"You raised Patient 5's priority at the helicopter pad. Did you already suspect heart disease then? How did you know? It was as if you were looking inside the patient's body."
The moment Taeho looked at her, he felt something off.
"You said you were a medical specialist reporter, correct?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Then I'm curious how you would medically evaluate the triage I just performed."
"I think it was very swift and accurate."
Song Mira answered with a smile.
One of Taeho's eyebrows rose.
If she were a medical specialist reporter, wouldn't she use professional terminology?
Taeho observed her expression and gestures with keen intuition. Her gaze was extremely bold. She didn't seem like someone who would easily bend just because her counterpart was a person of power or influence.
This woman clearly has another purpose.
At the same time, another thought crossed his mind.
She looks extremely ambitious, but if I can use her well...
Taeho smiled and said,
"Reporter, if you have time, would you like to do an interview?"
Song Mira's eyes sparkled as if asking what windfall this was. She had heard countless times how difficult it was to get a personal interview with Director Kang Taeho.
"Really? I'm available anytime!"
"We aim to be an ocean medical specialized hospital. We also plan to expand the Geumsan Research Institute into a Marine Research and Development Center."
"Then how about doing the interview at Samcheok Fisheries Market?"
"Fisheries market?"
"Yes. It's the place closest to the sea, isn't it? The marine products fishermen bring from the sea every day, and the ocean-related medical issues they face. I think it would be more vivid if we interviewed at such a site."
Different calculations were spinning in Song Mira's mind.
What if they left the authoritative space of the hospital? Without cutting-edge equipment, without white gowns, on an ordinary market floor—would that charisma remain intact?
Most people she had seen until now tended to shrink when they left their domain. Especially in front of the press.
Would Director Kang Taeho really be different?
Taeho smiled lightly.
"That's a good idea. Then let's meet at Samcheok Fisheries Market around 7 a.m. tomorrow."
"Yes, good."
Song Mira quickly nodded.
Taeho laughed inwardly.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow, Reporter Song Mira."
"Yes, I look forward to it."
As Song Mira left the hospital, she took out her phone.
"Editor, it's Song Mira. I'm going to cover a story in Samcheok tomorrow. Yes, that miracle doctor. There's definitely something there."
Her eyes were full of conviction. The experience and intuition that had caught countless fraudsters so far were telling her something.
***
At 7 a.m., Samcheok Fisheries Market was in a relatively calm atmosphere.
Most merchants had started work at 4 a.m., so now was when the first peak had just passed. The time when wholesalers and restaurant owners came to buy in bulk was over, and now individual customers were beginning to appear one by one.
"Phew. This morning's catch was no joke."
Sashimi restaurant owner Kim Cheolsu wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed. In front of him remained traces of having been busy until just moments ago. Ice had melted, creating puddles on the floor, and empty styrofoam boxes were stacked on one side.
Oxygen bubbles gurgled up in the live fish tank, and the compressor hissed.
"Mom."
Eight-year-old Seongjun called out with a voice still heavy with sleep. The child who had followed his parents since dawn was still rubbing his sleepy eyes.
"That's why I told you not to come and to sleep more. Are you hungry? Just wait a bit. Mom will make you some ramen."
"Yes!"
At the word ramen, Seongjun grinned. Seongjun's mother also smiled and put the ramen pot on the stove.
The sound of cleaning the floor by sprinkling water could be heard throughout the market. Some merchants were sitting in chairs, drinking morning coffee and enjoying a brief moment of leisure.
"It's getting a bit quieter now."
An elderly woman selling seaweed muttered as she wiped her stand with a wet rag.
Tourists were still rarely seen. Only a few housewives who came to buy fish simply and some elderly locals who stopped by after their morning exercise were visible. Seagulls were also sitting on the roof, leisurely preening their feathers.
"Anyway, the weather is nice today."
"Yeah, I think a lot of customers will come."
The tone of the merchants' conversation was relaxed rather than urgent, unlike at dawn.
"Hello, Director."
Song Mira greeted Taeho, holding a camera. She had investigated materials about Taeho all night long.
'A country doctor who suddenly became famous,' 'miracle diagnoses,' 'the WHO incident.' Everything was too perfect.
There had to be some flaw.
"Yes, Reporter. Are you all ready?"
"Of course. Do you like fish markets, Director?"
"I do. It's where the sea and people meet. In the lives of fishermen..."
Boom!
A sudden explosion reverberated through the market.
"What, what!"
"Where did that explode!"
White steam was shooting up from one side of the market. It was from 'Bada Village Sashimi Restaurant,' where the large live fish tank was.
"Kyah, Father!"
"Owner!"
People's screams burst forth.
Song Mira reflexively checked Taeho's expression. He looked surprised but not flustered.
Director Kang Taeho immediately ran to the scene.
"Let's go together, Director."
Song Mira followed, running.
The compressor of the large live fish tank had overheated and exploded. Tempered glass shattered into pieces, and hot water, glass fragments, and steam engulfed the surrounding people.
"Argh!"
"Help!"
Seven people were lying on the ground. The sashimi restaurant owner couple, three customers, and eight-year-old Seongjun and his mother. Surrounding merchants rushed over.
Song Mira stuck right beside Taeho, holding her camera.
'Let's observe properly this time. How he judges so quickly.'
Taeho swept his gaze over the scene and briefly closed his eyes.
'Bio Vision activate.'
Auroras of different colors appeared over the patients. Most were yellow and orange, but a red warning signal was flashing above eight-year-old Seongjun. Especially around the eye area, a deep purple signal was concentrated.
Song Mira didn't miss this scene.
'That person seems to be thinking something. What is it?'
Taeho opened his eyes and immediately gave orders.
"The child first!"
The people around were puzzled. Outwardly, there were people who looked more severely injured than Seongjun.
Song Mira recalled the scene she had witnessed in the Geumsan Samcheok Hospital ER yesterday.
'How can he judge so quickly? Without even properly examining the other patients...'
Taeho crouched down next to Seongjun and examined the child's condition. Looking through Bio Vision, the area around the child's right eye was surrounded by red aura. There was a laceration on the eyelid, and blood pressure was dropping due to continuous bleeding. What was more serious was that fine glass powder was embedded on the eye surface, causing intraocular pressure to rise rapidly.
'If not treated now, he could lose his vision.'
The child's mother was holding the child.
"Seongjun, Seongjun!"
"Mom, I can't see."
"Oh my, Seongjun!"
Taeho went to their side and examined the child.
"I'm a doctor. What's the child's name?"
"Yun Seongjun."
The child surprisingly wasn't crying. He seemed too shocked to be fully conscious.
"Seongjun, it's okay."
"I can't see. Mom, Mom..."
Seongjun's voice was growing weaker. It was the initial symptom of shock due to bleeding.
"Good. You must keep your eyes closed tight. The doctor will treat you now."
Seongjun's mother trembled as she held the child's shoulder. She too had a torn forehead and was bleeding, but she hadn't realized it.
"Oh my, Seongjun. Doctor, how is our Seongjun?"
"I'll treat him right away."
Taeho quickly looked around and called Song Mira.
"Reporter Song, if you go about 10 meters that way, there's a pharmacy. Bring gauze, normal saline, hemostatic compression pads, and tape."
"Huh?"
"Hurry!"
"Yes!"
Song Mira quickly ran to the pharmacy and bought the supplies Taeho had asked for.
"But is ocular treatment possible at the scene?"
"We have to, in an emergency."
Seongjun sniffled in his mother's arms.
"Huuuh. Mom..."
"Mom is here, baby. Let's listen carefully to the doctor."
Taeho approached Seongjun holding saline.
"Seongjun, now the doctor will wash out the powder that got in your eye."
"Yes..."
Taeho began to carefully wash Seongjun's eye using normal saline. Through Bio Vision, he could see the fine glass powder washing away one by one.
"It hurts. Sob sob."
"Our Seongjun is enduring so well. Just a little more. Almost done."
After ten minutes of delicate washing, Taeho applied appropriate pressure to the deep laceration on the eyelid.
"Seongjun, now we have to stop the bleeding. Endure just a little more."
Taeho placed the hemostatic compression pad precisely on the eyelid wound and fixed it with medical tape. After applying steady pressure for about ten minutes, he checked and found the bleeding had stopped.
The treatment was finished.
Taeho checked with Bio Vision and found the intraocular pressure had returned to normal levels, and the bleeding had completely stopped.
"Seongjun, try opening your eyes now."
Seongjun blinked and opened his eyes.
"Mom!"
"Seongjun! Can you see? Can you see Mom?"
"Yeah. I can see."
"Oh my, Seongjun."
Seongjun's mother embraced the child and burst into tears.
"That's a relief. The dangerous crisis has passed."
Taeho let out a sigh of relief.
"But you must receive a detailed examination at the hospital. I've only resolved the emergency for now."
"Doctor, thank you. Thank you so much."
Seongjun's mother said, tears flowing.
Taeho's hands remained busy. He had to treat the other six patients injured by the tank explosion.
Song Mira watched the entire process right beside him. She started watching with suspicion, but as time passed, her heart changed.
"Mister, let me see your arm."
There was a burn on the sashimi restaurant owner's right arm from hot water. The skin was red and swollen.
"It's a second-degree burn. I'll cool it with cold water right now."
Taeho received cold water from a nearby faucet and continuously cooled the burned area.
"Ah, it feels refreshing."
"You have to cool it for about fifteen more minutes. Then go to the hospital right away and receive proper treatment."
The next patient was a woman in her fifties who had a glass fragment embedded in her leg.
"Ma'am, you must not pull out this glass carelessly. We must stop the bleeding first and have it removed at the hospital."
Taeho placed gauze around the glass and fixed it.
"Why aren't you removing it?"
"If deeply embedded foreign matter is removed at the scene, bleeding can occur. For now, it's safer to just fix it and go to the hospital."
The third patient had a laceration on the forehead.
"Head wounds bleed a lot but aren't that deep. I'll apply pressure hemostasis."
Taeho pressed the wound firmly with gauze to stop the bleeding.
The remaining patients mostly had minor abrasions or bruises. Taeho only performed simple disinfection and bandaging.
"Thank you, Doctor."
"I only performed emergency first aid, so you must go to the hospital and receive proper treatment."
Song Mira watched Taeho's figure and thought.
'This person seems to genuinely care about each and every patient...'
All emergency first aid was finished. Taeho's shirt was soaked with sweat, but his expression was calm.
Song Mira's heart completely changed as she watched this entire process. It was the figure of a real doctor who poured his heart into each individual.
The other patients also looked at Taeho with exceptional eyes. Complete trust and gratitude were mixed in them.
"Doctor, thank you."
"Everyone here today was lucky. An excellent doctor happened to be here."
As tension eased, someone cracked a joke. People could laugh in relief.
The sound of an ambulance was heard from afar.
Song Mira's hand holding the camera moved on its own. In one corner of her heart, doubts still remained.
'But how can he be so accurate? It was as if he were really looking inside the patient's body... Is he really a miracle doctor?'
Taeho looked at Song Mira and smiled.
"Reporter Song, you're not a medical specialist reporter but an investigative reporter, right? You came to check if I'm a fraudster, didn't you?"
Busted!
Song Mira's face flushed red.