The beginning was different from Kim Ah-young’s expectations.
“Macaroni!”
“Macaroni!”
“Oh, Macaroni!”
As soon as they entered the nightclub, everyone went out and started dancing the Macaroni dance.
Seeing this scene, Lee Hyun-woo and Oh Min-woo exchanged glances.
“The song was released not long ago, but it’s already trending!”
“What?”
“Korea is really fast!”
“Oh, right! Korea is really fast. The song was released not long ago, but it’s already trending!”
It was so noisy that they had to repeat what they said to each other, but it was only for a moment.
Once they got used to and adjusted to the decibel level, they also went out to the dance floor and started shaking their bodies while talking.
“By the way, it looks like this song is going to be a huge hit.”
“It’s easy to sing along to. The dance is simple too.”
“Right. What about the U.S.? I don’t know for sure, but it seems to be spreading quickly in California.”
“Moreover, with P2P coming out, it might spread even faster than we expected.”
In fact, the U.S. is so vast that even if something stirs up, it doesn’t spread as rapidly as in Korea.
Instead, once it spreads, it tends to stay popular for a long time.
The variable here is P2P sites.
Jang Yoo-chul, who had come in from the side, asked the two.
“P2P has finally come out?”
“Yeah, those two guys finally made it.”
“It’s only a matter of time before we need to protect the content.”
“That’s right.”
“But don’t worry. I’ve been researching hard and created a lock for MP3 files.”
“What?”
Lee Hyun-woo’s eyes widened.
And the conversation partner shifted from Oh Min-woo to Jang Yoo-chul.
“It’s like embedding a code. It won’t work on other devices.”
“Was that possible?”
“It’s not permanent.”
“Wow, that’s something. Hey, let’s not talk here and go sit down.”
“Yes? Ah, yes… CEO.”
“What, CEO? Just call me hyung. Today is my day off and it’s not work hours.”
Honestly, distinguishing titles like this isn’t easy.
But he felt so good that he wanted to loosen up a bit.
As soon as they sat down, he even poured a drink for Jang Yoo-chul.
“Take it with one hand, between us.”
“Haha…”
“So, how does it work? I might not fully understand, but…”
“Yes, it’s a bit technical, so I explained it simply earlier. There are two methods: one is to corrupt the download file when it’s uploaded or copied.”
“Wow, that would cause an uproar.”
“Since it was done illegally, there should be consequences.”
“Great, what’s the second one?”
“The second is to change the file extension entirely, so it can only be played on specific programs.”
“Oh? Then what about the MP3 players we’ve sold until now?”
“Software upgrades will do the trick.”
“Ah… I see. Then we just have to decide between the two.”
“Yes, which one do you like?”
“I like both. But MP3 is like your baby. So I think it’s best you decide.”
Lee Hyun-woo’s words were sincere.
He knew that Jang Yoo-chul had been researching and developing MP3 files for a very long time.
Coincidentally, it aligned with the founding of 【Jungle】 and became the company’s asset, but he believed that the original developer, Jang Yoo-chul’s rights should be recognized.
Plans were already being prepared.
For example, if Jang Yoo-chul stayed with 【Jungle】 later, there was a way to reward him with a massive stock option or fully support him if he started his own business.
Whichever he chose, he intended to reward him accordingly, so he had no choice but to let Jang Yoo-chul handle the MP3 issue.
Hearing Lee Hyun-woo’s words, Jang Yoo-chul smiled brightly.
“By the way, this song is nice…”
Once again, the sound of Macaroni reached their ears.
It seemed like this song would be played non-stop throughout the summer.
The second round was at a street food stall.
Quite a few people chose to go home, and the remaining people were mostly team leaders.
The loudest one among them was, of course, Oh Min-woo.
“When I went to the U.S. this time, I realized once again. The day 【Jungle】 will rule the world is not far off.”
He seemed a bit drunk and started talking about what happened in the U.S. with a slightly slurred tongue.
He wasn’t sure about fashion, as that was handled by Lee Hyun-woo, his father, and designer Lee Hwan, but he had directly intervened or experienced SNS and Macaroni firsthand.
As he recited everything, Lee Jung-woo felt envious.
“Ah, I should have gone too.”
“You were busy making games, right?”
“Yeah, that’s why I couldn’t go, but there’s a problem now.”
“What’s that?”
“I can’t find a good designer to create decent units for each race.”
“Would there be one in the U.S.?”
“Since the game market there was more active than here, we might have found one.”
“Then why don’t you go before the vacation ends?”
“I should. Oh, and hyung?”
“Yeah?”
Lee Jung-woo, who seemed to have remembered something while talking to Oh Min-woo, called out to Lee Hyun-woo.
“When you have time, can you play the game a bit?”
“Me?”
“Yeah, the team members who saw you play last time unanimously said you should test it. They said you had hidden talent.”
Being good at games was a talent too.
Hong Yo-han also gained fame, popularity, and wealth with just that.
Having defeated such a person, Lee Hyun-woo felt a subtle but justifiable confidence.
“Hey, are you going to create an online battle arena for this game?”
“Online battle arena? What’s that?”
“Oh, I didn’t mention that.”
An online battle arena was an internet multiplayer service provided by the game company.
In other words, it was a service that anyone who purchased the package from the upcoming 【Jungle Game】 could use.
So, Lee Hyun-woo explained to his brother that the game they were creating could be played online with other players without any additional cost.
“Oh, that’s a good concept. To play multiplayer, users originally had to connect with each other or find out the host’s IP address to connect.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying, but it sounds like a lot of hassle.”
“It is a hassle. So I’ve been thinking about a device to make it easier, and hyung just gave me the solution.”
“Anyway, if we create an online battle arena, we don’t have to do it at the company. I just need to enter a specific server and wait for someone. For example, like Hong Yo-han, who played the game last time.”
“Hey, that guy wasn’t good at the game. Play with our staff instead.”
“Hahaha.”
Lee Hyun-woo laughed and thought to himself.
‘Defeating the Storm Emperor in my past life means I have talent in gaming too, right?’
Then he should create an ID in the online battle arena and roam around defeating strong players.
This solved one of his concerns.
‘Work has been too enjoyable lately. It’s probably because I don’t have a hobby, so I should take an interest in gaming.’
He felt content.
It felt like discovering a second alter ego after Nostradamus.
Just then, Woo Sang-won’s voice offering a drink reached his ears.
“Everyone, fill your glasses. We’ve rested long enough. Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
Lee Hyun-woo, who spent the day in a blur, finally faced his first day back at work after returning from the U.S. the next day.
But someone was waiting in the lobby.
It was Hyun Chang-su.
He was holding something in his hands.
“Oh? What brings you here?”
“Why else? To repay a favor.”
“A favor?”
“Thanks to you, the song became a huge hit! So I brought a surprise gift.”
He handed what he was holding to Lee Hyun-woo.
And then he said,
“It’s honey. My father is a beekeeper. I brought this home over the weekend and have been eagerly waiting for the day you’d return. I’m so grateful.”
“Haha… There’s no need for this…”
“Are you not going to accept it?”
“Of course, I’ll take it. My mother loves putting honey in her cooking.”
If it wasn’t a bribe, it would be rude to ignore someone’s sincerity.
Lee Hyun-woo quickly accepted it with both hands and said,
“I have a surprise gift for you too. Shall we go up for a moment?”
“Oh? What… what is it?”
The eager expression was very amusing.
But Lee Hyun-woo, who enjoyed teasing, took his time as they went up to the CEO’s office.
Asking about the reaction to Macaroni, how the audio files were selling, etc.
To which Hyun Chang-su replied,
“I don’t know for sure yet.”
Since it had been less than a week since its debut, he said they needed more time to see.
It was a modest answer.
Because Lee Hyun-woo had already confirmed the hit of Macaroni the previous night at the nightclub.
So, after sipping the coffee Yoo Jin-young brought, Lee Hyun-woo slowly started to speak.
“The CD I took to the U.S. was seen by a channel called 【SF Media】.”
“Really? Did someone from there see it?”
“Yes, a high-ranking person at a small local broadcast station saw it. And it aired.”
“……!”
As expected, Hyun Chang-su was surprised.
“I thought it would only be known within the Korean community…”
“Hey, I wouldn’t have personally taken the CD if it was just for that.”
“Haha…”
“Now, there’s something you need to do, Mr. Hyun.”
“What… what is it?”
“Of course, you have to use it for promotion. Even though it’s a local station, it aired in the U.S. You need to inform the media and get it out there quickly.”
“Oh, yes, yes. I should do that.”
“Just a quick question, there are no issues with the remake, right?”
“None at all. I personally flew to Spain and signed the contract. Even for the choreography.”
“Well done.”
Copyrights must be respected.
Although Lee Hyun-woo was using various ideas from his past life without guilt, as it was like a ‘reset’ for past life’s copyrights,
‘Still, we must respect the rules.’
Seeing Hyun Chang-su handle things by negotiating with the Spanish artists looked good to him.
The issue was what came next.
“But it seems with the P2P sites emerging in the U.S., there will be both good and bad things happening alternately.”
From here, Lee Hyun-woo summarized a few points.
He explained that P2P could help Macaroni spread rapidly, and they were doing their best to prevent illegal copying.
And although a solution had been found, it wasn’t permanent, so they should be prepared for some revenue loss.
After hearing all this, Hyun Chang-su nodded.
“I’m so grateful that you think about the creators as well. Yo-han also considers you a benefactor after this.”
To that, Lee Hyun-woo smiled and thought to himself.
‘I don’t need to be a benefactor, just be my sparring partner in Space Craft later.’
Since the song had become a hit, Hong Yo-han would have no reason to step into the gaming world in this life.
Instead, if he could just become his opponent, it would help his gamer alter ego grow.
‘What should I be called? I need a cool nickname like ‘Storm Emperor.’ Or maybe, since it’s a reset, I’ll just use ‘Storm Emperor’ myself.’
