Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Is the Author Omnipotent?
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Two days later.
The sound director came by.
"I'm Kim Dae-sik."
"I'm Jeong Tae-seong."
Seeing sound director Kim Dae-sik, the words "manly guy" naturally came to mind.
Broad shoulders, thick forearms, and tanned skin to boot.
He got down to business with Kim Dae-sik, the epitome of a rugged man.
"This is the overall concept for the shoot."
He showed sketches of the overall composition and concept for the filming.
"As you can see, the key parts of this episode are the cooking..."
"And the eating scenes, right?"
"Exactly."
"For the cooking, we should maximize the frying sounds. And for eating, focus on the crunch of the chicken breaking apart."
Tae-seong smiled as Kim Dae-sik shared his thoughts.
He was nailing exactly what he wanted.
"That's precisely what I'm after."
"Then I'll get right to work preparing."
It was a bit puzzling.
Why was a guy like this taking a break?
Sound directors were freelancers.
Sometimes they handled one project at a time, but often juggled multiple.
Someone this skilled should have work lined up nonstop.
But he soon figured out why.
"Let's record that one more time."
"Sure."
At Kim Dae-sik's request, they re-did the frying scene.
Sizzle—!
The battered chicken hit the oil bath.
The sound alone was enough to lift spirits as it echoed out.
Thud—!
Then an off sound rang out.
He turned to see one of the actors bump a prop while moving.
"Whew... Let's do it again."
Kim Dae-sik promptly removed his headset.
'Perfectionist, huh.'
Tae-seong immediately pegged Kim Dae-sik's type.
Perfectionist.
The kind who pursued flawlessness in his work.
The issue was that in typical video production, conditions rarely allowed for multiple retakes just for sound.
'Must've caused a lot of friction.'
He could tell without asking.
That personality was bound to stir up trouble.
'Doesn't matter to me, though.'
If he was a perfectionist, just work around it.
Especially with food as the theme, a thorough sound director was ideal.
'As long as the final product is good.'
Tae-seong prepared for the retake.
* * *
The results were satisfying.
It felt like the chicken was frying right in front of you.
The eating scenes turned out great too.
Thanks to the actors chowing down until their jaws hurt.
-Crunch!
-Crunch crunch!
The sounds blasting from the speakers made it feel like you were eating it yourself.
'Want some chicken.'
'Chicken cravings hitting hard.'
'Is that PPL? Which chicken is it?'
Viewers of episode 3 all thought the same.
And when the video ended.
They were all firing up delivery apps.
That day.
Chicken sales spiked nationwide.
* * *
Tae-seong was at a pub.
Having a casual team dinner with drinks alongside the filming crew.
"Man—! During that last shoot, I was dying for chicken."
"Same here. Director, where'd you learn to cook like that?"
"Just picked it up as a hobby a while back."
"To that level as a hobby? Impressive."
"Not just cooking? Writes novels, draws comics, acts, and now directing. What can't you do?"
Tae-seong smiled at the staffer's words.
He couldn't very well say, 'I've reincarnated 999 times!'
"Puha! This beer's good. Another 500ml here!"
"Take it easy."
Kim Dae-sik downed a 500ml draft in no time.
Oh Young-tae commented on the pace.
"Drink on a good day!"
Kim Dae-sik laughed heartily and turned to Tae-seong.
"Director! Truth is, when this guy first approached me, I hesitated a lot."
"What're you on about now?"
"Hold on."
Grabbing Oh Young-tae's shoulder to silence him, Kim Dae-sik continued.
"I've been on countless sets, but nowhere listens to the sound director. But you were different, Director! You get how crucial sound is."
"Couldn't agree more. People sense the world through five senses. Video only uses two: sight and sound. So visuals alone can't cut it."
"Exactly! That's what I wanted to say! You get it, Director! Call me anytime you need a sound guy—I'll come running!"
"Thanks."
Kim Dae-sik, who would later be hailed as a genius sound director.
This was the day he joined Tae-seong's team.
* * *
Otherworld Chef web drama.
At first, many were skeptical.
Even with Tae-seong's track record of hits, they thought this one would flop.
But views kept climbing day by day.
Starting under 100k, by episode 5, it surpassed 800k.
Subscribers topped 300k and kept rising.
Most impressive were the binge-watch stats.
89% of episode 1 viewers stuck through to 5.
Insanely high compared to the average 51% for other content.
And viewers grew with each episode.
The success came from Tae-seong's no-holds-barred investment, ignoring immediate profits.
He focused on quality over sales.
That let them use pro gear rare in web dramas for top-tier video.
Second, rock-solid content.
Otherworld Chef claimed drama status.
But it wasn't really.
It zeroed in on food, with food-centric episodes.
Totally different from the novel.
The novel focused on story.
Food was just a tool to resolve plots.
The shift made sense given the medium.
'Novels spark imagination with story. A hint, and readers fill in the rest. Video's different.'
You see and hear it.
No imagination—it's right there, so you focus on the real.
Especially appetite, one of humanity's strongest instincts.
Any era, rich or poor.
Commoner or royal.
Even different races craved food.
So Tae-seong centered on cuisine.
Short videos needed hooky content to hold attention.
He chose food.
Plus, rising quality fueled hot reactions.
'Good call.'
Nuteube's rapid growth proved it.
Priority now: maintain video quality.
[Ding-dong! New email.]
Then a business email pinged.
He checked the inbox.
[From: Netflix]
Tae-seong's eyes widened at the sender.
* * *
Netflix.
Started as a video streaming service, now a global giant.
They produced all sorts of content.
Not directly—investing in finished works for exclusive distribution.
In Korea, many creators partnered for funding, then streamed worldwide via Netflix.
The email was straightforward.
[Enjoyed Otherworld Chef. Want to meet about collaboration. Call the number below or reply with contact, and we'll reach out.]
More details followed.
Praising Otherworld Chef's strengths at length.
But the gist was that.
'Collaboration, huh...'
Netflix's capital was massive.
Why so many creators teamed up.
But little appeal for Tae-seong.
'Taking investment means losing creative control.'
Investors chase profits.
They meddle to maximize returns.
For unmade works, you can incorporate input.
But Otherworld Chef was done.
It had a fandom, proven potential.
No desire for changes.
'Still, should meet.'
All just guesses.
Need face-to-face to know real intent.
Tae-seong dialed the number in the email.
* * *
A few days later.
Two people visited the office.
Netflix reps.
"Hi, I'm team leader Lee Ji-yeon."
"Nice to meet you. Kim Jong-pil, content division manager."
"I'm Jeong Tae-seong."
Quick greetings, then seats.
"Loved Otherworld Chef. Like Japan's Lonely Gourmet or Midnight Diner, but with a unique twist."
"Quality-wise, Otherworld Chef edges them out. The detailed cooking shots were standout."
They sipped drinks, chatting about the work.
You could tell from talk.
Had they really watched, or just skimmed?
These two had watched closely, analyzed deeply.
"One question: who's cooking? That skill's pro chef level."
"Me, personally."
"You, Director? Didn't you write the original too?"
"Yeah."
"Directing, starring, and cooking on top?"
"Small outfit just starting out—gotta cut costs."
"For cost-cutting, the video quality's insanely high. Sound leveled up recently too—had our insiders buzzing."
Clear as day.
They were seriously into Otherworld Chef.
Catching fine details proved it.
"Thanks for the kind words."
He knew they grasped the work solidly.
Time for the pitch.
They sensed it too, wetting lips with tea.
"As you guessed, Netflix wants to formally invest in Otherworld Chef."
"You keep full production control. We just want access to our platform for global streaming."
Not bad terms.
Netflix streamed worldwide.
Nuteube did too.
But differences were stark.
Anyone could upload to Nuteube.
Millions of videos flooded in daily from everywhere.
Finding Otherworld Chef amid that?
Slim odds.
Netflix curated content.
Strict selection, detailed categories.
Invested works got main-page promo, massive exposure.
'Not desperate for investment, though.'
Cold assessment.
Funds were ample.
Royalties alone covered five years of production sans profit.
No need.
"I'll pass on the investment."
"What?! Think it over..."
"Let's collaborate instead."
"Collaborate?"
"Yeah. Our capital's solid. Otherworld Chef doesn't need big bucks. No real reason for investment. But your distribution network? That's useful."
Tae-seong laid out his vision.
Lee Ji-yeon nodded after hearing it all.
"Makes sense. With that budget and capital, no need for investment now."
"Right. If investment's non-negotiable, deal's off."
"Whew—Got it. We'll discuss internally. But we'll push for a positive response."
"Yes, looking forward to it."
The first meeting wrapped there.