”

“Oh…”

Na-young was continuously developing her own content, beyond just playing games and cursing.

She was much more active in creating content that engaged with viewers than I was.

The viewers knew this, and they responded enthusiastically.

“Assassin’s Kitchen?”

“Are you crazy?”

“That’s what I heard.”

Whenever Na-young cooked, the chat was apparently filled with messages like, “Oh my God… Jo Bo-hyun, come over here!” The famous lines from a popular TV program had turned into a meme, and when I peeked at it last time, it was quite funny.

Whether it was a concept or her real cooking skills, I didn’t know, but anyway.

Na-young frowned slightly at my words, then spoke with a rather serious expression.

“Do you want to come to my house later?”

“All of a sudden?”

“I want to invite you as a guest on Assassin’s Kitchen.”

It would be killer content in many ways.

Her food would kill my taste buds, and Mr. Lee might just kill me physically…

Oh well, whatever.

I nodded, staring out the window.

The sky was especially nice today.

After driving diligently, our van soon arrived at Incheon International Airport.

Just as we arrived and were about to enter the airport.

Ring, ring, ring.

I got a call from Dong-su, who had arrived earlier.

“Hey, hyung, where are you?”

– Hey, did you tell the viewers we were leaving today?

“Of course.”

-…Even the exact time?

“Yeah.”

– Ah… I don’t know. Do as you like. See you alive later.

Beep.

What was that about?

It was then.

“There he is!”

“Wow!”

A group of people came running towards me.

Watching the scene, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread. I turned to Na-young and said,

“Na-young.”

“Yeah?”

“Run.”