Goblin Library - Chapter 79

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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 79

The Dung Carrier Goblin, searching for material, discovered something that pleased him and began typing away on his laptop keyboard.
Meanwhile, I watched him while sipping my iced Americano, then loosened up my body and habitually pulled out Cha Dol’s book, opening it to the page with martial arts illustrations.
I began moving my body slowly, following the martial arts drawings step by step. As I exercised methodically, the sound of a door opening reached my ears.
Click!
Confusion flickered across my face as I turned my head.
The man entering through the door—or rather, the goblin—was someone I’d never seen before.
Thump, thump.
The goblin who entered appeared to be around my age. Of course, if he was a goblin, appearance wouldn’t necessarily reflect his actual age.
The goblin, dressed in refined yet understated formal attire, approached both the Dung Carrier Goblin and me.
“Yu Tae-poong?”
I asked with confusion, surprised that he knew my name.
“Who are you?”
“Ah! We’re meeting for the first time, and I haven’t introduced myself. I’m the Shoe Goblin. Pleased to meet you.”
When the Shoe Goblin extended his hand, I looked at him in surprise before quickly shaking it.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Yu Tae-poong.”
The Shoe Goblin nodded at my greeting and looked around the Goblin Library.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been here. Has it been about thirty years?”
The Shoe Goblin settled into a seat at a distance from the Dung Carrier Goblin as he spoke.
“Long time no see, Dung Carrier.”
At the Shoe Goblin’s words, the Dung Carrier Goblin glanced at him briefly before lowering his gaze back to the monitor.
I chuckled inwardly at the Dung Carrier Goblin’s indifference toward the other.
‘This is the real Dung Carrier hyung.’
The Dung Carrier Goblin only showed interest in those who treated him well.
And the Shoe Goblin seemed to know this, so he didn’t press further.
Instead, he spoke to me.
“Could I get a cup of coffee too?”
“What kind of flavor would you prefer?”
“Flavor?”
“Light, bold, burnt, smooth….”
As I listed various coffee flavors, the Shoe Goblin stared at me blankly before laughing and asking.
“You can make all those different kinds of coffee?”
“Everyone has different preferences, so I can’t make the perfect taste on your first visit. Since you’re here for the first time today.”
“So if I come often, you could make it for me.”
“I could make something similar.”
I replied to the Shoe Goblin.
“I’ll just take a convenience store iced Americano then. Oh! But a bit stronger would be nice.”
Yu Tae-poong nodded and retrieved some coffee beans, pouring them into the grinder and beginning to crush them.
Crunch! Crunch!
As the Shoe Goblin listened to the beans grinding, he glanced around the Goblin Library and spoke.
“Do the goblins visit often?”
“Only a few regular customers come by frequently. Including you, Shoe Goblin, I’ve only met about four goblins here.”
As Yu Tae-poong answered while grinding the beans, the Shoe Goblin looked at the Dung Carrier Goblin.
Then he tilted his head curiously.
“Your clothes have changed, though.”
The Dung Carrier Goblin snorted.
“What, you don’t like it when I change my clothes?”
At the Dung Carrier Goblin’s sharp retort, Yu Tae-poong sighed inwardly.
‘If only he wouldn’t react that way, more friends would probably visit.’
Who would approach someone—or rather, a goblin—who kept telling them to stay away?
Yet the Shoe Goblin, instead of getting angry or embarrassed, actually laughed and replied.
“Well… because it looks good.”
Pause.
At the compliment, the Dung Carrier Goblin glanced at him quietly.
“Looks good?”
“It looks good. Why don’t you try wearing formal attire sometime? I think it would suit you well.”
At the mention of formal wear, the Dung Carrier Goblin alternated his gaze between the Shoe Goblin’s clothes and his own.
“I’ve never worn anything like that… it seems like it would be uncomfortable.”
“Formal wear is meant to be worn despite the discomfort. If you want comfort, you’d wear athletic clothes instead.”
The Shoe Goblin spoke with a smile.
“There’s enjoyment in adapting to the times.”
“Enjoyment?”
“Isn’t there enjoyment in changing clothes like this? Sometimes trying on different outfits is a pleasure. And it lifts your spirits too.”
The Shoe Goblin looked directly at the Dung Carrier Goblin and continued.
“What do we goblins have in life? We just live doing what we want and enjoying ourselves. If we’re not bound by clothing and such things, then life—or should I say goblin-life—will have so much more to enjoy.”
After a moment of silence, the Dung Carrier Goblin nodded and spoke.
“I know that too.”
“Well, if you know it, that’s why you changed your clothes.”
The Shoe Goblin said with a laugh.
“Anyway, it looks good.”
“Th… thanks.”
At the Dung Carrier Goblin’s awkward expression of gratitude, the Shoe Goblin smiled faintly and shifted his gaze to the counter, where Yu Tae-poong was pouring coffee.
Yu Tae-poong poured the coffee into a glass filled with ice, gave it a gentle shake, and brought it over.
“Here’s your coffee.”
“Thanks.”
The Shoe Goblin took the glass with a smile and gazed at the thick layer of cream piled on top of the coffee.
“The cream is perfectly done.”
“Please try it. And if it doesn’t suit your taste, just let me know what you’d prefer. I’ll make sure to adjust it to your liking next time.”
“This looks like it’ll taste good too.”
Shoe Goblin smiled, took a sip of the coffee, and nodded approvingly.
“It tastes excellent. The coffee cream is smooth too.”
“Is the strength alright?”
“Good. Actually, next time I’d like it a bit stronger.”
“Understood.”
Shoe Goblin set down his coffee and looked at Yu Tae-poong before speaking.
“It seems you haven’t been reading my book lately.”
“You came because I haven’t been reading?”
At Yu Tae-poong’s words, Shoe Goblin laughed somewhat awkwardly.
“You’re my only reader… I was worried when I didn’t hear from you.”
“I was waiting for more chapters to accumulate. Since the story is so engaging, I didn’t want to read it while it’s still incomplete.”
“I see. That makes sense.”
Shoe Goblin nodded and spoke.
“So, what book are you reading these days?”
“I’m currently reading 【Lee Gang-hun】 by Bamboo Sword Goblin.”
Dung Carrier Goblin added as if to chime in.
“That one’s entertaining.”
Shoe Goblin looked at Dung Carrier Goblin with a surprised expression.
“You’ve read it too?”
“Yes, I have.”
At Dung Carrier Goblin’s response, Shoe Goblin, who had been lost in thought for a moment, turned his head toward the bookshelf.
Then he lightly tapped the ground with his shoe.
Tap!
The book about Lee Gang-hun that had been on the table flew toward Shoe Goblin.
I thought to myself, ‘So Shoe Goblin’s goblin club is actually a shoe.’
As I was thinking this, Shoe Goblin opened the book and began reading, turning the pages.
Watching him, I turned toward the bookshelf and pulled out a book.

【Lee Gang-hun】
Author: Shoe Goblin

Holding Lee Gang-hun’s book, I moved to the table and sat down. It seemed Shoe Goblin was hoping I would read his work, so I decided to give it a try.
Besides, I was curious about what happened to Lee Gang-hun afterward.
While the office politics had been interesting, I also had a friend working as an employee at the company where he worked.

***

The items Lee Gang-hun brought to Il-un Trading Company progressed far more smoothly than expected.
It couldn’t have been otherwise—these were items he’d meticulously vetted for profitability and potential from the moment he’d decided to leave his previous company.
With Lee Gang-hun’s ventures running alongside the existing operations, the company churned forward without a moment’s rest, consumed by relentless activity.
Yet smiles bloomed across the faces of the employees and President Park Young-il alike.
Work meant money, and money meant prosperity.
Ring, ring!
“Yes, Il-un Trading Company speaking.”
Ring, ring!
“Yes!”
The office buzzed with the constant chime of incoming calls and employees conversing in English or Japanese. Park Young-il took a sip of coffee while observing the scene and spoke.
“Don’t you think we need to hire more staff?”
Lee Gang-hun, his gaze fixed on the monitor, replied without turning.
“We’re busy now because of these short-term projects. Once they wrap up, things will likely slow down again, so I think we should maintain the current setup for now.”
Park Young-il chuckled at Lee Gang-hun’s unwavering focus on the screen, even as he spoke.
“Just throwing it out there. Hiring means more payroll, and honestly, I’m fine with how things are.”
Lee Gang-hun nodded and replied.
“Still, we should make sure to give the employees who’ve worked hard on this a solid bonus. Without proper compensation for their effort, morale will plummet.”
“I’ve already been thinking about that.”
Park Young-il glanced at the employees with a smile and whispered softly.
“Even if it’s not much, we need to take care of them.”
Lee Gang-hun let out a quiet laugh at Park Young-il’s words. Park Young-il turned his gaze away.
In the corner of the office where his eyes landed, Oh Myeong-seok was tapping away at a calculator while reviewing books he’d pulled from the cabinet.
“That guy really has picked up the work well.”
Lee Gang-hun glanced briefly at Oh Myeong-seok and smiled softly at Park Young-il’s comment.
“He learned from a supervisor who didn’t want to work.”
Park Young-il immediately grasped what Lee Gang-hun meant.
“Ah! That’s why he’s so competent.”
A supervisor who didn’t want to work would have dumped all his tasks onto his subordinates.
So whether he liked it or not, Oh Myeong-seok had to handle multiple responsibilities and naturally became skilled at practical work.
“In any case, he does his job better than expected.”
“He did volunteer to follow me, but if I thought he couldn’t pull his weight, I wouldn’t have brought him along in the first place.”
Lee Gang-hun’s phone rang during their conversation. He glanced at it and tilted his head quizzically.
“Who is it?”
“It’s President Kang from Osung Manufacturing.”
“President Kang from Osung Manufacturing… You know he’s the type who’s different when he goes into the bathroom versus when he comes out, right?”
It meant he was desperate and clung urgently when problems arose, but became relaxed and changed his demeanor once things were resolved.
“I do.”
“Then go ahead and take it. Apart from that, he’s a man of his word.”
Lee Gang-hun nodded at Park Young-il’s words and answered the call.
“This is Lee Gang-hun.”
“Deputy Manager Lee, it’s been a while.”
“Indeed it has, President Kang. It’s been quite some time. How have you been?”
“Ha ha ha! I’m getting by, earning my daily bread. Actually, I just heard about you today.”
“About me?”
“Deputy Manager Lee, I’m hurt. You should have contacted me when you left the company. That way, I could have helped if there was anything I could do.”
“Ha ha ha! I’m grateful for your words alone.”
“Just words? I mean it sincerely. There was a time when you helped me tremendously when I was struggling… With you standing alone, the least I can do is be a small crutch for you.”
“I’m grateful for such kind words, and they give me strength.”
“By the way, are you free this evening? Shall we have dinner and discuss business?”
“It sounds like you have a job for me?”
As he spoke, Lee Gang-hun wrote something on a piece of paper.

“He’s proposing a job.”

Park Young-il, seeing Lee Gang-hun’s note, pulled out a pen and wrote his reply beneath it.

“Let’s meet and hear him out first. But there’s definitely something he’s after.”
“That’s probably true.”

“It’s not a major project, but it should still help your performance.”
“Are you in Seoul?”
“I came here for business. I only just heard about you after arriving.”
“Understood. Then let’s meet this evening.”
Thus, Lee Gang-hun made an appointment with President Kang of Osung Manufacturing.

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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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