Goblin Library - Chapter 202

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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 202.

『That’s how I started this work. Once I got out of Prison, I dealt with them one by one—the ones who shouldn’t have been released. Those who swore they’d kill the victims who reported them. Sex offenders itching to act, planning what they’d do to women the moment they walked free. Dangerous men who said nothing but whose crimes were written all over their futures. As I kept doing this, the business grew.』
Lim Sung-un asked in response to Lee Gang-hyuk’s words.
『Didn’t you think to leave it to the law?』
『Prosecutor… you still don’t understand what I’m saying.』
『What do you mean?』
『The prosecutors and police only move when people die, when fraud happens, when crimes are committed. And they’re slow. The law is biased.』
『So you did it yourself?』
『That’s right. When a crime happens and they catch the perpetrator… what about the victims? What about those already harmed?』
『If people like you exist, what happens to the law? And if people take punishment into their own hands, what do you think this world becomes?』
『That’s ridiculous.』
As Lim Sung-un squinted, Lee Gang-hyuk looked at him.
『If there were many prosecutors like you, what would happen to this nation’s law? I can say the exact same thing to you.』
Watching the silent Lim Sung-un, Lee Gang-hyuk spoke.
『You deny it, but you and I are the same. If you had gone to Prison, you’d have become me. If I had become a prosecutor, I’d have become you.』
Lee Gang-hyuk shook his head.
『Denying it changes nothing. And one more thing…』
Lee Gang-hyuk looked at Lim Sung-un with frustration.
『You ask what happens to this world if people like me ignore the law and take punishment into their own hands? Ha! That’s really funny too.』
『What’s funny about it?』
『Out of the thousands, tens of thousands, no—millions of people who’ve gone to Prison, only I became like this. Worrying about people like me multiplying is a concern you don’t need to have.』
Lee Gang-hyuk, having finished speaking, let out a soft laugh.
『There. I’ve said all I have to say. Think it over carefully… and let’s just drink.』
Lee Gang-hyuk picked up the soju and offered it to Lim Sung-un. Lim Sung-un accepted the bottle.
After that, the two drank soju in silence. Lee Gang-hyuk’s face bore an expression of relief, while Lim Sung-un seemed lost in deep thought.

At 3 AM, Jang Ma-ru and his team sat in their hideout vehicle, monitoring a table laden with soju bottles through surveillance cameras.
When Jang Ma-ru had been heading to An-ga, he noticed Lim Sung-un moving to an unusual location rather than home, so he informed Choi Tae-sik and discreetly followed him.
When Lim Sung-un met with Lee Gang-hyuk, Choi Tae-sik tried to rush out, but Jang Ma-ru stopped him, and they had been watching ever since.
Of course, only after confirming there were no suspicious individuals or surveillance personnel in the vicinity.
“Brother, doesn’t it seem like he’s drinking too much?”
At Jang Ma-ru’s words, Choi Tae-sik nodded. Nearly fifteen soju bottles were scattered across the table.
Each of them had consumed over seven bottles.
“Well, it is quite a lot…”
“Wait a moment.”
As Jang Ma-ru tapped at the keyboard as if he’d discovered something, a car pulled up on the monitor.
Watching this, Jang Ma-ru spoke.
“It’s a The One vehicle.”
“The One?”
When Choi Tae-sik asked with a hardened expression, Jang Ma-ru nodded and looked at the screen.
A large man stepped out of the car.
He then concealed himself in the alley and looked toward the Convenience Store.
“Is it an attack?”
“No. If they wanted to capture the boss, they would have done it from the start. And… that person seems to have come alone.”
“Alone?”
Jang Ma-ru answered Lee Hye-eun’s puzzled question.
“Both of them came here alone. They probably asked to come out separately and talk.”
“Did they share their location?”
Choi Tae-sik asked, and Jang Ma-ru shook his head.
“Someone of that caliber would carry a tracker for safety. We found this place using the boss’s watch anyway.”
“Since he wasn’t coming, it looks like one of them came to find him.”
“Seems like it.”
After Jang Ma-ru spoke, Choi Tae-sik paused before saying something.
“I’ll be nearby. Signal me if there’s danger.”
If problems arose, it would be difficult to protect Lim Sung-un from this location, so he intended to position himself outside.
“Understood.”
Choi Tae-sik pulled out a black mask from one side of the vehicle to put it on, then looked at Lee Hye-eun.
“You have an eyebrow razor, right?”
“I do.”
“Give it to me.”
Lee Hye-eun pulled an eyebrow razor from her bag and handed it over. Taking it, Choi Tae-sik slashed the mask’s mouth area on both sides with the blade.
Rip! Rip!
With several sharp holes cut into the mask, Choi Tae-sik stepped out of the vehicle.
At this sight, Lee Hye-eun spoke.
“Fighting while wearing a mask must have been difficult.”
“The breathing changes, so it’s harder.”
At Jang Ma-ru’s words, Lee Hye-eun nodded and turned her gaze to the monitor. The two men on the screen were still drinking.

Lee Gang-hyuk’s head suddenly dropped onto the table as he drank.
Thud!
The loud sound made Lim Sung-un wince.
“Hey, you alright?”
“Ugh…”
Lee Gang-hyuk only let out a small groan without answering. As Lim Sung-un smacked his lips and tried to stand up unsteadily, he saw a man running toward them from across the way.
The alcohol had blurred his vision, making it hard to see clearly.
Lim Sung-un squinted, trying to focus on the approaching figure, when he heard running footsteps from behind as well.
He grabbed the bottled water beside him and poured it over his head.
Splash!
As the cold water drenched him, Lim Sung-un’s mind cleared slightly, and he grabbed the soju bottle upside down—thinking it might serve as a weapon if needed.
Splash!
The remaining soju spilled onto the ground as Lim Sung-un turned to look behind him.
A smile crossed his face.
‘Tae-sik.’
The one running toward him was Choi Tae-sik, wearing a mask.
Even with the mask on, his build and hairstyle alone were enough for Lim Sung-un to instantly recognize his beloved younger brother.
At that, Lim Sung-un collapsed back into his seat, his head drooping forward.
The moment he saw Choi Tae-sik, all his tension melted away.
Tap-tap-tap!
As Choi Tae-sik rushed toward Lim Sung-un, the man who had been running from the front raised his hand lightly and slowed his pace.
Choi Tae-sik also reduced his speed. They gradually slowed down together, transitioning from running to walking as they approached the Convenience Store.
The two men arrived behind Lim Sung-un and Lee Gang-hyuk almost simultaneously.
The man who had been watching Choi Tae-sik spoke.
“Are you the fist from that side?”
“Then who are you?”
“I’m our boss’s right arm.”
At the man’s words, Choi Tae-sik glanced at Lee Gang-hyuk once, then spoke.
“Let’s take care of them together.”
“Sounds good.”
The man carefully tried to support Lee Gang-hyuk, then looked toward the Convenience Store. He waved his hand, and the Convenience Store Clerk came out.
The clerk had been watching, worried that the two men drinking outside might cause trouble.
The man pulled out his wallet and handed over several 50,000-won bills to the clerk.
“Student, I’m sorry to bother you, but could you clean this up? Our boss is pretty drunk, so we need to take him home.”
“Oh… yes, of course.”
With other customers, the clerk would have frowned and complained, but the tips—or whatever you’d call the money—these customers had given today already amounted to nearly 500,000 won.
“Not now—clean it up after we leave.”
“Yes, understood.”
The Convenience Store Clerk carefully took the money and headed back to the Convenience Store, then turned his head and spoke.
『Please come again anytime. I’ll serve you well.』
At the Clerk’s words, the Goblin Man let out a soft chuckle.
『Sure.』
As the Clerk entered the Convenience Store, the Goblin Man looked at the soju bottle on the table and spoke.
『Good grief, our boss drank quite a lot for someone who can’t handle alcohol well.』
Though he was called the leader of the Criminal Organization, Lee Gang-hyuk actually couldn’t hold his liquor.
He’d entered Prison in his early twenties when he should have been enjoying drinking, so his drinking experience was naturally limited.
The fact that he’d managed to drink this much was purely through sheer willpower.
Lee Ho-yeol helped Lee Gang-hyuk to his feet and looked at Choi Tae-sik.
『Next time, let’s have a drinking match.』
At Lee Ho-yeol’s words, Choi Tae-sik glanced at him, then helped Lim Sung-un to his feet.
But he never responded, simply helping Lim Sung-un away, which made Lee Ho-yeol squint his eyes.
『Hey! Let’s have a match!』
At Lee Ho-yeol’s shout, Lee Gang-hyuk squinted and tapped him on the head.
『Hey, hey. Quiet.』
『Yes, sir. Let’s go.』
As Lee Ho-yeol helped Lee Gang-hyuk out of the Convenience Store, the Clerk poked his head out to look outside, then began clearing the table.

***

I jolted awake at the 6 AM alarm and sprang out of bed. This was my morning routine.
Normally when the alarm went off, I’d check my phone and lie there groggily for a moment before opening my eyes, but doing that risked falling back asleep.
So I’d developed the habit of getting up immediately the moment the alarm sounded.
Springing up, I headed straight for the refrigerator. It was more instinct than conscious thought.
I tore open a cold bottle of water from the fridge and gulped it down.
『Ahhhh!』
Only then did my mind begin to clear, and I suddenly turned my head. Choi Tae-sik was lying on the sofa in my room, sleeping.
Seeing Choi Tae-sik, I recalled a memory of seeing him while drinking yesterday.
『Ah… yesterday….』
As memories from yesterday began surfacing one by one, I paused and looked at my wrist.
It seemed he’d found me through the watch.
I tapped my smartwatch with my finger and opened an app.
『You awake?』
[Still up.]
Hearing Jang Ma-ru’s response, I spoke.
『What happened yesterday?』
[Yesterday….]
As Jang Ma-ru told me what happened yesterday, I nodded and spoke.
『Do you have the audio file of my conversation with Lee Gang-hyuk yesterday?』
[Yes, I have it.]
『Send it to my phone.』
[Understood.]
『And you’ve arrived at An-ga?』
[Yes.]
『Then take care of yourself.』
[You take care too, hyung.]
After ending the call, Lim Sung-un looked at Choi Tae-sik and wiped his chest with his hand.
As consciousness returned, the alcohol from yesterday came flooding back, and his stomach began to churn.

Lim Sung-un woke Choi Tae-sik, and together they headed to the sauna. After showering and alternating between cold and hot water to revive themselves, the two entered a hangover soup restaurant.
As Lim Sung-un spooned hot broth over the poached egg, tore apart seaweed, and ate with satisfied slurps, Choi Tae-sik raised his hand and spoke.
『Two more poached eggs, please.』
『Yes.』
The owner soon brought two bowls of rice topped with poached eggs.
『Here, hyung. Eat up.』
At Choi Tae-sik’s gesture of pushing both poached eggs in front of himself, Lim Sung-un shook his head.
『How many eggs are you telling me to eat?』
『Eggs are good for recovery.』
Lim Sung-un looked at him, then pushed one toward him and took the other for himself.
Choi Tae-sik smiled and ate the poached egg with a satisfied slurp. Watching him, Lim Sung-un opened his mouth.
『What do you think about all this?』
At Lim Sung-un’s question, Choi Tae-sik, who had been eating broth, spoke.
『I follow your judgment, hyung.』
『Not that—I want to know your opinion.』
Choi Tae-sik thought for a moment before speaking.
『People who were wronged because they had no money or power have found justice thanks to you. It’s work that can’t be done in the light, but it’s true that people suffer fewer injustices because of you.』
『Is that the same for Lee Gang-hyuk?』
『Among the things he said, there was one I agreed with. That the police and prosecutors only move when a crime occurs.』
Choi Tae-sik looked at Lim Sung-un.
『We also… only move when a crime occurs.』
At Choi Tae-sik’s words, Lim Sung-un nodded. Just as he said, the Lim Sung-un Team worked to ensure crimes committed by wealthy and powerful people were handled by law, but they didn’t prevent crimes from happening in the first place.

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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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