Surviving as a Rogue Hospital Director - Chapter 72

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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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Chapter 72.
— Knock, knock.
The next day. Beom-jun had just finished lunch and was settling in when someone came looking for him.
“Hello, Director. You called for me, I heard.”
“Ah, sit there.”
“Yes.”
Ha-rin spoke only what was necessary, her tone clipped and precise. Her long, unpermed hair cascaded past her waist, catching the fluorescent light in a subtle gleam.
In her hand was some kind of pastry. When Beom-jun’s eyes landed on it, she intuited his curiosity and offered an explanation.
“These are biscuits. The Vice Director gave them to me. Would you like to try one?”
As she spoke, she set the pastry on the table. It didn’t seem like she’d brought it as a gift.
‘So she means for us to share.’
Shortly after, Jae-gyeong returned with coffee and tea.
Beom-jun had told him it wasn’t necessary, but Jae-gyeong insisted he wanted to do it—said he was curious who visited the Director’s Office and what they discussed.
For someone with Jae-gyeong’s high level of Internal Communication, such intelligence seemed important. Beom-jun didn’t mind being looked after; besides, his Affection Level was already maxed out, so there was no risk of betrayal.
Yet Jae-gyeong didn’t leave after setting down the drinks. Instead, he lingered, his eyes tracking Ha-rin with visible wariness—as if a woman half his size posed some kind of threat.
“Hello. I’m Kim Jae-gyeong, head of the Secretary’s Office.”
Jae-gyeong fixed her with an intimidating stare and introduced himself without being asked.
Ha-rin, however, seemed largely indifferent to him. When Jae-gyeong still made no move to leave, she turned to Beom-jun with a question.
“Will all three of us be discussing this?”
“No, that’s not it.”
Beom-jun answered her directly. He needed to discuss a project that fell under Jae-gyeong’s purview, which could become awkward if he stayed.
Then again, watching Jae-gyeong do things he normally wouldn’t, it already seemed awkward.
Sensing the tension, Ha-rin gestured toward the pastry and spoke.
“Then… why are you…? Oh, would you like one? I don’t have many to spare.”
“No, I’m fine.”
Jae-gyeong’s reply was cold, but Ha-rin seemed relieved by it rather than discouraged.
“…You can go now.”
Beom-jun mediated, gesturing Jae-gyeong toward the door.
[Kim Jae-gyeong’s emotions are being shared with you.]
When the status window appeared, Beom-jun felt the weight of Jae-gyeong’s sorrow and confusion.
Jae-gyeong surely understood that the Military Hospital Contract Project was being reassigned, yet he seemed lost nonetheless.
‘What am I supposed to do?’
He looked toward Beom-jun, who merely gestured with his chin toward the door. Jae-gyeong closed it with more force than usual and left.
“Sigh.”
Beom-jun opened the Talent Information window.
[Name: Park Ha-rin / Position: Accounting Team Lead]
Budget Management: ■■■■■
Accounting Processing: ■■■■■
Internal Audit: ■■■□□
Financial Strategy: ■■■□□
– Affection Level: 3
– Hostility: Low
[Owner of a sharp and meticulous temperament. Sensitive to numbers. Note: her memory is exceptionally good.]
It was exactly as he’d seen yesterday. The “new!!” icon had since disappeared.
He could guess what happened. There was something called “Synergy.”
Just as Im Sung-hyuk’s Affection Level had risen in tandem with that of another, eliminating the Vice Director’s hostility seemed to have had an effect. It also suggested how deep the bond ran between the Vice Director and Ha-rin.
“Is there something you wanted to discuss with me?”
She sat vacant-eyed, speaking plainly. Her blank expression carried a sort of innocent charm.
But her traits clearly noted that her memory was exceptionally good—especially regarding numbers. He’d have to watch his words.
Beom-jun cleared his throat and began.
“The Military Hospital Contract Project has hit a snag, and I was hoping the Accounting Team Lead could take a look at it.”
“Ah? You mean the 3.8 billion won we received on November 7th?”
‘Whoa, she’s sharp.’
Just as her Talent Information had indicated, she zeroed in on the exact numbers without hesitation.
“Right, that’s the Defense Ministry contract. Personnel placement is done. We’re at the stage of budget allocation and project planning, so nothing should be too difficult. Handover will be handled by that secretary—Kim Jae-gyeong—whom you just saw. We already have drafts for both.”
Beom-jun spoke as though it were a trivial matter. It was a technique he’d often used back when he was a professor.
When delegating work, the start was always the hardest part. No one wanted their duties to change or to have additional tasks piled on top of existing ones.
‘Get a smooth start, then gradually phase things in…’
“That’s the most difficult phase, isn’t it? Because it requires planning, not just execution.”
But Ha-rin was too perceptive to brush off so easily. Beom-jun felt a flutter of embarrassment.
“Well, that depends on who’s handling it, doesn’t it?”
It could be very difficult for some people. But with her Budget Management and Accounting Processing abilities—both already maxed at five bars—it should be manageable. There was reason to be hopeful.
Yet Ha-rin simply continued eating the biscuit quietly at his words.
— Crunch, crunch, crackle.
She seemed still, but her pupils darted rapidly left and right.
‘If she refuses, that could be a problem.’
He’d planned to give her the work and then naturally broach the subject of Personnel Transfer.
[Main Quest: Strengthen Internal Foundations.]
Keep the organization from rotting through rotation. You must transfer the currently registered key talent.
Reward: Survival Probability +3%
Failure: Death
The quest was about Personnel Transfer—different from hiring. He could recruit new people anytime, but transfer was structural. You couldn’t move just one person.
Vacate one seat, and another had to fill it. The structure had to remain intact.
If Jae-gyeong left, someone absolutely had to take his place.
‘Ha-rin would be perfect for this project.’
If she refused outright, he had no suitable personnel to reassign. He couldn’t even use his command authority since she wasn’t his direct staff.
Just then, Ha-rin set down her pastry-dusted hands on her lap. In her blank-eyed gaze lay a sharp, piercing question.
“Could I ask what you mean by a snag?”
Beom-jun felt a slight jolt. He couldn’t very well say it was because Jae-gyeong’s work handling had been amateur.
Of course, Jae-gyeong’s position mattered—but if he made it sound like damaged goods being handed off, Jae-gyeong would refuse outright.
Beom-jun fumbled for an excuse.
“Right, well, you see… it’s an external matter, so I don’t think you’d fully grasp it anyway. But this really is delicious. I can see why people enjoy it so much. Is that raisin flavor?”
“Oh! It’s cranberry. Cranberry and walnut. They pair really well together.”
— Crunch. Crunch.
Thankfully, Ha-rin’s attention shifted back to the pastry. She refocused on it with the same blank expression, giving Beom-jun time to think.
It was from around the latter half of Part One of Doctor X. There was a scene where Ha-rin met a friend who worked at an accounting firm.
Through that conversation, you could understand why she’d left the firm to work at University Hospital—why she’d crossed from the world of accountants into medicine.
‘The accounting firm just wasn’t right for me. Checking other people’s books to see if they’re wrong or right felt off.’
Salary and work-life balance both mattered, but the accounting firm work hadn’t suited her. She’d said she hated hunting for errors and offering suggestions.
“Here, it’s not about reviewing numbers—it’s about creating them.”
At University Hospital, she could sit at the table where decisions were made. She could participate in the process where money was generated.
“As long as there are no major issues, we’ll proceed with your recommendations. The Military Hospital Contract Project’s direction will be decided by your hands.”
— Crackle.
Ha-rin’s hands stilled at his words. Crumbs lay scattered like dust across her lap.
“That sounds good.”
Beom-jun saw a spark of clarity flash across her previously vacant eyes.
“But there’s a condition.”
She chewed quietly for a moment, then spoke further. After that, she left the Director’s Office.
He’d wondered what she was mulling over while eating, but her demands turned out to be far more concrete than he’d expected.
[Park Ha-rin’s Affection Level has increased by 1.]
Beom-jun let out a soft laugh at the status window.
“That much is easy enough.”
What she wanted wasn’t particularly difficult for him to arrange.
* * *
“Director, have I made any mistakes or done something wrong lately?”
A short while later,
Jae-gyeong, who’d slammed the Director’s Office door behind him, returned looking crumpled and worn.
“Why? Is there something bothering you?”
“I thought maybe I was being sold off to the Vice Director.”
“Who said you were for sale? They couldn’t buy you even if they paid.”
“Director!!”
It seemed Jae-gyeong had assumed he’d be transferred to fill the void left by Ha-rin’s move.
“Word’s already spreading in Accounting that a junior is coming. They’re saying Team Lead Ha-rin’s being transferred to the Secretary’s Office.”
Jae-gyeong relayed the rumor he’d picked up outside. As with all organizations, such news traveled remarkably fast.
Beom-jun spoke to the worried Jae-gyeong.
“It’s just a rumor.”
“Really? Just a rumor… Oh! Really??”
Ha-rin’s condition was singular.
Concurrent Position. She wouldn’t leave the Vice Director’s side. She’d maintain her role as Accounting Team Lead but take on Secretary’s Office duties concurrently. She wouldn’t even relocate her work location.
She seemed obsessed with the biscuit on the surface, but she knew how to secure real advantage. She was clearly sharp.
“I thought you were transferring me out.”
“That’s also true.”
Beom-jun studied Jae-gyeong intently.
[Name: Kim Jae-gyeong / Position: Secretary’s Office Director]
Schedule Management: ■■■□□
Administrative Support: ■■■■□
Internal Communication: ■■■■□
External Cooperation: ■■□□□
– Growth Potential: Minimal
– Affection Level: MAX
[Textbook example of ‘a good-hearted person.’ Needs detailed explanation to follow instructions.]
Since diving into Doctor X, Jae-gyeong had been someone Beom-jun saw almost daily. Beom-jun appreciated his sincerity and constant presence at his side.
But Beom-jun could only delegate grunt work to him; there was nothing he could teach him.
Beom-jun realized he needed to actually mentor him after registering Min Jeong-sik as talent. Management work, which he’d taken lightly, turned out to be far more substantial than expected.
With such minimal growth potential, raising Jae-gyeong’s numbers would take a long time. But leaving him as-is would, in the long run, waste his potential.
Rather than become a specialist in one field, it would be better if he became a well-rounded operative.
“How about working under Min Jeong-sik? You’ll have plenty to learn. Your position stays the same.”
Min Jeong-sik also lacked adequate staff and was handling much of the work himself, so the fit was good.
“…Min Jeong-sik?”
Jae-gyeong blinked, but he didn’t seem averse. Min Jeong-sik was a seasoned figure at University Hospital, after all.
Jae-gyeong already knew Beom-jun held Min Jeong-sik’s abilities in high regard.
‘Wow, Min Jeong-sik is no joke. He’s already on track to pass IRB.’
In the Jason Therapy approval process, the Director had often expressed admiration for Min Jeong-sik.
The Director didn’t say things he didn’t mean, so that praise was surely genuine.
‘Is there anyone else the Director has acknowledged besides Professor Im Sung-hyuk? I don’t think so.’
And Professor Im, being a physician, felt professionally distant, but Min Jeong-sik was different. Someday, Jae-gyeong might reach that position himself.
“Give it a try. If it doesn’t work out, you can come back.”
Beom-jun said this to the hesitant Jae-gyeong.
“Come on, who transfers people back and forth like that?”
“Who else? I do.”
At his words, both Beom-jun and Jae-gyeong burst out laughing.
“I’ll go right away.”
* * *
A few days later, University Hospital’s website posted a Personnel Transfer notice.
There were two subjects.
– Personnel Transfer No. 305.
Park Ha-rin, Accounting Team Lead
Park Ha-rin, Secretary’s Office Director (Concurrent Position)
– Personnel Transfer No. 306
Kim Jae-gyeong, Planning and Coordination Office Director
– The above personnel transfers are hereby announced. University Hospital Director Choi Beom-jun
‘Done.’
Beom-jun confirmed the notice posted on the hospital website. Immediately, the status window he’d been waiting for appeared.
[Main Quest completed.]
[Main Quest: Strengthen Internal Foundations.]
[Choi Beom-jun’s Survival Probability has increased by 3%.]
[Current Survival Probability: 59%.]

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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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