At eighteen this year, instead of carrying a backpack, the girl held a mike close and grasped the keyboard and mouse.
Cheerful VTuber Heidi, named after the Alpine girl, was as bright and bubbly as the character from the story.
Just like the story’s Heidi, who faced the world’s trials with unwavering spirit, Heidi the VTuber quietly vowed to overcome her difficult family background and live confidently in this world.
So today, Heidi was living diligently, not at all like a young girl.
Waking up a bit early, sacrificing some sleep, she logged into the Taker server and busily engaged in fishing, farming, and other activities since early morning.
“Hello, everyone! Good morning!”
[Heidi has arrived!!!]
[Did you even sleep?]
[It’s great to see you full of energy from the morning….]
[Youth really is a blessing; even after just four hours, I feel fresh!]
[I had a hard time getting up after the Bangon notification… sigh… ,]
[Heidi’s just a kid… but she’s so diligent….]
[Kids usually love their sleep in the morning; this is strange.]
[She could just keep the broadcast online and sleep in her chair, right? LOL, is she silly?]
[Watching her makes even a lazy bum like me feel like I’m living life to the fullest, lol.]
[This girl seems to live as fiercely as most workers do, haha.]
Maybe it was due to Heidi’s relatively young age compared to other broadcasters.
Many viewers watching Heidi’s stream felt like uncle fans, supporting and cheering her on.
It’s simply adorable and impressive when a young little sister runs about, causing a stir.
But what Heidi actually accomplished wasn’t just cute; there were results, to boot.
From viewers to fellow broadcasters, it was impossible not to adore Heidi.
For Heidi, who had shouldered heavy burdens from a young age without receiving proper affection, such recognition was more than welcome.
“Tired, you ask? I’m a bit sleepy, but… hehehe, I still gotta work hard!”
As a result, Heidi became even more excited and put in even more effort into her broadcasts.
Truly a win-win situation!
“Shall we go fishing now? I wonder where the good spots are lately…”
[The spot just below the central plaza looks great.]
[I heard Kayak-nim’s clown show area is a good spot.]
[What’s a clown show?]
[I think there’s a place where Kayak begs.]
[That person begs too?]
[She was begging every time I walked by.]
“Ah, is that where Kayak is? Is the fishing good there?”
The place where Kayak resides is well-known to Heidi as well.
Since Kayak is a celebrity within the server, even a hardworking person like Heidi knows about her.
Heidi had also heard that Kayak was doing some kind of performance there.
[Should I go see a show while I’m at it?]
[It’s just a begging show, but calling it a performance is so damn funny, lol!]
[Making money off pure physical abilities—that’s what you call a performance, right?]
[Heidi, you’ve never seen a performance, have you?]
“Yeah, I’d like to see it this time. Everyone says it was fun… Wait, do I have to pay? Aah, that’s right. It’s polite to pay for a performance I watched…”
But she had worked hard for that money, saying she needed to save up to be comfortable later.
With her worries in tow, Heidi moved to Kayak’s spot.
However, in the end, Heidi never got to watch Kayak’s performance.
“Huh…?”
The renowned fishing spot Heidi visited, where Kayak was known to frequently show up to beg, was now…
“Okay, a bit higher. Make the lights a bit more extravagant.”
Some building was being constructed. Under Kayak’s command, the building rose rapidly.
-Kayak CASINO
“A casino?”
That was a gambling establishment being built bearing Kayak’s name.
*
“Just a little more to the left with the lights.”
“Yes, here?”
“A bit more! Yes, yes. Thank you. Good!”
Kayak Casino was being established.
I was directing the scene in the heart of it like a director.
[So this new business was a gambling place?]
[Casino entrance, lol!]
[Wow, someone’s about to lose their hands!]
[And thus, she falls into the dark path…]
[Underworld, the shadowy king, Kayak, lol.]
[An-sae, the right hand of the casino owner, lol.]
[How did An-sae, a perfectly fine local fisherman, end up like this…?]
[This is why you should choose your friends wisely; adults were right about that.]
[??? : I swear to repay you, Casino Owner, just lend me some money and I’ll pay you back double!]
“Could you lend me some money?”
“Loan sharks do make good money, you know.”
“The casino is like a rice bowl – good broadcast angles and big profits.”
“If you have Compu and some gambling, even a kayak can get rich.”
“Trying to be serious, but a casino? That’s pretty obvious.”
“Umm…”
“Why, An-sae? Are you disappointed?”
“No, not at all, Boss.”
But despite the words, An-sae didn’t seem thrilled about opening a gambling business.
How can someone be so narrow-minded? I have to explain everything, one by one.
“Look at the bigger picture, think on a national level, An-sae.”
“…What does national level even mean?”
“Well, it’s like saying don’t just look at the trees, but see the forest.”
Still, An-sae just tilted their head in confusion. Maybe I was too vague.
“We’re already rich at the point where we first built the casino on the server.”
“…I don’t really get it. What if business doesn’t go well?”
Oh, that’s what they were worried about. Such a naive person.
“Have you ever been to Kangwon Land, An-sae?”
“Eh? Oh, no.”
“What about a racetrack? Or the Las Vegas Casino in the U.S.?”
“I’ve never been to any of those… Can you move your face out of the way…?”
“Oh, I’m sorry!”
GASP!!
“They just kissed! OMG!”
“I want to kiss too! Me too! Me too!”
A bear emoji crying dramatically
“Here we go again…”
“So it really is true that when the Broadcast Host gets excited, they lean in!”
Unintentionally, I found myself leaning in closer to An-sae. I pulled back slightly and continued speaking.
“Gamblin’ is super addictive. There are tons of issues in reality because of it. No matter how many regulations are put in place, every year, dozens or even hundreds lose everything to gambling.”
If you walk in front of a casino or Kangwon Land, you can see aimless people shuffling along.
An-sae seemed to be more absorbed in my story than I expected, bouncing around before sitting down to listen intently.
“Were those people gamblers from the start? Absolutely not. They were someone’s father, a breadwinner, a proud son, ordinary members of society.”
“Yeah….”
“But somehow they got into gambling, hit a beginner’s luck, and then lost money, leading to a desperate need to recover.”
Whether it started as fun or not, that’s how they slowly sink into the swamp.
It’s about sinking into the swamp.
Not just casinos, but all games of chance like sports betting are like that.
They naturally release dopamine and paralyze the human central nervous system.
“If you’re human, it’s hard to easily resist that addiction.”
“But, um, what does that have to do with our casino?”
“Our casino is just a different framework, but we’re still betting game money. The addictive nature will be quite significant.”
But-
“Can we really regulate it as strictly as reality? No way. If we throw in too many gambling-related regulations, people will call it boring and stuffy. Plus, unlike reality, we don’t take out taxes, which is better.”
“I see.”
“In summary, you could say we’ve absorbed only the best parts of the casino. Our customers will probably appreciate being able to enjoy games they can’t normally experience in reality, even if it’s indirectly.”
[Seeing that long tongue, seems like a scammer ㅇㅇ]
[Kayak doesn’t get what he’s saying, so they just upvote ㅋㅋ]
[Anyway, he sure can talk a lot]
[I lost track because it’s too long, can someone summarize it in three lines?]
[Roughly saying customers, kayaks, and An-sae are all good]
[We’re gonna be rich!]
[It’d be nice to play baccarat here, something scary to try in real life ㅇㅇ]
[If you lose, it’s just game money, so whatever ㅋㅋ]
I gave a light tap to the slightly dazed An-sae.
“An-sae, we just need to provide the best service to our customers. Just think about that, it’s simple, right?”
“Yes…”
“It seems a customer has arrived. Should we ask them to play a game?”
With the construction completed, the casino was ready.
An-sae approached someone lingering at the entrance of the building. Was her name Heidi?
“Oh, no. I just came to fish and noticed a new building, so I thought I’d take a look…”
“Welcome, Heidi. Since you’re our first customer, I’ll let you play about 3 games for free. Why not try a few rounds?”
“Free? I can play for free?”
Though she seemed reluctant at first, her expression changed at the mention of ‘free.’
‘You’re weak to freebies, aren’t you?’
“Thinking about it, 3 games might be too few. Since you’re our first customer, I’ll extend it to 5 games for free.”
“Wow! The Boss is super generous! I want to play, I want to play!”
Having grasped the first customer’s weakness, I slowly guided her into the casino’s interior.
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