An Office Worker Is Good At Exorcism - Chapter 229

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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 228
Part 1. It’s Not Excessive Greed, Is It? (2)
“Manager Kang!”
Kang Hyung-seok, about to get into his car in the parking lot, turned his head.
Quitting time.
And a bit later than most others, at that.
“You’re heading home?”
After confirming who had called him, Kang Hyung-seok exhaled heavily and slipped his car keys back into his pocket.
“Yes.”
It was Lim Jin-gil, a deputy manager from the Human Resources Department.
He’d caused quite a stir gossiping about Lee Jin-pyung when he was hospitalized, and there were rumors that his behavior never improved afterward—he’d even been verbally abused by the HR department head.
If there was anyone in the company most awkward to deal with, it would probably be Lim Jin-gil.
Having such a person approach him made it difficult to maintain a professional demeanor.
“Well, do you have a moment?”
“Why?”
The moment Kang Hyung-seok showed his reluctance, Lim Jin-gil’s expression hardened noticeably.
“Ah, I’m sorry. About that mistake I made before.”
“It wasn’t a mistake.”
When Kang Hyung-seok spoke coolly, Lim Jin-gil’s face grew even more rigid.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”
“Ah, no. Just a moment.”
As Kang Hyung-seok turned to leave, he narrowed the space between his brows and looked at Lim Jin-gil.
“Let’s talk for a bit at the convenience store up ahead.”
“The convenience store?”
“It’s not the kind of conversation to have at a cafe…”
It was common enough for people working overtime to grab coffee at the cafe in front of the company.
He didn’t want them to see the two of them together, and it seemed he had something fairly important to discuss.
“Fine.”
“Sigh.”
Lim Jin-gil’s expression as he sighed was far from pleasant.
Still, curiosity got the better of him, so Kang Hyung-seok accompanied him to the convenience store a short distance from the company.
“Ah, I’ll pay for this.”
Lim Jin-gil took the drink from Kang Hyung-seok’s hand at the counter and paid for it, leaving Kang Hyung-seok even more bewildered.
‘What is this about?’
What was he thinking, and what was his purpose in going this far?
The questions persisted until Kang Hyung-seok sat down at the table in front of the convenience store.
Crack.
“You didn’t bring tea?”
“No tea.”
Lim Jin-gil answered, having cracked open a canned beer with satisfaction, and Kang Hyung-seok fiddled with his canned drink before speaking.
“What did you want to say?”
“This afternoon. You found defects in the items that Sales Team 3 brought in, didn’t you?”
“Is that a problem?”
Kang Hyung-seok spoke in a sharp tone, wondering if Lim Jin-gil was picking another fight.
“…Manager Kang, couldn’t you just trust me this once?”
“What?”
“I know, I know. I haven’t earned your trust. But even if it’s because I’m afraid of our department head, I’m trying to get closer to you, Manager Kang. This really hurts my feelings.”
One’s nature doesn’t change easily.
Especially not in adults.
Yet thoughts can still shift.
Though Lim Jin-gil hadn’t shed his characteristic prickly disposition, there seemed to be no falsehood in his words.
At least the Shaman’s Bell hadn’t rung.
“What are you trying to tell me?”
“Phew—!”
Lim Jin-gil gulped down his canned beer, glanced around, then spoke in a low voice.
“That ring. I heard from someone I can trust that it wasn’t brought from China.”
“…What?”
“It came from domestically. From what I hear, Sales Team 3 was planning to distribute the goods and pocket some money under the guise of a commission fee.”
Ah, I hadn’t considered that.
Still, it’s not entirely impossible.
Since this is a new business venture, the company’s audits would be lax enough for them to skim a little off the top.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Sigh.”
I rubbed my face.
It had seemed odd that those cheap rings cost thirty thousand won.
“They dumped all of them anyway. Sales Team 3 got fed up and threw them out.”
“Ugh.”
I exhaled a heavy sigh and posed a question with my eyes.
Why are you telling me this?
“So what I’m saying is, try not to run into Sales Team 3 if you can help it.”
Lim Jin-gil’s voice was so low it was hard to hear, as if he were divulging some great secret.
I studied his eyes in silence for a moment.
Reading the sincerity in his gaze, I nodded and opened a canned drink.
“Got it. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Don’t mention this to anyone. I don’t want to get in trouble either.”
Lim Jin-gil drained the rest of his canned beer in one go.
He crumpled it noisily, then hurriedly stood from his chair, worried he might run into someone from another company.
“I’m leaving. And… I’m sorry.”
Lim Jin-gil, having poured out everything he needed to say, rushed away in a half-run.
Kang Hyung-seok remained seated, watching him while bringing the canned drink to his lips.
This was Lim Jin-gil, the one whose guardian spirit had once fled when attempting to harm Kang Hyung-seok. Now that guardian spirit clung firmly to Lim Jin-gil’s side.
‘It seems there’s no intention to cause harm.’
Kang Hyung-seok smiled wryly, his eyes deep with contemplation, then drained the canned drink in one long gulp.
***
“Manager Kang.”
It was the following morning.
Upon arriving at work, Gwak Young-ho immediately sought out Kang Hyung-seok.
Then he checked whether the other team members had arrived, dragged over a chair, and positioned it where he could see everyone.
“Do you have something to convey?”
The question came from Shin Jung-ah.
“Well, yes.”
Gwak Young-ho answered with a visibly troubled expression, his smile clearly forced at the corners of his mouth.
“You all saw those new business items yesterday, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Why is that?”
Gwak Young-ho cast his gaze toward Namgoong Min-ah and Shin Jung-ah, his face clouded with melancholy.
“For now, it’s been put on hold.”
“Pardon? On hold?”
“Yes. Something about it just didn’t feel right. The market’s been uncertain lately, and the items themselves weren’t particularly attractive either.”
Shin Jung-ah nodded, her expression showing understanding.
“It’s true that purchasing agency services are a bit risky in today’s market.”
“Given the uncertainty and the lack of appeal in the items themselves, there was concern that we could end up with a business that only drains money if we’re not careful.”
Gwak Young-ho deliberately seemed to avoid mentioning the ring.
His expression and the roundabout way he phrased things all conveyed that impression.
“In any case, that business is on hold, but it’s not a complete cancellation?”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
“There’s still ambition for it. We could potentially relaunch it by changing direction. It’s not certain yet, but it seems we’ll be sourcing goods from overseas and selling them directly ourselves. That would give us at least some competitive edge.”
Namgoong Min-ah and Lee Jin-pyung’s eyes showed understanding.
Still, their expressions suggested they wondered why he was sharing even this much.
In contrast, Kang Hyung-seok and Shin Jung-ah focused intently on Gwak Young-ho with expressions of anticipation, and his next words unfolded exactly as they had expected.
Creak.
Gwak Young-ho shifted in his chair and smiled, drawing up the corners of his mouth before turning his gaze toward Shin Jung-ah.
“Shin Manager, you said you could speak foreign languages, right?”
“Well… I do, Department Head.”
“When the business is relaunched later, Shin Manager might be quite busy. Just keep that in mind.”
The gazes of Namgoong Min-ah, Lee Jin-pyung, and Kang Hyung-seok all followed toward Shin Jung-ah.
“Wow!”
Namgoong Min-ah gasped, covering her mouth, and Lee Jin-pyung’s eyes widened considerably.
—Clang clang!
Baekseol began barking as if sensing the mood, and I offered her a congratulatory glance as well.
“Ah, no—when does it start?”
“We don’t know yet. But understand this much: the company has high expectations for Shin Manager. Do you grasp what I’m saying?”
I wasn’t simply talking about language study or passport renewal.
It meant that Sales Team 1 could secure an important position in the next project, and Shin Jung-ah’s role had become crucial to that success.
I would solidify our domestic operations, while Shin Jung-ah would become the key figure overseas.
It was the most ideal scenario Daejeong Materials could envision.
“Ah….”
“Don’t feel too burdened. Besides, won’t I and our team members provide support?”
“Still…”
“If push comes to shove, there’s Manager Kang too. What’s the problem?”
Shin Jung-ah smiled with a rather subtle expression.
The thought had crossed her mind—hoping she wouldn’t encounter anything strange overseas either.
“Anyway, that concludes today’s announcements!”
When Gwak Young-ho clapped his hands, the team members offered their parting words of gratitude and turned their attention back to their monitors.
Moments later, Gwak Young-ho approached me and placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Manager Kang, care to grab a coffee with me?”
“Ah, yes!”
His expression clearly suggested he had something to say, so I rose from my seat promptly.
I was about to head to the Break Room when Gwak Young-ho pointed with his thumb in a different direction—not toward the rooftop.
He meant the cafe outside the office.
“Understood.”
So I grabbed only my wallet and followed Gwak Young-ho out.
Ding.
After opening the cafe door, Gwak Young-ho ordered two coffees and claimed the most secluded table.
“Sir, is there something you wished to discuss…?”
“Let’s talk while we drink. While we drink our coffee.”
Gwak Young-ho spoke with a somewhat bitter tone, and the vibration pager on the table buzzed with a low hum.
“I’ll retrieve them.”
When I brought over two glasses of americano, Gwak Young-ho finally spoke.
“You know that thing from yesterday. The ring.”
“Ah, yes.”
“You handled it well, Manager Kang. That situation.”
Gwak Young-ho stirred his coffee with a straw.
It was an iced americano.
The ice clinked softly, yet Gwak Young-ho didn’t even bring the straw to his lips—he only furrowed his brow.
“Apparently it wasn’t just a defective product.”
“Pardon?”
This was information I’d heard from Lim Jin-gil yesterday.
Since I couldn’t reveal that I already knew, I feigned surprise and listened intently to Gwak Young-ho’s words.
“Nowadays, smartphone cameras and AI are so good, right? One of the executives who threw a fit about us passing along defective goods used his phone to photograph those tiny letters and translate them. Man, I was shocked.”
Gwak Young-ho, his insides burned as dark as the color of an Americano, took a long sip through the straw before continuing.
“That was strange, though.”
“…Strange, sir?”
“Yeah. Apparently, because it was so unfamiliar, they handed it over to a Shaman they knew. Something about sprinkling some kind of liquid or whatever. If it weren’t for you, Kang, the company’s image would’ve plummeted to rock bottom.”
“Ah….”
“Where did they even get such garbage to try and pull a stunt like that?”
Kang Hyung-seok laughed bitterly.
Gwak Young-ho wasn’t someone who believed in Shamanism.
Still, because he was genuinely devoted to the company, he seemed angry at the possibility that they might have sold something with a bad image.
“Please calm down, Manager.”
“Sigh! Anyway, the company doesn’t seem to be letting this slide either. And this.”
Gwak Young-ho glanced around before pulling an envelope from his pocket.
Then, worried someone else might see, he quickly pressed it into Kang Hyung-seok’s hands.
“Huh? Manager, what is this…?”
“The higher-ups are giving it to you. I’m just delivering it.”
Kang Hyung-seok was taken aback, and Gwak Young-ho drained the rest of his coffee through the straw before wincing as if struck by a headache.
“Ugh! Anyway, drink it slowly and take your time. I’m heading out first.”
“Manager!”
“Oh! And take lunch before you come back in today.”
“Huh?”
Gwak Young-ho waved his hand, signaling there was nothing more to say.
Then he returned his cup and hurriedly left the cafe, as if afraid Kang Hyung-seok might try to stop him.
Left alone, Kang Hyung-seok carefully opened the envelope.
“Ah….”
Inside was a substantial sum of money—far more than he’d ever expected.

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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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