Surviving as a Rogue Hospital Director - Chapter 147

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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 147.
“This is quite unusual, isn’t it? Have you always operated this way?”
“Us? We do this almost every year. I’m not sure what’s so unusual about it….”
Most people couldn’t relate to Beom-jun’s question.
“Ah, this is your first time volunteering, isn’t it? Field sites are usually all the same, but we’re a bit different here. I don’t think you’ll find anything too inconvenient. We have everything we need.”
The Commander even spoke with pride, apparently thinking Beom-jun had been impressed by the Base Camp’s scale.
After all, Beom-jun—the Director of Korea University Hospital who’d taken the elite track at Doctor X—had never even left Seoul, let alone done any medical volunteer work.
Everyone more or less understood that he had no experience with anything resembling this kind of work.
“I meant the way you’re operating is unusual. It would be far more effective to set up a general hospital and transport patients there. No matter how well you set things up, this is still outdoors. You won’t be able to manage infection control properly.”
Beom-jun pointed out the Commander’s significant misunderstanding, though really he was speaking to everyone present.
Even in the countryside, this was still South Korea. If you looked hard enough, you’d find a hospital.
‘It’s not like we’re in the middle of a desert. There’s no reason to do it this way.’
Yet the Base Camp seemed designed to mock South Korea’s functioning medical system, operating independently to treat patients right here.
“Ah, I understand what you’re saying, but this volunteer work isn’t just about treatment. It’s about awakening people to the spirit of sacrifice and dedication for patients.”
Only then did the Commander realize Beom-jun’s question hadn’t come from simple curiosity.
“Even though patients could receive better treatment if they went to a hospital?”
He knew Beom-jun wasn’t being argumentative, yet the more the Commander heard, the more uncomfortable he became.
Because everything he said was right.
The Commander stung from Beom-jun’s words. While emphasizing the meaning of volunteer work, Beom-jun had instantly pierced through what he’d overlooked and asked the difficult question.
‘That’s true. In emphasizing the meaning of volunteering, I… never considered the quality of medical care.’
The Uigwonhoe wasn’t trying to provide quality medical care in a quality environment.
“Well, you seem quite curious. I’ll explain things gradually. Let me show you around inside the Base Camp first—please come this way.”
Instead of answering, the Commander changed the subject, asking Beom-jun to follow him for a tour of the interior.
Beom-jun sighed inwardly but decided not to press further and followed instead.
It was their first meeting. He had no intention of attacking the Commander from the start. After all, he’d be living and working alongside him here for a week.
Moreover, he needed to find someone in the Uigwonhoe willing to cooperate with him, so it was better to leave a good impression.
Beom-jun spoke to the Commander.
“You don’t need to answer. I wasn’t expecting one anyway.”
The Commander, already stung in his conscience, heard Beom-jun’s words differently.
‘So he’s going to observe and draw his own conclusions. I was planning to bring him into the Uigwonhoe if he seemed suitable, but turns out we’re the ones being evaluated.’
An unintended misunderstanding had taken root.
The Uigwonhoe currently had a vacant executive position since Kang Yo-han’s withdrawal. There were differing opinions on whom to appoint as the new executive, and Beom-jun was being considered as one option.
As a hospital director, he had sufficient qualifications, and it was common knowledge that he’d recently been active in expanding Korea University Hospital.
– The Director of Korea University Hospital seemed decent, didn’t he?
– Hmm? He was with the Uigwonhoe?
– He just needs to join. Director Kang Yo-han joined as an executive too, remember?
– Now that you mention it, you’re right. If he’s genuinely interested, it might work out.
– That won’t do! Does anyone here not know Director Choi is a reckless troublemaker? We can’t appoint someone unvetted as an executive.
Whether he would help or harm the Uigwonhoe remained uncertain, but first and foremost, he had to join.
Only if he passed this prerequisite could discussions about him move forward.
So the Commander had planned to win Beom-jun over.
Recruiting him into the Uigwonhoe would be a significant achievement for the Commander himself.
The man responsible for this medical volunteer work was confident.
‘A good doctor would want to join the Uigwonhoe. He’d have no choice. Look at what the Uigwonhoe is.’
There’s always a reason why everyone lines up wanting to join. The Uigwonhoe represents the direction medical society should be heading.
Perhaps it was divine will that Beom-jun had ended up participating in this volunteer work.
This medical volunteer work would serve as a screening for Uigwonhoe associate members and those waiting to join. Though Beom-jun had no idea.
‘He wasn’t even invited, yet he came on his own initiative. If this goes well, Beom-jun could become an executive of the Uigwonhoe right away.’
The Commander had high expectations for this medical volunteer work and for Beom-jun.
And on the other hand, he was confident. He believed the volunteer work he’d organized would truly be a meaningful time.
“Yes, why don’t you observe and judge for yourself, Director? You’ll understand everything soon enough.”
Though Beom-jun was curious now, the Commander believed that once he saw how things actually worked, he would come to share the same vision.
There were big and small issues,
trivial problems everywhere,
but he would come to understand a greater sense of sacrifice and purpose beyond all that.
The Commander had a pleasant face. When he smiled and spoke, his cheekbones jutted out and gleamed. It wasn’t just a natural smile. The facial muscles were cultivated. It was a face he’d worked hard to create.
But Beom-jun looked at him in bewilderment.
‘What’s this nonsense? What am I supposed to judge?’
With his mind entirely occupied by quests, Beom-jun found the Commander’s words utterly absurd.
All of Beom-jun’s attention was focused on finding someone within the Uigwonhoe who would cooperate with him.
And not just one or two people. He needed to find as many as possible to boost his survival odds across the board.
Beom-jun had simply spoken what he observed. It was his first impression of the Base Camp anyway.
If he truly came with the sole intention of treating patients, he wouldn’t have run things so absurdly.
The Commander spoke as if volunteer work held profound meaning, but that meaning didn’t extend to the patients.
‘Let people practice their dedication or whatever quietly in the background. If a patient comes in sick, shouldn’t we treat them properly?’
Of course, treating patients with noble self-sacrifice was different from treating them to gain something for yourself.
But emphasizing the former while compromising the quality of care was unacceptable to him. It was putting the cart before the horse.
Beom-jun believed treatment quality must be maintained at the highest level no matter what. That was his understanding of a doctor’s role.
And within that, you worked to maintain authenticity.
The more Beom-jun conversed with the Commander, the less compatible he felt them to be.
Maybe it was because he’d listened to the man’s endless chatter on the bus ride, enough to make his ears bleed.
Beom-jun and the Commander were poorly matched. Their ways of communicating, their thinking—everything was different.
But Beom-jun suspended judgment about him. At least for today. He’d only just met him.
“Right, right. There’s a lot to learn. Or rather, a lot I’ll come to learn.”
Beom-jun spoke to the Commander, who looked like a cartoon character. The Commander’s cheekbones twitched at his words, but he said nothing else.
Beom-jun followed him as they toured the Base Camp interior, then changed direction.
“I have quite a bit of luggage. I think I should unpack first.”
“Ah! Yes! It’s probably better to explore the camp gradually anyway.”
When Beom-jun declined the tour,
the Commander grew flustered and postponed the tour yet again. It seemed to be a habit.
Beom-jun dragged his tired body toward the dormitory. The five-hour journey had earned him every bit of that exhaustion.
“Should I show you to the dormitory?”
“No need. I can find it myself.”
Beom-jun passed the Commander, who’d tried to follow him all the way, and headed to the dormitory beside the Base Camp.
Once the chattering man disappeared, the fatigue seemed to lift somewhat.
‘Should I just clear the quest with the Commander? Who knows how it’ll turn out.’
Beom-jun considered for a moment, then shook his head. The Commander was deeply rooted in the Uigwonhoe. Even from their brief conversation, his loyalty to the organization seemed considerable.
Whether they’d have further contact or remain passing acquaintances—that was still unknown.
* * *
The next morning.
Beom-jun had come to observe H-2, the team Min-ho was on. As director, he hadn’t been assigned to any team. They said it would be awkward for the other doctors.
While stationed at the Base Camp, Beom-jun had taken on the role of overseeing and managing the volunteer work as a whole. Along with the Commander.
Seeing the Commander first thing in the morning was annoying, but fortunately the Commander was busy making rounds through multiple teams. In that window, Beom-jun came to see Min-ho.
‘I hope my boy’s doing well.’
As expected, the newcomer Min-ho was drawing considerable attention from the other doctors.
“Wow, Korea University Hospital really does handle diverse cases.”
“Do you recruit patients as research subjects?”
“Not so much that. It’s just that we see so many patients overall. We can’t help but encounter diverse cases.”
The other team members nodded at Min-ho’s words. They were all Residents or Interns. Min-ho likely had the most seniority among them.
And among them was Intern Choi Woo-jeong. Without a specialty yet, to be assigned to the cardiac team, he must have made quite the pitch during the application.
“Director!”
When Min-ho spotted Beom-jun, the entire group turned to look at him. Everyone’s faces clearly read: ‘So that’s the Director of Korea University Hospital.’
Beom-jun extended one hand in a knowing gesture toward Min-ho.
Seeing that gesture, Team H-2 understood that Min-ho had a special connection with the Korea University Hospital Director.
‘Looks like he knows the Director!’
‘So it’s true that the Korea University Director is backing thoracic surgery!’
Beom-jun, seeing the Residents and Interns who couldn’t tear their eyes away from him, opened his Item Window.
[Equip Semi-transparent Cloak? Yes / No.]
He’d been meaning to try it anyway—good timing.
Beom-jun put on the Semi-transparent Cloak.
Instantly, the doctors who’d been unable to look away turned their heads simultaneously. It was as if Beom-jun had never been there at all.

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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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