Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: The Reporter's Loyalty
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"Sir, a guest has arrived."
"A guest at this hour?"
I glanced at the Richard Mille on my wrist.
It was 8 a.m.
Today was a Sunday, a rest day for everyone and the weekend at that, yet I never dreamed a visitor would show up at the Hannam-dong mansion at the crack of dawn.
Im Yun-ah hurriedly prepared some simple refreshments and tea as soon as the guest arrived.
"I'm sorry for the rude behavior last time. I feel ashamed to come here like this..."
Who is this?
Isn't this Lee Do-wook, the reporter who exposed Mirae Distribution and the HT Group?
From what I'd heard recently, his son had finally woken up after six years.
After hearing about Jin-seong and Ppimnyang's wedding news, it seemed some other good fortune had come his way too.
Well, I was in a good mood about it.
"I heard through his doctor that your son has woken up. Congratulations."
"No, no. If it weren't for you, President Kim Do-jun, this never would have happened. Thank you again, and I'm truly sorry."
He was referring to the incident where he dumped water on my head.
Honestly, I hadn't held onto that grudge. Life throws all kinds of curveballs at you.
Even a shut-in loser like me wouldn't ignore someone else's plight.
It was more than understandable for a father whose child had been unfairly hit by a car and received no compensation to lash out.
With the 50 million won envelope I'd handed him, it was no wonder he mistook me for an HT Group plant.
We sat on the luxury sofa in the corner of the living room and talked at length.
About how he'd been faring and what he planned to do going forward.
As you might know, Lee Do-wook is known in the industry as the "chaebol killer."
To a media outlet, he's a double-edged sword.
Keeping a time bomb like him around would be too burdensome, no matter when he might blow up. So, the moment his son woke up, he quit journalism.
"Throughout my life, I haven't been able to spend much time with Shin-bin. Accepting the harsh reality that my son, with whom I'd been getting along so well, had left my side was incredibly difficult."
"I understand. I would have made the same choice."
If I had a child right now.
And some shameless bastard touched them, I'd chew them up and spit them out, and that wouldn't even be enough.
'Kids, huh...'
I wonder if I'll ever get married in this life.
I doubt any woman would take a guy whose only skill is donating Bubble Gifts on internet streams.
I saw an article recently.
These days, women's ideal type is at least 178 cm tall.
I was already out before the race even started.
Just looking at Olivia, Jin Seol-hwa, and Im Yun-ah, who live with me—they're all taller than me. And unlike my third-rate college degree, all three graduated from world-renowned universities.
Olivia from Harvard.
Jin Seol-hwa from Stanford.
I didn't know about Im Yun-ah, but she graduated from a mid-to-upper-tier university in the US.
Mid-to-upper-tier in America probably puts her inside the global top 70 rankings, right?
"So, would you mind if I asked one favor?"
Lee Do-wook might not look it, but he's a prestigious university grad, so a request from a man of his caliber was worth hearing out.
"Of course. Go ahead."
With that, he suddenly stood from the sofa and dropped to his knees on the floor!
I couldn't hide my flustered expression as I jumped to my feet.
"Please take me in!"
"...Pardon?"
"I've thought long and hard about this. You saved my son—a boy you'd never even met—without any obligation, and you even protected us from the clutches of HT Group and Mirae Distribution."
"No, that was just part of a deal..."
Lee Do-wook shook his head.
HT Group was ranked 8th in the corporate world.
Standing up to a behemoth like that took more than confidence, he praised me effusively.
"I'm at an age now where I want to dedicate myself to one person."
"No, wait... I was just targeting Mirae Distribution..."
"Please accept me! I want to devote the rest of my life to you in loyalty!"
This guy was stubborn as hell.
Shouldn't he back off by now?
But no.
Once a man like him sets his mind, no temptation can sway him. Even those in national industries betray for massive payoffs abroad—that's the reality.
Maybe Lee Do-wook was exactly the kind of talent I'd been hoping for.
"Haah, this is ridiculous..."
Fine, let's accept him for now.
He'd bring immediate benefits, and there was no way I'd lose out.
That's the nature of reporters.
To cover events or scoops, you need wide connections. Right now, he had the broadest network imaginable.
"President!"
"...You win. You got me!"
I had no choice but to raise both hands in surrender before him.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Lee Do-wook was impressive, as expected.
How he even found out I lived in the Hannam-dong mansion was extraordinary in itself—better to say it was anything but ordinary.
A man who'd endured 15 years in the political desk.
In that long span, he'd gathered countless pieces of information.
He knew the histories of companies from No. 1 to No. 100 in the corporate rankings inside out—like a drama protagonist reborn with past knowledge to succeed.
'A walking human encyclopedia...'
From the 1980s, dubbed the Fifth Republic, he knew every incident, which group chairs met whom, and how much they pocketed.
Put another way, he had everyone's weaknesses stored in his head.
And now, that Lee Do-wook was essentially my loyal subordinate.
I'd sent Park Seong-ho, who lacked experience, on a temporary assignment, and watching my old friend grow like bamboo shoots day by day filled me with a sense of novelty.
This is why good mentors are essential.
'Good call accepting him.'
If a talent like that fell into someone else's hands, it would have been a nightmare.
"President, we've arrived at the meeting spot."
"Already?"
"Yes. Ten minutes out."
Im Yun-ah gently braked and slowly pulled the car to a stop. Today, I was set to meet Hong Ji-won, the director of Handong Medical Center.
I planned to ask about his beliefs and how he intended to run the hospital.
A restaurant suitable for a simple meal.
A middle-aged man with a full head of white hair was already there waiting for me.
"Are you Director Hong Ji-won?"
"Yes, that's me. Are you President Kim Do-jun...?"
"That's me."
I took a seat across from him.
His face looked pale, as if he'd just finished surgery himself.
Hong Ji-won, the hospital director.
He'd worked 10 years at Massachusetts General Hospital in the US and was renowned as a master in cardiology and neurology. The media covered him extensively when he returned to Korea.
And now he ran a small hospital like this.
Leading by example instead of dumping it on juniors—plenty to learn from that attitude.
"I know the hospital's situation well."
"I'm ashamed. I know my greed has made things hard for my juniors."
I hadn't planned to scold him or anything.
He was a man worthy of respect. During his residency, he'd voluntarily joined an NGO and performed surgeries in conflict zones. That's where he met and learned from Brad, then the world's top surgical authority.
Operating amid bullets and shells.
In a way, that's the exact skill this divided country needs most.
Afterward, realizing his shortcomings, he took Brad's recommendation and joined Massachusetts General. Despite the Yankees' prejudice against Asians, Hong Ji-won, with his field experience, showcased incredible skill.
Within three years, he earned everyone's recognition.
'Who would have believed the rumors back then that Hong Ji-won was returning to Korea?'
No one could have predicted that the ace from the world's top hospital, with incomparable infrastructure, would come to a small Korean one.
"I've heard Handong Medical Center is running a 28 billion won deficit. I'll cover it all."
"!"
Hong Ji-won's pupils trembled like aspen leaves.
Because medicine inevitably racks up deficits steadily. Unlike profitable departments, Handong's advanced emergency medicine would have struggled endlessly.
In other words, my statement meant covering not just the 28 billion, but all future deficits too.
"Th-that's!"
"Of course, it's not free. Don't let my looks fool you—I'm a businessman."
Hong Ji-won slumped into his seat with a resigned expression, as if to say, "I knew it."
With the hospital's finances worsening daily, he'd grasp at any straw.
To him, I quietly said,
"Don't give up."
"!"
"The number of patients you've saved could fill a hand's fingers many times over. That's what I really admire."
"I, I'm..."
"Running a hospital where life and death are uncertain every day takes a ton of money. You've probably had no shortage of pharma companies sniffing around under the guise of investment."
"......"
"Well, I'm cut from the same cloth, but still better than those guys."
I shrugged lightly.
No point hiding that I'm not a volunteer and want to make money. To eat, sleep, and shit, you need basic income at least.
To launch the 'DJ Group,' I needed more capital than most. But I didn't want to profit off a hospital.
Even a heartless businessman has to keep some basic decency.
"Patients won't come if they're sick but broke. Hmm, try running some events. Hospitals don't have to be grim all the time, right? Let's make one where doctors and patients are both happy."
"President Kim Do-jun..."
"Holding back because of bills isn't good. It turns minor illnesses into major ones."
Even in the US with sky-high medical costs, people avoid hospitals unless they're dying. Simple reason: too expensive.
Korea's system is solid, but high-risk diseases burden the average person heavily.
"I'll support Handong Medical Center from behind the scenes."
And I pointed at Hong Ji-won.
"You, Director Hong Ji-won, focus on treating patients with all you've got."
I'm not doing this for profit.
If people are happy... that's enough.
I want to be a good person, like what my late mother hoped for, more than just a rich one.
"That's my only condition."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The name 'Kim Do-jun' was making waves again.
📰 Breaking News [A mysterious donor appears at the perpetually deficit-ridden Handong Medical Center, sparking public buzz...] [The anonymous donor revealed as Kim Do-jun, who recently acquired Mirae Distribution...] [Estimated donation: 30 billion won. Plus, fundraising for those unable to afford treatment...] [What's the deal between Jin Seol-hwa and Kim Do-jun? Are they lovers?] [In an interview, Kim Do-jun stressed, "Emergency medicine is vital for this country," expressing willingness to support not just Handong but other regional ERs if needed.] Internet broadcasts and TV kept reporting on his ongoing good deeds.
💬 Comments — Anonymous Whoa, this guy's insane. Someone should shower him with cash... — User123 Agreed; heard he's self-made. Definitely a legend. — BrokeAF But how much money does this dude have? Every time he does something, it's hundreds of billions minimum? — GamerGuy Yeah; he was CEO of Starlight before Mirae. Their games? Zero cash grab vibes. As a dirt-poor player, it's my life game. — SCFan Top comment's spot on. Super user-friendly, barely any cash shops. Hosted a flashy Starcraft tourney too, right? As this news swept the nation, a new star rose in Korea, sending stock prices of all related companies soaring.
Of course, the phenomenon was temporary.
But people knew.
That the name Kim Do-jun would one day achieve something great.