The Famous Millionaire

Hyunwoo studied Yenam more deeply.

The more he studied, the more disappointed he was, though.

Though he was notorious for posting hate comments, he didn’t do it all the time. On some works, he left good feedback like “Oh, it’s very interesting!’ or a strong recommendation.

Yenam also wrote critical lines on a certain work. He seemed to dream about being a professional critic, but his rating of the box office hit was far from satisfactory, with its accurate rate less than 80% for the novels or webtoons that he recommended as interesting.

Hyunwoo scratched his head and murmured, Am I now wasting my time on a weird guy?

But Hyunwoo could not give up so quickly. For the works he left hate comments were enjoying popularity on Story Mecca without exception.

Hyunwoo thought there must be some principle when Yenam’s posted his comments.

And he tried hard to figure it out.

Several days later, he came home late at night and began to analyze popular works in Story Mecca.

Suddenly, he felt there was some difference between the comments Yenam left on popular works and those that failed to hit. There seemed to be a certain rule in the way he posted comments.

Hyunwoo snapped his fingers, exclaiming, “Yea, this is it!”

Yenam posted comments on both popular and unpopular works, but there was a clear difference in the way he left replies.

As for popular works, he left very emotional replies, but he posted logical and analytical comments on unpopular works.

In other words, if Yenam post hate comments on certain works, they would very likely make a big hit. Actually, it was almost 100 percent that it would hit gold, regardless of whether it was a genre novel or webtoon.

It seemed that Yenam himself didn’t realize this yet. If he had realized this, he would have posted an essay of his own on the type of work that would interest him.

Hyunwoo snapped his fingers. If his judgment of Yenam’s capability was right, and if he hired this guy for that reason, Yenam would be a great help to Ani & Funny.

Hyunwoo wanted to meet him first to size him up accurately.

He then sent a message to Yenam on Story Mecca.

<It looks like you, and I have similar taste. Actually, you are telling the people what I want to say on my behalf, and you’re really courageous. To be honest, I can’t even open my mouth if I want to say something because I’m so scared of how people will react.

If you are an adult, I would like to meet and have a drink with you. How about it?>

After sending the message, Hyunwoo turned off the computer right away.

Anyhow, he might not get Yenam’s reply immediately unless he was in an online chat with him, but he may receive Yenam’s reply by tomorrow.

The next morning Hyunwoo turned on the computer as soon as he got up.

Contrary to his expectation, there was no reply from Yenam, but Hyunwoo thought he didn’t need to be impatient about it. If he showed impatience, Yenam might suspect and stay wary. Even if Yenam sent him a reply, Hyunwoo felt he had better stop responding immediately.

Hyunwoo turned off the computer and headed to the office of Ani & Funny. The renovation of its first floor where the senior center was located was done.

Kyungsu and Sanggyu took care of purchasing some used office equipment. This time the city government helped Ani & Funny with subsidies that covered 50% of the total purchase. Nonetheless, it cost about 60 million won to purchase the necessary office equipment.

Before bringing in the equipment, however, Hyunwoo had to decide on how to use the first and second-floor space for the staff.

Initially, he thought of dividing the whole staff into two teams, with his staff on the first and second floors competing with each other, but he changed his mind and decided to divide the staff, based on their roles.

On the second floor, which was relatively quiet, those involved in story planning, making storyboards, layouts or creating characters were supposed to work.

On the first floor, he reserved the first floor for those involved in producing the keyframes of animation work.

The incoming students would be assigned to the first floor, and some of them who showed real talent in planning would be sent upstairs.

“Were the students notified already?” asked Hyunwoo.

“Yes, I sent them notice two days ago. They’re going to meet this afternoon,” replied Kyungsu.

In the afternoon, the students who were notified of the office opening came in droves, but there unfolded a difficult situation this time, too.

Previously there were 28 out of 40 students who passed the final test.

However, not only those who passed the test but also other students came in groups.

All told, 70 students gathered at the office.

“We came here for the test,” one student said.

“If I pass the test, I would like to quit school and study animation here. I’ll get my parents’ approval by all means,” said another.

Among them were those who already failed in the previous test.

Hyunwoo was really put in a difficult situation again.

If he could, he would have accepted them all, but the problem was that he couldn’t, given the current situation.

In addition to 28 students who already passed the test, there were additional 14 students including the Anifan kids and Heejung’s friends. In short, there was a total of 42 students.

There were only seven full-time staff members including Hyunwoo available to teach them. Even with part-timers Jungah and Myunghoon included, the teaching staff only numbered nine, all told.

Finally, Hyunwoo shook his head and said, “I already accepted too many students. We can’t teach you with the current teaching staff even if I accept you, guys. As you know, Ani & Funny is not a large company.”

“Still I want to learn here, sir.”

“I can’t learn anywhere else.”

They stubbornly persisted, asking Hyunwoo to accept them.

“Hey, there are lots of other good places to learn. Why don’t you go there?” said Hyunwoo.

“No way, they only teach us technical stuff of animation.”

“We want to learn animation planning. Even if you give us occasional coaching, we’re still fine. Please help us learn here!”

Hyunwoo could figure out what they talked about. In fact, they could not learn animation planning or ideas in most private animation academies.

Even Ani & Funny could not teach them planning and ideas on animation. They had to cultivate their own sense by working hard. If Any & Funny could help them at all, it would be for its staff to check out their animation works sometimes and coach them.

The students said they would welcome any coaching or help offered by Ani & Funny, but Hyunwoo still refused.

All the students who came to the office today were from other places than Ansan. In other words, they were determined to quit school to come to the Ani & Funny office. Hyunwoo could not accept it, but the bigger problem was that Hyunwoo could not predict the success of the students by simply testing them. Who would take responsibility for the kids who were admitted to Ani & Funny after passing the test but didn’t make success later?

Is there any way I can teach them while they are attending school?

When he thought as far as that, Hyunwoo hit on a dramatic idea.

“Wait a minute, guys. You said you’re the members of the animation online cafe, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“In that case, you don’t have to quit school because you will get the same benefits through our online education.”

Hyunwoo’s idea was simple. Namely, he would open a cyber Ani & Funny office to give them online teaching. He explained that it was necessary to form a team of like-minded students for this. In addition, the team should include a variety of members with specific talent who can complete an animation work among themselves. When they completed a work, Ani & Funny experts would give professional coaching, and rework it to make it perfect.

“If your animation works generate profits, I’ll give you due credit for that, along with the copyright fee,” said Hyunwoo.

Hyunwoo planned to hire some of the students with real talent as part-timers or even full-time employees.

He continued, “I think using the existing internet cafe poses a security problem, so let me create a new one under the name of Ani & Funny. Everyone can join the cafe freely, but each team’s material should be accessed by the relevant team only.”

The students immediately gathered to form their own teams on the spot.

After a heated discussion, they formed five teams.

Hyunwoo felt the number of teams would increase rapidly when the rumor spread on the internet that Any & Funny was open to those wishing to join its cyber animation cafe.

Hyunwoo intended to accept all the students but limit the number of their teams. It would take too much time of the Ani & Funny staff if too many teams submitted their animation works for coaching.

Now, the remaining problem was what to do with 28 students who already quit school.

Hyunwoo could not send them back home, saying that they could join the cyber animation cafe.

He let out a sigh for a moment, looking at them blankly.

But he said it as if he decided, “You guys just learn here and stay with us at the office.”

They yelled for great joy.

It was late at night when Hyunwoo came back home.

As soon as he entered the room, he turned on the computer and then logged in to Story Mecca.

By now, Yenam Noh might have sent him a reply as Hyunwoo expected.

“Oh, he has sent me a message!”

Hyunwoo quickly opened it, with his heart throbbing.

The contents were pretty ridiculous, though.

<Dear writer, look at me.

Did you say I had similar tastes to you?

It would be a big mistake if you thought I believed that.

No matter how hard you tried to hide your identity, I can smell strongly something like a writer’s trait.

I have no idea what kind of work you’re on now but don’t react emotionally to the reader’s replies. If you hate online trolls, you should be careful about writing in a way that will invite hate comments.

And you should have conscience first. Don’t try to deceive me by creating double IDs.

What are you going to do by calling me out?

You said you wanted to have a drink with me?

You might want to commit a terrorist act against me instead of drinking with me.

Do you think you can vent your anger by doing so?

Bear in mind, writer! I’m very confident in a terrorist act through a computer keyboard.

Anyway, I would like to give a generous clap to your courage that made you send me a message like this.>

Reading the message, Hyunwoo was speechless because it was so outrageous.

“What the heck is this guy?” grumbled Hyunwoo after letting out a sigh briefly.