Genius’s Godlike Game Broadcast-Chapter 25 : Broadcasting Makes Money (2)

Broadcasting Makes Money (2)
Lee Gyeongbok examined the table filled with numbers. Choi Byeonghun let out a snicker as he looked at his surprised friend.
"We made about 9 million won from Tri."
The earnings from the broadcast streaming approached 9 million won. For a first-time streamer, it was an unimaginable sum.
"Guess you got lucky."
"That's true. Almost half of that came from the reward for the quest given by Agent Q."
During the broadcast, a viewer called 'Agent Q' had proposed a quest, and the prize money for completing it was substantial.
"Still, you wouldn't have gotten that money if you hadn't succeeded in the quest."
"Hmph, it wasn't even a hard condition, though."
"... Anyway, there was another quest that viewers pooled together to take down Logan. And even setting the quest aside, you received more than 2 million just from pure donations."
Lee Gyeongbok couldn't hide his smile at Choi Byeonghun's explanation.
Quests felt closer to "work," but donations were different.
'To think I could get this much just from pure support.'
It was an expression of goodwill from viewers who liked the streamer, 'Purple'.
You can't really put a price on someone's feelings, but in the personal broadcast industry, that saying has a different meaning.
Here, the amount is plainly visible.
'I need to work even harder.'
While Lee Gyeongbok renewed his determination, Choi Byeonghun continued speaking.
"Still, the Q-tube revenue was even bigger for this Bark broadcast."
"Huh?"
"Turn the page."
Only then did Lee Gyeongbok widen his eyes. The hologram documents in front of him were more than one page.
"... Huh?"
This time, it was the Q-tube revenue status page. And the figure was even bigger than the Tri earnings.
"There's some variation in views per video, but on average, about 600,000 per, which made about 1.6 million won each. We had five story videos and two short mad movie clips. So, total revenue..."
"Went over ten million won...?"
Lee Gyeongbok looked at his friend with incredulity. Choi Byeonghun smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, that's right. And what's amazing is, that's just for one week. Sure, the people who'd watch have probably already watched it, so it won't spike much more, but it'll keep growing steadily."
"We can earn even more from here?"
"Sure! It's like the money just gets copied!"
Choi Byeonghun said it in a playful tone as he laughed.
"Now do you get why everyone's going crazy to become a Q-tuber?"
"Twenty million won in a week... Is this for real..."
"Hey, anyone can't make this much. It's only possible because it's you."
"Should've started broadcasting sooner."
"My point exactly."
The two friends looked at each other and chuckled.
"And if you add the three million won we got from this round's advertisement, it's even cleaner."
"Oh, right. The advertising fee."
Lee Gyeongbok belatedly remembered the remaining revenue and laughed.
'The broadcast itself was fun, but I didn't think it would actually make this much money...'
It had been a long time since he'd been this happy. He turned to his friend with a smiling face.
"Wow, even if we split this fifty-fifty, each of us gets over ten million won."
"... Fifty-fifty?"
But Choi Byeonghun frowned at those words.
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
"What do you mean, nonsense?"
"Why would we split it fifty-fifty?"
"... Then?"
"Oh, come on. I'm an editor, remember? An editor. I just get a salary."
"Still, isn't our relationship a bit different? We should split it proportionally."
"Business and personal matters need to stay separate. Plus, if the broadcast grows, you won't be able to manage with just one editor."
Choi Byeonghun spoke with a serious face.
"Big-name streamers at large companies even have entire editing teams. If you give away half now, how'll you manage operation costs later?"
"But you're like a founding contributor."
"Doesn't matter if the country falls—what good's a founding contributor then? And even if the amount looks big now, once taxes and commissions are taken out, the actual take-home shrinks."
"Hmm, still, being a regular salaried worker feels off..."
Lee Gyeongbok wrinkled his nose.
Still, a friend is a friend, after all. Especially since he was one of the few people Lee Gyeongbok could truly trust.
"Alright, how about this—salary plus incentive. I'll give you a cut from the revenue made from the clips you edit."
"Yeah, that works. And when other editors come in, it'll motivate me too, plus let me save some face."
"Gosh, is face the issue here?"
As Choi Byeonghun laughed, Lee Gyeongbok replied in a playful tone.
"Of course it is, man. Anyway, seeing profits like this, don't you think Juho would definitely want to come join up?"
"No doubt."
And this time, Lee Gyeongbok was confident.
"Might as well all succeed together if things are going well."
"My thoughts exactly. I'll set up the meeting."
"Let's do that."
With these results in hand, they could convince Park Juho.
* * *
Park Juho lived in a studio officetel.
When he tapped his card key, the door opened with a beep.
Neatly arranged shoes, and the interior beyond was so bare it seemed bleak.
With so little furniture, a stranger might not know someone even lived there. There wasn't even the usual TV or capsule.
It typified a minimalist lifestyle with only the necessities.
"Haaa..."
Park Juho breathed out softly and entered, leaving his suitcase by the doorway. He went straight to the bathroom to wash his hands.
After patting away the water, he opened the pantry. Inside, various toiletries and towels were arranged like a hotel.
He easily took a towel to dry his hands, then thoroughly wiped down the sink with a kitchen cloth he kept there.
'Hm?'
When he returned, he noticed his smart link vibrating where he'd taken it off. He checked the alert and answered the call.
"Yes, mom."
〈Did you come back from your business trip okay, son?〉
His mother's affectionate voice.
Park Juho replied with a gentle smile.
"I just got home."
〈Did you eat?〉
"I had a quick bite."
It was a lie.
He didn't want his mother to worry.
〈You've been on more business trips lately.〉
"It can't be helped."
〈I see. Hey, do you have time for dinner tomorrow night?〉
"Tomorrow night?"
Park Juho fiddled with his smart link to check his schedule. He didn't have any prior plans.
Meanwhile, his mother continued.
〈If you're free, want to have dinner together?〉
"... Together, as in, 'the man' too?"
〈Well, if it's uncomfortable, you don't need to come...〉
Park Juho's eyes trembled faintly. He still wasn't used to his mother's remarriage.
"... Okay, I understand."
〈Really? Thank you, son.〉
"Yeah. See you tomorrow."
Hearing his mother's now brightened voice, Park Juho wore a complex smile.
'I can't keep distancing myself forever...'
He finished the call and was about to unpack when a low vibration again came from his wrist.
He thought it might be his mother again, but the voice on the line was someone else.
〈Hi, deputy Park. Did you get home alright?〉
"... Yes, I just got back."
This time it was his master sergeant.
〈Alright, alright. Good work. But... Ah, well.〉
"What's the matter?"
〈Well... we'll need you to go on another business trip.〉
"... When?"
The master sergeant pursed his lips, then continued.
〈Sorry, but you'll need to head out early tomorrow.〉
For a moment, Park Juho's eyes twitched. Something boiled up inside, but he took a deep breath and controlled his emotions.
"... Does it have to be me? I hardly had any work to do on the last trip, and really, there's no reason the administration team should have to go."
〈Deputy Park, I'm struggling too. It's an order from above—what can I do?〉
Even when Park Juho pressed for answers, the master sergeant didn't lose his temper. He only sounded more troubled.
"So, are you saying I just need to resign?"
〈Haa...〉
To Park Juho's blunt question, a deep sigh came through the phone.
〈Deputy Park, or rather, juho. You think I enjoy saying this stuff on the weekend? It pains me, too, playing the bad guy here—it's awful and hard.〉
Park Juho's fist automatically clenched. But he waited without interrupting.
〈Everyone knows you didn't do anything wrong. But no matter how long you last, the situation won't change.〉
"Master sergeant, I..."
〈You might get reassigned to the provinces soon.〉
His tightly clenched fist loosened.
An uncomfortable silence lingered.
〈Juho, that's life in the company. Being thorough and diligent is important. That's why I valued you, and you were reliable enough to entrust with anything. But... this is beyond my ability to help.〉
"Master sergeant."
〈The embezzlement you ed probably ties up the upper management as well. The fact that they're pushing you out proves it...〉
A tangled voice came through the phone.
〈I'm sorry for being a coward. Maybe it just sounds like an excuse, but my family depends on me. I... can't act as bravely as you.〉
Park Juho said nothing. What could he say that would matter?
〈Ha... Sorry. I'll send your schedule by message.〉
With a click, the call ended.
A deathly silence descended.
What should he do next? He'd need to call his mother to cancel the appointment. There was no need to unpack the suitcase. If he was being sent to the provinces, he'd probably need a new place anyway.
Within churning thoughts, Park Juho felt an overwhelming fatigue and helplessness.
'... I just want to rest.'
Only one desire rose above the storm of thoughts.
He collapsed onto his bed.
* * *
Beep-beep, sounded an electronic chime.
Park Juho slowly opened his eyes.
'What...'
He scrunched his glabella and adjusted his glasses. Just then, the chime went off again.
It was the front door—someone was entering the password, trying to come in.
As soon as Park Juho stood up in surprise, the door swung open.
"Ah, this is it."
"You really are something. How do you remember that?"
Coming in were Choi Byeonghun and Lee Gyeongbok. Park Juho looked at the uninvited guests in disbelief.
"Huh? You're here?"
"What's going on all of a sudden?"
To Park Juho's question, Choi Byeonghun responded with confidence.
"You didn't answer at all, so we came to check you weren't dead."
"Didn't answer?"
Only then did Park Juho check his smart link where he'd left it. There were missed calls from his friends.
Below those was an itinerary sent by his master sergeant.
"... Didn't hear it, I was sleeping."
Park Juho answered, hiding his bitterness.
"Well, anyhow, that's good. We were going to eat out, but let's eat in."
"We brought drinks too!"
Lee Gyeongbok smiled and showed the food bags he'd brought. Choi Byeonghun chimed in.
Park Juho gave a wry smile.
"Who said... Never mind, sit down."
"We were going to do that anyway."
"Hey, does nothing ever change in your place?"
"No kidding. Even the password's still the old one, huh?"
As if it were their own home, the two friends fetched dishes. Although Park Juho didn't usually like people touching his stuff, these two were the exception.
They were as close as family—maybe even closer.
The meal was laid out in a flash, and the three ate in silence before conversation.
Once they'd partly satisfied their hunger, Choi Byeonghun was the first to speak.
"Why's your suitcase by the door? You going on a trip?"
"Just got back from a business trip."
Lee Gyeongbok glanced at Park Juho's expression and wrinkled his glabella.
"That's not like you, to leave it there. Something up?"
"I can't hide anything from you guys, huh?"
Park Juho calmly explained his situation. On hearing it, both friends' faces soured.
"What, they're still running you around?"
"Wow... that's seriously nasty."
"If it were me, I'd go all in, since I'm getting fired anyway."
Choi Byeonghun acted out ramming something. Food splattered onto the table, so Park Juho just wiped it up with a napkin before answering.
"I'll hang in there until the provincial reassignment, then prepare to change jobs."
"Change jobs?"
"So you are thinking about quitting?"
As "job change" came up, Lee Gyeongbok and Choi Byeonghun's eyes met.
Soon, Lee Gyeongbok nodded.
"You haven't canceled dinner with your mom tomorrow, right?"
"I haven't, but I was going to let her know."
"Don't cancel."
"... What?"
Park Juho looked at his friends in confusion. But both were deadly serious.
"We'll tell you about a new job."
"What are you talking about?"
"We started broadcasting together."
Their explanation continued.
Park Juho's glabella creased deeper.
"So, you want to scout me as a manager?"
"Yeah."
These two loved joking, but they were intensely serious now—so Park Juho took them seriously, too.
'A streamer's manager...'
The title sounded nice, but reality was that of an irregular worker. The streamer profession itself was unstable, so its manager was even more so.
And it was hardly a career recommendation if he needed to reapply for jobs later.
If Park Juho had wanted to enter the personal broadcast industry from the start, maybe. Otherwise, it was a credential with little value.
'The right thing to do is say no.'
He prided himself on being rational—everyone he'd worked with knew that too.
'If it weren't for Lee Gyeongbok.'
But that didn't mean he was an emotionless robot.
Lee Gyeongbok had helped him a lot during their school days. He always thought he'd have to repay that debt someday.
'Maybe it's worth risking for this.'
His future, and the debt to a friend. His mind wavered between the two.
"Hey, we're not just offering this to anybody, you know?"
But Choi Byeonghun didn't realize his inner struggle, and presented some paperwork.
Park Juho, puzzled, saw it and his eyes widened.
"... What's this?"
Apparently pleased by the reaction, Choi Byeonghun burst into laughter.
"See? That's the answer right there—he's a genius, he really is."
"We do need help, honestly, and after hearing your situation, we have to bring you onboard."
Lee Gyeongbok, on the other hand, spoke solemnly.
"You know you don't deserve to be treated like this—we all know it."
"... Reminds me of the old days."
Park Juho scanned the profit chart and smiled.
"Back in high school, and now again."
Meeting Lee Gyeongbok had been a turning point in his life. And now was no different.
"What's with all the buildup? Just say yes, you're coming with us, right?"
At Choi Byeonghun's push, Lee Gyeongbok raised a hand to stop him.
"Or at least take a vacation and try it for a week."
"A vacation?"
"The company's trying to get rid of you anyway, right? They can't ignore a vacation request."
"... True."
"Right. Be a manager during your vacation and experience it yourself."
Choi Byeonghun nodded next to Lee Gyeongbok.
"Oh, that's a good idea. This is something you have to see for yourself."
"Yeah. And even if you decide to quit, you can't do it instantly. If you notify them during your leave, the company will have time to prepare too."
"You all sound pretty sure I'll quit, huh?"
To Park Juho's remark, Lee Gyeongbok nodded without hesitation.
"You'll understand once you try."
"... Yeah, that doesn't sound bad."
The certainty in his friend's face tipped the scales in Park Juho's heart.
"Okay, let's stop there! Alright, let's toast!"
Choi Byeonghun interrupted with a laugh, pouring drinks. The others laughed as they received their glasses.
"I'm counting on you."
"It's going to be fun."
At Park Juho's words, Lee Gyeongbok beamed.
The three friends' glasses clinked together.