Sense - Chapter 79

A/N: Thanks to AY for the donations once again! Last day of the double chap week. Cheers!

Dowook was standing at the entrance of a university located in the Nowon District.

[The 62nd specialist written exam]

[We wish you success in your chosen department. President of the Korean Medical Association]

The wording on the bulletin board was simple, but the meaning of this test to a doctor was very special.

It was the last gateway before saying goodbye to the tedious examination that lasted for a total of 11 years from medical school to the completion of residency.

Dowook walked in the direction of the test site indicated by the arrow, and saw the numerous residents from all over the country.

Everyone looked relieved.

He also felt how much he had grown as a human being naturally learned after rolling around for four years in his department. Judging by the tingling in his fingertips, some of the people here had already developed their own medical sense.

‘Which department are they from? It’s not too much stimulation, but if it’s already like this, it’s amazing. The world is huge.’

Dowook scattered the senses of others that flooded his fingers and looked at his hands.

Considering the experience accumulated in large and small surgeries over the past few months, it was probably denser than any surgeon gathered today. The problem was that no one could objectively grasp how much experience it was.

In front of the building where he had arrived, there was another sign indicating the test area for each department.

Dowook came closer to the neurosurgery test’s room, and he heard a familiar voice coming from nearby.

“… Uh, honey. Of course. The passing rate of the specialist exam is 95%. Let’s watch a movie after this. What should we watch? Hero League? Is that fun? It’s so popular these days.”

Eyes that look confident with angled glasses. It was Ahn Hyung-soo, a graduate of Myeong Sae Medical University.

“Hyung-soo.”

“Huh?”

Ahn Hyung-soo, who got off his phone, looked at Dowook.

“Oh? Hey, Park Dowook!”

Of the 3,000 doctors taking the specialist exam, approximately 100 were from the same medical school. If nothing had happened to them in the interim, the probability of encountering them today was very high.

Ahn Hyung-soo grabbed his hand and shook it as he asked.

“How many years has it been? 6 years?”

“I guess it’s been that long.”

“I was worried when I heard you were going to a hard department. I thought you chose it because you didn’t want to compete. But you probably survived since I’m seeing you here, right?”

Ahn Hyung-soo, who smiled and talked about his internship, was an elite who had never missed the top.

In particular, his memorization skill was better than most. Therefore, he entered AN Hospital, the undisputed No. 1 among the Big Five, and chose to become an orthopedic surgeon when the competition in that department was fierce.

“How have you been? Say something.”

“It’s just…”

“If you get a specialist’s license, will you stay at the hospital? Or, open a business? These days, hospitals specializing in spinal surgery have a lot of demand for neurosurgery. My father-in-law also said he would open a business for me, but I have to do a fellowship to officially put up an AN hospital sign. It’s not the same as before.”

Although they’d worked together often, Dowook wasn’t very close to Ahn Hyung-soo, so there was nothing much to share. Just like then, he was showing off.

After listening to him for a few minutes after meeting for the first time in six years, Dowook slowly measured the time to enter the test site.

“We have a resident quota of 8 this year, and 17 applicants flocked. The highest competition rate ever. As the average life expectancy increases, the mold keeps popping up. How many did you get?”

Dowook had never asked, so he texted Nam Hana for a moment. He thought he should answer this and leave.

As he was waiting for the reply.

“Huh? Aren’t you Park Dowook?”

When he turned his head at the sudden voice, he saw a man he had never seen before. There were four more people next to the man.

“Who…”

Dowook didn’t remember, but he wondered if it was one of the seniors and juniors he’d encountered at school, but the other man revealed his identity first.

“We are neurosurgery residents from Hansung University. My name is Jung Jongsun. I can’t believe I’m meeting you in person. Oh my god.”

While shaking hands with Jeong Jong-seon, the four people standing together bowed their heads to Dowook.

“While studying, we dug into your cases a lot. I’m expecting a question about them in this specialist exam. You know the Park Dowook knot? I heard you practiced thousands of times. Is that a skill that you can do after some practice? It’s fascinating even when I watch the video.”

“Uh…”

Prof. Choi was satisfied after practicing it 3,000 times. Wouldn’t an ordinary surgeon need to do it at least 10,000 times before they could perform it at an acceptable level?

Dowook could not bear to share this cruel reality to the young-looking dreamers.

“Of course. You just need to practice. Effort never betrays you.”

“I didn’t know I’d take the exam in the same room as someone whose cases would be in the exam. Right. When is Tom Brand’s surgery? Our chief also said that the application for observation was cut off. I’ll try to get a video later.”

“It’s scheduled for next week.”

“I’m really looking forward to it. I spent too much of your time. Anyway, it was an honor.”

After Jung Jong-sun bowed his head to Dowook repeatedly, he disappeared into the test site.

Ahn Hyung-soo, who was watching the situation directly, asked with a surprised face.

“What is he saying? Your case? Do you even operate?”

“I went in a lot recently.”

“What does Tom Brand mean? You’re not talking about the Hero League star, are you? The actor who said he was off work for a while due to a brain tumor.”

“Well, it’s an official announcement, so I won’t deny it. That’s right. Tom Brand.”

Ahn Hyung-soo’s speech decreased sharply.

“Oh, I got a text from our department’s resident chief. Applicants for our department…… Huh?”

Dowook read the text again.

“What’s wrong? There’s none”.

“There are 32 people. There are only 4 positions. What’s the competition rate?”

Ahn Hyung-soo’s shoulder, which had hardened as if it had become a stone statue, was gently tapped.

“It was nice to see you after a long time. Good luck on your test.”

“Uh….”

Dowook disappeared, and Ahn Hyung-soo quickly opened his cell phone and searched for “Park Dowook at Myeong Sae Hospital.”

And the articles that came out.

Ahn Hyung-soo, who was scrolling through them, had no choice but to sigh at various news. In the field of neurosurgery, Park Dowook was already famous as a top genius surgeon.

How could he brag in front of such a person? How embarrassing was that?

The specialist test, which began at 9 o’clock, was a written test with a total of 200 questions taken over 4 hours.

There was a 20-minute break in the middle, but there was no meal time, so by the time Dowook left the test site, he was very hungry.

As he left the hallway, Dowook looked at his cell phone clock and it was 1:40 p.m.

‘It was easier than I thought.’

As Jung Jong-sun said when he came in, the case where he was really involved also came out as a problem.

A case of the bus driver who made headlines socially. The neurosurgery field, associated with multiple injuries, was not the only problem that needed in-depth explanation.

‘Anyway, this is probably what a pie falling from the sky means, right?’

“Wow. What’s wrong with the difficulty level? There were a lot of people who will fail this year.”

“Right? Did they need to make the neurosurgery tests so difficult? The professors are too much.”

Dowook was embarrassed by the conversation of some doctors grumbling as he passed by and had to scratch his cheek. Tests were relative.

He was walking toward a nearby university restaurant to eat first, when his cell phone rang.

It was an unfamiliar name on the screen. However, it was also a name that Dowook was waiting for.

“This is Park Dowook.”

– I’m sorry for the delay in contacting you. We’re going back to Seoul. Do you have time today? It’s hard to meet on other days because I don’t have much time.

“What time will you arrive?”

Dr. Ji Gang Cheol was brought to the emergency room while studying the special sense. This was the assistant who conducted the research with him.

After Dowook got off his cell phone, he became busy.

Just as he finished the specialist exam easily today, the mystery of his special sense may be neatly organized.

4pm. Tong-il Road.

Dowook got out of the taxi and turned to the space lined with buildings.

A wide road connecting Seodaemun Station and Seoul Station.

Somewhere here, Dr. Ji Gang Cheol’s Brain Neurology Research Center was located.

‘It’s on the 7th floor of Seonhwa Building.’

After walking a block while checking the mobile phone map, the destination appeared. When Dowook entered the building and got on the elevator, he felt unexpectedly tense.

Finally, he would meet the parties related to the study.

For months, he’d done so much with this ability.

If he could understand the mechanism of using the special sense more accurately, he would be able to plan his life in earnest as a surgeon. Since he would know if this ability was permanent or not.

Ding.

Stepping into the hallway with high expectations, Dowook became silent at the sight in front of him.

“What’s this?”

A dirty sign that displayed neglect. All the lights were turned off in the hallway and the glass door was wide open, creating a bleak atmosphere.

There were still about 10 minutes left until 4:30 p.m., the appointment time, so Dowook looked inside.

It was called a research center, but there were only dusty desks and document boxes inside. Even those had foreclosure tags on them.

“I guess it’s been a long time since they’ve failed.”

The appearance of Ji Gang Cheol that day was not very good either.

If Ji Gang Cheol’s special sense study in the video was successful, he would have been a huge success. It was an ability that anyone would want to have even at the cost of their whole fortune.

There was nothing else to look at so Dowook went out to the hall and he saw the elevator door opening.

A person walked out.

It was a middle-aged man who was half-bald and looked very haggard.

“Dr. Na Dong-gyu?”

“Are you Park Dowook?”

Dowook nodded and approached. Na Dong-gyu approached him and looked around the hallway. Like someone was chasing him.

Standing close, Na Dong-gyu immediately asked.

“Dr. Ji, you said he had a long needle in his head when he arrived at the hospital.”

“Oh, yes.”

“Was he capable of speech when he arrived?”

“No, not at all.”

“The needle. Did you bring it?”

Dowook took out a box for storing medical tools from the bag he had on his shoulder.

The needle that Ji Gang Cheol left in the bathroom and was found by Seong Chang Soo. It was placed in the warehouse of the medical office.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you. Thank you for your hard work.”

Na Dong-gyu, who grabbed the box, went into the research center. He seemed to be in a hurry, so Dowook followed him quietly.

Na Dong-gyu stopped in front of a closed safe and inputted the original password.

Suddenly, the door opened.

Na Dong-gyu, who took out a computer-sized black machine full of wire strands from inside, put it on a dusty table and turned on the switch.

The needle was connected to the running machine which made a buzzing motor sound as if it was running on a battery.

The needle was attached to an electric cable.

Na Dong-gyu carefully hung it on the top of the machine.

Bzzzzt.

A blue flash appeared before quickly disappearing at the end of the needle.

Dowook flinched, but Na Dong-gyu sighed with relief as if he had expected it.

“It’s working. Phew, thank god it’s still working.”

“I guess that machine is the reason he was brought into the hospital?”

When Dowook spoke to him, Na Dong-gyu turned his head in surprise.

“Oh, why are you still here?”

“I’m also involved in the disappearance of Dr. Ji. I have a few questions.”

Checking the machine, Na Dong-gyu replied quickly.

“Then ask.”

“What’s this needle?”

“It stimulates the vestibular nerve at a specific frequency. The tip is nano-processed, so it can transmit signals directly to neurons.”

“The vestibular nerve is a sensitive place where paralysis symptoms occur even with weak stimuli…”

Na Dong-gyu’s gaze quickly turned due to Dowook’s murmured words.

“You said you were a neurosurgeon, right?”

“Yes.”

“That’s right. Dr. Ji’s research failed. The three subjects who participated in the study are still suffering from permanent side-effects. As you can see, the center is at this point.”

“Then, where is Dr. Ji?”

“How would I know? If I knew, the debtors wouldn’t have come to me. This machine was sold to another laboratory to raise funds. How much is the cost of treatment that Dr. Ji didn’t pay?”

Dowook waved his hand saying it was okay. Because it was already taken care of with the loss process.

Dowook asked Na Dong-gyu, who continued to check the equipment, in a careful tone.

“About Dr. Ji’s research. Is there no chance of success?”

Na Dong-gyu, who was preparing for the second check, laughed at his words.

“Never. Do you know who Dr. Ji respects the most?”

Na Dong-gyu pointed to a plaster statue lying on a cabinet.

“Democritus. A man with a Neurology doctorate, who should be logical, believed in a philosopher who talked about metaphysics unrelated to science. This study was impossible to establish in the first place. Investors and researchers who participated in it were also fooled.”

Dowook turned to a plaster statue at Na Dong-gyu’s negative comments. A phrase was written under the plaster with a red foreclosure label stuck to it.

[Awareness through the senses is a change that occurs when a soul’s atoms come into contact with an external atom. – Democritus]

It certainly didn’t seem realistic.

“But. Is there any chance that you can succeed by chance?”

“Is it because you’re a neurosurgeon? You’re very interested. Can you see this?”

At the end of the needle attached to the machine, flashes of light appeared.

“It’s simply suicide to put it in your head. The human brain can’t handle the amplitude of this supercurrent in the first place. It’s better to increase the output and use it for organic chemistry research.”

When Na Dong-gyu operated the device to raise the voltage, the flash became brighter.

Dowook was watching out of curiosity when he suddenly recalled what happened a few months ago when Ji Gang Cheol grabbed his wrist.

The flash he’d witnessed at that time was similar to that color.

Tingle.

“Huh?”

His wrist suddenly started to tingle and become numb.

Then

The flash dancing on the machine suddenly moved to Dowook’s fingertips.

“Huh?”

Whoooong一 thud.

The flash disappeared as if it had been absorbed, and the machine stopped working at once. Na Dong-gyu, who was checking the main manipulator, looked strangely at Dowook who had swollen eyes.

“What’s wrong with you? It stopped because it didn’t have enough power.”

“It’s…”

Dowook felt a tingling energy digging into his body and gradually dispersing throughout his neural circuit. What kind of phenomenon was this?

“What a curious doctor.”

Na Dong-gyu opened the drawer and found a booklet. He handed it to Dowook who was standing in a daze.

“Here. I’ve seen a lot of people become interested in this paper. I’ll give you this and we’ll say it’s payment for Dr. Ji’s hospital bills and the nuisance he made at your hospital. Read it and tear it apart if it sounds like nonsense.”

On top of the dusty file iron, the title “Sensory Tuning and Expansion Transfer” was seen.