Surviving as a Rogue Hospital Director - Chapter 117

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 117.
[Main Quest: Recruit Your Enemy]
Register Han Myeong-jae’s associate as a Talent.
Reward: Survival Probability +3%
Failure: Death
Beom-jun clicked on the quest window.
How in the world was he supposed to pull this off?
The quest itself wasn’t unreasonable.
The Vice Director’s Favorability was rock-bottom, but if he obtained a Superior Favorability Potion from the Hidden Quest reward, he’d have more than enough to register her as a Talent.
What had caused her Favorability to rise in the first place?
Beom-jun dug through his memory.
The original Doctor X’s plot had blended with reality, making Vice Director Gu Hui-jeong stand out as something separate. The further she diverged from the source material, the more pronounced it became.
She, who had fallen victim to Han Myeong-jae’s gaslighting and ended up complicit in Beom-jun’s murder, now maintained a measured distance from him.
Once this quest concluded, she’d likely swing to Beom-jun’s side.
‘Of course, I’d have to survive and clear this quest first.’
Beom-jun was ransacking his brain for when her Favorability had risen by one when he snapped his thumb and middle finger together. It came back to him.
“It was when she saw the draft article about Jason Therapy. When I said to proceed with the Vice Director’s suggestions.”
He’d decided to move forward with her approach because it looked solid, and her Favorability had gone up then.
She was a talented character, so it made sense. Even when she tried to obstruct him, insisting she couldn’t recognize him as a superior, once Beom-jun acknowledged her capabilities, her Favorability rose.
But this time there was no project in play. Would he have to invent work just to praise her?
Beom-jun propped his chin on his hand.
That was when Jae-gyeong delivered unexpected news. Gu Hui-jeong was apparently handling the cleanup from the Kim Do-yoon patient case.
“The Kim Do-yoon patient has been connected with the Seoul City Medical Welfare Project Team. It looks like the Vice Director worked her magic on that.”
Beom-jun opened one eye narrowly.
“The Vice Director? What for?”
“That’s what’s puzzling. She said the patient’s situation looked dire.”
Beom-jun pressed harder against his chin with the palm of his hand, using it to brace his face.
“Should I dig into whether there’s another reason?”
Jae-gyeong asked since Beom-jun offered no reply.
Beom-jun flicked his index finger.
To be honest, he didn’t know who the current Gu Hui-jeong really was. In Doctor X, she’d been a character overshadowed by inferiority toward Director Beom-jun, but that wasn’t the case now.
“Another reason, huh.”
Beom-jun leaned fully back into his leather chair. He had no idea why Gu Hui-jeong would make such a choice.
Beom-jun realized he knew far less about Vice Director Gu Hui-jeong than he thought.
Because he possessed so much information, he’d mistakenly assumed he understood everything.
‘Since the character has changed, this is becoming a headache in its own way.’
Thanks to neutralizing her hostility, the threat of being killed by Gu Hui-jeong had vanished, but he knew almost nothing about this new version of her.
Beom-jun placed his hand on his forehead.
Beyond Doctor X itself, there was knowledge from the Status Window, information about patients through the hospital system, and what he absorbed upon registering someone as a Talent. With so much information flooding in, his head ached just organizing it.
“Who said the patient’s situation looked dire?”
“Ah, that would be Director Park Ha-rin.”
At the source, Beom-jun’s eyes gleamed.
He’d nearly forgotten about Park Ha-rin. No one understood Gu Hui-jeong as thoroughly as she did.
Moreover, her Favorability stood at seven.
‘I need to register her as a Talent immediately.’
“Director Park Ha-rin looked into the welfare project budget and pushed it with Seoul City. Acting on the Vice Director’s orders, apparently.”
Jae-gyeong spoke while subtly promoting Ha-rin, though it was unclear when they’d grown close.
“Where is Director Park’s office located? Was the Accounting Team in the Annex Building?”
To register her as a Talent, he’d have to meet with Park Ha-rin.
“The Accounting Team is off Hospital Grounds. Or, we were planning to grab lunch later—would you like to join us, Director?”
“The two of you were planning to eat together?”
“Yes? Oh, ah, yes—we just happened to have the time.”
Jae-gyeong spoke with a bashfulness incongruous with his build. Beom-jun started to press for details but stopped. It wasn’t important right now.
“Tell Director Park to stop by the Director’s Office before she leaves for the day.”
“Yes, sir!”
Jae-gyeong left, and Beom-jun, alone in his office chair, spun around once.
Registering Ha-rin as a Talent would certainly give him information about Gu Hui-jeong, but that wasn’t all.
‘I think I’ll clear the Hidden Quest pretty quick.’
For some reason, Beom-jun sensed this quest wouldn’t take long.
* * *
A few hours later, in the Director’s Office,
Beom-jun had summoned only Park Ha-rin, yet two people stood before him.
“Why are you here?”
“Figured I’d kill two birds with one stone and greet the Director. Haha.”
“We just saw each other.”
“Nice to see you again, though!”
Jae-gyeong spoke with easy charm, running his finger under his nose.
Ha-rin appeared nervous about the summons, while Jae-gyeong seemed inclined to shield her.
‘I thought he’d be swamped after the transfer, but looks like life’s treating him well.’
Beom-jun watched Ha-rin, sitting beside Jae-gyeong, with wide eyes. They were sitting rather close.
He’d intended to get Jae-gyeong back to his original post quickly, but now it seemed unnecessary. Keeping him in the Planning Department a while longer wouldn’t hurt.
In fact, that was fine.
Ha-rin barely knew the Talents Beom-jun had already registered, but with Jae-gyeong around, there was no need to worry.
“Is there something you needed me for? The Accounting Team’s been pretty busy lately, so I should probably head back soon.”
Park Ha-rin sat in perfect posture and spoke tersely. Her long, straight hair gleamed with reflected fluorescent light.
She appeared on guard, evidently expecting additional work assignments.
Assigning her concurrent roles as Secretary Director and Accounting Team Lead seemed to have left her overwhelmed.
But then again, that was what she’d wanted. She’d requested it, preferring not to leave the Vice Director’s side.
“What could be so pressing? The Kim Do-yoon case should be wrapping up. You’ve finished coordinating with Seoul City’s welfare office, haven’t you?”
“Th-that! We still need to wrap everything up. Send official documents and so forth.”
At Beom-jun’s pointed observation, Ha-rin’s voice quickened in panic. Her face flushed as if she’d been caught in a lie.
It wasn’t completely fabricated—government matters would involve complicated administrative procedures.
From the moment Park Ha-rin entered the Director’s Office, the same Status Window had repeated itself in Beom-jun’s sight.
[Park Ha-rin’s Favorability is 7.]
[Register as Talent? Yes / No]
[Park Ha-rin’s Favorability is 7.]
[Register as Talent? Yes / No]
[Park Ha-rin’s Favorability is 7.]
[Register as Talent? Yes / No]
The Status Window was screaming at him to register her as a Talent.
‘Fine, fine, I got it.’
Without further delay, Beom-jun selected Yes. This was why he’d called her in the first place, after all.
“I’m not saying I won’t do it, just that things are busier than usual.”
While Ha-rin offered her explanation, Beom-jun’s head grew heavy.
[Park Ha-rin has been registered as a Talent.]
[Knowledge of the Talent will be absorbed.]
Ha-rin’s knowledge of hospital accounting flooded into Beom-jun’s mind all at once.
Patients, health insurance, the flow of money through the hospital—each became small arrows forming a larger current.
In America, companies apply health insurance so their employees stay healthy and keep working.
In Britain, they assign a specific doctor to each neighborhood, forcing patients to go to that hospital.
Korea, meanwhile, manages medical expenses through the unique form of national health insurance—a structure rare elsewhere in the world.
Lowering patients’ out-of-pocket costs while funding through taxes created a structure where hospitals couldn’t receive medical fees immediately.
‘So it takes half a year for money to come in? Has it always been this long?’
After patients leave the hospital, the process of insurance review and payment to the hospital takes roughly half a year.
During that time, the hospital calculates and verifies the medical fees that will eventually be paid—preparing justification if amounts are cut back, playing dumb if payments exceed expectations.
There was plenty to do. Ha-rin handled it all expertly. She was no accountant for nothing—this was work that couldn’t be done by just anyone.
Though Beom-jun absorbed Ha-rin’s knowledge, he honestly had no confidence in executing it himself. Well, he didn’t need to.
That was when Jae-gyeong raised his right hand slightly and spoke.
“If there’s secretarial work you need done, I could probably pitch in!”
He readily volunteered to take on Ha-rin’s duties himself.
“So the Planning Department is short-staffed?”
Beom-jun gave him a pointed look, and Jae-gyeong scratched the back of his head, responding,
“Well, more like I’m getting more adjusted now! Haha. If I can work alongside you, Director, then extra work is no problem! That’s what I mean!”
Jae-gyeong spoke with easy flattery. Ha-rin didn’t seem to dislike him.
Beom-jun looked past Jae-gyeong and fixed his gaze on Ha-rin. When their eyes met, Ha-rin swallowed dryly.
“Thanks for handling the Kim Do-yoon case. That’s what I wanted to tell you. Though I’m sure you understand—the Medical Department couldn’t have treated her further.”
Ha-rin, who’d been braced for extra assignments, let her lips fall open at Beom-jun’s words.
“Ah, ah… yes, I think it would’ve been like that. Since the burden on Professor Im would’ve been too great….”
“Did the Vice Director handle it?”
Having received unexpected praise, Ha-rin relaxed. And hearing Beom-jun’s question, she began speaking freely about the Vice Director.
“Yes, that’s right. It seemed like the Vice Director was really concerned about that patient. Especially since the Chairman… well, he’s a bit…”
She repeated what Jae-gyeong had told him. The Vice Director seemed to have helped purely because Kim Do-yoon’s situation looked dire. Perhaps she’d thought Kim Do-yoon, like herself, had suffered at the Chairman’s hands.
Earlier, Beom-jun had suspected ulterior motives, but after registering Ha-rin as a Talent, his thinking shifted.
‘It really was genuine.’
Through Ha-rin’s eyes, Gu Hui-jeong was someone with deep compassion and integrity—above all, someone who fiercely cherished her people. That explained why An Jun-mo and Park Ha-rin never strayed far from the Vice Director’s side.
“The Vice Director must have a lot on her mind.”
“The Kim Do-yoon case seems to have shaken her. Honestly, it got to me too…”
Ha-rin spoke her opinion carefully but plainly. After registering her as a Talent, Beom-jun could feel her emotions.
[Emotions of Park Ha-rin are being shared.]
Freshly formed trust stirred to life. As she spoke comfortably about the Vice Director, her trust began to blossom.
‘The Vice Director isn’t just a workplace superior to Park Ha-rin.’
Park Ha-rin genuinely respected and followed the Vice Director. She acknowledged her capabilities and felt sympathy for the Vice Director’s history of closing her hospital in America and returning.
That was when another Status Window appeared.
[Park Ha-rin’s Favorability has increased by 1.]
[Through Synergy Effect, Gu Hui-jeong’s Favorability has increased by 1.]
Seeing the notification, Beom-jun grinned widely.
When Im Sung-hyuk’s Favorability had risen, Min-ho’s had risen alongside it.
With Gu Hui-jeong and Park Ha-rin, a Rapport bond just as strong as that between Im Sung-hyuk and Min-ho was now in place.
Indeed, the Synergy Effect wasn’t limited to the same department alone.
With this, Gu Hui-jeong’s Favorability had reached three. Only one remained until the Hidden Quest was complete.

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