Got Dropped into a Ghost Story, Still Gotta Work

Chapter 30.1

The moment I thought about needing some serious cash, a message from an unfamiliar profile asking if I needed money appeared.

But this is in the realm of a creepypasta.

– K.LEE : Mr. employee? haha

Blocking and leaving the chatroom immediately seemed like the smart choice… but it also felt a bit too stereotypical.

Since I’m in a ghost story, I might as well get some ghostly advice.

I set my ‘Good Friend’ plushie under the bed, turned off the lights, and summoned Braun using the shadow trick, this time with a small flashlight I’d bought on my way home.

– Oh, Friend!

Braun snapped to attention with almost no delay this time. After recalling my escape from the previous creepypasta, he seemed rather pleased, quickly grasping the situation.

An unfamiliar figure offering a large sum of money.

– How suspicious! But isn’t a touch of curiosity beyond suspicion the very essence of a show?

– Especially if it’s accompanied by some sparkling gold!

Despite the plushie sounding like a dopamine junkie, his reaction assured me that this wasn’t a creepypasta-related phenomenon.

In that case…

I typed a quick question into the chat.

Kim Soleum : May I ask who this is? –

The reply came instantly. Honestly, I was expecting something vague, like [lmao just a friend~] but instead, he gave a proper introduction.

– K.LEE : This is Assistant Manager Lee Kangheon from the C-squad haha

“……!!”

‘C-squad?’

Another elite team. Why would they reach out to me… and why would he reveal his identity and rank so openly?

– K.LEE : Heard you turned down A-squad’s offer today!!! lolololol

Crap.

– K.LEE : Wow, gutsy! I’ve never seen such a capable rookie lolol

– K.LEE : Sure, you turned it down this time, but who knows, next year you might end up on another elite team? Moving up right after promotion to assistant manager! Could be you lol

Is he using some sort of speed-typing device? Sentences poured in like bombs before I could type a single word in response. I quickly pulled myself together and managed to reply with one line.

– Kim Soleum : It’s very nice to meet you, Assistant Manager Lee Kangheon.

– K.LEE : No need to be so formal. If we run into each other at work, let’s grab a meal sometime. I know a great charcoal-grilled chicken place nearby! haha

– K.LEE : Oops, too chatty, aren’t I? Anyway, the reason I reached out!

The mood shifted.

– K.LEE : You need cash, right?

“……”

– K.LEE : It must be about time you’re wishing for some extra funds… Right before promotion, those with potential are often looking for ways to acquire personal items lol

– K.LEE : Heard you already have your own special equipment. Bet you’re scoping out ways to get your hands on more gear, right?

I don’t need anything like that.

‘Just checking out the alien marketplace I already knew about…’

– K.LEE : It all costs money, doesn’t it haha

– K.LEE : No need to waste time and money buying meals or drinks for seniors when you can hear it straight from me haha

Hmm.

Kim Soleum : I appreciate the offer, but may I ask why you’re telling me this? –

– K.LEE : Because I want to get closer? haha

Could you at least try lying more convincingly…

– K.LEE : Curious? haha

I hesitated for a moment.

– Goodness! Mr. Roe Deer, I can smell a cheap salesman from these words. Hardly someone who’d appear on a reputable channel.

– But… cheap things have their own uses. If you play him right…

I typed out my response.

Kim Soleum : No thanks. –

– ……?!

– K.LEE : ???????

– K.LEE : Oh, wow, Mr. Employee! You’ve got a sense of humor! That’s fitting for someone breaking records for rapid point accumulation haha

Kim Soleum : I’ll just ask my Section Chief instead. –

Kim Soleum : Have a good night, sir. –

– K.LEE : wsit jyst

– K.LEE : hey wait just a minute

– K.LEE : ur not a cousin of section chief lee jaheon are you?;; uve got the same attitude…

You might as well just curse at me directly…

In any case, since he didn’t know my personality well, my bluff seemed effective. He hastily fired off more messages.

– K.LEE : hey im not charging for this just hear me out. i swear i dont make these offers often!;; T-T

Messages came pouring in with a steady stream of taps going dadada.

– K.LEE : (Link)

Along with a link to some webpage.

– K.LEE : if u need seed money or items just go check this out. u can put me down as your referrer –>hawaiib53<– just type that there n itll work

– K.LEE : u dont have to, of course, but since i referred u, itd be nice if u could jus,, follow ur conscience lolololol u get what im saying ryt? hahahaha

– K.LEE : and pls keep this between just us! (Shy emoji)

‘…A template?’

It looked like a copy-paste job if I’d ever seen one.

– K.LEE : anyway, remember who gave u the tip ok?

[K.LEE has left the chatroom.]

“……”

‘If he was worried about getting in trouble, why reveal his identity…?’

Maybe he wanted me to feel some sense of obligation.

I started typing, [What kind of site did you send me, sir?] but then erased it.

‘Based on what he said about shopping, it seems like some sort of e-commerce site.’

It wouldn’t hurt to explore alternatives to the alien shop. And his wording was intriguing.

‘Seed money, huh.’

It seemed like it might offer a way to earn some serious money.

‘Is this some kind of exclusive gambling site?’

Regardless, there was only one way to find out. After safely running a security check to verify the link, I cautiously clicked on it.

The screen of my smartphone went pitch black, and text slowly appeared:

SALMON

“……??”

Like salmon swimming against the currents of a flowing river,

We swim against this mad world.

‘Cyworld…?’ ^[1]

With an effect that made it look like salmon were swimming across the screen, the words faded, and new text appeared—

Membership available (requires referral)

Hmm.

This was (in more ways than one) suspicious, but I went ahead and entered the referral ID from the employee who had referred me, creating an account just to check it out.

The moment I logged in, I realized what this was.

Salmon Market

“So it’s a secondhand trading site.”

This was a platform where people could buy and sell items directly to one another—except the listings here involved mystical and occult items or information.

[Dried Mermaid Meat for Sale (certified by Han Nuri Jade)]

[Looking For: ‘Bloodlust Tile’ Pieces (Untainted)]

[$$Rare locations of Misfortune Vending Machines! Verified info available!$$]

[Offering enchanted protective charms]

As I clicked around, I quickly got a sense of the site’s nature.

So, basically…

‘It’s full of scams.’

---

Note/s:

^[1] Cyworld is a Korean company that provides microblogging services. It was very popular in the mid-to-late 2000s) ↩