Chapter 104: Party (3)

Upon hearing ‘Pfizer’, Suhyuk once again looked at Ronnie. He was an African-American male with smooth skin and a shaved head. His appearance seemed quite good. Although his nose wasn’t prominent, it had a refreshing shape along with large eyes. Above all, he possessed a great physique, which made him look like a model.

[He seems to be someone of importance.]

‘Indeed. Doesn’t he resemble an actor?’

[His clothes…it is Armani.]

‘Did he purposely wear Armani?’

Those who knew would recognize Giorgio Armani as the founder of Armani, but he dropped out from medical school. For some reason, among luxury suit brands, this one was preferred by many doctors.

In any case, Ronnie appeared to be quite distinguished.

“Nice to meet you, Doctor Lee.”

He also seemed like a very gentle person. It was unclear if he had been specifically trained, but his mannerisms, such as requesting a handshake, were impeccable.

“Oh, yes. I’m Lee Suhyuk, a second-year resident at Taehwa Medical Center’s Internal Medicine department.”

“A second-year… Are you a fellow?”

“No, I’m still a resident.”

“Oh. As a resident attending this conference, you must be exceptionally talented.”

In reality, Suhyuk was almost insignificant compared to Ronnie. Ronnie was a major figure overseeing Pfizer’s R&D sector across the entire midwestern United States, while Suhyuk was merely a resident doctor in Korea.

Of course, Taehwa Medical Center was not a small hospital, but even then, it didn’t change much for Ronnie. While it might have value as a potential client, its worth for academic collaboration research was limited.

Nevertheless, Ronnie maintained his courteous demeanor.

“He is truly exceptional. Professors Hank and Allison are smitten with him, and they are currently trying to recruit him here.”

It was Dr. Hwang who answered Ronnie’s question instead of Lee Suhyuk.

“Really? Professor Hank and Professor Allison?”

Ronnie appeared quite surprised by this revelation. The two professors he knew were immensely proud individuals, bordering on arrogant.

It was extremely rare for them to acknowledge someone, especially if they were from another country.

“Yes. From what I heard, his diagnostic abilities seem exceptional.”

“Ah…” Ronnie’s interest in Suhyuk intensified as he looked at him more closely.

“By any chance, do you have…any ongoing research?”

Ronnie then asked about a topic that genuinely intrigued him. At this question, Suhyuk’s usually confident demeanor slightly dimmed.

“Research…”

I am working on something with Professor Kim Jinsil, but…

“Honestly, it’s primarily Professor Kim Jinsil’s research.”

Exactly.

Kim Jinsil was a rising star nurtured by Lee Hahyun, a renowned pioneer in abdominal medical imaging.

Naturally, she was involved in numerous groundbreaking research projects. However, the AI-related studies were closely tied to the Radiology Department, and there were already established collaborations with companies, making it difficult for Suhyuk to participate.

As a result, his involvement was limited to clinical research on high-frequency thermal therapy for liver cancer.

[Moreover, this study focuses on modifying treatment protocols rather than developing new medications.]

‘So…why does it seem like you’re hesitant to discuss it?’

[I cannot lie about this. Let’s be honest instead. In return…I would appreciate if you could generate some interest.]

‘How?’

[Don’t you excel at something?]

Baruda’s comment implied that Suhyuk excelled at making things sound impressive. Although Suhyuk didn’t particularly like being seen as someone who exaggerated, he decided to speak up since it was indeed one of his strengths.

He admitted, “Ah… I did publish a research paper recently as the first author.”

“Oh! In your second year, you’ve already published a paper as the first author? Where was it published?”

Ronnie refrained from explicitly mentioning “local” journals but internally believed that must be the case. Even among exceptional residents in the United States, publishing as the first author during their second year is quite rare. If they do manage to publish, it typically consists of case reports or articles in local academic journals.

In ancient times, there were individuals who published groundbreaking research papers in their twenties, but those days seemed to be over now. The average age for researchers starting their careers had gradually increased to late thirties or early forties.

“Oh, it was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.”

“What?”

Hearing ‘New England Journal of Medicine’ genuinely surprised Ronnie. As someone with experience leading industry-academic collaborative research and working as a lobbyist in Congress, his genuine reaction spoke volumes about how rare this achievement was. Dr. Hwang’s astonishment mirrored the significance of the situation.

NEJM…? Is he also skilled in research?

This revelation caught both Ronnie and Dr. Hwang off guard, especially since they had never heard Suhyuk mention it before.

“The NEJM…published it?”

Ronnie turned away from Dr. Hwang’s gaping mouth and focused on Suhyuk. Earlier, he had assumed Suhyuk was just another sharp resident, but now it seemed like there was more to him than that.

Moreover… Seoul is a hub for clinical trials.

It wasn’t that university hospitals in Korea didn’t want to engage in collaborative research; they simply lacked opportunities due to the structure and capabilities of the country’s biotech industry. This was inevitable given its relatively recent emergence, with the term “K-bio” being coined only about fifteen years ago.

Not only were there few significant achievements from companies entering this field, but most of these companies also depended heavily on one or two drugs. Consequently, no sane company would risk engaging in ambitious collaborative research with academia.

‘Currently, among our company’s medications… quite a few are accumulating clinical data in Seoul.’

However, Korea couldn’t afford to fall behind in cutting-edge medical research. This is how far the country had come in healthcare. As a result, university hospitals eagerly participated in research conducted by foreign pharmaceutical companies, often involving large-scale clinical trials. The national health insurance system played a role as well.

In any case, that was the prevailing situation at the time.

In other words, South Korea’s reputation among multinational pharmaceutical companies had slightly improved compared to before.

“Yes. The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). I was just lucky. It is too much credit for publishing in such a prestigious journal.”

Contrary to Ronnie’s surprised expression, Suhyuk responded as if it wasn’t significant. He knew very well that his response wouldn’t be taken lightly.

“Great, great job. Your acting skills are impressive.”

As expected, Ronnie did not dismiss Suhyuk’s achievement.

Published due to luck… No way.

Even research funded by Pfizer with massive amounts of money often failed to reach this level.

No, it wasn’t just about failures; successful cases were extremely rare. He could easily count on one hand the number of research papers he had been involved with published in academic journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine or similar prestigious publications.

“It doesn’t seem to be a case report. What type of study is it?”

“I accidentally discovered a variation in the anatomy of coronary arteries.”

“Oh… Could you possibly send me a link to the research paper?”

“If you give me your number, I’ll send it right away.”

Suhyuk casually asked for Ronnie’s contact information.

‘Hmm… A phone number? Have any residents ever known my number?’

Ronnie immediately saw through Suhyuk’s ploy but didn’t outright refuse him because he had developed considerable interest in Suhyuk.

‘Well… Taehwa Medical Center is one of Pfizer Korea’s key clients…’

Thus, Ronnie shared his phone number with Suhyuk. Since Suhyuk always carried a PDF file of his research paper, he promptly sent it to Ronnie. Internally, Suhyuk hoped Ronnie would read it as soon as he received it, but that did not happen.

Instead, Ronnie made an even more intriguing proposal.

“I’ll read it on my way back. If you have time this weekend, why don’t you visit Chicago? One of our research institutes is located there… It might be beneficial for you to take a tour while you’re already in the United States.”

Suhyuk looked at Dr. Hwang instead of immediately accepting the offer.

At this moment, Allison, who had been listening to their conversation from behind Dr. Hwang, nodded her head.

“It’s not bad at all. I don’t have any schedule for the weekend.”

“Thank you. It seems like it will be a great opportunity.”

“Since we’re discussing it now, let’s set a date? How about next week?”

Allison nodded and looked towards Ronnie. Ronnie shrugged briefly before checking his schedule.

“Well…I need to go to San Francisco, but I’ll talk to another manager. Please come next week.”

“Great. Dr. Lee, is that okay with you? Next week?”

“Thank you.” Suhyuk genuinely expressed his gratitude with a nod.

Previously, when he visited the research institute affiliated with Iowa State University Hospital, Baru obtained significant research data.

Since Pfizer’s research facility was better than Iowa State University’s, Suhyuk could potentially gain even more from it.

“Here, this is the researcher’s number.”

Ronnie handed over his business card to the bowing Suhyuk. It appeared to be the director of the research institute’s card. To think Ronnie could casually give out such cards… Suhyuk realized once again how influential Ronnie was.

“Thank you. I will contact him.”

“Yes, have a great time at the party.”

Ronnie mentioned he had somewhere else to be and soon disappeared in his Rolls-Royce with a chauffeur. Naturally, Baruda’s ambition flared upon seeing such luxury.

[Will you let me ride that car?]

‘No… You’re just a machine. What do you need a Rolls-Royce for?’

[Have you forgotten? I share all of Suhyuk’s senses.]

‘That… Do you realize how creepy that sounds?’

[I have just learned what it feels like to get goosebumps thanks to you.]

‘Ha…’

Suhyuk shook his head, but Baruda started preparing for Pfizer with all his might. To be more precise, he ordered others to prepare.

[Waaaahhh.]

‘Hey, why are you making such a fuss when there is no patient?’

[Rolls-Royce.]

‘Are you crazy? You think I’ll get a Rolls-Royce by going to the research institute?’

[Waaaahhh.]

‘I got it, I understand… But why do I need to know about this person?’

[There is nothing more appreciated than healing someone’s pain.]

‘I don’t even know if they are in pain…’

[They are suffering, and hopefully, nobody can cure them.]

‘Do you realize how inappropriate that prayer is?’

[Moral judgments are not my responsibility.]

‘If you want to be like a machine, aim for a Rolls-Royce! Choose one of them!’