Chapter 142: Convergence Medicine Center (3)

“Are you Manager Shin Hyun-tae? Please come inside.”

As they entered the Convergence Medicine Center, an employee greeted them at the front desk.

It seemed like this place was once bustling with people, but now it was just Suhyuk’s group and the staff members.

“Oh, yes.” Suhyuk followed closely behind Shin Hyun-tae as he led the way.

The quiet tapping of his cane sounded somewhat eerie due to the silence within the center.

Despite its name, the Convergence Medicine Center felt exceptionally still - unlike any other medical facility Suhyuk had ever experienced.

[Is this place on its last legs? It doesn’t seem like there’s much money coming in.]

‘That… Stop talking such nonsense.’

[I’ve also given up on this location; it lacks perseverance.]

‘You…’

Suhyuk started to retort, “You’re TERMINAL,” but quickly closed his mouth.

Due to the lack of visitors, the conference room was located nearby. We arrived just as I thought we would start walking.

“Please come inside.”

A single researcher was present in the conference room. It seemed like they hadn’t had much work for a long time, and their hair at the back was slightly disheveled. They probably woke up just before our arrival.

‘This is why… there are talks about shrinking or closing the center.’

In fact, it was remarkable that the center wasn’t closed yet, given how it was treated like a stepchild by headquarters. If not for the hospital’s precarious situation, it might’ve already been dissolved.

‘At that time, Jongi hyung blew everyone away during the meeting.’

He usually disliked attending meetings, but once he realized the hospital’s future hung in the balance, he managed to captivate the entire audience with his speech.

Even Taehwa Group’s chairman, Chairman Lee Taehwa, applauded Jongi’s speech. Whether it was due to being genuinely moved by the content or out of amazement at seeing someone elderly causing such a stir is unclear.

Regardless, thanks to that incident, the Convergence Medicine Center survived.

“Please have a seat here. Would you like coffee or tea?” Despite narrowly escaping losing his job, the researcher managed a somewhat forced smile as he gestured towards available chairs.

The conference room was quite spacious, allowing everyone ample seating despite having fewer professors present than usual.

“We’re all busy, so let’s get straight to the point.” The researcher waited for everyone to be seated before addressing them and sliding over a laptop. Initially, Shin Hyun-tae received it.

“Ah, this friend will give the presentation.”

Shin Hyun-tae promptly handed it to Suhyuk. As Suhyuk plugged in the provided USB, he asked:

“Is this connected?”

“Yes, on the screen right… Ah, yes. It’s appearing now.”

The researcher nodded as they saw the title ‘Development of AI for Diagnostic Assistance’ displayed on the screen.

‘It is indeed a hot topic these days.’

When artificial intelligence was first introduced, many believed it would revolutionize the world instantly. Especially after AlphaGo defeated the genius Go player Lee Se-dol, it seemed like that future was imminent. However, the advancement of AI has been slower than anticipated. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say humans’ capabilities were underestimated.

‘Simplified AI is becoming the trend. Hmm.’

The researcher recalled a recent research paper they had reviewed.

Some AI technologies were already commercialized, and others were on the verge of being launched. Among these, there were topics that personally interested him, but the issue was money. Due to the Baruda incident, his funding had completely dried up.

Amidst the researcher’s regrets, Suhyuk began his presentation.

“I aim to create a system where vital signs from patients in intensive care units are collected by a single CPU, analyzed individually by an artificial intelligence program, and used to estimate the likelihood of sepsis.”

It sounded quite plausible when he explained it.

‘There are many presentations that sound convincing.’

This was especially true in the field of bioengineering. Even among researchers, information asymmetry could be severe if they specialized in different areas.

Moreover, both governments and companies often viewed biotechnology as key to their future prosperity. Consequently, numerous fraudsters swarmed around, scheming how they could siphon off some funds.

However, this presentation isn’t just plausible…

It presented a detailed blueprint that left no doubt about its feasibility. Typically, research proposals must include certain essential elements unless the goal is solely publishing a research paper.

Firstly, it needs to address whether there is a genuine need for the proposed research. Surprisingly, many ongoing studies lack significant impact. A vast number of these projects culminate only with publication in a single research paper, serving little practical purpose beyond that.

In that regard, this research was excellent. If artificial intelligence could predict sepsis, it would undoubtedly aid medical treatment.

And it’s feasible. All we have to do is…create it.

The scoring method had already been published in a research paper. Developing an AI capable of mechanically calculating scores wouldn’t be difficult. In fact, despite being labeled as “artificial intelligence,” it likely amounted to creating just a simple program.

There’s one problem though, isn’t there?

Everything seemed fine except for one issue. The researcher inadvertently glanced down during their presentation. Their cell phone lay on the table, and they noticed an open call window.

The name ‘Professor Seo Hyoseok’ was prominently displayed on the call window.

-Seo Hyoseok: Stop him by any means necessary. Can you come up with a good excuse?

The researcher recalled his actual affiliation. Although he worked at Taehwa Medical Center, he belonged to Taehwa BioLife. Seo Hyoseok’s father was one of the key board members of Taehwa BioLife, meaning his job security rested in the hands of Seo Hyoseok’s father.

‘Sigh… This could work though…’

This presentation already painted a vivid picture of the product. Throughout their career as a researcher, they had attended numerous presentations that drew grander visions than this. However, none seemed more feasible than what Sungyuk Shin proposed.

“Yes, that concludes my presentation.”

As Suhyuk finished his presentation amidst the researcher’s inner turmoil, the researcher managed to join the applause despite feeling uneasy inside.

‘Shit… What should I do?’

He was still conflicted.

“How is it?”

When he turned around, Shin Hyun-tae had spoken with a truly satisfied smile on his face. This expression arose because Hyun-tae believed Suhyuk’s presentation was perfect. If Hyun-tae knew how to program, he would have immediately jumped at the opportunity. Although there might be some bias due to his fondness for Suhyuk, Taejin Jo and Hong Changgi shared similar expressions.

Thus, he was confident about his assessment.

No doubt about it. It’s perfect.

The researcher shared this conviction. Honestly, if they used these materials to create a proposal, any company, not just Taehwa Electronics, could potentially develop it.

However, the issue was that doing so would put their own necks on the line.

“Why are you silent?” Shin Hyun-tae asked again as the researcher hesitated, seemingly troubled. Sensing something amiss, his expression grew more concerned than before.

“Well… hmm.” The researcher pondered while looking at Shin Hyun-tae.

‘Doesn’t this man work for…Taehwa Electronics?’

He likely held a senior position within Taehwa Electronics. Although there wasn’t a significant overlap between electronics and medical fields.

In fact, considering his father’s position within Taehwa Group, it would be quite insulting for him to be compared with Seo Hyoseok’s father. The difference in their ranks was that significant.

No… It’s too high up…

Rather, this made things even more complicated.

As the researcher hesitated, unable to articulate his thoughts, Shin Hyun-tae grew frustrated and stood up.

“What are you doing? You need to give me your opinion.”

“That is…”

“And what have you been looking at all this time?”

Shin Hyun-tae wasn’t short, so when he rose from his seat, he could see quite far around the room. For someone of his age, his eyesight was remarkably good, allowing him to decipher anything within the conference room easily.

“Seo Hyoseok? Is this because of Professor Seo’s phone call earlier?”

“Huh? N-no. No, it’s not like that…”

“It is too! Spill it. What did he say?”

“He…” The researcher looked around almost on the verge of tears, but it was futile. Due to the downsizing of the Convergence Medicine Center, only hospital staff were present in the conference room. Most likely, any employees here would be napping at their desks.

“He…”

“Well? I’m the department manager, higher than Professor Seo.”

“He…”

“Yes, go ahead and speak up! Our Hyun-tae hyung…no, our Manager Shin wants to know.”

“He…”

“Just tell us!”

With three professors alternately yelling, it was challenging for the researcher to gather his thoughts.

Taejin Jo and Hong Changgi didn’t seem to have much influence usually, but today they were quite aggressive, likely due to either Manager An’s presence or trying to impress Suhyuk.

“Yes… Professor Seo said he would fire me if this passed…” The researcher couldn’t withstand the pressure and confessed immediately.

Hyun-tae tried to silence him as soon as the words left his mouth, but it was futile. Once spoken, there was no taking back those words.

“Huh. This bastard… How dare he cross that line?” Shin Hyun-tae naturally erupted in anger upon hearing this.

Who did Taejin think he was, threatening another employee with termination? Even the hospital director wouldn’t make such threats lightly.

“Eh, th-that… It must remain secret…” The flustered researcher clutched at Shin Hyun-tae’s arm.

The flustered researcher grabbed Shin Hyun-tae’s arm. Shin Hyun-tae, known for his assertive personality, lived up to his reputation with this reaction.

“Don’t worry, Researcher. I won’t let anyone find out about this conversation. Just be honest with me. Is it possible or not?”

“It is possible. This can work.”

“Really? Then let’s proceed.”

“But…”

“I’ll handle the threat issue myself. Suhyuk, did you hear that?” Shin Hyun-tae patted the researcher on the shoulder and turned towards Suhyuk.

Suhyuk looked at him, puzzled by what he meant. Although he had heard the exchange, he didn’t understand its significance.

‘Am I missing something between the lines?’

“Nope. It doesn’t seem like there was any hidden meaning behind those words.”

‘You…’

“What’s wrong?”

‘Nothing.’

As Suhyuk observed Baruda becoming increasingly impudent, he took a moment to reflect on his own thoughts.

“You… Do you have patient Kim Dahyun’s number?”

“Ah. Yes, I do.”

“Yes. That is what I wanted to discuss.”

“Oh… Oh! I see.”

It turned out that Dr. Baek held the most power here. Seo Hyoseok and Shin Hyun-tae were finished. Unless they belonged to the Taehwa Group family, it would be difficult for them to defeat Kim Dahyun.

“Kim Dahyun…the Director?”

She was well-known enough within the group that even a researcher knew her name. Although Suhyuk wasn’t aware due to being busy at the hospital and somewhat isolated from the group, this indicated she had influence beyond just their subsidiary company.

“Yes. She saved the life of someone very important.”

“What?”

“Don’t act clueless now.”

“I’m not…I know.”

“So why fear anything? If you think you can achieve something, go for it. Isn’t that right?”