New Employees With an Annual Salary of 1 Trillion Won - Chapter 187

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

Chapter 187. Epidemic (2)

The Hospital Director sipped his already cold tea, taking his time.

After pondering for quite a while, he finally opened his mouth.

“By the way, how is Min-jeong doing?”

“Yes. She has now established herself as core personnel at Rollbook. She’s currently the design team leader, but she receives executive-level treatment and is an essential talent for the company.”

“Still… couldn’t you persuade her? I wish she would enter Medical School even now, but she won’t listen to me at all. Could you perhaps try to persuade her once, Branch Manager?”

In a way, it was a natural reaction.

From a parent’s perspective, if their child gave up Medical School to choose Art School, who could easily accept that?

But Yu Min-jung was different.

She was already proving herself through results,

and was heading toward a bigger stage than entering Medical School.

I had to explain this fact to the Hospital Director and persuade him.

“Min-jeong is already a talent recognized in the industry. She’s collaborating with Apple and MS, and hundreds of thousands of people are using designs she created.”

“I know she has artistic talent, but wouldn’t saving people’s lives be more valuable and rewarding?”

“She’s already changing people’s lives. The designs born from her fingertips make people happy and are changing the world.”

Doctor and designer.

A profession that heals lives, and a profession that creates new things.

I couldn’t say either one was superior.

Especially an outstanding designer like Yu Min-jung could change people’s emotions, actions, and even the direction of their lives.

“Hmm, is Min-jeong really such an outstanding designer? To me, it just looked like she was drawing children’s doodles.”

“If Min-jeong wasn’t outstanding, why would global companies like Apple and MS collaborate with her? And I don’t know if I should mention this, but she’s already achieved economic success.”

Money talk was an uncomfortable topic.

But since there was no better way to persuade the Hospital Director, I brought it up after much consideration.

“What specifically do you mean by economic success? I heard she receives a Large Corporation-level Annual Salary, but wouldn’t it still be less than a doctor’s? Of course, hospital wages might seem small right now, but once you open a practice, profits increase several times over.”

“Min-jeong has already signed several design contracts worth hundreds of millions of won, and she also holds shares in Rollbook. If she sold those shares now, she could build not just open a Hospital, but several hospital buildings and still have money left over.”

Yu Min-jung was in a different position from regular Staff Members.

She held partial copyrights to the designs she created and received tremendous monthly commissions.

And most importantly, her Rollbook shares.

As one of the founding members, she held Rollbook shares.

If she sold her Rollbook shares right now, she could get enough money to live luxuriously for the rest of her life.

“…Is that really true?”

“And this is just the beginning. Just by completing all the projects scheduled ahead, she could become one of Korea’s notable young wealthy individuals.”

“Hmm, I thought she was going to become a poor artist, but she had it all figured out. I didn’t know she was already doing so well when she hasn’t even graduated from university yet.”

The Hospital Director’s complexion brightened.

The child he thought was walking toward a future with no vision

had actually already achieved success, which relieved the Hospital Director.

“You can just trust and leave it to her. Min-jeong not only has outstanding talent but also possesses a sense that’s ahead of the times.”

“Haha, I feel like an incompetent father. I was giving advice without even properly knowing what my daughter was doing.”

The Hospital Director was completely won over.

But to drive the point home completely, I showed him various projects Yu Min-jung had designed so far.

“Most of the popular characters and wallpapers sold on the Rollbook Website were designed by Min-jeong. She also participated in the UI that goes into the iPod.”

“What would I know from looking? I’m just glad people like them.”

He said that, but the Hospital Director’s smile wouldn’t fade.

He was admiring Yu Min-jung’s works with warm eyes, as if looking at his grandson.

“As soon as I return to the Company, I’ll send you all of Min-jeong’s designed works by email.”

“No, you don’t need to go that far.”

The Hospital Director’s words and actions were inconsistent again.

He was waving his hands dismissively with expectant eyes, and he would probably spend all night looking at the works when he received the email.

“She’s really a talent with great expectations for the future. Please believe in and support Min-jeong.”

“I will do that. I have another appointment now, so I should get going.”

“Thank you for taking your precious time. I’ll see you again then.”

We shook hands with bright smiles.

We left the Hospital Director’s Office together and walked to the end of the Hallway before heading in different directions.

A moment later, I casually looked back.

The Hospital Director was pointing at an iPod a nurse was using at the Desk, talking proudly as if he had made it himself.

***

Time was pressing.

As soon as I left the Hospital and returned to the Office, I made Negative Pressure Room plans with Song Sang-yeon.

“I’ve finished negotiations with Korea University Hospital. We can start construction tomorrow. We need to complete the Negative Pressure Room as quickly as possible.”

“I inquired with manufacturing companies, and they say it takes at least a month even for temporary facilities. Especially installing the air conditioning system requires multiple companies working simultaneously, so it takes a lot of time.”

A month was too long.

It wouldn’t be strange if confirmed cases appeared in Korea tomorrow.

We had to shorten the time somehow, and to do that, we had to make maximum use of what we had.

“You’re saying the air conditioning system takes a lot of time.”

“That’s right. It’s not just about air circulation. To prevent infection, pressure control and filtering systems must be equipped together. There are limited specialized companies and personnel who can handle this work, so it takes a long time.”

“Then let’s proceed through the air conditioning company for Daehyeon Semiconductor’s New Factory.”

Daehyeon Semiconductor was currently building several new factories simultaneously.

And the core of semiconductor factories was clean rooms.

Clean rooms, like Negative Pressure Rooms, could only operate with precise control of air conditioning, pressure, and filtering systems.

“Certainly, Negative Pressure Room systems and Semiconductor Factory air conditioning systems are similar.”

“That’s right. Engineers who can handle positive pressure facilities in semiconductor factories can certainly design and manufacture negative pressure systems too. The basic principles are the same.”

“I’ll contact Daehyeon Semiconductor’s air conditioning team and partner companies right away. However, if we deploy that personnel to the Negative Pressure Room side, the Factory construction schedule might be delayed.”

“Even if the schedule is pushed back a few weeks, it can’t be helped. What’s urgent right now is the Negative Pressure Room.”

The air conditioning personnel deployed to the New Factory alone numbered in the hundreds.

Even if some personnel were pulled out to build Negative Pressure Rooms, the entire process wouldn’t stop.

Of course, the completion schedule might be delayed by 1-2 weeks, but that was acceptable.

“And secure necessary facilities and equipment with top priority.”

“Would it be okay to use semiconductor facility equipment first if necessary?”

“If it can shorten the time, you can mobilize any method.”

“Then I think we can finish the Negative Pressure Room construction within 2 weeks.”

“Good. Move right now.”

Song Sang-yeon contacted multiple partner companies simultaneously and initiated Negative Pressure Room construction.

Then, a call came from Headquarters.

It was the General Manager. After a long time of calling directly, he brought hot news that had just come in.

[WHO has finally started moving. They’ve named the epidemic that occurred in China SARS and announced they’re upgrading the infectious disease level to international public health emergency status.]

“If an international public health emergency occurs, the Market will be greatly shaken.”

[Quick-footed people who already heard the news have started moving. Travel-related stocks are plummeting, and conversely, medical and quarantine stocks are soaring.]

While taking the call, I checked the real-time stock price window.

As the General Manager said, the Market was already reacting.

Travel, aviation, and accommodation sectors were plummeting to the point where it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it panic.

Epidemic-related stocks showed explosive rises, approaching daily limits.

“The epidemic spreading to Canada seems to have had a big impact. WHO seems to have moved unusually quickly.”

[It spread to the country right next to the United States, so they had no choice. But it looks like the return rate will be quite high this time too. As expected of Branch Manager.]

“The costs were also high accordingly.”

[I received the report. You invested 20 billion won just for epidemic response? Is there a reason you poured that much into a one-time event?]

The General Manager wasn’t trying to reprimand me.

It was a question thrown out of simple curiosity, so I could answer calmly.

“Please consider that I invested 20 billion won to secure data. If we can secure epidemic information faster than anyone else, we can make hundreds of times the profit with that single piece of data.”

[You seem to think epidemics come periodically.]

“Even if not every year, if one comes just once every 10 years, we can not only recover our Investment but make even greater profits.”

I realized through this opportunity that even infectious diseases can be profitable.

And to achieve greater profits, I needed data to understand situations faster than anyone else.

[Well, this time too we made tens of billions of dollars in profit thanks to Branch Manager’s quick response. At that level, spending tens of millions of dollars as costs wouldn’t be a problem at all.]

“And only with such large-scale investment will the government move. If we make preemptive infectious disease response investments at Korea University Hospital, the Korean Government will naturally concentrate their budget there.”

Korea still didn’t have a proper infectious disease center.

But if fear grows due to the SARS situation, the government will eventually have no choice but to spend money.

Then funds will flow into Korea’s only infectious disease center – the facility we created.

[So you’re saying you’ll spend 20 billion won to attract even government budget.]

“That’s right. We’ll invest 20 billion to attract at least double, no, triple the funds.”

[That’s an excellent strategy. If needed, headquarters will also provide support. Proceed as you wish.]

The General Manager’s voice carried conviction.

With this investment confirming profits in the tens of billions of dollars, it was understandable.

Now that headquarters approval had come through, I could move even more aggressively.

***

SARS Prevention and Control Headquarters meeting hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Experts gathered in one place to block transmission from Chinese tourists and international students entering through airports.

The meeting to establish quarantine guidelines and future response strategies to prevent spread continued intensely amid tension.

“Currently, the health institute’s SARS dedicated personnel consists of only 5 people. Proper quarantine is impossible with this staff.

Over 7,000 people are entering from Chinese regions daily. We desperately need your help.”

The Minister of Health and Welfare’s voice carried desperation.

Korea was still called a SARS-free country,

but if the quarantine system didn’t function properly, no one knew how long that title would last.

However, no one readily stepped forward.

Hospital directors from major hospitals were all present.

But none wanted to shoulder that heavy burden.

The moment their name went up as a designated SARS infection hospital, it was obvious other patients would avoid the hospital.

“May I say something?”

A voice rang out in the silence.

Everyone looked toward the voice’s owner, and Korea University Hospital Director Yu Sang-cheol was rising from his seat.

“I’ll listen to any opinion.”

“Korea University Hospital has already completed negative pressure room construction in preparation for SARS infections.”

At Hospital Director Yu Sang-cheol’s statement, the meeting hall was momentarily enveloped in silence.

That there would be a hospital that had preemptively built negative pressure rooms in preparation for SARS was something neither the other hospital directors nor even the Minister of Health and Welfare had anticipated.

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