Chapter 181 : Recruitment for PerG-Day Interns (4)
Recruitment for PerG-Day Interns (4)
The practical test for the 50 audition teams, 100 participants, had come to an end. Despite the number of people, it hadn't taken long.
Thanks to each team's results being decided in as little as one minute, or at most five, the process was swift. From the practical test, four teams were selected, and those four battled it out in the semifinals at the bottom lane.
"Ah! Skullkim and Bakjapcho, team Golcho, will be taking the final victory!"
Genome finished the commentary, his voice brimming with excitement. The eventual winners of the finals were the ones he had originally intended to recruit: Skullkim and Bakjapcho.
― Golcho wins! Golcho wins! Golcho wins!
― Wow, lol, as expected, you can't ignore collab experience, lol
― Their opponents played well too, but seriously, lololol
― Now I see why people watch audition programs
― Godple really handpicked the best of the best, lol
― He only picked truly skilled players
― Is this what they call a "Perfect-Eye"?
Viewers couldn't hold back their amazement at the competitiveness of the applicants. As the atmosphere reached its peak, Lee Gyeongbok stepped forward.
"Now, we will begin the final process of intern selection."
His announcement brought a wave of question marks to the chat window. Was it not over yet?
Lee Gyeongbok smiled and continued, "We had previously announced that the opinions of our shareholders would be reflected. Now it's time to exercise your voting rights as shareholders!"
As he spoke, Genome gestured, and a voting window appeared before the viewers.
The names of the four semifinalist teams were listed.
― PerG-Day shareholders' meeting ON!
― Lololol, voting rights, lololol
― Subscribers only vote, lolol
― Is there any fool left who hasn't bought PerG-Day stock yet?
― A company that pays out entertainment as dividends!?
― Lol, you can't resist a sweet dividend!
― Secret ballot for the win, lol
― It's supposed to be a Black Company, but they do everything by the book, lol
Votes began to pour in rapidly.
"Our new interns to join PerG-Day will be—!"
The voting soon closed, and Genome raised his voice. Lee Gyeongbok nodded lightly and announced, "With a final vote rate of 95.6%, skullkim and Bakjapcho."
Everyone had expected the outcome.
Skullkim and Bakjapcho were immediately invited to the studio.
As the two appeared, the chat was flooded with clapping and thumbs-up emojis.
Lee Gyeongbok, Genome, and Eclipse all welcomed the final selectees with applause as well.
"Before we introduce our new interns, I'd like to thank everyone who applied for this audition."
Genome smiled at the camera.
"In particular, all four teams that participated in the final stage will be awarded 10 subscription coupons each as an interview fee!"
"Oh?"
"Really?"
Skullkim and Bakjapcho's eyes widened in surprise. It was a gift that hadn't been mentioned before.
― What? Was that a surprise?
― PerG-Day's benefits are on another level, lolol
― You said it was a Black Company! You said it was a Black Company!
― Genome spending company money as he pleases!
― Stop embezzling!
As viewers responded playfully, Genome played along.
"What do you mean embezzlement? This comes out of my own pocket!"
It was half a joke, half serious.
Originally, everyone was to chip in for the cost, but Genome had just decided to cover it himself.
― Lolol so it's self-embezzlement then
― What does self-embezzlement even mean, lol
― A company that charges staff for benefits?!
― This is what makes it a Black Company, lol
― Frankly, employees ought to pay to work there, lol
― Seriously, gotta pay the bus fare, right?
― Is this that 'friendship fee' or whatever?
Lee Gyeongbok let out a chuckle as he read the chat.
"Our staff Genome has truly great company spirit. Now all he needs to do is work well..."
"Hey, boss! I do work hard!"
The improv between the two got the chat laughing.
― He's a good person" = "He has no other redeeming qualities."
― Lol it reminds me of the time when GunG was driving
-???: "I'm great at Kingjeon*!"
(*note: made-up in-universe competition)
― If you don't work well, at least pay up, lol
― So hiring was actually a 'wallet screening' process?
― Why call it wallet mode, not donation mode, lol
Thanks to that, the atmosphere lightened even further. Skullkim and Bakjapcho could be seen grinning in the background as well.
"Now, let's hear a little from our new interns."
"Sounds good. Skullkim, would you like to go first?"
Those who had done their roles stepped aside, leaving the two main stars at the center.
"Ah, yes. Honestly, I'm still a bit dazed. It's hard to believe that I'm actually in the same space as our boss and deputy whom I've only seen on broadcasts. It's a real honor."
"Huh? Wait, what about me? Why am I left out?"
Genome interjected, and Skullkim tilted his head.
"Still, it doesn't quite feel like an honor to be in the same space as a staff member..."
His answer sent the chat into hysterics.
― Lol, this is correct, lol
― Yeah, what's really the difference between an intern and a staff member, lol
― Butting in for no reason and not even getting praise, lol
― Tried to use his status as a regular employee to act superior, but totally backfired, lol
― Just Chu! Just Genome! Incredible!
― Lol, just open your wallet already
― He can't argue, so he instantly becomes docile, lol
Lee Gyeongbok joined in with a smile in his voice.
"Genome? You shouldn't butt in before they're finished talking."
"Ah, yes."
As he stepped back, skullkim cleared his throat and continued.
"This is an opportunity I gained with difficulty, so I'll devote myself body and soul for the company!"
― So you're literally going to break your bones?
― That bone thing again, lolol
― Lol, so many [BONE] jokes
― Yeah, it's a relief they're not taking it too far
― Why always bones lol!
― Purple viewers have never seen this [BONE] meme, so they're confused, lol
― Info) Skullkim's "골절" (bone fracture) comes from "skull" + "절" (bow) + viewer's bow = "골절"; whenever "bone" appears, chat spams the bone emoji
― My head hurts, right?
-[BONE]hahaha
― What the heck is 골하하 ("bone haha") lol
Before long, skullkim's subscriber-only emoji flooded the chat.
But then, as Bakjapcho was given a chance to speak, attention quickly shifted.
"Uh, I feel pretty much the same as Skull. I'm honestly honored to ride the legendary zeroback bus. Guess I'll have to decide what to do with the prize money."
"Prize money?"
Genome looked at him expectantly. Bakjapcho smiled and replied,
"Isn't the victory essentially PerG-Day's anyway?"
― This guy knows his stuff, lol
― As expected of Bakjapcho! Well deserved!
― Seriously, with a name like Bakjapcho ("weed"), seems like he can survive anywhere, lol
― Lol, he once joked he'd 'catch the viewers' attention,' too
― Why did it end up like this?
― But now that he's partnered with Skullkim, he's ironically become a smoker...
Just as Skullkim's fans had explained his memes earlier, bakjapcho's fans started explaining his story.
"Ah, bakjapcho, you've got it a bit wrong."
"Huh?"
"It's true that PerG-Day gets the win, but there's no guarantee the prize money actually goes to the employees, right?"
Genome's words sent viewers into laughter.
― Lol, that's Matjji
― Lol, same thing happened in Time Warfare, godple hogged it all, right?
― But Genome really has no right to say that, lol
― Seriously, lol, last time he tried to stage a coup and got owned
― The boss always takes the profits—classic Black Company
― The usual logic, lol
Genome's comments reminded viewers of the previous Gunner Ground event match.
After some more light banter, the interviews ended and Lee Gyeongbok came forward.
"Again, thank you to everyone who applied, and even greater thanks to all our shareholders who watched to the end today."
"And believe it or not, the work at PerG-Day hasn't even begun! Please look forward to it!"
Genome swept a glance at the others as he spoke.
"Thank you for watching today!"
"Let's meet again!"
"See you next time!"
"Don't miss the 'BONE'cast too!"
"Trva!*" *(Twitch slang for goodbye)*
With the ending words from all five, the broadcast concluded. But they didn't part ways immediately.
"Thank you for all your hard work this late."
"No, not at all."
"It was really fun."
They sat down at the round table in the studio.
"I won't keep you long. We'll just go over a few things and wrap up."
Lee Gyeongbok spoke lightly.
They had become a team now and shared a common goal, so they decided to have a brief meeting.
"Even if CrazySmurf is an amateur tournament, with tournament rules in place, the most important thing for our team is to prepare for ban-pick."
Genome chimed in to explain.
Surprisingly, the main focus wasn't the two new members.
"Skull and Mr. Japcho already stream Mystic League, so they're fine. The one who needs to quickly prepare a sub-champion is Eclipse."
"Yes, I'm aware."
Eclipse was only familiar with one champion: the knight Guyen. And there was another to prepare for.
"Purple also needs to increase his sub-champion pool."
That was Lee Gyeongbok.
Even though he had mastered two champions, yami and Barzan, there was a reason he was being singled out.
"To be honest, if I was on the opposing side, I'd definitely ban Purple's pick. Word's out that he's really good..."
"I have a feeling Yami and Barzan might not even see play this tournament."
He was simply that talented and bound to be targeted.
As Skullkim and Bakjapcho mainly played Mystic League as well, they agreed instantly.
"Yes, I think you're right. And Eclipse will be the next target. He showed more skills during the audition."
Lee Gyeongbok agreed and looked at Eclipse.
Not only because of his top lane proficiency, but he'd shown skill in countering AD Carries, so he was bound to be a ban-pick target.
"Hmm... I'll try to find a champion suited to my style."
"Okay, what's urgent now is just that, and as for our next collab schedule, let's arrange that separately."
Genome clapped lightly and stood up. Skullkim and Bakjapcho laughed as they stood.
"This is weird. He's got the shortest Mystic League experience and he's already a ban-pick threat."
"I feel a bit awkward about it myself."
Genome spoke with a moved expression.
"Wow... Finally, someone understands how I feel."
When the two blinked in surprise, Genome grinned and said,
"If you stay around these geniuses, you'll often experience cognitive dissonance. But you'll get used to it—you'll be going through this a lot more from now on."
"Aha... I think I get it."
"You really feel it when Purple ganks you."
The three of them shared a sense of camaraderie and laughed. Lee Gyeongbok and Eclipse just shrugged.
"Okay, let's end on a high note with a team cheer."
Genome smiled brightly and extended his hand. There was no need to discuss what the cheer would be.
"So, who's winning no matter what?"
As he said it, all five smiled.
"PerG-Day!"
And so, PerG-Day's team formation ended smoothly.
* * *
The next day, in a study room downtown.
Lee Gyeongbok and his friends began a meeting in the spacious room.
"Hatukill, that guy is just unbelievable. How can he always act so obnoxiously?"
Before the official meeting began, Choi Byeonghun spoke up.
"He's gotten even worse than before."
"I know, right? At least before, he tried to hide it when broadcasting. This time, I could sense his insincerity even on air."
Choi Byeonghun shuddered at the memory.
"If possible, I would've dropped him during the document screening."
"Well, since I rejected him personally, it's fine, isn't it?"
Park Juho answered as if regretful, and Lee Gyeongbok continued. Choi Byeonghun nodded right away.
"With that guy's personality, he'd throw a fit if he got dropped during document screening. He'd probably stir up trouble, play the victim, and try to cash in on the controversy."
"Actually, you could say things turned out neatly."
"Yeah, now we won't have to deal with him again. Honestly, I wanted to edit his scenes to make him look as bad as possible, but I was worried it might drag us into more drama."
"Yeah, there's a clear line between public and private. You did the right thing."
After saying that, Park Juho manipulated his Smart Link.
"Now it's time for us to settle on our own audition results."
With that, the study room wall was filled with stacks of documents. Each one belonged to an applicant for Team Perfect's translator position.
"I filtered them by basic specs, then filtered again based on activity history. These are the best applicants."
"Wow, even after doing all that, there's a ton left?"
"I was pretty strict, you know. Not that many had any significant flaws in their records."
While the two friends chatted, Lee Gyeongbok quickly scanned through the files.
"Forty-eight in total, huh."
"Wow, you just counted them at a glance?"
"We need to select the final interviewees, but it's better if you, not me, do it."
Park Juho was confident at analyzing objective criteria. But when it comes to choosing people, none were more suited than Lee Gyeongbok.
"Still... There are so many smart viewers."
"I was surprised too. There are people with master's degrees in interpreting, graduates from prestigious overseas universities, and folks who can speak four languages..."
"They're so good, it's going to be tough to choose."
Choi Byeonghun clicked his tongue.
While the two discussed, Lee Gyeongbok smiled to himself as he examined the files.
Right then, as if struck by a good idea, Choi Byeonghun spoke up.
"Hey, what if we sent applicants' birthdates to your aunt and asked her to do a reading?"
"... Did you even think before saying that?"
Park Juho immediately glared at him.
"Not only would that bother your aunt, but leaking their personal info like that would be a big privacy violation, you know?"
"Oh, is it?"
"... Just stick to editing, will you?"
Lee Gyeongbok gave his friends a bittersweet smile.
"My aunt can't read fortunes."
"Huh?"
"My grandmother never did fortune readings either."
The mention of saju (Korean fortunes) brought back memories for Lee Gyeongbok.
After his parents passed and the funeral was over, he was taken in by his grandmother.
But that process hadn't been easy.
'Why? Why didn't you know?'
Back then, Lee Gyeongbok was still a high school student. It was an age too young to readily accept his parents' deaths.
He needed a reason—a "story" that would let him accept reality.
'Isn't Grandma a shaman? They say she's a great one!'
His questions, now laced with resentment, were directed at the person closest to him. In a calm voice, his grandmother replied:
'... Shamans commonly try to read a person's fate through saju.'
Saju (the Four Pillars).
A shaman's method for divining fate based on a person's year, month, day, and time of birth.
'But a person's fate isn't something so easily known.'
But his grandmother was different from other shamans.
'Gyeongbok, when were you born?'
'You don't even know my birthday?'
'Birthday? Gyeongbok, were you born on your birthday?'
As she wiped away his tears, she spoke.
'Let me ask you again. When your mother was carrying you, were you dead inside her womb?'
'That's...'
'When did your life truly begin? Was it only when the obstetrician pulled you from her belly? Do you really think so?'
Lee Gyeongbok couldn't answer.
'Although I didn't see your mother often, I remember that day. I remember the joy in your parents' voices when they found out they were expecting.'
Her voice trembled. A teardrop fell down her wrinkled cheek.
'Gyeongbok, when did your parents begin loving you? I'm sure it was even before you had arms and legs. Even before you knew of your own existence.'
Lee Gyeongbok was silent. He had lost his parents—but his grandmother had lost her child.
That realization struck him anew.
'So how could even a shaman truly understand the beginning of a life? It's beyond a human's ability to precisely know a saju. How many people with the same saju have completely different lives...'
She took a deep breath to steady her voice.
'Gyeongbok, if you want to truly assess someone's fate, you have to meet them yourself.'
If anything, there was even more emotion in her words.
'My karma is that I didn't visit my son and daughter-in-law enough. I stubbornly waited for them to come to me out of pride. If only, if only I had gone to them first...'
He realized he'd made a grave error. The reason his grandmother had acted like everything was fine was simple.
'I promised, while consoling their souls, that I would protect you, Gyeongbok, to the end.'
Just as his grandmother had worried about his parents, his parents must have worried about him.
No real parent could be stoic in the face of their child's death.
That's why his grandmother swallowed her pain, pretending to be strong for his sake.
Listening to what Auntie says, it seems they're still worrying.
Recalling a dream that Yang Gyuri had told him, Lee Gyeongbok pulled his memories together.
"I've decided."
"Already?"
"Wow! As expected of the Human Scanner."
The two friends had different reactions, and Lee Gyeongbok smiled.
"We'll interview everyone."
Their differing expressions became one.
"What?"
"Huh?"
Lee Gyeongbok gathered the files on his Smart Link.
"These people all passed the criteria, right?"
"That's true, but..."
"They didn't just apply for the money—they like me, too, so rather than just deciding based on written words, I'd rather talk to each of them."
Recalling his old memories, his grandmother's teachings resurfaced.
"I'll get a much better sense if I meet them directly."
The two friends exchanged looks, then smiled.
"If that's the boss' decision."
"It's true—a barcode scanner is most accurate when you scan the barcode yourself."
"Again with the Human Scanner thing..."
Lee Gyeongbok grinned at their remarks.
"Then I'll handle scouting a location and contacting everyone."
"Please do."
Since they didn't have a separate office, they'd need to rent a place for the interviews.
"I hope we find someone who fits."
"I'm sure we will."
"The fourth member, huh."
The new member of Team Perfect.
All three couldn't hide their anticipation.