Chapter 90 - Didn't I Entrust It for Repair? (2)

Early lunchtime, at a quaint brunch café.

Three men had taken seats in a place usually occupied by couples and women.

"Am I the only one feeling someone's gaze?"

Among them, Choi Byunghoon, who had a good build, subtly glanced around. Although it was a weekday and there weren't many customers, he could still feel eyes on them.

"What gaze?"

"Shh... This place is usually where couples come to take pictures for Instagram."

When Park Juhwan asked bluntly, Choi Byunghoon wrinkled his nose. Lee Kyungbok chuckled at his reaction.

"Hey, this is all part of the experience. It's better than coming here for the first time with a girlfriend and fumbling around, right?"

Lee Kyungbok had chosen this place for the team meeting.

In the past, he wouldn't have even considered coming here, but with his improved financial situation, his mindset had changed.

Now, whenever he felt like trying something, he could do it without worry.

"You're right. Honestly, does it make sense to spend 20,000 won on these small bread pieces and a pot of tea? If I came here with a girlfriend for the first time, I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face."

Choi Byunghoon exaggeratedly stuck out his tongue, and Lee Kyungbok chuckled.

"But you don't have a girlfriend, do you?"

"......Don't hit below the belt, it hurts. And you don't have one either!"

"Don't worry, I'll pay with a credit card. And we have this reality show contract too."

Park Juhwan's words made Choi Byunghoon grumble.

"Hey, you bastard. You bring up work so naturally, like a weasel. Hey, I just finished eating. Now I want to drink some coffee. I'm full, I'm full!"

"You're complaining after drinking the brunch like water?"

"Hey, let's do what we both like. You can drink coffee while listening."

With Lee Kyungbok's mediation, the two friends nodded.

"Anyway, I got an email from Prom."

"Huh? From Prom? Why? Did they watch our broadcast?"

Choi Byunghoon, who had been indifferent, immediately put down his coffee and bombarded Park Juhwan with questions. Park Juhwan glanced at him and then shook his head.

"Well, they said they can't disclose the details publicly, but they will tell us after we see the ending. They asked if it's okay to create a character based on Kyungbok."

"Me?"

"Yeah, this seems similar to what happened with Ecl, right?"

Choi Byunghoon said excitedly. Park Juhwan nodded in agreement.

"I think so too. But Ecl's was for the championship, and I'm not sure about Kyungbok's."

"Even if we don't know, it must be something good. We have to do this."

Lee Kyungbok nodded at his friends' words. He didn't feel any reservations, and it felt good to be recognized by the production company.

"That's true. But the problem is that the capsule is broken, right?"

"Ah, I was going to talk about that too."

Park Juhwan explained the response they received from the reality show.

"So, it can't be fixed with a simple repair. Since you're a streamer, not a regular customer, they want to sign a sponsorship contract for an unboxing broadcast."

"But this is an offline broadcast, right? What about revealing your face?"

"That's already been considered by the reality show. They said it's fine as long as only your voice is heard."

Lee Kyungbok nodded at the explanation, but Choi Byunghoon's expression darkened.

"Shh, I don't like this."

"Why?"

"Hey, try having only your voice in the video. Then only the capsule will be visible, right?"

"Right."

"But the viewers didn't come to see the capsule. They want to see your 'reaction' to the capsule."

Park Juhwan also agreed with this.

"That's true. Our channel isn't a specialized IT device review channel."

"Exactly, the viewers' needs are different. Besides, this is a custom model made just for you. It's not something anyone can have."

If it were a product available for purchase, people might listen to the spec explanations. But this custom model was made specifically for Lee Kyungbok.

"Hmm..."

Lee Kyungbok let out a sigh.

His two friends calmly waited for him to sort out his thoughts. They offered advice, but ultimately, the decision was his.

"Admittedly, I'm still a bit hesitant about revealing my face."

"Then..."

"Also, you're right. Even if it's a sponsorship, we should make the video that the viewers want to see."

Lee Kyungbok didn't take his friends' advice lightly. He then smiled and said,

"So, what about this?"

Did he have a clever idea?

His two friends couldn't hide their curiosity.

* * *

At the headquarters of the capsule manufacturer 'Reality.'

Lee Kyungbok and his two friends visited for the contract meeting.

"Welcome!"

In the conference room, the marketing director was waiting. She quickly scanned the three men and widened her eyes.

"Wow... I didn't know Purple was this handsome."

Among the three, only one matched the physique revealed in the broadcast. Confirming Lee Kyungbok's real appearance, she was amazed.

"Such a good-looking face is really rare..."

Capsules aren't just used by ordinary people. It's an era where famous celebrities also enjoy virtual reality.

The marketing director had the opportunity to meet many handsome celebrities.

In her opinion, Lee Kyungbok's appearance didn't fall short compared to them.

"Still, I shouldn't push too hard today. If I do well now, we can build a better relationship later."

Her marketing instincts were drawn to Lee Kyungbok, but suddenly changing the proposal wouldn't be a good choice.

She finished her greeting and began explaining the contract.

"As mentioned in the email, we only need you to check the unboxing live stream and the spec explanations. The edited video will be uploaded to both Purple's channel and our channel. Unlike an advertising contract, there are no other restrictions."

"Can I mention any drawbacks as well?"

"Yes. But I don't think there will be any. We would be grateful if you could point them out, as it would give us a clue for improvement."

Park Juhwan's question was met with a quick response.

The confidence and responsibility of a top company were evident.

"Let me explain our offer. The contract amount is 15 million won, and we will provide a high-end custom model for free. This amount is set considering Purple's popularity."

At her words, Choi Byunghoon and Park Juhwan nodded.

'I think he said 600,000 subscribers are worth around 13 million won.'

Before the meeting, Lee Kyungbok had explained to his friends. The additional 2 million won was likely due to his popularity.

'And the high-end model costs 15 million won.'

The capsule model he currently uses is a high-end one worth 8 million won, which he is very satisfied with.

But this time, the high-end model he would receive was worth 15 million won, making the total value 30 million won.

However, the marketing director's explanation wasn't over yet.

"Since it's custom-made for Purple, it's different from the existing high-end model. We added more processors, which increased the cost."

"Roughly how much?"

"20 million won."

The two friends' eyes widened.

So, the total would be 35 million won.

But Lee Kyungbok remained calm.

The price was important, but there was something else he valued.

"Will using the custom model prevent the same problem from happening again?"

The original goal was safety, not just a successful contract. His friends also realized this and managed their expressions.

The marketing director's smile deepened.

"Yes, of course. The custom model we're providing has a processing limit five times higher than the existing model. It can cover 50 times the average customer's needs."

"50 times..."

Choi Byunghoon involuntarily opened his mouth. The number was impressive, and even more so because it was for his friend.

"Yes. The development team has already verified this through simulations."

"Simulations?"

"We increased the load on the processor to measure the limit. This method induces more stress than actual use, so there shouldn't be any problems."

Her explanation made Lee Kyungbok think of something.

'Wait, load?'

The word 'load' was also related to Lee Kyungbok. It was the backlash he felt when using his special ability.

'There was no backlash in virtual reality. Could the capsule have been absorbing it?'

Dizziness, nausea, and even nosebleeds—thinking about it, weren't they all related to his head?

'If that's the case, with the increased limit this time...'

The limit had increased five times. So, he could use his special ability more strongly without issues.

Perhaps his detection range would expand or he could gather more detailed information.

His serious expression, lost in thought, made the marketing director see him as an unsatisfied customer.

She quickly added to her explanation.

"If the same problem occurs, we will replace it with a better custom model at our expense."

"Ah, yes, yes."

The voice broke through his thoughts, and Lee Kyungbok nodded. He put aside his thoughts and gauged the proposal.

'It doesn't seem to be a problem.'

He didn't feel any ominous premonitions. The marketing director also seemed positive.

"By the way, I have one suggestion."

"A suggestion?"

"Yes. You said it's fine to only have your voice in the video. What about this?"

Lee Kyungbok looked at Park Juhwan, who quickly displayed an image using a hologram.

"This is..."

"It's an emoticon I use in my broadcasts. It's exclusive to subscribers."

The emoticon, based on a viewer, 'Tsu.' Lee Kyungbok pointed to the head part and continued.

"What if we change the 'T' to a 'P' and make it a mask?"

"A mask?"

She reacted with surprise but then her eyes lit up as she examined the character.

"Hmm, the character design is cute and nice. But how will it be produced?"

"We plan to have it made by a 3D printing company."

Park Juhwan's answer made her eyes quickly dart around.

'This design will attract attention. It will definitely create more buzz than just having the voice.'

Originally, she only thought about the voice, so there was no reason to refuse. In fact, she should help.

"Alright."

"Then..."

"Would it be okay if we handle the mask production as well?"

Her words made the three men widen their eyes.

"We have a 3D printer, and we're proud of its quality. You don't need to worry about it. Of course, the cost will be on us."

The three friends looked at each other.

Without further discussion, the answer was clear.

"Sure, we'll leave it to you."

"Thank you."

The contract was signed in a friendly atmosphere. The marketing director smiled brightly and said,

"The custom model will be shipped tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?"

"So soon?"

The three friends asked simultaneously. Her smile deepened, seemingly pleased with their reaction.

"At Reality, we highly value the value created by Purple's broadcasts. We also understand that the longer the delivery is delayed, the greater the loss."

It might seem like just a day or two, but the longer the break, the more viewers' interest wanes.

Reality, which closely monitors influencers, was well aware of this.

"The custom model production started when you applied for AS. We planned to provide it to you regardless of the sponsorship contract."

The three friends were amazed. A smile appeared on Lee Kyungbok's face.

"Now I understand why Reality has the highest market share."

* * *

That evening, on Purple's Tonight fan page.

Viewers gathered, waiting for the broadcast.

[What happened with the capsule error?]

[Can't find any information about capsule overload.]

[No break today, right? Right?]

[Perfect waiting ON]

[Trying to prevent Purple loss by watching infinite replays.]

[Here's a button.]

[(Button image)

Pressing the button adds 1 minute to Purple's broadcast time.

In exchange, 5 minutes of your time will be lost.

Will you press it?]

[-This is a no-brainer, press it lol]

[-Oh lol, I can do tap dance on this button]

[-Hey! Bring me a sewing machine!]

[-Is my 5 minutes more valuable than 1 minute of God?]

[-Actually, 1 minute is used by God, so it's 4 minutes, right? lol]

[-I watch the live stream, then on PurpleTube, then on the branch channel, and again on the community. It's not a loss, is it?]

[-Oh, Purple... Isn't the community a place to waste time? Why worry?]

Various posts to forget their worries.

Then, the awaited announcement appeared.

[<Notice> There is a break today.]

The atmosphere on the fan page suddenly changed.

[Lie! It's a lie!]

[Reality, how could you make such a capsule!?]

[Can't the manager just do the broadcast and God just do the commentary?]

[It's a story-telling broadcast, so I didn't even eat dinner...]

[If it's dangerous enough to show a warning, there's nothing we can do.]

[Is this the five stages of accepting death?]

[Denial > Anger > Bargaining > Depression > Acceptance, fits perfectly lol]

[What lol, is a break equivalent to death?]

Posts expressing disappointment quickly flooded in. But soon, the mood shifted again.

[Hey lol, read the notice.]

[WA! Something big is coming!]

[Big hit is coming! Big hit is coming! Big hit is coming! Big hit is coming!]

[Those who doubted Reality, prepare to eat your words lol]

[This break is actually better lol]

Viewers started posting after reading the notice. Others quickly checked the content.

[Custom model unboxing?]

[Wow lol, it's tomorrow]

[Reality's processing speed is insane.]

[What a company lol]

[Is it time to buy Reality stock?]

[Oh lol, I'm buying all the stock]

[Offline Purple is coming!]

[But didn't you entrust the AS to God? What's this sudden sponsorship contract lol]

[This is the 'perfect' AS, isn't it?]

An opportunity to see offline Purple.

[This way, you have no choice but to watch the live stream.]

[Never thought I'd be waiting for an unboxing live stream.]

[He's truly a top-tier streamer!]

[Seriously, where else can you find such a broadcast?]

[He's a broadcasting genius, isn't he?]

Viewers didn't hide their excitement.