Chapter 61
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Hearing
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In the vast and imposing conference hall of the National Assembly main building, a cold, tense silence hung heavily beneath the high ceiling.
The committee chairman's seat and the rows of lawmakers flanking him at the National Assembly's Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee hearing all wore stern expressions.
Committee Chairman Representative Park Sang-hyuk opened with a calm but razor-sharp voice.
"Vice President Lee Sang-min, what exactly is AmericaTV? Is it a gambling den or a broadcasting station?"
Vice President Lee Sang-min bowed his head with a cowed expression, answering haltingly.
"N-no, Representative. We are simply a legitimate broadcasting platform where viewers donate to streamers."
At that, another lawmaker, Representative Kim Tae-seok, slammed his desk and raised his voice.
"Donations? Is it normal for hundreds of millions of won to change hands in a single day through 'donations'? What do you think kids growing up watching that will make of it? Even elementary schoolers these days all want to become streamers. Does that make any sense to you?"
Vice President Lee kept his head bowed, groveling repeatedly with apologies.
"We are deeply sorry, Representative. We had no idea this would blow up like this. We will establish regulations as quickly as possible to eliminate the public's sense of deprivation."
Representative Kim Tae-seok only grew louder.
"It's the public's feelings of deprivation and relative poverty that are the problem. Do you think setting regulations is something that happens overnight? Is this the first time? Every time something like this erupts, you promise regulations, but what ever actually changes?"
The other lawmakers nodded vigorously in agreement.
Reporters seated in the back snapped photos nonstop, documenting the scene.
Hundreds of thousands of citizens were already watching the hearing, which was being broadcast live online.
In the end, Vice President Lee groveled and apologized over and over.
"We apologize, Representative, and to all citizens. To ensure this never happens again, we will drastically lower the daily recharge limit and the number of donation items that can be used per day. We will take firm action."
Chairman Park shot him a piercing glare as a final warning.
"This is AmericaTV's last chance. If you don't get it right, next time it won't end with just a hearing."
Finally hearing some straight talk from the National Assembly.
Isn't it embarrassing even to call a place like that a broadcast?
Watching the VP grovel like that is pretty satisfying lol
But isn't it all just a show in the end? AmericaTV pulls this every time—what ever changes?
The public felt a mix of satisfaction and skepticism about whether these measures would actually work.
With politicians always exploiting issues like this for elections, people weren't holding their breath.
In the end, AmericaTV urgently revised its platform policies after the hearing.
They lowered the daily recharge and donation caps.
This dealt a major blow to the internet broadcasting scene, which had been in an uproar, and created a societal mood that easy money-making schemes would no longer be tolerated.
The Korean national character was on full display: an unwillingness to easily accept others' success.
In truth, anyone given the chance to make big money that effortlessly wouldn't hesitate.
But those without that opportunity felt jealousy and deprivation toward others who succeeded more easily and quickly.
Ye-ji's case was a special outlier born from unique circumstances—not every internet broadcaster raked in massive income like that.
Yet the public refused to accept that fact.
If they couldn't succeed themselves, they chose to deny others the chance to shine.
If they couldn't make it, they had no qualms dragging others down and ruining them.
Thus, the extraordinary success of streamers like Ye-ji became targets for the blindly jealous.
After the issue blew up and controversy raged, the public's sense of deprivation and envy only deepened.
These emotions spread collectively, manifesting online as attacks and attempts to tear people down.
Korea's unique hypocrisy was laid bare once again.
As the fierce windfall battle between I'm the Boss and Coin King became a massive social issue, the National Tax Service and prosecutors turned their attention to the two.
The tax agency moved first.
They launched a tax audit to investigate the source of funds and tax payments for the pair who had poured hundreds of millions of won into streams in mere hours.
Coin King Jin-seong was already fully prepared, backed by his stable real estate corporation and competent tax accountant.
His funds' origins were clear, and his tax records spotless.
Jin-seong breezed through the audit without a hitch.
I'm the Boss Choi Hyo-seong, however, was a different story.
The more tax investigators dug into his money flows, the stranger things got.
No income verification whatsoever, massive cash movements, and opaque trails everywhere.
The tax agency handed the case to prosecutors for a full investigation.
The prosecutors acted swiftly.
A thorough probe into Choi Hyo-seong's funds soon uncovered evidence of illegal operations.
As the investigation intensified, his hidden crimes surfaced one by one, leading to his arrest and awaiting trial.
The news spread like wildfire.
AmericaTV Whale 'I'm the Boss' Arrested Over Unclear Fund Sources
Every media outlet rushed to report it under that headline.
The public criticized and condemned I'm the Boss for wielding broadcast power with dirty money, unlike Coin King whose funds were legit.
In the end, the man who tried to flaunt his power crumbled under his own excessive greed and reckless pride.
Once AmericaTV's top whale, he now languished in a dark cell, regretting his mistakes.
As the scandal escalated, AmericaTV's operator called Jin-seong directly. His phone buzzed.
"Hello?"
The voice was polite but tense.
"Hello, Coin King. This is AmericaTV Operations Team Head Lee Min-seok. I apologize deeply for interrupting you when you're busy, but the National Tax Service has requested your personal information for cooperation. Is that alright?"
Jin-seong smiled lightly.
"Sure, go ahead. I have nothing to hide anyway."
Head Lee Min-seok sighed in relief at Jin-seong's unexpectedly straightforward response.
Even he found dealing with Jin-seong intimidating.
Whales like him who dropped massive sums were key revenue sources for AmericaTV.
Offending him could mean huge losses for the platform.
"Thank you so much, Coin King. We wanted to help however we could, but this is a request from a government agency, so we have no choice but to share your info. We truly appreciate your understanding."
Jin-seong replied calmly.
"No problem. You must have it tough too, operator. Don't worry about me—I'm all good."
Shortly after hanging up, the tax agency contacted Jin-seong too.
The official politely but thoroughly requested documents on his fund flows and income proofs.
Jin-seong provided everything prepared via his real estate corp's expert tax accountant.
His income docs were impeccable, withholding and payments transparent.
Thanks to the prep, he sailed through the tax probe.
The investigators even praised his clean finances and transparent management.
This incident reaffirmed—not just on AmericaTV but publicly—that Coin King wasn't just rich, but legit.
Thus, Jin-seong brushed off the controversy aimed at him and returned to daily life.
Ye-ji decided to go on hiatus until the fuss fully died down.
She spent the time meeting friends and family she'd neglected amid streaming, enjoying some rare leisure.
With news and articles out, her circle and family learned about her broadcasting.
As expected, reactions varied.
Some acquaintances subtly asked to borrow money; others couldn't hide their envy.
Ye-ji felt inwardly disappointed watching them.
"Maybe I should try streaming too? Give me a push, yeah?"
To her casual acquaintance's words, Ye-ji smiled outwardly but smirked bitterly inside.
'Yeah, go ahead and try it for a hundred days. You think streaming's that easy? What do you know about my efforts and worries?'
Her acquaintances seemed to chalk it up to sheer luck.
Ignoring her hard work, they dismissed it as fortune.
That made Ye-ji's heart all the more bitter.
Meanwhile, her parents were initially shocked.
Thinking their daughter was diligently working at a Seoul company, learning via news that she was an internet streamer was a jolt.
But they set aside their initial worries and soon cheered her on sincerely.
"If it's what you love and it's legal, go for it. Just take care of your health and be cautious."
Their warm support was a huge comfort to Ye-ji.
Spending time with family after so long melted away the streaming stress.
But Ye-ji still had lingering worries.
Coin King.
Even on hiatus, she kept messaging him, but his replies were sporadic.
To her, Coin King was one of the biggest reasons she kept streaming.
He'd become more than just a whale—something special.
His indifference only made her pine more.
The usually confident, bubbly Ye-ji found her heart swaying with every word from him.
Why was he so distant?
Had he grown tired of her?
Alone, she spun endless scenarios, growing ever more anxious.
To her, Coin King was far beyond a mere viewer.
Ye-ji's feelings were sinking into deeper, more complex emotions.