Chapter 270
Chapter 270
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 270
Chapter Title: Even If I Fall Into a Ghost Story, I Have to Go to Work
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Our plan was simple.
"We recruit the security team, infiltrate the annex, and then..."
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je raised her thumb.
"We make the equipment!"
For reference, the agents' reactions were like this.
"...Couldn't you explain how to fit an elephant into a refrigerator in a similar way?"
"Bronze, shh, it's fun."
"Ha..."
Seeing that, Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je grinned.
"For now, the Disaster Management Bureau agents can sit this one out. We'll handle it among us wicked capitalists at the company."
"Oh dear, that's a shame."
And so we dove into planning the details.
The most important part here was this.
Deputy Lee Seong-hae's access.
"Hm, is the problem how I'm supposed to get in?"
"Well, first time in a wheelchair, there might be some trial and error."
But surprisingly, everyone nodded upon seeing Deputy Lee Seong-hae maneuver the wheelchair quite deftly.
"At this level, escaping on flat ground should be no issue. Worst case, our manager picks up the whole wheelchair and runs with it. Right?"
"Yes."
"Good. Then let's build on that and think..."
That's when Baek Saheon flashed a confident smile.
"I think I could help with..."
"We know you're after the scraps. What, want me to chop off a good arm and swap it?"
And he sank.
Indeed, the instincts of former reporter Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je, who casually entered the staff dorms on the second floor, were impressive...
But.
"...!"
"Oh."
'Gotta keep dangling the scraps to keep using him.'
Baek Saheon's eyes had proven useful in Se-gwang Special City, so it was best to manage him into staying cooperative.
'He values his own life too much to troll during infiltration.'
As long as Ho Yu-won's project remained intact, there was little worry about sudden outbursts.
Of course, blindly taking his side would just make him complain...
"Okay."
"...?"
Baek Saheon looked at me with an expression of profound injustice, but I ignored it.
Fortunately, a crisp approval came through.
"And..."
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je grinned at me.
"Deer here is security team special division now, so the roles you can play are endless."
"So, is the lineup finalized?"
"Yep."
The equipment thief squad, composed entirely of Daydream Corporation personnel, was fully mentally prepared.
And thus...
"...D-Deer. What does this mean?"
We ended up meeting Foreman Park Minseong, who looked utterly bewildered...
'Foreman...'
To ask for an explanation from a non-human employee (130666) with horns and smoke communication, instead of the perfectly fine Manager Lee Jaheon... how flustered must he be...
Not that the manager wasn't a reptilian alien himself.
I tried to handle the smoke as delicately as possible and conveyed.
"Replace the body?"
At that moment.
"Mm."
The door to the security team's break room opened, and a familiar figure entered.
A lanky security guard with drooping shoulders, looking like everything was a hassle.
J3.
He seemed to have already noticed someone sneaking into the break room from outside the door, showing no surprise at the presence of people.
But upon seeing me, he lifted his head.
"...Ah."
It's been a while, Captain...
"Um, have you... fully come back...?"
"I see..."
"I'm... the same as always..."
But his faded pupils sharpened momentarily, fixing on my legs.
"Your legs... what's wrong with them?"
"......"
I'm fine. That's why I'm here.
I explained the situation to the security captain once more via smoke, while Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je did so verbally.
We're gonna steal some equipment from the annex—can you cooperate?
And of course, he didn't disappoint.
"Sure, whatever..."
"...That's it?"
"Yes..."
"Ah, this isn't illegal—it's a secret project from Director Ho."
"Doesn't matter to me... mm."
"......"
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je gave me a look like, 'Is this guy normally like this?'
I can't respond with expressions since I'm wearing a gas mask...
Anyway, with the security captain's enthusiastic cooperation, we had our foundation.
'Good.'
However. The security captain quietly approached me and said this.
"Hey... the thing I asked for, I did it... can it wait a bit longer...?"
Ah.
Of course!
"Yes..."
Thank you, Captain...
And so we settled on sofas and the floor, finally diving deep into annex details.
"Please state the current status of the annex. If it's personal judgment, specify it as an opinion."
"Yes, well..."
And a rather chilling explanation followed.
"Containment failed."
"...!"
A darkness had escaped from the annex.
Of course, it wasn't all that rare.
"That's why we have the security team to suppress it—it's an annual event. But the problem is..."
A small sigh escaped Foreman Park Minseong.
"That darkness is tricky to fully recontain, so they've isolated and locked down the entire B2 storage area."
And.
"The Twilight Grade darkness we need for equipment production is swarming on B2."
"Yes..."
Foreman Park Minseong seemed to hold back a sigh, giving us a wry smile.
"No idea when it'll end. More than you, it's... Captain?"
The security captain blinked slowly as he spoke.
"Probably over two months... think you can handle it...?"
"Two months?"
"Yeah... that floor... some employees went missing too..."
Groans erupted here and there.
Security team personnel were being rotated in every night, indicating a seriously tough situation.
"Whew. But with this manpower... we should be able to hold out long enough to snag the equipment."
The security captain didn't deny Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je's words.
However.
"But... more than moving on that floor... how are you even getting into the annex itself... decided that?"
Right.
Getting into the annex was the issue from the start.
Records of us entering wouldn't be good, and Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je was even processed as resigned.
In the end...
"We'll enter under different identities."
"Different identities?"
"Yes."
An identity that wouldn't raise eyebrows asking for access to the 1st or 3rd floor.
And...
A combination that would pass naturally without hassle anywhere, even out of fear.
"Minseong."
"Yes."
"We're pretending to be Elite Team A Squad."
"...!!"
Daydream Corporation Annex.
Dark night hours turning into dawn.
"Phew."
The Field Exploration Team's rookie of the year had just finished managing the darkness he received today.
He held an F-Grade Dream Essence in hand, but he was exhausted and fatigued...
'Gotta go sleep soon.'
The lingering fear and released tension made him even drowsier.
But just as he was about to exit through the entrance, he froze like lightning upon seeing three figures entering the door.
The front employee's face was too iconic.
Black ponytail, tall and slender build, sharp and flashy nails, and... fiercely glinting eyes.
It was Deputy Jin Na-sol.
'Elite Team...!'
The rookie swallowed hard.
Among the 'supplementary admits' like himself, stories of two who followed A Squad on expeditions were already widespread...
Especially since one was still in a coma at the company-affiliated hospital.
"This way, Squad Leader."
Behind her trailed A Squad's leader, known for the blue mallard mask, and a somewhat stiff-faced but composed deputy foreman.
That deputy foreman was recently assigned to A Squad, right?
'...Jealous.'
Those close to the Wish Grant.
The rookie swallowed again, eyeing A Squad's leader, rumored to have already obtained one.
He wanted to strike up a conversation, even if just once.
'Building connections could help, right?'
The delusion of someone yet to experience the elite team's brutally merit-based ruthlessness firsthand.
So the rookie cleared his throat and slyly approached the entrance... but froze upon seeing the item they were 'transporting' from behind.
Something shrouded in black smoke.
Bound to a wheelchair, wearing a gas mask, with yellow eyes flickering everywhere...
'That thing...!'
The monster from orientation.
The bizarre, overwhelming presence inhabiting Annex B13.
He now knew it was a security team special employee, but he still froze reflexively.
Drurrruk...
The special division employee was being dragged along, bound to what looked like a wheelchair...
"......"
The rookie swallowed, hesitating to run, but desire won out, and he approached A Squad.
'And I've got great gossip!'
Of course, to the highest-ranking one!
"Hello, Manager...!"
"......"
"I'm Q Squad rookie, Lee Seung-jo."
"......"
"Manager?"
No reply came.
But it wasn't ignoring him.
For some reason, A Squad's leader was just blankly staring at him...!
'Wh-what??'
"Move."
"...!"
Then, Deputy Jin Na-sol shoved past him and strode into the entrance without hesitation.
"Manager, let's go in."
"Yes."
Only then did the A Squad leader who had been staring tear his gaze away and start walking.
And the deputy foreman breezed past without even looking.
'......??'
No...
Wasn't their reaction a bit off to just brush off and feel heartbroken or chilled...?
"B3 pass, please."
"Yes. Which darkness are you accessing?"
"Code 1575, Cuckoo Ghost Story."
"One moment."
Once the brown-haired security counter agent's response ended, the rookie mustered courage again.
"Um, are you heading to Annex 13?"
"......What?"
"Actually, I met that employee during orientation. Nearly died, but survived."
He was about to hook them with fake tales like 'rode the elevator together and showed my prowess'...
"I see."
A Squad's leader replied.
"......"
"......"
...??
That instant.
"So?"
"...Yes?"
"So what."
A voice laced with suppressed irritation cut in.
"Move. Incompetents who can't work always just get in the way... like this."
Deputy Jin Na-sol glanced irritably, snatched the pass from the security counter, and marched off down the annex corridor.
The other A Squad members followed suit.
"......"
The rookie stood dazed, watching the scene.
Of course, he had no idea Foreman Park Minseong at the security counter behind him was silently screaming in relief...
'Aaaah!'
And after 'A Squad' entered the Annex B3 corridor.
"Phew."
The three dispelled the illusion.
Revealed inside were figures familiar to Kim Sol-eum.
Se-gwang Special City exploration team.
Using the disguise Daydream potion from Ho Yu-won, they had safely passed the entrance and entered the annex.
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je, who played Deputy Jin Na-sol, rolled her wrist.
"Manager, why'd you even respond...! We agreed not to reply if outsiders talked to us! Nearly gave me a heart attack."
"I see. I followed Deputy Rosefinch's comment three days ago: 'Yeah. If it's a convo worth fishing info from, let's slyly play along.'"
"......That excludes you, Manager."
"? Yes."
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je let out a deep sigh.
'Miss you, Minseong...'
Having a junior who perfectly chimes in at times like this makes it fun, but the current maknae can only smoke, and the one we brought is a sneaky goat kid eyeing gains. Sigh.
Still, the maknae in the wheelchair was meticulously checking the theft progress.
The B3 CCTV was 'conveniently broken and off' due to Director Ho's machinations, and counter Foreman Park Minseong was set to testify 'I didn't hear anything odd.'
And for the A Squad they were disguised as...
"They entered a darkness today, right."
Yes.
A Squad had been secretly deployed to a project ghost story per Ho Yu-won's orders, undisclosed to company staff...
Thus successfully avoiding risks of anyone questioning 'Why are you here?' upon arriving as A Squad.
"A Squad being on Director Ho's line made it perfect. Otherwise, that squad leader would never do anything nice for our manager."
Thanks to the iconic Deputy Jin Na-sol, Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je shrugged.
And she turned to her former squad leader, who was about to become incredibly reliable.
"Now, personnel check before heading upstairs."
"Yes. Then... Deer?"
At that moment.
From Kim Sol-eum in the form of 130666 on the wheelchair, the smoke shook unnaturally.
"You okay?"
"...Yeah."
Deputy Manager Eun Ha-je didn't know the exact details: that her junior had been trapped for half a year on this annex's B13, wandering identical corridors in this very form.
But trauma was standard for Field Exploration Team symptoms, so she noted it and moved on.
"Good. That guy J3 is B3 manager today, so we'll see him inside."
Checklist complete.
All that remained was execution.
"Yes. Proceed."
Then.
The 130666 seemingly bound to the wheelchair casually melted into the back of it and reappeared.
And.
"Hold on a sec."
Squeak.
From the inner space of the heavy wheelchair where 130666 had pretended to sit, Deputy Lee Seong-hae poked his head out.
Successfully smuggled in, hidden by 130666's dark uniform and black smoke.
"Phew. Thanks."
"No problem."
And.
"Alright, let's pick."
"From here on, we'll have to navigate B2 dodging the containment failure darkness, and some spots might be outright inaccessible. So..."
We needed to set priorities.
"Hmm..."
Deputy Lee Seong-hae soon pointed to one.
"Take me here."
"...!"
The so-called abandoned toy store.
The research team's most frequently used equipment production darkness.