They Became the Big Players Among the Hako VTubers - Chapter 29
Pretty Girls x100 - 11. Rent a PC bang (internet cafe).
2. Decorate it with ABCD-themed items.
3. Set up a live broadcast camera.
4. Have a fun time with 100 Ddari friends (fans).
Kang Doham gave a tired smile.
“So, what do you think?”
“…”
“…”
“…”
The shoddy content scribbled on paper.
This was the impromptu proposal Kang Doham had resubmitted. It was literally just these four lines written on an A4 sheet, and the big plan team members stared at it with hollow expressions.
“…”
“…”
“…”
The even more astonishing thing?
It actually kind of made sense.
‘The idea itself is completely empty, but it’s like an American-style warehouse— easy to shove all sorts of things into it…
And yet, it doesn’t lose sight of the core theme: “Playing games with 100 viewers.”’
Baek Socheol, the CEO of Aurora Entertainment, tapped his forehead lightly. Then, looking at PR team leader Jo Eunbi, he spoke.
“Leaving aside how barren the proposal is, it’s not bad for quickly producing content. Seoul is overflowing with idle PC bangs, and it’s not like there’s no precedent for this.”
“Right. Since mobile game companies and VTuber agencies have already held similar events, outsourcing companies would probably take on the job right away.”
“But what about the themed items? Can we prepare those ourselves?”
“Well…”
The one who picked up the conversation was Ha, the CEO of a merchandise distribution company.
“The ‘box’ part of the All-Star Box is already plentiful. If we stack them up like pyramids, they could easily serve as interior decor. And if we display ABCD members’ merchandise on pegboards or wire mesh, it could give off a temporary store vibe.”
Next to speak was Seo PD from the music production company.
“Since it’s a PC bang, the basic soundproofing should already be in place, or it’d be underground. So with just a simple speaker setup, it could quickly turn into an event hall.”
“Running cables shouldn’t be hard either, so setting up live broadcast cameras won’t be a problem. Why not even bring in a large TV or projector and hold real-time interactive events?”
“If we connect the live cameras on-site and have the members come to the studio in person, we can broadcast live without any issues.”
“We could designate a separate area for the live cameras and have the members interact on a set schedule—that seems realistic.”
The meeting room gradually buzzed with excitement.
Even the ABCD members chimed in with ideas.
– Tape up member illustrations to give it a theme park vibe and open it for a limited time.
– Hire an event agency to station staff there.
– Designate separate entry and exit points to manage foot traffic.
– Use panels or fences to section off areas in advance.
– Emergency kits and defibrillators are a must.
– Rent nearby cafes or event halls as waiting areas.
…
…
…
As they discussed supplementary ideas,
they realized how smoothly everything could connect.
“Then all we need now is to find a PC bang with over 100 seats…”
“It should have at least three bathrooms. Everything else can be managed, but if the bathrooms get backed up, the event’s reputation could tank.”
The finishing touch came from Doham.
“I know a PC bang I used to hang out at— the bathrooms there are huge. It’s near Hongik University Station. I dropped by recently, and it was pretty empty. Seems like they often rent it out for mobile game events.”
“!”
Some employees stood up and wrote down the address and contact information of the PC bang that Dodam had mentioned.
Meanwhile, the accounting employee sitting in the center of the meeting room quickly organized the budget proposal.
Manager Go Minyoung returned holding her phone.
“I just spoke with the PC bang owner, and they said it’s available for rental for over a week. They don’t mind the interior as long as we properly remove any changes afterward.”
“Then let’s finalize the budget and assign tasks.”
“Shouldn’t take long.”
Since only executives were present and there was no need to get approval from investors, the planning was wrapped up quickly.
“The estimated budget should be around 60 million won. Since we’re reallocating from the 100 million won content investment fund, just submit the detailed breakdown to accounting.”
“That’s cheaper than I thought. Should we scale up the project?”
At an employee’s remark, Park Youngsoo from general affairs broke into a cold sweat.
“Ch-cheap?! This is enough to cover a year’s operating costs for most companies…”
“Ah… right. My sense of money’s already ruined.”
Baek Socheol crossed his arms and clicked his tongue.
“Wow… it’s all falling into place like this? Did you plan for this too? Yeseo-ssi, Dodam-ssi might be more of a genius than I thought.”
Choi Yeseo gave a bitter smile in response.
“More like she just guessed right. She always decides her stream content five minutes before going live.”
“Huh, that’s impressive in its own way.”
Then the two of them looked at Dodam.
Dodam puffed up with pride, shrugging her shoulders and shaking her head side to side. Then, drawing a cross in the air, she muttered.
“Big Man. As the holy one wills.”
“….”
“….”
Baek Socheol and Choi Yeseo shook their heads in disbelief.
Meanwhile, Kim Aeri, a devout Christian member, rolled her eyes and pretended not to notice her dongsaeng’s idol worship.
As the meeting wrapped up,
everyone got up to carry out their assigned tasks.
With money already in their pockets, they moved swiftly.
“First, let’s visit the PC bang to reassess the estimate. Seeing it in person might change things.”
“!”
Dodam stood up, yawning.
“I’ll go check it out too.”
“Huh? You too, Dodam-ssi?”
“It’s fine. No one will recognize me— it’s been ages since I hung around there as a kid. And I doubt anyone there cares about Hako Vtuber’s red pill.”
“Still…”
Dodam casually snatched the baseball cap from Aki sitting beside her and plopped it on her own head.
Instantly, her face was hidden.
“This good enough? Just say I’m some random manager or something.”
“Isn’t that a bit too careless…?”
“You’re all overthinking it. Just act natural.”
“….”
“Alright, let’s go. We’re a natural disaster— here to rain money.”
“You really admire Big Plan’s CEO, huh?”
“Can’t help but worship him.”
“….”
Aki grumbled under her breath, eyeing Dodam.
“Dodam, that’s my hat…”
“Yeah, I’m borrowing it~”
“Ugh, fine.”
Amid the field survey team’s departure,
Aki brushed back her yellow hair and adjusted it.
…Good thing I showered this morning.
CEO Baek Socheol and office manager Park Youngsoo murmured to each other in the now-quiet meeting room.
Then, nodding in agreement, they called out to Aki.
“Ms. Ayoung!”
“?”
Aki tilted her head and turned to look.
*
Ding!
Ding!
“!”
While stretching on the convenience store rooftop,
my phone buzzed with two messages arriving simultaneously.
Strangely enough, both were about 100 million won.
[Attorney Kim: The 100 million budget has been fully executed.]
[Ayoung: I got back the 100 million I invested in the company☆ I’m so happy—!]
“…”
I replied to each of them.
[Good work.]
[Congratulations.]
Only Ayoung responded again.
Ding!
[Ayoung: Manager, treat yourself to something delicious!]
She sent me a gift coupon— a crispy, golden-fried chicken that looked mouthwatering.
“…”
“She’s the type to share when she gets money, huh… Not that I can say much. Still, I wish she’d invest in herself a bit more, beyond just lessons.”
It wasn’t that I wasn’t grateful.
“…”
So I sent a thank-you.
[Thank you.]
Ayoung replied with a rabbit hopping around in emojis.
It was hard to decipher the exact meaning, but it seemed like she was just expressing her happiness.
“…”
I closed the messaging app and reopened my stock charts.
Scrolling through the long list, I checked my investments.
“…No major changes.”
My personal assets had smoothly grown to 3 billion won.
Since I deliberately avoided entertainment-related stocks, I could safely rely on my regression knowledge.
‘With [Big Man]’s 1 billion incident and the corporate establishment, the trends in entertainment-related stocks have long since strayed from my predictions. Things must be tangled beyond repair by now.’
Thinking that, I skimmed through the relevant stocks.
As expected.
The related stocks were fluctuating wildly— likely ripple effects from the ABCD and Big Man incidents.
‘ABCD’s activities will keep stirring up the entertainment market, so I should stay away from investing here.’
Just as I was convincing myself,
Something caught my attention.
“?”
A certain pharmaceutical company’s stock was skyrocketing.
A stock that should’ve risen next month was surging abruptly.
A sudden spike, just like a sudden drop, was a bad sign.
It was the butterfly effect.
‘Did something happen to a pharmaceutical company without me even knowing? Or did the capital that flowed into the Big Plan trigger a chain reaction…?’
I pondered deeply.
And then, I found the answer.
『DCBA Pharmaceuticals』
“….”
No way…
‘Did DCBA Pharmaceuticals’ stock soar because of the ABCD Group’s revival incident? It’s a company that has nothing to do with vtubers, though?’
“….”
It didn’t make sense.
But in the Bureau, it was entirely possible.
‘This is the same place where marine-related stocks rise when a fire breaks out in Nevada, USA….’
Nodding to myself,
I sent an additional 500 million won to the Big Plan corporate account.
Then, I instructed Attorney Kim to allocate the funds as operational expenses for each company.
The reply to the work order came back immediately.
[Attorney Kim: Understood.]
“….”
Even though it was a contract involving hundreds of millions,
they were brimming with motivation since all they had to do was handle the paperwork.
‘He’s someone I run into every now and then when setting up corporations, but it’s convenient how he does his job properly without any emotional baggage as long as he’s paid.’
I lay down on the yoga mat spread out on the rooftop.
“Haa…”
The blue sky stretched above.
It was a sky where the heat of June was slowly intensifying.
“….”
Everything was going smoother than I had imagined.
The foundation of ABCD, ‘Big Plan A Company,’ was growing steadily.
It was beginning to develop self-sustaining momentum.
As Big Man, all I had to do was send money, and it ran on its own.
‘…This is the power of a system independent of the market. Even small neighborhood shops, like medium and small businesses, can enjoy the kind of momentum usually reserved for conglomerates.’
But.
“….”
This was too much power for the small fries.
Among the ants struggling and crawling through the maze, it was like being a bird leisurely soaring with wings.
And birds,
stand out in the eyes of predators.
‘Vtubing is closer to a niche subculture, so the chances of conglomerates stepping in to dominate are slim.’
But the Bureau’s magic was unpredictable.
That’s why I couldn’t help but be wary.
Predators appeared in the most unexpected places.
“…”
Please,
Until I return…
‘I must soar to a place where no one can reach.’
Only then can I keep my promise.
She said she would give—
The most amazing performance in the world, right on that stage.
And I promised to watch it.
‘The most amazing performance in the world…’
Will I ever get to see it?
“…”
Honestly,
I wanted to.
Ding!
“!”
I picked up my phone.
It was Ayoung.
[Ayoung: Just eating chicken alone might feel heavy, so have some coffee too—!]
She sent a coffee gift certificate, along with a dancing rabbit emoji with fluffy hair, bouncing excitedly.
“…”
[Thank you.]
*
「[General] Title: Got picked in the flatfish lottery, good job」
「Just checked the notice and I got picked lol. Seat number 69 is mine good job. Gonna play games with Flatfish in seat 69 lol. They didn’t say when though.」
– Wow, rare nickname 😱
– Damn… Ah f*ck, I didn’t get picked…
– Die.
– So jealous.
「[General] Title: I got picked for the first day lol」
「The All-Star box is arriving on Wednesday too, so if I show up at the PC bang on Friday wearing the Clara T-shirt, I’ll get a handshake shower from the carrots, right? I’m shaking 😱😱😱」
– A handshake? More like a slap in the face ㅅㅂ
– You’re not even Flatfish, why are you doing this?
– Sob… old-timer… please… give me your spot…
– This is a Flatfish-only event, damn it.
– Amid all this, there were some who couldn’t keep up with the conversation.
「[General] Title: What’s this lottery talk about?」
「I rushed here to verify my All-Star box, but why is everyone talking about a lottery? Are they doing another dopamine event this week? lol?😂😂」
– Dopamine fully charged lol 😂😂😂
– Yes, spending all my savings lol 😂
– How dare you doubt Big Man?
– That question feels unnatural.
– So what’s the event about, damn it? Why is no one answering?
└ A theme park is being held for three days at Hongdae Station PC bang from Friday to Sunday.
└ Theme park?
└ They’re picking 100 people to play games with Flatfish, yeah.
└ Apparently, they’ll chat with the members in between and stuff.
└ LOL no way LOL what kind of anniversary event is this LOL 🤣🤣🤣
People were excited, but they couldn’t hide their skepticism.
“No way they actually made it like a real theme park…”
“They probably just threw something together half-heartedly…”
And then.
That belief was shattered on Friday.
“Damn… what is this…?”
The PC bang had actually been transformed into an ABCD-themed park.