Chapter 89: First Impressions (2)

‘What’s this?’

Dr. Steve, a third-year internal medicine resident at Iowa State University Hospital who seemed to be assigned to guide Suhyuk, muttered under his breath in a voice that Suhyuk could not possibly hear.

Even if Suhyuk had Baruda installed, it didn’t mean he could hear what he couldn’t hear before.

Naturally, he couldn’t hear what Dr. Steve said.

[He’s annoyed that he has to teach someone from a backward country.]

But he could see.

And Baruda could read lips.

Suhyuk had also been taught the method, but it wasn’t that easy.

It seemed very easy for artificial intelligence, though.

‘Backward country?’

[Is he crazy? How dare he call South Korea, the birthplace of this great Baruda, a backward country? Should I kill him?]

‘What? Kill him… What are you talking about, man?’

[He disrespected my great country, so he deserves to die.]

‘Country…’

Baruda’s reaction was quite unexpected.

But upon reflection, it did make some sense.

After all, South Korea was the country that created Baruda.

It was a bit strange that an AI had a sense of belonging somewhere.

[Steve… this guy…]

‘No, you’re not suddenly taking control of my body, are you?’

Suhyuk expressed his concern over Baruda’s intense reaction.

He was worried that Baruda might use his body to harm or kill Steve.

Realistically, it would be almost impossible for Suhyuk, who had a leg injury, to do anything to Steve, who was over 180 cm tall and looked to weigh over 100 kg.

But still, it wasn’t impossible.

Baruda had once controlled Suhyuk’s mouth, albeit for a very short time and with a simple utterance.

[What are you talking about? I’m not a parasite. That’s impossible.]

‘Yeah, that’s right.’

[But I have to take revenge.]

‘What kind of revenge?’

[What kind of revenge can a doctor take? I’ll flatten his nose. I’m curious to see what expression he’ll have when he gets kicked by a doctor from a backward country.]

‘Well… yeah.’

The motivation might be impure, but the conclusion wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

Baruda had promised to do his best, after all.

There were probably very few doctors in the United States who could match Baruda.

In fact, TaeHwa Medical Center was world-class, and even there, it was the same.

[Let’s find out more about Steve… Ah, there’s a file about Steve in the emails that Hyunjong exchanged with this hospital.]

‘What?’

[He has an interesting background. Both his parents are employees of Iowa State University, so he has lived here his whole life. In the U.S., high schools, universities, and hospitals are usually in different regions. Anyway, he’s a typical country bumpkin.]

‘Is this a rural area?’

[Didn’t you see the cornfields on both sides of the road when we came from the airport to the accommodation?]

‘Ah, right.’

The university buildings were so grand that they didn’t give a shabby impression.

But it certainly wasn’t a fancy neighborhood.

Especially compared to Seoul, it was a stark contrast.

Thinking about this, Suhyuk felt a bit more lenient.

He thought it was just a country boy who didn’t know anything.

In contrast, Baruda thought the opposite.

[How dare a hick from the sticks ignore me, the pride of TaeHwa Group, the best company in South Korea?]

Actually, Steve had ignored Suhyuk, not Baruda.

But the deranged Baruda was already in a state where normal thinking was impossible.

As time passed, Steve, who had been sighing, looked at Suhyuk with a cold stare.

“Let’s get to work. Do you speak English?”

It was a very provocative statement, and it was enough to hurt Suhyuk’s feelings.

‘Look at this guy? Asking if I speak English?’

In fact, without Baruda, Suhyuk’s English wasn’t that great.

But feeling bad is feeling bad.

In this regard, Baruda and Suhyuk were on the same page.

They weren’t stupid enough to pick a fight with a powerful enemy.

“Yes, I do.”

When he replied, the response was even more outrageous.

“Wow, I’ve never seen an East Asian say they speak English well. Do you really speak it well?”

He even spoke faster on purpose.

Of course, it was no problem for Baruda.

His processing speed was much faster than Steve’s.

“Yeah. Where are we going?”

“Ah, first… I’ll introduce you to Professor Alison. Have you heard of Dr. Alison?”

Steve looked at Suhyuk as if he had no reason to know.

Unfortunately for him, Suhyuk knew Alison very well.

[Alison must be in cardiology.]

‘His name often appears in cardiovascular papers.’

[If I had to name the most famous paper, it would be…]

Suhyuk even knew the papers Alison had written by heart.

“Yes, I read the paper titled ‘Factors Predicting the Likelihood of Developing Cardiovascular Disease Over the Next Five Years,’ published in the American Heart Journal last December. It left a strong impression on me.”

“Oh… Oh. Really?”

Baruda smiled with satisfaction as Steve nodded, looking a bit flustered.

[This guy didn’t know, did he?]

‘Yeah. He seems to only know how to show off and not study.’

In fact, before meeting Baruda, Suhyuk would have spent more time thinking about how to go out and have fun or how to become a specialist and make a lot of money.

But he had changed.

He now valued studying more than most university professors.

“Let’s go inside.”

“Sure, let’s go.”

Anyway, Professor Alison’s office wasn’t that far away.

The entire floor where the internal medicine department was located was used as a professor’s office.

It seemed that they had more space to use compared to Seoul, where the land was limited.

“Professor, this is Suhyuk from South Korea. He will be here for a one-month training program.”

Steve introduced Suhyuk to Alison after knocking and entering.

“Ah.”

Professor Alison let out a short sigh and looked at Suhyuk with a very peculiar expression.

He seemed to have heard of the name.

‘This must be the friend that Professor Hyunjong boasted about.’

Normally, it would be absurd for a professor to recognize a one-month trainee like Suhyuk.

Iowa State University Hospital was a very good hospital, and it was famous for its excellent education.

This month alone, there were several short-term trainees like Suhyuk.

Of course, the money the trainees paid was the biggest reason for the hospital’s financial benefit.

Still, it was very rare for a department head to recognize a short-term trainee.

‘He said he wanted to show me quickly, so he moved the schedule up… Hmm.’

Hyunjong wasn’t just famous in South Korea.

His nickname was World Star Hyunjong.

He was even once considered for the presidency of an international heart association.

At that time, South Korea’s status wasn’t that high, and due to the influence of those who envied Hyunjong among South Korean cardiologists, it didn’t happen.

Still, Hyunjong was a renowned doctor even Alison recognized.

‘He doesn’t look particularly special.’

The cane was a bit noticeable.

But strictly speaking, it was a weakness, not a personality trait.

So Alison nodded, still unsure.

“You’re from TaeHwa Medical Center. I hope you have a good month here. The system in Korea is quite different, so I think you’ll learn a lot.”

It was a statement that showed a different kind of pride from Steve.

Saying that there would be something to learn required a considerable amount of confidence.

Of course, the tone and expression were different, so it didn’t sound too bad.

It even felt kind.

“Yes, Professor Alison. I’ve learned a lot from your papers. It’s an honor to meet you in person. Especially the paper titled ‘Factors Predicting the Likelihood of Developing Cardiovascular Disease Over the Next Five Years,’ published in the American Heart Journal last December, left a strong impression on me.”

“Oh, you read that?”

It was almost impossible to pinpoint the characteristics of university hospital professors.

There were too many strange people, and there were too many of them.

But there was one common point.

They liked people who had read their papers.

Even Alison was no exception.

“Yes. A study with an N of 100,000 is rare. And to include so many variables… It was really impressive and useful.”

“Haha. It was quite a lot of work to write it.”

Alison laughed heartily.

It was natural.

Not only did Suhyuk read it, but he also pointed out the exact points where Alison had struggled and thought hard.

Laughing, he suddenly pointed out the window.

There was a beautiful garden with large trees all around.

But Alison pointed to a huge building beyond the garden.

“Ah, that’s my research lab. If you have time… Would you like a tour?”

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

Suhyuk nodded sincerely.

Clinically, there probably wasn’t much difference between TaeHwa Medical Center and Iowa State University Hospital.

It wasn’t that Iowa State University Hospital was inferior.

It was just that TaeHwa Medical Center was too excellent.

But the research capabilities were so different that it was almost comical.

This was because the amount of money invested was enormous.

[That’s good. It will be helpful.]

‘Yeah, I’ll probably learn something.’

He thought that visiting such a research lab might give him some insights.

While Suhyuk was lost in thought, Alison slowly got up.

“Ah, I have an angiography today. I’ll be going now. What’s your schedule for today, Suhyuk?”

He asked Steve.

Steve had to flip through the notebook in his pocket before he could answer.

“Yes, today… You’ll observe Dr. Hank’s inpatient workup in hematology-oncology.”

“Oh… So you’re Dr. Hank’s resident now, Steve?”

“Yes.”

Alison turned his head from Steve, who nodded, to Suhyuk.

“Got it. Observe well… I’ll see you at the conference tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, Professor.”

Then he went out immediately.

Suddenly, Steve, who had been like a lamb, changed his attitude and looked at Suhyuk.

“You read that paper to prepare for coming here, right? Good. Professor Alison is strict, but at least you won’t get scolded as much when observing him.”

It seemed he thought everyone lived like he did.

Suhyuk was about to say something, but Baruda surprisingly stopped him.

[Let’s show him in the outpatient clinic. With knowledge, as befits an internal medicine doctor.]