Surviving as a Rogue Hospital Director - Chapter 123

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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 123.
“Next, we have the matter of expanding the Uigwonhoe membership. With the new year, we’re looking to bring in additional personnel, and we have quite a waiting list. Would expanding by 1.5 times of the current size be feasible?”
The second agenda item concerned the operations of the Uigwonhoe, and an executive who handled the organization’s internal affairs raised his hand sharply.
“Ah, I should have informed you earlier. There have been some changes to the waiting list over the past few days.”
“Changes? Do you mean it’s gotten too large?”
The others didn’t understand what he meant.
“It’s that half of the people waiting to join the Uigwonhoe have sent in cancellations.”
“That’s strange. Has there been any recent reason for such a mass cancellation?”
Shocked by the news, the executives exchanged puzzled glances.
“We suspect it may be due to Chairman Han Myeong-jae’s recent scandal….”
An executive of the Uigwonhoe is essentially the face of the organization itself.
The Uigwonhoe had become more than just a private gathering of physicians because its executives, including Han Myeong-jae, each held significant positions at one of the top four hospitals.
A scandal involving Han Myeong-jae, the chairman, was enough to shake the entire organization.
The executive overseeing the Uigwonhoe’s affairs trailed off uncomfortably. That Han Myeong-jae wasn’t here at this particular moment was hardly coincidence.
It seemed less like he had some prior engagement and more like he was deliberately avoiding the meeting.
Yet while the Uigwonhoe members were cautious about discussing someone absent from the table, they couldn’t avoid addressing this agenda item.
“I’ve… heard about it too. Apparently the patient was a VIP patient of the Eunseong Foundation.”
“I only heard it mentioned in passing. They say the patient named the chairman directly.”
Since Beom-jun had resolved the matter before it spiraled out of control to protect Korea University Hospital’s reputation, not everyone had full details of what Han Myeong-jae had done.
In response to questions about what exactly had happened, one of the executives from Eunseong Hospital explained what had occurred between Chairman Han Myeong-jae and the patient Kim Do-yoon.
“According to the patient, Chairman Han Myeong-jae introduced him to a hospital where he received Botox injections. The hospital’s director apparently fled overseas and cannot be found.”
Everyone was aghast at this.
Hospitals occasionally have patients who aren’t in their right mind. Some genuinely suffer from mental illness, after all.
Gang members enter for knife wounds during territorial disputes. Patients have been kidnapped from within hospital walls.
The Uigwonhoe executives, each seasoned by countless such incidents at their respective hospitals, were not particularly shocked by the account of the patient Kim Do-yoon.
But the fact that Chairman Han Myeong-jae was implicated in it—that was the real shock.
Within the Uigwonhoe, Han Myeong-jae was known as principled and a strict rule-follower in all matters. Medical fraud seemed entirely out of character for him.
“Come on, surely not. Do you even have proof that Chairman Han actually did it? There’s no evidence.”
“I looked into it, and the dermatology clinic the patient visited had no connection to our Chairman Han.”
Once Kim Do-yoon’s case came up, someone began to defend Han Myeong-jae.
“Chairman Han isn’t a fool. He wouldn’t introduce someone to a hospital he didn’t know.”
“Why would Chairman Han do such a thing? There’s no motive.”
Everyone united in Han Myeong-jae’s defense. Though absent from the room, he wielded more influence than if he’d been present.
“Still, at minimum, it would have been better if you’d shared this information with us before the situation became public.”
“That’s true—half of the Uigwonhoe’s waiting list disappeared in just a few days.”
Just then, a knock came from outside the door.
– Knock, knock.
Their voices had risen loud enough to be heard outside. When the Uigwonhoe executives heard the knock, they did their best to compose themselves.
Groans and sighs could be heard from various corners of the room.
“Ugh.”
“Sigh.”
In the midst of the commotion, Hospital Director Kang Yo-han spoke.
“Regardless of the reason, if patients were used to cover up a misdeed, that’s not something we can simply overlook.”
Like Han Myeong-jae before him, Kang Yo-han invoked the higher purpose of the Uigwonhoe.
“We sought to protect physicians’ rights ultimately so that we could treat patients better.”
The other executives of the Uigwonhoe replied to his words.
“That’s true.”
“Agreed.”
“I concur as well.”
Agreement coalesced around Kang Yo-han’s point. After all, every decision made within the Uigwonhoe was bound by the Ui-gwon-hoe First Principle they had all pledged to uphold.
– To protect physicians’ rights is ultimately to protect patients’ right to health.
All members of the Uigwonhoe believed this. They held to the conviction that the work they did was not for themselves but for patients.
“Well then, let’s handle it this way.”
Under Kang Yo-han’s direction, the second agenda item of the Uigwonhoe executive meeting proceeded to a resolution.
“Since we’re told the patient was a youth sponsored by the Eunseong Foundation, we’ll have the Foundation handle the patient matter. As for myself, I plan to hear Chairman Han’s side of things.”
Kang Yo-han spoke with the conviction that he was maintaining his neutrality well.
“And in three days’ time, there’s a meeting of the directors of the top four hospitals. I hear the Korea University Hospital director caught wind of that medical accident and prevented it, so we’ll also hear their account at that gathering.”
The executives of the Uigwonhoe nodded at Kang Yo-han’s reasonable proposal.
“That sounds good.”
“Yes, we can hear both sides objectively.”
* * *
At that moment, Beom-jun was in the Director’s Office, picking at his nails.
Saint Hospital had appeared in Doctor X for only the briefest moment. There was no way it could have such a fatal gap.
So Beom-jun had assigned Gu Hui-jeong a critical role.
[5 hours remaining until FEVER TIME ends.]
[3 hours remaining until FEVER TIME ends.]
[2 hours remaining until FEVER TIME ends.]
But the Vice Director’s fever mode was nearing its end. Twenty-four hours turned out to be shorter than he’d anticipated.
‘If only I’d known—I should have maxed out her affection first, then given her the potion!’
Beom-jun clicked his tongue with regret.
“Vice Director, how is the analysis of Saint Hospital progressing?”
Every time the status window announced the remaining time, Beom-jun contacted Hui-jeong, and her answer was always the same.
“Yes. We’re almost done. I’ll show you the results before you leave for the day.”
‘But you said almost three hours ago that we were almost done!’
Beom-jun was anxious, but he tried to refrain from pressing her.
“Right, just bring it whenever you have it ready.”
Beom-jun spoke while fighting to calm his churning emotions.
What kept him patient was due to what appeared in the Talent Information about her.
Prepared Talent. Places Korea University Hospital’s survival and growth above all else. Proves all results through delivery.
When he registered her as a Talent this time, her trait had changed. She cared as much about Korea University Hospital’s survival as Beom-jun himself did, with his life on the line.
But Beom-jun focused intently on the final phrase.
‘Proves all results through delivery. Definitely.’
He mentally repeated it to the status window like a threat.
[Name: Gu Hui-jeong / Position: Vice Director]
Management Strategy: ■■■■■
Organizational Operations: ■■■■■
Performance Management: ■■■■■
External Cooperation: ■■■■■
Thanks to the fever bonus, Hui-jeong’s abilities were completely filled in—all five ranks across the board.
Beom-jun was particularly watching Organizational Operations. Now that it was at five ranks, she should be able to understand how Saint Hospital was structured and operated.
Beom-jun set aside his nervousness and decided to wait for her. She’d come through. There was nothing more he could teach Hui-jeong, nothing more he could give her.
What she needed now was time, as she’d requested.
Beom-jun had handed Hui-jeong Saint Hospital’s evaluation reports and accounting records.
They were materials for the top four hospital meeting happening in a few days. Only hospital directors would be attending, he thought—what a pointless gathering. But the materials did prove quite useful.
Not just in Korea, but globally, hospitals undergo an evaluation every four years to ensure they maintain quality standards. At that time, a hospital’s official rating is determined.
Depending on the results, hospitals are classified as Advanced General Hospital, General Hospital, Hospital, or Clinic.
Because insurance reimbursement rates differ by grade even for identical treatments, hospitals stake their very existence on this evaluation that occurs once every four years.
Of course, all top four hospitals maintain Advanced General Hospital status and have never dropped to General Hospital level since their founding.
But precisely because of that, the accumulated evaluation data remained solid. The accounting records were no different.
“If we know where the money is concentrated, we can understand what Saint Hospital prioritizes. Just give me three years’ worth. That’ll be enough.”
Hui-jeong had accepted the materials from Beom-jun and spoken with confidence.
Hospital accounting was her area of expertise. Ha-rin, the accountant, had said she learned a lot from Hui-jeong.
[1 hour remaining until FEVER TIME ends.]
As FEVER reached one hour remaining, Beom-jun squeezed his eyes shut. That accursed status window was honestly easier not to look at.
‘The Vice Director will bring something.’
To clear the Main Quest, he’d need to charge into Saint Hospital, but at this rate he’d be going in bare-handed.
‘I mean, shouldn’t I at least have a sword before I go in?’
He didn’t even know when the Uigwonhoe would come calling.
Beom-jun ran his hand roughly through his hair. A few strands fell across his smooth forehead.
He still hadn’t adjusted to throwing himself into uncertainty.
Then the awaited phone call came.
– Ring, ring, ring.
Beom-jun reached for the office phone on his desk.
“Ahem, hem.”
After clearing his throat with a small cough, Beom-jun answered the call casually, as though nothing was amiss.
“Yes, Vice Director. Any findings?”
“Surprisingly, they’re using the donation funds transparently.”
Hui-jeong’s report was unexpected. He’d thought it would be the weakest point, but Saint Hospital was managing donations carefully.
“But there’s something odd.”
Yet now Hui-jeong spoke with uncertainty. Unlike before, her voice carried doubt.
“From what I confirmed in the evaluation data, Saint Hospital’s personnel costs are abnormally low. Almost at the level of a general hospital.”
‘Personnel costs?’
In that instant, a passage from Doctor X that Beom-jun had skimmed over flashed through his mind. A brief description of Saint Hospital.
– Devotion to Life, Healing Through Service.
Saint Hospital was a place that emphasized sacrifice. He’d assumed it was a natural consequence of their religious character.
Even without hearing more details from Hui-jeong, Beom-jun thought he understood why Saint Hospital’s personnel costs were unusually low.

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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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