Chapter 242

Throughout various eras, the educational fervor in South Korea has never once waned.

Since the mid-1940s, public education has declined, and the private education industry has begun to regain its strength.

In response to this era’s call, a program named ‘Genius Discovery Team’ has returned with a new season, following its old format and gaining immense popularity.

Both in the past and present, producers and writers have always been thirsty for geniuses.

Just as masters of life have changed their format to food exploration due to a depletion of subjects, it might not be far-fetched to say that the Genius Discovery Team should rename their segment to ‘Otaku Discovery Team’, as the techniques for overhyping ordinary children have been gathering daily.

“This time is different. It’s a special edition, and I’ve already finalized the approval for the two episodes scheduled together, so there’s no turning back. You all must not mess up, got it?”

The day to capture a real genius, which occurs only a few times a year, had finally arrived for the youngest PD.

They were commanded by the Chief Producer of the Genius Discovery Team to gather as much video content as possible.

However, due to the fact that they were targeting children, the filming set was always rife with many hazards.

It was common for children not to cooperate well during filming, and there were instances when parents suddenly changed their minds and refused to be interviewed.

Furthermore, they had seen people who threatened to sue for defamation if the broadcast went even slightly wrong, making every first meeting a tense one.

“Have you decided on a title? Shall we see Park Yeoreum PD’s naming sense?”

It was customary for the youngest PD to name the episode in the Genius Discovery Team.

This was because the sparkling creativity of young people resonated more with the public.

Given that the first broadcast she was in charge of was about an unspecified girl, she could only muster her nervous heart to say:

“Rebirth of the original genius girl Ham Chorong. How about ‘Norame, who solved math problems in self-study’?”

“It’s decent, but… for a special edition, it’s a bit bland. Is this really what you came up with? I’m a bit disappointed if this is the level of someone who got through a 120 to 1 competition?”

“Um… that’s…”

She slyly shifted her eyes sideways.

Then the senior beside her hastily turned her head.

“What? Did you have someone else help you?”

“No, I just thought Park Yeoreum PD’s suggestion wasn’t suitable for prime time…”

“Who are you to judge that? What was the original title?”

“Should I really say…?”

The youngest PD’s pupils trembled frantically.

She lowered her head deeply, seemingly embarrassed to speak, and whispered so softly it was almost inaudible.

“Swiss…”

“I can’t hear you. Can you say it a bit louder?”

“The Swiss government is in a panic, and the German Chancellor regrets the 100 billion Korean won super genius Norame…”

“Oh my!”

“Pfft!”

“Hahaha, but why are you saying 100 billion? Wasn’t it 10 billion?”

“Because when you round up, it becomes 100 billion?”

“Isn’t it rounding down?”

“Rounding up is the unspoken rule.”

“Why don’t you just say 1 trillion…?”

“Wow… today’s kids are impressive in a different way, huh? Did you run a national pride TV channel before becoming a PD?”

“Yes…”

“Huh?”

“Just a bit…! It’s not like I’m politically biased or anything! I just wanted to handle a bit of cash…”

The older PDs were left speechless at the youngest’s bold confession.

While they were conversing, the production team had arrived in front of Norame’s house.

The scheduled time for their meeting was approaching, and since 9 AM might be a bit early, they decided to call ahead.

“Yes, yes, yes, thank you. Oh, yes, then when the filming team arrives, I will go in with them. Yes, thank you!”

Today’s weather was also not suitable for outdoor filming.

Instead, since it was their first day, they planned to simply exchange greetings and film her daily life in a regular manner.

“Are you all ready? Let’s go.”

“Just a moment!”

There was a movement to stop the writer and PD from stepping out of the car and opening an umbrella.

“You know you always have to be careful with your words in front of kids, right? Think about it two or three times, no, ten times before speaking.”

This child bore past wounds.

If carelessly touched, it could trigger a severe trauma.

The production team nodded collectively as they proceeded towards the apartment.

* * *

Knock, knock, knock—

“Hello, we are from ZBS Genius Discovery Team! We heard there is a friend who proved a math problem, and is that Norame?”

“That line sounds too scripted. Would the viewers believe it?”

“Uh?”

Norame peeked through the door, frowning at them.

An hour earlier, the production team had installed cameras in the living room and explained the upcoming filming schedule to Professor Cheon and Norame.

They had also asked them to act as if meeting for the first time again when they came out.

However, the PD’s awkward greeting didn’t seem to satisfy Norame.

“And usually, you don’t bow your head before the door opens. That makes it look like I know you’re going to open it.”

“Haha… is that so? Then let me do it again, can you please give me one more chance?”

“Can’t you just proceed? Come in.”

While Professor Cheon entered the study to conduct interviews with the other PDs, the production team, including the youngest PD, was left alone with Norame.

Without saying much, Norame laid on the living room sofa and began watching international news on television.

The way she crossed one leg over the other, displaying the typical demeanor of a weary adult, created a cute image from the child.

“Can you understand what’s coming out in the English news right now?”

“Yes. They said that if the U.S. Congress does not approve raising the debt ceiling for additional borrowing, a default amounting to $50 trillion will occur. This will lead to rising mortgage rates in the UK and worsening unemployment rates, resulting in global inflation.”

“Wow, amazing!”

“But the Republicans and Democrats are not going to avoid negotiations. It’s just a way to show how serious the economic situation is. The plummeting stock prices will bounce back.”

From start to finish, the news streamed in English without the aid of a translator.

The small voice spilling out words discussing a global economic crisis was indeed an extraordinary first impression.

“Norame, do you watch the news like this every morning?”

“I don’t watch it on TV often. I just look at internet news. But since those people come from mainstream media, I feel like it would hurt their feelings if I didn’t at least watch some TV.”

In an era where getting a 3% viewing rate was considered a huge success, television failed to win over the public’s heart, and broadcast stations were struggling to get a larger piece of the shrinking pie.

Having been the biggest beneficiaries of solo broadcasting, Norame turned off the news, extending a comforting gesture to them.

Suddenly, she gave the PDs a signal to follow her to her room.

‘Does the room seem a bit empty?’

The PDs questioned the surprisingly tidy appearance.

There were no bookshelves on three sides or walls filled with Post-its as one might expect.

“Do you study here, Norame?”

“I do my thesis study in the kitchen in the evening with Professor Cheon, and if I need to look things up personally, I mostly do it in virtual reality.”

“Aha, virtual reality!”

These days, the alpha generation is said to study entirely in virtual reality, and Norame was at the forefront of that trend.

Some parents were dissatisfied with their children studying in that manner, but this is an incorrect notion.

The PDs of the Genius Discovery Team, having interviewed several experts, knew that studying in environments where one felt comfortable provided the best learning efficiency.

“You seem to like planning; do you have a schedule?”

“It’s all in my head. I don’t set specific times; I just decide the amount for the day.”

“Can you show me what you usually do?”

“Normally, this would be time for exercise, but I’m a bit embarrassed to show it on camera yet, so could you understand?”

“Exercise? What kind of exercise?”

“Just light stretching or something similar to yoga.”

“Hmm… ah! How about this?”

One of the PDs pulled out her phone and showed her a pre-saved video.

“There’s a video filmed in Germany; is that you in it?”

Norame’s expression suddenly darkened.

If it’s a video filmed in Germany, it could only be ‘that video.’

As she guessed, a clip of Norame driving away men who threatened her was broadcasted.

“Yes, I think that’s me…”

“How did you manage those movements? Or can you explain what happened at that time?”

“The situation? You want to know what was said?”

“Yeah, everything including that.”

Norame rested her chin on her hand, contemplating.

She was judging whether what she said would be suitable for broadcast.

“Here, I said: Die Chinesen sind wirklich überall. And poorly asked in English where my mother was, and then I said, ‘Vielleicht ist er bereits krank und gestorben.’ The man who was coughing kept shouting ‘Corona.'”

“…? You know German?”

“At least enough to communicate.”

The PDs’ eyes, gazing at Norame, were filled with admiration.

They felt that even without an hour of filming, it was already fit for broadcast.

With bright smiles, they asked for her to translate that meaning, and Norame responded.

“Chinese people are really everywhere. They might already be sick and dead.”

“Wait! Cut the filming! Stop filming!”

“Who could tolerate being insulted after my mother protected me and passed away? So I told them I’d also kill their parents and turn them into krauts before they all just vanished.”

Kraut. A term for pickled cabbage, also used as a derogatory term for Germans.

Similar to kimchi or doenjang in Korea.

Norame had decided to respond to racism with racism.

As the discussion slipped into content that couldn’t possibly pass broadcast censorship, the PDs were horrified and called to stop filming.

However, they couldn’t recklessly delete the recorded footage.

‘We’re doomed…’

The young PDs and assistant directors became fearful of looking at the CP senior, who was inflated with expectations.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Was that too inappropriate?”

“Well…”

Norame’s eyes drooped.

Seeing the girl with a face akin to a soaked kitten made the production team’s hearts ache.

The story about her mother was like a sore spot for the girl.

They were aware of the story from Norame’s previous competition interviews, where her mother sacrificed herself to protect her.

It was only natural that the girl would show rough behavior after having insulted such a mother.

After a brief meeting, the production team firmed their resolve.

“Let’s broadcast this too.”

“Are you crazy?”

“We can edit out the part Norame said. And think about who the audience for the Genius Discovery Team is.”

No matter how famous the program was, there weren’t many people in Europe keeping a close eye on Korean entertainment.

However, Asian countries were different.

If one listed the countries where the Genius Discovery Team made the most revenue, the third place would be Indonesia, the second Turkey, and the first being…

“China! But doesn’t that make things way more serious?”

If one were to follow the words of the Germans, it would be more derogatory towards China than Korea.

Thinking about China’s current status in the world, it was imperative to maintain a good relationship, regardless of any dislike.

The youngest PD worriedly asked if this might negatively affect the diplomatic relations between Germany and China, and the seniors shared a bit of wisdom.

“Who cares? We just have to focus on the ratings.”

The seniors equipped with a capitalist mindset resumed filming.

“I feel a little unwell right now, so I think it might be tough to show it here. I’ll demonstrate it in virtual reality.”

“Norame! Can we film your broadcast together too?”

“The broadcast? Are you talking about Twish?”

“Yeah! It’s actually the next schedule, but it might not be bad to show it today too. How about it, is that okay?”

“It’s a bit sudden, but let’s give it a try.”

“Yeoreum! Contact the camera director and let him know we need support for shooting in virtual reality as well.”

“Okay!”

Before accessing virtual reality, Norame powered on the capsule, putting it in cleaning mode.

With both electricity and mana activated, dust flowed out from the exhaust.

The camera director, who had just filmed Professor Cheon and had entered Norame’s room moments ago, was briefed on the upcoming schedule.

After exchanging a few words with people, he suddenly shoved a large camera toward Norame.

“…?”

Appropriately, one of the production team members asked her a question then.

“Do you happen to know your tier, Norame?”

“My tier? Ah.”

Only then did Norame understand the camera director’s intention and looked at him with a meaningful smile. It would be odd not to ask about the tier.

“I’m not really sure what game you’re referring to. In WoW, I’m a GM, and in LoL, I’m a challenger.”