Chapter 85
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Support for Mid-to-Long-Term Content
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"Ah... I'm so bored I'm gonna die."
I muttered while sprawled out on the sofa.
This was the feeling I always got after finishing my daily routine.
Unless something special happened,
it was hard to break free from the same old routine every day.
Honestly, there was no thrill anymore.
Boredom had become my everyday life.
It had been quite a while since I took a break from dating.
The word "dating" would pop into my head now and then,
but imagining actually doing it felt too bothersome.
Of course, there had been women I'd gone through during that time.
But they all followed a similar pattern—meeting up,
and eventually, I'd be the one telling them to get lost before it ended.
By nature, I couldn't stand people interfering and telling me what to do.
It was ridiculous seeing grown adults nagging and controlling like teachers to students.
Yet, hilariously, most of the women I'd dated so far had done exactly that.
Of course, I'm not generalizing, but the statistics from my big data of experiences were clear.
So, even if we dated for a while,
a light relationship was what suited me best.
Honestly, as long as a guy had money, casually seeing multiple women without strings attached was the most stress-free way.
Marriage? Eh.
I hadn't thought about it at all yet.
I'd lived long enough to know better than anyone how low the odds were of meeting a truly great woman.
"Just living comfortably alone is the best, right?"
I sank deep into the plush sofa
and stared at the ceiling.
My life was plenty comfortable, and being alone was actually easier on me.
Every time these thoughts hit, I understood less and less why people bothered with the hassle of dating or marriage.
Come to think of it, that's probably why I watched internet broadcasts.
I didn't have to do anything bothersome myself;
just pay up, and I could exchange emotions with someone on the screen.
That level was perfect for me.
That's exactly what my relationship with Yeji was like.
Exchanging sweet nothings through the screen at just the right distance, without getting too deep.
Actually, I'd known for a while that Yeji was curious about me.
With all the women I'd been with, how could she not know?
If anything, having money as the medium between us, making a woman this curious and desperately gaze at me—it was secretly fun.
Maintaining a mysterious aura, keeping her just out of reach sometimes, was its own pleasure.
Was it because Yeji was young? Her actions and speech screamed curiosity about me.
It was amusing watching her get flustered and swept up by every word or action of mine.
To the point where it felt a bit sadistic.
Anyway, we'd meet someday, and when that time came, we'd definitely sleep together—I had no doubt.
But the issue was the timing.
I still wasn't sure when would be the best time to meet.
I didn't even live in Seoul, so meeting in person wasn't easy.
But judging by Yeji's reactions, if I called, she'd drop everything and come right away.
"Hmm... Should I see her once the house is finished?"
By then, it'd be just shy of a year since I first learned about her.
She'd be plenty fired up for me by that point.
Thinking about it made the corners of my mouth curl up.
A few weeks ago, Ji-ming finally got my number from Yeji at a drinking party she set up.
Since then, we'd been messaging back and forth occasionally.
She'd send recordings from her vocal lessons, and every time, her skills had noticeably improved from before.
Today, I was tuned into Ji-ming's broadcast as well.
Ji-ming on screen was her usual cute and affectionate self, chatting with fans and singing.
Her technique had grown much more refined since the first time I heard her, and it was pleasant and easy on the ears.
But the problem was the content itself.
With just chatting and singing as the basics,
no matter how well she did it, it felt a bit boring after a while.
"Hmm... Yeah, it's definitely getting dull.
Isn't there any fun content?"
I muttered to myself while staring at the screen.
Ji-ming had gained more fans and viewers because of me, but
to climb higher, she clearly needed to collab with major streamers or come up with unique virtual-style content.
Ji-ming had seriously consulted me about this not long ago.
But since I wasn't a broadcaster,
I had no idea what viewers really liked.
Meanwhile, Ji-ming finished her song,
and the chat was flooding with fans' admiration.
"Kugh~ Ji-ming's singing is the best as always!"
"She killed it again today;"
Ji-ming beamed proudly at the screen and said,
"Really? It was good? Phew, glad to hear it!"
Seeing her bright smile on screen,
I couldn't help but smile a little myself.
'What would be good... Any special content a virtual could do?'
I rested my chin on my hand and sank into deep thought, eyes on the screen again.
Seeing Ji-ming finish her song and start chatting with fans, I casually typed in the chat.
— Ji-ming, got any content you wanna do?
Your streams feel kinda boring lately,
so how about planning something immersive?
I'll cover all the prize money and production costs.
Ji-ming, who was reading the chat, suddenly jumped in surprise
and looked my way through the screen.
"Chairman! You're really gonna sponsor the prizes?! For real?"
AmericaTV pumped out countless contents every day.
From StarCraft, LoL CK, Mark servers, to PUBG tournaments,
they never stopped, but standout, attention-grabbing ones were fewer than you'd think.
So, I wanted something more solid and fresh.
I typed in the chat again.
— Yeah, come up with something fun.
If you need guests or whatever, just tell me.
I'll bring 'em in.
Plan whatever you wanna do and run it by me casually.
Hearing me, Ji-ming looked deeply touched on screen, her voice thrilled.
"As expected of the Chairman...
I can really do what I want?"
I smiled and quickly typed back.
— Yep, whip up a few plans and send 'em my way.
I'll give feedback on the fun ones.
As soon as I finished, the fans in chat got hyped too.
— Whoa, Chairman aura...
— How much prize money you thinking?
One fan asked, and I replied nonchalantly.
— How's a million? Use it for prizes or production, up to you lol.
The chat exploded in speed instantly.
— A million's 100 million won, right? Whoa
— Isn't this the biggest prize in any content ever?
— Majors would jump on this. Insane
Ji-ming looked shocked and excited as she spoke to me again.
"Chairman! I'll put together some killer plans and send them over!
Thank you so much for always looking out for me like this!"
Watching Ji-ming so happy,
I felt pretty good myself.
I had a feeling this small exchange—between Ji-ming and her fans, who weren't big deals yet, and me—would spark something huge down the line.
Even after the broadcast ended, Ji-ming pondered for a long time.
With the Chairman promising direct support,
her options had widened, but that brought even more pressure.
Her fans had grown since before,
but she was still far from a mainstream AmericaTV streamer.
She needed content that would properly put her on the map without wasting this chance.
"Hmm... One-offs feel too wasteful. Not enough impact either..."
Ji-ming kept mumbling as she thought.
The Chairman had told her to do what she really wanted,
but she had no clue what that should be.
Truth was, she wasn't great at games.
Game content was out with her skills lacking,
and she didn't even have the eye for it to cast properly.
All she could confidently do was sing and dance.
But as a virtual streamer, even that had limits she couldn't show on a real stage.
"Excluding one-offs, something I do well and want..."
Ji-ming recalled her long years as an idol trainee.
And suddenly, it hit her—she had no standout skill from all that time.
'I'm really someone with nothing special.'
Just as bitterness welled up,
a clear idea flashed in her mind.
"Oh? Idol...!"
Ji-ming's face lit up.
She'd gone through weekly evaluations as a trainee.
What if she broadcast that process?
And more importantly, achieve the idol dream she couldn't in reality—as a virtual idol.
A concept like "AmericaTV's first virtual idol group"—from member recruitment, auditions, eliminations,
to final debut—could sustain mid-to-long-term content.
Showing the raw debut process of idol trainees that most people didn't know
would definitely draw interest, she thought.
Plus, it could stir up a fresh wave in the still-small virtual streaming scene.
"Yes, this is it...!"
Her heart pounded.
If this worked, she could finally show the idol side she'd dreamed of for so long,
and etch her name into more people's minds.
She immediately grabbed a notebook and started fleshing out her idea in detail.
In that moment, she was already taking her first step toward the stage in her head.