Surviving as a Rogue Hospital Director - Chapter 122

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

Episode 122.
[Main Quest has been created.]
[Main Quest: Discern the true nature of your enemy.]
Know yourself and know your enemy; in a hundred battles, never be defeated.
Find the headquarters of the Uigwonhoe and uncover the truth of their operations.
Reward: Survival Probability +3%
Failure: Death
Beom-jun’s eyes narrowed as he read the status window. The quest was telling him that the Uigwonhoe had a separate headquarters.
“Where does the Uigwonhoe mainly conduct its activities? Or perhaps which hospital has the most Uigwonhoe members?”
Hee-jung seemed startled at Beom-jun’s question, as if he’d made a prophecy.
In truth, the Uigwonhoe exerted almost no pressure on Korea University Hospital. Han Myeong-jae was already there, and he was essentially the Uigwonhoe incarnate.
So Hee-jung and the rest of Korea University Hospital rarely experienced the Uigwonhoe’s influence,
yet Beom-jun seemed to be seeing far beyond the confines of the hospital itself.
‘He really does have a larger vision.’
Setting aside the minor misunderstanding, Hee-jung answered his question.
“It’s Saint Hospital. You can assume that most professors and above are Uigwonhoe members.”
Beom-jun found this revelation shocking.
Saint Hospital was, according to the setting of Doctor X, one of the top four hospitals in South Korea alongside Korea University Hospital, Cheon-hee University Hospital, and Eunseong Hospital.
But in the first part that he had read, it hardly appeared at all.
Perhaps the Chairman went on business trips there occasionally? He only knew that Korea University Hospital was providing substantial sponsorship.
‘Korea University Hospital being a national institution means the Uigwonhoe would have faced many restrictions there. So the Chairman’s sponsorship of Saint Hospital must have had a different purpose.’
Since becoming director, Beom-jun had received not infrequent contact from the government. As a national institution and public organization, Korea University Hospital underwent regular audits.
Under such conditions, there was no environment for any particular ideology or philosophy to take root. A national hospital had to remain politically neutral.
So they must have been building their power base at Saint Hospital instead.
“How much funding is Korea University Hospital providing?”
The more Beom-jun conversed with Hee-jung, the more astonished she became. He had already grasped that Chairman Han Myeong-jae was personally sponsoring Saint Hospital.
“Ah, Korea University Hospital itself isn’t directly providing it. The Chairman does it personally.”
Hee-jung added details to his question based on what she’d seen and heard.
Beom-jun nodded at her words.
‘Thorough. Given what he did with the Kim Do-yoon patient, that tracks.’
Not creating anything that could be held against him—that was quintessentially Han Myeong-jae.
“Combined, all the sponsorship over the years would come to roughly five billion won.”
‘What?’
For supposedly personal sponsorship, the amount was staggering. Even if spread over thirty years, that came to over one hundred million annually.
For a doctor’s salary, Han Myeong-jae had far too much money. How much had he skimmed from behind the scenes? All of it had come from bleeding patients dry and squeezing physicians.
The more Beom-jun learned about Han Myeong-jae, the more his blood boiled. Being grouped with the same profession made him feel sick.
But he couldn’t afford to distance himself and avoid the man. To complete the quest, he’d have to penetrate the heart of the enemy.
Beom-jun tapped his index finger against the cup he was holding and recalled the Main Quest once more.
‘Find the headquarters of the Uigwonhoe and uncover their true nature… If it’s their true nature, it’s probably connected to money.’
Beom-jun opened his mouth.
“Saint Hospital seems to receive substantial donations.”
To be swayed by money, one first needed to be starved for it.
“That’s right. It probably accounts for about thirty percent of their total budget.”
Hee-jung agreed with his observation.
Korea University Hospital, too, struggled with funding given its massive research expenditures, but managed to get by with government subsidies.
Saint Hospital, on the other hand, filled the gap through private donations.
And Hee-jung knew the internal circumstances of Saint Hospital well.
“Do you have a connection at Saint Hospital?”
But at his question, Hee-jung looked away and spoke as if troubled.
“Not exactly. Hospitals are required by law to publicly disclose certain documents. Annual financial statements and balance sheets are all available.”
It turned out the information wasn’t from anyone she knew.
Beom-jun nodded. After all, the vice-director wasn’t particularly skilled at handling people. Her original organizational management stat was only three, so she was about average in that regard.
Instead, she could analyze Saint Hospital and see through it. She knew how to read hospitals through numbers.
This was possible because she was someone who ran a hospital. It was a unique ability only she possessed.
As they talked, Beom-jun was already mentally planning how to use Hee-jung over the next day.
Finding a moment to breathe, he pushed the empty Favorability Potion bottle and the empty cup to the side and spoke.
“Vice-Director, there’s something I need you to do.”
Hee-jung, fully prepared, immediately responded to his call.
“What is it? If you need help, I’m happy to assist.”
“Before meeting with the Uigwonhoe, we need to first shake down Saint Hospital.”
Beom-jun smiled wickedly. There’s never a place without dust to be found, but when the dirt is this obvious, it’s a different story.
“That shouldn’t be difficult. If we know where the money is flowing, we can understand what Saint Hospital values most.”
Hee-jung sounded confident in her response to his request.
But Beom-jun didn’t find her boldness worrying.
As long as Fever Mode held, it would be more than enough.
* * *
Saint Hospital possessed a special facility that no other hospital had.
An old building constructed in Western architectural style. At the tip of its spire rose a cross reaching toward the sky.
Stained glass windows cast kaleidoscopic shadows as sunlight filtered through,
and the faces of those inside the chapel lost their natural color in that light.
‘You came.’
‘See you later.’
Among the patients seeking miracles, the Uigwonhoe members recognized one another.
What followed—the singing, the scripture readings—all proceeded with solemnity. The Uigwonhoe members were sincere in every moment, more so than any other believer in the chapel.
“May God be with all those who suffer.
Let us pray for the peace of everyone gathered here.”
With the priest’s blessing, the mass concluded.
People filed out one by one, and the Uigwonhoe members exchanged knowing glances before heading toward the back of the main hall.
The sacristy was a space where the priest and church volunteers prepared for services.
A large wardrobe held various colored vestments arranged neatly, and on the table sat a small candle and a statue of the Virgin Mary.
A faint scent of incense hung in the air. The priest who had been there until moments ago had ceded the space to the Uigwonhoe and disappeared.
The Uigwonhoe members entered the sacred yet private space without hesitation, as if it were their own parlor.
Some retrieved folding chairs from the corners, while others tidied the candles and the statue.
But after gathering around the table, they all paused briefly to gaze at the crucifix hanging on the wall, each making the sign of the cross.
“Well then, let’s begin. We’ve run a bit late today.”
“The priest had quite a lot to say today.”
This was an executive meeting of the Uigwonhoe, with only senior members present. They were also the founding members of the organization, and the Uigwonhoe’s executive structure consisted of two from Eunseong Hospital, two from Saint Hospital, and Han Myeong-jae from Korea University Hospital.
Cheon-hee University Hospital, one of the top four, was excluded. Han Myeong-jae had drawn the line, saying Korea University Hospital and Cheon-hee University Hospital could not pursue the same agenda.
“Chairman Han isn’t coming today, correct?”
“It feels a bit strange with just us here.”
“This isn’t the first time. We’ve had meetings without the Chairman before, given that he’s the only one from Korea University Hospital.”
With only five members, the absence of Han Myeong-jae loomed large.
Being well-connected, they recalled the news of medical fraud from Korea University Hospital. There was much talk about the Kim Do-yoon patient and Han Myeong-jae, but for now, the immediate future of the Uigwonhoe took precedence.
“Let’s begin with the first agenda item. The government plans to construct a national hospital and medical university on Ulleungdo. All tuition will be fully covered by government funding.”
“Ulleungdo? If they’re going to do something like that, why not just build it on Dokdo!”
“It’s typical armchair theorizing. Who on earth would travel that far to train doctors?”
The Uigwonhoe executives protested. It was preposterous no matter how you looked at it.
Then Kang Yo-han, the director of Saint Hospital, spoke slowly.
“The government must be throwing this out as a desperate measure because the Uigwonhoe opposed Jeju Island.”
The executives fixed their attention on him as they had on Han Myeong-jae.
“They seem to be seeking the Uigwonhoe’s opinion. They’re asking where we’d think is acceptable.”
At his words, the executives nodded knowingly. But their conclusion remained the same: the provinces were out of the question.
“Hmm. I’m not sure. No region will do. All medical infrastructure is concentrated in Seoul. We’d need decades just to set up the necessary capital elsewhere.”
“That’s right. A hospital doesn’t just provide treatment. We must train the next generation of doctors while conducting research, and it’s nearly impossible to do that alone in isolation. Even raising a child takes a whole village, after all.”
The Uigwonhoe executives spoke with unbridled confidence.
When people are determined to succeed, they find a way; when they’re determined not to, they invent reasons why.
The Uigwonhoe executives had already settled on their answer and now sought justifications for their refusal.
Among the doctors who stood with folded arms or sat with trembling crossed legs, Kang Yo-han spoke.
“I share that view. If the Uigwonhoe spread to the provinces, it would be difficult for us to operate.”
He was concerned solely with the welfare of the Uigwonhoe.
“Still, since this has been discussed since the previous administration, they’ll push it through one way or another. We do need to provide an answer.”
The Eunseong Hospital doctor who had raised the issue demanded a response. He was the liaison communicating with the government.
“Why don’t we write a detailed report?”
“There must be cases of failure overseas. We could find those and present them.”
“That’s difficult. As I mentioned, we’ve handled it that way since the previous administration.”
As the others pondered, Director Kang Yo-han spoke up.
“Let them build wherever they want—Jeju Island, Ulleungdo, anywhere. What kind of hospital would that be on some remote island? Once it collapses properly, they’ll want to listen to the Uigwonhoe.”
The Uigwonhoe took pride in creating order in South Korea’s medical system. You could see it just from the fact that the Ministry of Health and Welfare consulted them.
Exercising influence and observing compliance gave the Uigwonhoe executives in particular a sense of their own importance.
At Director Kang Yo-han’s words, the executives burst into laughter.
“Pfft, that’s not bad!”
“Ha-ha. That’s a great idea. Director Kang really is creative, aren’t you?”
Contemptuous snickers leaked out. They reveled in their shared intellectual superiority, delighting in what they found amusing.
“Kekeke. Then, I’ll relay it that way.”
Thus the first agenda item concluded in utter chaos, without receiving a single expert’s perspective.

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