Chapter 156: On Our Side (1)

“Yes, so you did this?” President Lee Yoo-won nodded with satisfaction at Seo Hyoseok’s explanation.

Director Seo looked away as if he couldn’t bear to watch any longer. Seo Hyoseok was the only one who failed to grasp the gravity of the situation.

“Yes, sir. I-I wanted to fill it up. Honestly!”

“Well, hearing that now doesn’t change anything. You may leave.”

“What?”

“I said, get out.” The irritation in Lee Yoo-won’s voice prompted security guards on standby to escort Seo Hyoseok from the room.

Directors Seo and Woo Jiwon followed suit, turning their backs on the proceedings.

Lee Yoo-won waited until the door slammed shut before glaring at Director Kim Da-hyun.

“But how did Director Kim not catch this earlier? With so many people involved… It shouldn’t have been easy to conceal.”

Had the initial whistleblower come from another subsidiary instead of the hospital, things might have unfolded differently. However, those working at the hospital, especially professors, were notoriously oblivious to the outside world. Without someone tipping them off, they likely would’ve remained unaware forever. They might’ve even accepted half the promised amount without question.

The medical school professors who participated in Project Bardue, which Lee Yoo-won had personally overseen, were prime examples of such individuals.

“We received a tip.” This conviction led Lee Yoo-won to her conclusion.

This was not something orchestrated by the hospital; Kim Da-hyun must have been involved from the start. Sensing Lee Yoo-won’s suspicions, Kim Da-hyun refrained from lying outright. Lies might work on Irina or Sungyung, but it’s wise to be cautious when dealing with a tiger. Even if one can temporarily extinguish immediate fires, eventually, they will get bitten.

“Who provided you this information?”

Kim Da-hyun briefly hesitated before revealing Suhyuk’s name. Given that the three individuals mentioned earlier were bound to face consequences, disclosing the informant’s identity here could potentially benefit rather than harm them.

‘If anyone tries to harm him, I’ll protect him.’

While having these thoughts, Lee Yoo-won naturally showed interest in Resident Lee Suhyuk.

“A second-year resident? I am not familiar with this… Are you not a professor?”

“No. I am a doctor in training. After completing three years, I will become a specialist.”

“Not even a specialist yet?”

In response to Lee Yoo-won’s question, his secretary quickly explained the hospital positions. In summary, Lee Suhyuk, a second-year resident, was 28 years old and equivalent to a newly hired employee in a company.

“Yes.”

“But how did he provide such information? No, why did he do it?”

“He is one of the authors of the research proposal. It is likely that Dr. Lee Suhyuk came up with the idea for this study.”

“Did a 28-year-old submit a research proposal that was approved for five billion won after proper evaluation?”

“Yes.”

“Has he conducted any previous research?” Lee Yoo-won’s gaze shifted from Director Kim Da-hyun to Lee Hyunjong and Shin Hyun-tae.

In fact, Manager Shin Hyun-tae knew more about Suhyuk than anyone else present. However, under her intense stare, it seemed like he might stop breathing altogether.

Lee Hyunjong sighed at his younger colleague’s pitiful state before responding, “No, this is his first time. Although he has published papers before…he hasn’t participated in any prior research projects.”

“Hmm… But still, it received approval for five billion won.” Lee Yoo-won had limited knowledge of medicine, nor was she particularly well-versed in electronics.

Perhaps Director Kim Da-hyun would know more about it. However, as a businessman, Lee Yoo-won had a sense for these things.

‘A research proposal from not the electronics but rather the hospital division received five billion won… Hmm.’

Until just three years ago, this was quite common. The company believed that biotechnology held the key to its future growth. However, since Project Bardue’s failure, most of the hospital-related research projects were outsourced. For a project to receive funding amidst such circumstances meant it must have been well-planned and likely practical.

“It sounds intriguing. Can you send me a copy if possible?”

“Pardon?” Even Lee Hyunjong, known for his composure, seemed taken aback by this request.

After all, Lee Yoo-won wasn’t just anyone; he was the monster who had propelled Taehwa Group into the top ten conglomerates worldwide. It was surprising to hear him express interest in a mere resident’s research proposal.

“Can you send it to me?”

“Oh… Yes, of course. I’ll have my secretary forward it to you.”

Lee Hyunjong quickly regained his composure, as expected from someone at his level.

“B-burp!” Shin Hyun-tae, already nervous, suddenly let out a burp, which was quite embarrassing.

Fortunately, Lee Yoo-won ignored this minor interruption and turned his attention directly to Director Kim Da-hyun.

“In any case, we cannot keep such individuals around. We need to cut ties with them…”

“Should we proceed with filing charges?”

“Charges? No. Any public scandal would only damage Taehwa’s reputation. Just cut them loose and give a warning to other companies within our industry. Ensure they have no further professional dealings with Taehwa whatsoever.”

This effectively blocked their chances of reemployment. It wasn’t like Lee Yoo-won cared about these youngsters’ futures, but even just one word leaking out could be devastating for them. At present, there were no domestic or international businesses willing to openly challenge Taehwa Group. Besides, excluding Director Seo, none of the others were particularly skilled individuals.

“Yes, sir. I’ll relay your message accordingly.”

“Good. Is that all?”

“Oh… The appreciation part is over, but I have something else to announce.”

“Huh? Oh, right. You want to do it here?”

“Yes. We’ll start as soon as you’re done with your hospital meeting.”

“All right then. It looks like we’ve…gone slightly over time.”

With that, Lee Hyunjong and Shin Hyun-tae swiftly exited the conference room like water receding during low tide.

While Shin Hyun-tae didn’t think much of it, Lee Hyunjong felt somewhat underappreciated considering his stature as a world-renowned surgeon. But what could he do? This was a corporation, not a hospital. Making money took precedence over saving lives. Besides, Taehwa Group continued to subsidize Taehwa Medical Center’s operating losses incurred from treating patients.

Lee Hyunjong himself didn’t harbor any complaints about this situation.

“Oh man. Oh geez. Oh boy.” Shin Hyun-tae was too out of it to voice his dissatisfaction or concerns. He kept muttering nonsense until Lee Hyunjong finally sat him down in the driver’s seat.

“O-okay, buckle your seatbelt. Uh, should…should I do it for you?” Lee Hyunjong even considered driving instead due to how disoriented Shin Hyun-tae seemed.

“Huh? When did we get here?”

“When else? You’re acting like an old man, so I had to drag you over here!”

“Oh…”

“How can you be the director with that attitude? Even if not every month, at least occasionally, you have to meet with President Lee Yoo-won or Vice President Kim Bum-jun.”

“I’m not doing it.”

“Oh geez, you little…!”

“What’s wrong with that? Didn’t you tell me to focus on patients instead of worrying about positions?”

“You think—you think you’re in a position to say such things?” Lee Hyunjong was lying down across the backseat, refusing even to drive, yet he had the audacity to complain.

Caught off guard, Shin Hyun-tae inadvertently pressed hard on the accelerator and couldn’t muster up the energy to argue back at Lee Hyunjong’s outburst. He just wondered why this man kept causing trouble for him.

“Position? What do you mean by ‘position’? I’m doing well as manager, thank you very much.”

“Why are you being so selfish?”

“Wow… You really said that while lying there? No filter whatsoever, huh?”

Lee Hyunjong usually wasn’t like this, but Shin Hyun-tae thought he was going too far today and yelled at him. Despite his outburst, Hyun-tae continued to drive safely, giving some insight into his character.

However, Lee Hyunjong remained unaffected by Hyun-tae’s reaction.

“Come on, you know that right? You need to be the director. Suhyuk needs someone watching over him. Look what happened again today. The president took Soohyuk’s research proposal.”

Technically, it should have been called ‘chairman’ instead of ‘president.’ In reality, the chairman, Ilzang Lee, hadn’t participated in external activities for more than ten years.

“Ah…”

“As they say, a prominent nail gets hammered down. Suhyuk is just too outstanding. Even if he seems capable, we still need to support him.”

“That…”

I didn’t expect such thoughtful words from Lee Hyunjong. Shin Hyun-tae genuinely looked surprised, although he maintained his gaze straight ahead without turning towards them.

“In other words, you need to grow some courage if you want to be the director. You aren’t a child, so why are you trembling? Anyone watching would think you were the one being honoured.”

“It’s my first time in this position…”

“I don’t know… Even though I haven’t seen him recently, Lee Suhyuk would’ve handled it better than you.”

“Uh…” Shin Hyun-tae started to instinctively disagree but caught himself. Upon reflection, Suhyuk had always been remarkably confident, even as a first-year student.

That was actually an advantage for Jongi and me.

They were both scholars for life and simultaneously mentors to each other. Rather than feeling jealous of his excellent disciple, he felt proud of him. However, what about others? There would undoubtedly be people who envied Suhyuk’s success.

‘In fact, there are still many now.’

No one dared criticize someone favored by both the director and manager directly, but more than a few residents whispered behind his back. What if this negativity spread beyond the hospital walls? Even with Suhyuk’s exceptional abilities, it could become overwhelming.

“I understand. I get it. You want me to become the director.”

“Who told you that?”

“Why should I dance to your tune? Earlier, didn’t you say to excel if I wanted to be the director?”

“That is something for later. Still…”

Lee Hyunjong recalled his conversation with Director Kim Da-hyun before coming here.

‘Let’s appoint Manager Shin Hyun-tae as the next director. He will do well, right?’

It wasn’t explicitly stated, but it was clear that they were planning to replace Suhyuk with their own person. The personnel matters of Taehwa Medical Center were not solely decided by Taehwa Group but primarily overseen by Taehwa Life Sciences. This meant that whoever controlled Taehwa Life Sciences could exert influence over the medical center.

‘I believe the aftereffects of the Bardue project won’t last long. Hospitals may soon regain prominence as one of our core businesses. Based on my analysis of this research proposal, I have that impression.’

Kim Da-hyun immediately desired this position and used it as leverage to repay Suhyuk’s favor. Lee Hyunjong felt like he had been manipulated by Kim Da-hyun, but if the next director could protect and nurture Suhyuk, then it was acceptable.

Lee Hyunjong pondered these thoughts while glancing at Shin Hyun-tae, who remained focused on the road ahead.

“Get ready. Being a director isn’t something you can take lightly.”

“You always seem to handle things effortlessly, hyung.”

“If you do it half-heartedly, won’t others follow suit?”

“That wouldn’t happen.”

“Exactly, so observe and learn. I’ll also start attending more meetings soon. By the way… Why wasn’t Soohyuk here today?”

“He’s on duty, you know. With the shortage of staff after transitioning to three-year terms, I hope he’s doing well - or rather, I’m sure he is.”

“Let’s go inside and check on him briefly.”