The Veteran Swordmaster’s Stream (Novel) - Chapter 42

Chapter 42

[Han Ji-min]: Boss, I think you should take a look at this?

Han Ji-min sent a message from early in the morning.

“What is it?”

Seo-jun checked the content Han Ji-min sent and felt his thoughts growing complicated.

Han Ji-min had captured a screen and sent it to Seo-jun; it was a screen analyzing channel viewers on ITube.

The very first thing that caught his eye was the upward-trending influx of viewers, although they hadn’t even filled a month yet.

It was a growth trend so distinct that he understood why it was described as having received the choice of the algorithm.

However.

[Jin Seo-jun]: It certainly is strange.

[Han Ji-min]: Right? What really is this?

Seo-jun peered into the photo in question.

In the viewer analysis chart on the bottom right, among the people newly entering the channel, the ratio of foreign viewers was high—too high.

‘It’s ambiguous whether this is good or bad.’

They say that the algorithm of ITube cannot be understood by ordinary people.

The same went for veteran streamers.

“Today, the unknown ITube algorithm also led me to this video.”

“It’s not that you found the video, but the video found you.”

“Nobody searched for this video and came in.”

And so on.

These were all buzzwords showing how much the algorithm did as it pleased.

If extremely simplified, it would be recommending videos that people clicked on well and watched continuously, but the core principle operating ITube was not so straightforward.

[Lee Geon-yeong]: Uh, what’s this? I just woke up, why are there so many foreigners…

[Han Ji-min]: Hmm, Boss, I think we should definitely find out the cause of this.

[Jin Seo-jun]: If the algorithm is changing to recommend mainly to foreign viewers, is that a bit of a problem?

[Han Ji-min]: Probably. But it’s not to the extent that our algorithm would get twisted, so I think there must be another reason.

[Lee Geon-yeong]: Then couldn’t it be that one of the viewers promoted us? Didn’t you say that foreign viewers flocked in during yesterday’s broadcast because of the Training Ground?

“Is that so?”

Fortunately, it did not seem to be a very serious problem.

Rather, it could be an opportunity.

Seo-jun also began to ponder together with them.

Since he didn’t intend to completely disengage just because he had entrusted the channel to them.

[Han Ji-min]: A community?

[Lee Geon-yeong]: For someone to have promoted us on a community, the influx is too large. It’s almost on the level of when we uploaded the collab video with Alpaca-nim.

Ah.

Seo-jun felt like he knew the reason.

Wasn’t there only one place that would promote his channel recently?

Seo-jun logged into the official Movie Soft account and played the teaser video he had checked yesterday.

“It was this.”

When he scrolled down to the comment section, Seo-jun’s video was linked proudly in the pinned comment.

Seo-jun shared this fact.

[Lee Geon-yeong]: Daebak, LOL.

[Lee Geon-yeong]: Is this hyung-nim’s class? For the official account to go that far for us.

[Han Ji-min]: For ITube, the overseas market itself is huge, so this is unconditionally good. Should I look into English subtitles?

The two of them looked excited.

Seo-jun only gave responses in between, while watching them manage the channel on their own.

They would know better about ITube than he did.

Meanwhile, an email had arrived from Movie Soft.

The content was that they should rewrite the contract, and it also contained subtitle files for the ITube videos.

“Ha.”

The slightly funny point was that Movie Soft, thinking of Seo-jun, explained the reason for this favor in detail, but this was entirely a matter arising from a misunderstanding.

“Well, that’s fine.”

Even if unintended, wasn’t the result a win-win?

“There is also the contact information of a subtitle production company… and they are supporting all the costs?”

Although the amount wasn’t on the large side, it was a grateful thing.

The sponsored fee was also increased by 50% as well.

Seo-jun shared the good news with the editors.

After chatting for quite a while like that, Han Ji-min brought up an unexpected topic in a private message.

[Han Ji-min]: Boss, sponsored offers will probably come in in the future, so don’t you need a manager?

[Jin Seo-jun]: A manager?

Come to think of it, he hadn’t thought about a manager at all.

Until now, Tae-woo’s household chores—no, his various pieces of advice—had been sufficient.

‘It will be necessary in the future, indeed.’

Especially the part about filtering out or negotiating sponsored offers.

[Han Ji-min]: Yes. Because I have experience working as a manager as well. Since BrickExtortion-nim is producing thumbnails anyway, I also want to help by doing what I can.

[Han Ji-min]: You can view it as part of channel management and use me without pay! Since I also own a quarter of the Boss’s channel! It’s a sense of ownership!

She was indeed an owner.

By the way.

Thumbnails?

Ah.

Only then did Seo-jun realize that while entrusting full authority over ITube, he hadn’t given a separate fee for thumbnails.

Why did Lee Geon-yeong take on the additional work without saying much?

Seo-jun told Han Ji-min that they should talk next time they met, and then called Lee Geon-yeong.

“BrickExtortionKing-nim.”

-Yes. Hyung-nim.

“Well, about the thumbnails.”

-Ah, hyung-nim!

“Yes.”

Lee Geon-yeong interrupted his words urgently.

And spoke vigorously.

-I’ll just do the thumbnails for free!

“Why?”

-Well, that’s because my skills are lacking compared to nuna, and so… I want to contribute even in a small way like this. Making them is also fun for me.

“Ah.”

The moment he heard those words, Seo-jun thought that he had really recruited people well.

Ordinarily, when people secured a good position, some would settle down or try to find shortcuts.

However, Han Ji-min and Lee Geon-yeong were different.

Rather, they showed an appearance of trying to help by doing things they didn’t need to do.

He could genuinely feel their desire to be together with Seo-jun.

‘I was lucky.’

Although he had entered into contracts after verifying them through direct meetings, still, as the saying goes, one can know ten depths of water but not one depth of a person’s heart, isn’t it hard to grasp a person?

He had recruited well.

-And I’m also worried you’ll go bankrupt paying the boss’s salary. Hehe.

“Don’t worry about that.”

-It was a joke. Anyway, aren’t we Seodongbu!

Seodongbu?

What was that again?

“Anyway, if you ever need thumbnail expenses, just tell me without hesitation.”

-Yes. Goodbye.

“Yes. You too, Extortion King-nim.”

-Ah. Geez, hyung, seriously…

Click.

After finishing the call, Seo-jun searched for the meaning of Seodongbu on the internet.

It was a neologism combining the streamer’s name with the Ministry of Employment and Labor (Nodongbu), a term used to refer to people who worked as video editors or thumbnail creators.

It seemed they called the combination of Seo-jun and Nodongbu ‘Seodongbu’.

“It had this kind of meaning…”

In any case, neologisms are difficult.

“Then, shall I head out now?”

Today was a day with an additional medical check-up.

***

“No matter when I see it, that movement is truly surprising.”

Oh Ji-hye, the head of Surface’s research lab, spoke as she peered into the monitor.

“It is amazing indeed.”

Oh Ji-hye glared at the junior researcher who approached her side.

“Didn’t I tell you?”

“Don’t look at me like that. Anyone wouldn’t have understood you at first, Director. No, if you suddenly say you’ll lend that expensive capsule for free for him to participate in a streamer tournament, who would accept that?”

That was true, indeed.

Oh Ji-hye nodded.

And she turned her head back to look at the screen.

“Well, with that level of skill, as long as he has the will, it seems he can make money in virtual reality somehow, no matter what he does. Don’t you think?”

Lending it for free under the pretext of a streaming tournament was a bait.

An incentive to make him enter this world again.

However, she hadn’t known that he would suit being a streamer so well.

“Exactly. I also watched it a few times, and it was fun. It’s like a new concept skill stream. Director, you know what that person did in the past, right? Lee Dong-soo also asked about that streamer earlier. Shin Ha-yeon, who was next to him, also seemed to mind him.”

“Keep your nose out of it. In any case, customer information cannot be seen, and must not be leaked. Try acting like you know it next time again. If I hadn’t stopped you in the middle, you would have spoken everything you know, wouldn’t you?”

“I’m sorry!”

“Getting excited just because you saw famous players, anyway.”

“Haha, then I’ll be off.”

Seeing signs of his boss’s nagging getting severe, he hurriedly left the research lab.

Whether he did or not, Oh Ji-hye quickly turned her attention away and manipulated the screen, beginning to proceed with Seo-jun’s next test.

***

Seo-jun was currently placed in all kinds of situations.

The surrounding environment suddenly turned into a scorching desert, and then in the blink of an eye, he was buried inside an Arctic glacier, felt a strong gravitational acceleration, or was cast into space.

This test of being thrown into extreme situations had the main purpose of testing the subject’s physical reactions under stressful situations.

Mainly people who wanted to reduce their virtual reality access restrictions, especially professional players, came to this research lab to take the test.

Surface increases the access time if people pass this test.

Of course, this did not apply to Seo-jun.

‘That can’t be helped.’

Seo-jun thought while floating around in outer space.

Soon, the surrounding space itself was sucked into Seo-jun like a sinking crust.

A massive pressure weighed down on Seo-jun.

Flash—

With a bright light shining, at the same time as being liberated from the pressure, Seo-jun stood in a pitch-white room.

[Ah. Seo-jun-nim, the test is finished now. Please come out.]

It was finished.

‘Simple.’

After coming out of the capsule, Seo-jun opened the door and crossed over to the room where Oh Ji-hye was on the opposite side.

Seo-jun stood next to Oh Ji-hye and waited calmly while she scanned various data.

Oh Ji-hye opened her mouth.

“Fortunately, there is no change in reaction compared to before. No, rather, it seems to have gotten better. You are indeed very calm.”

“Having experienced it once, it would be weird if it didn’t get better.”

“That is a statement that applies only to you, Seo-jun-nim. There were no problems with the other check-ups either, so it seems you only need to come once a month for verification in the future.”

“Didn’t you say that if an abnormality occurs, the capsule blocks it on its own and a message is sent?”

“Yes, but come anyway.”

Tsk.

“Understood. Thank you.”

“Yes, is the same date next month possible?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Then see you next month.”

Seo-jun said his goodbyes and left the research lab.

He had to go home again, which was bothersome.

Damn it.

‘Should I just skip today’s stream… no way.’

Skipping a stream just because it was bothersome was a difficult thing for him, who was incredibly diligent due to the memories of his past life.

If he was facing something important that the viewers were anxiously waiting for, he might consider taking a break.

Seo-jun smiled and came out of the research lab.

However, a figure was waiting for Seo-jun at the entrance.

“Seeing you in the morning and seeing you again. And it’s nice to see you in a place other than the gym like this.”

It was the professional gamer, Lee Dong-soo.

“Why are you here?”

“Because it’s our team’s regular check-up day.”

Ah.

This was a research lab.

It meant it wasn’t a place like a customer center or a hospital.

Nevertheless, because the best equipment and technicians were here, regular check-ups for professional players were conducted here.

Naturally, when conducting check-ups, they would want to receive people all at once if possible, and since Seo-jun had also come on the day Oh Ji-hye called, it wasn’t strange even if they overlapped.

“I heard from the teacher earlier that you were coming, so I was waiting to have lunch together. Ah, by the way, Ha-yeon-nuna asked me to send her regards to you, but did you two happen to meet in the past…?”

“No.”

“Really? That’s strange. Nuna was extremely glad to hear about you.”

“I said no.”