Chapter 40

“Everyone! I’m planning to do a stream with my friend Chan soon. What kind of content do you think we should do?”

The moment he finished speaking, the chat window began scrolling rapidly as if it had caught fire.

[FineApplePizza: Obviously a tteokbokki mukbang right?]

[RiceRiceMeal: How about a food tour?]

[Duck5Ri: Just talk.]

[IWantToBuyAHouse: Loyalty mukbang go go. 100 bowls of jajangmyeon go.]

Jo Miwon rested his chin on his hand while looking at the chat.

There were plenty of suggestions, but none of them felt particularly new.

Mukbang. Food tours. Talk streams.

They were ideas he had already thought of.

Safe ideas.

And that was exactly why they felt dull.

In an age overflowing with content, safe meant decline.

A good stream moment always came from the unexpected.

With a predictable format, you couldn’t hold viewers’ attention for long.

Of course Kang Chan’s handsome appearance might attract viewers for a while.

But somehow that didn’t quite fit Jo Miwon’s style of stream.

If he had been one of those male streamers who emphasized looks and focused on calm conversation, maybe it would have worked.

But Jo Miwon’s role was closer to a comedic character from a variety show.

Maybe that was why.

Viewers expected cheerful and fresh content from him.

Unexpected developments.

Ridiculous situations.

Twists that mocked predictions.

Those kinds of stream moments.

Then it happened.

With a loud notification sound, a donation message appeared.

[★MapoDongPorsche★ donated 50,000 won.]

[How about cooking a menu chosen by viewers on the spot?]

‘MapoDongPorsche.’

A legendary viewer who had attended Jo Miwon’s stream every day since the beginning.

He was famous for appearing at devilish moments and instantly raising the excitement level in the chat.

Because he overwhelmed people with money, his nickname had become Money Overpower.

When Jo Miwon tried to take a bite of tteokbokki, he once sent 14,150 won and triggered a donation message telling him not to eat.

Other times he would suddenly send a huge donation that completely changed the direction of the stream.

Whenever he appeared, the atmosphere of the chat changed.

Jo Miwon’s eyes lit up.

The unexpected suggestion was getting positive reactions from viewers.

[EolEolhan: Oh that’s not bad.]

[LieLikeGrass: lol I already have menu ideas.]

[CuckooPang: Good good go go.]

If the menu was decided on the spot, the flow would become unpredictable.

And it would also be a good opportunity to show Kang Chan’s cooking skills.

But Jo Miwon deliberately put on a reluctant expression and sighed.

“Hmm… a roulette? I’m considering it, but it’s not something I can decide that easily.”

In truth, Jo Miwon had already half agreed in his mind.

But he couldn’t give in that easily.

At times like this, a little push and pull was necessary.

He pretended to think carefully while glancing at the screen.

Just as he expected, another donation notification rang.

[★MapoDongPorsche★ donated 500,000 won.]

[Still not doing it?]

The chat exploded instantly.

[KkyaHang: Wow lol boss level.]

[GoblinHelmet: lol crushing it with money again.]

[NoLogicJoMiwon: Look at the streamer’s face lol it’s changing in real time.]

[PikachuPorkCutlet: He already gave in right?]

Jo Miwon scratched his head awkwardly and spoke as if reluctantly.

“As expected, our viewers are truly on another level. This is such a great idea. Let’s go with it!”

[KongBug: Wow he switched instantly lol.]

[IHateSoyMilk: Seriously annoying lol.]

[YogurtFlavorWorld: At least he’s honest. It’s cute.]

Jo Miwon smiled with satisfaction while looking at the accumulated donations.

Then he fell into deep thought.

Letting viewers decide the menu on the spot was definitely a fresh and interesting idea.

But there were many problems.

Viewers would definitely choose the hardest possible menu.

Not just likely.

Guaranteed.

And what if he didn’t have the ingredients at home?

If the stream slowed down while gathering ingredients, the momentum would break.

Viewers wanted fast developments and stimulating twists.

If time was wasted collecting ingredients, viewers would leave immediately and the chat might start turning against the stream.

At that point the broadcast would basically be game over.

Jo Miwon knew that better than anyone.

‘Is there a way to choose menus that’s fun and efficient?’

As his eyes wandered around the room, something on the corner of his computer screen caught his attention.

In a portal site advertisement banner, a flashy spinning roulette stopped on a losing slot and flashed brightly.

That’s it.

Jo Miwon slapped his knee and stared at the screen.

Then he spoke confidently.

“Alright everyone. I’ve been thinking about it. If we accept menu suggestions one by one on the spot, there are too many variables with ingredients and everything. So I’ve reached a conclusion. Let’s do roulette!”

[BurningSalmonSushi: Roulette? What roulette?]

[MalteseNeverHoldsBack: Then who fills the roulette?]

[HairLossMedicine: I can hear the streamer’s brain working from here lol.]

[ManjaGamdu: Isn’t that basically saying you’ll rig it?]

Seeing the reactions, Jo Miwon chuckled and shook his head.

“Of course if I fill everything myself you’ll complain. So let me explain.”

The content idea was cooking a menu chosen by viewers.

But since menus and ingredients couldn’t be completely unlimited, Jo Miwon decided to use a roulette system.

“There will be a menu roulette and an ingredient roulette. To keep it fair, the slots will be filled half by viewers and half by me. That sounds fair, right?”

[Duck5Ri: Oh that’s good.]

[SeaKid: Just imagining the streamer filling it with things favorable to himself already makes my head spin lol.]

[ButterButter: That’s double gacha lol.]

[MonamiHornPen: Wow I’m already excited.]

As the chat regained energy, Jo Miwon smiled with satisfaction.

“Look forward to it. This is going to produce some hilarious moments.”

* * *

At the same time, a television station was in the middle of discussing a new program.

“What do you think about this?”

“What is it?”

“It’s called Spoon Chef…”

Noh Seondo was a veteran producer in the Korean broadcasting industry.

He had grown up with television as if it were part of his body.

While other kids played outside, he spent entire days sitting in front of the TV.

To the point where he memorized program titles, time slots, cast members, and broadcast days.

Perhaps becoming a producer had been his destiny.

He was the man who created the legendary music competition show Hyper Star K.

His directing style was famous for what people called the transfer strategy.

Just like his name Seondo suggested a route change, he frequently replaced contestants depending on viewer reactions.

He pushed contestants who gained popularity and quickly removed those who lost attention.

Because of that he had a bad reputation in the industry.

But the programs he created always generated massive buzz each season.

However, the golden age of Hyper Star K didn’t last forever.

With each new season the format grew more repetitive.

Eventually its popularity slowly declined.

As the show began losing momentum, Noh Seondo started searching for a new genre.

The field that caught his attention was cooking.

Among many programs, the one that inspired him most was the American cooking survival show Glory Chef.

The moment he first saw it, he felt certain.

‘This will definitely work in Korea.’

Glory Chef featured famous chefs, talented aspiring chefs, and even cooking influencers.

All kinds of participants competed fiercely.

Since most contestants were already recognized for their skill and reputation, viewer expectations were naturally high.

The show constantly displayed high level techniques and unique dishes that ordinary people rarely encountered.

That left a powerful impression on viewers.

Visually stunning dishes that captured attention.

Sharp yet persuasive judging.

And the natural chemistry that formed between contestants.

All of those elements formed the core appeal of the program.

Noh Seondo was convinced.

‘If I reinterpret this program in a Korean style, it’ll be a huge hit.’

* * *

After a golden weekend passed, Monday morning arrived.

Most people suffered from the usual Monday blues.

But one place was an exception.

The classroom for the third year Korean cuisine course at Seoul Hotel Culinary College.

Students who had been exhausted from enjoying their weekend were now buzzing with energy.

A single topic had spread through the classroom.

The rumored freshman.

“Did you hear that rumor?”

“What rumor?”

“It’s about Professor Daniel Choi’s class for first years.”

“Oh that freshman he said had a promising future? What was his name again. Ch… Charles?”

The person who received high praise from Daniel Choi, a man known for rarely giving compliments.

Kim Cheolsu.

Rumor had spread that he had made a nearly perfect ratatouille in Western cuisine class and instantly became Daniel Choi’s favorite student.

Because of that, the story had spread from first year students to second years and even third years.

“Is he a foreigner? That name sounds unusual.”

“I heard Jin Jihan even asked him to join the Western cuisine club during the freshman orientation.”

“Really? But the top ranked students didn’t have that kind of name.”

“That just means he’s a real monster.”

“Wow he must be insanely good.”

“I don’t buy it. Rumors are always exaggerated.”

Rumors tended to grow exaggerated.

Even if they started with the truth, they became distorted as they passed from person to person.

Daniel Choi was a gourmet who allowed no margin of error when evaluating taste.

Whether it was a beginner or a veteran chef, he judged everyone with the same standards.

Because of that fairness, he had a reputation.

Even Jin Jihan, the famous student, had never received a single compliment from Daniel Choi during his first year.

At that moment, a student who had been quietly listening raised a question.

“But I heard Daniel Choi actually corrected the scores. They said Kang Chan got first place.”

“Kang Chan? The one in our class?”

“Yeah. That Kang Chan.”

“No way. That’s probably just nonsense.”

“Jin Jihan said it himself. Apparently the sauce at orientation was actually made by Kang Chan too.”

“Come to think of it, I didn’t like him at first because he seemed to look down on third years. But when he cooked with Han Taepyeong he actually seemed pretty good.”

“You people really have no eye for talent. Good looking guys always seem impressive even when they do nothing. Obviously Han Taepyeong did everything and he just tagged along.”

“Exactly. Han Taepyeong must’ve done it all. How could a freshman possibly make gujeolpan?”

Most of the students reacted negatively to the rumors about Kang Chan.

Gujeolpan was considered an advanced level dish.

It was hard to believe a freshman had prepared it properly.

“By the way, who gave him that nickname?”

“What nickname?”

Just as curiosity spread through the room, the classroom door opened.

Someone walked in.

It was Kang Chan.

The room instantly fell silent as if nothing had happened.