Chapter 223
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 223
Chapter Title: Treating the Saudi Prince
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I thought my eyes were going to pop out when I saw the amount.
What? The clinic's daily sales? Did they base it on some royal hospital or something?
No matter how much I don't mind gifts for my visits, this... this is...!
'Hold on, for that prince, this might not even be a big deal.'
I'd been about to rush out and return the gift, but I paused for a moment.
Ahmed had clearly said Faisal was a close aide to "that crown prince."
He wasn't one of those thousands of ordinary princes. Maybe he was one of the top tycoons even in that oil-rich country?
Neither the prince nor his secretary had made a fuss about giving such an extravagant gift.
In fact, it might be like that time my grandma, who has about 100 million in assets, passed out coffee to me and the staff as a thank-you.
No, proportionally speaking, it could be even less than that. They were just being polite!
'...Alright, I'll accept it!'
I made up my mind.
After that merchant who tried to bequeath his entire fortune to me, I'd thought nothing could surprise me with gifts anymore. But to meet someone whose wealth was on a whole different scale...
The world truly is unpredictable.
'In return, I have to make sure to cure that headache.'
Thinking the other way around, with wealth in the hundreds of billions—or trillions?—he still couldn't cure his chronic headache.
The true value of treatment can't be measured in money.
Faisal had exaggerated his reactions in anticipation of acupuncture, but he also seemed not to expect much.
At first, I thought he wasn't in that much pain and was just excited like he was on vacation. But his pulse told a different story.
'Maybe he's already given up on the illness, and his priority is stirring up buzz to seal that business deal...'
Of course, my guess might be overreaching.
He could just be an attention-seeker.
Either way, it didn't matter. Today, I was treating Faisal's headache.
I cleared my mind, took a deep breath, and headed to the treatment room.
'Yeah, he's definitely just an attention-seeker.'
Faisal was sitting there with his shirt off, striking a ridiculously dramatic pose as he waited for treatment.
"Please lie face down."
But that posture wasn't ideal for settling rebellious qi.
If his qi stirred and he suddenly fainted, the needles could end up in his throat, right?
"Ummm."
Faisal twisted this way and that before finally settling into the standard prone position.
Whew, this was the first time since opening the clinic that I'd treated with the curtains wide open.
Click! Click! Click! Click!
"Have you ever had acupuncture before?"
"No."
"Since it's needles, there'll be a slight sting going in. Let me know if it hurts after they're placed."
The interpreter relayed my words, and Faisal nodded.
"You're feeling the pain right now, right? Worst around the temples I checked earlier."
Faisal tapped his head again.
Precisely the Taiyang acupoints.
True to its name, it was where yang qi gathered most abundantly.
Yang qi. Usually a good thing, but excess in anything is harmful. Too much buildup caused headaches, eye pain, and could harm health.
"■■■~!"
As I probed with my fingers, Faisal yelped in pain.
Patients under severe stress with stagnant qi often hurt even from light pressure.
"I'll place them now."
I inserted needles into both Taiyang points, gently manipulating to release the pent-up qi.
It was tangled like a knot, but I infused stronger qi.
He's still young, so he could handle this level. A bit intense, but it'd hold for months at least.
Click! Click! Click! Click!
The shutter sounds were a minor distraction from my focus, but I calmly drew out the evil qi from the Taiyang and dispersed the excess yang.
"■■■■? ■■■."
"He says his head already feels clearer."
The interpreter chuckled, thinking it was a joke from the prince.
But I'd noticed the change in Faisal's tone.
No more over-the-top acting—it was the voice of someone encountering true mystery.
"We need to film, so I'll go slowly."
I circulated the qi gradually, explaining for the article's sake.
"This is Baihui. At the crown of the head, it regulates yin-yang balance. It's called Hundred Meetings because all the body's meridians converge here."
Back when I first opened, with no patients, I could explain everything like this.
"Ooooh!"
Having ample time and someone reacting made it fun to chat away.
I started with basics for headaches—Taiyang, Baihui, Fengchi—then followed the Governing Vessel to loosen the nape and shoulder muscles.
"Here at Jianjing, we'll release shoulder stiffness. The trapezius knots up the most."
"■■■■■!"
"He says it's incredibly refreshing."
Of course it is. I just pushed pure qi in!
"Stay like this for 20 minutes. Try not to move too much."
"Kamsahamnida!"
As I finished, Faisal shouted in Korean.
He honored my request not to move his neck, but his mouth wouldn't stop.
"It feels so refreshing. I've never sensed anything like this..."
He spoke English to some, Arabic to others.
Now that I could understand bits, it was getting annoying, so I stepped away.
"Director, bed 2."
Luckily, there was another patient besides Faisal.
Ahmed, who'd come along and sensibly refused filming.
"Looks like you're managing your diet well."
"I have to. Better to hold back a bit than go back to how I was."
After finishing Ahmed's acupuncture—less than 20 minutes later—I popped up to the fourth floor.
Security had all my patients routed to Yi Areum, but I figured I'd help if she was swamped.
"A real Saudi prince is here?"
"That's what I'm saying! Faisal bin Amir—this guy! Some advisor...? He just arrived in Korea and swept through the luxury shops."
"Why would someone like that come to our clinic?"
"Where else? No one like our director..."
"Teacher Juhee's here too."
"Uwaaaaaa!"
Not sure if patients fled the bodyguards, but early arrivals were scarce.
Instead, Yi Areum and An Juhee, who'd arrived on time, were huddled with Gong Nari and Jin Minjeong, whispering.
"Director! Are we expanding to Saudi Arabia?"
Yi Areum spotted me and asked straight away.
...Why are you excited?
No expansion. How could we?
I gave a rough explanation and headed back to the third floor.
Only to witness another jaw-dropping sight.
Click! Click! Click! Click!
"......"
Faisal was praying toward somewhere.
Is this it? The one you do toward Mecca several times a day?
Right on time? Ahmed wasn't doing it?
Or do they pray whenever emotion surges?
"■■■■■. ■■■■■. ■■■■."
"The anguish knotted in his chest has unraveled. He's just been freed from the world's weight he's endured as divine punishment."
The interpreter approached for simultaneous translation.
Not a prayer...? What the heck is that?
"■■■■. ■■■. ■■■■■."
"Allah has forgiven the prince and led him to meet... no, the director."
He's really saying that?
Accurate translation?
Not like that rushed Italian chairman—this seemed premeditated.
Rudely, I glanced at Ahmed.
"The prince suffered greatly from headaches. As soon as he heard about you, he insisted on coming."
"......Glad he's feeling better right away."
Ahmed and Jeon Yuri were thrilled.
Me too, of course. Yeah.
"Let me check your pulse once more."
Soon as his whatever-it-was ended, I took Faisal's wrist again.
His condition had improved dramatically.
Ah, so refreshing to see instant results like this.
"Now, finally, chuna therapy."
Might as well go all out since we're here.
I confidently laid Faisal on the chuna bed.
But no cervical misalignment.
I lightly used the relaxation technique, opening each rear cervical joint and loosening the posterior neck muscles.
"■■■!"
"The needles were great, but this is so refreshing."
Hmm, still feels lacking.
Enough for Faisal's goals, but to others, it'd look like ordinary massage.
For visual flair, it needed those thrust cracks.
"Reporter? You have the worst forward head posture here. Want to lie down?"
"Me? Uh, me?"
I called over a hesitant reporter by the door.
As he awkwardly approached, I cracked his neck.
Crack-crack-craaack!
Click! Click! Click! Click!
That should make for a decent video.
I finished proudly.
"Even if it's good for a while, take your meds. Come once more before leaving Korea if you can."
"■■■■■!"
"He says he definitely will."
Phew, wrapped up in under an hour.
Relieved, I waved.
He should be satisfied. After sending off the prince, I should hear Ahmed's story...
"Um."
The reporter from the thrust wanted to say something.
"■■■■!"
The prince pointed excitedly at the desk.
"Director, he's curious if this is the rhinitis ointment Ahmed mentioned... ■■■■. ■■■■■■."
The interpreter started to ask me but answered himself.
It was labeled in Korean for easy reading.
He was pointing at the hemorrhoid ointment. Rhinitis was the small jar above.
"His brothers and uncles have hemorrhoids. He asks if it's okay to buy some for them."
"Go ahead. But check for upper colon bleeding first... No, I'll include instructions in English and Arabic, so confirm and use."
Normally just Korean, but...
After that much money, I could outsource translations.
Politeness demands reciprocity.
"What's this candy?"
Seemed he'd question everything in the waiting room, so I called An Juhee.
"Why call me here amid this crowd!"
She freaked at the throng and glared at me.
"Oh, that's for acute throat inflammation. Blue cap for dry cough, pink for singers or heavy voice users..."
"What's this?"
"Gongjindan. An imperial tonic from ancient Chinese emperors. Pricey, but... Never mind. Great for recovering energy, unless digestion's weak. This is the classical version, and this is our clinic's improved one."
Soon she was excitedly explaining her developed meds.
Faisal, Ahmed, and Jeon Yuri listened intently.
This feels ominous.
"I'll order a thousand jars each."
"Pardon?"
My hunch was right.
Faisal rattled off: this brother needs Jaun Ointment, the minister Gongjindan, the attendant's wife some patches...
"A thousand jars."
"......We can't make that."
Ahmed stuck to hundreds. Now thousands?
"■■■■■?"
"Can't you make them slowly?"
Faisal asked innocently.
An Juhee, in charge of compounding, looked at me helplessly.
"These are custom-compounded at external pharmacies per prescriptions. For mass production like OTC drugs, a pharma company needs to manufacture."
His proposal far exceeded tourist souvenir buys.
That scale required more staff, machines—not simple.
And it wouldn't stop at thousands.
Market research, export networks, local laws... Big corp territory?
I shook my head firmly.