Chapter 103: Party (2)

“Come on, this way. Manager Allison is over there.”

“A-Ah, hello. We’re late.”

Suhyuk followed Hank, the host of the party, across the expansive garden. On the right side was a large swimming pool covered with some transparent material, possibly acrylic, to withstand the unpredictable weather of the Midwest region. It seemed like it was used only during summer months.

[I am bored.]

‘Don’t use that word.’

[As I have repeatedly told you, I am deep learning…]

‘Okay, sorry. I won’t say it anymore.’

[Deal.]

‘Phew.’

Suhyuk sighed deeply at Baruda’s inappropriate reaction. However, he couldn’t be overly sensitive about it because even Suhyuk was surprised by his own slip-up.

[The garden is truly beautiful.]

‘Indeed. By the way, how much does a professor earn annually? Really?’

[I heard it varies… Perhaps the relatively low housing prices in Iowa have some influence on this.]

‘Ah, I see.’

When he thought about it, they were in a rural area rather than a city. The locals might call it a city, but as someone from Seoul, Suhyuk found it quite rural. Thus, the lower cost of living made sense. Still, despite being too large and luxurious for him…

“Oh, there he is. Dr. Hwang. He’s the one I mentioned earlier…Dr. Lee.”

“Ah. Nice to meet you.”

Dr. Hwang, who worked in hematology-oncology but focused solely on research without treating patients, was sitting on the terrace.

Due to his leg injury, it was challenging for Suhyuk to move around, so he naturally took a seat next to Dr. Hwang.

“Yes, I’ll bring you some barbecue while you sit here.” Hank patted Suhyuk’s shoulder gently, considering Suhyuk relied on crutches and wouldn’t be easily mobile.

“Thank you, Professor.”

“No problem at all. As our guest, make yourself comfortable. Just enjoy eating and drinking.” Hank expressed his genuine desire for Suhyuk’s comfort before winking at Dr. Hwang, subtly reminding him of their earlier conversation about speaking Korean.

As soon as Hank disappeared from view, Dr. Hwang immediately switched to Korean:

“Can we speak in Korean?”

“Oh, absolutely.”

Although language barriers hadn’t been an issue for Suhyuk, hearing Korean felt welcoming nonetheless.

“Where did you come from? Ah, Taehwa?”

“Yes. I am from the Taehwa Medical Center.”

“There… In fact, when I became a professor, it was still quite new.”

If Dr. Hwang were in his forties, these words might have sounded funny. However, he appeared to be around sixty years old. This meant that he joined as a specialist shortly after the establishment of Taehwa Medical Center. He could potentially be of the same age as Lee Hyunjong.

“Ah… Yes.”

“Oh, I came from Ashun Hospital. After being a professor there…I arrived here for training and settled down.”

“For training? Is that possible?”

“Certainly. In the United States, most jobs can be secured with recommendations. If you perform well, everything works out.”

“Ah…”

This was quite enticing. As a professor, one would typically go on a fellowship for a year or two, and it seemed possible to stay at the hospital where the fellowship occurred.

“Can you live in such a house? Can you eat this barbecue?”

Baruda was more enthusiastic than Suhyuk. It appeared that Baruda’s excitement stemmed from the high-quality meat being grilled with great care.

‘Why does a machine like you enjoy greasy food so much?’

[Don’t automobiles run by consuming oil?]

‘You… You… No. Never mind.’

Suhyuk attempted to scold Baruda but shook his head after receiving another retort.

‘Does he feel I am lacking in conversation?’

To Dr. Hwang, this felt like dissatisfaction, and he began sharing more about himself earnestly. Part of it was due to Hank and Ellison’s request, but also because opportunities to speak freely in Korean were rare for him.

However, he decided to open up more sincerely about his experiences. Part of it was due to Hank and Allison’s request, but Suhyuk also rarely had the opportunity to speak freely in Korean.

“So, I came here just after completing my seventh year as a professor for further training… The conditions were simply amazing. Working from 9 AM to 6 PM with no overtime! Can you believe it? Have you ever seen someone get off work on time at a university hospital?”

“Uh… not really.”

Suhyuk had never witnessed anyone clocking out on time unless they were close to retirement. In fact, he wasn’t even sure what time he should leave according to his contract. Others talked about having specific working hours, but residents like him didn’t have such luxuries. They practically lived at the hospital. Although things had improved somewhat with the implementation of an 88-hour workweek, even that seemed unreasonable by human standards.

Residents didn’t have such a concept either. They practically lived at the hospital. Of course, with the introduction of working only 88 hours per week, it had significantly improved compared to before. However, even 88 hours was still inhumane.

“Everyone does this here. Look now, having a party on the weekend. But apparently, they do this every week?”

“Every week?”

“Yes. One day at their house and another day at someone else’s place. Their relationships are quite close… People often say Americans lack warmth, but that is not true. Once you become part of their inner circle, you’re almost considered family.”

“Family…”

This idea held considerable appeal for Suhyuk, who lacked real family ties.

At the same time, it wasn’t particularly special. Lee Hyunjong, Shin Hyun-tae, and Taejin Jo treated Suhyuk like family. If they weren’t so busy, they would have already invited him to their homes multiple times.

[Let’s talk about salary. Why didn’t you mention the most important thing?]

‘Do you realize how much you’ve changed?’

[So aren’t you curious?]

‘I am very curious.’

Honestly, money was the most important topic. However, discussing money was also the hardest conversation to bring up, especially with someone I had just met for the first time.

“Well…”

“Oh. Is there something you’re curious about?”

“By any chance, does Professor Hwang live nearby?”

“Near here? Yes, indeed. Almost all hospital professors live around here. I walked today.”

“Isn’t it expensive to live here? I thought Professor Hank lived here because he is from a wealthy family.”

However, Suhyuk could rely on Baruda’s coaching. He effortlessly steered the conversation towards money matters.

“Oh… The rent is quite high here. Typically, trainees can’t afford to live in this area.”

“But you mentioned almost all professors reside here?”

“Yes, we receive sufficient salaries…”

“How much do you make per year? Ah, sorry if that’s too personal of a question?”

Suhyuk’s acting was quite convincing. As a research professor who had been solely focused on his studies, Dr. Hwang couldn’t resist Suhyuk’s charm.

“No, no. It isn’t rude at all… You can be curious. Well… I’m not sure about other people’s salaries. However…I receive approximately $400,000.”

“Wow…”

$400,000 was close to 500 million won. As far as Suhyuk knew, even Director Lee Hyunjong didn’t earn this much.

“[Amazing. This is America, America! Let’s stay here!]”

Bardu also started becoming excited.

Suhyuk tried to control his racing heart and continued speaking, “Is it because you are a research professor that you receive such a high salary?”

He wanted more detailed information, but naturally, Dr. Hwang became flustered.

“Oh no, not at all. As a research professor, it is lower than usual. Of course, compared to other research professors, my salary is relatively high because I receive significant funding from various sources. However…it is still less than clinical professors.”

“Really? They earn more?”

“Absolutely. Since they directly treat patients, their salaries are naturally higher. For instance, I know roughly how much Hank earns…”

“Wow.”

Instead of asking ‘How much?’, Suhyuk’s eyes sparkled brightly. Professor Hwang was already in full disclosure mode, so Suhyuk believed there was no need for further probing.

“Is it one or two times your salary?”

“Whoa…”

“Let’s discuss this somewhere else.”

“Of course. There’s no need to talk about such matters here.”

Despite his seemingly casual approach, Suhyuk meticulously questioned Dr. Hwang on several topics.

In any case, after hearing about the salary, Suhyuk’s curiosity shifted towards the research lab itself. Consequently, he continued to ask Dr. Hwang various questions. Occasionally, professors who were impressed or skeptical of Suhyuk’s work in the outpatient clinic would approach them.

“You’re going to join a research lab? Be careful, Dr. Hwang. This fellow is not ordinary.”

“Honestly, I sometimes doubt if he is truly a professor. You know why, right? Asians often look younger than their age.”

“If you have any interest in fellowship positions, let me know. You’ll need to pass the USMLE… But frankly, with your credentials like Dr. Lee, we can provide recommendation letters without issue.”

Among them, some even proposed fellowship positions. It was commonly known that a South Korean medical license is useless in the United States. In most cases, this was true, but there were exceptions for those deemed highly skilled. As expected from a melting pot of cultures, the country remained open to exceptional talents.

[These people really make you think, don’t they?]

‘Indeed. No matter how I look at it… wouldn’t the treatment here be better than Taehwa?’

[Generally, yes. However…]

‘You felt it too.’

[Yes, Dr. Hwang seems not part of the mainstream.]

Despite his excellent English and skills, he appeared unable to fully integrate into the dominant group.

It didn’t seem like Dr. Hwang faced any disadvantages regarding salary or benefits, but he appeared to be overlooked for promotions without realizing it. Additionally, Sungyoon felt that Dr. Hwang looked lonely somehow. Everyone talked about how they were one big family, yet…

Well…

Dr. Hwang seemed slightly different from everyone else.

‘In any case, I’m only in my second year. There is time for me to worry about this…’

“Of course, you’ll have opportunities if you continue to prove your skills as you’ve done so far. Moreover…”

‘The cases I acquired on this trip should really help me out.’

“They will be useful in Korea, and they will also benefit us here.”

It was obvious when one thought about it.

He had obtained these cases while working in America. Some of them were quite rare in Korea.

Even with similar diseases, there were different outcomes. All these cases could be considered valuable resources for Dr. Hwang’s research. By obtaining them, this trip to America was already immensely successful.

“Professor Hwang, it has been a while.”

The conversation had shifted towards casual topics such as their experiences during medical school and any difficulties they faced when moving to the United States. As the tension began to dissipate, someone approached them.

Amidst everyone dressed casually, there stood a well-dressed African American man who looked incredibly stylish in his suit. His gentle voice caught Suhyuk’s attention involuntarily, prompting him to turn towards the newcomer.

“Oh! Ronnie! When did you arrive?”

Until now, Dr. Hwang had been sitting down, but he quickly stood up upon seeing the black man. It seemed there was some hierarchy between them, perhaps as employer and employee. Despite this, Ronnie remained gentle.

“Just now, I visited the research institute for the first time in a while, and they told me you were here, Professor Hwang.”

“Ah… Yes. The research funded by your grant is progressing well. Soon, we will have results…”

“No, no. That’s not why I came, ha-ha. By the way…I don’t think I’ve seen him before?”

“Oh. Dr. Lee, meet Ronnie. He oversees Pfizer Research…and happens to be my biggest sponsor. Actually, most of the professors here would likely agree.”