[TS] Formula One Streamer - Chapter 44
Kudang-tang-!!
“d*mn…!”
He rolled on the floor after falling off the podium and stood up, panting.
He charged at me as if to k*ll me, but I had no reason to evade, so I didn’t.
“What are you doing all of a sudden!”
“What do you mean what am I doing? Did you enjoy hiding behind that black appearance and mocking your opponents throughout the tournament?”
“What about you? You’re the same, so what are you talking about?”
“Do you think I don’t know? You’re a cheat.”
With a cold glare that seemed to imply he knew I was cheating, he flinched and swallowed hard.
“Do you know how many of your opponents—since the qualification round to the top 32—have suffered from your cheating?”
“Me? A cheat? Where’s the proof that I’m a cheat? There’s no evidence, only your conjecture. You wouldn’t say such things without proof, would you?”
“That’s…!”
As I fell silent, he suddenly relaxed and laughed at me.
Now that I think about it, presenting evidence is quite awkward.
I know it, but during my ascent to the top 32, nobody in KiwiChi or For One noticed that b*stard was cheating. As an ordinary user, what could I possibly present as evidence?
This b*stard’s race car is a bit fast!
The tire grip is too good!
The downforce is slightly better than average!
I can’t just whine like a little kid, can I?
While that’s true, the truth doesn’t always hold sway.
Knowing I had conclusive evidence, I felt frustrated because I knew there was no way to explain this to the viewers or the KiwiChi and For One officials.
“Is it okay to corner someone like this without presenting any evidence? What exactly did I do wrong? Do people really think I’m that easy to mess with…?”
Barcode Nick was babbling excitedly.
As I approached him to shut that disgusting mouth,
Pah-!
The space suddenly shone, and someone blocked the path between him and me.
An American in his fifties, tall and sturdy with blonde hair, who appeared relatively young for his age.
And above his head floated the name FOR ONE.
A figure known to everyone in the world, and one that I recognized too.
“M-Michael Nantz?”
The developer and chief planner of For One, a genius who even designed the security program himself.
“I have no evidence… but I think we should verify whether you are cheating, illililiili.”
His gaze slowly turned to Barcode Nick.
It was Michael Nantz.
*
*
*
FOR ONE*: So KING won after all.
Hammington: I can’t believe he actually won…
Nantz couldn’t hide his admiration as he watched KING receive the checkered flag after maintaining his lead until the end.
His relentless drive and determination towards victory were stronger than bl**d and harder than steel.
As a fellow human, it was hard not to feel awe towards KING.
Having recovered from fatigue in the pits, he suddenly pulled his opponent down from the podium.
With insults flying back and forth, the atmosphere grew tense.
With over 100 million viewers watching, it was urgent to bring order to the chaos.
FOR ONE*: I should step in now.
Hammington: Are you thinking of intervening yourself?
FOR ONE*: It’s only right for the chief manager to step up in this situation.
Michael Nantz moved directly to the podium where they were.
The atmosphere froze with his arrival.
His kind yet cold gaze fell on Barcode Nick.
“You need to cooperate with the investigation to determine if you used cheats.”
“No, what right do you have to…”
“Due to multiple circumstances captured by current F1 drivers and various experts, we have the right to do so. If you refuse to cooperate, we will consider it an admission of your cheating.”
“…”
The Barcode user, who was about to make a last-ditch effort, saw the transparent gaze of Nantz, who was confident he was cheating, and quietly complied with his orders.
Using cheats itself falls under illegal activities, and having used cheats in an official tournament meant he would surely face punishment in some form.
If he attempted to escape, the severity of the punishment would only increase, marking him as someone with no signs of remorse.
Soon, staff dispatched from For One’s security team and legal department took Barcode away.
What remained was KING, amid the cheers of the AI audience, and Michael Nantz.
Nantz turned away from Barcode and looked at KING.
The winner of this race and the driver who overcame cheating.
As the developer of For One, he could not help but feel proud of someone using the world he created so perfectly.
“KING, nice to meet you.”
“Yes. Uh, nice to meet you too.”
KING’s contrasting demeanor, warmly offering a handshake while being cordial, felt off compared to Barcode’s approach.
The two awkwardly shook hands.
Despite that, Nantz did not let go of his hand.
Instead, he only smiled more brightly and continued to speak.
“I really enjoyed the race. To see you defeat a cheat… it was something I never imagined as a developer. Oh, I’ve blocked the audio, so feel free to speak.”
“If my opponent hadn’t hidden it so well, I would have lost if they had raised the performance even a little.”
“That’s impressive. The fact that we had to notice something is a testament to your incredible capabilities, KING.”
Nantz chuckled loudly, gracefully withdrawing his hand and bowing slightly.
It was the utmost respect a Korean could receive from an American.
“I apologize for not preventing this situation beforehand. On behalf of For One, I express my sincerest apologies.”
“It’s alright. By the way, I’m just glad I won, but for the others who were eliminated…”
“We plan to issue an official statement and discuss it with KiwiChi and the victims. The tournament will pause until the results are finalized.”
KING nodded, taking a deep breath.
“That’s good. I was getting a bit tired. I hope everything gets sorted out. Well then…”
“Excuse me, I’m sorry to say, but KING must also accompany us.”
“Why me? I’m also a victim here.”
“Yes, we acknowledge that. However, considering what might happen later, it would be better for KING to clear up this suspicion now.”
illililiili is acknowledged as a cheat by Hammington, KING, and Michael Nantz.
If it is confirmed that he used cheats, it must be publicly disclosed.
It’s evident that an official announcement revealing For One has been penetrated by cheats, which had never happened before, would throw illililiili and even KING, who defeated him, into the spotlight.
If the current suspicions aren’t cleared, it was obvious KING, who defeated a cheat, would unwittingly be suspected of cheating himself.
Michael Nantz, who had grown fond of KING in a short time, could not just stand by and let things unfold this way.
Fortunately, as if reading his thoughts, KING readily complied with his instructions.
“We will quickly conclude the investigation regarding KING. Both Hammington and I believe this race was solely KING’s race. We hope you can forgive our unavoidable rudeness.”
“I was in the wrong for not thinking it through. I’ll follow your guidance.”
“Thank you for your understanding. Best of luck in the future.”
Soon another staff member arrived, and KING disappeared with him.
Nantz watched the empty space where he had vanished, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
After Hammington and Max, had there ever been a driver who made his heart race like this?
He thought he might be witnessing the birth of a driver greater than those two.
The hefty responsibility for the failed security program felt insignificant as if nothing at all.
“Haha. This is interesting, so interesting. I’m really looking forward to what’s next.”
Michael Nantz stood smiling for a long time even after he had left.
*
*
*
The investigation process was as uneventful as Nantz had said.
It ended with detecting whether I had used cheats in my account and the program through Steel.
Because Steel had failed to detect cheats, if I had indeed used them, Steel wouldn’t have caught it anyway. Doing this seemingly pointless task felt like it was merely a customary response.
With the investigation concluded, it seemed to indicate that Michael Nantz and Hammington, who watched my race, trusted me.
One Man Show: Hyun-a, you disappeared from the podium too. Is everything okay?
KING: Nothing happened. Just a customary investigation in case it blows back on me later. By the way, what about the broadcast?
Returning to the waiting room, I remembered the broadcast I had angrily thrown aside.
What must the viewers have felt?
Seeing their KING, usually so composed, grit his teeth and race hard, only to barely secure victory while beaten and battered.
Suddenly, during the argument on the podium where Barcode Nick was pulled down for being a cheat, the head of For One, Michael Nantz, appeared to resolve the situation.
Then the b*stard disappeared, Michael and I spoke, and I disappeared as well…
The viewers, unaware of what had transpired, must have been as shocked as I was.
Kang Ho-yun, who came to find me, opened his mouth without using voice chat.
“After your race, both the KiwiChi broadcast and the tournament were all suspended.”
“Oh… really? The viewers probably don’t even know what’s going on.”
“Not yet… They said For One would announce something soon, so let’s wait.”
I was told I could leave the KiwiChi waiting room, and I logged out with Kang Ho-yun.
For One had a regular channel on TV, so I could hear the announcement there.
And for now, regardless of the announcements, I just wanted to take a break…
On the TV, Michael Nantz was personally announcing a statement regarding the ‘cheat detection incident’ that occurred today during the KiwiChi 1v1 tournament.
– For One has identified abnormal game settings in the match between KING and illililiili, also known as Barcode Nick, and is in the process of uncovering the truth. The subject is the user known as Barcode Nick, and we disclose that the investigation is still ongoing.
While the KING user faced no issues, an inspection was conducted as a formality, and we emphasize that no irregularities were found.
The suspicion of cheats previously considered flawless at For One created a worldwide stir simply due to the speculatory word ‘suspicion.’
That’s why the chief manager of For One took the podium.
– … Therefore, For One has decided to take two weeks to reorganize. Unfortunately, all schedules for For One, including the KiwiChi tournament and the official F1 tournament, will be pushed back by two weeks. As the chief manager and designer of the security program, I take full responsibility for this incident, and on behalf of all users who love For One, I sincerely apologize.
This concludes the announcement. Thank you.
“Two weeks?”
Not being able to participate in For One for two weeks…
Open the door now!!!