Chapter 13
A month had passed since Park Tae-woo, self-proclaimed director of the Paradise Supreme Leader's Direct First Central National Medical Center, had crawled his way under my command. Every two weeks, he rode in Kim Dae-geon's truck to pay his respects, handing over reports detailing everything he'd seen and heard.
The Han sisters took those reports, analyzed them in detail, summarized the key points, and filed them away.
"Your Excellency, if it's not too much trouble, may I use this makeshift shower facility as well?"
"Getting chummy with me now, are you? I spared your life, and now you're making requests."
"Your Excellency, that's not—"
"Whatever. It was made for Dae-geon's crew anyway, so get his permission and use it."
Park Tae-woo glanced at Kim Dae-geon, who nodded in approval.
Nothing particularly noteworthy jumped out from the report. Over the past month, his followers had swelled by a whopping 311, outstripping their 100 water tanks, so they'd doubled it to 200. Kim Dae-geon was kindly hauling them over in his trucks.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—this winter had brought heavy snow, which they were melting to cover their water needs.
Park Tae-woo's rank sat below even the kids. That morning, when he arrived and happened to lock eyes with Lee Ha-yeon building a snowman in the yard, she ran to Im Jui and said, "Sis, that uncle keeps smiling at me." Im Jui nearly beat him to death before I intervened.
To me, it just looked like an innocent smile at a child playing happily, but his image as the king of sexual tributes had our women glaring at him like he was a bug.
He protested, "I have no interest in young girls!" but that only made their stares icier.
I ordered him never to make eye contact with the children on future visits.
"I'll savor this grace from Your Excellency."
Kim Dae-geon said, eyeing the wooden crate packed with milk bottles. Surprisingly, they preferred milk over meat—their reactions were always better when I handed it over. With ten residents including myself drinking three glasses each per day, the milk tank refilled by morning anyway.
Without my permission, they wouldn't touch the meat. Even when I urged them to eat their fill, they refused steaks, opting instead to make soup from small portions to share. I had to declare it a feast and force them to eat.
"Your Excellency, hot baths on a freezing day like this... I am truly grateful."
"Yeah. Grab some MREs from that box on your way out. Don't hog them—feed your followers."
"Your Excellency, thank you!"
Those MREs were inedible anyway. No matter how you prepared them, they were beyond salvation, so I donated them to Kim Dae-geon. The packaging alone killed appetites, but to outsiders, they were precious high-calorie rations—complete with coffee, salt, drink mixes, gum, and tissues. Dream food for them.
"It's cold out. Head inside, both of you."
"Your Excellency, we'll be off!"
"Your Excellency, see you next week!"
"Everyone, clap!"
The residents applauded in unison. Today marked the completion of the third building's reconstruction.
It was located in the "southwest sector" behind Im Jui's house. I wanted to build another livestock pen or farm, but for now, I planned one of each type. That way, whether a locked door unlocked or the next mystery building revealed itself, I'd be prepared.
"Hospital."
The reconstructed house twisted and morphed into a hospital.
"Oh. Looks like a real hospital."
In an instant, the house became a two-story white stone building, complete with a red cross emblem in the center.
"Let's all check it out."
The electric tingle from opening new buildings or rooms now felt welcoming.
"Hmm... so that's how it is."
The first floor split into examination rooms and patient rooms: two four-bed rooms, two two-bed rooms, and one single room.
"Less 'patient rooms' and more 'recovery rooms,' I'd say."
"Master, what do you mean?"
"Lying in these beds boosts recovery speed."
I knew it instinctively from the influx of information. These weren't ordinary beds. Patients recovered much faster here than on regular ones, with effectiveness scaling by room type: single best, then doubles, then quads.
Next, the examination room—identical to any standard clinic, complete with a computer for patient charts. The walls were lined floor-to-ceiling with bookshelves packed with English medical texts. As curiosity stirred, Lee Kyung-min began caressing them in a daze.
"You know these?"
"Yes, Your Excellency. All medical books."
"Good. No need to hunt for them separately."
A small door led to a stark white room with a single bed in the center.
"Your Excellency, this is..."
"Yeah, imaging room. No idea how it works, though. Says lie down for ten seconds... I'll test it."
"Your Excellency, let me!"
"Master, I'll go."
"Nah, it's not dangerous. I'll do it."
I brushed off their protests, lay on the bed, and after ten seconds, a flash exploded through the room.
Emerging, everyone stared.
"Nothing happened?"
"Yes, Your Excellency."
"Hmm..."
Something had happened, but nothing seemed amiss. As I pondered further checks, Lee Ha-yeon shouted.
"Oppa! The computer's on!"
The monitor flickered to life, filled with countless images—too many to parse. I recognized X-rays, barely.
"Your Excellency, no hospital could match this for diagnostics."
Lee Kyung-min scrolled through, examining them.
"Not X-rays?"
"Yes, Your Excellency. X-rays, CTs, MRIs—all captured."
"That's good?"
"Your Excellency, 'good' doesn't cover it. A miracle of god."
"Great, then."
Lee Kyung-min's value skyrocketed. The hospital wasn't fully automated—without medical knowledge, it was useless outside recovery rooms.
Oddest feature: an elevator in a two-story building.
"Let's ride up."
"Master, what's on the second floor?"
"See for yourself."
One reason for an elevator in a two-story hospital: patient transport.
As the doors opened and we stepped out, blue mist vented from ceiling ducts.
"Your Excellency?! What is this?"
"Don't panic. Sterilization gas."
The second floor was the operating theater—that explained the elevator.
Shelves brimmed with drugs, all liquids, unusable outside. They auto-replenished after use. English labels suggested surgical anesthetics and such.
True to the Landlord ability, surgery was robotic. Robot arms dangled from the ceiling, handling injections and incisions.
Lee Kyung-min's face darkened—his surgeon dreams dashed by automation.
I patted his shoulder. "Don't give up yet."
"Your Excellency? No, I'm not disappointed."
"Follow me."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
I led him to a corner computer, powering it on. Ten monitors bloomed with icons and screens—all English, unreadable to me. Each controlled a robot arm, like a surgery sim game.
"Your Excellency!"
"Yeah."
It seemed like a miracle hospital—fast recovery, auto-sterilization, robotic surgery—but doctors still diagnosed and selected procedures. Useless without medical expertise.
Lee Kyung-min beamed, clicking icons. Hundreds of English procedures scrolled by.
I pointed. "Appendectomy? What's that?"
"Yes, Your Excellency! 'Appendectomy' is appendectomy."
Click for appendicitis cases, apparently. But surgeons monitored vitals, adjusted techniques, dosed meds throughout.
"Sounds tough."
"Your Excellency, appendectomy is commonly called appendix surgery."
Just call it appendix surgery instead of the fancy appendectomy, you bookworms... The retort rose but I swallowed it.
Relief at last. The real issue was the residents. Recently, the Han sisters relayed a plea: while I napped, residents begged them quietly for work—"Please, give us tasks."
They handled water filling, laundry, trades—but felt underworked relative to privileges. They rejected special meats and veggies until forced, sharing minimally.
Kids just needed to grow healthy; Im Jui bore no burdens as first governor and muscle. Others did.
Couldn't invent busywork; docs and finance went to ex-officers. Han sisters suggested titles—now we had pretext.
"Lee Kyung-min."
"Yes, Your Excellency!"
"From today, this is 'First Hospital.' You're 'First Hospital Director'—no veto. You're the only doctor."
"Your Excellency...! Your Excel-l-l-lency!"
He dropped to his knees, weeping. Han Byeol's original suggestion—"Paradise Supreme Leader's Direct First Central National Medical Center"—sounded too dictatorial, so I simplified.
"I'll devote my life as director, Your Excellency!"
"Yeah... do your best."
Not done yet.
"Kids need school, but conditions aren't right. Until patients arrive, use this as school too. Nurses needed, so women learn medicine from Kyung-min. Spare time: desks, chairs, teach kids."
Im Jui's group knelt, beaming.
"Your Excellency! Thank you!"
"We'll do our best!"
"Uncle, this is school?"
"Yeah, vacation's over—classes tomorrow. Jeong Su-hwan's books for textbooks."
Finally, a weight off my shoulders. Never knew leadership meant micromanaging this.
I appointed Han Byeol governor of the livestock sector and Han Seol for the hospital. No new rooms unlocked—expected, no disappointment.
Black bracelets now adorned the Han sisters' arms.
I suggested Kyung-min as hospital governor, but he paled, insisting director sufficed—sisters fit better.
From observation, the implicit hierarchy inside the barrier: Me >>>> Immeasurable Gap >>> Han Seol, Han Byeol > Im Jui >>>> Immeasurable Gap >>>> Other Residents.
Ambiguous ranks bred fights; clear hierarchy was better.