Chapter 235 : Gold Rush (5)

Gold Rush (5)

After wrapping up their business in Rich Hills, Lee Gyeongbok and Light returned to New Noir.

"Ah, it's a cutscene."

As they entered the city, the screen faded to black.

[A few days later]

These words appeared above the screen.

- Oh, lol, enough time has passed, we'll probably get the interrogation results right away.

- For being called Big Guy, his mouth is way too loose?

- Johnny-shack, lol, he chickened out so quick, huh?

- Empty barrels make the most noise, that's what I'm saying.

Amidst the viewers' laughter, the scene shifted.

In front of the Preston Detective Agency in New Noir, light moved her hands with a grim expression. As she slid the axe blade back and forth across the whetstone, its blue edge gleamed sharper than ever.

- Oh right lol, light-nuna really knows how to handle an axe too.

- Look at that presence, whoa...

- Judging by that look, she's super pissed this time?

- Now she knows what kind of people the Hired Guns are lol.

She stood up as Alex approached.

"Alex."

"Is that how you organize your thoughts?"

"Well, something like that. Moving my body helps clear my head."

Taking in a short breath, light continued.

"First of all, let me apologize. I'm truly sorry I didn't trust you and attacked the first time we met."

"What's past is past. As you can see, I'm perfectly fine."

Alex waved his hand as if it was no big deal. Still, her face remained serious.

"If it weren't for you, I would've been foolishly used by the gang. In the end, I'd have died a dishonorable death. But thanks to you, I was able to set things right and kept my honor."

Light held out her hand to Alex.

"Alex, I'll help you with your revenge. The same way you did for me, I want to restore your honor as well."

"... Honor."

Alex looked at Light for a moment before grasping her hand.

"Having you with me will definitely speed up the hunt for the gang members, unlike that Big Guy fool."

"You won't regret it."

- Oho, official party member confirmed!

- ???: I'll become your companion!

- What's with this order of events? LOL

- Light-nuna joining is 100% confirmed!

The viewers cheered at this.

But it didn't last long—a figure hurriedly approached the two of them.

"Agent Alex!"

The owner of the urgent voice was Saul, a top agent of the Preston Detective Agency.

With an anxious face, he spoke.

"We've found a clue, a clue!"

"Did the bastard confess?"

Both Alex and Light's eyes sharpened.

- Of course, coming out right away!

- Gotcha, you rascal!

- Love how fast-paced this is!

- Failed to steal the gold bars but couldn't keep his mouth shut, huh?

- Ah lol, this interrogation is top-tier.

As viewers celebrated, saul paused to catch his breath and continued.

"We've been deceived...!"

"Deceived?"

"What do you mean?"

Both the two and the chat filled with question marks.

What could be the problem? They'd blocked the raid, protected the gold bars, and even captured Johnny, hadn't they?

"It wasn't the gold bars the gang was after!"

Light's eyes wavered at this.

"What...?"

"If it wasn't the gold bars, then what were they after?"

As Alex pressed him, saul answered gravely.

"They were after dynamite. The explosives the mining company had stocked in large quantities!"

Both Lee Gyeongbok and the viewers were shocked at these words.

"Dynamite?"

- Was there– BTX in the Wild West too?

- I mean lol, it's actually dynamite, technically.

- They left the gold bars and took that?

- Seriously, did they really have the chance for that?

- Didn't Godple block everything with that Gatling gun?

While the chat went into confusion, light asked again.

"Isn't it possible it was a false confession?"

"No. We've already confirmed it."

Saul shook his hand, denying the possibility.

"After Oswald was arrested, the mine lost its owner. Naturally, the bank seized the place. The bank paid the miners' unpaid wages, then took all the gold bars for Oswald's debts."

"Then didn't the bank also confiscate the dynamite? That must be worth quite a bit too."

At Alex's words, saul nodded.

"Yes, that's what I thought. So I asked the bank first. But they said the dynamite was already missing when they seized the place. When we sent someone to check, all the dynamite was truly gone."

"Was gathering the gang and launching a raid just a smokescreen?"

"But why would they... want dynamite..."

All three looked grim at his adamant answer.

- Gotta torture Johnny-shack again for more info!

- Come on lol, it's not torture, it's interrogation!

- Improvising, right?

- ???: To the Room of Truth!

- Isn't Saul just here to deliver the news about that, though?

Alex thought the same as the viewers.

"Did Johnny not reveal their purpose?"

"Ha... That's..."

Saul made a troubled face and shook his head.

"We got word this morning that Johnny committed suicide."

"... Suicide?"

"What? Wasn't he in jail? How did he kill himself?"

Light asked in disbelief, and Saul's face hardened.

"The investigation is ongoing, but he may have feared gang retribution, or maybe it was despair over his own condition. Only he would know the real reason."

- To be fair, if you lost an eye and your shoulder got wrecked, you'd want to die too LOL

- Or maybe side effects from meds or something?

- Broke out of prison to the afterlife, wow.

- Notorious gangs can bust out this easily?

- LOL are you nuts? LOL

The chat was full of speculation. But Alex had something more pressing to ask.

"Does that mean we've lost the lead?"

The dynamite was gone, its purpose unknown. Even Light, who hadn't known about the true target, was at a loss to help.

Fortunately, saul shook his head once more.

"No, we still have a clue. Our agents and the Federal Marshal found wagon tracks."

"Wagon?"

"Yes. You can't just lift and carry a load of dynamite. You'd have to use a wagon. So we searched around Rich Hills for tracks and followed the wagon's trail."

At this, the mood in the chat changed.

- Nice! That's why it's the Preston Detective Agency!

- This is the level where Team Perfect has a reason to work together, lol.

- Ah yes, let's officially acknowledge Godple's workplace.

- Maybe it's the agency that needs permission, not the other way around, lol.

Maybe because things weren't at their worst, alex and Light looked noticeably more relaxed.

"Where did they go?"

"The tracks led to the road to 'Saint Claude'."

"Saint Claude?"

At this answer, light's eyes darted and Alex tilted his head, recalling.

"Saint Claude is the heart of western expansion. I've heard it's a highly developed city..."

"Yes, which means we have to stop them no matter what."

Saul agreed, his voice grave.

"Whatever those outlaws are planning, we can't let the dynamite explode there."

With those words, the chat's mood also turned serious.

- True, I mean... They must be planning to set off the dynamite.

- Planning a bomb attack in a major city, huh?

- Maybe they're prepping for a real big heist, like robbing the bank?

- Oho, that's possible! Blow open the vault!

- Maybe those 'Safe Shifter' guys are there?

- Come to think of it, I bet the Hired Guns are chasing them too, right?

- Either way, this is hype!

- For real, this could go Full Michael Bay.

- Nah, if it's up to Godple, he'll make a perfect arrest and nothing'll happen anyway.

Realizing the severity, alex looked back at Light.

"Ready?"

"Anytime."

She lifted her axe in response. They didn't need to specify what they were ready for.

Alex and Light mounted their horses at once.

"I'll follow as soon as I finish up here. Take care out there."

Saul saw them off, understanding their intent.

Then, the camera followed the pair as they rode on. With intercut shots to mark the passage of time, the sky turned crimson.

Eventually, the camera lingered on their backs—riding across the blue prairie, racing toward the sunset.

It felt as if Alex and Light were being drawn into the sun itself.

Then, as if sinking into their long shadows, the camera faded.

[Chapter 3 – Gold Rush]

[End]

The words announcing the end of Chapter 3 floated over the screen.

"Ah, so this is how the Rich Hills incident ends."

Lee Gyeongbok commented, absorbed in the cutscene, while Tan Sa chimed in.

Viewers snapped out of their immersion and filled the chat.

- Seriously, with scenery like this, every shot looks cinematic lol.

- Mother nature was a cheat code this time.

- Another banger chapter, as always lol.

- But that's just how it is with Godple's stream, right?

- For real, hyung's plays were lit this time.

Amid the chorus of admiration, Lee Gyeongbok smiled as he spoke.

"The stakes keep getting higher, which makes it more fun. I'm looking forward to what the Hired Guns are up to now."

- The gang went from simple thugs to a killer squad, now evolving into terrorists, lol.

- Right? Their identity keeps leveling up!

- Never expected the gold bar case to turn into a Genome kick, honestly.

- The boss seems to have some brains for once.

- But still, no match for our hyung's physical skills, lol.

Viewers agreed wholeheartedly. But as soon as Lee Gyeongbok clapped his hands, the mood switched.

"Well, today's game was another truly fun one."

- Suddenly I hate the sound of applause, lol.

- Stop the applause! Stop the applause! Stop the applause!

- Out here actually clapping himself off like when they say to leave at your peak?

- I miss this alreadyㅠㅠㅠ

- Is it time to get chopped by Stream End again?

- Why does the fun time always go by so fast?

- See you tomorrow!

- (Perba-con)(Perba-con)(Perba-con)

As viewers expressed their regret at the wrap-up, Lee Gyeongbok smiled warmly, feeling the affection radiating from the chat.

"I'll be back tomorrow with another entertaining stream. See you again, everyone! Trba!"

He wasn't the only one who already wanted to come back.

* * *

Late at night.

Though Lee Gyeongbok's stream had finished, Park Juho was still on the job.

'So many emails again...'

He was Team Perfect's manager.

And it wasn't just about managing the chat. After every broadcast, he took on all the business-related tasks as well.

'Still, I've gotten used to it now that it's been three months.'

Park Juho adjusted his glasses and sorted through the emails. Since Lee Gyeongbok had resumed ads, another round of sponsorships and ad proposal emails had rolled in.

'His market value really has gone up.'

Even companies that had previously been turned down were trying again, realizing—like GGG—that the situation had changed and promising better terms.

'If there's no particular reason, today's conditions set the new standard.'

For smoother sorting, Park Juho had set out guidelines during meetings.

Currently, Lee Gyeongbok's advertising fee is around 40 million won. There was no need to accept a lower offer.

He sent polite refusals to offers that didn't meet the criteria—without directly stating the fee as the problem.

Park Juho turned down offers respectfully, but always left room for the future.

'You never know when things could change.'

After quickly finishing the first round, he moved on to the next batch—emails from household-name corporations, with offers fit for someone of Lee Gyeongbok's level.

But even if they met his standards, he couldn't just book meetings willy-nilly.

'Because of his nature, he never sets his schedule in advance.'

For Park Juho, streaming was 'work', but Lee Gyeongbok was different. For him, streaming was both work and 'play'.

Lee Gyeongbok enjoyed streaming that much and didn't want anything to interfere.

'If there's a set schedule, you can't help but worry about it.'

As he'd once said on stream, everyone has their own way of enjoying games. Lee Gyeongbok wanted to immerse himself fully, rather than rush through to the end.

But, if his next content was scheduled, he'd inevitably have a 'deadline' to finish before that.

'He really is something else. If it were me, I'd book everything in advance to avoid losing chances.'

Park Juho smiled faintly, once again noting the difference in how he and Lee Gyeongbok viewed streaming.

He started drafting reply emails. For things that weren't outright refusals, it was enough to say it would require internal discussion since it depended on Lee Gyeongbok's decision.

'This is the real headache.'

Park Juho's eyes narrowed.

The last set of emails gave him pause.

They were emails about 'gifts' for Lee Gyeongbok.

'It's hard to tell if these are business or not.'

Fan or private emails weren't as tricky. He could simply and politely decline.

The real problem was corporate gifts.

[Hello, this is "Action Hobby"!]

Park Juho skimmed the contents.

[Hello, streamer Purple!

We at 'Action Hobby' produce and sell hobby goods, including all kinds of leisure gear and high-quality model guns.

(...)

Since the start of the Roderi broadcast, orders for Wild West era model guns have soared.

We're sure more customers became interested thanks to your show...

(...)

As a token of our appreciation, we'd like to send you a model gun from our line.

Since we understand you don't have an MCN contract, we're contacting you directly.

We assure you this is NOT a 'sponsorship' or an 'ad proposal,' so please accept it with no worries!

Looking forward to your reply!]

As the email clearly stated, it was a pure gift, so maybe it would be fine to accept. But—

'No company gives a gift without calculating gain, one way or the other.'

Park Juho took off his glasses and rubbed his brow. Even if the sender was genuine, for the recipient, the stakes were different.

'If I know Gyeongbok, he'll at least mention it in passing on stream.'

It was only human to want to reciprocate after receiving a gift. It was a form of marketing meant to create indebtedness.

'In a way, not having an MCN is a blessing for situations like this.'

Even if streamers' home addresses are private, mCN addresses are public. Lots of companies simply mail gifts to the company, then contact the streamer after.

In Lee Gyeongbok's case, everything outside email was kept private, preventing this kind of 'force-gifting'.

'Even so, there needs to be a clear standard for gifts like these.'

What really troubled Park Juho, though, was another category: gifts from 'fans' that rivaled corporate ones.

[Finished making a custom figure!]

Attached was a photo of a figure—John from Bio Crisis, dressed in a cop uniform.

But its face was the privacy-masked version of Lee Gyeongbok's.

[I know my skills are lacking, but I did my best. I tried to capture Godple's Purple confidence and relaxed vibe—I hope it comes across, haha.

I'd love for you to have it, but since I respect your privacy, I'm not asking for your address!

Could you just let me know a subway station that's convenient for you? I'll leave it in a locker and email the passcode so you can pick it up.

I have zero intent to pry into your address or anything—it's just genuine fan work!

Reply whenever it's comfortable for you!]

Reading on, Park Juho let out a long sigh.

'... These really are hard to turn down.'

With Lee Gyeongbok's rising popularity, the quality of the gifts ramped up too.

Park Juho couldn't easily turn down heartfelt fan creations on his own.

'Only thing to do is bring these up at meetings.'

Finally, he finished sorting the emails and took a breather.

Normally that would end his night, but this time, more work remained after the stream.

'If only everyone was as nice as this... but that'll never happen.'

As a fan himself, Park Juho knew the nature of fandoms well.

'There will always be people who cross the line.'

Some seem saintly toward those they admire, but show their true colors toward rivals or people they don't like.

He clicked over to the Tri broadcast.

'Even if Gyeongbok doesn't think this is a Korea vs. Japan match, not everyone agrees.'

The stream he tuned into was Yattaman's.

'Dealing with the toxic ones is part of my job.'

Lee Gyeongbok only needed to see the bright side of streaming.

Rooting out the cancer was the manager's responsibility.

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