Chapter 77

<Professor Baek Kang-hyuk, the Hope of Korean Trauma Surgery>

<Reviving the Long-Stalled Severe Trauma Center—Finally Gaining Momentum?>

Newspapers with headlines like these were scattered messily on Director Choi Jo-eun’s desk.

Director Choi brushed them aside into a corner and looked up.

Standing before him with a tense expression was Chief Strategy Officer Hong Jae-hoon.

With a faint smile, the director opened his mouth.

“Professor Hong. Didn’t you say there was some kind of incident yesterday and that you were going to handle it?”

“Well… That’s what I was told by the PR team.”

“So it wasn’t an incident after all.”

“That… appears to be the case.”

Professor Hong Jae-hoon wanted to say something else, but unfortunately, he had no idea what he should say.

Truthfully, the most confused person in the room was him.

He had seen it as the perfect opportunity to quietly dispose of Baek Kang-hyuk—the root of the hospital’s deficit and the source of all its problems.

Preferably in a way that wouldn’t bring shame to the hospital.

But somewhere along the way, Kang-hyuk had become a hero.

A national-level hero at that.

“Well, this is… This is a whole different kind of problem now…”

That was when Director Choi said something strange.

In an odd tone.

With an odd expression on his face.

“Sorry? What do you mean by that…?”

Professor Hong couldn’t begin to read the director’s intention.

So he tilted his head and asked.

The director gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

Then he spoke again, this time in a much quieter voice.

“Professor Baek Kang-hyuk. People think I brought him in… but the truth is, it was Minister Choi Pil-du.”

“Minister… Choi?”

“Yes. Our Hanguk University Hospital gets more national funding than any other, right? But we haven’t had a single achievement worth mentioning at the National Assembly audit. So he told us to finally run the Severe Trauma Center properly, and that’s when he brought in Professor Baek Kang-hyuk from somewhere.”

“Ah… So he wasn’t a personal acquaintance of yours?”

“That’s right. I knew there were rumors going around, but it wasn’t something I could openly address every time…”

“Hah.”

Only now did Chief Hong understand why Kang-hyuk could act so brazenly.

Of course, Kang-hyuk’s arrogance had nothing to do with being recommended by the minister.

But to an ordinary person’s mind, it was hard to separate the two.

“But once we brought him in…”

The director continued, eyeing the still-bewildered Chief Strategy Officer.

“Yes.”

“His skills seem good, but he’s a total lone wolf. Even with all the losses he’s caused, he doesn’t show an ounce of remorse—just brazen confidence…”

Based on what the director had said so far, Chief Hong realized that the director didn’t particularly like Kang-hyuk either.

‘Well, of course. To a hospital director, the most important thing isn’t some government minister—it’s the board.’

And the board prioritized practicality over ideals.

In other words, they were people who cared most about money.

Reaching this point in his thoughts, the Chief Strategy Officer finally let out what he had been holding in his heart for so long.

It wasn’t anything grand—just gossip about Kang-hyuk.

“Y-yes. There’s already a lot of grumbling from the other departments. Anesthesiology, Emergency Medicine… the complaints are coming in.”

“I know. Of course I know. But what can I do when it was the minister who sent him? Besides, the Severe Trauma Center is actually running now…”

“Yes, that’s… true.”

Since Kang-hyuk arrived, there had been numerous cases where patients who would’ve otherwise died were saved.

Even as much as Chief Hong disliked him, he couldn’t completely ignore the results.

“So when I got that report yesterday, I was honestly pleased. Sure, the hospital’s image might take a bit of a hit… but honestly, other than Chilseong Hospital, is there any place in Korea that can compete with Hanguk University Hospital? If things got out of hand, we could always ask our journalist friends to publish some heartwarming stories and flip the narrative…”

The director paused mid-sentence and turned toward the pile of newspapers beside him.

They were filled with headlines praising Hanguk University Hospital’s achievements.

But the hospital’s director, Professor Choi Jo-eun, didn’t look pleased.

In fact, he seemed rather troubled.

“But what is this now. We can’t even get rid of Baek Kang-hyuk anymore.”

The director jabbed his finger repeatedly at Kang-hyuk’s face in one of the newspaper photos.

So hard that his fingernail left a crease on the paper.

Professor Hong was about to join in the director’s complaints when he suddenly remembered his place.

“Um, Director. Isn’t there still a silver lining to all this?”

“Silver lining? What silver lining? Ah, you mean the hospital image improving? Come on, there’s no hospital in this country with a better reputation than ours anyway.”

Thinking about it, he wasn’t wrong.

Hanguk University had always been the top university in Korea.

Before Chilseong Hospital rose to prominence with backing from the Chilseong Group, Hanguk University was the undisputed number one.

And even now, its dominance remained unshaken.

After all, most of Chilseong Hospital’s faculty were alumni of Hanguk University.

Director Choi and Chief Hong personally knew at least three or four professors at Chilseong Hospital they could call over at any time.

“St-still… doesn’t this show Minister Choi Pil-du that the Severe Trauma Center is running well? Maybe we’ll get more support…”

Even so, Professor Hong made an effort to console the director.

Though even as he said it, he felt it probably wouldn’t help much.

“Hahaha. Chief Hong, I actually got a call from Minister Choi first thing this morning.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“He said we did an excellent job. And also said he’s counting on us going forward.”

“That’s… all?”

“What more could you expect? It’s not like they’re suddenly going to increase our budget. From his perspective, just making it look like things are running smoothly is enough. Gives him something to tell the President, saves him from being scolded at the next audit.”

Director Choi shook his head after speaking.

Only then did Professor Hong Jae-hoon understand exactly how the situation had unfolded.

‘These bastards just dumped the whole thing on our hospital. Why are people in government always like this?’

It was enough to make anyone furious—maybe once or twice you could hold it in.

It had been the same when they reviewed ICU facilities under the pretense of revitalizing critical care, or when they messed with neonatal ICU services for premature infant support programs.

All the country ever wanted were visible metrics to parade before the public.

They couldn’t care less about the losses or sacrifices the hospital or its staff had to bear.

‘Both of those departments have been running in the red all this time… And now the Severe Trauma Center too…?’

They were lucky if running a deficit was all they had to worry about.

Even that was unfair to begin with.

But what if something went wrong?

Everything they’d achieved until now would be wiped clean.

“Now you understand why I’m so miserable?”

Director Choi gave a bitter smile as he looked at Professor Hong’s reddening face.

“Then what will you… do?”

“What can I do? Right now, nothing. All the media and public attention is focused here—what do you think I could possibly do?”

“I see…”

Professor Hong nodded with a face full of resignation.

But the director wasn’t finished yet.

That’s how it always was.

You had to hear someone out to the very end.

“What I mean is, for now.”

“Sorry? Then…?”

“Behind the scenes, there are plenty of ways to interfere. We can’t let Professor Baek’s team function properly. With his personality, he’s going to keep pushing things at this breakneck pace… Even if he doesn’t screw up, the rest of the team might, right?”

Anywhere people gathered, politics would fester.

Hospitals were especially notorious for it.

Anyone who could rise to the position of director in such a place had to be capable of anything.

Chief Hong suddenly realized how far he still had to go and opened his mouth.

“Ah…”

“So start throwing in complaints or whatever it takes. I’ll also look into various options.”

“Ah, understood. Director.”

“As long as we avoid deficits and accidents, we’ll be fine. I’ve been talking you up a lot at the board meetings, Professor Hong.”

“Y-yes!”

What the director really meant was that ‘as long as there are no deficits or accidents, you’ll be the next director.’

Thanks to that, Professor Hong left the director’s office with far more energy than when he entered.

And he wasn’t the only one feeling hyped.

The members of the infamous Severe Trauma Center team were, too.

“Ahem.”

Jaewon sipped his coffee with his shoulders puffed up.

In his other hand, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he held a newspaper.

Out of all the papers, he’d naturally picked one that featured his own face.

“Wow, you look handsome, Doctor.”

Jang-mi entered, also holding coffee in one hand and a newspaper in the other.

She, too, was holding one that had her picture in it.

“You look good too, Jang-mi.”

“I don’t usually dress up, but I’m pretty by default, you know.”

“Haha.”

“Hahahaha.”

The two laughed heartily together.

No one looked at them with disdain.

At least not anyone working in the Emergency Medicine Department.

They all knew just how hellish their workload had been.

Step, step, step.

Just then, amid the cheerful atmosphere, a set of ominous footsteps echoed through the room.

Jaewon and Jang-mi slowly turned their heads, almost on instinct.

And there he was—naturally—Baek Kang-hyuk.

Despite working in one of the harshest professions, he was, as always, neat and well-groomed, holding a dark, aromatic Americano.

But today, there was one difference.

“Oh? Professor, you’ve got a newspaper too?”

“Whoa. Seriously? Didn’t expect that. Bit of a character break.”

Seeing Kang-hyuk seemingly just as giddy as they were made Jaewon and Jang-mi feel oddly warm and friendly toward him.

It felt like discovering something in common with a person they’d assumed was a completely different species.

Of course, that was a misunderstanding.

“Ugh. All these news outlets keep calling me—so annoying.”

The moment he approached, Kang-hyuk threw the newspaper aside.

“Hey Gangster, block all these numbers I’m about to give you. Why are they asking for interviews? They’re just getting in the way of patient care.”

“Uh…”

“And you, Slave. Have you checked your patient yet this morning?”

“Huh? I was just about to—”

“‘Just about to’? You lose your damn mind because you showed up in the paper? You wanna die?”

“Ah, no, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

Baek Kang-hyuk was, in every way, consistent.

In all the worst ways.