Goblin Library - Chapter 88

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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 88.

Click!
The Prison Cell door swung open and Lee Gang-hyuk stepped inside. As it closed behind him, he turned around.
Through the iron bars, he saw the Prison Guard.
“Let’s make a phone call.”
“Now?”
…
The Prison Guard glanced around at Lee Gang-hyuk’s silent stare, then pulled out his phone, unlocked it, and slid it through the bars.
Lee Gang-hyuk took the phone and dialed someone.
“Hello?”
“It’s me.”
“Chairman.”
Hearing the respectful voice on the other end, Lee Gang-hyuk spoke.
“I’m getting out soon.”
“Pardon? You’re being released, Chairman?”
Lee Gang-hyuk responded to the confusion and surprise in the other person’s voice.
“When word gets out that I’m leaving, there will be those who cause trouble.”
“Trouble? Surely that won’t happen, sir.”
“While I’ve been in here, those people have been living as they pleased. Once I’m out, they’ll have to follow my direct orders, which could breed resentment. Let them know I’m getting out soon and gauge the atmosphere.”
“Understood.”
“And…”
Lee Gang-hyuk paused for a moment before continuing.
“The Real Criminal behind my case has been caught.”
“The real criminal… you mean?”
“Find out who they are and where they’re being held.”
“Understood.”
Lee Gang-hyuk ended the call and handed the phone back to the Prison Guard. The Prison Guard took it with a puzzled expression.
“Are you being released?”
He had overheard Lee Gang-hyuk’s conversation.
“The Real Criminal has been caught.”
“Ah… well then, from now on…”
The Prison Guard trailed off, and Lee Gang-hyuk spoke.
“Whether I’m here or not won’t change anything. I’ll continue to show my appreciation to all of you, so please don’t worry.”
“Ah… I didn’t mean it that way. Why would you need to do such a thing after you’re released?”
“I’ll speak separately with the Warden, so feel free to continue as you have been.”
At Lee Gang-hyuk’s words, the Prison Guard’s face brightened.
“Understood. And congratulations.”
Lee Gang-hyuk nodded and walked to his spot in the prison cell, collapsing into his seat.
As he sat down, another inmate brought him a glass of cool water.
After drinking from the cup, Lee Gang-hyuk paused in thought, then turned to look at a man reading a book in the corner.
“How much time do you have left?”
At Lee Gang-hyuk’s call, the man quickly straightened his posture and answered.
“Two years remaining, sir.”
Lee Gang-hyuk nodded and spoke.
“From now on, you’ll handle all communications between the prison and the outside.”
The man bowed his head respectfully.
“Understood.”
Lee Gang-hyuk nodded at the sight of Choi Jin, a man who answered without asking why.
“I’m getting out.”
“Congratulations.”
After offering his congratulations, Choi Jin looked at Lee Gang-hyuk for a moment, then pulled out a rubber ball from the corner and handed it to him.
Normally, outside items weren’t allowed in prison, but Lee Gang-hyuk’s cell was special.
Not understanding the intention, Lee Gang-hyuk glanced at the ball, and Choi Jin whispered softly.
“Squeeze it, sir. You’re trembling.”
At Choi Jin’s words, Lee Gang-hyuk looked at his own hands. They were trembling slightly.
He thought he had been calm… but apparently his body disagreed.
After staring at his hands for a moment, Lee Gang-hyuk took the rubber ball and gripped it tightly.
Squeeeeeze!
The rubber ball deformed as if it might burst.
Squeeze! Squeeze!
Lee Gang-hyuk bit his lip as he repeatedly squeezed and released the rubber ball.
Recalling the words the prosecutor had spoken to him just moments ago, Lee Gang-hyuk tightened his grip on the ball.
The state could never properly compensate him for the fifteen years he had lost.
It had neither the ability nor the will to do so.
He would have to reclaim it himself.
Holding the rubber ball firmly, Lee Gang-hyuk turned his head toward Choi Jin.
“Bring me my case files.”
At Lee Gang-hyuk’s command, Choi Jin retrieved a box from the corner. Once he opened it and laid out the files, then brought over a desk, Lee Gang-hyuk spread the files open.

***

Click!
The Prison door swung open, and Lee Gang-hyuk stepped out into the daylight.
As Lee Gang-hyuk emerged, two men in tailored suits approached and bowed deeply at the waist in greeting.
“You’ve endured much, Chairman.”
Lee Gang-hyuk glanced around once before speaking to them.
“Let’s go.”
Lee Gang-hyuk walked toward the parked vehicles in the Parking Lot. A luxury van—the kind celebrities favored—and a sedan sat waiting.
One of the men grasped the van’s door handle.
Whoosh.
As the door glided open smoothly, Lee Gang-hyuk stepped inside and spotted a box resting on one of the seats.
“We’ve prepared clothes for you.”
At the man’s words, Lee Gang-hyuk opened the box. Inside lay a formal suit, undergarments, and socks.
He undressed and changed into the fresh clothes. The van’s interior was spacious enough that even standing upright posed no difficulty, making the change of clothes effortless.
As he placed his old clothes into the box, the man spoke again.
“We’ve brought a woman.”
At the mention of a woman, Lee Gang-hyuk looked at him.
“A woman?”
The man tapped lightly on the window, and the other man outside opened the rear door of the sedan.
A woman stepped out from the back seat and looked toward the window.
At the sight, Lee Gang-hyuk’s eyes narrowed.
“Pointless. Send her back.”
“Understood.”
The man bowed his head and replied.
“Where shall we go then?”
“Home. Lee Ho-yeol told me to come to his place.”
“Understood.”
The man closed the door and moved to the driver’s seat, then promptly started the vehicle.

Lee Gang-hyuk sat in a small house on the Seoul Outskirts. The dwelling bore the marks of age, yet its interior was meticulously organized.
As Lee Gang-hyuk’s gaze swept across the room, it settled upon the television—an antiquated cathode-ray model that seemed anachronistic in this modern age.
After studying the TV for a moment, Lee Gang-hyuk settled onto the living room sofa.
He turned to regard his subordinate and spoke.
“You’ve maintained the house well.”
“Thank you, sir.”
This was the home where Lee Gang-hyuk had once lived. After his parents passed away, it had fallen into disrepair, but once he gained power within the Prison, he had assigned people to maintain it.
He ensured it remained exactly as it had been when his parents and he lived here together. As memories of those days flooded back, Lee Gang-hyuk shifted his gaze upward to the space above the television in the living room.
He gazed at the family photograph hanging there, then released a heavy sigh and spoke.
“What of my relatives?”
“As you instructed, we discreetly assist the Younger Uncle’s family without drawing attention.”
“And the Uncle’s family?”
“We merely observe them.”
“Are they doing well?”
“Yes. They own a small building and are managing comfortably.”
“Hmm…”
Lee Gang-hyuk stroked his chin thoughtfully before speaking.
“There’s an older brother in the Uncle’s family.”
“You mean Lee Gang-soon?”
“Draw him into gambling. Assign one of our operatives to work him over—he’ll fall easily enough. He always enjoyed entertainment.”
“Understood.”
Several years after Lee Gang-hyuk entered the Prison, his parents passed away. At that time, his Uncle had taken his father’s inheritance, claiming he would manage it.
But after that, contact ceased. Occasionally his Younger Uncle would visit during visitation hours, bringing provisions and money, but his Uncle never did.
It wasn’t the lack of provisions or commissary funds that stung. Rather, it was the fury of knowing that his father’s own brother had deceived him—his own nephew—and absconded with the inheritance.
Back then, his Uncle had insisted there was no point keeping an empty house and had attempted to sell it, but Lee Gang-hyuk had refused outright, and so it had been preserved.
His Younger Uncle later apologized, saying he had lost contact with Lee Gang-hyuk as well.
So after gaining power within the Prison, Lee Gang-hyuk had secretly assisted his Younger Uncle. Of course, he could not help openly.
He was already a figure in the criminal underworld; such overt assistance could become a liability later.
And now… he would exact his revenge upon the Uncle who had stolen his parents’ fortune.
‘What breaks a parent’s heart most is watching their child fall to ruin.’
Muttering this to himself, Lee Gang-hyuk reclined deeply into the sofa and sat in vacant contemplation when the door opened and a powerfully built man entered.
“Chairman.”
At the man’s greeting, Lee Gang-hyuk looked toward him. It was Lee Ho-yeol, who oversaw all external operations in Lee Gang-hyuk’s stead.
“Sit.”
“Yes, sir.”
Once Lee Ho-yeol had seated himself on the sofa, Lee Gang-hyuk regarded him and spoke.
“What did you find?”
Lee Ho-yeol produced a document envelope and handed it over. Lee Gang-hyuk opened it, extracted the papers, and after scanning the contents briefly, let out a soft chuckle.
“Trash.”
“Yes, sir.”
Lee Ho-yeol briefly explained the man in the documents.
“Age fifty-five. Five prior convictions for rape. This time he was arrested for murder. He claims the victim resisted, so he killed her.”
“Five convictions means there are probably more victims.”
Since it wasn’t a question seeking an answer, Lee Ho-yeol simply remained seated.
Rustle, rustle.
Lee Gang-hyuk, who had been reviewing the documents, spoke.
“Did this bastard confess to being the real criminal in my case?”
“Yes. He apparently thought that once he went in this time, he wouldn’t be coming back out, so he confessed to all the crimes he committed.”
“Evidence?”
“The knife used in the crime at that time was found in his home.”
“He kept the knife all this time?”
“Yes.”
Lee Gang-hyuk nodded and refocused on the documents. Shortly after, his expression hardened.
“He was in the same prison as me?”
“I was… shocked as well.”
“Ha!”
Lee Gang-hyuk let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity. When he had been incarcerated in that prison for different charges, he was already ruling as king within those walls.
And yet he had lived alongside the very man who had put him behind bars without ever recognizing him.
‘If I had known back then…’
Lee Gang-hyuk stared at the documents with a hardened expression and spoke.
“The photograph?”
“It’s inside the envelope.”
Lee Gang-hyuk extended one hand and shook the envelope over it, and the photograph fell out. As he examined it, he muttered in an ominous tone.
“I remember him. The bastard who came in five years ago for rape.”
“Yes.”
Lee Gang-hyuk burst into incredulous laughter, then placed the documents back into the envelope.
“What do you think will happen?”
“It seems he’ll receive a life sentence.”
“Make sure he goes to ** Prison.”
“Understood.”
Lee Gang-hyuk stared at the envelope for a moment, then shook his head and spoke.
“How’s the atmosphere at the Company?”
“The Planning Team is pleased with news that the Chairman is returning.”
“And the other teams?”
“Most teams show little reaction, but the Human Resources Team’s atmosphere is somewhat peculiar.”
Lee Gang-hyuk, who had been lost in thought for a moment, gave Lee Ho-yeol an instruction.
“Tell the Human Resources Team leader to grab dinner with me this evening.”
“Should I call the Security Team?”
“If the Human Resources Team’s atmosphere is like that, can I trust the Security Team?”
The Human Resources Team was responsible for recruiting necessary personnel for the Company and selecting staff members for projects.
So the Human Resources Team’s influence will extend into the Security Team as well.
『That is….』
Lee Ho-yeol, who had hesitated for a moment, spoke.
『I have trustworthy colleagues.』
『Trustworthy, you say…. Then let’s go with those colleagues, you, and me.』
Then Lee Gang-hyuk met Lee Ho-yeol’s gaze.
『Just because you’ve been pushing a pen doesn’t mean your skills have gotten rusty, have they?』
『That couldn’t possibly be the case. However… given that this concerns the Chairman’s safety….』
『Enough. Set up a meeting for this evening.』
『Understood.』
『Now go on.』
『I’m living in the house next door. Please call if you need anything.』
At Lee Ho-yeol’s words, Lee Gang-hyuk looked at him.
『Next door?』
『I moved in beside the Chairman’s residence to keep watch over it as well.』
『…Did you manage the house yourself?』
『A Factory Employee comes to handle the cleaning, and I simply check on it periodically.』
Lee Gang-hyuk, who had been silent for a moment, soon nodded.
『Thank you.』
『Not at all. It’s nothing compared to what I’ve received from the Chairman.』
Then Lee Ho-yeol bowed his head.
『Please rest.』
Lee Ho-yeol rose and left the house.
Click!
The door closed, and beyond the wall, Lee Ho-yeol’s faint voice could be heard issuing instructions to his subordinates.
『Maintain strict vigilance around the perimeter….』
Lee Gang-hyuk closed his eyes in silence.

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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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