Chapter 17

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“That is…”

Yeon-woo, picking at the uncut pork cutlet, trying to read his mood.

At the behavior where his inner thoughts were clearly visible, Han-bit let out a sigh.

“Whether it’s a request or whatever, just say it. We’re close enough for that. Or are you seriously telling me to join Yeonhwa Gaming?”

“… I’m doing this because we are close enough. Even for a major corporation, cases where the starting salary is at this level are rare.”

Yeon-woo’s words were sincere.

Because he knew well that even in the military, Yeon-woo paid so much attention to employment that he sang songs about getting a job.

Especially, he had the most interest in high salaries.

“Wait a minute.”

Han-bit, who knew that feeling well, took out his own smartphone.

Searching through the community, he pulled up a post and placed it on the table.

“I saw something like this yesterday, you see?”

“What is it, this?”

“An internal exposé.”

“Pardon?”

Making a puzzled expression, Yeon-woo turned his gaze to the smartphone’s screen.

On it floated a post that seemed to have been scraped from a community for office workers.

I’ll start with the conclusion.

If you don’t want to live as a true slave, don’t go.

I’ll recite a few basic rules.

1. The company-affiliated vanguard is king.

Don’t even ask questions, just memorize it.

The vanguard is king, and the vanguard’s lackeys are nobles.

Up to at least the department head line, you just bow your head to the vanguard.

2. All gold, items, and information you obtain belong to the vanguard.

More accurately, they enter the mouths of the vanguard or the vanguard’s lackeys.

Incentives? Even if you find a hidden skill, it gets recorded as the vanguard clique’s achievement.

For your information, even logging in from home is entirely monitored, so don’t do anything stupid.

3. Synchronization of game and reality

Including the sh*t written in number 2, you have to live as the vanguard’s slave in reality as well.

From petty errands to being an emotional trash can, you will be reborn as a perfect slave.

For your information, being an emotional trash can is the most important duty.

…

– What is this?

– Is this real?

– Won’t believe it without verification.

└ You can only sign up there if you have an employee ID.

– There’s an abundance of f*cked up things besides what’s written in the post.

└ For real lol.

└ I have a lot to say but won’t.

└ Scared?

└ Defamation by stating facts is scary, you know.

– There’s a reason they give a lot of money.

– Isn’t this personality obliteration?

– However, it was too much money to run away from.

“…”

Reading the post, Yeon-woo couldn’t open his mouth.

Because even if it was content he already knew, it was difficult to convey it to Han-bit.

“How is it? Do you think this is real?”

“… There are certainly many corporations with this kind of atmosphere, but Yeonhwa Gaming is different. The vanguard here isn’t an authoritarian person. Especially since you’re the one being scouted, hyung.”

“Even so, it’s not like I can immediately replace the vanguard’s position, right? Or are you telling me to try being a good lackey?”

“Ah, hyung!”

As he mixed in sarcasm while smiling, Yeon-woo raised his voice as if feeling wronged.

Watching that appearance as if it were amusing, Han-bit voiced the decision he had finalized early on.

“I’m not going to a major corporation. I have no intention of receiving interference in my gaming.”

“Pardon? I’m telling you the annual salary is 100 million won?”

“Ah, I don’t care. If I say I won’t, then I won’t.”

At the sight of him pushing it away stubbornly, Yeon-woo shut his mouth and stared at him.

Then, he nodded his head to himself and said.

“As expected, hyung is a paragon of otakus.”

“What bullshit are you spitting again?”

“To choose the dream of fantasy over a stable job. I’ll write a biography for you when you die, hyung. As the legend of an RP otaku.”

“Should I just kill you right now?”

Han-bit raised the fork skewered with pork cutlet.

Even amidst trading such jokes, he reiterated to himself inwardly.

‘Consumable? That’s nonsense.’

A life where you hang a bunch of corporate restrictions on yourself, and even have everything you gain taken away.

No matter how many times they offered, he absolutely had no intention of accepting.

Just thinking about his intern life brought up displeasure to the point his entire body twisted.

‘Besides, it’s premature yet.’

The meaning of the 3 million won earned through the game and broadcast wasn’t small.

The fact that he couldn’t make a decision at once meant that the expected value to ponder over was also huge.

If he uses the experiences and knowledge he hasn’t brought out yet, the value would be difficult to even predict.

It was right to procrastinate a bit on the period to determine his life’s path.

‘To do that, I have to move quickly.’

High-value items and information are gradually obtained as progression repeats.

However, he couldn’t be certain that information and items were implemented exactly the same.

The best choice here is to reach those places and confirm it himself.

For now, he must directly use the things he obtained and move forward rapidly.

The goal of reaching the place he couldn’t reach in the other world.

The goal of enriching the lives of his mother and himself.

It was also a series of processes for all those things.

“So what about you? You want to start a company, right?”

“… How did you know that?”

At the casually thrown question, Yeon-woo’s eyes widened.

Chewing on the pork cutlet, Han-bit answered nonchalantly.

“You said it in the military. That you wanted to get independent from your house and start a company.”

“Don’t tell me, the thing I said during training? That was only exactly once?”

“What does it matter if it was once?”

“No…”

Yeon-woo recalled what happened when he was a Private First Class.

The position he was deployed to during his first cold-weather training.

He shared a lot of conversations of all sorts with Han-bit, who had entered together with him.

Honestly, because there was more nonsense, the story about the company was almost at a passing level.

“How is your memory like that?”

“Who knows. Anyway, what kind of company is it?”

“Hmm.”

At that question, Yeon-woo put down his utensils and fixed his posture.

Then, lightly clearing his throat, he spoke.

“I am going to form a streamer-based group. Rather than a stiff company, it’s like a guild combining reality and the game.”

“What’s that?”

Han-bit felt puzzled.

He didn’t think Yeon-woo would start an ordinary company, but it was too unfamiliar.

“But didn’t you like doing game broadcasts? How are you going to balance it with running a company?”

“Of course I like it, but actually, I like watching games more. I’m a bit incompatible as a player in the first place.”

Yeon-woo had continuously felt a clunkiness while playing the game.

Rather, he felt a greater thrill watching other vanguards or streamers pulling off eccentric acts.

Bringing Han-bit was also because of the expectation that he would play the game entertainingly.

Though what he saw yesterday was entertaining in a completely different direction.

“I’m still formulating it, but anyway, a family-like atmosphere is my dream.”

“Isn’t that exactly the motto of a black company?”

“Ay, would I ever abuse my power? It’d be fortunate enough if I don’t get eaten by the newcomers.”

“That’s true.”

“… How can you just agree so immediately?”

Yeon-woo retorted as if feeling dumbfounded.

However, no matter how much Han-bit imagined, a black company run by the younger brother in front of his eyes couldn’t be drawn.

“So, what do you do in a family-like atmosphere?”

“We broadcast together, and play games together too. The individuals will take all the donations and in-game profits. Though we’d share things like information first.”

“Then what about your money? Will your ancestors earn it for you? What about the company operations?”

“I have thoughts about all of that too.”

Smirking, Yeon-woo brought his hand to the screen.

Then, something popped up on the LCD screen.

“Videos?”

On the screen, the main site of the streaming platform ‘Recorder’ was displayed.

Below it, a full pile of edited videos from various streamers could be seen.

“You’re saying this is profit?”

“It hasn’t been long since the feature was created, but there’s more ad revenue than you’d think. The company side does all the editing and uploading, and just splits the profit with the streamers. They also coordinate joint broadcasts.”

“Is that so?”

It felt like looking at the old X-Tube.

However, all the videos were about RP.

The one with the highest recent views was a video titled ‘The Frontlines, Large-Scale Mob Hunting’.

There were lengths of around 10 minutes, of course, but there were also many short shorts and long videos exceeding several hours.

“If we create a channel and continuously grow it, don’t you think it’d be alright?”

“I don’t know. If you think so, it’s probably right.”

“Oh, infinite trust isn’t bad either?”

Unlike his visible actions, Yeon-woo was a smart younger brother.

Studying and quick-wittedness aside, his perspective was broad, so his thinking was also deep.

If he had to find the most trusted person other than his mother, it was naturally the younger brother before his eyes.

“Tell me when you start the company. Since I’ll help with whatever. I’m going to be appearing on your broadcast anyway, right?”

“You should directly do the broadcast yourself soon, hyung. Oh, for your information, I have no intention of tying you down with employment. Unless you’re a co-CEO.”

“What do you mean co-CEO. Enough of that, just tell me whatever it is. You even received investment.”

The RP gear placed completely intact at the foot of his bed came to mind.

It was a 5 million won item, more expensive than any home appliance in Han-bit’s house.

“Ay, what do you mean investment? That was truly a gift.”

“I know, you punk.”

Yeon-woo’s lies are really easily seen through.

Because he could feel the awkwardness just by hearing his voice.

So he knew the subsequent words were sincere as well.

“Anyway, hyung, you should ponder over it a bit more. Don’t think too badly of major corporations either.”

“Why? I told you I hate those kinds of companies.”

“If you broadcast for a few more days, there’s a high possibility the conditions will change drastically. You never know what happens with people.”

He affirmed with a resolute voice.

In that state, his stubbornness wouldn’t break.

Han-bit let out a sigh.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s not like anything is going to change immediately tomorrow anyway.”

“Right?”

The two, who chuckled, tried to resume their meal again.

Bzzzt.

Right then, Yeon-woo’s smartphone placed on the table vibrated.

The two gazes gathered almost simultaneously.

“Ah, spoke of the devil. I’ll pass it to you, so at least try listening to their story.”

“Got it.”

As he waved his hand, Yeon-woo picked up the phone and accepted the call.

Han-bit turned his gaze back to the pork cutlet.

However.

“Pardon?”

The reaction of Yeon-woo, who answered the phone, was somewhat strange.

“Why?”

Han-bit threw a question in a low voice.

Because for some reason, his expression was being dyed in shock.

“That is absolutely not true! If we were going to do that, we wouldn’t have even turned on the broadcast in the first place…”

Yeon-woo, who had raised his voice, stopped speaking with a dumbfounded face.

It seemed the call had been cut off.

“What’s wrong? Why are you like that?”

“… Hyung, you remember the Vanguard Ranger, right?”

“Yeah. The guy with the golden bow, right?”

At Han-bit’s answer, Yeon-woo nodded his head.

Then, he spoke with a dumbfounded face.

“The Atsbel Quest. They say that major corporation declared they’re monopolizing it.”