Chapter 155: Image Improvement (2)
Chapter 155: Image Improvement (2)
"Great work, everyone."
"I just hope the results reflect the effort we put in."
It was customary to have a company dinner after wrapping up a major project. Raywill Games, a fairly large developer in its own right, was no exception.
Of course, from the perspective of those who had to manage the live service moving forward, it wasn't so much an end as it was the beginning of the real work.
"It’d be great if the performance hits the mark so we can all take home a nice, fat incentive."
"Haha, that would be the dream."
They spoke cheerfully, but everyone there knew how difficult that would be. A company, by nature, chases games that make money. The dreams of development they had harbored when they first joined had mostly withered away under the pressure of creating mobile games and monetization-heavy titles.
The game they were preparing to launch was also one with heavy monetization pressure—a game created by benchmarking a title that had once been popular.
Consequently, the results were somewhat predictable. With this level of graphics and this kind of gameplay, the revenue would be roughly this much. It was a calculated estimate.
"Oh, by the way, where’s the Team Leader?"
"He took a half-day to rest at home."
"Oh, really? He’s been using those quite often lately."
"Well, the project is over. And he’s a man with a strong sense of responsibility. He hasn't been able to rest at all."
The name of Ju Young-bin, the planning and development team leader who wasn't present, was brought up. There were likely very few people in the room who hadn't received help from him. Not only did he have a great personality, but he was also exceptionally talented. His knowledge wasn't limited to planning; his programming skills were so high that he was essentially the one holding the team's reins.
"It’s actually quite amazing. Not a single project has ever been scrapped under his leadership, right?"
"Yeah, that’s why he was rushed into Unchained this time. He barely managed to meet the deadline. Man, my heart was in my throat."
"His wife helped out a lot, too."
"Still, he’s impressive. To never have a plan fail..."
"There’s a reason people are already talking about him for a Director position."
Young-bin’s wife, Sua, usually handled programming work on a freelance basis. During crunch times like this, she would often come into the office to work alongside the team. She was particularly skilled in UI and level design.
Her skills were no joke; even though the current game was a mass-produced type, the UI and level design were incredibly sophisticated. The only reason they could use an outsider instead of a regular employee was because of her sheer talent. Plus, being Young-bin’s wife, security wasn't an issue.
Whether the game itself was worthy of such design, however, was another story.
"Well, I hope it does well."
Everyone stopped there, choosing not to say more. They simply raised their glasses and took another drink. Honestly, they just hoped it would meet expectations. They didn't even dare dream of a massive hit.
"Oh, is that Golden Duckling?"
Just then, someone spoke up while looking at the TV in the restaurant. It seemed to be today’s episode, as the hosts and guests were just being introduced.
"Why? Is that show fun?"
"No, I haven't seen it, so I don't know."
"Then why act like you know it?"
The team members chuckled. However, the reason he had pointed out Golden Duckling was simple.
"Seo-yeon is on today."
"Seo-yeon? Oh, the Team Leader’s daughter?"
"Right, that’s true. Golden Duckling is on today."
Ju Young-bin’s daughter, Ju Seo-yeon. Naturally, she was very famous within the company. Part of it was because she was the daughter of a promising development lead, but mostly it was because she was currently one of the hottest actresses around.
"The Chaser was really good."
"The Team Leader’s shoulders were as broad as the Pacific back then."
"Exactly. He bragged about her everywhere he went."
Not many had seen Dream Future because it didn't quite fit their tastes, but The Chaser was different. Once a movie hits ten million viewers, it becomes hard to join a conversation if you haven't seen it. Furthermore, if your boss’s daughter is in a movie, would you really not watch it? Of course not. Not if you wanted to survive at the office. Naturally, every team member there had watched The Chaser, even if they skipped her dramas.
"The Team Leader is so lucky. To have a daughter like that."
"And Seo-yeon is so polite, too."
"Wait, isn't Golden Duckling an observation variety show?"
As they chatted, one employee asked the question.
"Oh, is it? ...An observation show?"
They weren't big fans of variety shows, but they knew what an observation show was. Everyone’s heads turned toward the TV simultaneously. Just then, the guest for the day was making her entrance.
"Huh?"
Someone muttered in a dazed voice. Everyone there likely thought those words had come from their own mouths. They were all feeling the same thing.
"Wait, why is his wife there?"
"Well, it’s an observation show. It features young celebrities, and their parents come on to host and comment."
"His wife is seriously beautiful. She’s turning forty next year, right?"
"Forty? Whoa, wait a second. She’s ten years older than me?"
"She looks ten years younger than Assistant Manager Jung."
"Hey, that’s going too far. Seriously."
Everyone began to chatter, completely mesmerized. With a bit of alcohol in their systems, the words came out without a filter. But no one cared. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the TV.
Sua was beautiful. So much so that it was impossible to believe she was nearly forty. However, the people here were more concerned about what would come next.
If this is an observation show...
Wait, does this mean...
No way. Surely not.
As they watched with bated breath, the screen transitioned. Seo-yeon’s house appeared. It showed Seo-yeon studying hard alone and Sua bringing her fruit. And then...
—"Daddy’s home!"
Young-bin burst through the door. Looking at the time, it seemed to be the day he had taken a half-day off. The problem was Young-bin’s behavior afterward.
—"This is insane, insane! Ooh, we’re having spicy braised chicken today? Insane. You guys are all dead. I'm gonna devour everything."
Perhaps because the dopamine from leaving work early was hitting his brain, Young-bin was practically dancing around in excitement. He grinned as he checked the kitchen to see what there was to eat.
Ah, so that’s how he acts at home.
He was definitely putting on a serious front at the office.
The employees all had similar thoughts. Furthermore, text appeared over Young-bin’s head.
[Unaware that filming is in progress]
That was it. Young-bin had no idea he was being recorded. He looked around, searching for something, then fumbled with some clothes and put them on.
—"What are my house’s Head-butting Dinosaur and her Mommy up to?!"
And so, the variety show truly began.
*
Golden Duckling had been falling into a bit of a slump lately. It was fresh at first, but now it was on a downward trend. After all, why should people care about how well celebrities live? That was the general sentiment as interest cooled. It was the aftermath of observation shows sprouting up like mushrooms across every channel.
Golden Duckling had managed to hold its ground to some extent, but like other shows in the genre, its ratings were gradually slipping.
This wasn't the first time a child actor or a slightly older young actor had appeared on Golden Duckling. The reviews for those episodes were usually:
That was the opinion of the Golden Duckling viewers—specifically the ones on online communities. In reality, episodes featuring actors tended to have lower ratings than others.
Still, Seo-yeon’s reputation wasn't bad. PD Jeon Ha-young, the producer of Golden Duckling, likely anticipated this. Perhaps that was why a larger-than-usual audience seemed to be waiting even before the broadcast started. In that sense, the casting was already a partial success.
"We’re starting now."
In the variety department, the staff was waiting, secretly hoping today’s episode would be a hit—or rather, praying it would be the savior they needed. They monitored the ratings and reactions across various social media platforms and communities.
Starting at 5 percent.
As soon as the show began, that was the first rating confirmed. Not bad. In fact, it was good. It was similar to the ratings of their most successful recent episodes. PD Jeon Ha-young breathed a sigh of relief.
The real show starts now.
She smiled. She was confident in today’s Golden Duckling. Truly. With that confidence, she watched the broadcast. The scene was exactly when Sua made her first appearance.
It was from that moment that the ratings began to skyrocket.
*
If one had to pick the fun point—and the most polarizing part—of Golden Duckling, it was the mothers appearing as guests. Naturally, the slightly positive atmosphere surrounding Seo-yeon’s appearance split again at the mention of her mother.
The MC, Gong Hyung-man, was chatting away with the guests. And as he finished, the main mother guest for the day, Seo-yeon’s mother, Sua, entered.
The social media posts that had been trickling in, along with posts and comments on various Korean variety show communities, began to surge. It was only natural that the attention of viewers, who had been indifferent until now, was instantly captivated.
At this point, even viewers who didn't usually watch Golden Duckling—those who had lost interest in observation shows or never watched them to begin with—started to pay attention.
What could be so funny? With that thought, people tuned in.
Ah, so this is why they’re watching.
Everyone found their channels locked. I mean, there were many ways to explain it, but was this really a woman nearing forty? That was the thought. She was... impressive. Anyway, it didn't take long for Sua’s entrance and the clips to spread across every community. It happened in an instant.
The interest that had gathered exploded in the next moment.
[We deeply regret that we have been unable to properly keep the promises we made to our users in Unchained. We will do our best to improve the game as soon as possible. All of us at Raywill Games respect our users and will ensure your opinions are reflected...]
The man who had entered Seo-yeon’s house so excitedly—as soon as his face appeared, a video was posted. It was the man from the Unchained press conference. The one identified as the development lead. A video of him bowing deeply with a solemn expression.
The demographic that uses internet communities is naturally deep into gaming. Thus, many remembered Young-bin from the game conference clips that had circulated for a while.
—"What are my house’s Head-butting Dinosaur and her Mommy up to?!"
At Young-bin’s shout as he opened Seo-yeon’s door:
Furthermore, Seo-yeon’s look of utter despair upon seeing Young-bin enter was so funny that people started saving it as a meme. Seo-yeon almost never made expressions like that.
But that was short-lived. Seo-yeon, looking like she had made a firm resolution, suddenly started a game. Naturally, the viewers who were enjoying the show reacted:
Just as complaints were starting to surface about her gaming:
—"Wow, you’re charging right in the moment you see them. As expected of my daughter, truly a marvelous play."
That was, until Young-bin started needling her from the side. Once again, the text [Unaware that filming is in progress] appeared over his head.
—"Is your teammate on voice chat? Looks like they want to have a deep heart-to-heart with my daughter. Want Daddy to do it for you? They’re gonna be looking for your dad anyway."
—"That friend really seems to want to win. Shouldn't you help them out a bit??"
—"Ah, they don't deserve to win? Is that it?"
—"Whether it’s your test scores or your gaming, my daughter’s creativity is truly top-tier. I’ll give you that."
As Young-bin chattered incessantly, the camera caught Seo-yeon’s arms trembling. At first, Young-bin teased her while gauging her reaction, but...
Since Seo-yeon, who was in the middle of filming, didn't react, Young-bin’s teasing accelerated. And finally, Ju Seo-yeon exploded.
—"Dad."
—"Yeah?"
—"Do you know what a Gyro Drop is?"
Seo-yeon’s voice was low and cold.
And then it happened. The moment Seo-yeon hoisted Young-bin up, chair and all. As the chair violently dropped and rose again, Young-bin let out a pathetic scream.
It was only natural that the internet communities exploded.