Chapter 131:

“Why?”

Shin Hyun-tae sat opposite Lee Hyunjong with a nonchalant expression on his face. It would have been surprising if someone else was upset while talking on the phone, but this reaction was expected from Lee Hyunjong. Rather than having a bad temper, he simply had a rough manner of speaking.

“Indeed. He is incredibly angry.”

Even Suhyuk, who ranked much lower than them, didn’t seem nervous at all. Based on Suhyuk’s observations, Lee Hyunjong swore almost half the time. This behavior wasn’t unusual for him.

“I’ll bring your food shortly.”

The server either seemed accustomed to Lee Hyunjong or had been trained not to be bothered by such outbursts, leaving the room without any comment.

“No, damn it… How would I know that? I’m a heart specialist, a heart specialist!”

Meanwhile, Lee Hyunjong continued to rant without hanging up the phone. The interesting thing was his opponent wasn’t relenting.

“Eh, what’s this mentor-mentee relationship?”

“Mentor-mentee is bullshit… You only call me your senior at times like this?”

“Huh? It hurts my feelings when you say that. Remember the military golf course…”

“Alright, alright. Hmph.”

It seemed the person on the other end could provide something important to Lee Hyunjong.

‘Golf…’

Due to sitting close and using Baruda, Suhyuk managed to catch one of the words mentioned by the caller.

“It is one of Lee Hyunjong’s favorite hobbies.”

‘Is he referring to a military golf course?’

“Perhaps. He might be of high rank?”

Thanks to this deduction, Lee Hyunjong finally ended the call.

“I’ll send over the patient’s information then. Will you have to arrange another round of golf next time instead of me?”

“Yes, yes. I will organize it and send it immediately.”

“Sigh… Send some heart patients as well. I need to study these things too.”

“Starting from next time. Thank you, senior. Hail Victory!”

“Hail Victory my ass. Who said anything about being soldiers? Bye.”

Shin Hyun-tae waited until Lee Hyunjong placed his phone on the cushion before speaking up.

“Who was that? Ki-tae?”

“Yeah, Ki-tae. Why hasn’t that bastard left the army yet? Shouldn’t he retire if he can’t advance beyond Colonel?”

“Maybe he received some special exemption as a military doctor? I’m not sure about it. He never talks about such things. Anyway, what’s with sending patients away again?”

“That’s probably why. That bastard got appointed as director here because of his connections at Taehwa Hospital. All day long, he keeps referring patients elsewhere…”

“Well, despite that, residents seem to like him since he virtually secured them positions at Seoul hospitals.”

While Shin couldn’t force other military doctors to work at Seoul hospitals just because they were stationed there, he could ensure favorable treatment for those who did end up assigned to Seoul facilities. For military doctors often treated like disposable kites, this was a significant advantage.

“I don’t care; it’s annoying.”

Of course, Lee Hyunjong wasn’t particularly interested in such matters. Would outstanding residents apply to Taehwa Medical Center just because they could receive benefits if hospitalized at a facility within Seoul? If any resident thought that way, he wouldn’t be welcome here.

“In any case, Suhyuk, I heard you saved another patient today? Kim Da-hyun… She’s quite high up and extremely strict.” Lee Hyunjong vigorously shook his head as if he didn’t want to think about Colonel Kite, the military doctor, for even a moment. Instead, he looked fondly at Suhyuk, with genuine affection shining in his eyes. It was evident without needing Baruda’s analysis; anyone could see it clearly.

How fortunate.

Although Suhyuk did not have his biological father, two individuals here treated him like their own son. Thanks to them, Suhyuk responded with a warm smile:

“No, Dr. Lee. It was just a coincidence.”

“What coincidence? Kim Beomjoon called me separately. Apparently, there might be issues with his second daughter as well? She has been visiting hospitals in the United States due to various health concerns. He was already worried about her, but he expressed gratitude for the diagnosis this time. Please convey my thanks to him.”

“Ah…He already called?”

“Yes, that man is crazy about his daughters. Whenever we meet privately, all he talks about are his daughters.”

“Ah…”

Suhyuk nodded, once again realizing why Lee Hyunjong held the position of director.

Although it was embarrassing to see such behavior from their director, Lee Hyunjong remained the most outstanding director in the history of Taehwa Medical Center regardless. It wasn’t surprising for him to have met with the vice president of Taehwa Electronics separately.

“It’s not that big of a deal. Vice President Kim is just really passionate about golf.”

“Ah… Did you play together?”

“That’s right. In fact, single-handicap players are quite rare. Even counting all the presidents within our group, I can list them on two hands.”

Of course, Shin Hyun-tae tried to downplay it as if it weren’t significant. Unexpectedly, Lee Hyunjong responded with a hearty and forgiving laugh.

“Damn brat, I can’t play golf. How many years have you been single despite your age?”

“I’m not obsessed with golf, so why would it affect my relationship status?” Lee Hyunjong’s response was relaxed due to his victory.

Lee Hyunjong continued to irritate Shin Hyun-tae several more times before suddenly turning towards Suhyuk with a regretful expression.

“Oh dear. It would be great if Suhyuk could also play golf… There is much discussion during these rounds.”

“What type of talk, hyung? Are you going to fix me?”

“Am I God? How can I fix you?”

“Then stop talking.”

“It’s just regrettable, truly regrettable. Looking at Suhyuk, he seems calm and would likely excel at golf if he tried?”

It wasn’t entirely true that Suhyuk was calm, but there was some truth to it. He had Baruda with him.

[From watching the broadcast, you seem really confident about short game.]

‘Why bother saying this… It is meaningless.’

[Well, yes…]

In fact, it was all nonsense. For Suhyuk, who had discomfort in his legs, golf would be torture rather than exercise. As long as he couldn’t stabilize his lower body, walking itself would be difficult, let alone achieving any distance in his shots.

“When hyung mentioned it, Suhyuk’s expression became dark.”

“Really? Sorry, sorry. I thought he had overcome it.”

“What overcoming? Have your legs been injured?”

“Have yours ever been injured?”

“I won’t talk about it.”

“Hmm.”

It was true. Even Lee Hyunjong, who had a reputation for talking too much, couldn’t say anything further. With him silenced, there was quietness in the room for some time. As this expensive accommodation included meals within rooms, the silence became awkwardly excessive.

“Drriikkkk.”

The sound of an old wooden sliding door being pushed open broke the silence. It wasn’t irritating to the ears due to its well-maintained condition.

“I will serve you the appetizers now.”

Instead of a staff member, a chef entered through the opened door. He didn’t seem to be the head chef as he appeared young, but his determined expression suggested exceptional culinary skills.

“I have thinly fried turnips with our homemade carrot mousse.”

He explained each dish presented in rectangular plates. Honestly, Suhyuk could only understand a limited amount of what was said, but he diligently nodded his head.

“Eat it. Start from the right side. It is truly good here.” As soon as the waiter left, Lee Hyunjong chuckled and encouraged Suhyuk to eat.

Lee Hyunjong appeared genuinely happy. Amongst his hobbies, golf ranked second while fine dining topped the list. Shin Hyun-tae also enjoyed eating, so there was a smile on his face.

“Yes sir.”

“Is this your first time at such a place, Suhyuk?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Savor the food slowly. In these types of places, the dishes aren’t just about taste; they embody the chef’s philosophy.”

“Ah…yes. Thank you, Dr. Choi.” Suhyuk nodded sincerely as he recalled the prices he had secretly searched earlier. He wasn’t sure how tasty the food would be, but it likely wouldn’t match its exorbitant price tag. It wasn’t that he was trying to belittle the taste; the cost simply exceeded his wildest imagination.

[Stop drooling and just eat.]

‘Stop drooling yourself. What kind of artificial intelligence are you…?’

[Then feed me this more often. Doesn’t it look delicious at first glance?]

‘I doubt it will taste good.’

[I told you to stop complaining!]

‘Fine, fine.’

Suhyuk cautiously picked up the dish on the far right. It was something with lotus root, but he didn’t have high expectations. Lotus root, after all, seemed like a familiar ingredient he’d already experienced plenty of times.

‘Huh?’

His expectations were shattered as soon as he put it in his mouth. It was incredibly crispy and flavorful, almost like it had been fried without batter. At the same time, the aroma of burdock root spread unexpectedly, acting as a secret weapon that tantalized Suhyuk’s senses.

‘What?!’

But there was more. The smooth sweetness of the carrot mousse perfectly balanced out any potential heaviness, making it truly remarkable.

“Wow… This is insane. Absolutely insane.”

The dish captivated both human Suhyuk and AI Baruda instantly. And this was just the first course among appetizers! It heightened their anticipation for the subsequent dishes.

“I should bring him to places like this more often. Look at his face - completely blown away.”

Lee Hyunjong shook his head as he watched Suhyuk’s face, which looked like he was transported to another country.

Shin Hyun-tae also observed Suhyuk with a guilty expression on his face.

“I guess I have been feeding you mediocre food all this time.”

“You should take care of him more, Manager Shin.”

“Hey, I’m just like your dad. Leave it to me, Dad.”

“But I am the director. Don’t you think I’m busy?”

“As Hyun-tae said, this dish seems truly delicious. He isn’t listening to us at all?”

As per Shin Hyun-tae’s observation, Suhyuk was solely focused on the food. The second dish, deep-fried ice fish, tasted equally amazing as the first one. Interestingly, despite being fried similarly, there was something distinctly different about it.

‘It feels oilier… There seems to be something inside. Could they be eggs?’

“The eggs are marinated with soy sauce. It appears they were prepared separately before adding…”

The pickled egg added a refreshing taste to the fried food.

“With such good concentration, he will do well academically. It is a good thing.”

“Yes… Today’s diagnosis was really impressive.”

“Uh… I heard about it too. The crazy guy diagnosed like the department managers and professors?”

“He is better than some of the professors. Seo Hyoseok, what…? Do you know him?”

“Don’t mention that bastard. What kind of professor is he?”

“Seriously, can’t they get rid of him?”

“Just wait. I am also planning something. Yes.” Lee Hyunjong stopped conversing and picked up his phone.

“Huh. This bastard ended quickly.”

Then he frowned.

“What is it? Ah, Ki-tae.”

“Yeah. Isn’t this strange?”

“Let me see.”

“Ask Suhyuk as well. His success rate has been excellent lately. He might understand.”

“Really…?”