Chapter 102: Real Deal (2)

“It’ll probably be fine. If SD Corporation buys a team, there could be various benefits. And if you take on the role of an ambassador… wow. Just thinking about it sounds great. What do you think of my plan?”

In just five short minutes, Sung Woo-hyun hyung presented me with a truly grand vision. It was a scale that an ordinary person wouldn’t even dare to dream of.

To be precise, the plan was to buy a game team. Of course, sponsorship was a more accurate term, but he mentioned that he already had a team in mind.

“You know D1 Gaming, right?”

“Of course.”

It’s a team famous for being similar to Unicorn. They had a meteoric rise in the second league and quickly secured third place in the regular season. That team had even made it to the World Championship this year.

Sung Woo-hyun hyung grinned widely as he spoke.

“The team’s sponsor is an old friend of mine. We go way back, and we had a drink together recently. He asked me if I wanted to buy the team.”

This man was serious. I glanced at Sung Woo-hyun hyung. His eyes were focused on driving, but his expression was full of excitement. Whenever he looked like this, something always happened. Just like earlier with the incident involving Sung-shin.

I listened to hyung’s story for a moment and nodded positively.

“You’ve already secured the advertising contract, so there’s no reason I can’t do it.”

“If it works out, we’ll also sign an exclusive model contract. Anyway, I have that future in mind… if the opportunity arises, cooperate with me.”

“If you call, hyung…….”

“If you sign an exclusive model contract, I’ll make sure you earn a good amount, so don’t worry.”

He’s already given me plenty and taken good care of me. Before long, we arrived at the building with the capsule room that hyung mentioned. After expertly parking the car, hyung spoke to me as he got out.

“My choices have rarely been wrong. If I have a good feeling, it always succeeds, and you, Chan-sik, are exactly that.”

To someone else, it might almost sound like a proposal. As if on cue, Han Dong-su hyung, who had followed us, narrowed his eyes and said,

“Sung Woo-hyun hyung, you keep trying to take Chan-sik away, but you’ll have to compensate me.”

“Come on, why bring that up between us?”

“Chan-sik and I even signed a contract.”

“Ah, that thing you mentioned before? How much to resolve it? Chan-sik, hyung will pay the penalty fee, so just cancel the contract. What do you think?” 𝘳

He was joking, obviously. But why does it sound so sincere when he says it?

Hyung’s mere presence seemed like a cheat code. After exchanging a few jokes, the three of us entered the capsule room. We spent about three hours playing League of Storms together.

The most surprising thing at the capsule room was that hyung’s gaming skills were far better than expected. He’d claimed he was bad at games during my fan meeting, but that clearly wasn’t the case.

“Actually, I’m terrible at FPS games.”

That was the first thing hyung said when we left the capsule room. I was doubtful, but I let it go. After successfully killing time, we headed to a reserved restaurant for dinner.

The menu was Korean cuisine. After eating dinner and drinking, our long day finally came to an end.

“See you next time, guys. I’ll let you know first when the video is done… take care!”

Han Dong-su hyung had driven us there, but we had to use a designated driver to get home. After a fun night out, I finally returned home, exhaling lightly as I stepped inside.

It was already 1 a.m. It might have been late, but…

“Oh, guys. I’m back. Say hi to our viewers!”

As soon as I returned home, Kim Jin-hyuk greeted me cheerfully. Normally, he’d be in a capsule gaming, but something was different today. It seemed he was doing a drinking broadcast to celebrate the weekend. He had set up a small round table in the living room with some filming equipment.

“What’s this? A drinking broadcast? What’s gotten into you, doing a broadcast like this?”

“Hehe.”

Judging by his silly grin, he was definitely drunk. Just as I suspected, Jin-hyuk was quite tipsy. I sighed and sat next to him, grabbing a can of beer from the table. Looking at the camera, I said,

“Let’s all have a drink.”

-Shahan/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

-Oppa! Why are you home so late? Do you have another girl besides me?

-Seriously, he was hiding that he’s an insider.

-Didn’t he say he was taking a break today?

-He took a break to date Na-young ㅋㅋ

-ㅋㅋㅋ Na-young was broadcasting today though?

As soon as I appeared, the number of viewers quickly increased. And as time passed, the chat became more chaotic, indicating the Evil Gang’s infiltration. I glanced at the chat and ground my teeth.

“Didn’t I say I was going for an ad shoot today?”

I had posted a notice long ago, but seeing them say this… seriously.

Phew. Talking to the Evil Gang was like talking to a wall.

“Hyuuuung.”

“What’s up with you?”

“Hyung, you know how grateful I am to you, right?”

For someone who can’t drink, he sure drank a lot. Jin-hyuk smiled brightly and asked with a slightly clearer voice,

“By the way, hyung. Did the ad shoot go well today?”

Then viewers who usually didn’t watch my stream started questioning me.

-Ad?

-What ad?

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋ So many who don’t know Shia ㅋㅋ

-Didn’t he say he was going to shoot a Gaia Classic ad today?

-Wow, our Shia is world-class now.

-Fastest world-class ㅇㅈ

Since I was on my brother’s stream, it wouldn’t hurt to promote it a bit. The viewer count was now 3,000. Compared to the 1,000 before I joined, it was a sharp increase.

“It went well. Passed in one take.”

“What kind of ad was it? Did you also do those lines like ‘Enjoy a new world!’ like other celebrities?”

That’s a bit nauseating. I took a sip of beer and chuckled as I replied,

“When I got there, they had already prepared a capsule. They even restored my old character from . I shot it using my old character. It was fun doing it after a long time.”

Alright, with that seasoning added, let’s start the real promotion.

“The teaser video for today’s ad shoot will be released on Aktube at 1 p.m. tomorrow. Make sure to check it out.”

Since Jin-hyuk was broadcasting, I should help promote it a bit. I nodded with satisfaction. Drinking with Jin-hyuk before bed tonight didn’t seem like a bad idea. How long had it been since we did a joint broadcast?

Sometimes, enjoying these little moments wasn’t so bad. As we shared stories, the day slowly came to an end.

4.

[The Legend Returns!]

[Teaser for the Ad Video Released]

– “Didn’t he say he went to shoot a Gaia Classic ad today?”

– “Wow, our Shia is world-class now.”

– “The fastest to become world-class, I agree.”

It wasn’t a bad idea to promote myself while appearing on my brother’s broadcast. The number of viewers was currently at 3,000. Compared to the 1,000 before I joined, it was a sharp increase.

“I did a good job. It went through in one take.”

“What kind of ad was it? Did you also do those lines like ‘Enjoy a new world!’ like other celebrities?”

That’s a bit nauseating. I took a sip of beer and chuckled as I replied,

“When I got there, they had already prepared a capsule. They even restored my old character from . I shot it using my old character. It was fun doing it after a long time.”

Alright, with that seasoning added, let’s start the real promotion.

“The teaser video for today’s ad shoot will be released on Aktube at 1 p.m. tomorrow. Make sure to check it out.”

Since Jin-hyuk was broadcasting, I should help promote it a bit. I nodded with satisfaction. Drinking with Jin-hyuk before bed tonight didn’t seem like a bad idea. How long had it been since we did a joint broadcast?

Sometimes, enjoying these little moments wasn’t so bad. As we shared stories, the day slowly came to an end.

4.

[The Legend Returns!]

[Teaser for the Ad Video Released]

[Two legendary players who reached the final chapter of , showcasing spectacular action scenes!]

I didn’t expect the video uploaded on Aktube to gain this much popularity. Starting at 1 p.m., the teaser video released through Dong-su hyung and my Mitu garnered immense views and spread everywhere.

Not only game-specific media but also major media outlets in South Korea covered it with interest.

It was just a teaser video.

However, the 10 seconds edited masterfully by PD Na Tae-seok were enough to excite countless players.

– “Insane.”

– “That’s an avatar of Apocalypse Dragon ㅇㅈ, can two people even take it down?”

– “Wow… seeing those two again brings back memories.”

– “Guys, I’m a student, so what game is this? The visuals are crazy.”

– “I hope it’s released soon… I’ve been bored with no games to play lately.”

– “Where’s the full version?”

– “Ah, this is so tantalizing.”

Within two hours of being uploaded on Aktube, the video comments surpassed 1,000.

Explosive popularity.

Even young students who had never experienced seemed caught up in the excitement.

.

The return of the game, which was the origin of virtual reality RPGs and created numerous legends, was perfect to excite people.

There was a reason why major media outlets were actively covering it.

That game, from back then, was enjoyed by both the young and the current older generation alike.

“Wow, people must have been waiting for this game. I couldn’t play it back then because I was in the hospital.”

Jin-hyuk expressed his amazement while watching the teaser video on the news.

During the heyday of , Jin-hyuk was undergoing treatment.

As I took a bite of my cereal, I said to Jin-hyuk,

“That game is why you’re where you are today.”

“Technically, it’s because you played that game, hyung.”

“…Did you eat something wrong today?”

“Anyway! I want to play it when it comes out. Is it fun?”

“It’s fun.”

It just takes up a lot of time.

Of course, even if , also known as , is released, it won’t unfold the same way as before.

Back then, we played the game with a headstrong style, but now most of the strategies are already available.

The content consumption speed will be enormous.

So its lifespan won’t be long.

But for me, it was content that could only be an opportunity.

“It will be at least half a year before it’s released.”

“Wow… But seriously, you must have been famous back then. I saw your name on TV.”

Huh?

As I pricked up my ears, the sound from the TV program reached me.

[…Once despised by everyone, the player has successfully made a comeback through internet broadcasting. Recently, he confessed his truth to the public.]

It wasn’t just about .

The focus seemed to be on me, not the game.

And shortly after.

“Pffft!”

I couldn’t help but spit out my cereal.

[A story of a streamer who became a villain for his brother. Recently, we at JBC obtained very interesting information. It’s that the streamer , who is the protagonist of this story, donated all of the ad contract fee to a cancer treatment foundation. The cancer treatment foundation supports treatment costs for those who cannot afford it…]

It had to be Sung-jae.

No one else but Sung-jae could have orchestrated this media play.

Jin-hyuk, who was watching TV with me, looked at me with an expression full of emotion.

“Hyung, I… I think I misunderstood you. You’re much more than I thought…”

Ring ring.

“Hey, be quiet.”

Just as Jin-hyuk was about to start with his theatrics, the phone rang at the perfect timing.

The caller was none other than Sung-jae.

As soon as I answered the phone, Sung-jae spoke in a cheerful voice.

– “Good morning.”

“Sung-jae, the program on JBC right now…”

– “Ah, are you watching it? Haha, yes, well. It turned out that way. I asked them to keep it confidential, but it seems the foundation that received the donation decided to make it public. Well… isn’t it a good thing?”

No wonder I felt uneasy.

I had genuinely donated with pure intentions, but now it turned out like this?

Sung-jae seemed amused by my reaction and continued in a bright voice.

– “By the way, have you checked the internet?”

“What about it?”

– “I didn’t expect Chan-sik to be so popular with celebrities.”

What’s that supposed to mean now?

As I stood there puzzled, Sung-jae continued as if he expected my reaction.

– “Watch TV a bit more.”

“…Hoo.”

Following his advice, I turned my attention back to the TV.

And shortly after.

I couldn’t help but widen my eyes in surprise.

The same went for Jin-hyuk, who was beside me.

[As soon as Shia’s good deeds were revealed, many celebrities, including famous singer Kim Hae-chul, sent messages of praise through social media. It’s trending on various portal sites right now. The tragic villain, . His future steps are highly anticipated!]

I was too stunned to speak.

In the midst of my astonishment, Sung-jae’s confident voice rang in my ears.

– “A villain with a story. And a broadcaster who does good deeds in reality. Doesn’t it paint a pretty picture?”

“No…”

– “Chan-sik.”

At Sung-jae’s next words, I couldn’t help but fall silent.

– “Your new story has just begun.”