Chapter 167
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: The Squirrel's Recommendation
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"The most important thing is location! Jobs and transportation infrastructure can't be easily replaced!"
Seo In-ae gave me an overview of Korean real estate and its history.
"Land shares... building age... large complexes, brands, super premium units... So there's a whole world like this?"
I'd picked up the basics from the books she recommended.
And since she'd told me about a few complexes she wanted but had given up on, I even went to check them out in person on my days off.
'I get why she recommended ocean views.'
I wasn't all that excited about the sea myself, but for investment purposes, you had to buy what other people liked.
Seo In-ae had bought an apartment with an elementary school in it, even though she had zero plans for kids, for the same reason.
But good is good.
"In-ae, you'll definitely succeed in real estate investing."
In the end, I settled on...
A romantic one-tool wonder.
A picture-perfect countryside house.
"I figured you'd go for something like that, Director."
After listening to her stories and reading the books...
Alternating between apartment complexes and countryside developments, I stumbled upon an incredibly pretty house.
I'd planned to see everything and decide carefully, but even while working, that house kept popping into my head whenever I had a moment.
What? Houses are hard to sell?
After buying the clinic building, I'd be staying in Busan anyway, right?
Bad heating and cooling?
Not full immunity to cold and heat, but with a little circulation of qi, the weather wouldn't affect me at all.
Cleaning is tough?
Yeah, that might actually be tricky!
"If you like it that much, just buy it. You could treat the house purely as a consumer good without any issues, Director."
Before deciding, I checked with Im Sucheol, who also dabbled in rentals.
"Ah... really?"
"I don't chase pure efficiency myself. We make money to be happy, after all."
I'd expected him to talk me out of it, but he gave a positive signal instead.
Come to think of it, separate from his investment savvy, this guy had quit his business to open a clinic.
"It's not some isolated mountain cabin, and being in a countryside development isn't bad at all. If land prices rise, it rises with them. If not... well, nothing you can do."
"I see."
"You barely make any profit on external decoctions for the head office while supplying expensive herbs, right? Just do whatever you want."
Fair enough. Since when have I ever picked only the efficient options?
Suddenly, the massive sums I'd poured into Soul Return Great Law research came to mind.
Efficiency? Risk of failure?
I hadn't cared about any of that.
If I could just bury myself in microfiber blankets and roll the gacha, I'd give everything for it.
Having already achieved that dream, why haggle over capital gains now?
When I opened the clinic... huh?
Back then... when I took over a failing clinic...
I hadn't thought about it at all.
Finally, I'd circulate my qi in a place with good energy and decide.
With that in mind, I headed up the mountain at dawn.
- Kkwiik?
As soon as I reached a secluded spot, the squirrel appeared.
"I thought you might've moved somewhere else since I hadn't sensed you lately!"
Recently, I'd been busy house-hunting, so I hadn't come up much, and even then, I hadn't run into the squirrel a few times.
I'd bought nuts in preparation for meeting it and placed some on my palm.
- Kkwiik!
Munch munch.
Munch munch.
The squirrel stuffed a few nuts in its mouth and suddenly lifted its head.
- Kkwiik!
Like it had discovered the most delicious thing in the world.
Its face was pure shock.
"You okay?"
It froze for a few seconds, so I gently poked its cheek.
- Kkwwiiiik...
Then the squirrel staggered like it was drunk.
Oh, drunk on qi again, like last time?
Not just the nuts being tasty?
"Even if you look elsewhere, I'm still the best, right?"
I joked, and the squirrel snuggled right into my arms.
'So cute!'
Its looks were secondary.
This was the first spiritual beast I'd seen that followed me so closely.
In the martial world, I'd only encountered a few, and even those bolted the second they sensed my presence when I was with my master.
"I'm moving to a house where you can come play. Apartments are too cramped, huh?"
It could probably come in on the first floor, but dodging residents in a busy complex would be a hassle.
- !
Understanding my words, the squirrel bounced in place.
Then it patted the ground and dashed off in one direction.
"Huh? You leaving?"
It patted the ground again.
Follow me?
As I chased after the squirrel, it suddenly boosted its speed with internal energy.
Like when we first met in Gyeongju or when it led me to the heavenly herb.
Of course, it had eaten that too, and with all my qi circulation sessions since, keeping up with lightness skill wasn't hard.
If this weren't a mountain where hikers could pop up anytime!
"Slow down!"
It knew I could follow but seemed frustrated I wasn't keeping pace.
No, you'd just flee if you saw people!
Humans have human concerns!
What if I get immortalized on NewTube as the guy faster than a car and news stations come looking?
- Kkwiik!
Luckily, it was early morning, so I chased without running into anyone.
After running for a while, we arrived.
"Yeah... I was thinking of this neighborhood too."
Good energy flowing down from the mountain.
A countryside development lined with picture-perfect houses.
- Kkwwiiiik!
It was exactly the neighborhood I'd fallen for at first sight.
'Not some creation myth—since when do animals pick houses?'
Whatever. I'd seen everywhere I needed to.
I'd already decided in my heart.
Instead of qi circulation, I could trust the squirrel's judgment.
While I was here, I headed to the real estate office I'd visited before.
"Wow... this is really cool..."
When I told the staff I'd decided on a house, they all begged to be invited over once I moved.
I half-suspected it was polite flattery like suggesting a house party after drinks, but seeing them genuinely admire the garden put my mind at ease.
"It's like a house from an American drama!"
"I wanted to live in a place like this when I was a kid. Wonder if I could after retiring someday?"
Gong Nari and Jin Minjeong couldn't stop gawking as they wandered the garden.
Beautiful, right? Enough to make your eyes spin.
"The garden trees are amazing. How'd they plant and maintain all this?"
"The previous owner must've been serious about landscaping."
Even among the stylish houses in the development, this one's garden was enchanting.
I'd spent ten years at the Tang family estate, where they obsessed over mansion aesthetics, and even I was impressed.
"Alright, let's prep dinner before it gets too late. I'll handle the barbecue."
"Sure thing! Want us to grab some booze?"
"I stocked up on all kinds. Nari, you're a soju girl, right?"
"Anything works for me~! Feels like a workshop at a pension!"
The convenience store and mart were a bit far, so I'd bought tools and food ahead.
Furniture was still sparse, but the barbecue setup was perfect.
- Kkwiik. Kkwiik.
I'd told the squirrel to visit often and left nuts in the garden.
But it showed up daily to devour them and even knocked on the gate.
"Too cute. Living in a house really brings squirrels over."
- Kkwiik!
"Haha, it's a squirrel. It comes by a lot."
And today, it crashed the party without a care, even with people around.
It's here for me, and normal animals aren't usually this cute, but...
I didn't bring up the unromantic part.
"To the eternal glory of Seongsu Clinic—cheers!"
As I raised my glass, everyone chimed in.
"Here's to the day our director buys a Cheongdam-dong mansion... no, an LA estate!"
"Huh?"
"You'll open 20 branches in America and Europe like a tycoon, right?"
"Whaaat?"
"If you buy a castle in Europe, you have to invite us~!"
What were these people saying?
Starting with I Areum, they escalated with increasingly absurd boasts.
"Until the day we surpass Hwangje Korean Medicine Hospital and become the world's top global Korean medicine network."
Even Hwang Sanghun, not one for jokes.
...Already drunk?
He was imitating I Areum, but it was kinda funny coming from him.
Haneul Clinic might be a stretch, but I'd never seen Hwangje—with its dozens of hospitals—as real competition!
"Sure, we'll build 100 hospitals worldwide, buy a castle, and take a private jet vacation together."
I played along with the nonsense.
European castle? What?
Does the internet work there? Won't it lag during raids?
Soon after I moved into the house, my studio lease ended.
I got my deposit back and cleared out the few things I'd left behind right away.
I'd never even seen the landlord's face since signing.
Which is exactly why, among all the studios I'd lived in since college, this one left the best impression.
I sent a simple thank-you text to the landlord.
[Sure~ Thanks to you too~]
Lives far away, so delegated the whole contract to the agent?
Back in college, when I moved around unwillingly, landlords showed up sometimes.
Sorting old contracts, I saw the address listed.
"Huh? No way?"
Weirdly familiar spot.
The apartment right next to the clinic.
"Had they ever come to our clinic?"
Next day, I searched the charts by name—three matches.
Clicking through, one matched the address and phone.
"Ah, Sanghun oppa's patient?"
Rent auto-transferred with notifications, and charts might've crossed my feed.
Common name, so I'd never clocked it as the same person.
First visit to Hwang Sanghun a year ago, sporadic after, but frequent last two months.
Prescription last month too.
'Yeah, better pretend I don't know!'
Asking 'You're the landlord, right?' even at peak times would've been weird; chatting after moving out, weirder.
Lives close but delegates contracts, only visits on Hwang Sanghun's days—super shy type.
I decided that and forgot about spotting the ex-landlord in the charts.
"Yeowon, got a sec?"
But surprisingly, soon after, Hwang Sanghun came to me with concerns about that exact patient.
"Ah, I checked the chart. Prescription not working?"
I sat him in the consult room and pulled up the chart.
Deputy directors still asked for consults on scripts sometimes.
"Let's see, looks like frustration illness."
"Not quite..."
Hwang Sanghun had summarized notes but heard a lot of personal history from first visit to now.
"Not sure how much advice on non-medical personal life to give."
Tricky issue.
Most chronic patients had job-related issues; couldn't tell them all to quit.
We warned but treated within feasible bounds unless permanent damage loomed.
"Actually—"
"Mm."
"I want to tell them to get a divorce... Is that okay to say?"