Chapter 104
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Renovation Plans and Suppliers
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Hwang Sanghun bringing up the inpatient rooms wasn't strange at all.
In the rare cases where a Korean medicine clinic spans two or more floors, one of those floors is usually dedicated to inpatient care.
I'd considered it myself.
After all, patients who make you want to just admit them and keep a close eye on them pop up pretty often.
Sometimes their conditions are serious enough to require hospitalization, or outpatient treatment just doesn't work because of external factors like alcohol that can't be controlled.
On top of that, we occasionally get requests from Sowon General Hospital—where we have an MOU—to handle post-surgery aftereffects or side effects from chemotherapy.
Those moments make you really feel the need for inpatient facilities...
'But realistically, maintaining them just for that isn't feasible.'
In the wuxia world—or more precisely, at the Tang family's medical hall—it had been easy.
I lived near what functioned as inpatient quarters, and disciples were always on hand.
Assigning night shifts didn't cost me a dime.
But hiring a full-time nurse to handle the occasional one or two patients who need admission and running night shifts? Honestly, that's impossible.
To break even, you'd need at least ten beds filled consistently.
Most clinics with inpatient rooms operate in one of two ways:
They partner with Western hospitals to take on large numbers of post-op patients, or they admit minor traffic accident cases.
There are rare outliers, like ones specializing in atopic dermatitis patients needing intensive dietary management, but you could probably count those on one hand nationwide.
It's different from Korean medicine hospitals.
Sure, many of those focus on minor cases for profit, but they have options. If you want, you can run them however you like.
Even at my alma mater's hospital, the patients were incredibly diverse.
I'd treated tinnitus cases by chance, and there were plenty admitted for apoplexy—stroke, basically.
People struggling to stand from lumbar disc issues, motorcycle accident victims in comas, patients shuttling between Western and Korean hospitals for chemo... lots of folks getting the care they needed.
That's only possible at hospital-scale operations.
You can hire doctors, stock all the meds and equipment needed to handle emergencies.
One nurse on night duty can't manage a crisis.
So you'd have to stick to minor cases only... but that's not what I want.
"No inpatient rooms here. If we're doing it, we go full Korean medicine hospital."
No need to explain in detail why not.
Even among Korean docs, inpatient clinics have a bad rep.
Stuffing them with minor traffic accident patients erodes public trust and eats away at the industry.
And yet, Hwang Sanghun looked shocked.
"You thinking of opening a Korean medicine hospital?"
Ah, that was his angle.
"Not right now, obviously."
I poured my savings into buying this building and took on more debt.
Even a small hospital setup costs 2 or 3 billion won, minimum. Where's that kind of capital coming from?
Just stabilizing the external decoction room we're starting will take time.
But despite my denial, Hwang Sanghun stayed serious.
"What's wrong? Scared I'll rival your family's Hwangje Korean Medicine Hospital?"
"No, no! I'd never think that. Especially since I left home—I don't see myself as tied to them."
It was a joke, but he panicked and waved his hands frantically.
"You do what you want, and succeeding at it is what matters most!"
"Hmm."
I paused to think.
Hwang Sanghun claimed he had no ties left to Hwangje Hospital, but blood doesn't snap that easily.
And even if he cuts all contact going forward, he's got years of knowledge from there.
"How about when you go independent, you open a Korean medicine hospital?"
"Huh...? Me?"
"Yeah. Like how Director Chu crushed the Haneul Clinic Daegu branch—you swallow up Hwangje."
"Hahaha."
Hwang Sanghun laughed.
I was serious, but he took it as a joke.
"That'd be fun."
"Well, if you ever want to go solo later, we can talk. For now, keep powering through as our vice director~"
Future worries can wait.
First, how to use the new space.
I shared my interior plans with Hwang Sanghun too.
"Once the academy vacates the third floor, I'll move my office down here. Even with twenty treatment beds, I can needle fast."
We only have ten beds now. On days we both work, patients share them.
No matter how quick I am—100 needles in a minute—retaining for twenty minutes, plus physio, cupping, and hot packs means downtime.
Full beds force waits in the lounge.
"Ah, so you take the whole third floor solo, and me plus the new hire handle consults and treatments on the fourth?"
"Yeah, going downstairs for acupuncture after consults here is messy. Oh, on days I'm off and it's you two, they'll use my third-floor office, right?"
"Got it."
Hwang Sanghun nodded.
"While we're at it, move the exam room down too, add a few machines. Lots of autonomic imbalance cases lately—maybe get an HRV and EEG."
We called it an "exam room," but it was basically just a blood pressure cuff and InBody scanner. Then Hwang Sanghun brought the ultrasound.
Thanks to Hyun Jumi's promo, psych cases surged, highlighting the need for more gear.
"Buy another ultrasound for downstairs—yours can go straight to your office."
Kim Chunsik in Seoul just added one too, scanning every patient in his office.
Once you're used to it, that's better than testing selectively.
"Sounds good. Big changes ahead."
"You just keep treating patients like always! Fighting!"
I high-fived Hwang Sanghun.
He raised his right arm enthusiastically—but something felt off. He looked disappointed.
Hm, did I decide everything solo?
"Having the boss on another floor will be nice, right?"
"...Still bummed."
I tossed another joke to cheer him up.
He smiled but shook his head.
Not just Hwang Sanghun—I briefed the staff on future plans too.
"So we rest during renovations?"
"No way. Operate on fourth while third gets done, then switch."
"Ahh~!"
Renovations? Pay contractors—they handle it. We picked Seo In-ae's recommendation.
Key issue: external decoction room on second floor.
It's bringing in herbs, decocting into meds, delivering to patients.
Crucial: sourcing top-quality herbs.
Then clean storage, precise brewing—all needs human eyes and hands.
I'll handle it till we find staff.
I even met professors for referrals, but no word—space came first.
I'll cover manpower short-term. Herbs remain.
"Ms. Park, got a sec?"
- Director, how've you been? What's up?
We had a line hooked up.
Dealt with standard suppliers so far, but rising volume means wholesale renegotiation.
To prescribe top herbs at fair prices, cut middlemen costs.
I asked Park Sunyoon to liaise with that Chinese herb supplier I'd mentioned.
- Ah, that! Meeting's coming up anyway. We can visit together soon!
Park Sunyoon kept her word.
A call would've sufficed, but she offered to tag along.
Wow, a big corp exec by my side? Solid!
A few days later.
I visited the Korean branch of a herb export firm headquartered in Hanam City with Park Sunyoon.
"Didn't expect PK's Park Executive Director in person."
"Director Liu Wei says he didn't expect PK's Park Executive Director to visit personally."
Chinese firm, so Chinese branch head.
He even brought an interpreter, welcoming Park Sunyoon lavishly.
Man, hearing Chinese after so long feels kinda nostalgic?
Dropped into wuxia sans auto-translate, thought I'd lose it adjusting at first.
"Honored to meet you. Hope our firms collaborate closely for growth."
But he just said he didn't expect me personally?
There was a meeting scheduled... probably, or did I steal a subordinate's gig?
"Any contract adjustments?"
"Oh, no! Just touring the site, and brought someone to introduce."
Park Sunyoon introduced me right away.
"A Korean medicine doctor I'm close with—he treated me. He's prepping an external decoction room, so I wondered about supplying him on similar terms."
A bit much, maybe.
PK supplies nationwide pharmacies and convenience stores—massive import volumes.
Asking equal terms for my three-branch decoctions? Pushy.
"Ahh!"
But the director beamed.
I'd worried about jeopardizing the PK deal, but my request was a light ask.
"Anyone you introduce deserves it. Top quality, best herbs. In return..."
"We'll keep it confidential. No need to worry, Director."
"Oh, fluent in Chinese too?"
"Stayed—er, observed—at a Chinese medicine university hospital briefly."
"Ah, I see! Self-taught from historical dramas? Your accent's unique."
Huh? Sounded modern to me...
Tone inflection gave it away?
"Haha, yeah, I like historical dramas a bit."
"Shall we tour? I'll guide you."
The director smiled and led us to the storage personally.
He knew ops inside out, detailing cultivation and storage per herb.
'Angelica's top-grade for sure. Ophiopogon looks good...'
Most herbs from here would work.
Astragalus iffy—pricey, stick with old supplier?
I noted each herb's state and traits, nodding.
"No, show them in a state where I can check root length. How do I tell one-year from three- or five-year roots like this?"
After a lap, voices arguing at storage entrance.
"It's five-year root. We only handle five-year astragalus."
"Felt like one-year effect? Thickness is similar, so show original form."
"Verified at source. All sliced—no originals."
"Show everything in the warehouse then!"
Woman with hair in a tight ponytail, oversized gray O-fit tee.
Her eyes looked odd—super thick lenses.
'Telling one-year from five-year astragalus? Without thickness?'
I turned toward her.
I sense herb qi, so I can grade with focus.
But... how her?
"Who's that woman?"
"Sorry. Employee from a client pharmacy, unreasonable demands. We'll send her off quick."
"Handle it fast—important guests."
The director smiled brightly.
"Minor disturbance. Please ignore."
But I couldn't pass it up.
Quickly excused myself from the director and Park Sunyoon, rushed to the protesting woman.