Chapter 997: Do Not Mess With Me! (3)

A heavy silence settled over the Grand Ballroom four hours before KBC's Haze production presentation. Not only had no reporters been invited, but I had just declared that we wouldn't be using any of the MeTubers from Utopia Network either.

I had said it because I had a plan to screw over President Yoo Song-Hak, but Team Lead Kim Mi-Hye, who was in charge of publicity, sounded flustered.

"Mr. Jung. I'll talk to Song-Hak again."

"No, Ms. Kim. Our partnership with Utopia ends here."

Even Yoo Song-Hak looked caught off guard by my firm stance. However, he quickly erased the surprise from his face and replied curtly.

"Really? Fine then. Let's call it quits." Yoo Song-Hak turned around and walked away without another word.

Kim Mi-Hye watched him leave before speaking with concern. "Mr. Jung. Are you going to invite the reporters after all? Didn't the media owners agree to stop attacking us?"

"No. The reporters will only be welcomed back when they come crawling back first."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"You remember the MeTubers I mentioned before, right? Living Room Ghost, Neighborhood Video Theater, and Ghost Bride. Contact them separately for now."

The three people I named had only recently passed ten thousand subscribers. Their subscriber counts were so low that they weren't even signed with Utopia Network. They were the kind of small-time creators everyone dismissed as nobodies. Yet those three would become Korea's top movie and drama reviewers within the next five years, each surpassing two million subscribers.

Unfortunately, Kim Mi-Hye didn't know that future. She couldn't hide her confusion.

"Even if you combine all three of their channels, they don't have fifty thousand subscribers. Shouldn't we invite other MeTubers too?"

"No. Just bring those three. That's enough."

Kim Mi-Hye looked completely baffled, but eventually pulled out her phone. "Since you're the one making the call, Mr. Jung, I'll trust you and go along with it."

"You won't regret it."

She immediately started making calls.

At that moment, Acting President Jin Ah-Ram, who had been quietly observing everything from the side, spoke up. "Mr. Jung. If money is the issue, Jinseong can help."

Haze had received significant sponsorship from Jinseong Foods and Jinseong Hotel & Resort. For Jinseong, the drama's success meant valuable promotional exposure, so she was even willing to support the fifty-million-won appearance fee per MeTuber.

I shook my head and answered, "It's not a money issue. President Yoo is acting under instructions from President Son Hyung-Tae. That's why I cut ties with him."

I explained that Yoo Song-Hak's Utopia Network was currently in merger talks with DIVE, the MCN subsidiary under Son Hyung-Tae's CK Entertainment. I also told her about today's clash between Son Hyung-Tae and the media owners over the establishment of Daechon Media.

Jin Ah-Ram nodded. "Ah... that explains why you cut him off so decisively. But then how are you planning to promote the event? There are no reporters and no major MeTubers."

'No major MeTubers? Then I can simply make some.'

"You'll see."

Just then, Kim Mi-Hye finished her calls and looked at me. "Mr. Jung. It turns out the three of them are together in front of the hotel right now."

Living Room Ghost, Neighborhood Video Theater, and Ghost Bride all came from broadcasting-related backgrounds and had known one another for years. Apparently, they had arrived early and were discussing content ideas together.

"Then why aren't they coming inside?" I asked.

"Well... they said the bigger MeTubers should go in first, so they were planning to enter later."

Among MeTubers, subscriber counts were practically a social hierarchy. Since those three had only recently crossed ten thousand subscribers, they were apparently worried about stepping on the toes of larger creators.

The thought of future giants of Korean MeTube acting like timid rookies made me smile without realizing it.

"Tell them to come in immediately. I'd like to make the three of them a special proposal."

"Understood, Mr. Jung!"

Kim Mi-Hye immediately called the three of them and told them to come into the Grand Ballroom.

"Mr. Jung wants to see you!"

Though honestly, I had no idea why she was making it sound like meeting me was some kind of special privilege.

***

To deal with the current situation, I hurriedly made a few phone calls. Afterward, while waiting for the three MeTubers to arrive, I checked their current subscriber counts on my phone.

[Living Room Ghost (Subscribers: 17,000)]

[Neighborhood Video Theater (Subscribers: 15,000)]

[Ghost Bride (Subscribers: 12,000)]

The three of them had started their MeTube channels about a year ago and had only recently surpassed ten thousand subscribers after attending the Land of Happiness production presentation yesterday.

Even so, they still hadn't settled on their core content, which was why their growth had stalled. That was precisely why I intended to use this opportunity to turn them into power MeTubers.

A short while later, Kim Mi-Hye brought them over. "Mr. Jung! I've brought them."

The moment I saw what they were wearing, I froze for a second. Apparently trying to make themselves more memorable to viewers, all three of them had come dressed in rather outrageous outfits.

First, Lee Byul-Hee, the owner of the Living Room Ghost channel, was wearing a greasy-looking red wig, thick-rimmed glasses, and a cape.

Next, Song Chae-Hyuk, who ran Neighborhood Video Theater, was wearing a large square hat shaped like a videotape, a blue tracksuit, and a pair of slippers.

Finally, Ban Jung-Hye, the owner of Ghost Bride, had painted her face white and was dressed in a worn wedding gown and veil, making it impossible to recognize her real appearance.

'They're not even cosplay MeTubers. I'll have to redo their styling too.'

Just as that thought crossed my mind, the oldest of the three, thirty-five-year-old Lee Byul-Hee, greeted me warmly. "I came yesterday too, but we never properly introduced ourselves. I'm Lee Byul-Hee. I run the Living Room Ghost channel."

Unlike the Living Room Ghost character, who supposedly spent all day holed up in a living room watching dramas, Lee Byul-Hee herself was outgoing and personable. She had originally worked as a drama writer for KBC, but after spending ten years as an assistant writer with no clear future ahead of her, she had switched careers and become a MeTuber.

At the moment, she mainly filmed mukbang content from her living room while frequently criticizing the realities of drama production. However, the real reason her channel would eventually explode in popularity had nothing to do with industry criticism. It would happen when she began using her experience as a writer to analyze dramas.

The moment she started explaining hidden story details and character arcs through a writer's perspective, using her clear and pleasant voice, audiences would fall in love with her content. Eventually, she would grow into a powerhouse MeTuber with 2.9 million subscribers.

I smiled. "Ah, yes. Ms. Byul-Hee. I'm sorry I couldn't properly take care of you yesterday. That's why I'm planning to give you a real push today."

"Really? That's amazing! But what about the other major MeTubers?"

"They made some excessive demands, so negotiations fell through. For now, the three of you will be exclusively covering the Haze production presentation."

Lee Byul-Hee looked stunned. "Wait a second. Even if you combine all our subscribers, we don't have fifty thousand."

"So what? I'll take responsibility for the views."

Between Ju Yung-In, Miso, and Park Sang-Gyu, there were already more than a million followers on Instargem. I intended to share the three channels' links through Instargem. That way, even channels with small subscriber counts could immediately generate the kind of viewership that normally came with a million subscribers.

At that, Lee Byul-Hee turned toward Song Chae-Hyuk, whose oversized videotape hat was wobbling on his head.

"Chae-Hyuk. We're doing it, right?"

Song Chae-Hyuk nodded. The loosely attached videotape hat shook back and forth.

"If someone's serving us a feast, we'd better eat. If we can't even do that, we should quit this business."

A voice as smooth as a ballad singer's flowed from his mouth. Song Chae-Hyuk, who ran Neighborhood Video Theater, had spent five years working as a drama PD at a cable network before leaving to pursue his dream of becoming a film director. The venture had ended in complete disaster, and he had turned to MeTube just to make a living.

However, he possessed one remarkable talent. His voice was so pleasant to listen to that it rivaled a professional voice actor's, and he was exceptionally gifted at impressions. Before the regression, his channel had eventually achieved the title of "The Best MeTube Channel to Listen to at Night," causing his subscriber count to explode exponentially.

Rather than letting that opportunity pass him by, he began creating content where he ad-libbed in the voices of drama and movie characters. That series became a massive hit, and he eventually grew into a major MeTuber with 2.5 million subscribers.

The future powerhouse MeTuber still clutched his wobbling videotape hat and said, "I'll follow Mr. Jung no matter what."

"Thank you."

After I finished greeting Song Chae-Hyuk, it was Ghost Bride's turn. With her pale makeup and veil concealing her face, Ghost Bride quietly nodded. "I'll do it too."

"Good choice."

At that moment, Lee Byul-Hee cautiously spoke up. "Um, Mr. Jung. Please don't ask Ghost Bride about her real name or anything like that. She's very shy and doesn't like revealing her identity."

"Ah, of course."

Ghost Bride was trying to keep her identity hidden, but unfortunately for her, I already knew who she was.

Ghost Bride was actually Ban Jung-Hye, a twenty-seven-year-old actress currently drifting between minor and supporting roles.

Despite her beautiful appearance, she had never managed to land a leading role, and her frustration over that had led her to start a MeTube channel. Afraid it might interfere with her acting career, she concealed her face and slightly altered her voice. As a result, she ended up hiding her natural beauty beneath the Ghost Bride makeup, and her channel struggled to gain much attention.

That would change three years later. Her channel would explode in popularity through a series called Ghost Bride's On-Set Infiltration Series. The concept was simple. She would personally appear in dramas as an extra or supporting actress while sharing firsthand stories about actors and filming sets from her own experiences.

From that point onward, she intentionally chose minor and supporting roles so she could continue bringing viewers authentic stories from production sites. Thanks to those efforts, Ghost Bride would eventually surpass 2.2 million subscribers.

Pretending not to know her identity, I answered calmly, "Understood. We'll make sure security is handled carefully for Ms. Ghost Bride. I'll assign a dedicated bodyguard to you, so please stay with them."

"Thank... you. But what's this special proposal?"

I took a small breath before answering, "I'm going to give all three of you exclusive footage from the Haze set before even KBC receives it."

Song Chae-Hyuk grabbed his wobbling videotape hat and swallowed hard. "If we're actually allowed to air something like that, then that's a huge win for us. But what about the copyright issues?"

"About the copyright issue..."

At that moment, the ballroom doors opened.

Creak.

Han Yoo-Sik, the president of Mirinae Productions and the producer of KBC's Haze, walked in. Behind him followed several members of the production staff carrying black equipment bags. After I had explained the situation and asked for help, they had rushed down from their accommodations on the tenth floor.

I continued, "The copyright issue will be handled by Mr. Han Yoo-Sik, who just arrived."

Han Yoo-Sik tilted his head. "Me? Handle the copyright?"

"Yes, sir. Please get permission for them to use footage filmed at the KBC production site."

"Well, considering the situation, we have to do whatever it takes. Fine. I'll take care of it."

Han Yoo-Sik, who had once served as an Executive Director at KBC, immediately called the network's president. After several rounds of arguing back and forth, he finally nodded.

"Okay! Permission granted! But they said you can only use up to five minutes."

Five minutes was more than enough. If they divided it into thirty-second clips, they could stretch it quite a bit.

"Thank you, Mr. Han."

I immediately turned back to the three MeTubers. "Let's get ready."

The moment they realized they had secured exclusive access to behind-the-scenes Haze footage, all three excitedly opened their backpacks. They began pulling out equipment, preparing to connect their phones to mini tripods and speakers for livestreaming.

At that moment, I looked over at Han Yoo-Sik. He nodded and pointed toward three large black bags the staff had brought.

"Hold on, you three. Use the equipment Chief Jung prepared for you instead."

The three MeTubers blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

At that moment, three staff members opened the black equipment cases that Mirinae's production team had brought in.

Click.

Inside each case, laid neatly on the floor, was a complete professional broadcasting setup worth more than thirty million won.

"Why are you giving these to us...?"

Lee Byul-Hee's question made me grin. "If it's for future power MeTubers, this much investment is only natural."

As a former television PD, Song Chae-Hyuk knew exactly how much the equipment cost. He swallowed hard before speaking. "Thank you. We'll... carefully use them and return them without a speck of dust on them."

Looking at him practically trembling over the expensive gear, I shook my head. "Didn't you hear me call it an investment a moment ago? They're yours."

All three MeTubers stared at me in shock. "You're just giving us something this expensive?"

"Yes. In return, I'd like each of you to do one small favor for me."

The three of them nodded so hard it was almost comical. "Just say the word! We'll do it even if it's a huge favor!"

I smiled and began giving them some advice about the content they should create. They were the exact methods that would one day turn them into two-million-subscriber MeTubers.

***

At Jinseong Hotel's Lobby, Yoo Song-Hak took a sip of his iced Americano and let out a slow breath.

"That fucking bastard Jung Yoon-Ho. He just wouldn't take the bait..."

Utopia Network was drowning in losses, making the ongoing acquisition talks with DIVE absolutely critical. Then, out of nowhere, Son Hyung-Tae, the president of CK Entertainment, DIVE's parent company, had contacted him directly.

The offer had been simple. Do him one small favor, and not only would he immediately approve the merger with DIVE, but he would also pay him a substantial amount of money on the side.

Desperate because of Utopia's financial situation, Yoo Song-Hak had accepted without hesitation. Afterward, following Son Hyung-Tae's instructions, he had deliberately demanded an outrageous advertising fee in order to drive a wedge between Jung Yoon-Ho and the MeTubers. He had hoped Jung Yoon-Ho would lash out, call the MeTubers greedy, or insult them for being obsessed with money.

Instead, Jung Yoon-Ho had refused to play along and immediately terminated the partnership. As a result, Yoo Song-Hak's plan to secretly record Jung Yoon-Ho badmouthing MeTubers and spread it among them had completely fallen apart. Now he needed a second way to turn the MeTubers against Jung Yoon-Ho.

Just then, Team Lead Go Chang-Joon, who had been accompanying him, approached. "Mr. Yoo. Drama Teller and Drama Dori keep calling. We asked them to wait a little longer in the hotel suite, but they aren't listening. I think they're about to explode. What should we do?"

The MeTubers under Utopia Network had been waiting in the hotel's suite rooms, trusting Yoo Song-Hak's confident promise that he'd secure a massive increase in appearance fees. However, as the scheduled filming time continued to slip away, they were growing increasingly anxious.

"Tell them to wait a little longer. I'll make sure they're compensated."

"Underst—"

That was when it happened.

"Fuck! Song-Hak hyung! Where are you?"

Lee Jong-Hwan, the owner of the 2.05-million-subscriber channel Drama Teller, came storming into the lobby with his staff, shouting at the top of his lungs.

Yoo Song-Hak raised a hand and tried to calm him down. "Oh, Jong-Hwan. Just wait a little longer. I'm still negotiating with Jung Yoon-Ho. It'll be over soon."

"Wait for what? We're completely screwed!"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

At that moment, a commotion erupted near the escalators.

Park Do-Jin, the owner of the 1.22-million-subscriber channel Drama Dori, came running over with several other MeTubers. "Hey, President Yoo! We're going to film. Don't try to stop us!"

"Huh? Film what?"

"Jesus. You're the president, and you still don't know what's happening right now?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Damn it. Just look at this!"

Park Do-Jin thrusted his phone toward Yoo Song-Hak. On the screen, a MeTuber he had been keeping an eye on lately was breaking a major scoop in real time.

[Channel: Living Room Ghost (Subscribers: 45,000)]

[(LIVE) Exclusive Preview: KBC's Haze — The Birth of the Crown Prince Ghost Illyeong and Wolryeong, with On-Set Footage]

-Live Viewers: 72,000

Playing on the screen was footage of Miso, dressed in funeral robes, dying and transforming into a ghost. The atmosphere on set combined with Miso's genius-level acting made it impossible to look away.

A moment later, the video switched. Lee Byul-Hee, now wearing what she called her "writer glasses," appeared on screen dressed in a stylish business suit and began providing commentary.

-Welcome to Living Room Ghost, where we bring you premium drama analysis. The Crown Prince Ghost mentioned in Haze is actually...

Only a short while ago, Lee Byul-Hee had been wearing a bizarre outfit and a bright-red wig. Now, after receiving proper styling, she projected both intelligence and sophistication with just a hint of glamour.

More importantly, her content was perfectly tailored to what viewers wanted to know. She carefully explained details that sparked curiosity and kept audiences engaged. The image quality was also on a completely different level, thanks to the professional broadcast equipment.

Feeling threatened, Park Do-Jin shouted, "We were sitting around waiting because you told us to, and while we were waiting these three channels started releasing exclusive footage! Living Room Ghost has seventy-five thousand viewers, Neighborhood Video Theater has sixty thousand, and Ghost Bride has fifty-five thousand! That's a combined live audience of one hundred ninety thousand people!"

Yoo Song-Hak stared in disbelief. "How the hell are channels with ten thousand subscribers pulling numbers like that?"

"Are you blind? Look at the subscriber counts! They were barely over ten thousand earlier, and now they've exploded past forty thousand!"

The mention of their skyrocketing subscriber counts visibly rattled Yoo Song-Hak. He raised his hand to calm everyone down.

"Let's all settle down first—"

Before he could finish, Park Do-Jin cut him off. "Forget it. I don't even care about the money anymore. I'm going to film!"

The moment Park Do-Jin declared it, the other MeTubers started turning around to follow him.

Panicked, Yoo Song-Hak hurriedly shouted after them, "Everyone stop! The filming and upload rights belong to Utopia Network. Talk to me before you do anything!"

Park Do-Jin stopped and spun around. "Fuck this, President Yoo. You're seriously trying to block us from filming like this? Fine. Then terminate my contract right now!"

Yoo Song-Hak frowned and spoke in a threatening tone. "You have the money to pay the penalty fees? You just bought an apartment. You're broke."

"That's..."

Then a voice came from behind them. "What is this? This isn't Utopia at all. It's a complete dystopia."

Everyone turned simultaneously. Standing there was Jung Yoon-Ho, who had recently begun earning the nickname "the chaebol chief." And as though he had anticipated every bit of this situation, he calmly dropped a bombshell.

"I'll take care of all your penalty fees. So how about joining me and moving to a new Utopia?"

For a moment, silence swept through the hotel lobby.

What Jung Yoon-Ho had just said was effectively a declaration of war. He was openly announcing his intention to poach every MeTuber there and destroy Utopia Network completely.