Chapter 120 - Backfire

"Ugh... I'm sorry, everyone, I'm sorry... I said I'm sorry!!!"

In a studio apartment in Seoul.

Chae Na-young, who had been clicking her mouse while looking at her computer, suddenly shouted without realizing it.

Then, with tears in her eyes, she blocked the comment section of the video.

The problematic video that forced her to take the drastic measure of blocking comments was a criticism of Egostic.

"Haah... Really, why...."

She sighed deeply.

Chae Na-young is a journalist.

No, to be precise, she was a journalist. Until she got fired recently.

Finding herself back on the streets alone, she had reluctantly started a channel on a video sharing platform, uploading videos about current affairs—what she did best.

With barely enough subscribers to make ends meet, it was currently her only hope.

She was working hard to maintain the channel while also working part-time at a convenience store. And now, her newly uploaded video was being bombarded with dislikes.

"...No, is Egostic some kind of sacred cow? A sacred cow, I tell you!"

She shouted without even realizing it.

The video she had uploaded this time was criticizing the villain Egostic.

To be precise, it was criticizing the people who mindlessly followed him. I mean, he's a villain, right? So why don't mainstream broadcasters criticize him more harshly?

So she decided to take the initiative and pioneer this blue ocean.

Honestly, she was confident. With few people criticizing Egostic yet, if she took the lead, she could attract all the anti-Egostic opposition.

And the result was...

A complete disaster.

"....Ha. I've failed. This was my only hope..."

She thought to herself and unconsciously began to sob.

Her view counts were already declining with each video. Now she was truly at risk of not being able to make a living.

On the verge of not being able to pay her rent, she was about to collapse from the dislikes and malicious comments.

"...Ah. Should I just quit everything?"

And then she...

Muttered with unfocused eyes.

Haha, it probably won't work out.

Maybe I should have bought a lottery ticket.

Ah. How am I going to pay this month's rent?

As she sat there with hollow eyes.

Ding dong- an alert came.

"....What is it?"

As she muttered and opened her phone.

She rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

"......What is this? Am I dreaming?"

[DH has donated 10,000,000 won.]

[Hello, I always enjoy your videos^^ I hope you continue making videos like this without losing your conviction. I especially liked your latest video. Would you be interested in doing business with me?]

"....Eh?"

She unconsciously dropped her phone.

***

"Oppa. No matter how I think about it, that doesn't seem like a good idea?"

"No. This is an excellent idea."

"I don't think so...."

I shook my head at Seo-eun.

No, this is the only way now.

And this is the most efficient.

It's really strange that there isn't a single media outlet in Korea that criticizes Egostic.

After looking into it, I realized that whenever someone writes even slightly critical articles, people rush in and bombard them with dislikes. I realized this needs to change.

My goal is to be a villain who gives Stardust trials to help her grow.

Actually, if you think about it, it's okay if only Stardust thinks I'm a villain. Everything I do is for Stardust anyway.

However. If people don't particularly criticize me like now, Stardust might find it strange. She might even doubt herself. Seeing that others don't particularly dislike Egostic, she might wonder, "Is Egostic not really a villain?"

Of course, of course, I believe our Stardust wouldn't do that. I believe that Stardust, full of a sense of justice, wouldn't have such ridiculous doubts about a villain as evil as me like others might. However, even so, it's a problem that there isn't a single place criticizing me.

So I decided.

Yes, I'll just establish a broadcasting station.

Create a channel specializing in criticizing Egostic.

It's okay to have at least one of these in Korea, right?

As soon as I had that thought, I hit another problem.

No, where do I have time for that? It's hard trying to do everything from start to finish.

While pondering this, something caught my eye.

It was a broadcast by a woman who had uploaded a video criticizing me and received a bombardment of dislikes.

Despite the hostile comment section, the video was quite well-made. The editing was clean, and the woman's voice was articulate like a public broadcaster's anchor.

As I watched her video as if mesmerized, I realized something.

....Wait. Come to think of it, I don't need to do it myself. I can just nurture this woman to make videos criticizing me, right?

"......"

I immediately put my idea into action.

Alright, open wide, donation coming in.

Let's have a deep conversation, shall we?

***

"Hehehe......"

Chae Na-young.

She found herself giggling uncontrollably, then startled herself.

Right, I shouldn't be this happy.

Work, I need to work.

"......Yes!!!"

But she couldn't help jumping up from her bed.

Yes.

A ray of salvation had shone on her life that seemed headed for rock bottom.

She had gained a sponsor.

One who recognized her abilities.

This mysterious sponsor who suddenly donated ten million won to her without any reason.

Startled, she contacted the sponsor with trembling hands.

And soon had many conversations with him.

The anonymous man who asked to be called just by his ID [DH]. No, that person. That person said he really liked her most recent video. Yes, the one criticizing Egostic.

Saying that, he told her he had money to spare and would support her generously if she would thoroughly criticize that Egostic guy. He said he might invest more depending on the quality of her future videos.

That's right.

She had been chosen by someone presumed to be a second-generation chaebol.

"Thank you... Thank you..."

She unconsciously muttered toward the mysterious sponsor.

Honestly, she felt like she was dreaming. Is this reality? Money suddenly rolling in like vines?

And the reverence she felt for the sponsor.

Yes... Is this love?

She had reached the point of almost worshipping the sponsor. How dare I, such a lowly person...

"Right... This is not the time."

She got up from her seat.

This opportunity.

An opportunity that might come once in a lifetime, she couldn't miss it. Absolutely not.

The reason the sponsor picked her was because of that video criticizing Egostic.

That means she needs to work hard not to disappoint him.

And that day, she immediately rented a studio with the money he had sponsored, no, invested.

Yes. I, Chae Na-young.

I will show my sponsor my capabilities and gain his recognition.

That I am a woman who does what she says she'll do.

That there is no one in this world who can criticize Egostic more thoroughly than me.

***

A week passed like that.

"Haah... Haah..."

After finishing the final edit, Chae Na-young collapsed in front of her computer.

"...I gave it... my all..."

She could proudly say she had poured everything she could into making this video.

It was of such high quality that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was on par with the 9 o'clock news on public broadcasting if it had a logo.

This high-quality, seemingly authoritative video was filled with content thoroughly criticizing Egostic.

All for just one person, her sponsor.

"Sponsor... Are you watching? This is a symphony for you..."

With trembling hands, she uploaded the video to her newly created channel.

Well.

The die has been cast.

***

A week after I sponsored a YouTuber named Chae Na-young, which was a highly productive thing to do.

Actually, I had almost forgotten about it after a week.

But my phone rang with a notification that she had uploaded a video.

"Ah, she finally uploaded it. Let's take a look."

And the video I saw was...

Absolutely shocking.

A video that criticized Egostic relentlessly from start to finish.

And with incredible quality, produced like a news report.

It was exactly what I wanted.

And that's when I realized.

...This is gold.

It could become big.

As soon as I made that judgment, I ran to Seo-eun.

"Seo-eun! Do you have the view manipulator?"

"Eh? What? The view manipulator?"

"Yes. The YouTube view manipulator. Use it quickly, let's make this video number one on trending."

"No, what is this? ...This video?"

"Yes. My instinct tells me this has potential. If we push her, she'll take off."

"What? No... sigh... Fine, I understand."

And so.

The unprecedented event occurred where [Ruthless Psychopath Villain Egostic, Let's Examine His Ugly Side] became the number one trending video on YouTube in Korea.

***

Shin Ha-ru.

The person she thought about most this week was, as always, Egostic.

What did he mean by saying he lives in the same house?

Being as close as family with his colleagues? ...She doesn't know anything about him, but he might be living in the same house with his colleagues like family.

She doesn't know even a small piece of information about him, not even his name, but his colleagues are like family, so they probably know at least that much. No matter how hard she tries, she won't know.

And that terror attack.

What was the purpose of the recent attack? He took hostages but didn't harm a hair on their heads before releasing them. It seemed like he took hostages for no other reason than to call Stardust herself.

...So why did he carry out this attack? For what purpose?

And her intuition told her...

...Somehow, this attack felt like Egostic was trying to assert that he was a villain. Of course, it's probably just her delusion, but she couldn't help thinking that.

...Egostic. Should she really see him as a bad guy? Can he be called a villain?

As Shin Ha-ru was thinking about this, she unconsciously shook her head.

...Egostic is definitely a villain. A cruel villain. She shouldn't weaken herself with strange thoughts and delusions.

Egostic is clearly a villain, and she just needs to catch him. End of story.

As she was thinking about various things and naturally getting a headache, Shin Ha-ru sighed and opened YouTube. She thought she might listen to some music.

And something caught her eye, a large thumbnail marked as #1 trending.

[Ruthless Psychopath Villain Egostic, Let's Examine His Ugly Side]

Seeing that title, she clicked on the video as if hypnotized.

In the video, a woman who looked like an anchor appeared and began to calmly list all the evil deeds Egostic had committed so far.

Attempting to blow up civilian ships with bombs, tying people to train tracks, making planes crash, blowing up bridges, damaging property, and so on.

After systematically listing all the evil deeds Egostic had committed so far, the anchor finally exclaimed in an agitated voice:

[This ruthless psychopath should be locked up immediately!! Citizens, don't be fooled! He is an irredeemable crazy piece of trash, and even the death penalty wouldn't be enough!! If there's a bad guy in this world, it's this dog-like Egostic!!!]

The video ended with the excited woman's outburst.

Below it, countless dislikes were flooding in.

The comment section was filled with numerous insults. Of course, directed at the anchor, not Egostic.

And after watching the video to the end.

Still in a daze, Shin Ha-ru quietly thought.

"....."

...No, Egostic is certainly a bad guy.

But, but isn't this too harsh?

As she was thinking this, she unconsciously found her fingers typing a comment in the video's comment section.

[Newday313][This seems like forced criticism. The logic is weak too. I don't think Egostic is this bad of a person.]

After immediately posting the comment, she quietly thought.

...Yes. This is a kind of justice.

Even if the other person is a villain, it's not right to criticize them with such insults.

Honestly, at this point, Egostic is pitiful. Yes. The insults were too harsh... It can't be helped.

With that, Shin Ha-ru went ahead and pressed the dislike button on the video.

...Somehow, seeing a video insulting Egostic made her feel bad, with an incomprehensible emotion.

***

"Wow. Oppa. The like to dislike ratio on the video criticizing you has reached 1 to 10,000. That's almost a record, isn't it?"

Looking at Seo-eun who was teasing me, I told her.

"Seo-eun. That doesn't mean anything."

Yes.

This video is essentially made for just one person to see—Stardust, Shin Ha-ru.

She definitely watches YouTube during her breaks, so she must have seen this video.

If she sees this and realizes once again how bad I am, and burns with hostility towards me, that's all I need.

Although the comment section is full of people covering for me, it doesn't matter as long as Stardust isn't among them.

"Yes... That's all... I need...."