An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 133
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 132
Part 6. Lee Deputy Manager, You Must Do Well (1)
Knock, knock.
Kang Hyung-seok rapped his knuckles against the Manager’s Office door.
“Manager, may I come in?”
“Come in quickly!”
Kang Hyung-seok chuckled softly, twisted the doorknob open, and Gwak Young-ho gestured from across his desk for him to sit down, his face bright with a smile.
It was around 2 PM on an unremarkable weekday afternoon.
With no pressing matters and no business trips scheduled, the office carried an almost languid atmosphere—as if asking whether such leisurely moments were even permissible.
“I’ve organized the materials you mentioned this morning.”
“Ah, I told you there’s no rush.”
Gwak Young-ho accepted the file folder and reviewed it page by page, clicking his tongue thoughtfully.
Then, nodding with evident satisfaction, he opened his mouth.
“This looks good. I’ll attach it to this quarter’s performance report and submit it.”
“Yes.”
“And Manager Kang, has anything come up recently?”
“Recently?”
“You know—Shinjin Construction.”
Gwak Young-ho shifted in his seat as he spoke, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
He was hoping they might reach out to Kang Hyung-seok again.
Not much time had passed since the contract signing ceremony.
So he wasn’t expecting additional contracts—rather, he was hoping to see whether Kang Hyung-seok might cultivate some personal rapport with Shin Yoseph.
‘Shin Yoseph is quite the cunning operator, isn’t he.’
The groundwork had been laid properly.
If Kang Hyung-seok were to mention going night fishing with Shin Yoseph, Gwak Young-ho looked ready to tell him to depart immediately.
“Nothing yet.”
“Is that so?”
Gwak Young-ho spoke with a slightly disappointed tone, and Kang Hyung-seok continued with a smile.
“Should I reach out to him later?”
“Ah, that’s perfect! Ask him if Director Shin enjoys fishing or anything like that.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Why does your expression look like that?”
“It’s nothing. Really.”
Kang Hyung-seok answered with an awkward laugh, and Gwak Young-ho smiled, fine wrinkles forming across his face.
“You’ve been smiling quite often lately—it’s good to see.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Your expression has improved considerably compared to before. You’ve become softer as a person too.”
“Thank you for seeing me in such a favorable light.”
“Just try to soften that tone of yours a bit more, all right?”
That would not be easy.
“I’ll do my best.”
Years of living had carved habits deep into my bones.
Gwak Young-ho let out a hearty laugh, leaning back in his chair as his gaze drifted toward the ceiling.
“Ah, I wish things could stay like this. Really.”
“But isn’t it good for you too that we’re busy, Manager?”
“At my age, what more could I want? Should they give me Executive Director? Or maybe promote me to Director?”
Who knows what might happen.
This incident had left Sales Team 1 with an exceptionally favorable impression.
From what I heard, Sales Team 2 and 3 had fallen into a funeral-like atmosphere, and the department heads apparently couldn’t stand the sight of anyone in the office.
That’s why there’s even been the sad rumor that the cafe in front of the company has seen increased sales lately.
Administrative work gets done there too, apparently.
If this trend continued, wouldn’t special treatment extend not just to me but to Sales Team 1 as a whole?
It was my modest hope.
“Manager Kang, if you don’t have anything urgent, would you like to go somewhere with Lee Deputy Manager today?”
“Is there somewhere you’d like to go, sir?”
“Well, I thought it would be right to look after Lee Deputy Manager too.”
Lee Jin-pyung was my peer from the same cohort.
But unlike me, who had been promoted to Manager due to notable achievements, he still held the rank of Deputy Manager.
“So I thought we’d go somewhere difficult. There’s a place that’s been problematic.”
“A difficult place?”
“Yes. A place we used to do business with, but they suddenly and unilaterally terminated the contract. You wouldn’t know it, Manager Kang. It’s been about ten years now.”
Gwak Young-ho’s expression darkened.
You could sense how he must have felt when that contract ended.
“Anyway, if you have time, let’s go together today.”
“You’ll be going too, Manager?”
“Since I was the one who originally made that contract. And we should look after Lee Deputy Manager together. He’s been with the company for a long time—how much attention can his family really give him?”
Gwak Young-ho and I didn’t differ much in our feelings toward Lee Jin-pyung.
“Understood. I’ll prepare for the business trip right away.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“But Manager?”
“Hmm?”
I started to rise from my chair but sat back down, asking cautiously.
“Since you’ll be accompanying us, Manager, is there a reason I need to go as well?”
Gwak Young-ho stared at me plainly, then pressed his forehead with his hand.
“Goodness, Manager Kang. Your presence alone is already a great help to Lee Deputy Manager.”
“Ah….”
“If things go well and we come back with a report, just having your name on it makes all the difference, you see?”
As if I’d finally understood, I laughed sheepishly, and Gwak Young-ho gave my shoulder a light tap.
***
In contrast, Lee Jin-pyung’s face showed complete bewilderment.
The engine hummed softly.
Inside the car that Kang Hyung-seok was driving, Lee Jin-pyung sat in the passenger seat as usual, while Gwak Young-ho reviewed documents from the back, wearing glasses he rarely used.
“Hmm, hmm.”
Listening to Gwak Young-ho’s deep concentration, Kang Hyung-seok glanced at Lee Jin-pyung’s lap.
-Woof, woof, woof, woof!
The Spitz Victim Spirit clung to Lee Jin-pyung like a sticky rice cake.
Whether it was thanking Kang Hyung-seok for looking after it, or simply expressing joy, the creature barked with crystalline clarity.
“Well then, Deputy Manager Lee.”
“Yes.”
Spitz knew that no matter how much it barked, neither Lee Jin-pyung nor Gwak Young-ho could hear it.
Yet the creature kept its black lips firmly sealed, and the two men continued their conversation with the passenger seat backrest between them.
“The place we’re visiting can be a bit particular. Deputy Manager, please adjust your support based on the situation.”
“Understood.”
“We’ll be drawing up a contract today. Don’t think of it as a quick deal. It’s a place that requires some time, and while it may not be large, it holds significance—once the contract is sealed, it will benefit you as well, Deputy Manager.”
Lee Jin-pyung nodded with a grave expression matching Gwak Young-ho’s serious tone, yet his face remained exactly as it always was.
“Goodness! Really, you.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No, never mind.”
Gwak Young-ho shook his head and shifted his gaze toward Kang Hyung-seok.
“Manager Kang, how much longer?”
“We’re almost there. About ten minutes remaining.”
“Is that so? Then let’s stop nearby and pick up some fruit or something to bring along.”
Kang Hyung-seok gently pulled down the navigation screen and replied.
“Understood.”
“Phew, I hope this goes well.”
Gwak Young-ho, more nervous than Lee Jin-pyung, exhaled a long breath and smacked his lips.
In the end, they didn’t buy fruit.
Instead, Gwak Young-ho purchased fruit-flavored beverages packaged in a cardboard box, and also bought nutritional supplements from the pharmacy, which he had Lee Jin-pyung carry.
Clink, clink.
So with each step Lee Jin-pyung took, the beverages rattled, and Gwak Young-ho’s expression hardened rapidly.
Still, Gwak Young-ho remained Gwak Young-ho.
“Hello! It’s been a while, Factory Owner Kim Young-chan!”
The moment he spotted the prospective client, his smile bloomed in full radiance.
It was a factory that manufactured custom-made furniture.
The air vibrated with the scent of sawdust, and finishing materials like wood glue and varnish sat in containers, piled high upon wooden pallets.
As Gwak Young-ho’s greeting echoed through the space, several workers’ gazes turned toward him before looking away.
“Why are you here?”
Kim Young-chan, who appeared to be around the same age as Gwak Young-ho, displayed discomfort, yet Gwak Young-ho’s face remained cheerfully smiling.
“I called ahead. I said I’d be coming to pay my respects today.”
“Was that today? I didn’t even notice time passing.”
“I’m glad to see you have work even in times like these. Just a moment. Lee Deputy Manager, bring that over quickly.”
Gwak Young-ho gestured to Lee Jin-pyung with something bordering on exaggeration.
A paper bag containing beverages and nutritional supplements was passed over, and Gwak Young-ho patted Lee Jin-pyung’s shoulder while flashing a warm smile.
“I came to share some updates. This is a new member of our team—you haven’t met him before, have you?”
“Hmm.”
Kim Young-chan, having read the intention, wore an expression of annoyance, but Gwak Young-ho quickly moved toward him and pointed to the container housing outside the factory.
“That must be heavy. How about we take it to the office?”
At Gwak Young-ho’s attempt to shift the location as naturally as possible to the office, Lee Jin-pyung’s eyes widened slightly more than usual.
In contrast, Kang Hyung-seok remained even more rigid than before, watching Kim Young-chan carefully.
‘There’s something here.’
It wasn’t a ghost or malevolent spirit attached to him.
Just as a foul stench clings to one’s body after visiting a filthy, reeking place, I sensed something unclean emanating from Kim Young-chan.
That bothered me.
“Who’s that person?”
“Ah, he’s Manager Kang—he’s our team’s ace these days. An ace!”
Gwak Young-ho pushed Kim Young-chan forward, concerned that the conversation might shift toward Kang Hyung-seok.
Clang, clatter!
As the old container door was lifted and closed, the sound of saws and drills from the factory diminished significantly.
In the relatively quieted space, Sales Team 1 sat on a worn artificial leather sofa.
Click, whoosh!
Kim Young-chan, sitting across from them, lit a cigarette and flicked the lighter onto the table—not a good sign.
It directly revealed his discomfort with the current situation.
Sure enough, Gwak Young-ho’s lips stiffened, and after Kim Young-chan drew deeply on his cigarette, he opened his mouth.
“Leave. I’m not interested.”
The light in Kim Young-chan’s eyes as he looked at Gwak Young-ho was unkind.
He brought the cigarette to his lips, emanating an atmosphere of giving at least minimal face since subordinates had been brought along.
“I’m not doing business with Daejeong Materials anymore, and I have no intention of continuing this work much longer.”
“Boss.”
“Manager Gwak, you’re saying you don’t intend to continue the business?”
Even with an expressionless face, the deep wrinkles on Kim Young-chan’s face were pronounced, and with his brow furrowed, he looked even more menacing.
“Didn’t I tell you before? I’m only doing this until the end of this year, and I have no intention of maintaining the factory either. There’s no one to pass it down to.”
“Don’t you have a son?”
Gwak Young-ho’s gently delivered words struck like a dagger, causing Kim Young-chan to flinch and widen his eyes further.
“A son? Forget it. I don’t need this sort of thing, so take it with you.”
As Kim Young-chan placed the paper bag he’d received from Lee Jin-pyung onto the table, a loud clang! echoed through the office.
He had said it wouldn’t be easy. Gwak Young-ho had.
But he hadn’t expected him to be this cold, so the corners of his eyes drooped.
-Woof woof woof!
Sensing Lee Jin-pyung’s confusion, the Spitz Victim Spirit barked loudly.
And at that moment, Kang Hyung-seok clearly saw it.
Kim Young-chan’s pupils shifting toward Spitz.
‘What was that? Just now….’
Even as Kim Young-chan exhaled cigarette smoke, his gaze remained fixed on Spitz, who lingered at Lee Jin-pyung’s feet.
A stare far too deliberate to be mere coincidence.
From what Kang Hyung-seok could discern, he was certainly no Shaman.
Yet he didn’t appear to be someone with spiritual sight or divine power either.
Then what on earth was his true nature?
Kang Hyung-seok carefully shifted his gaze from Spitz to the man, and in that instant, his eyes met Kim Young-chan’s.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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