Surviving as a Rogue Hospital Director - Chapter 34

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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 34.
The day Kim Pan-su was discharged.
When Beom-jun entered the patient room, Seong-hyeok was already there. Beom-jun offered a light nod to Seong-hyeok and inquired after Kim Pan-su’s well-being.
“Did you sleep well? I hear you’re being discharged today. You’ve been through so much.”
The patient’s recovery after surgery had been uneventful, so discharge was arranged. For the time being, he would return for checkups every two weeks.
In the brief time they’d known each other, Beom-jun had grown quite fond of Kim Pan-su. It felt almost sad to see him leave in good health.
“Heh heh heh, I’ve been sleeping wonderfully these past few days. I didn’t realize lying in bed could feel this good. Thank you.”
Before, whenever he ran short of breath, he would have had to wake and sit upright. For Kim Pan-su, semi-recumbent position must have been the most comfortable way to breathe.
He seemed profoundly satisfied with being able to sleep through the night without waking. After all, “whether daily life is possible” is a crucial indicator of health.
Having shed his hospital gown, he wore a suit and fedora, the same as when he’d first arrived at Hanguk University Hospital. His eyes brimmed with affection and trust.
“Take care. And don’t forget to manage your pacemaker properly.”
Seong-hyeok seemed to feel the same way. The fact that he’d come to the patient room directly, even outside of rounds, spoke volumes.
Since the blood flow through the coronary artery was now secured, the key going forward would be managing the pacemaker inserted beneath the clavicle and under the skin. Given his age, it should last him for the rest of his life.
“Yes, then, I’ll see you again.”
Kim Pan-su bowed respectfully to Seong-hyeok—a customary parting. It carried the typical Korean meaning of “let’s grab a meal sometime if the occasion arises.”
“No.”
But Beom-jun spoke up firmly.
“It would actually be best for you if you never had to see us again.”
Now that surgery had gone well, he would be transferred to the Cardiology Department. If he ever encountered Seong-hyeok again, it would only be if his condition had deteriorated.
Kim Pan-su burst into hearty laughter at Beom-jun’s words.
“Har har har, that’s right. Then let’s not see each other again—I’ll just cheer you on from afar.”
Today, instead of his daughter-in-law, Kim Pan-su’s son had come. Not having heard the full story during all this time, the son didn’t quite grasp Beom-jun’s joke, but he laughed appropriately to match the mood.
“Ah? Haha.”
Today, the two of them would likely have plenty to discuss.
Beom-jun concealed his reluctance and quietly watched Kim Pan-su’s retreating figure as he left the hospital. Until he became nothing but a speck and vanished.
Only after Kim Pan-su had disappeared did Beom-jun speak.
“We should head out right away. Is everything prepared?”
“Yes, of course.”
With that, Beom-jun and Seong-hyeok attended the department conference. There was a case presentation on Kim Pan-su to be given.
News that the surgery—one many had deemed impossible and dangerous—had ended successfully drew prolonged applause.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.
It was because Seong-hyeok had both inserted the pacemaker and opened the coronary artery in simultaneous surgery, performing both procedures flawlessly.
Holding the microphone, Seong-hyeok repeated the phrase: “It’s difficult, but not impossible. It is possible.”
The professors who had offered unsolicited advice beforehand all fell silent, busying themselves with muttering among their peers.
“Honestly, it’s only possible because it’s him, right? This conference is just him showing off.”
“Cases like this can’t be replicated anyway. We can’t use something like this. It’s just a waste of time.”
Their lips sealed, yet their conviction that simultaneous surgery was inadvisable remained unshaken.
In the section where Cardiology was seated, one chair sat empty. Noticing the vacancy, Beom-jun glanced at Jae-gyeong,
and Jae-gyeong, catching the signal, nodded.
After having Han Seung-woo resign, Jae-gyeong had been moving between the Human Resources Department and Cheonhui University’s medical school to plan new hires.
It seemed unlikely that anyone quite as impressive as Kang Se-ra would appear, but for the sake of the future, it would be better to follow proper procedure for the hiring process.
Instead, Beom-jun was planning to give her a subtle hint today: a job posting would soon be announced, so she should prepare.
Jae-gyeong confirmed Kang Se-ra’s seat and informed him.
“Director, she’s sitting in the second row from the back. Our paths shouldn’t cross, but should I go tell her?”
“Either way is fine. Let’s see how things look after the conference ends.”
The nearby doctors wondered and worried about what the hospital director and the executive secretary could be discussing.
‘Good. I just need to keep this up.’
Since entering , Beom-jun had become entangled with various characters. Accordingly, his Survival Probability had been on an upward trajectory.
* * *
The next morning, the Status Window, which had been quiet for some time, appeared.
[New quest generated.]
[Main Quest: Secure a budget for Hanguk University Hospital]
Coordinate with government ministries to obtain budget allocation.
Reward: Survival Probability +3%
Failure: Death
Upon reading the content, Beom-jun realized the next episode had begun.
‘Great, now they’re telling me to go chase down money.’
The work of a hospital director truly defied understanding, but it was certainly nothing like patient care. So this was their way of telling him to expand his influence.
This quest also carried a 3% Survival Probability on the line. That felt rather stingy. At this rate, when would he ever reach 100%?
In any case, the amount of the budget didn’t matter. The question was whether he could secure anything at all, no matter how small.
He had a rough sense of what the situation would be. Soon, a gunshot wound patient from North Korea would arrive.
He was a soldier who had crossed the 38th Parallel. Based on the fact that he’d been shot by North Korean forces, he appeared to be a high-ranking official with considerable intelligence.
Shortly after the patient’s admission, the government had made an official request to Hanguk University Hospital—to keep the patient alive at least well enough to be interviewed.
But despite their request, the patient recovered so well that he could walk to the Prosecutor’s Office.
Which ministry’s budget could he tap into? The patient had so many stakeholders that it was hard to predict.
The Prosecutors? But it was the Ministry of Defense who brought the patient in. Being a North Korean soldier, the Ministry of Unification might also be involved.
Hmm, regardless, he’d have to find a gap and wedge his way in to secure the budget. The type of project would likely differ depending on which ministry it was.
And this quest had one variable. Seong-hyeok wouldn’t be treating this patient alone.
One of the bullets had passed through the spine and lodged near the heart.
Seong-hyeok would collaborate with Neurosurgery, and he’d end up having a major argument with the professor there—but in the process, he’d grow fond of them. The shared hardship of working in harsh conditions created something akin to camaraderie,
“And eventually their eyes met.”
Beom-jun muttered sourly. He remembered his annoyance when watching due to the unexpected romance.
In fact, around this point, Beom-jun had seriously considered quitting. If hospital life had been even slightly less of a mess, he wouldn’t have put up with watching Seong-hyeok fawn over his girlfriend.
‘Well, though the reason came out later.’
The heroine, who had drawn readers’ ire by constantly nagging the protagonist, eventually became a solid foundation when Seong-hyeok became hospital director. Unlike Seong-hyeok, who graduated from a provincial medical school, she was well-connected, having graduated from a prestigious medical school.
With such powerful in-laws behind him, Seong-hyeok became hospital director without significant opposition.
[Hidden Quest unlocked.]
[Hidden Quest: Eliminate the heroine.]
Prevent the heroine from appearing in .
Reward: Superior Lens
This time, a Hidden Quest had been revealed. As Beom-jun had predicted, she was indeed a person to watch. It would definitely be best to eliminate her from the start.
If the two of them grew closer, there was a high chance Seong-hyeok would become interested in hospital management. In , her role was to make Seong-hyeok hospital director.
But Beom-jun had no intention of allowing Seong-hyeok to become hospital director.
‘I have to get rid of the heroine no matter what.’
Completing this Hidden Quest would yield an item as a reward.
[Name: Superior Lens
Property: Within a 1-meter radius, you can view the traits of all individuals.
Remaining uses: 1]
Beom-jun nodded after reviewing the Status Window. Not bad. It meant he could obtain information even on people who weren’t Hanguk University Hospital employees.
He furrowed his brow and dredged the name from his memory.
‘Shin So-jeong, that was her name.’
Beom-jun quickly recalled the name of the Neurosurgery professor who had been the heroine. He remembered it because the name had so many of the letter ‘ㅅ’ sounds in it.
Beom-jun picked up the receiver on his desk and pressed 0. The directly connected number led to Jae-gyeong.
“Yes, Director. Is there something you need?”
“Do you have the personnel roster? I need to check something.”
In response to his call, Jae-gyeong sent a compressed file via messenger. It contained the personal information of all Hanguk University Hospital employees—the complete personnel roster.
Beom-jun clicked on the folder labeled “Professor” and then found Shin So-jeong in alphabetical order.
The three-page personnel file contained no verbose details like self-introductions or hiring motivations. It consisted solely of objective information: education, career, and paper titles.
Along with a small ID photo. Upon confirming Shin So-jeong’s face, Beom-jun’s mouth fell open.
He recognized her.
“That’s the woman from back then.”
The Neurosurgery professor who had shouted herself hoarse, insisting it was absolutely impossible when the Multidisciplinary System was first announced.
Even from a brief glance, it seemed her temperament would be formidable, and the photo bore that out.
Luminous pale skin, a blunt bob cut falling to her jaw. Eyes so large they seemed to make up half her face. Looking at them felt like being consumed by that gaze.
And below the photo lay unexpected information.
Upon confirming the content, Beom-jun’s mouth hung half-open and an unintelligible exclamation escaped him.
“Ah….”
These were details he’d overlooked when he was merely a reader of .
– Graduated from Cheonhui University Medical School
– Completed internship and residency at Cheonhui University Hospital
– Specialist in Neurosurgery, Cheonhui University Cheonhui University Hospital
He’d assumed Shin So-jeong had graduated from a prestigious medical school, but it turned out to be Cheonhui University.
Cheonhui University Hospital and Hanguk University Hospital were inseparable, yet very occasionally, certain rare individuals crossed between them.

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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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