Chapter 93
Time flew by quickly after my meeting with Kang Hanseong, the Director of Age of Odin.
Many things had happened since then, but the issue that heated up the online community the most was the Group Dogeza by the Age of Odin Development Team.
It was the Probability Manipulation issue concerning the Flame of the Ancient God, one of Age of Odin's main business models.
The Probability Manipulation issue, which was closer to fraud than mere tinkering with probabilities, was enough to shake a 10-year-old game to its core.
It was so bad that they asked for help not from Enson Korea, but from me, their next-door neighbor.
I had given them the best solution at the time... but it seemed to have been taken to an extreme.
I had clearly advised the Director to offer only a sincere apology to the Users.
But that Director... no, Enson Korea went a step further and committed something insane.
The insane thing they did was a Profound Apology, with all the Successive General Directors appearing live.
It was what is commonly called a Dogeza.
They must have been pressured so much by the Higher-ups that they all came out looking utterly distraught, performing Dogeza one after another. It was so awkward that even I, who had never met them, felt embarrassed.
It was so extreme that even the Users, who had sworn they would never forgive them, said “This is a bit much” after seeing it.
Nevertheless, public opinion for Age of Odin began to recover rapidly, perhaps thanks to the Dogeza.
[Nickname: ㅇㅇ]
[Title: Wow, but honestly, I never imagined they'd drag out all the past Directorslol]
Honestly, I thought Kang Hanseong would just apologize for a few minutes and that would be it.
Guess the game was really in crisis after all, lol. It was seeing them drag out all those bastards I never wanted to see again to do a Dogeza, lol.
[Comment List][Newest First]
-Fr fr, never thought I'd see those jerks' faces again
-I'm an Ao Newbie, who are those jerks?
L:They're the assholes who established the current BM.
L:So, is the jerk who caused this controversy among them?
L:Definitely lol Otherwise, would those jerks have appeared on broadcast to do a Dogeza?
[Nickname: ㅇㅇ]
[Title: BREAKING: Age of Odin BM Incoming Major Reorganizationlol]
I just watched the broadcast. These guys finally seem to have come to their senses.
The Flame of the Ancient God, which was the center of controversy, will be changed to be purchasable with in-game currency.
And the Stone of Awakening, which was Paid Currency and another source of controversy, is reportedly going to be completely removed.
Instead, the Granting Potential Ability function of the Stone of Awakening will also be changed to be possible with In-game Currency.
Besides that, they're apparently fixing all sorts of Convenience Features that they never bothered with beforelol
These jerks could've done this ages ago, but they only listen when you whip them into shape, lol
[Comment List][Newest First]
-Whoalol
-So, is the game's value going to skyrocket too?
L:Definitely, I guess?
-*Great Hanseong*
It was the last week of January, and the issues related to Gacha Item Regulation finally came to an end with this.
What did that mean?
It meant that the Major National Holiday of the Republic of Korea had arrived.
“Everyone has worked hard since the start of the year.”
“You worked hard too, Senior.”
“Good work, everyone...”
“Happy New Year!”
Among the gathered Team Members, Chaeyoung suddenly spoke, as if remembering something.
“What are you all doing for Lunar New Year?”
“I think I’ll spend it at my family home with Yena.”
“I’m going to my family home in Japan.”
“This year, I’m going to Hawaii to relax! What about you, Unnie Chaeyoung?”
“Me? I’m thinking of just greeting my parents and then going overseas. If I go to my family home, it’s obvious I’ll just hear marriage nagging.”
“What about you, Senior? Aren’t you going down again this time?”
I shook my head at Yerin’s question and replied.
“This time, I’m going down to my family home too. My parents said if I don’t come down this year, they’ll come visit me themselves.”
After saying it, I suddenly felt a slight sense of futility.
It felt like I had committed an act of filial impiety.
Even so, making one excuse after another and not going down for the holidays for over three years was definitely crossing a line.
It seemed I had to go down to my Family Home this year, no matter what.
***
Thus began the first day of the holiday.
After dressing neatly, I left Pangyo early in the morning in the car Suyeon lent me.
The car I was currently driving was a premium SUV from German Company B.
When I told Suyeon I was going to my family home to pick up my parents, she readily lent me the car, telling me to take it.
However, I was driving this large car alone on the day itself, thanks to my Mother telling me to just come down first.
Since it was a holiday, the traffic jam was severe, but I wasn't in a bad mood.
After all, I didn't actually dislike going to my Family Home itself.
I just made excuses and skipped out because driving back and forth during the holidays was tiring.
I felt my mind relax with the cool breeze flowing in from the slightly open window.
How long had it been since I last left Pangyo with such a relaxed mind?
I drove on the highway, passed through a few downtown areas, and then entered the National Road.
After that, I continued along the National Road, passing through a few small cities, and finally arrived at the neighborhood where my family home was located.
My family home was in the neighborhood where my Paternal Elder Uncle and Paternal Elder Aunt lived.
Since my Grandparents lived here with my Paternal Elder Uncle's family, my Paternal Elder Uncle's house naturally became the Family Home.
I parked the car in the Yard, got out, and looked at my Paternal Elder Uncle's house.
Then, it suddenly dawned on me why I had avoided visiting my Family Home every holiday.
Isn't there usually that kind of talk?
These are the stories young men and women hear when they go to their family home for the holidays.
Employment, dating, marriage, and so on.
Among those, I tended to hear a lot of Marriage Nagging both Before Regression and After Regression.
Since I hadn't really shown any signs of dating even after turning 30, it was even more so.
Actually, it was Reap What You Sow, so I didn't really have much to say.
Anyway, staying outside wouldn't change much, so I took out the Gift Set from the car and went inside the house.
Since I was already at my family home, I was going to hear the nagging anyway.
“I’m here!”
As I opened the front door with a Greeting, the savory smell of jeon (Korean pancakes) was the first thing to greet me.
“Hojin, you’re here? Where are your mother and father?”
“They had a small errand, so they said they’d stop by there first.”
“Oh, really? Then come on in.”
I handed her the gifts I had brought at my paternal elder aunt's words.
“You didn’t have to bring these.”
“Just think of it as a gift from your nephew who hasn’t been able to visit for three years.”
“All right, thank you.”
My Paternal Elder Aunt smiled at my words and urged me to go rest in the living room.
Willingly following my Paternal Elder Aunt's words, I moved to the living room and saw my relatives resting.
Among them, my Paternal Aunt was the one who greeted me.
Honestly, she was the most actively involved in talk about marriage among my relatives, so I wasn't particularly thrilled.
“Oh my, Hojin, you’re here? Why is it so hard to see your face?”
I could only lower my head with a troubled expression at my paternal aunt's chiding question.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been so busy lately...”
“Well, then it can’t be helped. Hang up your coat and sit here.”
As I hung my coat on the wall and sat down as my paternal aunt instructed, my relatives began to gather around me and to sit.
It seemed everyone had many questions for their nephew, whom they hadn't seen in three years.
Among them, my paternal younger uncle was the first to open the conversation.
“Hojin, is your new job manageable?”
“I think it’s much better than the one at my previous company.”
“You said that was a game company?”
“Yes.”
“Then, there must be a lot of female employees at that company, right?”
A single question from my Paternal Aunt was interjected suddenly.
I could only nod my head at my paternal aunt's sudden question.
“Then, we can expect some good news soon, right?”
The gazes of my relatives instantly focused on me at my paternal aunt's question.
The images of my colleagues flashed through my mind under the relatives' gazes, but I could only shake my head.
From the start, I had never really thought of becoming “that kind of couple” with them.
“I haven’t really thought about it yet. For now, I plan to focus on work.”
“Even so, you’re already in your thirties; it’s about time you started looking for a partner...”
“Hey now! You shouldn’t put such pressure on him the moment he arrives! Hojin, you haven’t given up on marriage entirely, have you?”
“...”
What exactly is marriage?
Seeing the Adult Relatives subtly adjusting their pressure, I couldn't bear it any longer.
I was only able to escape when my older male cousin, suffering like that, arrived late.
“I’m here! But I saw an expensive car I didn’t recognize parked in the Yard, it’s not ours, is it? It was a Company B SUV.”
“I drove that.”
“Wow, Hojin, long time no see. But you drove that car? I heard you changed jobs, but did you win the lottery or something?”
“No, my CEO just lent it to me and told me to take it.”
My older male cousin made a surprised expression at that.
“No, your CEO lent you a car? Hojin, didn’t you say your new job was at a large corporation?”
“Well, it just happened.”
My older male cousin tilted his head at my ambiguous answer and entered the living room.
My older male cousin sat down next to me and asked with a playful expression.
“Is that CEO a woman, by any chance?”
“...She is?”
“...Really?”
Upon my answer that the CEO was a woman, my older male cousin's expression changed to a strange one.
“Hojin, are you perhaps... Ah, never mind. You don’t really have the face for that.”
“I know what you’re thinking... but it’s not like that, so don’t get any strange ideas. The CEO just gave me a convenience because I’m good at my job.”
“No, how good are you at your job for the CEO to give you such a convenience personally? Did you, like, single-handedly double the Company’s revenue or something?”
My Older Male Cousin laughed and shook his head, as if what he said was absurd even to himself.
However, I couldn't react at all to my Older Male Cousin's speculative remark.
The joke my Older Male Cousin made was the correct answer.
Of course, it wasn't just double, but even more than that...
My older male cousin, unable to read my true feelings, said to me with a serious expression.
“Anyway, stay at that company for a long time. Nowadays, there aren’t many companies that treat their employees that well.”
“Speaking of which, I heard this time you also moved to a Foreign-Owned Company, Hyung. Isn’t that a decent place?”
“The Company itself is fine, and it has quite a reputation... but that’s because it grinds its employees into the ground.”
My Older Male Cousin's expression was quite disgusted as he spoke.
“Is it that bad?”
“Don’t even get me started. It’s faster to count the days I *didn’t* work overtime than the days I did.”
Just as I was exchanging words with my older male cousin, my Paternal Aunt called me from behind.
“Hojin, can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Ah, yes.”
Responding to my Paternal Aunt's call, I stepped outside the house, and she asked me with an apologetic expression.
“Hojin, the company you’re working at now is a game development company, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then, I’m sorry to ask you for such a favor right at the start of the holiday, but would it be alright if I asked you for some Career Counseling for Youngjin?”
Choi Youngjin was my Paternal Aunt's Second Son and my Younger Cousin.
“Career Counseling? College Entrance Exams are something I haven’t dealt with in 10 years, so I’m a bit...”
My Paternal Aunt waved her hand at my troubled expression.
“No, it’s not about College Entrance Exam counseling... Youngjin says he wants to become a Game Planner.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. And Youngjin says that practical experience is more important in Game Development than University Prestige, so he wants to attend a Game Academy or an Educational Institution instead of a university. What do you think about that, Hojin?”
After hearing my Paternal Aunt's rough explanation, I immediately understood the situation.
It was a case I had seen far too many times.
Still, just in case, I should probably talk to Youngjin once.
“Youngjin came down to the Family Home today, right?”