Chapter 56

56

* * * *

After the piece was completed.

Michelangelo tapped Moses' knees with his hammer and asked,

"Hey, why don't you stand up?"

Those who watched this held their breath, as if Moses would brush off his knees and stand up.

– An anecdote about Michelangelo's Moses statue –

* * * *

Click.

The lights turned on in the silence.

On the screen on stage, only the words [It is written, so it is recorded] remained. The video, which had been distorted when seven naked figures appeared on stage, had finally ended.

The doctors then realized they hadn't been breathing properly and sank into their seats.

— This is a shortened version of the video. For those curious about the internal structure, we plan to include the unedited production video with each Marktub sold.

The invited attendees were so stunned by the video that it seemed to be red, red, and even more red.

While the color was overly familiar to the medical staff, it was undoubtedly the most stimulating video for the finance and accounting team and the marketing team. This is why the 18+ rating is red. It felt as if part of their mind had flown away from the stimulating video.

People blinked and waited for Kang Seok to speak.

They had seen everything, but they were eager to know the structure, how it was made, and the functions of this human model.

Kang Seok made brief eye contact with them and scratched his nose.

— I'm not very good with words, so if you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them. Is there anyone who wants to ask a question?

At the same time, hands shot up from various places. It was almost embarrassing how only the finance and accounting team and the marketing team had been raising their hands until now.

Kang Seok's brow furrowed slightly as he counted the raised hands with his fingers. There were so many that counting was almost meaningless.

There were nearly a hundred people in surgical gowns from three hospitals, and over 70% of them had raised their hands.

There would be overlapping questions, but it was impossible to answer all of them.

— To avoid disrupting the event, I'll take about seven questions, matching the number of Marktubs. I hope for your understanding.

The doctors looked disappointed at Kang Seok's words. It was hard to believe that just a moment ago, they had wanted the event to end quickly so they could rest.

Especially the surgeons were more disappointed. While the internists were interested in simply performing a dissection and storing the dissected human model, the surgeons had the opportunity to practice surgery on organ models that realistically replicated actual diseases.

Moreover, even after practicing surgery, they could reuse the models or conduct more hygienic anatomy practice compared to cadaver dissection. Since cadaver dissection is essential but limited in frequency, this seemed to be a realistic supplement.

— Yes, please ask your question.

"Thank you. When I watched the video, I noticed that the same organs appeared in different forms. For example, there was a healthy liver and in another scene, a liver in stage 3. Could you explain if each Marktub has different organ states?"

The question was asked without using technical terms. The doctors didn't want to show off unnecessary knowledge and miss out on what they really wanted to know.

— Thank you for your question. First, each of the Marktubs from No. 1 to No. 7 has different diseases. No. 1, for example, has no disease, while No. 3, as you pointed out, has a liver cancer in stage 3, about 4 cm in size, with vascular invasion and slight metastasis. There are no two identical Marktubs from No. 1 to No. 7. Next, please ask your question.

"Since each surgical department will need different Marktubs, can you provide all the details?"

— Thank you for your question. We will display the details on the screen during the sale. For reference, the quality improves from No. 1 to No. 7, regardless of the symptoms. Please ask your question.

The mention of quality improvement prompted an internist to raise his hand. His white coat had three pens in the pocket, which was noticeable.

"I'm curious about the differences in quality. They look similar to us."

— For example, in No. 1, I couldn't make all the blood vessels functional. After creating the blood vessel models, I injected a solution into some parts and sealed them with resin. It wouldn't be realistic for actual surgery or virtual surgery. However, from No. 4 onwards, all blood vessels are fully functional, allowing for realistic vascular suturing practice. For more detailed information, please check the video when you purchase it.

You mean you managed to make the blood vessels functional to the point where blood can flow?

This was a dummy that was almost a real human, focused on anatomy. Unlike crash test dummies, which are designed to measure the impact of injuries, bleeding, nerve damage, and brain state, this was a dummy made purely for visual anatomy.

It was clear that it was designed with a focus on surgical and anatomical practice. It was the perfect project. Indeed, it was more of a work of art than a mere resource.

"Can you tell us how long the Marktubs can be stored and when they might lose their value or become contaminated?"

This was a question from the finance and accounting team. They were concerned about how long the value would last after a purchase.

— I used materials that are semi-permanent. I can't answer about intentional damage, but if you store them after a single surgical practice, they should remain uncontaminated for about 10 years.

Kang Seok's lips twitched.

— I doubt anything better will come out in 10 years.

Medicine is advancing at a terrifying pace because it deals with human life. Kang Seok just wanted to delve into human anatomy through this opportunity, but there were countless people who wanted to advance the medical field.

Medicine would undoubtedly develop at a speed incomparable to the 400 years of progress.

Of course, in terms of artistic value, it would gain even greater value under Kang Seok's name, but he didn't mention that.

The questions continued.

Kang Seok answered them smoothly and wittily, despite claiming he wasn't good with words.

Even when the doctors, who seemed to be recalling a symposium, asked sharp questions, Kang Seok responded with a touch of cynicism.

On the surface, Kang Seok appeared diligent and good, but the old man inside him was stubborn, cynical, and had a bad temper, which made it possible.

Finally, the last of the seven questions arrived.

"What is the minimum auction price you want?"

This was a common question from the marketing team to all presenters. Kang Seok couldn't help but smile at the question.

Honestly, in terms of artistic value, it should be much higher. However, they viewed it as a resource, not a work of art. When this becomes public, foreign artists might kneel and weep, knowing that this realistic art piece was dissected as a resource.

At least Kang Seok, Park Ji-yeop, and Jo Dong-beom were confident. Such an artistic piece was rare. But Kang Seok didn't hesitate. A project should be beautiful by being true to itself.

So, he didn't plan to ask for a high price.

However, considering that dummies used for filming cost between 10 to 20 million won and are sold for even more, Kang Seok's creation, which realistically replicated all human organs, should be at least twice as expensive.

Kang Seok said confidently,

"I think 100 million won per Marktub is appropriate."

If you can afford it, pay it.

This was more than the maximum.

Kang Seok declared it in a matter-of-fact tone.

.

.

.

That day, the seven Marktubs were sold for a total of 1.64 billion won.

* * * *

The sky was a deep blue.

After the event, Kang Seok visited a furniture store for the first time in a while. The Inche team tried to grab him for a dinner, but at his age, family dinner was more important than socializing.

What's wrong with enjoying life when you're young? Kang Seok headed home.

After dinner, Kang Seok sat on a non-sale sofa at the furniture store and looked around. It was a peaceful and relaxing scene.

His mother was flipping through a department store magazine, marking it meticulously for their new home. Kang Chae-young was searching for DIY room decoration ideas on her phone and scribbling notes, with a determined look.

She had even brought a 150-color Prisma pencil set to match the colors.

'And Father...'

Kang Seok turned his head.

His father was locked in the workshop, both before and after dinner.

"Shouldn't you go and see him?"

His mother, Baek Myung-hee, gestured with her chin. She said they had a special bond and suggested Kang Seok go and talk to him after so long.

"It's fine. I don't want to disturb him."

"You haven't seen your father for a while. You don't know, but he's been in the workshop for two weeks, two weeks."

"Right. He hasn't come out of the workshop for quite some time. Why don't you go and see him? If Mom gets upset, you can nudge him a bit."

"Her?"

While Baek Myung-hee looked at Kang Chae-young, Kang Seok reluctantly got up. Thanks to them, he had a reason to see his father after a long time.

Kang Seok's lips twitched as he walked away from Baek Myung-hee and Kang Chae-young.

— '1.64 billion won. It's really impressive that he managed to get this much from those medical staff. Most of it is probably a separate operating fund from the foundation, but... Kang Seok, this is a lot of money. Of course, I think it's too cheap.'

— 'It's fine. It was like a donation.'

He also considered how his name would rise and fall in the academic world. The decision was made when he thought of how Leonardo da Vinci's name became a topic in the medical field.

Who knows what kind of person he would be in this era, but at least in the modern age, I've clearly won. Thinking of the inspiration who was born and left before a proper competition could happen, Kang Seok's lips twitched.

— 'They said it needs approval. I'll deposit the money to the account you provided after everything is settled. By the way, we should start thinking about taxes... Do you know any good tax consultants?'

— 'I don't know any tax consultants. If you have any recommendations, please let me know.'

— 'Thank you.'

Of course, the most exciting part was telling his family. He wanted to slip the contract and the advance payment into the magazine his mother was reading, but his first target was his father.

Knock knock.

"Father, can I come in?"

"......Oh, Seok!"

The door opened with a bang. His father looked tired but happy, with a smile that made him look like a well-aged middle-aged man.

Despite his unshaven face, his smile was so radiant. Kang Seok smiled and slipped into the workshop.

He had the contract and the bankbook in his pocket.

"Hehe. The workshop is a bit messy, so just sit wherever you like."

"......What's all this?"

The workshop was filled with wood. Precisely, it was filled with various types of wood used for furniture making, thick and thin, of different kinds and sizes.

Kang Hyun-do looked around and then shyly avoided Kang Seok's gaze, his ears turning red. A trait he shared with Kang Seok.

"Well, hehe. Since we're moving, I wanted to make a dining table. Do you want to see a sketch?"

"Yes. Where is it?"

"Here, like this..."

Kang Hyun-do excitedly pointed to the sketch and explained. Watching his father explain something he didn't need to sell, Kang Seok could see his father's younger days, when he dreamed of being a furniture designer.

Kang Seok nodded, enjoying his father's explanation of the design, which considered Kang Chae-young's body shape and his mother's habits.

"Looks good?"

"Really?"

"Yes, really good. This is exactly the kind of chair Kang Chae-young would like. How about this? So..."

Kang Seok, getting excited, walked to the workshop desk and pulled out a pencil. Just then, someone knocked roughly on the door.

"Brother, brother, brother!"

A voice urging him to come out quickly. Kang Seok and Kang Hyun-do looked at each other, and then Kang Seok quickly opened the door. Kang Chae-young was standing there, pointing at her phone with a shocked expression. Her eyes were wide, like a rabbit's.

"O...Brother, what's all this?"

Kang Seok's gaze followed her finger. The white screen was filled with text.

News articles were pouring in.

It seemed the journalists from the San Gang Life Foundation and San Gang Medical Center were for this purpose. Kang Seok read through the articles. The phone had already moved from Kang Chae-young's hand to Kang Seok's.

"Brother, are you rich now?"

Kang Chae-young looked at Kang Seok, still in shock. Kang Seok's lips twitched. 1.64 billion won felt more real than a single-family home in Seongbuk-dong.

But this is not enough.

Kang Seok smiled.

This is just the beginning.

* * * *

Time passed quickly.

Kang Seok's name, which had been a hot topic on the internet and SNS, gradually faded. At school, he often faced annoying situations because the students kept clinging to him, but he took it in stride.

After all, popularity follows talented artists.

Kang Seok held his beloved grinder and slowly stepped back. With each step, the overall shape of the sculpture became more visible.

The first thing that caught the eye was the sturdy legs, like a giant tree.

A sense of dynamism, even though they were standing still.

The tendons and metatarsals on the heels, all carved from pure white marble, gave the impression of sweat droplets under the lighting.

Kang Seok stopped walking as he saw this.

As he raised his gaze from the legs, the back of the standing figure, the broad and rugged back of a blacksmith striking a hammer, filled his view.

The sweat-soaked clothes clung to the skin. The process of capturing the intricate muscle contours was truly enjoyable to recall.

Kang Seok smiled contentedly as he examined the final details.

"It's complete."

The material is marble.

It took 3 months and 6 days to complete the 5.7-meter-tall sculpture.

57. The evening of June 13th