Chapter 2

Chapter 001. In the Modern World (1)

“Damn, this is so frustrating.”

I run a history YouTube channel with about 200,000 subscribers. I make a decent profit from video production.

However, it seems my channel has recently been targeted, and every video I post is met with dislikes and reports.

-This Fangzi is claiming kimchi as their own again. Tsk tsk.

-Paochai and kimchi are clearly different dishes^^;

-Yeah~ Thieving country YouTuber~

These damn little pinkos have no idea how much of a nuisance their actions are to neighboring countries.

China?

Sure. I acknowledge the long history.

I acknowledge that the countries on Chinese soil were once the world's leading civilizations.

So what?

-The Korean Peninsula is a barbaric country that eats dog meat.

-The Zhuang people in Guangxi Province also have a dog meat festival... And historically, dog meat was commonly consumed in Korea and other parts of the world. In the old days, when food was scarce, there wasn't much difference between countries in Europe or China.

-Yeah~ Next thieving country citizen~

No, what the hell are these people doing, leaving such ridiculous comments on my YouTube videos?

-Korea, stop stealing Chinese culture!

-Korea has never stolen Chinese culture. On the contrary, I can list several entertainment formats that China has stolen without a patent?

For example, the hybrid drama 'Heirs from the Stars' is a disgrace to China, isn't it?

How else would a representative Korean entertainment PD complain, “Our format isn't that expensive. If you buy the official license, we can even provide feedback.”

-Really, Fangzi, you guys are something else. Compared to your claims about hanbok being Korean, this is nothing.

“Ah, really!”

It's good that they take pride in their country. I acknowledge that China is the world's second-largest country and a contender for hegemony.

So what!

Korea has also developed by imitating technology and art from other countries. While it's not something to be proud of that we, as latecomers, imitated the technology of the pioneers, at least we didn't insist we were the originators!

-The claim made by the commenter is incorrect.

While hanfu is a term that was hastily created and not well-defined, Korea's hanbok has detailed records. (Link) If you follow the link, you'll see that my statements are not just nationalistic.

If you truly love your country, consider how such actions and words negatively impact your country's image.

-LOL, look at the Fangzi getting mad LOL

-Anyway, the thieving country people have no conscience. That's why they were vassals of China for thousands of years.

Just hold on.

I have to hold on. I'm a YouTuber now. Although I get emotional over each video, I'm still a YouTuber. Even toxic viewers contribute to the view count. Just hold on...

Right now, they're...

Just waiting for me to get angry.

-Due to mealtime, I can't keep responding. I'll block you.

The microwave reminded me it was time to eat, so I had to have a meal first.

Koreans live on their stomachs, don't they?

After eating, I sat back at my keyboard to properly educate the Chinese about history, but...

“@#$%&*!!”

That day, my keyboard had to be replaced again.

***

My name is Kim Seungho.

I am 23 years old.

Not long ago, the history YouTube channel I started as a hobby while working at a company became a hit thanks to the algorithm, and I recently became a full-time YouTuber.

While it's impossible to turn back time, if I could turn back time in my life just once, I would have entered the history department. I loved history that much, but when I entered university, I had to consider employment, so I chose an engineering college based on my grades.

“If I had just gone to the history department back then, I could have stayed in Seoul.”

At the time, I had no idea my life would turn out this way.

The standard of failure can vary depending on who you compare yourself to, but in my opinion, my life is as good as over.

After my mother passed away from cancer, my father raised me alone without remarrying.

When I was young, I complained about not getting much pocket money and not being able to wear the same clothes as my friends, but that was all.

Living a middle-class life in Seoul is never easy.

My father loved my mother deeply and refused to remarry, but the medical bills for her treatment were too much for our family, which only had one apartment. After she passed away, we had to move from our home to a rented apartment.

Knowing how much my father missed and loved my mother, I should have matured earlier, but the job market was tough.

To make matters worse, my father suffered a stroke, and right after my military service, I had to pay for his medical bills with the money from the rental deposit. Only then did I realize how hard he had worked to save my mother.

I had to say goodbye to my father in such a short time.

“Family is something you never want to lose... sigh.”

My father eventually passed away due to complications, never regaining consciousness.

At the age of 23, I became an orphan. My relatives on both sides helped with my father's funeral, but that was all.

In this harsh world, where even supporting one's own family is difficult, how many people would take care of a grown-up nephew?

Still, my father's efforts to save him were recognized, and through my uncle's introduction, I got a job at a cement factory in Seoul. One of the history videos I posted as a hobby went viral.

That's how I tasted the sweetness of YouTube and became a full-time YouTuber.

While editing a video, I received a call from Mr. Cho, a section chief I knew from my previous company.

“Hello, Mr. Cho. How are you?”

“Haha... I've been busy...”

“Yes, hehe.”

“Nowadays, it's easy for everyone to access platforms like this. I just enjoy history as a hobby, so I search and create content.”

Mr. Cho, my first subscriber, is a great person. He's well-built and has a strong constitution.

‘He still invites me for drinks, knowing he'll get in trouble with his wife. Are men really just living for today?’

He just turned 50, and he'll retire in a few years, but he was the one who helped me get a job at the cement factory where my father once worked.

Mr. Cho, with his slow, relaxed accent from Chungcheong Province, seemed disappointed when I avoided a drinking session, citing video editing, but promised to meet again.

“Hehe... I'll treat you later.”

“I heard there are many Chinese workers on the construction site, and even the foremen can't handle them.”

“If only we could move the entire Korean Peninsula to a new location, how great would that be?”

“Haha... How could we move the entire Korean Peninsula?”

There is a novel with a similar premise. A story where the southern part of the Korean Peninsula travels back to the height of World War II and becomes a hegemonic power.

It seems the workers on the construction site are very talkative these days, and there was another fight in the redevelopment area.

I don't have much to do with the site, but it must be a headache for Mr. Park, who works in sales.

I'll finish editing first.

‘And I need to edit the video that got taken down yesterday and bring it back to life.

I only posted facts based on research, so why did they report it and get it deleted immediately? Is this an American company or a Chinese company?’

***

Sitting down with my almost only tangible asset, a laptop, in a one-room apartment with a two-year lease, I booted it up.

“But where do I start...”

The deleted YouTube video was about the life of Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, is a very special figure for the Chinese.

He was a Han Chinese emperor who established the last Han Chinese empire, rising from humble beginnings to rule the world.

He initiated the literary inquisition, purged many meritorious officials, and deleted all the talents that future emperors could use, but he also strengthened the emperor's authority.

He dismantled the traditional system of emperors and prime ministers, centralizing power in the hands of the emperor and creating various bad practices through the literary inquisition.

“Ugh... I wouldn't want him as a boss. If Sejong the Great is someone you wouldn't want as a boss due to his Crunchy culture, Zhu Yuanzhang is someone who would cut your head off for a single word or character.”

Sometimes people claim Zhu Yuanzhang was Korean, but that's ridiculous. I don't want to get entangled with China.

History is a reference for us living in the present, a way to clearly define our roots, not something to claim as our own just because we say it is.

Honestly, I make videos with this motto, but lately, these little pinkos have been leaving fluent Korean comments and reporting my videos, causing my anger to rise.

“Still, what can I do as a YouTuber? I have to follow what YouTube says...”

So, I removed the parts that were criticized in the comments, edited the video using editing software, and modified the thumbnail to avoid drawing attention. After about three hours of work, I re-uploaded it.

“...Do these guys have nothing better to do?”

-LOL, look, the Ming Taizu video is back up.

-A Korean YouTuber is trying to steal Chinese culture!

These guys clearly haven't watched the video. The comments they leave are completely unrelated, mentioning hanfu, Duanwu, and Confucius.

Suddenly, I remembered what Mr. Cho said and, without thinking, left an emotional comment.

-Ask any Korean passerby. If they could move, they wouldn't want to be next to the Ming Dynasty.

Your great ancestors must be sad to have descendants like you.

As soon as I posted the comment and refreshed the page with F5, mocking and sarcastic replies appeared.

Among them, a comment with an interesting username caught my eye.

I liked the comment from a seemingly conscientious Chinese person and clicked the like button. When I refreshed the page again, I saw a reply to the comment.

“America is great...”

I chuckled, pinned the comment from the viewer 'IamMonthly', and turned off the computer.

***

After Kim Seungho fell asleep, his laptop suddenly sparked. After a bright light enveloped Kim Seungho and faded, he was gone.