The Divine Genius’s Game Broadcasting Chapter 174

Episode 174 – Fate (2)

Yang Gyu-ri tilted her head from side to side at the sudden phone call.

'Mr. Baek? Who is Mr. Baek?'

It was an unfamiliar number, but the name was saved. That meant at least he wasn't someone to ignore.

So she answered the phone. Then she asked who the person was and waited for an answer.

<Oh, sorry for the suddenness. I don't know if you remember, but a long time ago I made a scout offer to Kyungbok… …>

Finally, when the word 'scout' came out from the other person, her eyes widened.

“Ah! Mr. Baek!”

Memories came flooding back with him.

The first meeting between Yang Gyu-ri and Baek Kang-min was not a good one. It was at the funeral of her stepmother, Lee Gyeong-bok's grandmother.

'Why are you leaving so early! I haven't even been able to repay your kindness… …!'

Although she was her stepmother, she was like a real family to her. No, she was better than her real blood relatives.

He saved her from being possessed by Heo Ju and living like an animal, and he was like a parent who gave her life.

But wearing black mourning clothes, she swallowed her sorrow. She could not possibly show it on the outside.

‘Oh my, how could I leave that little one alone… …!’

Since he had no children, his grandson Lee Gyeong-bok was the chief mourner. Following his parents and grandmother, Lee Gyeong-bok now had no blood relatives left.

If it were him, he would have lost his mind. Nevertheless, as the chief mourner, Lee Gyeong-bok expressed his gratitude to each and every visitor.

How can you show tears when the person who should be the saddest doesn't shed any?

“Aunt?”

“Ah. This way, come this way.”

Moreover, there was not much time to grieve.

As the grandmother was a powerful shaman, the number of mourners was considerable. Thanks to her, people who avoided great misfortune and received grace came from all over.

Actually, there weren't many visitors related to Lee Gyeong-bok. He was very selective with whom he associated, so he didn't have many friends.

'Why did it have to be when I was in the military… … '

Lee Kyung-bok was serving in the military at the time. The leave given to him, who had lost his last remaining family member, was exactly three days.

'But I'm glad I have friends… '

Yang Gyu-ri's gaze turned to her young friends at the funeral.

“You said Byeong-Hoon? Thank you so much.”

“No, of course I should help you.”

Choi Byeong-hun scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile. His hair was also short, just like Lee Gyeong-bok's.

This was because the two chose to enlist together.

Lee Kyung-bok said it was okay, but Choi Byeong-hun decided to use the vacation he had been saving up without hesitation as soon as he heard the bad news.

“Juho? Are you Juho? Should I bring you something to drink?”

“Oh, it’s okay.”

Park Joo-ho politely nodded. Yang Gyu-ri turned around and heard their conversation from behind.

“Hey, you said it’s the finals? Are you really not going?”

“Is the test important right now?”

“Didn’t Kyungbok tell you to go?”

“Who told you to take a vacation?”

“No, you can just use your vacation days. What about your scholarship?”

“… … Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it.”

At that time, Park Joo-ho was still a college student. Even though it was an exam period, he kept his position without any hesitation.

The two friends had often visited her during their school days, so she was familiar with her, but there were also acquaintances of Lee Kyung-bok's that she did not know well.

“Teacher, I really… … thank you.”

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about anything else.”

He was Baek Kang-min.

'Are you your high school teacher?'

At first, I thought he was my high school teacher. But strangely, he only talked to Lee Kyung-bok and didn't talk to the other two friends.

Then she asked her two friends a question.

“Oh, no. He’s not a school teacher, he’s an e-sports coach.”

“Esports?”

“Yes. Kyungbok used to come to school to scout… … and he came here too.”

Yang Gyu-ri frowned at that answer.

'Is that kid trying to harm me when I'm having a hard time?'

People are easily shaken when their physical and mental health is weak. Now, Lee Kyung-bok is serving in the military and attending his grandmother's funeral, so isn't it difficult for both of them?

So she would occasionally turn on the twin lights and watch Baek Kang-min. This was to protect Lee Gyeong-bok if he showed any dark intentions.

'Why is that guy at the base…?'

But during the three-day market, she had no choice but to change her mind.

Although Baek Kang-min was often away from his post because of his work, he came every day to help.

Even at the funeral, he was there to help carry the casket, along with Choi Byeong-hun and Park Joo-ho.

As the funeral was about to end, Baek Kang-min came to her first.

“Hello. I’m sorry for the late greetings, I was out of my mind. Are you Kyungbok’s guardian?”

He said, handing over his business card.

“Please feel free to contact me anytime if you need any assistance.”

“… …Why are you doing this?”

"yes?"

Yang Gyu-ri asked directly.

“I heard that Kyungbok wanted to take you? Is that why you did that?”

As a guardian, she couldn't help but have some suspicions. Rather, she thought it would be better to ask openly and let her know that she was on guard.

“I’ve seen a lot of ugly things while doing this job.”

Baek Kang-min didn't care about that kind of attitude.

“They are really talented and bright-faced people who can bring glory to our country. But they often get frustrated because of external reasons.”

He glanced away.

All I could see was Lee Kyung-bok blankly staring at the sky.

“I dare say that Kyungbok is by far the best kid I’ve ever seen. He might just create an unprecedented legend in this industry.”

Two friends approached him.

Lee Kyung-bok sat down as if he had been granted a break.

“I didn’t recommend it because I was worried about his health. But someday, his talent will blossom again. So I hope Kyungbok doesn’t give up.”

Lee Kyung-bok lowered his head. His shoulders began to tremble.

The two friends sat down next to him, doing nothing but letting him know that he was not alone.

Just kept my place.

“… … And isn’t this what adults should do?”

“Are you an adult?”

“Even though he’s grown enough to go to the military, it’s too early to say goodbye to his family. If you didn’t know, you wouldn’t know, but if you did, it would be natural to help.”

Baek Kang-min turned his gaze back to Yang Gyu-ri. The wariness on her face had gradually faded.

At this he smiled faintly.

“And actually, this isn’t the first time.”

"yes?"

“Kyungbok helped me when my parents passed away. If you helped me once, how could you help me a second time?”

Yang Gyu-ri's eyes widened at those words. It was before Lee Gyeong-bok was taken in by her grandmother when her parents were still alive.

“Then, please take good care of Gyeongbok.”

As soon as Baek Kang-min tried to leave, she urgently grabbed him.

And he bowed his head deeply.

“Excuse me. And thank you very much.”

She apologized and thanked him, and gave Baek Kang-min her number.

“If it’s fate, we will meet again.”

That was my last memory of him.

'My late mother said, 'Inyeon (因緣) can be written with person (人) and Yeon (緣),' and that is exactly what she said.'

Yang Gyu-ri let out a sigh once again.

She answered after hearing Baek Kang-min's explanation.

“Then I will give this number to Gyeongbok.”

But that connection wasn't hers. She was just a go-between.

It was up to Lee Kyung-bok to decide whether to continue this relationship or leave it as is.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lee Kyung-bok and his friends were in the middle of a meeting.

“Then, for the time being, the content will proceed as a merger of Purge Day.”

Lee Kyung-bok nodded at Park Joo-ho’s explanation.

“I think it might end when I raise the tier to Platinum. If I do it for too long, it might get boring.”

“As if it’s that easy to get a flag… … ”

Choi Byeong-hun muttered and shook his head next to him. Park Joo-ho drew attention by lightly snapping his fingers to make a sound.

“Then I guess I’ll just finish up with this for today.”

He then showed me the materials he had prepared. It was a list of prices from professional translation companies and freelance translators.

“As you can see, the price range for broadcast script translation is around this level.”

It was necessary to hire a translator to provide dubbed videos for the YouTube membership.

“When did you research all this? You didn’t rest even though it was a break?”

“It’s just a day off for the broadcast, not my day off.”

Park Joo-ho answered Lee Kyung-bok's question while adjusting his glasses.

“Wow, there’s definitely a big price difference between companies and freelancers.”

“There are some price differences depending on the company. But it usually comes down to around 20,000 to 30,000 won per minute.”

“Freelancers calculate by the word? Is 100 won per word cheap?”

“There’s also a price per minute next to it. Freelancers get 10,000 won per minute? That’s about half.”

Choi Byeong-hun briefly clicked his tongue after looking through the data.

“Oh, but as Kyungbok said in the group chat, translation is important, but it also takes some sense, right?”

“Well, in that sense, you could say that the company lacks expertise.”

“That doesn’t mean that being a freelancer is better. We’re not just going to have a membership for a short while.”

Lee Kyung-bok also agreed.

“That’s right. So, I think it would feel a bit different if the translator changed in the middle.”

“That’s true, and this isn’t something to brag about. I used to be a freelancer, right? I often took on multiple jobs at the same time instead of just one. To be honest, it’s hard to pay 100% attention to it.”

“Then there might be issues with quality or deadlines. If we are to consider responsibility and sincerity, the company would be better.”

Both sides had their pros and cons.

Lee Kyung-bok turned his eyes.

“What about the method that Mr. Ikle talked about?”

“I was just about to ask that.”

Park Joo-ho said that and brought up new data.

“I’ve already created a job posting, but is this okay?”

“Huh, I guess it’s because I ate some ink that the food comes out right away.”

When Choi Byeong-hun was satisfied with the speed of the work, Park Joo-ho glared.

“Who uses the word ink these days?”

“No, electronic ink is just ink anyway!”

Lee Kyung-bok looked at the notice with a smile while watching the two friends bicker. There was nothing particularly problematic.

“I think it would be good to recruit subscribers if you have enough skills. For now, let’s leave companies and freelancers as the next best option.”

But still, there was a need to be cautious.

“But since outsiders are coming in besides us, it’s better to do a thorough verification.”

The new translator was going to be a full-time employee. However, since he was a stranger I wasn't familiar with, I had to be picky.

“Hey, what are you worried about when you have a human judge?”

“Well, that’s true. Oh, and I’m also planning on designing a membership badge. Can I ask the emoticon artist I used to work with to do it?”

“Ah, that’s better. You’re doing a good job, so there’s no reason to change.”

Lee Kyung-bok answered readily and smiled.

“Hey… … I feel like I’m really the boss since you’re hiring new employees besides us.”

“It definitely feels like a turning point.”

“I can see our company growing, I can see it!”

When Choi Byeong-hun said playfully, the three friends each burst into laughter.

At that moment, Lee Kyung-bok's smart link vibrated.

“Oh, it’s your aunt. Just a moment.”

“For now, the important agenda is finished.”

“Have a nice conversation.”

Lee Kyung-bok stepped aside for a moment to answer the phone.

“Yes? Teacher?”

After hearing the situation from Yang Gyu-ri, he immediately called the number she had given him.

<Yes, hello.>

It was a voice I hadn't heard in a long time.

It was a little thicker than before, but it felt familiar.

“Teacher. This is Gyeongbok.”

<Ah!>

Lee Gyeong-bok smiled at the sighs heard over the phone and the joy behind them.

“How have you been?”

<Yeah, yeah. How have you been?>

“Yes, yes. Oh, I’m sorry. Come to think of it, I changed my number but I didn’t contact you… … ”

<No, I haven't been able to contact you for a while. Thanks for contacting me again.>

“Yes. But what happened…?”

<Ah, that's… … >

Baek Kang-min hesitated for a moment and then spoke.

<There's someone our player is looking for. Purple, maybe… … >

Lee Kyung-bok wasn't surprised when the name Purple came out of his mouth.

'I knew you'd find out somehow, but it's faster than I thought.'

Because I expected that Baek Kang-min would notice while talking to the elephant.

No, rather, I hope you understand a little bit.

'Even though I'm not a pro gamer, I'm still doing well.'

Baek Kang-min supported him even though he rejected the scout. He was more like a mentor to him than the school teachers who taught him during his school days.

That's why I wanted to show that I was successful.

“Yes, that’s right.”

To this he answered obediently.

<Wow! Awesome! Awesome!>

At the same time, there was a brief commotion on the other end of the line. It was clearly Elephant.

<Oh, I'm sorry. There's that guy next to me.>

At this, Baek Kang-min quickly added his words as if he was flustered. Lee Gyeong-bok let out a faint smile at this.

“No, it’s okay. But why are you looking for me… … ?”

<This friend said he really wanted to meet me just once.>

Baek Kang-min continued speaking with a hollow laugh.

<And even if it wasn't a friend request, I think it would be nice to see your face at least for the first time in a while.>

“Oh, yes yes.”

Lee Kyung-bok rolled his eyes for a moment.

His spirit was silent as if there was no problem.

“Then I will come see you when you have time.”

<Oh, yeah! Thank you, really.>

“No, I’ll see you later then.”

Lee Kyung-bok ended the call and returned to his friends. He then relayed the situation.

“Oh? Really? Wow, this is awesome.”

“I was really out of my mind at the time, but I was really grateful for the help.”

“So I wanted to come and see you sometime.”

Friends also remembered Baek Kang-min.

“A favor must be repaid.”

That was the human way.