Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 183

Episode 183. I’m a Doctor Too.

A deserted lot—

Unlike usual, Go Gye-deuk dismissed his driver early and drove himself to meet Lee Su-jeong.

He knew that when doing something secretive, one should minimize onlookers.

Even if the driver had worked with him for a long time, he didn’t want to give them a potential weakness that could be used against him.

Go Gye-deuk knew himself best. So, when dealing with shady matters, he always moved with extreme caution.

“You’re early. That must mean you’re impatient and desperate.”

As Lee Su-jeong came into view under the streetlight, Go Gye-deuk flashed his car headlights twice.

*Beep*—

“Please get in the back seat,” Go Gye-deuk said, rolling down the window to Lee Su-jeong, who was standing by the passenger side.

*Click*—

The faint light from the streetlight illuminated the inside of the car where the two were sitting.

“Has the patient’s guardian been well?”

“Yes. What is the favor you need?”

“Good. Since it’s late, let’s get straight to the point. So, from now on…”

“Wait a moment!” Lee Su-jeong urgently interrupted just as Go Gye-deuk was about to get to the main point.

“Before that, I have one question.”

“Of course. Anything.”

“If I do this favor, will you really… cover my husband’s hospital bills?”

“Of course. I always keep my promises. Since you brought it up, there’s something I want to make clear as well.”

“Yes, please tell me.”

“This matter must only be known between you and me. In other words…”

Go Gye-deuk’s eyes, which had been looking at the alley beyond the car window, suddenly turned to Lee Su-jeong through the rearview mirror. Like the sinister darkness untouched by the streetlight, his gaze was equally sinister.

“Only Lee Su-jeong and I should know about this.”

“I understand what you mean.”

“Then, let’s get to the main point. The favor I’m asking of you is simpler than you think. I need you to get a medical examination.”

“A medical examination?”

“Yes, I’ll give you the name of a hospital. Go to that hospital and see a specific doctor.”

“That’s all?”

“Then, just do a simple interview. Ah! Of course, it’s anonymous, so your face won’t be shown, and your voice will be altered, so don’t worry.”

So far, Lee Su-jeong couldn’t quite grasp what Go Gye-deuk’s favor was.

“What kind of interview is it?”

“It’s an interview about the doctor who examined you. You just have to talk about that doctor.”

“What should I say?”

“Guardian?”

“Yes?”

“I’m a doctor myself, but do you know that there are some doctors who are not very mature in terms of character?”

“……”

“For example, those who are extremely unkind to patients or make patients feel sexually humiliated during treatment. I’m talking about those who lack humanity. The doctor I’m telling you about is one of those people.”

“So, you want me to get a medical examination and then do an interview saying bad things about that doctor?”

“That’s right. You’re very quick to understand.”

“How should I say it?”

“Just like I said before. Say they were unkind and made you feel sexually humiliated.”

Go Gye-deuk was planning to have Lee Su-jeong see Tae-kyung for an examination and then report it to a famous YouTube channel for an interview. He had already made a preliminary anonymous report to the YouTube channel a few days ago.

When he told them that a doctor with a well-known good image was actually causing mental distress and tormenting patients, they showed considerable interest and actively contacted him.

Go Gye-deuk was planning to publicly bring Tae-kyung down by targeting him with a YouTube video.

If the video was released, regardless of whether it was true or not, it would significantly damage Tae-kyung, who had an image of being a good doctor who cared about his patients.

Of course, it would only be a matter of time before the video’s falsehood was revealed. But even if the truth came out, the number of patients coming to the hospital would likely decrease compared to before.

‘I heard that doctor at that hospital did such a thing to a patient?’

‘I heard the doctors there are very unkind.’

‘If the person felt that way, isn’t it true?’

‘I knew it. I knew it from the moment he came out on the news, pretending to care about children.’

Some might not believe it, but conversely, some would feel uneasy and avoid the hospital. This would inevitably have a direct impact on the hospital’s management.

Go Gye-deuk was meticulously planning this, targeting this very aspect.

He had a lot of resentment built up against Tae-kyung.

In Go Gye-deuk’s eyes, Tae-kyung was just a doctor with skill, but no money, and no connections.

Even during their time at Shinhwa University Hospital, he was kicked out because his focus on patients rather than the hospital’s profits was displeasing. Then, he reluctantly felt Tae-kyung’s absence and even offered him a professorship, but was rejected.

Although the rejection made him angry, the real reason Go Gye-deuk wanted to bring Tae-kyung down was because he felt that Tae-kyung had threatened his money and reputation.

Recently, his relationship with a pharmaceutical company, which he had maintained for a long time, had soured.

As a result, the money he had been generously pocketing became less, and he was even publicly humiliated by Tae-kyung in front of his fellow hospital directors at a seminar.

He felt that his reputation had been tarnished because strange rumors were circulating not only among the hospital directors he was close to but also within Shinhwa University Hospital, and he was gritting his teeth.

“What do you think? Isn’t it a simpler favor than you thought?”

‘A simple favor?’

Lee Su-jeong, who had been listening intently to Go Gye-deuk’s explanation, wondered if this was really a simple favor. Of course, going to the hospital for an examination wasn’t that difficult. But the problem was what came next.

She was worried that her words might put someone she didn’t even know in a bad situation.

“Is the person you mentioned really a bad person?”

“Of course. I’m a doctor too. A doctor who helps and treats patients in need. Why would I go to such lengths for someone who is innocent?”

“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be more effective if you did it yourself? You’re the director of a large hospital, so you have more power than I do.”

“As you just said, I’m the director of a university hospital. So, there are too many eyes watching for me to do this directly.”

“……”

Lee Su-jeong was confused. She needed money. She needed it desperately. But she was taken aback because she had never imagined the favor would be something like this.

“But he hasn’t done anything bad to me.”

“That’s why I’m asking you for this favor and helping you in return.”

“Excuse me, Director?”

Lee Su-jeong, who had been holding her hands tightly while bowing her head slightly, raised her head and slowly opened her mouth.

“I’m sorry, but can I think about it a little longer…?”

That’s when Lee Su-jeong was struggling to speak.

*Click*—

Suddenly, the sound of the car door locking rang loudly in her ears like thunder. And Go Gye-deuk, who had been looking straight ahead, turned to Lee Su-jeong. It was as if a snake was raising its head towards its prey.

“W-What are you doing?”

Lee Su-jeong asked, startled and leaning back.

“Please open the door.”

“Of course, I will. You seem to have misunderstood something. My hand slipped, and I accidentally pressed the button.”

*Click*—

Go Gye-deuk reopened the locked car door as if it were a mistake.

“You seem to be mistaken. You contacted me after thinking about it for over a week, not the other way around. Words, you know, once they’re out of your mouth, it’s hard to take them back. If you’ve said something, you have to take responsibility for it. We’re already in the same boat.”

“……”

Behind the mask of a warm smile was Go Gye-deuk’s cruel nature.

“And didn’t you just say that the hospital director has a lot of power? That’s right. You may not know it from the outside, but within the hospital, my power reaches many places. Of course, that includes the trauma intensive care unit where your husband, Cha Dae-han, is lying.”

“……!”

The moment Go Gye-deuk mentioned her husband’s name, Lee Su-jeong realized that she had no other choice.

“We just need to do what we want. Then there will be no problems. Will you do me this favor?”

“……Yes.”

“With this, the deal between Lee Su-jeong and me is done.”

In the end, Lee Su-jeong accepted Go Gye-deuk’s offer.

Her mind was complicated, but she had no other way.

The upcoming mid-term settlement date and Go Gye-deuk’s position as the hospital director made it impossible to refuse.

Besides, as a guardian, she was afraid that refusing would cause disadvantages to her husband or that he wouldn’t be taken care of properly.

“Don’t worry about that. Now! Let me tell you what you need to do.”

After that, Go Gye-deuk explained the location of the hospital along with Tae-kyung’s name. He also told her the email address of the YouTube channel he had contacted and what to say during the interview in detail.

“And I will process Cha Dae-han’s hospital bills as soon as I confirm that the interview video has been uploaded to YouTube.”

Go Gye-deuk was confident that once Lee Su-jeong’s interview was uploaded and the video became a hot topic, Tae-kyung would naturally be talked about and become a hot topic as well.

“I understand well enough. I’ll be going now. I’ll contact you regarding the work.”

“Let me just confirm one more thing.”

Go Gye-deuk urgently asked Lee Su-jeong, who was grabbing the car door handle and trying to open the door.

“It seems best to proceed quickly when you’ve made up your mind, so can I ask when you’ll be visiting our hospital?”

“Tomorrow… I’ll go tomorrow.”

“Good. Take care going back.”

“Ah! I almost forgot.”

Lee Su-jeong, who was about to open the car door and get out, took out a black bag from her purse and handed it to Go Gye-deuk.

“It seems like I don’t need this. I’ll return it.”

“It’s my sincerity, you can just take it.”

“No matter how I think about it, this sincerity seems a bit excessive. I’ll just take your good intentions. Then, goodbye.”

Lee Su-jeong put the black bag on the back seat and hurriedly got out of the car.

“Tsk, tsk!”

Go Gye-deuk opened the bag with a rustling sound and clicked his tongue, making a dissatisfied expression. Inside the black bag was the wad of money that Go Gye-deuk had given her a while ago.

“Anyway! People with nothing have only useless pride… Well, the deal is done, so it’s okay if I don’t take the money.”

Go Gye-deuk threw the black bag containing the money on the passenger seat and was lost in thought for a moment, watching Lee Su-jeong’s receding figure. Then, he hurriedly sent a text message.

-I will pay more attention to Cha Dae-han from tomorrow.

He pressured Lee Su-jeong once again by mentioning her husband’s name, so that she wouldn’t have other thoughts.

“She must have understood well enough with this, right? Good.”

Go Gye-deuk left the vacant lot with a very satisfied expression, muttering to himself.

“Kim Tae-kyung. A big gift is coming soon. Look forward to it.”