The Physician of Traditional Medicine Returns from Murim - Chapter 375

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 375

Vittore Cervini kept his promise.

Without saying a single word about himself and his subordinates being mafia.

He had become friends with the cardinal’s group solely through topics of health and traditional Korean medicine.

“Doctor Han, you look somewhat displeased.”

“There’s something that didn’t go as planned. …Though it doesn’t seem like it’ll be bad in the end.”

As I answered Mario Moretti’s question with a sigh.

One of the clergy offered comfort that wasn’t quite comfort.

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

It seemed to be a Bible verse, and it was quite relatable.

‘Right, I should think of this as fate and accept it.’

I had done what I could.

Both in Busan and after coming to Rome.

From now on, whatever happens would be Sandro’s responsibility.

“Wow, I was curious about how Doctor Han became so close with his patients, but there are coincidental encounters like this too!”

Anyway, Sandro was happy.

And the pizza and wine were delicious.

“Cheer up.”

Seo Inae patted my back with comforting intent.

So I steeled my heart while fearing the future.

We had an enjoyable meal listening to the righteous man’s praise of abstaining from alcohol, smoking, and extolling coptis.

* * *

The next day.

It was my sixth day in Rome. The fifth day since opening the clinic.

Though patients weren’t doubling in number every day.

Each person’s treatment satisfaction was quite high.

Patients who needed continuous treatment were also steadily accumulating, agreeing with the necessity.

“Oh, Dr. Lucarelli! Doctor Han! I’ve missed you so much. I wanted to be the first to come, but wouldn’t you know an important customer suddenly visited? Now I finally get to see our long-awaited clinic!”

Chairman Richi, who I thought would appear first as he said, finally visited the clinic.

He had been supporting Sandro for a long time and actively helped with this opening, finally confirming the results.

“I heard Manager Seo worked very hard! Thanks to that, it was made so perfectly.”

Chairman Richi raised both arms to admire the harmoniously arranged oriental painting frames.

And requested a handshake with Seo Inae.

It seemed his secretary had reported in detail even about the opening process.

“The Rome branch is also officially Seongsoo Oriental Medicine Clinic, and it’s my job, so of course.”

The artist chairman exclaimed about the wallpaper and lighting with each step he took.

I thought he was deliberately exaggerating to give praise.

But he also seemed genuinely happy that the essence of Eastern culture had entered his building.

“Chairman, will you also receive treatment?”

But I couldn’t let him continue like that, so I interrupted Chairman Richi.

He came 30 minutes before closing time, wasn’t it to receive acupuncture?

“Oh my, that’s right. Dr. Lucarelli, please treat me.”

“Do you have any painful areas?”

“Please help my energy flow well. My head throbs whenever I think too much!”

It was a symptom typical of Chairman Richi, similar to when he visited Korea.

Sandro, now quite accustomed to treatment, identified his temporal muscle tension.

He brought up sympathetic nerve excitement and taught him breathing techniques too.

But still, Chairman Richi preferred the explanation about accepting vital energy and expelling pathogenic energy for circulation.

Rather than how breathing relates to autonomic nerve imbalance.

“My head feels refreshed, and my hands and feet are warm. Perfect water ascending, fire descending!”

He even knew about water ascending, fire descending, which we had never told him about.

Beyond the mutual generation and destruction of the five elements, his knowledge had extended that far?

“Before the throbbing occurs, please come often for preventive treatment. You’re always welcome, Chairman.”

“Ooooh! I’m delighted!”

After finishing the simple acupuncture treatment.

We headed to the hotel at Chairman Richi’s invitation.

The distance wasn’t far.

And it was a place we had become quite familiar with in a few days.

After all, Seo Inae and I were staying at the Richi Hotel thanks to Chairman Richi’s kindness.

“This is my first time eating the dinner buffet.”

“What? Didn’t my secretary tell you that Doctor Han could eat as much as you want every day?”

Chairman Richi was startled by my casual remark as we entered the buffet.

I had eaten breakfast several times, but this was my first dinner at the hotel buffet, and my muttering to myself almost got the secretary in trouble.

“No, I heard about it, but I’ve been a bit busy.”

We had already planned to eat here today anyway.

It was just my first time because I had been going around Rome’s various restaurants with Seo Inae.

“Our Richi Hotel is world-famous for having delicious buffets. When you think of Richi Hotel! the signature dishes that immediately come to mind are that Black Angus prime rib and Oriental seafood tower. Wow, isn’t that impressive?”

“Ooh…”

“And each branch has specially prepared menus using local ingredients, with truffle ravioli being the most popular here in Rome. Since you came today, you must try it.”

President Richi said with great pride.

Since I was staying in the accommodation building, I hadn’t thought of it as such an amazing place, but it seems I was missing what was right under my nose.

Just as he boasted with such confidence, both the quality and scale of the buffet were tremendous.

“Expensive things really are different.”

Seo Inae whispered to me while bringing back loads of lobster and steak that looked the most expensive.

Since I had pizza yesterday too, I was craving something light so I headed to the sushi bar first.

Both Seo Inae and I came here to travel, so we were only thinking about finding local restaurants.

We never even imagined that tasting all the food at the hotel buffet would require dedicating about three days.

Well, there will be other opportunities.

“What are your future overseas expansion plans?”

Once everyone had taken food according to their preferences and sat down, President Richi brought up business talk as if he had been waiting for this moment.

Park Seon-yun and Prince Faisal were like this too – business people really love expansion! growth! that kind of thing.

“We’ve just taken our first step, so where would we have additional expansion plans?”

“What? Any true businessman should be drawing up a blueprint for 20 years from now while taking their first step!”

“I’m not really what you’d call a businessman…”

“I’ve been reading autobiographies of Korean businessmen lately, and I actually shed tears reading the part about winning ship contracts without even having a shipyard.”

“That person is legendary even in South Korea… Isn’t opening a traditional Korean medicine clinic in Italy difficult because of licensing issues?”

This time was a very special case.

Sandro personally had great interest in traditional Korean medicine, plus he had active intentions to study abroad.

Moreover, it was possible because President Richi said he would provide the funding.

Where else would we find another person like this?

“Ah, there’s a misunderstanding. Only Italy and France require medical licenses! There are many countries where the hurdle for acupuncturist certification is much lower. For example, in England you just need to complete education and register with the acupuncturist association, and in Germany you can perform acupuncture treatment with Heilpraktiker (naturopathic practitioner) qualification.”

But President Richi was talking about all of Europe, not just Italy.

While acupuncturist certification isn’t exactly easy, there’s no need to find doctors who completed 6 years of education.

I wondered when he had researched all this – he knew in detail about the different licensing areas for each country.

“If the hurdle is low, that’s problematic in its own way. We should only give our brand to people we’ve trained in our own way, right?”

“That’s natural! But still, isn’t it worth pursuing?”

“Well… If there are interested parties among those with qualifications from their own countries, we could look into finding a way.”

Even in South Korea, Seongsoo Oriental Medicine Clinic isn’t particularly aggressive about network expansion.

If there are interested parties, and if we think they’re suitable, we simply accept them.

If we expand to a level I can’t manage, we’ll end up with the same trouble as with Choi Eunhee.

And overseas expansion is even more delicate.

It would be difficult to always call people to South Korea like Sandro and spend years building up their treatment capabilities.

This time things worked out well through a miraculous connection, but right now, aren’t there no European nationals who want to open as Seongsoo Oriental Medicine Clinic?

“For now, I’m not in a hurry to expand, and if Dr. Lucarelli becomes very, very successful and interested parties emerge, we’ll think about it then.”

“Excellent. Since I have both investment intentions and cooperation intentions, you must contact me first!”

Investing in something that doesn’t even exist.

He must have been truly moved by that autobiography.

But since President Richi was also the one who discovered Sandro among the students he sponsors, you never know.

“If we really do additional expansion, Dr. Lucarelli might be able to work as a European regional education committee member.”

“Gasp, that’s far too generous a position!”

Of course Sandro declined, but that was a story for much later.

How could Seongsoo Oriental Medicine Clinic entrust education to someone who just started their journey as a doctor?

Kim Chunsik had both ability and overflowing determination, so I trusted him with it.

“It would be nice if it works out, and if not, that’s fine too. For now, just fulfilling the role of one doctor is enough.”

“I’ll work hard.”

President Richi and I encouraged him.

President Richi said he would practically spread word here and there to people he knows.

“Your network is a bit burdensome, President…”

“Oh, you don’t need to feel burdened at all. They’re all the same patients! And first, I was thinking of telling the taekwondo dojo my son attends!”

“There must be some Korean expatriates there too?”

“Of course! Just recently when Paolo twisted his ankle, the instructor regretted that acupuncture would be perfect for it!”

That sounds good?

To settle down, roots need to spread out in various directions.

Musicians as musicians, clergy as clergy.

Also, being introduced to the Korean expatriate community through the taekwondo dojo would be good.

Of course, he also mentioned many patients who would actually be burdensome.

Having to treat the relatives and business partners of his sponsor and building owner – it makes me lose my appetite just thinking about it.

“Ah, by any chance, can taste disorders also be treated with acupuncture or herbal medicine?”

Just then President Richi brought up the topic as if he suddenly remembered something.

Sandro was startled, but for me it wasn’t such an unusual condition.

“It depends on the case. I’ve treated taste disorders from COVID-19 complications several times, and there was also a case where gastroesophageal reflux disease was the cause. But if it’s related to endocrine disorders and the underlying disease is intractable, or if it’s been going on for a long time, it’s not easy.”

I saw it quite often in the martial arts world, and in modern times, though not frequently, I’ve treated it several times.

Back then they suspected oral diseases or nutritional deficiencies first, but in modern times the approach would need to be different.

“It’s probably not related to any disease! They went to dental, otorhinolaryngology, internal medicine, and even university hospitals, but there was nothing definitive. Burning mouth syndrome, idiopathic glossodynia… this means there’s no disease, right?”

“Yes. But glossodynia? It’s not just taste disorder but tongue pain too?”

If there’s pain as well, it’s probably neuropathic pain from trigeminal or facial nerve irritation.

“That’s true, but he says it’s not really a burning pain. More like a slight ache. The taste issue is much more problematic! Phew, there’s no friend as serious about gourmet food as him, so you can’t imagine how pitiful it is!”

“Symptoms can vary slightly from person to person. How long has it been?”

“I believe it’s been just under a year.”

Hmm.

I recalled several patients I had treated for taste disorders and tongue pain.

Among them, some patients took a long time to improve just a little, but there were also cases that got better after just one or two treatments.

“I have some ideas, but I can’t tell if that’s the problem just from hearing about it. Could I meet him, even through video call?”

“Oh, really? If you’re willing to see him, I should contact him right away!”

“I’m returning on tomorrow evening’s flight…”

“If I tell him there’s a doctor who might solve this problem, he’ll come running immediately. Our hotel should have at least one conference room available, so please just take a quick look in the morning!”

Chairman Richi jumped up.

He looked ready to make the call right away.

“Then let’s do that. I’d like to see him in person if possible too.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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