A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 486

Chapter 95: Dilemma (2)

Bang!

Jun-hoo slammed the conference room door as he left, the sound echoing like an explosion.

“…….”

“…….”

A heavy silence fell over the conference room.

The faces of Professor Kim Han-sang’s faction were particularly grim, as they had been the direct target of Jun-hoo’s verbal barrage.

Anyone could have challenged Jun-hoo or voiced their complaints.

But no one dared.

They had been stung too deeply by Jun-hoo’s words.

And far too often.

If emotional damage could be quantified, they would have already qualified for extended leave.

Those who suffer the most are often the quietest.

“I’ll head out first.”

Sensing the tense atmosphere, the neutral professors were the first to leave the conference room.

Kim Han-sang finally spoke, his voice tight with suppressed anger.

“Who is it?”

His gaze swept across the remaining professors, radiating menace.

Those who met his eyes quickly looked away.

“What are you talking about?”

“There’s a mole among us.”

“We’ve all just been thoroughly chewed out, and you’re worried about a traitor?”

His right-hand man, Choi Jin-gu, responded weakly.

“The director questioned the Q.A. [Quality Assurance evaluation].”

Kim Han-sang bit his lip.

He had planned to subtly undermine Jun-hoo.

His strategy was to remain silent about the hospital’s upcoming Q.A. evaluation, scheduled in a month.

Without prior knowledge, Jun-hoo would be caught completely unprepared during the Q.A.

His leadership would crumble, like a sandcastle before the tide.

This was Kim Han-sang’s carefully constructed scenario.

But Jun-hoo was already aware of the Q.A. Someone must have tipped him off.

“Is there anyone here bold enough to do such a thing?”

Choi Jin-gu tilted his head, feigning innocence.

He continued calmly, “Didn’t the neutral professors mention something in passing?”

“Of course, that’s possible. But…….”

“But?”

“The neutral professors aren’t particularly fond of the director either. He may be a skilled surgeon, but…….”

“…….”

“He’s young and tends to be dictatorial.”

Kim Han-sang shook his head.

If he had to choose the most likely suspect, he would lean towards the neutral professors rather than his own followers.

The neutral professors were like transparent glass.

Their actions reflected their thoughts.

They had no interest in anything beyond treating their patients.

Not in departmental politics.

Not in promotions.

They remained detached, like observers.

In that sense…….

It was highly probable that the neutral professors disliked Jun-hoo just as much as they did.

Since Jun-hoo’s appointment, the neurosurgery department had been in constant turmoil.

It had become as murky as muddy water.

The neutral professors abhorred ‘fighting’.

“I don’t know for sure, but if the associate professor suspects a traitor, then there probably is one.”

Choi Jin-gu said with a sly smile.

“I don’t know who it is, but they’ve made a grave mistake this time. You know that no one gets away with crossing the associate professor, right? We should all be on our guard.”

Choi Jin-gu’s words were a blatant threat and warning.

Kim Han-sang smiled at his words.

No one could match Choi Jin-gu’s ability to manipulate the atmosphere.

No one was better at handling the dirty work, ensuring Kim Han-sang’s hands remained clean.

Having Choi Jin-gu by his side felt like commanding a vast army.

“I’ll leave first. Have a good day.”

Kim Han-sang was the first to exit the conference room.

Choi Jin-gu followed closely behind.

“Associate Professor.”

“Hmm?”

“Are you going to let that arrogant director get away with this? At this rate, he’ll become insufferable.”

Choi Jin-gu said, his voice laced with resentment.

“You were humiliated, and today he indiscriminately attacked the other professors.”

“…….”

“You should at least pretend to retaliate. It’s the only way to save face, right?”

“I’m well aware.”

The corner of Kim Han-sang’s mouth twisted into a subtle sneer, an expression he reserved for plotting something underhanded.

In truth, Kim Han-sang had felt deeply humiliated during today’s meeting.

The fact that Jun-hoo had focused his attack on the professors loyal to him was a direct challenge to Kim Han-sang’s authority.

As the puppet master of the department, Kim Han-sang had no intention of backing down from Jun-hoo’s challenge.

“I was planning to initiate something significant today anyway.”

“What kind of plan? I’m intrigued.”

Choi Jin-gu’s eyes lit up with anticipation.

Kim Han-sang hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should confide in him.

But the hesitation was fleeting.

If he couldn’t trust his right-hand man, who could he trust?

“It’s this. Tonight…….”

* * *

‘He’s more cunning than I thought.’

Jun-hoo frowned as he walked towards the outpatient clinic.

-There’s a hospital-wide Q.A. in a month. Why didn’t you inform me?

Jun-hoo had directly confronted Kim Han-sang.

The Q.A. was not something to dismiss lightly.

If it weren’t for the informant’s tip, even Jun-hoo would have been caught off guard.

A poor performance in the Q.A. evaluation would severely damage Jun-hoo’s authority.

-Didn’t I mention it? I thought I had. I sincerely apologize. I believe I’m becoming forgetful with age.

-…….

-I assure you this will not happen again in the future.

Kim Han-sang had even bowed his head in apology.

At that point, Jun-hoo had lost his momentum.

‘I made a mistake. I’m sorry.’

How could he continue his attack when the other party was already prostrate with remorse?

To trample on someone who was apologizing would damage Jun-hoo’s reputation.

So, Jun-hoo had reluctantly retreated, issuing a stern warning before ending the conversation.

‘He’s an old fox, after all.’

‘He’s not easy to manipulate.’

Judging by his immediate response, he must have already prepared an escape route.

But Jun-hoo remained patient.

The plan was gradually nearing completion.

It was only a matter of time before he ‘dominated’ the department.

Within six months to a year.

The Busan Neurosurgery Department would be firmly under Jun-hoo’s control.

* * *

A week passed in a blur of activity.

During that time, Jun-hoo solidified his reputation as a skilled surgeon.

As word spread that Jun-hoo was a ‘master’, patients flocked to the outpatient clinic.

The waiting area became so crowded that the hospital considered creating a separate space specifically for Jun-hoo’s patients.

Originally, one nurse managed the outpatient clinic, but a second was hired to handle the increased workload.

The surge in outpatients also led to a corresponding increase in surgical patients.

Jun-hoo’s schedule, once empty, was now booked a month in advance.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. He’s pushing himself too hard. He should consider his own well-being.”

“What if he makes a mistake due to exhaustion?”

Some professors expressed genuine concern for Jun-hoo.

Others, while feigning concern, secretly hoped for a mishap.

But both sentiments were irrelevant.

Jun-hoo handled his demanding schedule with unwavering stamina, as if to defy their expectations.

The combination of Qi circulation [a traditional Chinese medicine practice] and nutritional supplements made him virtually tireless.

Inner energy from his dantian [energy center in the body] and the mana circle [a concept from fantasy literature] fueled his vitality.

Jun-hoo seemed immune to fatigue.

At this point, there was no reason to conceal his abilities, so he performed five to six surgeries daily.

No one was more formidable than Jun-hoo when he was operating at full capacity.

The cold war with the associate professor’s group continued.

There had been no direct confrontations since Jun-hoo’s statistical beatdown.

But this was merely a truce.

Both sides knew that the conflict would continue until one side was defeated.

In his remaining free time, Jun-hoo filmed content for NewTube and sent it to his editor.

While the videos didn’t generate the same level of excitement as before, they still easily trended after being uploaded.

On weekends, he visited Gwang-hyun’s publishing house to work on his autobiography.

Gwang-hyun interviewed Jun-hoo, and a ghostwriter transcribed and refined the content.

The project progressed rapidly.

Since Jun-hoo wasn’t directly writing the text, the ghostwriter had no shortage of material.

Overall, the days were superficially smooth.

Then, one day, Jun-hoo was summoned by the vice president of medical affairs.

If the hospital director was the highest authority, the vice president of medical affairs was second in command.

For such a high-ranking official to personally seek out Jun-hoo was unusual.

Why?

For what reason?

In the past, he would have been anxious, trying to decipher the vice president’s intentions.

But there was no need for that now.

Jun-hoo had already obtained prior information through his ‘spy’.

The vice president of medical affairs’ name was Seo Seong-won.

He was a slender man in his sixties, wearing glasses.

His sharp, triangular jaw was particularly striking.

He began with predictable small talk.

How was life in Busan?

How was married life?

How did he feel about being appointed as director? etc.

The real purpose of the meeting emerged later.

The vice president of medical affairs suddenly crossed his arms and legs, signaling an impending uncomfortable conversation.

Jun-hoo straightened his back, ready for the confrontation.

‘Okay. Come at me with everything you’ve got.’

‘I’m prepared.’

“I’ve been hearing stories about you. And frankly, not many of them are positive.”

The vice president of medical affairs continued, his eyes narrowed.

“I’ve heard that you’re causing friction with the other professors and generally making trouble. Is that true?”

“Trouble…… The word you used is rather biased.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

The vice president of medical affairs was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Jun-hoo to launch such a direct counterattack.

“I wonder if the vice president of medical affairs has only heard one side of the story.”

“…….”

“I wasn’t causing trouble; I was addressing existing problems. The neurosurgery department was a ‘mess’ before I took over.”

Thump!

Jun-hoo pulled out medical statistics from his doctor’s coat and placed them on the table.

The vice president of medical affairs’ gaze naturally shifted downwards.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a concise summary of the neurosurgery department’s key statistics. Please take a look.”

“I will.”

The vice president of medical affairs picked up the printout and quickly scanned it.

Surgery success rates.

Bed turnover rates.

Outpatient satisfaction scores, etc.

The professors’ performance was neatly categorized for each metric.

It appeared that Jun-hoo had analyzed data from the accounting department.

‘What is this?’

‘I thought he was just an enthusiastic rookie, but he’s surprisingly meticulous and calculating.’

‘No wonder Professor Kim is struggling.’

“I publicly reprimanded the professors who were significantly underperforming based on these metrics.”

“…….”

“Do you consider that ‘causing trouble’?”

“You could have addressed the issue more diplomatically.”

“They haven’t improved in over three years. Would they have taken me seriously if I had been polite?”

Jun-hoo remained relentless, even using vulgar language.

He seemed to have been preparing for this confrontation.

The vice president of medical affairs hesitated, slightly taken aback by Jun-hoo’s assertiveness.

This was problematic.

Hadn’t he made a promise to Kim Han-sang?

He was supposed to privately reprimand Jun-hoo and silence him.

At this rate…….

The vice president of medical affairs was the one being outmaneuvered.

Thwack!

The vice president of medical affairs tossed the printout onto the table, feigning disinterest. There was no point in fighting on terrain that favored Jun-hoo.

“I understand your perspective. Then, shall we discuss something else?”

A sinister smile crept across the vice president of medical affairs’ lips.