A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 405

Drrrrrrr.

A handsome young man was pulling a carrier through the arrival gate at Incheon International Airport.

The young man looked around with a sense of wonder.

What pleased him most was hearing the Korean language.

Although Korean, he hadn’t properly heard Korean spoken in nearly seven years.

Perhaps that’s why.

From international flight boarding to the parking lot, the airport railroad, and even group tours.

The young man smiled, feeling happy even seeing the Korean on signs and billboards.

The young man’s name was Seo Jun-hoo.

A neurosurgery resident who had graduated at the top of the Boost Up program [a prestigious medical training program] and was finally setting foot on Korean soil.

‘It’s been so long.’

During his residency at the Mayo Clinic.

Jun-hoo had not returned to Korea even once.

Even during the occasional vacation.

He had stubbornly stayed put in Cleveland.

It was to prevent his resolve from weakening, even for a brief return to Korea.

“We should eat first.”

Jun-hoo said, turning around.

His parents were walking a little behind him.

He had been walking faster, unknowingly excited about returning home.

Only then did Jun-hoo match his pace with his parents.

“What do you want to eat?”

“Kimchi stew.”

Jun-hoo answered without hesitation.

“Couldn’t you eat kimchi stew in America?”

His mother asked with a pitiful expression.

“No, there are restaurants where I can eat it. But it tastes a little different from what I used to eat in Korea.”

At least, the kimchi stew Jun-hoo had eaten felt more like kimchi soup.

The kimchi flavor was also weak.

It was pale and bland.

“Then shall we just eat at home? Mom will cook for you.”

“It’s okay. We’re already out, let’s eat here.”

“Let’s do that. There’s a restaurant over there.”

His father pointed to a nearby Korean restaurant with his index finger.

Jun-hoo found the restaurant and had brunch with his parents.

The rice was delicious, and so was the kimchi.

His stomach was full, but he kept eating.

Jun-hoo thought that this was why the expression ‘soul food’ existed.

“Of course, you’ll be resting for a while, right?”

His father asked Jun-hoo.

“I probably will.”

“That’s a good idea. A person should know how to rest. You need to rest to recharge your motivation and energy.”

“That’s a little unexpected. Your mom thought you would start working right away.”

“It’s more accurate to say that I have no choice but to rest rather than wanting to rest.”

A bitter smile appeared on Jun-hoo’s face.

His original plan was to return to the neurosurgery department at Shinwon University Hospital and secure a professorship.

It was to give back the skills he had honed in the United States to Korean patients.

But while on the plane.

His mind had changed.

No, it had no choice but to change.

He had been so focused on studying that he had overlooked the most important task. Therefore, dealing with ‘that matter’ was the top priority.

“What do you mean you have no choice but to rest?”

His mother tilted her head.

“I’ll tell you on the way. Shall we get up if you’re done eating?”

Jun-hoo paid for the meal and left the restaurant. He took a taxi and returned home.

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

As soon as he entered the apartment, his dog Ddol-ddol barked with excitement.

The dog raised its tail.

Guarding Jun-hoo, then scanned him up and down.

Wagging its tail like a propeller, it rubbed its body against Jun-hoo’s ankles.

Jun-hoo bent down and stroked Ddol-ddol’s head.

Only now did it feel like he had really returned home.

* * *

Back home, Jun-hoo started contacting his acquaintances. He informed them that he had finally returned to Korea.

It took an average of one hour to receive a reply.

Everyone was busy working.

While Jun-hoo was in the Boost Up program for seven years.

His acquaintances and colleagues had also grown in their careers.

It felt like just yesterday that they were residents together, but now they had all become assistant professors, and even associate professors.

They were seeing outpatients.

In charge of a field in the neurosurgery clinic.

And performing surgeries independently.

[Hey. Congrats. If you have time, come to the hospital today. Hyung [older brother or close male friend] will treat you to beef today.]

[Have you set a return schedule? You’re not going to another hospital besides ours, are you?]

[I saw your news in the association journal. You graduated at the top of the Mayo program? Seriously, that’s amazing.]

Three hours passed in the blink of an eye, exchanging messages and talking on the phone with colleagues.

‘It’s almost time.’

Jun-hoo checked the time on his phone and got out of bed.

After changing into casual clothes, he took his car and left the house.

He had already told his parents that he would be back after dinner.

After driving for about 30 minutes, he arrived at a parking lot near Shinwon University.

Jun-hoo parked and found a nearby cafe.

“Doctor! Over here!”

A woman sitting by the window recognized Jun-hoo and waved happily.

Jun-hoo moved to the table.

“It’s an honor to meet you.”

“The honor is mine.”

“Doctor, here you go.”

The woman, who appeared to be in her late 20s, took out a business card from her business card case and handed it over.

[Medical Report, Team Leader Kang Seo-yeon.]

‘Medical Report’ was Korea’s No.1 medical portal site, publishing medical-related issues and columns.

Five days before Jun-hoo’s departure.

She had sent an interview request by email, and he had accepted.

The reason why he accepted was…….

He wanted to hear about the reality of the Korean medical community, which he had been somewhat ignorant of for the past 7 years, and also had something to say in his own way.

“What kind of coffee would you like?”

“Iced Americano.”

“It’s still chilly, but you’re drinking something cold. Are you one of those people who only drink iced drinks even in winter?”

“I guess I am.”

“I’ll order and come back. Stay here.”

Seo-yeon finished ordering and returned.

The interview time was one hour.

She asked if it was okay to record the conversation.

Jun-hoo said yes.

“First of all, congratulations on your return. You passed the Boost Up program with tremendous competition and completed the training course with excellent results.”

“……”

“What’s the secret?”

“The full support of my parents and lover was a great help.”

“You had a lover?”

Seo-yeon’s eyes widened as if she didn’t know that.

Only close people knew that Jun-hoo was dating Ah-young.

“Yes. She is my support. She is also the only person I can lean on when I’m having a hard time.”

Ah-young was special to Jun-hoo in many ways.

She was also the only person on Earth who knew that Jun-hoo came from the Murim [a world of martial arts and cultivation).

“You’re surprisingly romantic. Mentioning your lover in an interview.”

“Because she’s that special.”

“Some people doubt whether the Boost Up program is really useful.”

“……”

“Some say it’s just a summary of the fellowship course.”

“……”

“Some also say that learning various majors undermines expertise in one subject. What are your thoughts on this?”

‘The hyenas have already started to tear me apart.’

……Jun-hoo thought.

Even if they couldn’t praise him for his achievements, they should have kept their mouths shut, but they were already engaging in petty tricks.

But it was just unpleasant.

It wasn’t strange.

Just like the Murim orthodox sects.

In the Korean medical community, it was common to undermine other people’s reputations in order to increase one’s own power.

When he saw things like this.

Doctors were not in a position to criticize politicians.

“Did anyone say that? Can you reveal the source?”

Jun-hoo asked out of curiosity.

“That’s not difficult. It was said in an official setting.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s Pyo Seong-deok, the director of Shinwon University Hospital in Busan. He is also the vice president of the Korean Neurosurgical Society.”

“Ah…… I see.”

Jun-hoo had a lot to say, but he answered briefly.

The interview was being recorded.

He needed to be careful with his words.

Pyo Seong-deok.

Jun-hoo also knew the name well.

No, it was a name he could never forget.

When Jun-hoo was working as a resident at Shinwon University Hospital.

He was the head of the neurosurgery department.

Jun-hoo remembered Seong-deok as a cunning man like a snake who satisfied his own desires by stimulating the professors’ desire for promotion.

But now he had become the director of the hospital and even the vice president of the association…….

It seemed that the world was still the same, where cunning people who only cared about their own interests succeeded.

“It’s easy to tear down other people’s achievements with words. If you want to criticize, you should at least pass the Boost Up program and train for a year before criticizing.”

“……”

“Team Leader, please ‘definitely’ add what I just said to the article.”

Jun-hoo emphasized ‘definitely’.

“Are you sure? This is…… an explicit attack on the vice president…….”

Seo-yeon looked more frightened than Jun-hoo.

“They attacked first.”

“Still, wouldn’t it be better for you to be generous? He’s not someone you want to make an enemy of.”

“If you stay still, they’ll see you as a pushover. And a surgeon doesn’t need to be mindful of anyone as long as they do their best for their patients.”

“You’re confident.”

“Because there’s no reason to be ashamed.”

“Then I’ll cover the attack on Seong-deok as the main article.”

“That’s what I wanted.”

Jun-hoo’s voice was cheerful.

Jun-hoo was confident that he would not lose to Seong-deok in terms of political maneuvering as well as his qualifications as a neurosurgeon.

He had endured 10 years in the dirty Murim Alliance orthodox sects, where political maneuvering was enough to make his teeth grind.

If it weren’t for his desire for revenge against Jeok Il-do, Jun-hoo might have been the next Murim Alliance leader.

“There’s a hot issue about the lack of pediatricians these days. What do you think about this?”

Seo-yeon changed the subject.

“Basically, it’s a problem that arises because it’s difficult and doesn’t make money. The problem that broke out in surgery has simply been transferred to pediatrics.”

“Do you agree with increasing the number of doctors?”

“I agree, but I don’t think that’s a fundamental solution.”

“Why?”

“We need to raise the treatment fees for surgery and pediatrics. We can’t always rely on the dedication of doctors.”

“……”

“Material compensation should also follow to some extent.”

Jun-hoo cited the United States as an example.

In the United States, surgeons earned a lot of money, so the support rate for surgery was high.

But can we simply criticize this part as snobbish?

Ordinary people also prefer jobs at large companies with high salaries.

Professional ethics, responsibility, sense of duty.

All of these are good, but in reality, there are few people who value these values and get a job.

Then we should acknowledge this phenomenon.

We need to come up with a solution.

“If the fee increases, an increase in health insurance premiums will be inevitable, right?”

Seo-yeon asked a critical question.

“Yes. Of course, we have to raise it.”

Jun-hoo’s answer was straightforward.

“Wouldn’t it be better to pay more for health insurance premiums so that my child can receive treatment or I can have surgery?”

“……”

“How would you feel if you went to the hospital and they couldn’t do anything because there was no doctor in the relevant department?”

Seo-yeon smiled ambiguously at Jun-hoo’s counter-question. She seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation.

During a brief pause in the conversation.

Jun-hoo took a sip of the coffee that the employee had left.

He stared blankly out the window.

But he had a bad feeling.

A car zigzagging down the road seemed to be heading this way.

With a bad feeling, Jun-hoo drew up the internal energy in his dantian [energy center in the body] and wrapped it around his body.

A black sports car finally left the road.

It turned towards the sidewalk.

And it happened to be towards the window where Jun-hoo was sitting.

“Everyone, get out of the way!”

Jun-hoo shouted loudly, incorporating the principles of Lion’s Roar [a powerful martial arts technique].

Then, he jumped up from his chair, grabbed Seo-yeon’s arm, who was out of her mind, and moved away.

Clang! Crash!