Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work [Novel] Chapter 30 - Chapter 30 is available as a full text chapter. Published May 16, 2026 and updated May 16, 2026.
Translator: Nox
Chapter 30
Even If You Fall Into a Ghost Story, You Still Have to Go to Work
Even If You Fall Into a Ghost Story, You Still Have to Go to Work Chapter 30
Even If You Fall Into a Ghost Story, You Still Have to Go to Work Episode 030
The moment I thought about needing a large sum of money, an unfamiliar profile contacted me asking if I needed cash.
But I’m currently inside a ghost story.
[K.LEE: Employee? ㅎㅎ]
Common sense dictated that I should scream, block them, and leave the chatroom immediately, but…
‘It feels a bit too cliché for a trap.’
Since I was in a ghost story, I decided to seek some ghost-story-esque advice.
I placed “Good Friend” under the bed, turned off the lights, and used the shadow-casting method to summon Brown.
Only this time, I used the small flashlight I’d bought on my way home.
-Oh,
friend
!
Brown, who regained consciousness almost instantly this time, seemed quite amused as he recalled my escape method from the previous ghost story before quickly grasping the current situation.
A message from a stranger mentioning big money!
-How suspicious! But curiosity that refuses to overlook the questionable is the very virtue of a show, is it not?
-Of course, it would be even better if some shiny gold followed along!
The stuffed doll sounded like a dopamine addict, but seeing that reaction confirmed it wasn’t a phenomenon related to the ghost story itself.
‘In that case.’
I sent a simple question to the chatroom.
[Kim Sol-eum: Who is this?]
A reply came instantly.
I’d honestly expected something like “ㅎㅎ Your friend~” at best.
Surprisingly, it was a proper introduction.
[K.LEE: I’m Deputy Manager Lee Kang-heon from Team C ㅎㅎ]
“…!!”
‘Team C?’
Another elite team.
Why on earth would he contact me… No, would he really reveal his identity and rank so readily?
[K.LEE: Employee, I heard you turned down the scouting offer from Team A today!!! ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
Wait.
[K.LEE: Kaaa, that’s some insane guts! I’ve never seen a rookie this capable ㅋㅋ]
[K.LEE: You turned it down this time, but maybe I’ll see you on another elite team next year? Is someone finally following the route of joining an elite team as soon as they hit Assistant Manager? Just saying ㅋㅋ]
Are you wearing some kind of special equipment that makes you type faster…?
Before I could even type a single character in response, sentences poured out like a barrage.
Barely keeping my head, I sent one sentence back.
[Kim Sol-eum: Yes, nice to meet you, Deputy Manager Lee Kang-heon.]
[K.LEE: Hey, don’t mention it. Let’s say hi and grab a meal next time we run into each other at the office! I know a really great charcoal-grilled chicken galbi place nearby! ㅎㅎ]
[K.LEE: Oops, I’m talking too much. Anyway, the reason I contacted you today is!]
The atmosphere shifted.
[K.LEE: You need a lot of money, don’t you, Employee?]
“…….”
[K.LEE: Right about now is when you’d be wishing for more cash… Rookies with potential usually try to find routes to get personal items right before they become Assistant Managers ㅋㅋ]
[K.LEE: I heard you already have your own gear. So I figured you’d be looking for ways to get items under the radar?]
I don’t have anything like that.
‘I just went to that alien shopping mall I already knew about….’
[K.LEE: All of that costs money, you know ㅎㅎ]
[K.LEE: Don’t waste your meager funds and time buying meals and drinks for seniors. Just listen to me ㅎㅎ]
Hmm.
[Kim Sol-eum: I appreciate the thought, but why are you telling me this?]
[K.LEE: Because I want to get close? ㅎㅎ]
At least try to make the lie convincing….
[K.LEE: Want to hear it? ㅎㅎ]
I pondered for a moment.
-My! Mr. Roe Deer, I smell a cheap medicine peddler in those words. He doesn’t seem like the type to appear on a prestigious professional channel.
-However… even cheap things have their uses.
-If you coax him gently….
I typed.
[Kim Sol-eum: No.]
-…!?
[K.LEE: ???????]
[K.LEE: Ah, you have a great sense of humor, Employee ㅎㅎ As expected of the one who broke the record for the fastest accumulated points ㅎㅎ]
-Kim Sol-eum: I’ll just ask the Section Chief.
-Kim Sol-eum: Have a good night.
-K.LEE: Wai;t
-K.LEE: Hey, wait a second
-K.LEE: Are you Section Chief Lee Ja-heon’s cousin or something? ;; Your personalities are exactly the same.
Just swear at me instead….
Anyway, since he didn’t know my real personality yet, this kind of bluffing worked well.
Messages poured out from him in a panic.
-K.LEE: Hey, I’m not asking for money, so just listen. I really don’t make this offer to just anyone! ;; ㅠㅠ
And then, a string of KakaoTalk messages arrived in rapid succession.
-K.LEE: (Link)
Along with a link to some internet page.
-K.LEE: If you need seed money or items, check it out. You can list me as the person who invited you.
The Salmon Market.
When I clicked the link, a site with a dark, somewhat outdated design appeared.
From the perspective of someone who had read hawaiib53, it was full of junk items, meaningless props, or false information.
In short, it felt like an occult second-hand trading site that wasn’t very professional (by industry standards).
I rubbed my brow and spoke.
“Is this a place for ordinary people rather than insiders?”
-Hmm. Inherently, popularity inevitably leads to a decline in expertise! Preventing that requires great effort and labor… but this place feels intentionally neglected.
-Enthusiasts without expertise will buy even worthless things at high prices.
-It’s like the psychology of someone tearing off a piece of the floor from a stage a star once stepped on!
No, that’s because it’s a souvenir and it’s real.
The problem was that this place was full of fakes.
And yet, I could see traces of transactions completed at quite high prices.
“…….”
‘Right. In this world, supernatural phenomena aren’t officially recognized.’
The government, fearing social anomie, and corporations, wanting to protect their secrets, are all keeping quiet while exploring ghost stories in secret.
But civilian casualties must already be widespread.
Since dark rumors and experiences would be circulating among ordinary people, it wasn’t strange for a site like this to exist.
Furthermore, looking at the prices compared to the items being traded made my head spin.
’One million won for a single sheet….’
Sums equivalent to monthly rent deposits were flying back and forth.
I wasn’t sure if it was because survival was at stake or if there was a Veblen effect even for occult items, but…
‘Maybe I can sell something here too?’
If that employee who introduced me was truly a Team C deputy manager, it seemed like employees working at Baekilmong Corporation were secretly selling junk items or information through this place.
That actually bothered me.
‘The moment I cross the line, I’ll definitely get caught in an audit….’
So, let’s create a safety measure.
I logged out of my current account and created a new one.
The name, hmm…….
[Blue Friend]
-A ‘
friend
’! Did you make that while thinking of me? Oh, how touching!
Since I combined the first thing that came to mind with what I saw, I suppose that’s true.
And for the referrer ID, I put in the account I had just created first.
“Done.”
-Ho-oh. Creating a new identity to avoid tracking!
Bingo.
I planned to trade items that an employee wouldn’t likely have, or things that might trigger an audit, through this account.
‘This way, hopefully, the purchases won’t be traced back to me.’
“Of course, I’ll leave a few transaction records on the first account I made too.”
-To avoid suspicion. Excellent.
On the previous account, I intended to handle things that a Baekilmong Corporation employee might reasonably trade without crossing the line.
Now that the social maneuvering was over, let’s get to the main point.
What should I sell?
‘First… I can’t resell things I bought from the alien shop.’
Look at how amateur this site is. It would cause a massive upheaval.
Well, I’m busy enough buying useful things from the alien shop anyway; I don’t have the luxury to play the arbitrage game.
I scrolled through the Salmon Market, sorted by the latest posts.
Nothing that wouldn’t stand out too much while still making me money—wait.
[Buying food derived from supernatural phenomena.]
Oh?
[Buying food derived from supernatural phenomena.]
For research purposes.
Preference for strong supernatural phenomena (Disaster Management Bureau Waveform Anomaly).
40.0
-This bastard is at it again
-Ah, the food I seek is of the First Type Waveform, for ‘research.’ (Adjusts glasses) ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Is this person a macro? Seems like this is posted every day.
-Occult geek, please come out of your own little world. What the hell is a Disaster Management Bureau Waveform?
Only a few comments of ridicule and mockery were left.
However….
‘…This is real.’
The Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau.
In the original novel hawaiib53, it was a government agency that served as one of the three major powers alongside Baekilmong Corporation.
My merch, the Memorial Griptok, was an item issued to civil servants by this very organization.
‘And the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau classifies the risk levels of ghost stories by “Types”…’
The “Waveform” mentioned in this post was an actual existing grade. In Baekilmong Corporation terms, it was slightly above Grade C.
This person was someone who actually ‘knew things.’
I stared at the page.
‘If they’re a real insider, there’s a higher chance I won’t get ripped off.’
Mentioning technical terms that a layman wouldn’t know, without explanation, actually lowered the probability of it being a scam.
It was an element that increased the credibility of the transaction.
Moreover, look at the price.
40.0?
‘That’s forty million won.’
At this level, even if they didn’t know anything, some people might contact them just in case.
Sure enough, looking back at previous posts, the topic had already come up in the comments.
-Wow, but it’s forty million won… Anyone actually tried contacting them?
└I contacted them with the intent to sell, but they went silent after asking about the source a few times lol
└Everyone gets left on read lol. It’s just a roleplayer, don’t bother.
No, that wasn’t it.
‘They were ignored because the food wasn’t at the Waveform grade or higher.’
But in my possession, I happened to have an item that perfectly matched the preferred criteria.
Something suspicious, whose effects were unknown, and which I wouldn’t dare consume myself….
‘…I have it, don’t I?’
Two bags of it, even.
The snack I received from the blue dragon mascot at the theme park.
“…….”
-Ah, that filthy food!
It’s not… filthy, exactly.
But you see.
‘A good child needs war funds.’
The mascot would understand. Yes.
[Blue Friend: Hello, sir ^^ I can sell the food derived from supernatural phenomena you’re looking for!]
Message sent!
The next day.
‘It just happens to be the weekend.’
I ended up waiting for my appointment near Gwanghwamun Station.
In my hand was a box containing one bag of the “Blue Soda Churros” I’d received from the mascot.
‘I handled things… decently, right?’
I recalled the messages I exchanged with the buyer yesterday.
As soon as I sent the message, a reply came almost instantly.
[T: Exactly what kind of food is it?]
This was the crossroads.
I had two choices.
To show off that I knew what the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau was and what the Waveform grade was, building trust through professional knowledge.
Or….
[Blue Friend: It’s some kind of churro. Honestly, I’m not really sure… ㅠㅠ I received it in a very strange situation.]
[Blue Friend: But I’m scared to keep it… and I really need the money. Could you check it and buy it if it meets your conditions?]
To play dumb like this and leave all the judgment to the other party.
And my choice worked well.
‘To be honest, the second part was all true anyway.’
I didn’t feel like being caught as an employee either.
Anyway, that was why I was out 7 minutes before the appointment time near Exit 5 of Gwanghwamun Station, waiting for the buyer.
‘If anything feels off, I’m bolting immediately.’
As I stood there tensed just in case, I saw someone approaching Exit 5 from Cheonggye Plaza, looking around.
’Oh.’
The way their eyes moved, it was obvious they were here for a second-hand trade.
The person, tall and wrapped in all-black clothing with a mask, approached me as our eyes met and said,
“Are you Salmon….”
I nodded.
Then I immediately opened the box and held it out.
It was a sign for them to check it.
“…….”
The other person quietly reached out.
They were wearing gloves as well.
The voice sounded quite young, but to think they’d come wrapped up so tightly that it was impossible to deduce their identity.
’Not that I’m one to talk.’
Actually, I was also draped in everything I had, from a hat to glasses.
I pulled my hood down further and watched the other person’s movements. If they tried to take it and run, I had to move first.
The prospective buyer ran a gloved hand over the box once, then nodded and took the box.
Hmm?
“This is the item I was looking for.”
Then they handed me a small drink box.
When they gave me a glimpse inside, I could see it was filled with 50,000-won bills before they closed it again.
“…….”
The other person seemed to be looking at me as if wondering what else I was waiting for.
It was a bit of a shame I couldn’t ask Brown, but….
‘First, what I need to do.’
I set the box on the ground.
“…?”
After bowing to the other person, I pulled a notebook out of my pocket.
“…??”
Then I flipped the page open for the buyer to see.
[I do not know the effects of this food.]
[It wasn’t dangerous to keep, but just in case, it’s probably best not to eat it.]
[You mentioned it’s for research, but I wrote this just in case.]
“……!”
Though I couldn’t see their face, the other person seemed a bit flustered.
‘They probably wonder what kind of performance this is all of a sudden….’
Sorry. I don’t want my voice to be recognized.
I bowed once more, showed the last page, politely took the drink box, and bolted.
[Have a nice day ^^]
“Good.”
I deposited the cash immediately and returned home.
Since it was the weekend, Baek Sa-heon was already gone from the company housing. Seeing how he came and went, I wondered if he went to his parents’ house or something.
Regardless.
“Now it’s time to access the alien shopping mall.”
I brought the link back up.
