Chapter 89: First Impressions (2)

‘What?’

Dr. Steve, who appeared to be Suhyuk’s guide at Iowa State University Hospital and in his third year of Internal Medicine, muttered something under his breath, assuming Suhyuk wouldn’t hear it. Despite having Baruda, Suhyuk still couldn’t detect such low volume sounds.

Naturally, he was unable to comprehend what Dr. Steve said.

[He seems annoyed about teaching someone from a developing country.]

However, Suhyuk could see Dr. Steve’s lips moving, and with Baruda’s help, lip-reading became possible for him. It wasn’t an easy task, but seemed effortless for artificial intelligence.

‘Developing country?’

[Are you crazy? How dare you call Korea, the birthplace of Baruda-nim, a backward country? Should I kill him?]

‘Huh? Kill… What is he talking about?’

[He insulted my great homeland, so it would be fitting to kill him.]

‘Homeland…’

Baruda’s reaction was unexpected, but upon reflection, Suhyuk realized it made sense. After all, South Korea had created Baru. It felt strange for an artificial intelligence to exhibit such attachment, though.

[Steve… this bastard…]

‘Wait, you’re not suddenly going to take control of my body, right?’

Suhyuk expressed concern at Baruda’s intense reaction. He was worried that Baruda might use his body to harm or kill Steve. Realistically speaking, it seemed almost impossible for Suhyuk, with one leg injured, to take on Steve, who appeared over six feet tall and weighed more than 220 pounds. However, considering Baruda had previously controlled Suhyuk’s mouth, albeit briefly and for a simple utterance, it couldn’t be entirely dismissed as a possibility.

[What nonsense! I’m not some parasitic entity. Such control is impossible.]

‘Right, of course.’

[Nonetheless, revenge must be sought.]

‘R-revenge?’

[What other revenge can a doctor do? I will crush his pride. I am already curious about what expression he will make when beaten by a doctor from a developing country.]

‘Uh… Well, yes.’

The motivation was impure but…

Regardless of how things turned out, I wasn’t unhappy with the result. It was the same as Baruda giving his best effort. Perhaps there were no doctors in America who could match him. In fact, Taehwa Medical Center was at a world-class level and even they couldn’t handle it.

[Let’s find out about Steve first… Ah, there is a file on Steve among the emails exchanged between Lee Hyunjong and this hospital.]

‘Huh?’

[It is an unusual background. Both his parents worked at Iowa State University, so he lived here all his life. In the US, high schools, universities, and hospitals usually are located in different regions. Anyway, he seems like a typical country boy.]

‘Is this considered the countryside?’

[Didn’t you see the cornfields stretching on both sides when we traveled from the airport to our accommodation?]

‘Ah, indeed.’

The university buildings were grand enough not to give off a rural impression, but it certainly wasn’t a glamorous area. When compared with Seoul, it felt lacking.

With these thoughts, Suhyuk became somewhat more lenient towards Steve. He now thought of him as just another ignorant country boy talking nonsense.

On the other hand, Baruda’s perspective was completely opposite.

“Did you dare to ignore me, the heir of Taehwa Group, the best company in South Korea, just because you’re from some backwater village?”

In truth, Steve had ignored Suhyuk, not Baruda. However, the enraged Baruda was incapable of rational thought at this point.

As more time passed, Steve sighed and stared blankly at Suhyuk.

“Let’s get down to business first. Do you speak English?”

This provocative statement sufficiently offended Suhyuk.

What is he saying? ‘Do I speak English?’

In reality, before meeting Baru, Suhyuk’s English proficiency wasn’t that impressive. Nonetheless, feeling insulted remained unpleasant for him, much like it did for Baruda. Neither of them were foolish enough to pick unnecessary fights with such powerful adversaries looming ahead.

“Yes, I am proficient.”

However, the response he received was even more amusing.

“Wow, this is my first time meeting an Asian who openly claims to be good at English. Are you really that good?”

It felt like Steve intentionally spoke faster. Of course, it posed no problem for Baruda as his computational speed far exceeded Steve’s.

“Yes. By the way, where are we going?”

“Oh. First…I want to greet the professor. Do you know Dr. Allison by any chance?”

Steve asked Suhyuk with an expression suggesting there was no way he could know him. Unfortunately for Steve, Suhyuk was quite familiar with Dr. Allison.

“He specializes in cardiology.”

I often saw his name in cardiovascular research papers.

“And among his most renowned papers, it must be…”

Suhyuk knew even the research papers written by Allison like the back of his hand.

“Yes. I was deeply impressed with your paper titled ‘Factors Predicting Cardiovascular Disease Over the Next Five Years’ published in December last year in the American Heart Association journal.”

“Oh… Oh, that’s right.”

Baruda smiled as he observed Steve nodding slightly, appearing somewhat flustered.

[Seems this bastard wasn’t aware of it, huh?]

‘Indeed. He always pretends to be smart but doesn’t bother studying.’

In truth, before meeting Baruda, Suhyuk would have spent more time pondering how to enjoy his off-duty hours or strategizing ways to become a specialist and earn big money rather than focusing on academics. However, Suhyuk had undergone a significant transformation since then, valuing education more highly than most university professors.

He had already transformed as a person and now valued studying more than most university professors.

“Firstly, let’s go inside.”

“Yes. Let us do that.”

In any case, Professor Allison’s research lab was not far away. The entire floor of the Internal Medicine Department was dedicated to professorial labs. It seemed they could afford more space compared to Seoul with its limited land availability.

“Professor, this is Lee Suhyuk from Korea. He will be here for one month as part of his training.” Steve knocked on the door, entered, bowed to Allison, and introduced Suhyuk.

“Oh.” Professor Allison uttered a brief gasp and then looked at Suhyuk with a peculiar expression.

It seemed Allison had heard his name before.

This is…the friend Professor Lee Hyunjong was boasting about?

Normally, it would be unheard of for someone to recognize a visiting fellow like Suhyuk, especially one staying only for a month. The Iowa State University Hospital not only maintained an excellent reputation but also was renowned for its educational programs. This month alone, several short-term fellows similar to Suhyuk were scheduled to visit. Of course, the primary reason behind this influx was the financial benefit from their fees.

Regardless, it was quite rare for a department manager to acknowledge a short-term fellow.

I heard they rescheduled things earlier because they wanted to show me quickly… Hmm.

Lee Hyunjong was not just famous in Korea; he had gained worldwide recognition, earning him the nickname World Star Lee Hyunjong. In fact, there had been discussions about nominating him as president of the International Heart Association at one point, but it never came to fruition due to various reasons, including his colleagues’ jealousy and Korea’s lack of influence on the global stage at that time.

Regardless, Allison acknowledged Lee Hyunjong’s expertise.

He doesn’t seem particularly extraordinary though.

The cane did leave an impression, but technically, it could be seen more as a weakness than a distinctive trait. Allison nodded with uncertainty, still unsure what to make of Dr. Lee.

“You’re from Taehwa Medical Center, right? Let’s aim for a productive month together. Our systems here will likely differ significantly from those in Korea, so I expect you’ll have much to learn.”

Unlike Steve’s boastful attitude, Allison’s comment came from genuine pride. Only someone with great confidence could say they were ready to learn something new. However, considering her tone and expression, it didn’t sound arrogant but rather friendly.

In fact, he felt welcomed by her words.

“Yes, Professor Allison. I’ve learned so much from your research papers over the years, so it is truly an honor to meet you in person. Especially, I was deeply impressed by your article titled ‘Factors Predicting Cardiovascular Disease Over the Next Five Years’ published last December in the American Heart Association Journal.”

“Oh, really? You read that paper?”

It was almost impossible to categorize university hospital professors due to their eccentricities and sheer numbers. Nonetheless, there was one commonality among them: They appreciated anyone who had read their research papers.

He’d met many peculiar people over his career, but there was one thing they all had in common: They appreciated it when someone read their research papers. Allison was no exception.

“Yes, indeed. Research studies with sample sizes of more than one hundred thousand aren’t that uncommon these days, but your study factored in so many variables… It left quite an impression on me and proved very useful as well.”

“Ha-ha! Writing that paper wasn’t easy.” Allison laughed heartily, genuinely pleased by Suhyuk’s words.

It made sense, since Suhyuk not only mentioned reading the paper but also acknowledged the hard work and thought put into it.

The delighted doctor suddenly pointed out the window toward the beautiful garden filled with leafy trees.

However, Allison pointed towards a massive building beyond the garden.

“Oh, my research institute is over there. If you have time… Would it be okay to give you a tour?”

“Yes, of course. It would be an honor.” Suhyuk nodded sincerely.

In terms of clinical care, there wasn’t much difference between Taehwa Medical Center and Iowa State University Hospital. It wasn’t that Iowa State University Hospital was lacking; rather, Taehwa Medical Center was exceptionally advanced.

However, when comparing their research capabilities, the difference was laughably vast. This disparity stemmed from the enormous funding gap between the two institutions.

“That’s great. I’m sure it will be very informative.”

‘Yes, there must be something valuable to learn.’

I thought we might gain some insights by visiting such research institutes. While Suhyuk was lost in his thoughts, Allison slowly stood up.

“Ah, I have Jungyeong-sul today. I will be going now. How is your schedule for today, Professor Lee Suhyuk?” He asked Steve.

Steve pulled out a notebook from his pocket before answering, “Yes. Today…we are observing the workup of patients admitted under Professor Hank of the Hematology-Oncology Department.”

“Oh… Are you currently the primary physician for Professor Hank?”

“Yes.”

Allison nodded at Steve’s response and turned towards Suhyuk.

“Yes, then take care… See you tomorrow morning at the conference.”

“Yes, Professor.”

Then Steve quickly left the room. As soon as he departed, Steve’s demeanor changed from that of a gentle lamb to someone more assertive as he looked at Suhyuk.

“That research paper, did you read it while coming here? Good thing too. Professor Allison is quite strict, but with him present, I won’t get reprimanded as much.”

It seemed Steve assumed others behaved similarly to his own meticulous nature. Suhyuk was about to respond sharply, but unexpectedly, Baruda intervened.

[Better address this issue in the outpatient clinic. Use your knowledge, like any Internal Medicine doctor would.]