Genius Archer’s Streaming - Chapter 296

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Genius Archer’s Streaming Season 2 Episode 16
5. Ripple Effects (4)
“Yes! Thank you so much!”
Department Manager Jang emerged with a cheerful greeting, the fierce, burning anger that had blazed in his eyes when leaving the CEO’s office completely gone.
“Secretary. You work so hard! Yes! We feel so reassured having you on our team!”
“Yes…? Th-thank you.”
He even greeted the CEO’s secretary—someone he’d never acknowledged before—and hurried out of the office.

* * *
Department Manager Jang returned to his team.
His expression looked unexpectedly furious, so his teammates asked nervously.
“M-Manager?”
As the employees watched Department Manager Jang’s face flush red and blue like autumn foliage past its peak, they began making excuses.
“We were actually just thinking about preparing for overtime starting now──”
“Ahahahahaha!”
Department Manager Jang suddenly let out a wild cry, flinging both arms wide.
“!?”
The employees jumped in shock, their faces going blank.
‘He’s lost it.’
‘He completely snapped and went insane.’
Regardless.
Department Manager Jang swung his fists at the air, shouting excitedly.
“That bastard Inho is finished!”
As if Inho stood right before him.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Department Manager Jang threw punches with gusto.
“That damn bastard! Huh? I’m gonna really give him a workout—left! Right! To his head!”
His teammates watched him and thought.
‘He’d probably lose in a real fight.’
‘Wouldn’t Inho win?’
No matter how gentle Inho’s appearance seemed, he didn’t look like he’d lose to Department Manager Jang.
Then someone asked the crucial question.
“Wait, what exactly happened?”
The person next to them nodded.
“So Inho pulled something and ruined our project?”
Phew.
Department Manager Jang exhaled roughly, venting the emotions boiling up inside him. Only then did he calm down slightly and sit.
“Ah, that. Yeah. Let me explain.”
He began explaining while catching his breath.
“So basically, the advertisements that Inho’s agency provides are our lifeline, right? Inho was trying to use that lifeline like a dog leash.”
“That’s right.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“Did that gravy train dry up?”
“What? Don’t say such unlucky things.”
Department Manager Jang was startled and his expression grew serious.
“Of course not, right?”
“Another lifeline just dropped down.”
Department Manager Jang chuckled and pointed upward at the sky.
“It’s not just some cosmetics company that barely sells in Asia—it’s up there!”
“Up there…?”
All the employees looked up. Of course, all they could see was the cheap acoustic ceiling panels overhead, but they each seemed to be seeing something different.
“A company that sells worldwide.”
“What is it? Why is that a lifeline?”
“That company is called ‘Divers.'”
Among those who regularly enjoyed virtual games, gasps erupted.
Employees who dabbled in stocks screamed.
“Divers?!”
Department Manager Jang nodded.
“Yes! Divers! And it’s a sponsorship deal tied to Almond!”
“Wow! Wow!”
“Right! Since it’s a Capsule! Putting ads on Almond is perfect!”
“What’s Almond’s class! What is it!”
The rest, who didn’t usually play games or invest in stocks, looked bewildered.
“What is Divers?”
“…It’s, it’s something amazing?”
Then the others rushed to explain, spitting words over each other. How it’s generating massive sales even in overseas markets with their budget models, how solid their position is as a basic Capsule brand, what their total stock value is, and so on.
“Wow… that industry really is no joke these days.”
“Yeah. No joke at all. And get this?”
Department Manager Jang added excitedly.
“It’s not just Divers—it’s an ad for ‘Nova,’ their premium brand that they’re seriously launching this year. The CEO got so sick of the budget image that he deliberately created this. You know how Ford poured money into making the Ford GT to outdo Ferrari’s prestige? It’s similar to that. So they must have invested massive cash, right?”
“Wow…”
“They invested so much that the CEO himself told me I did well. He asked how I was so resourceful. And he even said he’d evaluate me favorably—he told me directly! Hahahaha!”
Department Manager Jang raised both arms and laughed with delight. Could getting praised by the CEO really make him this happy?
This was the same guy who’d gone up earlier saying he’d give the CEO a piece of his mind.
The employees applauded and cheered for the clearly happy Department Manager Jang.
“Woooow!”
“This is great! Your internal evaluation period is almost over, isn’t it!”
“Aren’t you getting promoted this time!?”
Given his age, Department Manager Jang was at a critical point in his career as a professional.
And this good news had come at just the right moment.
“A company dinner! A company dinner! A company dinner!”
And so the chant for a company dinner naturally echoed through the office.
“Yeah! A company dinner?!”
Department Manager Jang shot to his feet, card in hand.
“Listen up. Tonight. Those of you leaving on time, go ahead! The rest of you staying—I’m buying Korean beef for everyone!”
Uooooooh!
A thunderous roar erupted from that partition.

* * *
Sunlight forced its way through the gaps between my eyelids.
‘…10 o’clock.’
I instinctively sat up, checking the time.
Without hesitation, I kicked off the blankets and got out of bed.
‘I overslept.’
Unusual for me, I’d slept in, so I hurried out of the room with quickened steps.
“Yes, thank you, CEO.”
Juhyeok was on a call with someone.
‘CEO?’
From the respectful tone, it seemed to be someone important. My curiosity was piqued, but I didn’t want to intrude by lingering nearby, so I stepped out to the yard instead. I needed to shake off the sleep anyway.
“Yes, of course. On our end, naturally…”
From the fragments I heard as I left, it sounded like good news.
Creak.
As I opened the front door, crisp air wrapped around me. Wearing only a simple tracksuit and a padded jacket, I exhaled white breath.
Whoosh.
This is how middle-aged men steeped in melancholy pretend to smoke. Since childhood, I’d never put a cigarette to my lips, so I create the mood this way instead.
Normally, I’d go for a jog at this hour, but in this weather, I’d risk freezing my throat and lungs solid, so I skip it.
“Ugh….”
I hugged myself and took a lap around the yard. It’s barely a hundred square feet, but considering the small backyard nestled in the hills, there’s enough to walk around.
In the back, the spot where Grandmother used to sit is still well-preserved.
I planted a hydrangea there—her favorite flower. Of course, there’s no trace of it now.
“When will it bloom…”
When winter passes and spring comes, will I see new shoots? Or will the seeds freeze and die before that, requiring me to plant again?
Come to think of it, nearly a whole year has passed already.
It’s been such a special year since I started streaming, and time has flown by so quickly.
“Grandmother. Next year, maybe I’ll be moving out of this house soon.”
I look up at the sky and speak to her.
“You always told me to go live in an apartment in the city.”
That apartment in the city you were always talking about. Now it doesn’t seem like such a distant dream for me.
I look back at my house.
A roof covered in cheap metal sheets, red bricks stacked haphazardly, windows that creak.
Being at high elevation, summer was cool, but it wasn’t a home suited for surviving winter.
Grandmother had ultimately reached the end of her life in this house.
Sanghyeon’s right arm, shoved deep in his pocket, trembled uncontrollably.
Probably from the cold.
“Hey!”
Creak!
The window swung open and Juhyeok’s face popped out.
“Good news!”
Watching his glasses fog up white in an instant, Sanghyeon found himself smiling without realizing it.
“Diver’s agreed to put ads on our broadcast. They’re saying they’ll attach ads to almost everything we put out from now on!”
He chattered away excitedly, completely ignoring his fogged-up glasses.
“Oh. Really?”
Sanghyeon replied as such and headed into the house.
Though it was a difficult house to survive winter in, stepping inside felt genuinely warm. Perhaps because someone’s warmth was protecting the home.
“Yeah. Hey. A message came saying to let Department Manager Jang know how much money was spent.”
“…Really?”
Department Manager Jang. I hadn’t seen him many times, but he seemed like a guy with a pretty big ego.
“How much did you spend exactly?”
Juhyeok thrust his chin up sharply and lifted his nose high.
“This hyung here. I pulled some strings.”
“…?”
Not the Diver CEO? The question was immediately answered by his next words.
“Actually, here’s the thing….”
In short, Juhyeok had sensed something off about Inho.
He kept being bothered by seeing him come down from the CEO’s office.
‘I definitely saw it too.’
A scene Sanghyeon had witnessed but thought nothing of.
For most people it would be nothing, but for someone as perceptive and sharp as Juhyeok, even such trivial movements become major turning points.
“…I made some guesses. I figured Inho went to the CEO’s office to say something. So I also looked into what kind of ads were being attached separately.”
He discovered that the place consistently inserting ads was a cosmetics company that Inho’s agency was investing in.
“Ah. So this industry works like this. I had a rough idea. But to be sure, I asked a friend I know at the broadcasting station. And my suspicions were right.”
He’d even mobilized his connections to solidify his conviction.
What came next was simple.
He invested the debt he owed to the Diver CEO here.
“The Diver CEO told me to contact him if there was anything he needed. Since we promoted it, Nova hasn’t even come out yet, but inquiries have increased and pre-orders are going well.”
“…That’s impressive.”
Sanghyeon expressed his genuine impression.
“Yeah. Now you know.”
Juhyeok grinned and responded coolly, then headed toward the kitchen. He must have been thinking about what to cook.
Then….
“Oh.”
He added something as if he’d just remembered he had more to say.
“Right, our year-end awards ceremony is coming up.”

* * *
The Tribee year-end awards ceremony.
December—another massive event that marked the end of the year at Tribee.
It was no coincidence that the Nant Tournament took place the month right before this ceremony. They were inserting a major plot twist element before the awards show, similar to how a training camp’s recreational games always gave you one last chance to flip the score with an even bigger point swing.
‘An awards ceremony, huh….’
I sat on the sofa, turning over what Juhyeok had just told me.
‘But I’ve only just started… will I even be eligible?’
Since it was an in-house ceremony, they’d probably be flexible about it, but the fact that I’d started so late in the year put me at a significant disadvantage.
I questioned whether I’d even be nominated.
“Maybe you were just invited as a guest?”
“Hmm.”
Juhyeok, sitting at the table, stroked his chin.
“I’m not sure. There wasn’t any specific mention of that. I just got an email saying I was invited….”
So it could just be a guest appearance.
I nodded and we both went about our business, passing the time.
“Oh. But something’s supposed to go up today. On the website.”
“Related to the ceremony?”
“Yeah. Let’s check it out. When I looked this morning, there was obviously nothing yet.”
I glanced at my watch.
Lunch had long since passed, so things might have changed by now.
And sure enough.
“Oh. Wow. We’re nominated. Not just as guests—we’re actually candidates!”
The screen Juhyeok showed me displayed a list of rookie award nominees.
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[Rookie Award Nominees]
1. Mosol
2. Pepperoni
3. Goguma
4. Lemon
5. Almond
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I was number five.
Apparently, since I’d started streaming the latest, I was selected last.
“Man. That’s barely making the cut.”
“Yeah.”
Being selected by the skin of my teeth was pretty obvious, but this was something at least.
Beneath the candidates, there was text that read:
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Vote for your favorite streamer!
Pressing the ‘Support’ button at the bottom of the broadcast will be reflected in the awards!
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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