NOVEL NEXT Chapter 50
Two days after hearing the news about Uju’s suspension.
I clenched my fist while checking the comments on the announcement Uju posted on YouTube.
What was written there was truly something else.
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“Isn’t Aiver some kind of joke? Just a suspension and they’re already crying viewbot, so many excuses, haha.”
“Seriously, I thought it was boring from the start, but why are the viewers skyrocketing, haha.”
“I honestly found the stream entertaining, but I can’t believe the viewbot accusation… I feel so betrayed.”
“Seriously, you didn’t use it, right? Mr. Cosmo…”
“Do you trust this kind of announcement? Is he brain dead?”
“Believing this is just plain stupid… Why would Aiver target an innocent streamer and take a hit? Isn’t that their cash cow?”
“Those saying the viewership increased because of the looks, do they even have brains? This isn’t some cam girl thing, haha.”
“There are many streamers who get views just based on looks, though… Isn’t that a bit discriminatory?”
“Even considering that, the rise in numbers is too weird… When Cheese first came, there were barely 500 viewers, and right after going public, it jumped to 2,000. Do you really think that makes sense?”
I felt something boiling inside me.
Who do you think you are, belittling someone else’s hard work? Who are these people, hiding behind their screens and venting their feelings in comments?
Do they even know how sincere that person is to the stream and viewers? He’s someone who always talks about being grateful for those who appreciate his somewhat lacking self.
Crunch.
Maybe I was grinding my teeth too hard because I heard something cracking in my mouth.
I tried to calm my anger, closed the internet tab, and leaned back in my chair.
Why am I digging through a trash can with my own hands and cursing at how dirty it is? It’s obvious trash is dirty.
♬~
“…Ah.”
Like when dealing with company executives who only care about their money, I closed my eyes, managing my emotions, when my phone rang.
With a sinking feeling, I checked the caller ID: it read “Secretary Kim.”
Two days ago, right after I ended contact with Uju, I had asked them to investigate any information regarding this incident. Perhaps there was some progress.
With anticipation, I answered the call, and heard Secretary Kim’s voice.
– “Director, I’m sorry to keep you waiting. First, I’ve gathered as much information as possible through the staff and related individuals.”
“Thanks a lot, Secretary Kim. So, was there any progress?”
– “Yes, I’m sending some related materials via email. I think you should take a look.”
“Got it.”
I immediately opened the email Secretary Kim had sent, which included a few attached photos.
I downloaded them all at once, opened several on a small screen, and enlarged them one by one to read carefully.
“So, in the end, did it turn out that Uju used a viewbot?”
I didn’t notice anything particularly strange, so I calmed my mind and asked calmly.
– “On paper, that’s how it appears. However, there are a few peculiar points, apparently.”
“Peculiar points?”
I raised an eyebrow, prompting Kim to continue, as it seemed he was also reviewing the documents.
– “Well, for example… an issue like a permanent suspension for streaming usually undergoes a one-day review process, and the notification and suspension happen the next day. Especially for partnered streamers, the news is first relayed to the responsible manager.”
“…Hearing that, it does seem odd. Uju’s case was processed unusually quickly.”
The judgment that Uju used a viewbot was made yesterday around 2 PM. However, the suspension was carried out in just about 20 minutes. Moreover, according to Secretary Kim, there hadn’t been a single case like this in previous suspensions.
Was all of this just coincidence?
While I pondered this unsettling thought and continued reading the documents, Secretary Kim spoke up again.
– “Oh, and this isn’t exactly unusual, but… apparently, the person who issued the suspension is a bit of a peculiar case.”
“A peculiar case? What do you mean by that?”
Since all of them were from the management department, I was curious about why the one who issued the suspension was special.
Secretary Kim then advised me to look at photo number two and continued explaining.
– “If you check below, the name of the person in charge appears as Yang Jae-min. Currently, he’s the team leader overseeing server management, but apparently, he normally doesn’t handle this type of work.”
“So, you’re saying it’s not something a team leader would typically do?”
– “I can’t say for sure. It’s just that ordinarily, such minor tasks are managed by the subordinate staff, and team leaders usually just sign off on them.”
Hmm, there indeed seems to be something off.
The world of a company tends to be more structured than you might think. Each person has assigned tasks, and it’s rare for someone to stray far from that role unless under special circumstances.
In cases like this, it would have been perfectly fine to leave it to subordinate employees. Since the server management department handles these kinds of issues, it’s likely that Team Leader Yang has merely been signing off until now.
But why did this person take action in Uju’s case?
Furthermore, why was the processing so unusually swift this time around?
Coincidences can happen once, but when they start piling up, it’s no longer just coincidence.
“Has anything been investigated about this Yang Jae-min person?”
– “Yes, I thought you might ask, so I looked into it. Just brief information and company reputation…”
“That’s enough for now. Please share.”
I felt a renewed appreciation for Secretary Kim’s competence as I prompted him, and I heard the faint sound of paper rustling as he looked up other investigation data.
– “Name: Yang Jae-min. He has about 10 years of experience at Aiver, and before joining this team, he worked in the portal site management department. His skills are average, but being Director Baek Jin-seung’s protégé allowed him to rise quickly.”
“Director Baek Jin-seung’s protégé?”
– “Yes, which is why the prevailing company opinion is that he’s a parachute hire. Plus, he’s notoriously negligent at work, and all staff members who previously had issues with him have been fired.”
Even without seeing his face, I had a good idea about the kind of person he was. He’d likely be the complete opposite of Uju.
Of course, “parachute hires” are common in large companies, and in a way, I too, thanks to the Liu family’s lineage, hold significant power at Changseong Corporation at my age, so I can’t criticize it too harshly.
However, this guy strikes me as someone who fits the description of “shady” perfectly.
If he got in through connections, at least he should try to prove his abilities, or if he doesn’t have the skills, he could live quietly. But his eagerness to flaunt his connections indicates he must love showing off.
While I continued this inner monologue, Secretary Kim’s soft sigh interrupted my thoughts.
“What’s going on? Did you forget something?”
– “Well, during the investigation, one employee from the management department mentioned something. This relates to Team Leader Yang Jae-min…”
“What was it?”
Initially, I thought Yang Jae-min had no relevance to this case, so I responded somewhat disinterestedly, but what came next made my eyes widen.
– “Actually, two days ago, Team Leader Yang contacted the employee and asked them to investigate Mr. Cosmo’s viewer increase.”
“You mean specifically Uju?”
– “Yes, and oddly… at that time, Team Leader Yang had already left the company for the day.”
Why would he specifically request an investigation into Uju after leaving work? What on earth is going on?
If he were just a diligent worker, that would be one thing, but given the previous information, it’s clear that he isn’t that kind of individual.
“Could it be that he checked something suspicious while at home?”
– “No, that’s unlikely. Basically, server traffic data and details on specific streamers are confidential and prohibited from leaving the office.”
In other words, it means he contacted his subordinate for an investigation about Uju out of the blue, and just two days later, an abrupt suspension was put in place.
The whole situation feels excessively unnatural.
It’s almost as if he was just waiting for any little fault to pounce on and file a complaint right away.
“…Secretary Kim.”
– “Yes, Director.”
I could feel my suspicions hardening into conviction, so I called Secretary Kim in a low voice.
The abrupt disappearance of the honorifics would have made him feel a chill, but I needed that to express my rising anger.
Of course, there’s still no tangible evidence. Not even a strong suspicion.
However, having been through enough dirty office politics and seen the dark sides of certain individuals, I was beginning to grasp that this was a conspiracy designed to take down the streamer known as Cosmo from the very start.
“Call Director Baek Jin-seung. Tell this jerk to show up in front of me tomorrow, no excuses.”
– “Understood.”
Secretary Kim must have heard me letting loose some expletives and speaking informally for the first time, but still, he managed not to show any sign of panic.
The call ended shortly after, and something in my mind snapped as well.