Surviving as a Rogue Hospital Director - Chapter 138

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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 138.
The day before meeting Kang Yo-han.
Before Ha-rin took her sick leave, she had sent Beom-jun the accounting records—the originals before they passed through her hands.
Beom-jun skimmed through the vast pile of documents quickly. And he found a company that appeared with peculiar frequency throughout the materials.
H Meditech. CEO: Lee Jae-hun.
It was an unremarkable company by name alone—the sort that left no impression.
Whenever medical equipment at Korea University Hospital broke down or required routine inspections and maintenance, the hospital had worked in partnership with H Meditech. That partnership had lasted exactly five years. The total amount: 5.1 billion won. Identical to the figure Ha-rin had mentioned.
CT and MRI routine inspections and maintenance.
Medical equipment performance testing and safety checks.
Emergency medical equipment repairs.
Medical equipment operational stabilization.
H Meditech had walked away with substantial sums from Korea University Hospital. They’d billed roughly once a month—an unusually frequent pace.
‘If they’re already doing performance checks during routine inspections, why do it separately? And if they’re handling emergency repairs, the equipment should be running stably afterward.’
For similar reasons, funds slipped away from Korea University Hospital in hundred-million-won increments.
And occasionally, there were items unrelated to medical equipment entirely.
Regional medical staff roundtable sessions (meal provision support).
Hospital management strategy consulting.
H Meditech had monopolized even the hospital’s minor events.
‘So the CEO’s name is Lee Jae-hun.’
Unsettled by something off, Beom-jun summoned Jae-gyeong.
“Director! You needed me?”
He appeared immediately, delighted by the summons. Beom-jun wasted no time handing him a task.
“Look into H Meditech. We’ve worked with them for five years—they handle our medical equipment management.”
“Oh! That’s the place that provided meals that one time. I remember—everyone said the food was delicious. People were saying it was an MRI company that could cook.”
Jae-gyeong already knew the place. He gave a thumbs-up as he spoke.
“The month before last, we did medical volunteer work with Saint Hospital in South Chungcheong Province? This company handled the meals then too, and it was genuinely fantastic. But why are you looking into them?”
A shell company should remain invisible, yet this one had drawn attention through nothing but good cooking. Absurdly so.
Beom-jun explained to Jae-gyeong, who clearly wasn’t grasping it.
“It looks like Team Leader Park Ha-rin has been covering up Han Myeong-jae’s embezzlement all this time.”
“What? Oh my.”
At Beom-jun’s words, Jae-gyeong gasped and covered his mouth with both hands.
Beom-jun wasn’t small-framed himself, but Jae-gyeong was roughly one and a half times his size, yet his thick fingers moved with surprising delicacy.
Jae-gyeong understood Beom-jun’s implication perfectly and nodded.
“So Team Leader Park was covering up for this company? The company that’s connected to the director?”
“Exactly. Start with the CEO. This Lee Jae-hun person.”
Beom-jun pointed to Lee Jae-hun’s name as he spoke. Truth was, he’d never heard of this person before either. He hadn’t appeared anywhere in Doctor X.
But something smelled rotten about it.
And if Han Myeong-jae was the starting point, finding him wouldn’t be difficult.
“Check if there are records of Han Myeong-jae’s family receiving medical care fee reductions at Korea University Hospital.”
“Ah, I see! The director’s been at Korea University Hospital for half his career, so there should definitely be records.”
Employees receive a hundred-percent discount on medical bills; their families receive fifty percent. It wasn’t unique to Korea University Hospital—most Advanced General Hospitals offered this as standard welfare.
‘Han Myeong-jae’s been at Korea University Hospital continuously since his internship. His family must have sought treatment at some point during all that time.’
Not once in decades would have been the real anomaly.
“Yes! I’ll check right away!”
Jae-gyeong brought his fingertips to his temple in an impudent salute.
And Beom-jun’s hunch proved correct.
Jae-gyeong found him again in barely an hour.
“Just as you said, Director. That Lee Jae-hun—the H Meditech CEO. He’s the director’s brother-in-law!”
As expected. Beom-jun pressed his index finger to his temple.
Before meeting Kang Yo-han, Beom-jun had secured a playable hand.
* * *
And now, back to the present.
Beom-jun regarded Kang Yo-han calmly across the table.
“Explain it in detail, would you?”
As Beom-jun spoke, Kang Yo-han’s unease swiftly transformed into anger.
He spoke more forcefully to conceal that he’d grown emotionally rattled.
“Hospital budget flowing into Uigwonhoe? You’re certain of this? Can you take responsibility for what you just said?”
“Of course.”
Bang.
At Beom-jun’s terse reply, Kang Yo-han slammed his soju glass down hard—cutting the conversation like a sword stroke.
But Beom-jun simply slid the USB Drive across the table toward him.
“Take it and look. It’ll be faster if you see for yourself.”
Kang Yo-han instinctively recoiled. As if such a tiny object were a dangerous weapon.
‘Well, his entire world might collapse, so for him it could be dangerous.’
“Funds unnecessarily drained from Korea University Hospital over the years. All of it funneled through a company run by Han Myeong-jae’s brother-in-law.”
Beom-jun drained his soju glass. Kang Yo-han momentarily forgot the competitive drinking pace he’d been matching with his guest.
“So the company run by the director’s brother-in-law was a hospital contractor?”
“It was. And you know hospitals are prohibited from contracting with companies run by relatives.”
Beom-jun spoke unhurriedly, then drove his point home.
“I hear Han Myeong-jae has been providing personal donations to Uigwonhoe. Whether the amount matches is something you can verify yourself.”
But Kang Yo-han didn’t answer immediately.
His pupils wavered. His gaze, having lost its moorings, dropped downward, while the tiger painting above his head still bared its fangs—as if the slightest lapse in concentration would swallow him whole.
Kang Yo-han held the soju glass in his hand, turning it slowly in circles. As his hand moved, the liquid sloshed—but didn’t spill.
The USB Drive Beom-jun had handed him still sat on the table. With wavering eyes, Kang Yo-han watched it.
Bang. Gulp.
A moment later, Kang Yo-han drank alone, draining the glass. His face twisted as he swallowed.
“What we do at Uigwonhoe is more like charitable work—people with good intentions coming together. I suppose we could simply have Korea University Hospital lend its strength as well.”
The conclusion Kang Yo-han reached was shameless.
“Any significant undertaking demands both large and small sacrifices, doesn’t it?”
He chose to impose sacrifice on Korea University Hospital and solidify Uigwonhoe.
‘Over three million patients visit Korea University Hospital annually, and he calls that a small sacrifice?’
Korea University Hospital was particularly overflowing with severe and rare disease patients—those without alternatives, those with nowhere else to turn.
Yet Kang Yo-han spoke as though his own interests warranted sacrifice from others, while what belonged to others could simply vanish.
“So what you’re saying is: working for Uigwonhoe is a grand cause, and treating patients at Korea University Hospital is trivial? Is that it?”
“Honestly, Korea University Hospital won’t collapse just because fifty billion won disappears.”
That’s when Beom-jun’s eyes flashed.
“I never said the missing amount was fifty billion won. You seem well informed.”
At Beom-jun’s sharp words, Kang Yo-han’s throat bobbed. He needlessly moistened his lips.
‘Checking if that amount matches Han Myeong-jae’s personal donations to Uigwonhoe.’
As Beom-jun continued the conversation with Kang Yo-han, he accumulated information about Uigwonhoe.
Meanwhile, having nothing left to say, Kang Yo-han changed the subject.
“Uigwonhoe protects the rights of physicians. Yes, some sacrifice is required now, but we must think long-term. For the future. When physician rights are secured, we’ll treat patients better.”
As Kang Yo-han began in earnest to coax Beom-jun, the Main Quest officially commenced.
[Main Quest progressing.]
[Main Quest: Hold Fast to Your Center]
Uigwonhoe will attempt to approach you. Do not waver at their logic.
Reward: Survival Probability +1%
Failure: Death
Beom-jun steadied his resolve as he read the status window. He’d never intended to waver anyway, but seeing the quest only made him more resolute.
“I’m sure Director Choi shares our vision.”
Kang Yo-han raised his glass to propose a toast, but Beom-jun didn’t reciprocate. Kang Yo-han didn’t seem embarrassed either way and drank the soju alone.
“I know what you’ve been doing lately. I’m aware you’re favoring this doctor, Im Sung-hyuk. You’re working for the physicians at Korea University Hospital, aren’t you? What Uigwonhoe does is similar. Only the target differs; the essence is the same.”
Beom-jun’s eyebrows rose.
‘Me, similar to them?’
Was this what immediate acceptance into Uigwonhoe meant? Kang Yo-han seemed to regard Beom-jun as his own kind.
“Krgh.”
At Kang Yo-han’s words, Beom-jun laughed—a grotesque, ill-fitting sound that put him on guard.
Beom-jun’s eyes remained fixed while only the corners of his mouth lifted upward. The whites of his eyes, pale and stark where his pupils had shrunk, were drained of all color.
“You’re greatly mistaken. We’re nothing alike. I sacrifice no one. Certainly not patients.”
Beom-jun stared at Kang Yo-han with a piercing gaze, eyes widened sharply.
Kang Yo-han noticed then that Beom-jun resembled the tiger painting that had hung above his head. It seemed gentle on the surface, yet harbored nothing of gentleness.
“I’ve heard news of Uigwonhoe from time to time. Your record is quite glorious. Building a hospital on Ulleungdo, no less. Most impressive indeed.”
Beom-jun recited what he’d heard of Uigwonhoe with a sneer, having listened carefully all along.
The actual work Uigwonhoe was doing bore no resemblance to the logic Kang Yo-han professed.
“Amusing, isn’t it? Grant rights and we’ll treat patients? It’s the reverse. Saving lives is what justifies rights. I’d like to ask: since when did Uigwonhoe’s sacrifices become the patients’ burden?”
At Beom-jun’s words, Kang Yo-han’s mouth snapped shut as if he’d bitten into something bitter.
His attempt to smooth-talk Beom-jun into joining Uigwonhoe hadn’t simply fallen through. It was because the version of Uigwonhoe he’d heard about through others was shocking.
‘Was Uigwonhoe sacrificing patients?’
A crack had appeared in the whole world he inhabited.

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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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