Surviving as a Rogue Hospital Director - Chapter 85

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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 85.
Two weeks had passed since the Unsung Hospital doctors arrived at Korea University Hospital. After the brief training period ended, the physicians began working in earnest.
They provided support beside the attending professors during consultations,
assisted in surgeries,
and managed patient orders for the hospitalized, filling each day with work.
Of course there were many trial and errors, but Korea University Hospital could finally breathe now that its ranks were filled. The difference between one person doing work, two people doing it, or three people doing it became visceral.
The Thoracic Surgery Department, which had only Im Sung-hyuk as its professor, felt it most acutely.
“Was the hospital always like this?”
Even running all day, Sung-hyuk had struggled to see all the patients, and now faced with unexpected free time, he found himself unable to enjoy it.
He filled the empty hours by checking for any overlooked details, yet each time he verified, all patient treatments were proceeding smoothly without a hitch.
With time still left over, he even drafted a paper on a new treatment method, and still there was nothing to do.
‘What should I do.’
Sung-hyuk watched the second hand move across the clock face. It was lunchtime. He rose slowly and headed toward the cafeteria.
“Aren’t you Professor Im Sung-hyuk? My goodness, you look even better in person.”
“I’ve watched Korea University Hospital’s promotional video a hundred times without exaggerating!”
He’d meant to eat quietly and leave, but things didn’t go as planned. The cafeteria workers recognized him as they dished out food, and at their words, other staff members stole glances.
Embarrassed, Sung-hyuk quickly filled his tray.
He scooped up steaming rice, spicy braised chicken, and potato strips mixed with ham.
Since he’d barely eaten at the hospital before, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had cafeteria food like this.
“Professor, eat plenty and stay strong.”
“Yes, thank you very much.”
After receiving a seaweed soup that somehow had more meat than seaweed, he turned to find Min-ho and Hyun-ji waving at him.
“Professor Im Sung-hyuk, over here.”
“Wow, we’re meeting you at the cafeteria!”
They sat side by side. Sung-hyuk set his tray down across from them and thought to himself.
‘Come to think of it, the three of us have never eaten together.’
Though he’d eaten with the Hospital Director before, he’d never shared a meal with Min-ho and Hyun-ji.
On those days when it was already fortunate to eat at all, how could he have noticed others eating?
“Next time, let’s eat out. I’ll treat you somewhere nice.”
Sung-hyuk spoke to Min-ho and Hyun-ji the way Beom-jun had once spoken to him.
“Wow, thank you.”
“Really?? What’s gotten into you, Professor~~”
Seeing how pleased they were, Sung-hyuk felt oddly proud.
Before, he’d focused entirely on his patients,
but now that he had breathing room, he began to notice the people around him who helped him.
* * *
Meanwhile, Jeong Da-eun was eating her lunch box in the exclusive lounge for Unsung Hospital doctors.
Even as she ate with one hand, her other monitored patient orders on her laptop.
She’d taken on order management after the training period ended, and it was by her own choice.
‘By looking at the orders, I can understand how Korea University Hospital treats patients.’
She managed dozens of prescriptions with calm precision and keen observation.
Patient diet, monitored vital signs, antibiotics, cardiac anticoagulants, and antihypertensive medications.
She meticulously analyzed and noted the combinations and sequences of drugs, as well as the process of deciding on aggressive and invasive treatments like surgery.
Most of the basic protocols used at Unsung Hospital were the same, but if there was a difference, it was the presence of Im Sung-hyuk.
Even in situations that seemed utterly hopeless for recovery, the moment his hand touched a patient, they invariably survived.
‘How is this even possible.’
Da-eun marveled and wondered as she observed the patients’ treatment courses—how their vital signs, blood pressure and temperature, the markers of life itself, shifted from abnormal back to normal.
And she discovered something else: his orders weren’t standardized. Even for the same condition, Professor Im Sung-hyuk tailored each prescription to the individual patient.
If a patient reported gastrointestinal distress, he’d switch to injectable medication, or if a patient’s food intake had decreased, he’d prescribe supplements out of consideration.
Through his orders, having glimpsed Im Sung-hyuk’s judgment and mind, she murmured to herself.
“Huh, he’s got quite a warm side, doesn’t he.”
She’d known from the rumors that he was skilled at surgery, but there was more to him than that.
Then she spoke to the thoracic surgery resident who’d come from Unsung.
“Did you write tomorrow’s standing orders for the admitted patients?”
“Oh, I’m doing it right now.”
“Tomorrow we’re switching the Antibiotics
*
since the Blood Culture
**
results will be coming soon, so it’s better to wait and not enter an order yet.”
*Antibiotics
**Blood Culture
She pointed out in advance where the resident might make mistakes.
“Yes, thank you!!”
Jeong Da-eun found the gaps and filled them quietly, methodically, as if there had never been any gaps at all. Which is why, unless one looked very carefully, her presence was easy to overlook.
But in that place, Da-eun performed her role in silence.
* * *
Beom-jun occasionally received news from Young-ran about the 77th Ward, and among it was information about Professor Jeong Da-eun.
“There’s a Professor Jeong Da-eun in the Thoracic Surgery Department at Unsung Hospital. It seems she was the attending physician for the patient Eun Seo-young at Unsung Hospital.”
The Jeong Da-eun that Young-ran mentioned was the figure who had become Im Sung-hyuk’s reliable pillar of support in .
In the original work, Sung-hyuk was dispatched to Unsung Hospital, and during that dispatch, Da-eun carefully assisted him.
When Sung-hyuk forged ahead without hesitation, Da-eun harmonized the dissonance from behind, and their synergy was quite good. By the time Sung-hyuk’s dispatch to Unsung Hospital ended, he even regretted parting.
But that Da-eun had been Eun Seo-young’s attending physician—this was information unknown in .
Honestly, Young-ran had registered her as Talent without much thought, but now that another talent had been added, she could gather information from multiple angles.
Beom-jun actively embraced Young-ran’s discerning suggestion.
‘This works out well since I need to complete the Main Quest anyway.’
[Main Quest: Recruit a Talent from Unsung Hospital]
Register one Talent related to Unsung Hospital before the dispatch concludes.
Reward: Survival Probability +3%
Failure: Death
The way circumstances aligned so neatly suggested that Professor Jeong Da-eun was the right person for this quest.
After all, she’d assisted Im Sung-hyuk well in the original work, so she’d inevitably become entangled with him again.
In the meantime, all Beom-jun had to do was complete the quest.
‘If I play this right, I might be able to clear the Hidden Quest all at once too?’
The Hidden Quest about becoming Unsung’s benefactor weighed on his mind. Honestly, he’d thought he might not be able to clear it this time, but if he used Da-eun well, it might be possible.
“Does Professor Da-eun have anything she particularly likes?”
“Hmm, she’s usually modest in her tastes, but ah! She likes snacks. She seems to like sweet things.”
Beom-jun asked Young-ran about Da-eun, and Young-ran shared something personal with him.
Having heard this, Beom-jun headed to the lounge used by the Unsung doctors. He carried a carrier case of coffee in both hands.
‘If there’s something to build closeness with, I should use it actively.’
As Beom-jun entered the lounge, surprised at seeing him, the Unsung Hospital doctors listened as he spoke with a smile.
“You all work so hard. Please help yourselves. These are on us.”
The carrier held beverages of all kinds. Since he only knew that Professor Jeong Da-eun liked sweets but didn’t know her specific preferences, he’d grabbed everything on the menu.
The residents from Unsung Hospital received coffees from Beom-jun’s hands and arranged them on the table, and in that space, Beom-jun spotted Da-eun.
[Talent detected.]
[Name: Jeong Da-eun / Position: Professor]
Medical Interview: ■■■■□
Diagnosis: ■■■□□
Consultation: ■■■■□
Treatment: ■■■□□
Follow-up: ■■■■□
– Growth Potential: Average
– Affinity Rating: 3
– Notes: Unsung Hospital Personnel
[Dislikes standing out. Takes good care of people at the margins.]
‘Not bad.’
Three or four boxes meant above-average ability. Add growth potential and affinity rating on top of that. Everything was at a decent level without any glaring weaknesses.
And most importantly, there was no hostility in her. Though it appeared frequently enough among other Unsung Hospital doctors.
‘This works. This is good enough.’
Beom-jun checked Da-eun’s talent information and nodded to himself.
The purpose was to recruit talent and complete the quest anyway, so there was no need for an extraordinary doctor. Someone moderately skilled and moderately good-hearted was sufficient.
Da-eun followed the movement of the coffee from the carrier to the table with her eyes. Her pupils rolled back and forth like a cat watching a toy.
When a caramel-colored Vanilla Latte emerged, she swallowed, but didn’t reach for it hastily.
‘She said she dislikes standing out.’
[Jeong Da-eun’s Affinity Rating has increased by 1.]
Instead, the status window told him she was pleased.
Beom-jun suddenly remembered when he’d registered Min-ho as Talent. Whether child or adult, people liked those who gave them food, but due to their work environment, doctors often had their basic needs unmet.
Wherever they went, they received the treatment due to learned people, but in reality they were ordinary people whose affinity rating rose just from being fed well.
According to Young-ran, the Unsung doctors were beginning to voice complaints.
“Director, it seems the Unsung doctors are gradually developing discontent. I think they expected to receive some kind of consideration.”
Having come from far away, they’d thought they’d be taken care of to some degree.
When Beom-jun first heard Young-ran’s words, he was taken aback.
‘What, hospitality? That’s ridiculous.’
He’d thought only patients wanted service, but Unsung Hospital’s doctors wanted it too.
It seemed they expected to receive service in proportion to the high level of service they provided. Well, employees were internal customers too.
So Beom-jun prepared a small event for them.
He couldn’t reduce their patient care load,
but he could certainly provide them with hospitality as guests.
As the Unsung doctors each claimed their portion of beverages, Beom-jun gestured toward the inner space of the lounge, separated by curtains.
He gestured toward the inner area of the lounge.
“And we’ve prepared an exclusive space for Unsung. I heard your shifts run late, and it’s nice seeing you all work so hard.”
Where old bunk beds had stood, massage chairs and plush recliners were now arranged in rows.
The refrigerator and shelves were stocked full of snacks.
Having addressed food and drink among the three necessities, Beom-jun spoke to the Unsung Hospital doctors.
“Opportunities like this don’t come often. I hope your time here, seeing patients directly during this dispatch, becomes meaningful for all of you.”
It was his way of saying work hard since you never know when you’ll get another chance. Don’t just learn—provide labor to Korea University Hospital!
“This is a bit overdue, but welcome to Korea University Hospital.”
Beom-jun treated the Unsung Hospital doctors with a good-natured smile. But seeing their moved expressions, it seemed some misunderstanding had taken root.
“Wow, thank you so much. We’ll work hard.”
“Now it actually feels like we can do our jobs!!”
As long as they treated patients well, nothing else mattered.
Da-eun was watching Beom-jun with quiet intensity. In her hand was the latte she’d spotted earlier.

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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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