Chapter 90

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Hyunwoo came back home after splitting with his team members. However, the faces of Byungwon and his son kept appearing in his mind. He couldn’t focus even if he tried to read books.

Is he sick? He looked very sick when I saw him last…

As soon as he went to the office the next morning, he called the research team to check Mingyu’s condition, but Byungwon hadn’t come to the office. It looked like his son’s condition was worse than he thought.
When he left for the day, Hyunwoo called Byungwon and found out that he was still at the hospital,
How is Mingyu’s condition?


Much better now. He’ll be discharged tomorrow.


Which hospital are you at now?

Hyunwoo went straight to Ansan Hospital. As soon as he went into the patient’s room, Mingyu, who had been watching TV, saw him coming in. He bowed to Hyunwoo and said,
How are you, uncle?

Mingyu’s condition seemed to be better than expected, but Hyunwoo felt guilty seeing him with an IV needle in his wrist which was as lean as a chopstick.
Byungwon offered a seat to Hyunwoo, saying
Oh, you didn’t have to go to the trouble of coming here. Please sit here.


Well, I just wanted to see Mingyu. By the way, he seems to get sick often like this,
Hyunwoo said with worry.
Mingyu replied,
I’m alright now. I’m fully recovered. I’ll be discharged tomorrow morning.


Were you very sick yesterday?


I don’t remember completely, but I think I had a high fever.

If he couldn’t remember it, it suggested that he had been very sick. According to Byungwon, his temperature was almost 40 centigrade, but this happened very often.
The bigger problem was that he was getting this sick more often. In the past, he got sick like this once every couple of months, but these days he had to visit the hospital because of a high fever almost every month.

What did the doctor say? I think there must be some reason for his illness.

Byungwon shook his head, saying
Because he’s too weak. His doctor can’t pinpoint any specific reason.


Why don’t you take him to a herbal doctor who knows how to feel the pulse for examination?
Or get him a pack of restorative herb. I hear there are some people who got recovered by doing that.


Well, I did try that. The restorative herb was expensive with little effect.


It depends on which herbal doctor you visit. Please try to find a competent herbal doctor. I know a good acupuncturist.


Really? Can you give me his information?


Well…he’s very good, but he doesn’t have a license.


Uh? Then, he’s practicing illegally?

Scratching his head, Hyunwoo said,
Hahaha. I think I brought up something I shouldn’t have.

No, no. I don’t think a license is that important as long as he’s competent. I know you’re such a great worker, Assistant Manager Jang even though you’ve no college degree. Just do me a favor. Please introduce the acupuncturist to me.

Hyunwoo didn’t hesitate because Byungwon insisted. He headed to the stairs where there were few people and called someone with his mobile phone.
The phone rang more than ten times, but the other party didn’t pick it up. Obviously, the other party had hearing problems. Finally, he answered.

How are you, sir? This is Hyunwoo speaking.
Hyunwoo’s voice was so loud that it echoed throughout the stairs.
Still, the man couldn’t hear him well.
Who is it?


It’s me, Hyunwoo,
said Hyunwoo into the phone at the top of his voice.
Only then did he recognize his voice,
Hyunwoo?


Yes, sir. Are you available tomorrow evening?


Sure.


Then, I’ll see you tomorrow evening.


Okay. Buy me a pack of cigarettes when you see me.


Got it, sir. I’ll see you then.

After the call, Hyunwoo looked at Byungwon and said,
As he is very old, he can’t hear well. If you can make it, you can come with me there after you leave the office tomorrow.


Thanks.

The next evening. Byungwon’s car stopped at the alley of a old apartment complex at the foot of Mt. Kwangduk. Inside the car were Byungwon, Mingyu, and Hyunwoo.
Though the car belonged to Byungwon, it was Hyunwoo who got out of the driver’s seat. As the old man’s living space was deep inside the alley, Hyunwoo drove his car in person.
Then, Byungwon got into the driver’s seat again,
Wait a minute. If I park my car here, it will cause lots of inconvenience to others. Let me park over there and come back.

In the meantime, Mingyu looked closely at his father’s every action. In particular, when Hyunwoo and Byungwon sat in the driver’s seat respectively, MIngyu felt it was interesting for them to adjust the seat and the back of it to their body, and said something surprising,
Isn’t it uncomfortable for you adjust your seat every time you guys alternate like that?


We can’t help it. Everybody has his own comfortable position.


Why don’t you have the system memorize each person’s preference by pushing the button? In that case, just a gentle touch on the button automatically adjust the seat and the back of it to the person involved. You don’t have to to go to the trouble of manually adjusting it every time, right?

At that moment, Hyunwoo’s jaws were dropping because Mingyu’s idea was terrific. Stroking his son’s head, Byungwon praised him and said,
I think so. You’re so smart, son.

Byungwoo wasn’t as surprised as Hyunwoo and wasn’t overzealous to apply for a patent on his idea. Rather, he grinned at Hyunwoo who was stunned.

Well, Mingyu has lots of creative ideas. There are several things he invented in my house.


Invention?


Yea. For example, there is a full-length mirror in my house. If you lay it on the floor, it becomes the top of a table. When he was the 5th grader at elementary school he said he wanted to make use of a lower table.


Wow! Wonderful! He’s much better than me.

It was really great in Hyunwoo’s opinion. How could he think of such a creative idea at that young of age?

Why don’t you apply for a patent quickly?


Well, I did several times, but I was not meticulous enough, so my patent was stolen by somebody, and I didn’t make much money out of that.


Stolen?


As you know large companies are involved in that kind of practice. They steal some of our creative ideas and then make slightly different inventions on their own. There is nothing we can do no matter how strongly we protest.

At that moment, Hyunwoo thought of his father’s patent. It was an original concept of new fuel. Big oil refineries initially tried to win his father over, but as my father decided to go it alone, and they completely destroyed him. They created a new fuel similar to my father’s idea and then applied for a patent. Hearing Byungwon, Hyunwoo felt he ran into the same misfortune like his father.
Suddenly, Hyunwoo boiled with rage, but Byungwoo didn’t take it seriously as if he thought that was the reality in the field.

Is this the place you mentioned?
asked Byungwon.

Please follow me.

Hyunwoo guided him to the first floor of a very old apartment building, and its owner was a skinny, old man with wrinkled face.
Nobody knew the old man’s name, so they called him just Mr. Kong, and Hyunwoo called him
grandfather.

When Mr. Kong saw Hyunwoo, he called him aloud, tightening his stomach,
Have you bought cigarettes for me?


Yes, sir. Here your cigarettes. Don’t you use hearing aid?
said Hyunwoo loudly.

I don’t like them because I feel kind of stuffy with that. Why did you buy a dozen packs of cigarettes instead of just one?


It’s a bribe for you.


Bribe?

Only then did Kong notice the two persons behind Hyunwoo and slightly stared at him.

Come on in. Did you eat?


Well, I didn’t because I wanted to dine with you.


Shut up! Sit down anyway. Is somebody sick?

Mr. Kong alternately looked Byungwon and his son, who looked very sick. Byungwon quickly pushed his son forward, who stepped back as if he was scared of the old man.
Smiling at him, Mr. Kong held out his wrinkled hand and said,
Why are you so scared as a man? Give me your hands.

He quietly closed his eyes while checking his pulse. Tilting his head a bit, he examined his eyes and tongue carefully.

Done. Get out now.

As soon as he was done examining the patient’s pulse, Mr. Kong immediately mentioned the solution. If he felt he needed to apply acupuncture, he did so on the spot. And if the patient needed any herbal medicine, Mr. Kong offered prescriptions for it, but today, he didn’t offer anything. Obviously, his treatment for the patient was different today.
Hyunwoo asked worriedly,
How about his condition? Can you offer herbal medicine?


I have no idea, dude. As I’m so old, I can’t even feel the pulse.

Hyunwoo thought Mr. Kong was very weird, but there must be some reason why he acted like that, so he didn’t ask further. Instead, he took Byungwon, who was disappointed, and his son outside.

Hey, you stay here. You don’t want to treat me to a meal?


Sure, I will, sir. Please come with us.


Let me treat you sir,
said Byungwon, stopping walking at the moment, but Mr. Kong refused Byungwon’s kind offer.

No thanks. I won’t receive any favor from a stranger. I’m going to have him treat me. You can leave now. Don’t leave your son in the cold. Keep his abdomen warm all the time.


Yes, sir.

Byungwon headed home with his son, and Hyunwoo and Mr. Kong went to their favorite restaurant for dinner.
Hyunwoo then escorted him back to his house, asking him cautiously,
How about the son’s condition?

Only then did Kong open his tightly closed lips,
You can’t cure him with any typical medicine, given his current constitution. He needs some good wild ginseng soup.


Wild ginseng?


Yea, not typical wild ginseng, but top quality wild ginseng.

Hyunwoo didn’t ask the reason because Mr. Kong was a very produent person. If he was not confident in his examination, he never pretended to know anything, and Hyunwoo already knew something about the effect of wild ginseng as he used to be a ginseng digger. Though it remained to be seen if the wild ginseng could be the sure remedy for Mingyu, it would not do any harm to him, to say the least.
In addition, Hyunwoo knew how to get the wild ginseng.

Got it, sir.

Hyunwoo came out of Mr. Kong’s house and began to search his memory.
Where did I notice it? Certainly it was ryukgu chonjongsam wild ginseng. I saw it somewhere in the mountain, thought Hyunwoo.
He went home and found his parents enjoying strawberries while watching TV.

I’m back.


You said you would come earlier, but you’re late. Did you have dinner?


Yes. Oh, strawberries.


Try some. Very delicious.

Hyunwoo sat down with them and had strawberries, but his father’s expression on his face didn’t look good. Greeting him half-heartedly, his father kept watching TV.
At that moment, Hyunwoo said,
Heavens!
and quickly ascertained what’s on TV.
It was as he expected. There was a report about Singyong Company, one of the top five business groups. Singyong was the largest refinery and communications company in the country. In terms of sales and net profits, it was ranked fifth, but it was known as a financially stable company after Osung Company in terms of cash availability and stability.
Its president Munsik Choi was receiving a medal from the president of Korea for making a great contribution to resolve the demand of oil by discovering a huge oil field on the continental shelf of Vietnam.
Hyunwoo’s father was firmly clenching his fist holding a fork.
Hyunwoo found the TV remote control and changed the channel quickly. Though his father barely controlled his anger, his face was quite flushed. His father used to show such reaction whenever there was a report about Singyong on TV, and Hyunwoo was well aware of the reason. If Hyunwoo were in his father’s shoes, he also would not be able to put up with it.
So, his mother didn’t say anything because she knew well no words of hers could comfort him.
Hyunwoo went into his room and locked the door. He sat before the desk, and there was a locked drawer beside the chair. It was his treasure box that he took care of the first thing among the moving stuff.
Hyunwoo let out a long sigh.
Phew! Will I ever have a chance to open it?
Maybe it will be hard, but it is not impossible. Until then, he will not give up nor open the drawer rashly.