Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Becoming a Partner Streamer
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I gazed at the people entering the conference room.
It was a group of two men and one woman.
I stood up and greeted them.
"Hello."
It was more polite than I expected.
There was a reason I was showing such courtesy to them.
The place I was in right now was Express Korea.
And they were Express Korea employees.
In simple terms, I was visiting the Express Korean branch. That was why I wasn't greeting them casually.
Of course, they responded with equal politeness.
"It's an honor to meet you like this."
"Wow, you look even more handsome in person!"
The initial atmosphere was better than expected.
It had to be that way.
I wasn't here because I'd done something wrong and been dragged to Express Korea.
Today, I was here to sign an official partner contract.
If the contract went through smoothly, I'd become an Express partner streamer. Naturally, the mood was upbeat.
Soon, we sat down facing each other.
"Nice to meet you again, Jae-ho."
"No, the pleasure is mine."
In truth, I'd met them once before. Back when I was Ma-sam's manager.
But they didn't seem to remember that.
'I was just some manager back then.'
Of course, it didn't matter. In fact, I could even use it to my advantage.
'I'd seen quite a bit from behind the scenes back then.'
Anyway, we sat and exchanged some light chatter.
"Do you know what this is, Jae-ho?"
"What do you mean...?"
"This partner contract is the fastest one in Express history."
"Pardon?"
"It means you're the streamer who signed with us the quickest after debuting."
"Ah..."
I was a little surprised.
Even I thought Express had approached me pretty fast. Ma-sam had taken a full two years, after all. I hadn't realized I was number one.
Of course, this would only go down in the records if the contract went through smoothly today.
'If the deal falls through, the fastest contract record vanishes too.'
Maybe that's why they brought it up. It might increase the chances of me signing on the dotted line.
I thought for a moment, then said something I didn't really mean.
"What an honor."
"Haha, no. The honor is ours. Getting to contract with someone as amazing as you."
Still, the staff were more humble than I'd expected.
I gave them a slightly puzzled look.
'Why are they acting like this?'
If this were the Earth I remembered, I'd understand. There were countless live streaming platforms there.
But in this world, Express was the undisputed king. Especially in live streaming—no one could touch them.
'They could afford to act a bit arrogant...'
I was a bit puzzled but let it slide for now and kept chatting with them.
"I'm a big fan of yours, Jae-ho!"
"Ah, thank you."
"For real! I watch your streams every day."
She seemed sincere. The female staffer's eyes sparkled as she looked at me.
It was surprising.
I hadn't expected to have a fan among the Express staff.
"So... out of Heyni and An Young, who do you find more attractive?"
"Hey! What kind of question is that to ask a guest?"
"Ah! S-sorry."
The woman who asked bowed her head immediately. She knew she'd crossed a line.
I brushed it off coolly. I'd gotten that question countless times already; I was used to it.
Anyway, we'd had enough small talk.
It was time to get down to the contract.
"Ahem, shall we move on to the contract details then?"
"Yes."
"Got it. Here's the contract."
They handed me a multi-page contract. Signing it would make me an official Express partner streamer.
"Before that, could you explain it in detail? What benefits do I get as a partner streamer?"
"Of course. We'll go over everything."
They were pros at this, explaining it all in thorough detail.
"First, let's talk revenue generation."
In short, I'd gain access to subscriptions, ad revenue, custom emotes, chat bots, 120-day VOD storage, a monthly 2 million won content support fund, and more. A ton of perks.
The subscription and ad revenue appealed to me most.
More money, plain and simple. What streamer wouldn't like that?
I nodded along as they explained. Most of the benefits sounded great.
Of course, no contract was all upside. Where there were perks, there were restrictions too.
"In exchange, you can't stream on any other live platforms going forward."
"Yeah, that's obvious."
Everyone knew that. I did too. Besides, I had no plans to stream elsewhere.
'Nowhere as big and solid as Express.'
But they hit me with something I hadn't considered.
"Also... just so you know, no Newtube live streams either."
"Pardon? Newtube live streams?"
"Yes..."
This world had Newtube too. It was mostly like the one from my old world.
But there was one difference.
Newtube had entered the live streaming market pretty late.
Probably because Express had the market locked down.
'Ah, so that's why.'
It clicked for me in that moment.
They were way too humble. And now I knew the reason.
'They're trying to keep Newtube out of the live market.'
Once I figured it out, I relaxed.
Fortunately, it had nothing to do with me.
Newtube live?
Great if I could, but no big deal if not.
I didn't even have a Newtube channel yet.
No channel, no live plans.
Still, I wasn't about to sign easily.
Contracts needed caution. And I wanted the best terms possible.
I tossed out a line I didn't mean.
"Hmm... It's all good, but the Newtube live ban is a bit..."
"We know plenty of streamers hesitate over that. But headquarters has issued strict guidelines, so we're powerless."
The man bowed his head apologetically. He looked genuinely sorry.
For a second, I wavered. His expression was that convincing.
Lots of streamers had probably signed because of it.
But I held firm. I hadn't gotten what I really wanted yet.
'Sneaky pros.'
Maybe it was all an act.
No, it probably was. He had tons of experience with this.
In a way, I was up against a contract master.
"Ahem, if headquarters insists that much, no choice then."
"Oh, so everything else is fine...?"
"Not quite."
"Ah..."
Express HQ didn't control everything. Express Korea had plenty of leeway.
Contracts included.
I'd seen it when Ma-sam signed. He'd gotten a lot out of them.
'He threw a massive fit back then.'
And surprisingly, it worked.
'Ma-sam was hot stuff from a big corp at the time.'
He'd haggled like a cheapskate, but it paid off big.
I wasn't planning to throw a tantrum like Ma-sam.
I just calmly spoke up.
"Well then, since I can't do Newtube lives, how about compensating me elsewhere?"
"Pardon? Where...?"
"Subscription and ad revenue shares. Could you bump those up a bit?"
"Ah, sorry, but those are fixed by HQ guidelines..."
"Come on. I saw everything when I was Ma-sam's manager."
They pulled out the HQ shield again. Like it was their ultimate weapon.
But it didn't faze me. I'd seen exceptions before.
"Pardon? Streamer Ma-sam?"
"Yes. You know I was his manager, right? I saw it all from behind the scenes. They adjusted his revenue shares."
"W-well... haha..."
For the first time, the man in front of me looked flustered. I'd hit a nerve.
'Can't let my guard down.'
If I'd just gone along, I'd have missed out. Had to grab everything I could.
So I haggled with the staff over revenue terms.
And we reached a satisfying compromise.
"A-alright, we'll increase your subscription revenue by 10 percent."
"Thank you."
Originally, subs were split 50-50.
Now it was 60-40 in my favor. A solid win.
I signed the contract with a satisfied smile.
Lucky for me Newtube jumped into lives. Otherwise, no way this deal happens.
'Snagged 10 percent right out the gate?'
Only possible because I'm the fastest-rising rookie.
And I'll grow even more. Become a mega-corp, crack the top five.
'Then I can negotiate even better terms.'
Or what if I hit number one in Korea?
Not just top five, but undisputed number one?
'Might get all the sub and ad revenue. Or a fat signing bonus.'
Suddenly, I had a goal.
A huge one.
But it felt weird.
Confidence was surging for no reason.
Maybe baseless.
But somehow, it felt possible.
The feeling was crystal clear.