Chapter 31: How to Overcome a Nightmare
Chapter 31: How to Overcome a Nightmare
Ever since I was young, I was prone to nightmares whenever I was hurt emotionally.
“Kim Shin’s a beggar’s brat. A beggar’s brat.”
After being teased in elementary school, I was plagued by terrible nightmares for a while.
Dreams of becoming a real beggar, living under a bridge.
I had my fair share of nightmares during the divorce, too.
It was a dream of living alone in a rental apartment and dying a lonely death.
Although, at some point, my married life started to feel more like a nightmare.
“Even if I'm destined to die alone, I want to live with peace of mind.”
After the divorce, I didn’t really have nightmares anymore.
But a movie I saw at a video room came to mind, and I had a terrible nightmare.
I visited Sangam-dong, and the members of a beautiful girl group, my source of vitality in life, were lying on the street as corpses.
Among the living girls, Jennifer from BlackRed said,
“*Cough. Cough.* Because of you... we're all going to die.”
A world where all the girl groups are dead.
I’m not an otaku like Oh Myeong-woo, but I still enjoy watching girl group performances with a smile when I come across them while flipping through TV channels.
On the way home from Sangam-dong, I saw countless corpses.
Even the sight of bodies floating down the Han River.
‘This is a dream.’
It didn’t feel real at all.
The Ferrari was self-driving even though I wasn't holding the wheel, and I was used to nightmares themselves.
The way to overcome a nightmare is not to try to escape it.
Everyone has their own method, but when I have a nightmare, I observe it closely.
Even when scary scenes appear, I ponder why they appeared.
After a terrible nightmare, I would actually feel more empowered in reality.
‘Is this nightmare because I’m planning to reject the investment proposal?’
I woke up.
Honestly, I was weak and vulnerable to getting hurt.
I had persevered through difficult circumstances, but somewhere in my heart, the scars remained.
But spending money recklessly just to get a little comfort isn't my style.
I may be newly rich, but the stinginess etched into my very bones remains, I suppose.
‘I can't invest in a field with no potential.’
Vaccines and treatments using artificial intelligence.
They say it can drastically shorten the development period. Thinking back, I never even got a vaccine when MERS or SARS were notorious.
When swine flu was going around, existing treatments were effective.
‘Even if they make it, won't it be hard to sell?’
They say getting FDA approval and all that takes eight to fifteen years.
That’s more than enough time for the entire landscape to change.
‘Rejecting it is the right move.’
Still, there was a lingering feeling of unease.
Dr. Lee Ho-yeon was, at the very least, doing the right thing. For the advancement of medicine, someone has to do that kind of work.
Even if I were to refuse, I needed a good reason.
- Kim Shin: Myeong-woo. Do you know anyone in the medical field? Even if it's through a couple of connections, that's fine. Please introduce me to someone quickly.
- Oh Myeong-woo: Medical? Are you sick?
- Kim Shin: I have something to ask. My friend. It would be best if it's someone knowledgeable about infectious diseases. You're the only one I can ask for help. I'm counting on you.
I rarely used the word “ask” or “favor.”
Even if I had to starve, I never borrowed money or asked anyone for a favor.
I asked because I considered this truly important.
- Oh Myeong-woo: Got it. Even if I don't know someone, one of my employees is bound to know someone they can introduce you to.
I trust in the genius of Chris and Katia, who contribute to our collective intelligence, but this wasn't their field of expertise.
And so, I was connected with a doctor named Paul Lesser.
He was a professor of infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins University Hospital.
- Paul: I was told this is a very important matter. What are you curious about?
- Kim Shin: Hello, Professor. It's a pleasure to meet you.
Having worked as a sales representative in the pharmaceutical industry, I knew just how incredible Johns Hopkins University Hospital was.
For a moment, I marveled at being connected to such an impressive contact.
I asked him about artificial intelligence, infectious disease pandemics, vaccines, and treatments.
- Paul: That's an interesting concept, something Hollywood might take an interest in.
- Kim Shin: So it's unrealistic, then?
- Paul: Not necessarily. There are a great many viruses that affect humans. And mutant viruses capable of causing large-scale pandemics are constantly emerging.
- Paul: Artificial intelligence is already being applied in the medical field.
He said that although it's still in its early stages, AI is being applied to new drug development and genetic analysis.
Things like protein structure analysis, drug candidate screening, and finding genomic sequences.
To date, humans have identified only 0.1% of all protein structures, and expectations for AI in this field were rising.
- Paul: I expect it to be a great help in future medical research and data collection. Based on the active investment of pharmaceutical companies, that is.
- Kim Shin: I see.
I was able to confirm that artificial intelligence is indeed very useful in medicine.
In the medical field, which requires vast amounts of data and analysis, the introduction of AI will dramatically speed up every process.
- Paul: There was someone in the past who also spoke of the possibility of a large-scale pandemic. He said we needed to respond to it based on artificial intelligence.
Is it already someone's research project?
- Paul: It was a doctor named Lee Ho-yeon. He graduated from Stanford University and came to our university.
- Paul: He was my friend, and a genius. Not just a run-of-the-mill genius, but the kind who could change the world.
I couldn't help but be surprised to hear the name Lee Ho-yeon from a professor at Johns Hopkins University Hospital.
- Kim Shin: Are you still in contact with Dr. Lee Ho-yeon?
- Paul: I haven't been in touch with him for over 10 years, since he left the hospital. His number must have changed, because he doesn't answer.
- Kim Shin: Actually, I have an opportunity to invest in Dr. Lee Ho-yeon.
I explained that Lee Ho-yeon was developing an AI to combat influenza and coronaviruses, and that I was considering investing in his company.
- Paul: He truly is an amazing friend. To think he's continued his research and development so steadily after leaving the United States.
- Kim Shin: But why didn't he stay in the US?
The research environment, the personnel, the support.
It was puzzling since the US would have been better than Korea in every aspect.
- Paul: You don't know much about Ho-yeon, I see. When his supervising professor told him that such research wouldn't make any money, he landed a clean uppercut on him and left the hospital.
His gaze was sharp, but he didn't seem like such a fierce person.
‘If I had rejected his investment on the spot, would I have gotten an uppercut too?’
How sharp must Lee Ho-yeon have been before he was worn down by the years?
- Paul: His younger sister died from an infectious disease. The doctor said there was no suitable treatment. That must have been the motivation for his research.
- Kim Shin: I see.
- Paul: And perhaps... this is just speculation, but an AI that can respond to influenza and coronaviruses could probably be applied to some extent to common diseases or new drug development as well.
- Kim Shin: Really?
- Paul: Yes. The expectations for AI are very different now compared to 10 years ago. It could be used to analyze the genes or structures that make up a disease. Though, the level of the AI Lee Ho-yeon is developing will be important.
I was looking for a reason to reject the investment, but instead, I ended up finding a reason why I *should* invest.
As I was lost in thought for a moment, a text message arrived.
- Paul: Would it be all right for me to go to Korea and meet Ho-yeon?
- Kim Shin: You, Professor?
- Paul: If Ho-yeon agrees, I'd like to meet with him and talk.
I sent a text message to Lee Ho-yeon, the person in question.
- Kim Shin: Hello. I'm thinking positively about the investment. While looking into the relevant field, I was connected with Professor Paul Lesser of Johns Hopkins University. He says he would like to come to Korea and meet you in person, Doctor.
2 AM.
It was a time when most people would be asleep, but a reply came back quickly.
- Lee Ho-yeon: Positively, you say? About the investment?
- Kim Shin: Yes. I'm still in the consideration phase, but that's correct.
- Lee Ho-yeon: Paul Lesser is a good friend. We can meet together.
I sent texts back and forth between Paul and Lee Ho-yeon.
- Kim Shin: Dr. Lee Ho-yeon says it's fine. When would you be able to come to Korea?
- Paul: I'll leave right away. I can arrive in 14 hours.
- Kim Shin: Yes, I'll pass that on.
- Kim Shin: Would you be able to meet with me and Professor Paul this evening?
- Lee Ho-yeon: That's fine.
- Kim Shin: Dr. Lee Ho-yeon has agreed.
- Paul: Thank you. I'll leave immediately.
If they were such good friends, they could have just contacted each other.
By the time I finished the conversations and went to bed, it was 6 AM.
Nevertheless, I was able to sleep peacefully, without worrying about having nightmares.
* * *
At work, I was so drowsy I kept dozing off.
It was the result of not sleeping properly all night, but I still had to proceed with the handover schedule.
“Let's go, Jong-yeop.”
“Yes.”
Today, Jo Soo-ah joined Lee Jong-yeop and me. We took the highway to Yongin and made the rounds at the ophthalmology clinics.
“Assistant Manager Kim, you're leaving this time?”
“Yes. Thank you for taking such good care of me.”
“Ah, that's a shame. So from now on, Ms. Jo Soo-ah will be in charge of our clinic?”
“That's right.”
“That's great!”
“...”
Most of the clinics were happier that Jo Soo-ah was taking over.
Except for one place...
“Ah. We just decided to relocate to Suwon. What a shame.”
“...”
I was planning to give him an extra sample whenever we got new products from headquarters.
Could the satisfaction of all my hard work disappear so futilely?
“Assistant Manager Kim. After you leave Arcor, if you go to another company, keep in touch, okay?”
“Yes, Director.”
As I left the clinic, I wondered how many of the clinic directors I knew actually remembered my name correctly.
They seemed to remember Jo Soo-ah's name perfectly.
Not just the young doctors, but even the older clinic directors adored her, saying she was like a daughter to them.
Then again, if I had a daughter like Jo Soo-ah, I'd probably be overjoyed too.
Kind, smart, capable, considerate, and pretty.
Her parents must be happy raising her, her future husband—whoever he is—will be happy,
and the children born to her will be happy.
Jo Soo-ah was someone who could make everyone happy.
“Assistant Manager Kim! How about some Suwon wang-galbi?”
“Sure. Let's eat. My treat.”
“No need to take out your wallet. We have the invincible corporate card. Hahaha.”
I followed Lee Jong-yeop and we ate at a Suwon wang-galbi restaurant.
“Assistant Manager Kim. Have this!”
Jo Soo-ah placed a perfectly grilled piece of rib meat on my plate. It was a very strange feeling.
It felt like she was my girlfriend, and it occurred to me that no one had ever cut the meat off the bone for me in my entire life.
Han Chae-won always said the tastiest and prettiest pieces of meat should be eaten by the woman.
“Soo-ah. You're not getting any for me?”
“Don't you have hands? Get it yourself.”
Lee Jong-yeop and Jo Soo-ah had a good relationship, even if they bickered a little.
The fact that she was intentionally only serving the meat to me gave me a peculiar feeling.
‘Jo Soo-ah liked me even when I had no money and low self-esteem.’
Things went wrong because of Han Chae-won, and now, because of Ellie, I can't accept her feelings.
‘It's probably better to just leave the company without saying anything special, so she doesn't get hurt more.’
Hoping that she'll slowly forget once I'm out of sight.
After all, people say that when you're physically distant, you become emotionally distant too.
‘But isn't it the same with Ellie?’
* * *
Kuuuuul.
As Lee Jong-yeop drove, Kim Shin, in the passenger seat, quickly fell asleep.
“He must be really tired.”
“I think he just got a little drowsy after the meal.”
Kim Shin was leaving Arcor.
To Lee Jong-yeop, it was just a superior leaving the company, but to Jo Soo-ah, it was being separated from the person she liked.
“Soo-ah. Are you okay?”
Lee Jong-yeop asked, glancing at the sleeping Kim Shin.
Jo Soo-ah immediately understood what he meant.
“Yes. I'm okay.”
“Really?”
“It's a shame that he's quitting, but I'll accept it.”
I endured it when he was married; this is just him leaving the company.
It was nice to see Kim Shin making a lot of money, to see his expression brighten.
“If Assistant Manager Kim is happy, then I'm happy with that.”