The Returnee's Hidden Strategy Stream

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 16

"Identity?"

The title was an irresistible clickbait. Hanbit's finger moved on its own, clicking the link.

<Predictions about Black Dragon's Identity.txt>

I've been watching Roper's streams and it finally hit me.

It has to be one of these:

RP Developer (Team Zero)

Probably a former employee. Based on his knowledge and gameplay, it's definitely possible.

Special Forces Veteran working for a Corporation

As you know, corporations rarely disclose information. They're probably trying to train the ultimate advance team with all the intel they've gathered.

Author of the Original Novel

This is the most likely. Black Dragon mentioned reading a web novel called "Erport" on stream. The title and the circumstances make it almost certain. (Though I couldn't find it.)

-What a load of crap;

-If he was a former developer, the admins would've already banned him, idiot.

-Special Forces my ass lol

-He's not Special Forces, he's a hitman.

-└ LOL for real

-Is that web novel even real? Is this a joke?

'Their effort is commendable, but...'

Hanbit, the person in question, scratched his head.

It was obvious that if he suddenly started talking about regression, possession, and reincarnation, people would think he was crazy.

In the end, it was easier to let them speculate.

A web novel that didn't exist in this world would never be found.

Bzzt-

Just then, his phone vibrated.

It was a call from Yeonwoo.

“Hyung!” A loud voice boomed as soon as he answered.

Hanbit slightly pulled the phone away from his ear and lowered his voice.

"That ‘hyung’ is dead."

“Okay, okay, just go to the RPG community forum! Everyone's talking about you!” Yeonwoo easily brushed off the familiar joke, still excited.

"I already saw it. Are you getting more viewers today?"

“Of course! We're definitely hitting five digits!”

"My ears are ringing."

He chuckled at the sheer excitement in Yeonwoo's voice.

It was understandable for him to be happy, considering his channel was indeed growing.

“Oh, hyung. Do you want to meet up after work? I have something to talk about.”

It was a sudden suggestion, but Yeonwoo wouldn't bring it up without a reason.

"Talk about what?"

“I'll tell you when we meet. Want to grab dinner together?”

"Where should we meet?"

* * *

"Good morning."

Hanbit arrived at the office, mumbled a greeting, and promptly buried himself in his work.

His supervisor, Lee Minho, had left a message saying he was visiting the R&D department. In other words, there was no one to talk to.

Flip-

Hanbit secretly pulled out the documents Minho had given him and started reading.

The content was complex, but thanks to Minho's meticulous organization, he could understand it well enough.

"Hey."

A voice suddenly called out from a distance. It was the team leader, his brow furrowed in displeasure.

"You, intern! Get over here, now!"

He seemed to be in a foul mood. Hanbit rose from his seat, hid the documents, and walked over.

"Yes, Team Leader?"

"Why are you so slow? Do you think this is a school?"

"I apologize."

There was no point in expecting reason from the team leader when he was simply venting his frustration. After apologizing and waiting for a moment, the team leader tossed a card at him.

"Go downstairs and buy some coffee."

It was a simple enough errand. Hanbit picked up the card and, met the team leader's gaze, and asked, "What kind of coffee should I get?"

"Everyone here drinks iced Americano. Didn't Minho tell you?"

"...I apologize. I forgot. I'll get it right away."

Sensing a threat to his supervisor, Hanbit quickly apologized again and turned to leave.

"Tsk."

He heard the team leader click his tongue and felt his burning gaze on his back. This childish and blatant display of displeasure was actually easier to deal with. People who were difficult to read were far more troublesome.

Ding-!

Hanbit bought the coffee at the cafe on the first floor and returned to the office in the elevator.

But then...

"Just do it, you idiot!"

For some reason, the team leader was yelling at Minho.

"Team Leader, with my current workload, I don't have the time..."

"Hey, when I was your age, I worked many times harder. I barely got an hour of sleep a week. Don't blame your lack of dedication on your workload."

"..."

Minho remained silent in the face of the one-sided scolding.

The team leader, looking at him with disdain, threw a stack of papers onto the desk. However, he threw them with too much force, scattering them across the floor.

"Forget it. Organize this and submit a report by the day after tomorrow. Got it?"

"...Got it."

Minho bowed his head and bent down to gather the scattered papers.

Hanbit quickly rushed over, put down the card and coffee, and started helping him.

"It's okay. I'll do it."

"It'll be faster if we do it together."

Despite Minho's protests, Hanbit moved his hands quickly.

The team leader, looking down at them, scoffed and said, "Bunch of idiots."

He took his coffee out of the holder, stood up, and left the office. The other employees didn't show even a hint of interest, seemingly accustomed to such scenes.

"All done."

"Thank you."

Having finished organizing the documents, they returned to their seats.

"..."

Lee Minho sat beside him, staring blankly at his turned-off monitor. His face was clouded with thoughts. Seeing this, Hanbit subtly shifted his gaze to the stack of documents.

'It definitely said "Record Project,"' he thought.

He had seen "RP" countless times on the papers scattered across the floor. Based on this fragmented information, it seemed the company was involved in development related to the Record Project.

Tick-tock-

Time passed silently, and soon it was lunchtime. Everyone except Hanbit and Minho had already left the office.

Confirming they were alone, Hanbit spoke first.

"Mr. Lee, is the task the team leader assigned you related to RP?"

"What? How did you...?" Minho, who had been absorbed in his work, reacted with surprise.

"I apologize. I think I caught a glimpse of it while helping you organize the documents earlier. I thought this company wasn't involved with RP?"

"...It wasn’t, but things have changed. They've decided to try developing RP gear."

"Gear?"

Entec Technology, a manufacturer of semiconductor components, had no direct connection to games. However, it was only natural for them to be interested in the massive cash cow that was RP. In fact, they were quite late compared to other companies.

'It's difficult to jump into clearing the game now.'

Clearing RP granted ownership of the game, but they would be two years behind other competitors. Therefore, investing in gear with a focus on the future could be a wise choice.

"But isn't it too early to assign tasks to the design department? Shouldn't R&D finish their work first?"

"The directive was given to all departments, including ours. We're supposed to actually play RP and find technical improvements and solutions that align with our department's expertise."

"...Find improvements?"

The idea was so absurd that it felt unreal. Modern science hadn't yet fully deciphered the principles and technology behind RP gear. Yet, they were asking each department to find improvements? It was a completely nonsensical order.

"I'm so busy these days that I don't have time... This is difficult. I'm sorry, but it seems like it'll be harder for me to help you in the future."

Minho let out a deep sigh, genuinely apologetic. Seeing his despairing expression, a question suddenly popped into Hanbit's mind.

'Could there be something in the gear as well?'

The secrets of RP couldn't be limited to just one or two things. If there was something hidden within the mysterious device called "gear," wouldn't this be an opportunity? After all, ordinary people wouldn't be able to tamper with the technical aspects.

Having made up his mind, Hanbit looked at his dejected supervisor and said, "How about I help you with that?"

* * *

After leaving work, Hanbit took the bus back to his neighborhood. His destination was the pork cutlet restaurant in front of his house.

"Hyung!"

Yeonwoo had already arrived and was seated in a private room. Hanbit sat across from him and placed their order.

"What's wrong? You look like you haven't slept."

"I got four hours. More importantly, take a look at this."

Yeonwoo, with a tired face, placed his smartphone on the table. The screen displayed a call log filled with unknown names.

"Is this what it's like to be a streamer and a company?"

"Exactly. There are also high-ranking players who operate independently, but anyway, I got a ton of inquiries," Yeonwoo continued his explanation while scrolling through the list, his eyes sparkling.

Hanbit looked away from the unfamiliar names and took a sip of water.

"Is it really necessary to go this far?"

"Of course. Anyone with a bit of foresight would try to buy low, right? You're at your cheapest right now."

"Cheapest? What are you talking about?"

Despite the absurd expression, Hanbit understood the meaning perfectly. The people who contacted him were different from those in the online community. They weren't driven by interest but solely by profit.

"By the way, there was even a contact from a scout at a major corporation."

"A major corporation?"

The words "major corporation" caught his attention.

Seeing this, Yeonwoo chuckled and continued, "It's a company called Yeonhwa Gaming. They have two advance teams. Even as a newbie, your starting salary would probably be 100 million won."

"... That's a lot."

100 million won in annual salary. In a way, it was a symbolic number. But to offer such a salary to a newcomer... it was beyond the level of an ordinary corporation.

"Are they scouting only me? Or both of us?"

"Come on, of course, it's only you, hyung. I don't even expect that. Anyway, let me tell you a bit about Yeonhwa Group. Yeonhwa Electronics is the most famous, but they're also investing heavily in RP..."

Hanbit watched Yeonwoo as he eagerly continued his explanation. There was something strangely awkward about his tone and demeanor. It was a sincere recommendation, but he was hiding something.

Screech-

Hanbit got up from his seat and approached Yeonwoo.

"Huh? Hyung, what are you doing? Wait a minute."

Yeonwoo, flustered by the strange atmosphere, backed away. But Hanbit caught him first.

Grab-!

"Ugh!"

As Hanbit wrapped his arms around Yeonwoo's torso, a scream erupted. It might have looked like wrestling, but it was a technique he had learned from an expert in the other world. An incredibly painful stretching technique, one might say.

"Joo Yeonwoo."

"Hyung! Let go of me and we can talk, let go!"

"Do you think I've only known you for a day or two? Tell me what's going on, right now!"

"Okay! Okay, I'll tell you, just..."

Click-

Just then, the door suddenly opened. The employee who had brought the trolley stood frozen, staring at the two of them.

"Uh... I'll come back later."

Click-

Having witnessed the wrestling match, the employee quietly closed the door.

"Wait a minute!"

Hanbit quickly released his hold and chased after the employee.

After clearing up the misunderstanding and having their food served, the conversation resumed.

"Enough with the build-up. Get to the point."

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]