Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 114

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work Episode 114

The method of scamming is similar to a kind of unethical marketing approach.

1. Buy trust.

“That person cured the guy with glasses? He was completely out of his mind.”

“Right! He’s fine now. And that person also fell from the window but is fine. He said he saw something down there!”

“Wow… Um, are you really okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine. That person is also at peace now.”

2. Present the problem and its cause.

“So, so… this is like some kind of test situation? If we pass, we can get out?”

“Yes. We’ll definitely be able to get out.”

“Ah…!”

“Could this be like some hunter story? We’re about to awaken and…”

“That’s right! It seems like that. There’s no way they’d push us into this crazy situation for no reason!”

“Exactly. There was a reason for this.”

After heating up the atmosphere like this.

“And for us to escape this situation…”

3. Sell a magical solution.

In unethical marketing, that ‘solution’ is the product they’re trying to sell, and in cults, it’s precisely the doctrine.

And the method I’m going to propose is…

“Everyone needs to go out the window once.”

“…!!”

“Wh-what did you say!?”

“Don’t be surprised, everyone.”

I smiled and pointed to myself.

And also to the Office Worker with Glasses who had been calmed by Happy Maker.

“Those who accept my recommendation and go out will be fine just like me. This is a kind of test.”

“Ah…!”

“If you have doubts, well… I’ll try to persuade you somehow. Or I could fall once more if needed.”

And then, the Announcement Video began playing again.

“Oh…!”

But this time the atmosphere was a bit different.

At least in Car 7, where they had listened to my marketing, People began whispering and glancing at the Window.

‘So it might be okay to go out there?’

It wasn’t just panic or fear, but curiosity and anticipation began to emerge.

-Ah, this is interesting. Very interesting… Excellent skills, Noru!

-However, all great and impressive Entertainers face challenges. Ah, look. There’s one right there!

Thud!

“Bu-bullshit!! You crazy bastard!”

The one who slammed his Chair Armrest and shouted was the Middle-aged Man whose face had turned red and blue.

The passenger who had fallen through the Window in the first round, and in the second round had pushed the person with Glasses to make him fall.

‘He skipped a turn so some of his sanity seems to have returned.’

But he still wasn’t in his right mind.

“That, that person just pushed someone out the Window… Gasp!”

“Crazy Bastard… G-get lost! You fucking idiot.”

Those were the spinning eyes of a madman who looked ready to stab me with a knife at any moment.

“Jump down?! I won’t jump! I won’t jump, you son of a bitch! You jump once more!”

I looked at the person who had pushed through nearby passengers to come in front of me and said calmly.

“If you don’t want to participate, you don’t have to do it right now.”

“Wh-what?!”

“Rest. You don’t have the qualifications right now anyway.”

“What… what?!”

“Even if you ask for help to go out the Window, I can’t grant that request.”

This is also an important step.

4. Limit who can have the solution.

Why do they keep producing in small quantities to create sold-out situations, and say to inquire about prices via message?

They’re targeting the psychology that rare things seem precious, and difficult-to-obtain things seem better.

That tantalizing feeling that it’s right in front of you and seems obtainable, but if you miss this opportunity, you might never have it again.

That’s what they’re inciting.

“Only those who are qualified can go out the Window without pain…”

“Wh-what bullshit…”

“And that’s not you. You don’t yet have the qualifications to pass through trials without pain. Step back.”

“…Uh, uh…”

The Middle-aged Man muttered “uh, uh” and then staggered and sat down.

Well, the saying that crazy talk should be met with crazy talk worked this time too.

The aggro was definite, as everyone in the Train Car was now looking this way with wide eyes.

I looked at them and smiled gently.

“But don’t worry too much. Eventually everyone will be ready.”

“…!”

-Ahhh! Excellent!

Beyond Brown’s cheers, the People in the car rushed over and began asking questions.

“Excuse me! Then, who becomes ready?”

“I don’t know either. I just seem to be able to recognize those who are ready.”

“Then is there someone ready in here?”

That’s when it happened.

“Um, am I… perhaps qualified?”

The Office Worker with Glasses who had been sitting quietly raised his hand and asked.

Thanks to Happy Maker, he was in a peaceful state without fear and PTSD, so he didn’t rush at the Middle-aged Man who had pushed him.

But he couldn’t help the physiological tension as he swallowed nervously.

I smiled and nodded.

“Yes.”

“…!!”

“You are qualified. …Because you’ve already accomplished it.”

Then I approached and took their hand.

“You don’t need to go down again, you’ve proven yourself sufficiently. That peace is the evidence. …You really went through a lot and were very brave.”

“Ah… Ahh!”

Tears streamed down from the eyes of the person wearing glasses.

At that sight, the murmuring of the people subsided.

Instead, something new began to gradually appear in their gazes.

Yearning and sympathy.

“From now on, for those who get their qualifications confirmed and go down, I will distribute tokens to protect you so it won’t be as painful as possible.”

“…!”

“Then, then….”

However, there were still no volunteers.

‘I knew this would happen.’

After all, I had just told them that everyone had to jump out the window to escape.

No one would rush to be first in line for a position where they might suffer with no benefit.

–Friend, got any brilliant solutions?

Obviously.

‘I need to sway public opinion once more.’

I nodded as if I understood everything.

“That’s right. I know it would be difficult. In this life, I’ll go out the window once more….”

“Excuse me, I’ll go.”

Huh?

Dolphin Assistant Manager raised her hand.

Team Leader! Overwhelming gratitude….

“But not alone. If Team Leader also falls out the window once more with me.”

“Huh huh huh?”

“Um, excuse me, are you okay with….”

“Of course. I’m fine with it.”

I was planning to do that anyway! It’s disgustingly nauseating and stomach-turning, but there’s no other choice….

“If there are no other volunteers, I’ll demonstrate once more.”

“Yes yes. Oh, but we’d like that person to go before us.”

Dolphin Assistant Manager casually pointed with both hands.

At Butterfly Deputy.

“Superiors first!”

Aaaah!

“Excuse me, Deputy Manager, you said you’d grant me one favor. I’m using it now!”

“I didn’t give it to you to use in this kind of situation. But well, I don’t really mind.”

But surprisingly, Jin Na-sol Deputy was calm. It seemed like there was something the two had discussed beforehand.

“Should I go now?”

Just then, the surroundings turned red and dark.

Among the people who reflexively froze, the small and calm voice of Jin Na-sol Deputy could be heard.

“I don’t like having to ask twice.”

Hiiiek.

“Yes. Please close your eyes for a moment. I’ll pass you the permission mark….”

I pretended to shake hands with Jin Na-sol Deputy while secretly passing her the stick under cover of darkness.

‘Just insert it.’

But before I could even form the words with my mouth, Jin Na-sol Deputy was already skillfully inserting the Happy Maker into her arm with invisible dexterity.

She seemed to have naturally guessed it. …That it was a painkiller item.

“Hmm.”

Prick.

With a short sound, the medicine was absorbed from the stick inserted into her sleeve fabric, and the remaining stick naturally disappeared inside.

“Pretty nice, isn’t it?”

Jin Na-sol Deputy grinned and immediately fell backward from the window.

“Hik!”

“She, she went while smiling!”

Thus, the first altar received a voluntary offering.

Now the atmosphere in the car had completely entered an excited state.

No one said it was suspicious because she was my companion.

Because they were starting to want to believe.

‘The sense that things are being resolved is addictive….’

So much so that afterward, 2 volunteers dramatically came forward.

“Me, me!!”

“We’ll fall together.”

It was a married couple sitting near the window, who seemed to have gained courage from the ‘information value’ of watching everything from the first round – who fell from the window and what conversations took place.

But I didn’t readily give them an okay.

“….”

I quietly stared for a few seconds as if trying to assess their essence.

Before long, the couple was waiting in a state filled with anticipation and tension, as if taking an exam.

And after a moment.

“Yes. You two are qualified.”

“Ah…!!”

“As soon as you enter the altar, please close your eyes for a moment and extend your hands. I’ll give you the mark.”

The two people rejoiced inadvertently and stood before the window, receiving congratulations from those around them.

Thus, the two people who secretly received the powerful painkiller called ‘Happy Maker’ under cover of darkness held hands affectionately and went out through the open window.

Mm. The scam was proceeding smoothly….

‘Though it’s much better than throwing everyone out the window and driving more than half of them crazy.’

Still, running this scam made cold sweat pour down my back.

“…Since there are no other volunteers, Team Leader and I will go out now. Everyone, above all, protect your minds, and we’ll see you at the starting point shortly.”

“Are, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I… should be okay going once more.”

“…Ah!”

I really hate it, but I have to do it once more.

‘I need to differentiate myself.’

If I was going to keep leading these people, I had to emphasize what made me different. Showing that I could fall from the window multiple times and be okay would also be an impressive method.

Fortunately, Dolphin Assistant Manager didn’t go back on her word.

“Let’s go together!”

“Ah, thank you.”

“But…”

Dolphin Assistant Manager looked up at me intently.

“Do I have the qualifications?”

“…Yes.”

The nuance is subtle though.

“B-be careful!”

“We’ll see you shortly!”

Anyway, like that, I successfully drew people’s enthusiasm and fell out the window again with Dolphin Assistant Manager.

Into the insane tunnel full of rotting flesh.

“Heave!”

Dolphin Assistant Manager landed on the floor with a breakfall technique and was horrified by the terrible surroundings, grumbling as she dusted herself off.

“Ugh, so filthy. What, what? It’s noisy. Ah, should we go that way? The light.”

“Yes. Even if it’s a bit difficult, we just need to walk there.”

Still, having one more person here is quite comforting.

‘…I can’t hear the sounds.’

That strange voice, the sounds telling us to abandon our sins or come to Tamra, had disappeared for some reason.

‘Though it’s not an important element for escape.’

I walked while tilting my head.

Then, Dolphin Assistant Manager suddenly spoke up.

“Um, the reason I fell together like this is actually… because there’s something I want to talk about.”

“Yes.”

“What you said to the people. You know, about protecting them so they won’t get hurt and such. Strictly speaking, you don’t think it’s a lie, right?”

“Yes. I just… changed my conversation technique to work well in emergency situations. It’s a bit extreme though.”

“Hmm…”

The assistant manager put her hand to her chin as if thinking for a moment, then suddenly said.

“Um, Team Leader.”

“Yes.”

“Do you know how many people suffer because of cults?”

She didn’t frown or anything.

She just stared at me intently.

Without even blinking.

“…”

Right.

Dolphin Assistant Manager is an extreme character supremacist…

‘C-cults might be disqualifying…!’

Fix this!

I immediately opened my mouth and spoke calmly.

“I know well. Actually, among my colleagues, there’s a friend who got caught up in a cult and lost contact.”

This is the truth.

“That’s why I thought I needed to take the initiative even more.”

“Hmm.”

“In this situation, superstitions and cults will definitely flourish. Since pain repeats without understanding why, people want to hope for something.”

And in actual cases, cults emerged like that too.

‘Of course, it’s not just because of that, but if I want everyone to escape from the darkness before people go crazy without bloodshed, this is the only way…’

Since I couldn’t explain that logically, I ended it like this.

“Whatever I do, I chose this method to try to minimize damage first. …I know it’s a bit extreme and strange though.”

“Hmm…”

After a suffocating 3 seconds.

“Well, you’re right!”

Phew.

“Honestly, you’re just saying it like that, but actually you’re looking for a way to make people less hurt and comfortable while escaping together, right?”

“Exactly right.”

“Good! I’ll cooperate completely too!”

Dolphin Assistant Manager extended her hand as if asking for a handshake.

And when I grabbed that hand,

She pulled me close.

“But you can’t exploit good people.”

“…”

“Because then I’ll fight with you, Team Leader.”

“Of course. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Yes! Good!”

I smiled and finished shaking hands with Dolphin Assistant Manager.

‘I-I survived.’

Cold sweat ran down my back.

Fighting with an Elite Team senior who got top marks entering this crazy ghost story company among rotting flesh? Why should I do such a suicidal act? I’d rather bang my head.

“Judging by the atmosphere, the people in our car will be completely convinced, right?”

“That’s right.”

Squelch squelch.

I answered while walking toward the exit of light.

“But I won’t end it here.”

The final goal is…

“I’ll make the majority of this train ‘believe’ my words.”

At least 7 out of 8 cars.

I needed to secure dominant public opinion.

5th round.

The people on the high-speed train, who had repeated dying and starting over many times, were gradually becoming immersed in fatigue, resignation, and madness beyond panic.

Their cognition was distorted, making it difficult to think normally.

And during the repetitions, there was something they had heard many times.

“There’s a strange voice from behind… saying we’re chosen, that this is a test.”

“…Sounds like cult talk, what kind of test?”

“Something about being able to gain transcendent abilities if we pass this?”

“All the people who fell out the window went crazy. But people in the back cars say they fell but are fine. They even describe the scenery inside…”

“…Really? No way, that doesn’t make sense. Isn’t there no proof?”

But the very act of responding revealed a psychology hoping for answers.

An unconscious expression of wanting those words to be true.

“Someone called a ‘Forerunner’ in Car 7 is teaching escape methods.”

“They say they’ll help us all. That we all have qualifications.”

As the murmuring of the First-Class Passengers in Car 3 was gradually growing louder.

“…”

The man sitting in the front single seat.

Baek Sa-heon opened his eyes.

‘Damn it.’

He was on vacation trying to return to his family home when he got trapped in this cursed train ghost story and was about to die of thirst.

‘No, wait…’

He recalled the new eyes beneath his medical eye patch and smiled with satisfaction.

Looking at how the situation was unfolding, he could tell.

‘This is about throwing people out the window!’

So what, throw about half of them out and it ends when they reach the destination, right? That kind of ghost story?

‘I just need to stay hidden and out of sight.’

Well, cult activities were a typical situation in this kind of crisis.

In a small society, especially in emergency situations full of stress, humans were bound to do crazy things.

A train that constantly returned to its starting point.

In the extreme stress of an inescapable situation, when they heard words that seemed like they might solve the crisis, everyone had no choice but to listen.

Even if it was crazy talk they would normally scoff at and dismiss as “not buying into cults,” clinging to it was human nature!

‘I just need to stay still and not get swept up, right?’

Just stay quiet like a dead mouse, wait for them to throw each other around and cause chaos until it clears…

“Hey, over there!!”

“…!”

There was commotion behind him.

‘Did a fight break out?’

It wasn’t. Someone had entered the car.

“It’s those people! The forerunner and the people from Car 7!”

Those cult bastards.

‘Let me at least see their faces.’

Baek Sa-heon slightly turned his head to look at the corridor… and then.

He saw familiar faces.

“…!!”

‘It’s the Elite Team.’

Team A’s Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol and Team C’s Team Leader Lee Seong-hae.

Two faces he had memorized from the company intranet just in case appeared.

‘Why, why are those people here?’

While he was wondering if this train was perhaps a darkness managed by Daydream Corporation.

“Attention!!”

Team Leader Lee Seong-hae shouted from among the cult group.

“Someone who knows how to escape from here has come!”

And as he stepped aside, one person walked out from the door connecting to the rear car.

An office worker in a business suit with an indifferent and cool impression was wearing a strangely peaceful smile…

An even more familiar face.

‘…Kim Sol-eum!!’

“Everyone, don’t worry.”

Kim Sol-eum smiled gently and spread both arms.

“All of this is a great test, and you passengers have been chosen.”

Shit, fuck!!

That psychopath bastard is the cult leader!!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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