Surviving as a Rogue Hospital Director - Chapter 94
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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 94.
Unlike the Status Window appearing, the reward item did not manifest.
‘What is this? Where’s the direct phone number?’
Beom-jun clicked on the Status Window that had appeared before his eyes.
[You have obtained your reward.]
[As a reward, you have obtained the Eun Seong Group Chairman’s Direct Phone Number.]
[The reward item ‘Eun Seong Group Chairman’s Direct Phone Number’ is being input.]
Only a notice saying it was being input. The reward item still hadn’t appeared.
As Beom-jun rolled his eyes while looking at thin air, Sung-hyuk asked.
“Hospital Director, are you looking for something?”
And just then, Beom-jun’s phone rang.
— Brring, brring.
An ordinary, unremarkable ringtone.
An unsaved number appeared on the screen.
Normally, Beom-jun would not take a call in front of a patient, but something told him this was different.
“Hello?”
“Hello, is this Hospital Director Choi Beom-jun?”
“Yes, it is.”
A young man’s voice Beom-jun had never heard before came through the phone.
“Nice to meet you. This is Eun Ji-hu, Vice Chairman of Eun Seong Group.”
So the reward was giving him the direct number, and now the call was coming through.
Beom-jun knew about Eun Ji-hu as well.
In Doctor X, he was the most brilliant genius—exceptionally clever. But he didn’t use that brilliant mind for good.
‘He was the one who got along so well with Han Myeong-jae. And above all, it wouldn’t be the Eun Seong Group Chairman—so what’s going on?’
“First, I want to thank you for treating Seo-young so well. It seems we’ve come to owe Korean University Hospital quite a debt because of this.”
He, the older brother of Eun Seo-young, offered his gratitude to Beom-jun first.
“Since you came to Korean University Hospital as a patient, it was only natural. We would have done the same for anyone, not just Eun Seo-young.”
When Beom-jun’s mention of her name came through the phone, Eun Seo-young’s ears perked up. Sung-hyuk did the same.
‘Who is he talking to?’
‘Who is it? Do I know them?’
Both their true feelings seemed written plainly on their faces.
“Yes, of course.”
Meanwhile, Eun Ji-hu, who had offered his thanks, didn’t quite respond properly to Beom-jun’s words.
“Our Chairman would like to see you—when would be convenient for you?”
‘Ah, so that’s why he called. Scheduling?’
It seemed the Chairman found it awkward to call the hospital director directly when they had no prior relationship. It would be awkward if he were refused.
But Beom-jun had no reason to decline.
Eun Seong Hospital was one of the top four hospitals in South Korea, and he could benefit from the Eun Seong prestige.
Moreover, Eun Seong Hospital was located on the east side of Seoul, geographically far from Korean University Hospital. Unlike Cheonhui University Hospital, which was ten minutes away, they didn’t compete and split patients from the start.
That’s why the Chairman got along so closely with Eun Ji-hu.
In return for transferring Korean University Hospital’s medical technology, he probably pocketed a considerable sum.
“I’m free anytime, so you can set the date whenever the Chairman wishes. Will it be just the two of you and me?”
“Yes, I think so.”
Beom-jun asked about who would be present, probing him. If it was just him and the Chairman, then Eun Ji-hu the Vice Chairman would only call and not attend.
‘Does he have something to discuss in secret?’
It was strange that instead of just offering thanks, he was suggesting they meet.
“Then I’ll contact you again once the schedule is confirmed.”
The brief call ended with Eun Ji-hu’s words. As Beom-jun put his phone away, Eun Seo-young asked as if she’d been waiting.
“That was our older brother, wasn’t it?”
“Could you hear his voice?”
“I didn’t hear him, but it was obvious. My brother runs errands for Father pretty much all the time.”
From Eun Seo-young’s words, Beom-jun got a rough picture. Just as the Hospital Director Beom-jun did for the Chairman in Doctor X, Eun Ji-hu appeared to be clinging closely to the Chairman while running his errands.
From what Beom-jun remembered, Eun Ji-hu wanted to become President. At his young age, just being Vice Chairman couldn’t satisfy his ambitions.
Perhaps he’d only stop when there was nowhere left to climb. The step after President would be Chairman.
‘The Eun Seong Group Chairman didn’t appear in Doctor X. The fact that his contact info was a reward item suggests he might be someone useful.’
Beom-jun knew nothing about the Chairman. Eun Ji-hu had been his action figure, while the Chairman stayed strictly behind the scenes.
‘Usually when that’s the case, they’re the villain, right?’
For some reason, Beom-jun had a bad feeling about this.
It was partly because he didn’t have a good impression of Eun Seong Hospital itself.
The way they treated doctors as if they were hospital accessories, slotting them in as needed, was very similar to the hospital he’d worked at in his previous life.
So would the Eun Seong Group Chairman at the very top be any different? Lacking information about the other party, Beom-jun felt a bit uneasy.
Meanwhile, Sung-hyuk was watching his superior’s expression darken in real time.
His boss, who wasn’t even in good health, now had to meet with high-ranking officials from another hospital.
Since Eun Seong Hospital was dispatched to Korean University Hospital, Sung-hyuk’s work-life balance had visibly improved.
With free time, he could check on his patients one more time and look after the medical staff he worked with.
But all of that must have been thanks to the Hospital Director running around busily.
“I’ll go with you. Isn’t this meeting because of Eun Seo-young? Since I’m her attending physician, I can be helpful.”
Sung-hyuk said to Beom-jun. He didn’t know exactly how he’d help, but it seemed better than letting him go alone.
“No need. What are you going for?”
Beom-jun laughed softly at Sung-hyuk’s words. He was touched that the man was willing to make time.
When they first met, he was obsessed only with patients.
His passion for treatment was admirable, but on the other hand, Sung-hyuk had constantly clashed with staff—now it seemed he’d gained some room to breathe.
“No, I will go with you.”
Even when Beom-jun tried to stop him, Sung-hyuk was resolute. His eyes showed the same determination as when he treated his patients.
According to the original story, after Im Sung-hyuk saved Eun Seo-young,
Korean University Hospital and Eun Seong Hospital developed a close relationship centered on the Chairman and Eun Ji-hu.
If Beom-jun was taking the Chairman’s place, then replacing Eun Ji-hu’s role would probably be the Eun Seong Group Chairman. Objectively, Sung-hyuk didn’t need to be involved here.
But then Eun Seo-young spoke up casually, supporting Sung-hyuk.
“I think it would actually be better for you both to go. My father’s mind can be swayed easily. Talking to two people would probably be more effective than just one.”
‘Is that so? Since he’s the protagonist of Doctor X, maybe bringing him along will help?’
Beom-jun changed his mind. This was within Doctor X. Maybe the protagonist buff wouldn’t hurt.
“I’ll let you know once the schedule is set.”
For the first time since possessing this body, Beom-jun had to meet someone with no prior intel, and having Sung-hyuk at his side was reassuring.
“Yes, I’ll be waiting.”
* * *
A few days later, Beom-jun went to the Eun Seong Headquarters to meet the Eun Seong Group Chairman. Unlike the Eun Seong Hospital on the east side of Seoul, the Headquarters was downtown.
Right in front of Cheonggyecheon. Two massive glass buildings were connected side by side.
“The building is incredibly tall.”
Sung-hyuk tilted his head back to see the top of the structure. Far above, at the unreachable peak, sat only the Eun Seong Group logo. There wasn’t a trace of effort to stand out ostentatiously. The name Eun Seong itself was already a brand.
The area around the building looked like a well-organized plaza. A small garden and walking paths were pleasantly arranged, yet not a single employee passed through.
‘It’s like a ghost city.’
Like Yeouido on a weekend when all the office workers had left, the space had no vitality whatsoever.
“Hello. You’re Hospital Director Choi Beom-jun from Korean University Hospital, correct? Welcome to Eun Seong. Please come this way.”
As Beom-jun and Sung-hyuk stood in the Lobby, an employee came out to greet them.
“I should have come out to meet you earlier, and I apologize for that.”
The employee, who carried an air of meticulousness and composure, apologized to Beom-jun first.
“No, it’s fine. We’d just arrived. Don’t worry about it. Thanks to you, we even got to see the Eun Seong building.”
Beom-jun tried to ease the employee’s tension with a playful tone, but the man rushed to apologize.
“No, I’m sorry. The Chairman instructed me to take good care of you, and I was late.”
Then he brought up the Chairman without being asked. Beom-jun and Sung-hyuk exchanged a meaningful glance at the awkward air.
‘What’s with this atmosphere?’
The employee was very polite, but beyond the necessary words, he didn’t speak at all.
“Where we’re heading now is the Chairman’s Office. Normally you’d meet in a conference room, but since you’re a VIP guest, the Chairman has arranged to meet you in his office.”
“Without an access card, the elevator is restricted. I’ll be waiting outside when you leave, so feel free to converse freely.”
With Beom-jun in the middle and the employee and Sung-hyuk on either side, the three spoke not a word as they made their way through the Lobby toward the Chairman’s Office.
In the heavy silence, only the employee’s shoe soles clicked. Dressed in a complete suit, he smiled mechanically only when speaking, and his manner looked quite eerie.
As if he weren’t alive. His body moved fine, but somehow his soul seemed dead.
— Ding.
The elevator doors opened, and they arrived at a floor accessible only to executives.
The floor was carpeted, so now not even the employee’s footsteps could be heard.
The hallway was absurdly wide. At this width, two patient beds could pass through.
Hospitals are designed based on patient traffic flow, so they’re built considering the number and placement of elevators, corridor width, and the flow between patient rooms and operating rooms.
‘Uselessly spacious.’
On the other hand, a company hallway like this would only see people passing through, and Beom-jun thought the entire Eun Seong building looked extravagant.
“This way. I’ll be waiting across the hall.”
The employee gestured toward a door and stepped back. There, secretaries were gathered. It was the first moment Beom-jun spotted actual people at Eun Seong.
But the secretaries were just as cold and mechanical as the employee who’d brought him.
“Shall we go in?”
“Yeah, let’s do this.”
After a few seconds of silence, Sung-hyuk opened the door and stepped in first. Beom-jun peered inside from one step behind.
Unlike Korean University Hospital where he was the center, Beom-jun, now a visitor, felt strangely out of place.
The interior wasn’t as ornate as he’d imagined.
But from the broad windows, the city panorama was visible at a glance.
And in the midst of it, Beom-jun spotted one person. The master of this place. The Eun Seong Group Chairman welcomed him.
“Hospital Director Choi Beom-jun. This is our first meeting—it’s good to see you.”
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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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