Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work (Novel) - Chapter 30

Chapter 30

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The moment I thought that I needed a lot of money, a message asking if I needed money came from an unfamiliar profile.

But we are inside a ghost story.

[K.LEE: Employee? haha]

Although it felt like the wise choice would be to scream, block them, and leave the chat room….

‘I also feel it is too typical.’

Since we are inside a ghost story, let’s listen to ghost-story-like advice.

I put down the ‘Good Friend’ under the bed, turned off the lights, and summoned Brown using that shadow-illuminating method.

Only, this time I used a small flashlight I had bought on my way home from work in advance.

-Oh, friend!

Having regained his senses with almost no delay this time, Brown was quite amused as he recalled my clearing method from the previous ghost story, and then immediately grasped the current situation.

A message from a stranger mentioning a large sum of money!

-Suspicious! But isn’t curiosity, which does not pass over suspiciousness, precisely the virtue of a show?

-Of course, it would be even better if shiny gold follows!

Although the stuffed doll spoke like a dopamine addict, it was fine because I confirmed that it wasn’t a ghost-story-related phenomenon judging from that reaction.

‘If that is the case.’

I simply questioned in the chat room.

[Kim Sol-eum: Who are you?]

An answer returned immediately.

Actually, I thought the probability of something like ‘haha, your friend~’ coming was high.

But it was a proper introduction, unexpectedly.

[K.LEE: I am called Assistant Manager Lee Kang-heon of Group C, haha]

“…!!”

‘Group C?’

It was the elite class again.

Why on earth did he contact me… no, to reveal his identity down to his rank so readily?

[K.LEE: Employee, I heard you rejected Group A’s scout offer today!!! Hahaha]

Uh-oh.

[K.LEE: Keuu, the vigor is crazy! It’s the first time I’ve seen such a highly capable rookie, lol]

[K.LEE: You rejected it this time, but next year we might see each other in another elite team? Is a person who takes the route of coming to the elite team as soon as they get Supervisor finally appearing again? Just like that, lol]

Do you perhaps wear dedicated equipment that makes your typing faster…?

Before I could even type a single letter of reply, sentences poured out like a bomb.

I barely composed myself and sent one sentence.

[Kim Sol-eum: Yes, nice to meet you, Assistant Manager Lee Kang-heon.]

[K.LEE: Ayy, don’t mention it. If we run into each other at the company next time, let’s greet and grab a meal. I happen to know a really decent charcoal-grilled chicken ribs place nearby! haha]

[K.LEE: Oh dear, I talked too much. Anyway, the purpose of contacting you today is!]

The atmosphere changed.

[K.LEE: Employee, you need a lot of money, right?]

“…….”

[K.LEE: Right about now is the timing to wish you had a bit more money… because kids with a bit of potential right before Supervisor try to open a route to obtain personal items, lol]

[K.LEE: I heard you already have dedicated equipment, Employee. If so, I feel like you’d be looking into a way to obtain items in whispers?]

There is no such thing.

‘I just went to the Alien Shop I originally knew….’

[K.LEE: Those things all cost money, you see, haha]

[K.LEE: Don’t waste money and time buying meals and drinks for seniors for nothing, and hear it from me, haha]

Hmm.

[Kim Sol-eum: I am very grateful for your words, but why are you letting me know?]

[K.LEE: Because I want to get close? haha]

At least lie with some sincerity….

[K.LEE: Do you want to hear it? haha]

I agonized for a moment.

-Oh dear! Roe Deer, a smell of a cheap medicine peddler drifts from the letters. He doesn’t look like a breed that would appear in a prestigious professional channel.

-But… the cheap ones also have their uses in their own way, after all.

-If you coax him gently….

I typed.

[Kim Sol-eum: No.]

-…!?

[K.LEE: ???????]

[K.LEE: Ah, Employee, you are good at joking too, haha. As expected of the record breaker of the fastest accumulated points, haha]

-Kim Sol-eum: I will just ask the group leader.

-Kim Sol-eum: I hope you have a good night.

-K.LEE: Wa;t

-K.LEE: Hey, wait a minute

-K.LEE: Are you perhaps Lee Ja-heon’s cousin?;; The personality is identical

Just curse at me instead….

In any case, whether he didn’t know my personality well yet, this bluff worked well.

The opponent poured out messages frantically.

-K.LEE: Ah, I’m not taking money, so please listen, seriously, I don’t make this kind of offer easily?;;ㅠㅠ

And KakaoTalk messages came in succession.

-K.LEE: (Link)

Along with a link to some internet page.

-K.LEE: If you need seed money or items, try entering. You just have to designate me as the inviter. hawaiib53 <- you can put this in

-K.LEE: You don’t have to put it in, of course, but since I introduced it to you, follow the voice of your conscience, hahahaha. Ayy, you know, right? hhhhhh

-K.LEE: Keep it a moderate secret from other people too! (Shy emoticon)

‘…Template?’

No matter how I looked at it, it seemed like copy-paste….

-K.LEE: In any case, I was the one who told you, right?

-K.LEE: Then before I get caught in the audit, I will leave. I wish you a happy shopping life, haha]

[K.LEE has left.]

“…….”

‘If you were worried about getting caught in the audit, why did you bother introducing yourself….’

Did he want to leave it as a debt of mind?

I erased the reply I was writing, which said ‘What on earth is this site you sent.’

‘Seeing that he talked about shopping, it seems like a platform to buy items.’

Opening a route other than the Alien Shop wasn’t bad.

Moreover, the opponent’s expression was also quite interesting.

‘Seed money, huh.’

He expressed it as if I could earn quite a large sum of money.

‘Don’t tell me it is a company betting page.’

In any case, there was only one way to confirm.

After running a safety check on the authenticity of the link once, I accessed it cautiously.

The smartphone screen was dyed pitch-black, and the letters rising were….

Salmon

“…??”

Like a salmon swimming against the flowing river water

We who swim against the crazy world

‘Cyworld……?’

What on earth did this nostalgic emotional writing mean?

The text disappeared with the effect of a salmon actually swimming, and a new sentence rose.

Registration Available (Recommender Required)

Mmh.

Though truly suspicious in many senses, in any case I put in that employee as the recommender and created an account. Since I had to confirm anyway.

And the moment I logged in, looking at the changing page, I realized.

Salmon Market

“This is a second-hand trading site.”

It was a site to buy and sell items between individuals, in a way.

Except for the fact that they traded superstitious and bizarre items or information.

[Mermaid Jerky for Sale (Genuine, Hannuriok appraisal included)]

[Looking for Blood Bathtub tile pieces, no discoloration]

[$$Find out reliable information on the frequency of the appearance of the Bad Luck Vending Machine$$]

[Selling miraculous protective talismans]

I roughly clicked and grasped the situation.

So this was….

‘Pure scams are rampant.’

From the perspective of a person who had read the <Records of the Dark Exploration>, it was rampant with trash items, meaningless props, or false information.

In short, it meant it felt like an occult second-hand trading site with not very high expertise by professional standards.

I rubbed my forehead and said.

“Is it a place where there are more ordinary people than関係자 (insiders)?”

-Mmh. Popularity inevitably brings a decline in expertise, after all! To prevent that requires great effort and trouble… but this place feels deliberately neglected.

-Enthusiasts without expertise buy even trivial things at high prices, after all.

It is identical to the psychology of tearing off even the floor pieces of a stage a star stepped on!

No, that serves as a souvenir and is real, so it could naturally be so.

The problem was that fakes were rampant here.

But even so, traces of transactions completed at quite high prices were visible.

“…….”

‘Right. In this universe, they didn’t officially recognize supernatural phenomena.’

Both the government, which feared social anomie, and the companies, which wanted to protect trade secrets, were hushed up while secretly exploring ghost stories.

But civilian victims would already be widespread.

Since dark rumors and experiences would be circulating secretly among ordinary people, it wasn’t strange for such a site to appear.

Moreover, looking at the prices compared to the items traded made me even more dizzy.

‘One million won for a single sheet….’

Something like a monthly rent deposit was shifting.

Whether it was because survival was on the line, or whether there was a Veblen effect in occult items, I didn’t know, but….

‘Can I also sell something if I do well?’

If the employee who introduced it to me was truly Assistant Manager Lee Kang-heon of Group C, it seemed employees working at ‘Daydream Co.’ were secretly selling trash items or information through this place.

That actually bothered me.

‘The moment I cross the line, I’ll unconditionally get caught in the audit, though….’

So let’s create a safety measure.

After logging out of my current account, I created a new account.

The name is, mmh…….

[Blue Friend]

-A ‘friend’! Did you make it while thinking of me? Oh dear, this is touching!

Since I combined what came to mind and what was visible, it was correct.

And as the recommender ID, I put in the account I had first created earlier.

“It’s done.”

-Ho-oh. Creating a new identity to avoid tracking!

Correct.

I planned to trade items that a ‘Daydream Co.’ employee wouldn’t possess, or things that might get caught in the audit, with this account.

‘This way, the purchase won’t get tracked by any chance.’

“Of course, I will leave a few transaction records with the account I made first too.”

-To avoid suspicion. Splendid.

With the previous account, I planned to deal with things that a ‘Daydream Co. employee’ would trade within a range that didn’t cross the line.

Well, since social life was finished, let’s enter the main point.

What should I sell?

‘For starters… reselling items bought in the Alien Shop won’t do.’

Look at the amateurism of this site. A massive storm would occur.

Well, anyway, I was busy buying useful items in the Alien Shop, so I had no luxury to do such a price arbitrage task.

I scrolled through the Salmon Market by the newest.

Is there nothing that wouldn’t stand out too much, but would allow me to earn money by selling….

[Buying food derived from supernatural phenomena.]

Oh?

———————

[Buying food derived from supernatural phenomena.]

For research.

Preference for powerful supernatural phenomena (Paranormal Disaster Management Bureau wave-penalty anomaly).

40.0

———————

-This bastard is here again

-Ah, the food I am seeking is the Type 1 wave-penalty, ‘for research.’ (Glint of glasses) Hahaha

-Isn’t this person a macro? Seems to go up every day

-Occult geek, please come out of your own universe, what on earth is the Disaster Management Bureau wave-penalty

Only a few comments of people’s ridicule and teasing remained.

But….

‘…It’s real.’

<Paranormal Disaster Management Bureau>.

In the <Records of the Dark Exploration>, it was a government agency that handled one axis of the three giant factions along with Daydream Co.

My goods, the Memorial GripTok, was also an item allocated to civil servants in this agency.

‘And the Paranormal Disaster Management Bureau classifies the danger grade of ghost stories by Penalty (Sentence)….’

The wave-penalty (파형) mentioned in this post was also an actually existing grade. By Daydream Co.’s standards, it was slightly above C-grade.

This side was truly ‘someone who knows.’

I stared at the page.

‘If it’s a real insider, the probability of not getting my money stolen would rather be high.’

Mentioning professional terms that a layman wouldn’t know without explanation in the post itself lowered the probability of a scam.

It was an element that raised the credibility of the transaction.

Moreover, look at the price.

40.0?

‘It is forty million won.’

With this much, even if someone didn’t know, there would be people who would contact him just in case they got fooled once.

Sure enough, looking at the previous posts, it had already been discussed in the comments.

-Wow, still, it’s forty million won… Anyone contacted him after seeing this?

└ I actually contacted him with the intention to sell, but after questioning the source a few times, he vanished, lol

└ Everyone got read-ignored, lol. He’s a roleplayer, do not engage

No, that wasn’t it.

‘He probably ignored them because the ghost story wasn’t above the wave-penalty grade, judging from the story.’

But in my possession, an item perfectly matching the preference happened to exist.

Something suspicious, of which I didn’t even know what effect it had, and which I didn’t dare to consume myself….

‘…I have it.’

Even two bags.

<Blue Soda Churros>

The snack received from the blue dragon mascot in the theme park.

“…….”

-Ah, that filthy food!

Filthy… it’s not to that extent.

But you see.

‘A good kid needs campaign funds.’

The mascot will understand too. Mmh.

[Blue Friend: Hello, Teacher^^ I can sell the food derived from supernatural phenomena you are looking for!]

Message complete!

* * *

The next day.

‘It happens to be the weekend too.’

I ended up waiting for the transaction partner near Gwanghwamun Station.

In my hand, I held a box containing one bag of the ‘Blue Soda Churros’ received from the mascot.

‘I conducted myself… decently, right.’

I recalled the message I exchanged with the buyer yesterday.

As soon as I sent the message, a reply came almost immediately.

[T: Exactly what kind of food is it?]

This was the branch point.

I had two choices.

To show credibility with professional knowledge, showing off that I knew what the Paranormal Disaster Management Bureau was and what the wave-penalty grade was.

Or else….

[Blue Friend: It’s something like churros. Actually, I don’t know well… ㅠㅠ I received it in a very strange situation.]

[Blue Friend: But I’m scared to possess it… and I absolutely need money. Would it be possible… for you to check and buy it if it matches the conditions you want?]

To play dumb like this and hand over all judgment to the opponent.

And my choice worked well.

‘Honestly, the second statement was also entirely true.’

Because I also didn’t feel like getting caught as a <Daydream Co.> employee.

Anyway, that was why I came out 7 minutes before the appointment time near Gwanghwamun Station Exit 5 and was waiting for the opponent.

‘If the feeling is strange, I must run immediately.’

Just in case I was nervous, I saw a person looking around while coming to Exit 5 from Cheonggye Plaza over there.

‘Uh.’

It was a gaze processing that looked like someone who had come to do a second-hand transaction to anyone who saw.

Tall, wrapped in black clothes all over, and even wearing a mask, the person spoke as he approached and made eye contact with me.

“By any chance, Salmon….”

I nodded.

And immediately opened the box and extended it.

It meant to confirm.

“…….”

The opponent quietly reached out his hand.

He was also wearing gloves on that hand.

His voice was quite young, but to think he would come wrapped up to the point where it was hard to deduce his identity.

‘It’s not something I should say.’

Actually, I was also in a state of wearing everything from a hat to glasses.

Pulling my hood down, I watched the opponent’s movements. If he tried to run with it, I must move first.

The prospective buyer swept his gloved hand over the box once, then soon nodded and grabbed the box.

Mmh?

“It is the item I was looking for.”

And he offered a small drink box to me.

As he also lightly opened the box, the inside filled with 50,000-won bills was slightly visible and then closed.

“…….”

The opponent seemed to look at me with eyes asking what more I was waiting for.

Though it was slightly disappointing that I couldn’t ask Brown….

‘First, what I must do.’

I placed the box on the floor.

“…?”

After bowing my head to the opponent, I pulled out a notebook from my pocket.

“…??”

And unfolded the page toward the buyer to show.

[I do not know the effect of this food.]

[Possessing it wasn’t dangerous, but just in case, it would be better not to eat it.]

[You said you would research it, but I wrote it just in case]

“……!”

Though his expression wasn’t visible, the opponent seemed a bit flustered.

‘You might wonder what kind of performance this suddenly is, but….’

Sorry. I don’t want to get my voice caught.

After bowing my head, I unfolded the last page, politely accepted the drink box, and ran.

[Have a nice day^^]

* * *

“Great.”

I returned home after depositing the cash I received immediately.

Perhaps because it was the weekend, Baek Sa-heon wasn’t in the housing already. Seeing that he was in and out in the meantime, I wondered if he went to his parents’ house.

In any case.

“Now it’s time to access the Alien Shop.”

I revived the link.