A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 516

101. According to Plan (2)

The next day, the neurosurgery conference ended.

“Professor Chun, could I have a word?”

Kim Han-sang called Chun Seok-young aside. Chun Seok-young fidgeted like a puppy about to pee, following behind him.

The two stopped at the end of the hallway with a window view.

The weather outside was gloomy.

Dark clouds completely dominated the sky, obscuring the morning sun.

It looked like a downpour would start with the slightest provocation.

“How did it go, Associate Professor?”

Chun Seok-young asked anxiously.

“Damn it. How could things have gone so wrong?”

Kim Han-sang bit his lip, looking dismayed.

He couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact with Chun Seok-young.

“Is it true that Director Seo is transferring surgical proficiency? Or was it just a bluff?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my god!”

Chun Seok-young’s face turned pale. The thing he had feared had become reality.

Chun Seok-young almost collapsed, his knees buckling.

“I subtly mentioned it to the Deputy Director of Medical Affairs, and according to him, Director Seo, that crazy bastard, really intends to take over the epilepsy clinic himself.”

“Then what should I do?”

Chun Seok-young asked urgently.

He had trusted Kim Han-sang implicitly and started slacking off.

For the past four days, he hadn’t attended Joon-hoo’s robotic surgery class even once. Meanwhile, his rival, Jung Min-jae, had diligently attended the class.

A significant gap must have already formed between them.

“Please say something. I’ve come this far trusting only in you, Associate Professor. You can’t just abandon me now.”

“Abandon you? Those are harsh words.”

“Please understand my position. Why else would I be acting like this?”

“Haa… I didn’t want to say this…”

Kim Han-sang hesitated for a long time.

Meanwhile, Chun Seok-young’s heart was burning.

A man who would have become the head of neurosurgery if it weren’t for Joon-hoo.

A man with deep connections to the Deputy Director of Medical Affairs.

A master of manipulation.

Kim Han-sang must have created an escape route.

Chun Seok-young clung to a glimmer of hope.

“Now that the die is cast, there’s only one way.”

“What is it?”

“You have no choice but to learn surgical robots even more diligently than Professor Jung.”

Kim Han-sang’s irresponsible words hit Chun Seok-young like a slap in the face.

A dizzying sensation washed over him.

“Are you serious?”

“Is there anything else I can do? Even the hospital director is turning a blind eye to Director Seo. Ahem. It’s time for rounds, so I should head down.”

Kim Han-sang hurried away as if running away.

Chun Seok-young gritted his teeth, watching Kim Han-sang’s retreating figure.

The veins in his tightly clenched fists stood out.

“Damn it! I’m an idiot for trusting that moron. I’m such an idiot.”

Meanwhile, a satisfied smile played on Joon-hoo’s lips as he headed to his office.

On the way, he amplified his hearing with his inner energy [a technique to enhance senses].

He eavesdropped on Kim Han-sang and Chun Seok-young’s conversation. He confirmed the irreparable rift between them.

With this incident, Kim Han-sang would lose even his last remaining ally to Joon-hoo.

* * *

That evening.

Joon-hoo, having finished his regular schedule, visited operating room number 10 late.

“You’ve arrived, Director.”

Chun Seok-young, who had arrived earlier, bowed politely.

He barely managed to suppress the laughter that erupted at the 180-degree change in attitude.

“I thought you weren’t interested in robotic surgery. What brings you here?”

Joon-hoo asked, feigning ignorance.

“Am I not a professor of stereotactic neurosurgery? A clinic is being established in my field of expertise, and I felt it wouldn’t be right to ignore it.”

“Now?”

Joon-hoo scoffed.

Chun Seok-young was at a loss, feeling the coldness in Joon-hoo’s tone.

“Until recently, you were making it obvious that you didn’t want to learn robotic surgery. Am I mistaken?”

“To be honest, I wasn’t motivated then.”

“And now you are?”

“Yes. I’m overflowing with motivation now.”

Chun Seok-young raised both arms and made an exaggerated gesture.

Well, it seemed like he had teased him enough.

Chun Seok-young’s help was essential to operate the epilepsy clinic effectively.

Of course, only Joon-hoo knew that truth.

The information gap was important for this reason.

Because those who know can manipulate those who don’t at will.

“It seems Professor Jung didn’t come today?”

“He said it’s his parents’ birthday.”

“Ah… I see.”

Chun Seok-young subtly revealed a sense of relief. Was he thinking he had bought himself a day?

“Director, I’ll really work hard to learn. So please help me.”

“You really don’t want to be transferred?”

“My home and children are all in Busan. Where would I go alone at this age?”

Chun Seok-young spoke as if he would grab Joon-hoo’s pant leg. If he was this desperate, it was worth expecting a positive educational outcome.

“Actually… I’m not on Professor Jung’s side. I’m on the side of whoever is more skilled between the two of you.”

“You are indeed fair.”

“Before we start the full-fledged training, let’s loosen up your head a bit. Just stand still.”

Joon-hoo performed the Brain Acupressure Technique [a massage technique to stimulate brain function] on Chun Seok-young, just as he had done for Jung Min-jae.

Stimulating the blood vessels with a finger infused with internal energy.

Activating the brain nerves in various areas.

“….”

Chun Seok-young was speechless.

He had a look as if he was in a trance.

Joon-hoo knew because he had often received the Brain Acupressure Technique himself.

What Chun Seok-young must be feeling right now:

A feeling of clarity in the head.

A feeling of being trapped in a narrow cave and then running out into the wilderness.

A feeling that he could even understand the notoriously difficult quantum mechanics.

“What is this? Can such a sensation arise from just one massage?”

Chun Seok-young blinked and stared at Joon-hoo.

“Well, maybe it’s because Professor Chun is so desperate that the heavens are helping him?”

Joon-hoo smiled and evaded the answer.

“Then the heavens are on my side. I’m sorry, but please teach me the basic operations you taught me on the first day again.”

Chun Seok-young revealed a burning desire to learn.

It was a very desirable learning attitude.

Joon-hoo began to teach Chun Seok-young meticulously. He taught him the basic operations and had Chun Seok-young hold the controls himself.

During the class, Chun Seok-young poured out questions like a little child.

What methods can be used to compensate for the inability to feel tactile sensations in robotic surgery?

How to avoid confusing the four different pedals?

What are the robotic surgery tips that only Joon-hoo has, and so on.

Chun Seok-young’s study attitude was more active and intense than Jung Min-jae’s.

He even received three consecutive hours of training without a break.

Chun Seok-young seemed to be the type who gets stronger when cornered.

If Choi Jin-goo became Kim Han-sang’s right-hand man through political maneuvering and schemes, Chun Seok-young seemed to have become Kim Han-sang’s left-hand man with his unique impulsiveness and skill.

The important thing was… as soon as the clinic succeeded, both of them would become Joon-hoo’s left and right arms.

* * *

Two months passed since then.

The remodeling of the epilepsy clinic was completed, and outpatient treatment began in earnest.

Patients from all over the country who wanted epilepsy robotic surgery flocked to Busan Shinwon-dae like bees to honey.

One by one, surgery dates were set.

If the surgery was successful, Busan Shinwon-dae would become a mecca for epilepsy patients.

If the surgery failed, it would become a nightmare for the patients.

* * *

Vice Chairman Jung Hyun-jung and the hospital director were sitting in the surgical observation room on the second floor.

Today was the day of the long-awaited first epilepsy robotic surgery.

The lineup was also splendid.

Joon-hoo was in charge of the first surgery, Chun Seok-young was in charge of the second surgery, and Jung Min-jae was in charge of the third surgery.

The schedule was like a showcase, demonstrating to Jung Hyun-jung the future of the epilepsy clinic.

Although a few minutes had passed since they sat down, Jung Hyun-jung and the hospital director were silent.

They were calculating their own gains in their heads.

“It seems that the Vice Chairman also had high expectations for the clinic.”

The hospital director was the first to speak.

“The support was more generous than I thought. The remodeling was also luxurious. And there’s a lot of advertising.”

From the hospital director’s point of view, the Vice Chairman’s change in attitude was puzzling.

She had almost fought with Joon-hoo over whether to run the epilepsy clinic or not.

But when the business started, she was fully supporting Joon-hoo.

Two days ago, the hospital director visited the epilepsy clinic himself.

The interior was artistic.

The floors, ceilings, and walls were as luxurious as a five-star hotel. It had a sophisticated atmosphere.

If he had to pick the most splendid place in the hospital, the hospital director could unhesitatingly pick the epilepsy clinic.

And that’s not all. They also ran a lot of advertisements, on radio, newspapers, NewTube [likely a fictional video platform], etc.

If you were interested in the medical field, you couldn’t help but know that Busan Shinwon-dae was running an epilepsy clinic.

“We have to do at least as much as we received.”

“As much as we received? What do you mean?”

“I’m telling you this now, but Cerebral [robotic surgery equipment] was brought in with Director Seo’s private funds.”

“I… I can’t believe it.”

The hospital director barely managed to stop himself from saying ‘crazy bastard’.

He knew he made a lot of money, but he never imagined that he would bring in Cerebral with his own money.

There was no one as dedicated as this.

“If we confirm a sufficient revenue structure, the hospital will repurchase the Cerebral purchased by Director Seo at cost and bring in another new device.”

“You accepted such a bold proposal?”

“The foundation has nothing to lose.”

Jung Hyun-jung was as ruthless as Joon-hoo. As expected, people of a feather flock together.

“How does the hospital director see the clinic’s business prospects?”

Jung Hyun-jung looked at the hospital director with cold eyes.

“I’ve already pulled out the statistics. If there are no incidents, it seems that it will be possible to turn a profit within a few years.”

“Please be more specific.”

“Robotic surgery is not covered by insurance, so the surgery costs are high. The incision is small, so the patient recovers quickly, and therefore the bed turnover rate is also high.”

“….”

“Moreover, Director Seo has become a nationally recognized surgeon. Thanks to Director Seo’s reputation, the number of patients inquiring about treatment is exploding.”

The hospital director cheerfully talked about a rosy future.

Joon-hoo was the one who pushed forward with the project, but the hospital director himself brought Joon-hoo to Busan.

If this project goes well, the hospital director also had some crumbs to eat.

Who knows? Maybe he’ll be appointed as the director of the Seoul headquarters hospital, which is the highest peak among hospital directors.

“Hospital Director, you’re only picking out the good things to say?”

There was ridicule mixed in Jung Hyun-jung’s question.

The hospital director suddenly felt a chill down his spine. What kind of fault was the Ice Witch [a nickname for Jung Hyun-jung] trying to find this time?

“Director Seo is actually just a figurehead, and when the clinic is actually running, other professors will be doing the robotic surgery, right?”

“Well… that’s right. Director Seo already has a lot of existing surgeries.”

“There aren’t many hospitals that have robotic surgery, and I heard it’s not easy to learn.”

“….”

“What are you going to do if other professors cause problems while operating?”

As expected, she wasn’t easy to deal with.

Jung Hyun-jung was seeing through the fundamental problems of the epilepsy clinic.

In fact, the hospital director had been worried about that point for a long time.

No matter how good Joon-hoo was, how could he perfectly teach robotic surgery in just two months?

It might be an overgeneralization, but professors were more conservative about surgery. They often had trouble learning new technologies.

It wasn’t time to rest assured just because the person learning was a professor.

Maybe that’s why the hospital director was more curious about the robotic surgery skills of Chun Seok-young and Jung Min-jae, who were shrouded in mystery, than Joon-hoo.

The success or failure of the clinic actually depended on the two of them.

“Speak of the devil.”

Just in time, Joon-hoo, the surgeon of the first surgery, entered the operating room.

“If Director Seo fails in the surgery, I won’t look back. The hospital director who brought in the troublemaker will also have to take heavy responsibility.”

Jung Hyun-jung gave a chilling warning.