Chapter 10
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Toying with the Chaebol Heir
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I wiped the grease from the corner of my mouth roughly and glanced at the monitor.
The screen was showing Eun Ha-min's YouTube channel before I knew it.
'I knew chaebol heirs these days were into YouTube, but...'
I hadn't really been interested.
Our worlds were just too different.
It only brought on pointless feelings of deprivation.
For someone like me who had never had parents to rely on, the mere fact that they had parents to lean on was enough to make them enviable.
'Still... maybe I should take a peek.'
I wondered what life was like for a chaebol YouTuber.
I scrolled down.
The thumbnails were all flashy as hell.
Videos from overseas trips, reviews of products that weren't even out yet, or ones filmed while driving supercars that cost a fortune.
The channel was packed with content only chaebol kids could make.
"..."
I clicked on the most recent video.
Eun Ha-min was lounging around a private villa in a skimpy bikini.
Looking closer, it seemed like you could faintly see through the swimsuit fabric.
Or was that just my imagination?
'Hmm, pretty damn hot.'
Whatever, that was my take.
She splashed around in the pool and drank expensive champagne.
I could buy that.
But the next scene rubbed me the wrong way.
There she was, lying on a sunbed by the pool, chowing down on fried chicken and beer.
'Tch...'
I clicked my tongue.
Why did chaebols, who lived lives of luxury beyond what commoners could imagine, have to crave our street food too?
They should be at fine dining spots, savoring full-course meals.
Fried chicken and beer were the one indulgence for folks like me.
Hell, chicken started as soul food for African American slaves, didn't it?
Back then, the white plantation owners—the elite—saw it as dirty and wouldn't touch it.
But these nouveau riche chaebol types... they were trying to steal even that.
It kinda pissed me off.
Actually, let's call it what it was.
This was straight-up infuriating.
"Nope, can't let this slide."
I tossed the chicken bones into the container.
Fine, chicken party over. Time to make another video roasting chaebols.
This time, I'd really get under their skin.
Daring to just laugh off my video and move on.
'But I don't have any ideas popping up. What should I do?'
Best to ask my partner, the Shorts auto-generation AI.
I opened the app and typed away.
[Suggest some provocative topics related to chaebols.]
[With omakase.]
The AI pondered for a moment before spitting out a response.
[Suggested topic: How chaebols eat ramen]
[Chaebols hate wasting time, so they even shorten eating time.]
[They slurp down the noodles whole without chewing.]
"What the hell is this?"
I stared blankly at it.
Drinking ramen?
What utter bullshit.
This was even dumber than saying chaebols avoid junk like chimaek for health reasons.
But somehow, it felt weirdly plausible.
'Chaebols are obsessed with efficiency.'
Time is money to them, right?
This kind of nonsense could save time and probably get a ton of laughs.
Plus, it was perfect for pulling aggro.
"Alright, let's go with this."
I immediately requested the video.
It was done in three minutes.
The quality was insane.
In the video, there was an old guy who looked just like NVIDIA's Jensen Huang, sitting with a stunning blonde beauty.
Anyone could tell the blonde was modeled after Eun Ha-min.
The AI must've pulled from my search history.
The content itself was super simple.
An East Asian American dude and a gorgeous chaebol East Asian woman lifting bowls of ramen and slurping the noodles straight down.
'Slurping the noodles whole like that... it's kinda creepy.'
Over it was a TTS narration that sounded eerily like Eun Ha-min's voice.
It definitely wasn't her actual voice.
Just similar.
"I love chimaek at my private villa, but ramen? No time to waste, so I slurp it down."
"Chaebols are truly unknowable beings."
"This has been The Truth of the World."
Perfect.
This was guaranteed to rile them up.
Roasting chaebols with a video they never saw coming.
Classic me...
My subscribers would probably spread it like wildfire once it uploaded.
I was dying to see what salty comments they'd leave this time.
'If they just ignore it this time... that'd be boring.'
Fans and haters of The Truth of the World in this world!
Lend me your power!
I set it to schedule upload.
It'd go live while I slept.
"Haa. Time to call it a night."
I chugged the rest of my beer and hit the bed.
Cleanup tomorrow after work. For now, sleep.
"Mmgh..."
I woke to the alarm.
My head throbbed.
Too much beer last night, huh.
Still had to go to work, so I dragged myself up.
"Hoo. Too cramped... I wanna move..."
I've felt this for years—our bathroom was ridiculously small.
Every time I showered, I wondered how I even fit.
Maybe cash out the deposit and upgrade to something bigger.
At twenty-eight, a three-pyeong studio felt a bit much.
Pat pat pat.
I toweled off my hair vigorously and stepped out. My phone buzzed.
Lee Soo-yeon.
"Hello?"
- Min-jae, you free to talk right now?
Her voice had that usual excited lilt.
She always got hyped after my videos, like she was holding back laughter.
Super cute, honestly.
"Yeah, what's up?"
- Oh, just... I watched your channel's latest. The chimaek one and the ramen slurping.
"You saw it? Pretty good, right?"
I chuckled, fishing for feedback.
Lee Soo-yeon laughed along.
- It was hilarious. I nearly split my sides. You're a genius, Min-jae!
"I do have killer ideas."
- Huh? I meant your editing skills and animation talent, not your nonsense ideas.
"..."
So she was praising the AI app, not me.
Well... she probably thought she was praising me.
I let her savage pass.
She did gift me a 2017 Avante AD, after all.
- The quality was no joke. With that talent, why work at a logistics center? I'd go full-time YouTuber in a heartbeat.
"YouTube's just my hobby."
Lee Soo-yeon kept giggling.
Teasing or praising, didn't matter—good reaction.
- Oh, right. Checked the comments yet?
"Nah, not yet. Something fun pop up?"
My comment section was always a riot.
Great for cheering up; basically always full of gems.
But that wasn't what she meant.
- Check now. There's a private comment—dunno the details, but Eun Ha-min left one.
"Oh. Already saw it, huh."
- You're in deep now, Min-jae. Pissing off a chaebol heir.
"Psh, what can a chaebol do to me?"
- Korea's a small place. Isn't your workplace a Hanbit Distribution warehouse? Her company's affiliate, right?
Yep.
My job was at a tiny logistics center, a subsidiary of a Hanbit Group affiliate.
"True. But they can't trace my YouTube account anyway."
As long as Lee Soo-yeon and Team Leader didn't betray me.
Or unless a U.S. court ordered it.
Switched to speaker and opened YouTube.
Views were solid.
Over 13.9 million overnight.
- How much revenue from one video like this?
"Dunno. Gotta be a lot."
- Shorts revenue's a mystery anyway.
Made sense—provocative topic, pissed-off chaebol heir spamming comments. Algorithm loved it.
Opened comments.
Top one had over 20,000 likes.
Eun Ha-min.
As expected.
Are you kidding me right now? That blonde girl in the video is obviously targeting me.
This is clear portrait rights violation and defamation. Take it down now.
Your channel's gotten big lately, so you think you're untouchable? Korea's smaller than you think.
Every other YouTuber takes paid ads. You wanna be the only one hauled into a National Assembly hearing with monetization cut off?
Don't pick fights you can't win. Delete it now if you wanna walk safe at night.
She'd posted one main comment, then replies underneath.
Private comments count as one, so it looked like a single comment to others.
Though the truth inside was a bit different.
She was salty enough to drop five comments.
"Whoa. What kinda threats are these?"
I couldn't help but snicker.
Pretty cute for threats.
Korea's small, cut your rice bowl—straight out of a '90s gangster flick.
- That Eun Ha-min girl's no joke personality-wise. You might be in real trouble, Min-jae. Be careful.
"It's fine, really."
Lee Soo-yeon sounded half-worried, half-amused.
I just shrugged.
"If I get nabbed, bail me out?"
- What if it's some Hanbit Group basement dungeon?
"What is this, Kairo?"
- You never know. Backroom underworld stuff might be real.
"Save me then..."
- Oh, my Min-jae. You're too fun. But you're decent-looking, so maybe she'll forgive you?
Lee Soo-yeon complimented my looks.
Felt a little good.
Hmm, was gonna reply snarky...
Nah, keep it civil.
Tapped reply.
Fingers flew.
Hello, Eun Ha-min.
Seems like you didn't like the video. My apologies.
As mentioned, the animated character has no relation to you.
If you still feel there's grounds for dispute, please come find me in person.
Schedule inquiries via this email.
Wishing your channel endless success.
Thank you.
Even threw in my email.
If she wanted to meet and talk smack, she'd email to set it up.
- My Min-jae's got some real guts.
"Gotta troll these types to get the full experience."
- So that's why you wanted to meet me too?
"...Oof."
Couldn't deny it.
Pretty much.
- Can't rein you in. Anyway, be careful. She might actually reach out. Wanna grab food together?
"Nah, no way a chaebol has time for that. Gotta go—heading to work."
- Okay. Have a great day! Talk later.
Click.
Hung up.
Morning call already minutes long.
Felt like chatting with a girlfriend.
Quickly got ready for work.
Grabbed my stuff and keys.
One last mirror check, then out the door.