Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work - Chapter 29

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

Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Still Have to Go to Work Episode 029

A new employee scouted to an elite team just one month after joining the company.

It sounds like the title of some attention-grabbing self-help book.

But this is what’s actually happening right now.

‘What the hell is this situation.’

I’m going to Team A?

“Let’s see, Sol-eum went to Team D last month, right?”

“Yes. Let’s contact HR first to process it as a dispatch assignment, then handle the official transfer after 5 months.”

“Right. Assistant Manager Jin. Then…”

Team A Leader looked at me with a satisfied smile.

“First, we’ll need to promote Sol-eum to Team Leader right away.”

“…”

“The official document will probably come through within next week.”

Oh my god.

“Even though this company doesn’t care much about seniority, there’s still a minimum standard. This is an incredibly exceptional treatment, isn’t it?”

Of course it is!

They’re even taking care of my promotion? Do they have that much influence within the company?

No, that’s not it.

More precisely, to enter an elite team, regular employees would normally have to go through a proving process by working for about one or two promotion cycles.

So by convention, to become part of an elite team, you’d need to be at least a Team Leader at minimum, no matter how fast you advance.

Since they want to put me in Team A, I absolutely need to be promoted to Team Leader, so the higher-ups would naturally approve the promotion.

‘Team A originally only had Assistant Managers and above…’

This really is exceptional treatment.

But why?

Why are they suddenly making this offer to me…

Ah.

The moment I saw Team A Leader’s extremely satisfied expression, I realized it like being struck by lightning.

‘I only picked the right answers today!’

I misunderstood it as workplace bullying, so I was too cautious and pushed myself too hard!

Not complaining about unreasonable orders, and actively trying to come up with all kinds of ideas within the guidelines set by superiors to achieve results.

A new employee who says “yes, yes” without any ego while trying to show creativity!

That’s exactly the type of talent a boss wants…

“Sol-eum? Go ahead and clock out. The official document might come through as early as next week, so be mentally prepared.”

“…”

No way.

‘This is a tragedy.’

I… I’m someone who shouldn’t go to Team A!

‘The procedures here are too strict.’

If I work here where I can only do what I’m told from above, there’s a 90% chance that a moment will come when I can’t hide my cowardly identity.

‘Then the Wish Potion becomes distant and my survival rate takes a nosedive.’

I’ll really die.

My mouth naturally closed at the spine-chilling imagination.

“…”

“Hey, wait a minute.”

Assistant Manager Jin spoke in a tone of disbelief.

“You… don’t tell me you’re actually considering this?”

I slowly lowered my head.

“Why? Are you out of your mind? Is it because of those meat shields from the Cleanup Team? We don’t have to take them…”

“Assistant Manager Jin, hold on.”

Team A Leader stopped Assistant Manager Jin, then spoke to me with a gentle expression.

“You’re having a lot of thoughts because you’re suddenly receiving such a good offer after only one month at the company, right? That’s understandable.”

“…”

“But you should know that wise people boldly seize opportunities – that’s how you succeed in society.”

The problem is it’s a trap, not an opportunity!

‘Wow, what do I do about this.’

How can I get out of this situation while hurting that old-fashioned boss’s feelings as little as possible?

If I reject this wrong, I feel like I’ll really get on his bad side.

The workplace bullying I was worried about might actually start.

‘I can’t see an answer…’

That’s when it happened.

Ding.

The sound of the elevator arriving.

Soon the elevator doors opened and a familiar person, no, lizard appeared.

‘Team Leader!’

Lee Ja-heon, who was supposed to be called by the Team Manager, appeared.

The lizard’s vertical pupils met Team A Leader’s gaze.

“…Lee Ja-heon.”

“Baek Seok-ju.”

Ja-heon looked at Team A Leader with an indifferent gaze.

“They told me to apologize to you. I’m sorry.”

“…”

Team A Leader… is holding back his swearing.

“Ha… no, forget it. I’m the only one getting worked up. Just me.”

“?”

“I said forget it. I just scouted someone to fill the vacancy anyway.”

Team A Leader waved his hand dismissively, then patted my shoulder with one hand.

Huh.

“Look, this employee will be our team’s youngest member.”

It was quite a shocking announcement, but…

“I see.”

The lizard nodded.

“Team A does have better working conditions.”

“…”

Could you at least pretend to be disappointed so I can somehow find an escape route…

Ugh, there’s no choice.

‘Let me try this alone!’

I deliberately looked back and forth between the two team leaders as if confused, then bowed my head to Team A Leader.

‘First…’

Based on what I’ve observed of Team A Leader’s personality so far…

‘A stickler for rules and principles.’

He divides work precisely according to rank, is greatly bothered by insubordination, and takes care of his people.

Judging by how he scouted me after just one month, he sometimes makes bold adventurous moves, but only within the boundaries he sets.

‘He’s the type who can’t stand anyone talking back.’

In other words, he felt like a typical elite middle manager from a vertical corporate hierarchy.

‘In that case…’

I first bowed my head deeply.

“Manager, thank you so much for looking favorably upon me as a new employee and making such an generous offer.”

“Hmm.”

“Still… I still lack experience. Since I’m a new employee, I think I should work like an employee and build up basic competencies and knowledge as a staff member.”

Team A Leader, who had been staring at me intently, opened his mouth.

“…Sol-eum, do you happen to know what the basic salary table for elite teams starts at?”

I don’t know.

“Eighty million.”

“…!”

“When hazard pay gets added to that, annual income usually starts from around 150 million.”

My goodness.

“We’re going to put you down as a major contributor for that C-grade ghost story you cleared too. You cleared it instantly using a new method, didn’t you?”

That’s right, isn’t it?

“But it’s even a method that other people would want to try using. Do you know what this means?”

What does it mean?

“The manual could be completely revised.”

“…”

“Right. Not just an addition, but a revision.”

Team A Leader smiled gently.

“And when the manual gets revised, there’s a reward bonus?”

“…!”

“The amount is quite large. That’s why the higher-ups don’t like to process it as a revision… but elite teams are an exception here too.”

Ah.

“If you join Team A, it’ll proceed much easier and faster. I guess you could call it a difference in credibility.”

“…”

“Let me see… C-grade manual revision allowance.”

Team A Leader deliberately paused for dramatic effect, then opened his mouth.

“Fifty million won?”

“…!!”

“Just from today’s work, Sol-eum, your additional allowance alone is fifty million.”

Fifty million won.

“Do you want to keep missing opportunities to earn like this?”

Wow.

Of course not.

‘But I can’t die just to make money…’

This is really making me tear up. I’m going crazy.

‘Let me remind myself. Money in this world is no different from game money to me, game money, it’s game money…!’

Right!

I made my eyes shine as moistly as possible.

And started spouting nonsense.

“I think what’s more important than immediate money is honing my skills and worth.”

This is insane.

‘The reason for honing skills and worth is to get paid more, so why am I kicking away money.’

But my mouth was babbling perfectly in line with the perspective of a conservative executive from about 30 years ago.

“Our ancestors said that hardship in youth should be bought even if you have to pay for it, and while I don’t completely agree with those words, I think there must be a clear reason why that saying came to exist.”

Assistant Manager Jin from Team A looked at me like I was crazy.

However, it seemed to reach the heart of the top boss.

“Hmm.”

Team A Leader seemed lost in thought.

This boss narrowed his eyes and looked at me, then nodded with a sigh.

“Fine. Well, if that’s what you want… can’t be helped.”

Yahoo!

“I thought Noru’s friend was smart, but you’re more foolish than I thought. Geez. How are you going to survive in this harsh world.”

Perfect.

The tone is scolding, but from this person’s perspective, this is actually closer to praise!

…Of course, he still had to get a word in.

“Working hard is good. But being too naive isn’t good for company life either.”

Yes, yes.

“Let me give you one piece of advice… company life isn’t about emotions. You need to be careful about that. Especially about one-sidedly getting attached to people you can’t communicate with.”

Team A Leader’s expression twisted as he looked at someone specific.

“Don’t do it, it’s not good.”

“…Y-yes.”

You want to say that Team Leader Lizard is a stubborn hothead. I understand perfectly…

“Did you hear what I said, Manager Lee Ja-heon?”

“? Yes.”

Lizard answered as if asking why he was stating the obvious.

“I heard you well.”

“…”

“…”

You can stop giving me those ‘look at this crazy bastard’ glances, Team A Leader…

“Anyway.”

Team A Leader took a deep breath and wrapped up the conversation.

“Good work today. Get home safely.”

“…! Yes!!”

A declaration of liberation.

“Thank you. Then I’ll head home carefully.”

Ahhhhh finally I can escape…!

I frantically pressed the elevator button.

Assistant Manager from Team A quickly approached and whispered.

“Idiot. You’re going to regret this.”

“…”

“Team D’s manager hasn’t even touched a Wish Potion yet. Our team leader is someone who’s already tried a Wish Potion once.”

It’s fine. I know that Lizard will make it to team manager.

Of course, I can’t say that, so let me just flatter him.

“I think you’ll get to try one soon too, Deputy Manager.”

“What?”

“I’ll ask you about it then, Deputy Manager.”

“…”

Assistant Manager Jin seemed momentarily flustered, but soon snorted.

“Well, you do have some judgment.”

“You’ll answer me, right?”

“Sure.”

It was a verbal promise, but this person’s personality is nasty… well, rough, but he didn’t seem like the type to lie or change his words.

“Manager, Deputy Manager. Thank you so much for today.”

“Right. Get home safely.”

I bowed repeatedly, then pressed the elevator button and quickly got on before getting held up any longer.

Then Lizard somehow followed me and promptly boarded the elevator.

Did he really come just to spit out that one soulless apology…

-Going down…

As the elevator carrying the two of us descended in silence.

Unexpectedly, Team Leader Lizard spoke to me.

“Kim Sol-eum.”

“Yes?”

“Is there something you want in Team D?”

Huh.

“…Don’t tell me, this is a question based on the assumption that I must have some ulterior motive for staying in Team D when I could go to Team A…?”

“Yes.”

Geez.

I ran my hands through the back of my hair a few times, then answered with a sigh.

“There’s nothing like that, Team Leader.”

“?”

“I didn’t decide to stay because of any benefits.”

I stayed to survive!

The lizard narrowed his vertical pupils with a puzzled look.

“Staying in a regular team instead of an elite team puts you at a disadvantage in terms of points. There will be a difference in how quickly you can obtain Wish Potions.”

“That might be true.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“But even if I do need Wish Potions, surviving until I can use those Wish Potions is also part of my life.”

“…”

“I wanted to be somewhere I could work more happily during that time.”

I don’t want to work in constant fear of when my cowardice will be exposed, damn it…

“…I see.”

The lizard closed his mouth.

Now we can finally go down quietly…

“Kim Sol-eum, what is your wish?”

He’s being particularly talkative today.

“…Are you asking what I want to wish for when I use a Wish Potion?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’d like to hear your wish first, Team Leader.”

It was a polite way of saying why are you interrogating me one-sidedly.

However, the lizard stared blankly into space with his vertical eyes.

He seemed to be thinking deeply.

Then, he opened his mouth.

“It’s not my wish.”

“Excuse me?”

“I am working here against my will.”

A story I never could have imagined came out.

I reflexively turned around.

Scales were glinting on the lizard’s non-human head…

“…May I ask whose will it is?”

“No.”

Ah, yes.

I wasn’t particularly offended. I knew that’s just how this lizard was.

‘He has his circumstances.’

Anyway, since he answered, I should probably say something too.

I deliberated before choosing my words.

“I… want to go home.”

Actually, Lee Ja-heon could have asked a ton of follow-up questions to this answer.

What kind of home, why is going home your wish, did your family fall apart, did someone pass away, do you mean home in a conceptual sense… and so on.

And Lee Ja-heon opened his mouth and said this.

“I see.”

That was it.

In the quiet, the elevator descended peacefully.

“…”

I’ll admit it now.

Team Leader Lizard was, in some ways, quite a comfortable conversation partner.

Surprisingly so.

I returned to the company housing.

[Watch out for the serial killer]

After sending Baek Sa-heon today’s kind disaster warning text, I lay down.

‘Another eventful day…’

At this rate, my lifespan really will be cut in half. My heart can’t take much more.

Still, I can’t deny that today had some solid gains.

Bonus points, connections with elite team supervisors.

And even an allowance.

“…Fifty million won, was it.”

When will it be deposited?

They called it game money and whatnot, but thinking coldly about it, being game money actually meant there were more places to spend it.

Since I need it to enhance my abilities.

‘I do wish I had a bit more cash though.’

I’m starting to think I should buy some new items from the Alien Shop.

With all these unexpected situations happening, I was feeling anxious too.

I definitely want to get some defensive equipment, especially mental defense equipment or items.

‘There were also special items that become available when you become a VIP at the Alien Shop…’

Still, thinking about the money I earned today made me shut my mouth for now.

Fifty million won.

“…Huh.”

To think this amount would be deposited legally into an office worker’s account as additional company allowance.

It feels like my sense of money is getting warped.

Though it still feels insufficient to properly stock up on items, which makes it even more so.

“Is there anywhere else I can make money…”

Buzz!

My smartphone vibrated and displayed a new popup.

‘Could it be Baek Sa-heon?’

It wasn’t.

Surprisingly, someone had invited me to a new open chat room.

“…?!”

[K.LEE]

It was an English name with a profile set to a cheerful Hawaii Beach.

What kind of suspicious situation is this….

[K.LEE: Oh hello there Employee lol]

[K.LEE: Do you need a lot of money?]

“…??”

Who are you.

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