Chemistry

16. Chemical Intelligence(6)

The room was eerily silent.

The eyes of the pharmaceutical company representatives were focused on the attending physician diagnosing Nam Gung-gil’s condition.

Despite the efforts of internists and diagnosticians from a large hospital, no one could predict the future anymore, given the patient’s constantly changing symptoms without any signs of improvement.

“Which medication is causing this?”

“Is it even important? There are hardly any companies left, and it doesn’t seem like the patient’s side effects will stop here.”

Listening to the conversation among the representatives, Jeong-woo briefly glanced towards JK Bio.

Chemical compounds that could calm the body down were discovered in the opponent’s product, somewhat consistent with the sedative effect of ‘AF-12’.

“This is getting more ambiguous.”

At this rate, it was difficult to determine which medication was the cause. Jeong-woo cautiously brought up what he had just seen to Dr. Moon.

“What do you think?”

“It seems to be from the sedative category. If the drug had an effect, it could explain the loss of consciousness at an anesthetic level, but it’s not enough to dispel suspicions about ‘AF-12’. However…”

Dr. Moon, with a contemplative expression, watched Jeong-woo for a moment before asking him.

“Can you develop a targeted compound to neutralize the ingredients of JK Bio’s medication?”

“It might be a bit complicated, but it’s possible, although it will take some time.”

“Make it as soon as possible.”

It was the first time she had asked for something in this manner, so Jeong-woo nodded and left the hospital room.

Song Boyeong was tidying up the cleanroom when she noticed a man with a cabbage-like head waving at her through the glass window.

“Mr. Seong-hwan.”

“Senior Boyeong?”

Cho Seong-hwan opened the door and peeked inside.

“Why are you here alone? What about Jeong-woo?”

“He made the inhibitor in a snap and disappeared. I’m just cleaning up.”

“You should’ve called me. As the youngest in the center, it’s my duty.”

Stepping briskly inside, Cho Seong-hwan started assisting Song Boyeong.

“Judging by the mess here, I guess Mr. Jeong-woo was busy again, huh?”

“Yeah. He was so fast with measurements and everything, I couldn’t even assist properly.”

Cho Seong-hwan chuckled knowingly, even without looking, as if it was obvious.

“When he’s fully focused, you can’t keep up with him. You should’ve seen him working at the Fragrance Center. Such a master. Well, he’s at the level where he should be out there doing something like this.”

“Right.”

Turning her head, Song Boyeong glanced at the test tubes on the shelf.

“Mr. Seong-hwan, you worked on research with Mr. Jeong-woo for three weeks, right?”

“Yep~ I was the first member of his team.”

“How was it back then? Wasn’t it difficult to keep up with Mr. Jeong-woo’s level?”

There was a slight hint of concern on Song Boyeong’s face as she asked.

“It was tough, indeed. But…”

A grin spread across Cho Seong-hwan’s lips as he reminisced about a few months ago.

“Coming to KG Chemicals and working with him was probably the most rewarding time for me. I didn’t even know research could be so fun.”

“Fun? Even though you couldn’t keep up with everything and it was so hectic?”

From afar, she had seen and heard a lot. But properly observing Jeong-woo’s work was overwhelming to the point where just assisting felt burdensome.

She had hoped to feel the same romanticism about chemistry when she first joined KG Chemicals. Gradually growing, she had even inflated her hopes to one day research with the same curiosity as Cheon Seung-guk.

However, now, after some time had passed, she keenly felt an invisible barrier.

At the center of it all was him, whom she had even given up on considering a rival.

She couldn’t help but feel resentful towards the heavens that had bestowed such talent upon him. Even though she despised his actions, she couldn’t help but wonder why her heart raced every time she bumped into him, even after a month passed.

Achievement and skill. Days spent diligently striving to become the best chemist now seemed pale in comparison, as everything seemed so effortlessly easy when she looked at him.

“Han Jeong-woo, you really…”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“Oh my god!”

Startled by the sudden voice, Song Boyeong turned her head.

“You almost gave me a heart attack.”

Receiving her gaze, Jeong-woo looked puzzled.

“Now that I think about it, you usually scream for god when scared.”

“Should I curse then? What’s with the romanticism? After meeting Dr. Moon, you can’t stop joking, Jeong-woo.”

Surprised by the chilly muttering, Jeong-woo asked.

“Why the sudden low mood? Your eyes seem fine, so you don’t seem sleepy.”

“Never mind that. Is Nam Gung-gil’s situation over? Why are you here so soon?”

Jeong-woo opened the door of the freezer facility and took out a box as he replied.

“The situation ended in the direction of him passing out.”

Song Boyeong’s eyes widened. Meanwhile, Jeong-woo opened the compound warehouse door.

“But what are you going to do, Jeong-woo?”

“I’m going to make a compound that removes the nerve stabilizing ingredient. The process of flipping the benzodiazepine ingredient is complex, but once you disconnect the nitrogen binding loop, the rest is simple.”

As Jeong-woo began to work, calmly explaining with his mouth, Song Boyeong, who had been silently observing him, nudged him.

“Why do you explain so kindly when you’re going to do everything alone? It confuses people.”

“I’m not going to do it alone.”

Handing Song Boyeong two beakers, Jeong-woo said.

“I’ll need your help for personal research in the future. And have you decided where we’ll participate in the main pharmaceutical bio project?”

“I haven’t…”

“Hurry up.”

As Jeong-woo walked towards the warehouse, Song Boyeong cast a dazed look at his back, feeling her heart pounding at the words “I’ll need your help.”

“Snap out of it. What romance is there in the research lab?”

“What…? What did you say?”

“Nothing, go! Go!”

3 PM.

In one side of the VIP area corridor, Harvey Park, who had gathered the legal team of the pharmaceutical company, continued to press confidently.

“…It may be acknowledged that consent forms were signed by my client while explaining the side effects of the new drug. However, there was no mention of any life-threatening risks in the consent forms themselves, such as those experienced today. If he knew, he wouldn’t have volunteered for the clinical trials.”

Harvey Park shook the actual contract Nam Gung-gil had signed.

“Shall we delve deeper? Some places simply handed out 10-page printouts and didn’t properly explain the side effects. And in some cases, they even received signatures where participants are solely responsible for the risks, even if side effects occur, in exchange for more money. This clearly cannot be seen as fulfilling the obligation to explain the side effects of the new drug. Since you’ve dealt with similar precedents, you should know.”

Already prepared with a scenario for winning the lawsuit, Harvey Park’s words left the legal team lawyers swallowing their groans.

“Well, what do you say? Would you like to go to the Supreme Court?”

Once the courtroom battle begins, sales are delayed. Moreover, if exposed in the media, the negative image accumulates, causing significant losses. Therefore, the pharmaceutical company’s lawyers couldn’t ignore the possibility of reaching a settlement.

“We’ll give you one hour. Please discuss it and let us know.”

As Harvey Park disappeared down the corridor, the remaining lawyers nodded their heads.

“After hearing the diagnosis process, it was clear that it wasn’t just the medication that was the issue.”

“Yes, dragging it out together and sharing the cost of settlement seems to be the best option.”

“Come to think of it, what’s KG Chemicals playing at? Their legal team didn’t show up.”

“If they don’t show up to the end, let’s exclude KG Chemicals and consider a settlement.”

Ding dong.

Jeong-woo, holding a small vial in his hand, stepped out of the elevator. Passing through the hallway, he opened the door to the VIP room and gestured to Dr. Moon that it was complete.

Dr. Moon immediately approached Hee-cheol.

“Senior.”

“Oh, Chae-eun.”

“It’s about Nam Gung-gil’s symptoms. Instead of looking at them separately, how about diagnosing them all together?”

“With dozens of confirmed symptoms, where in the world would we find a comprehensive condition like this? It’s as ever-changing as if someone were administering medication in real-time.”

“I agree with you.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m saying… Huh? What?”

“What if some of the medications the patient has been taking weren’t properly absorbed and accumulated somewhere in the body, only to gradually leak out one by one?”

Hee-cheol looked at Dr. Moon in a moment of realization.

“You mean, instead of individual symptoms, look at the whole picture? If there’s only one disease that can store drug components in the body, then the puzzle fits.”

Dr. Moon smiled faintly. Hee-cheol shook his head, seeing that Dr. Moon had already realized this.

“Chae-eun, you’ve helped me a lot by putting up with your lacking senior.”

“Let’s start with the examination.”

“Of course. Oh, by the way, even if we find the disease, we still don’t know the cause of the patient lying there. It’s not like JK Bio has opened their mouth.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

Hee-cheol, looking at Jeong-woo standing by the door, asked in disbelief.

“Jeong-woo, did you make another custom detoxifier? You guys are really something else. I’m starting to get scared.”

4 PM.

Gathering in front of the VIP room, Harvey Park looked around at the legal teams of pharmaceutical companies with a satisfied expression.

From the atmosphere, it seemed that an agreement was imminent. With five companies involved, they could also pocket hefty legal fees.

“Have you made a decision?”

A lawyer from Jongwoong Pharmaceutical approached with the question.

“Jongwoong Pharmaceutical, Celltree, Jeongmi Pharmaceuticals, and JK Bio have agreed to settle jointly. Since I’ll be representing us in matters related to adjustments, I hope you can propose reasonable terms.”

“Sounds good. But there are only four companies. Are you planning to negotiate separately with the one that’s missing?”

“I don’t know. Their legal team hasn’t shown up.”

With a chuckle, Harvey Park entered the hospital room.

Although it seemed like a disadvantage to be missing, it could actually work out well. By setting a precedent with a lawsuit and causing damage, they could negotiate more favorable terms with the other companies.

“KG Chemicals. Where are they?”

“Huh? Us?”

A lone young researcher greeted Harvey Park as the senior seemed to be missing. Remembering the young man who had brought the strange medication earlier made him uneasy.

“Since your legal team hasn’t shown up, may I ask what your plan is?”

“Oh, that. I think I can tell you once we have the biopsy results.”

“Biopsy?”

“Dr. Moon said we need to confirm if Nam Gung-gil’s symptoms are due to medication.”

“What on earth are you talking about? Isn’t it obvious that it’s because of the medication? Your name is…”

Glancing at the young man’s name tag, Harvey spoke.

“Han Jeong-woo. Do you realize how serious this is? Once we initiate a lawsuit, it’s irreversible, and the development will be suspended by the Clinical Trials Management Committee. Don’t you understand that throwing a few bucks now actually saves money? And shouldn’t someone at your level be here for something like this?”

Jeong-woo listened quietly, then excused himself as his phone rang, holding it to his ear.

“Yes, Dr. Moon. Oh, really? It wasn’t our fault after all. Okay, then. I’ll just tidy up and head down.”

Hearing snippets of the conversation, Harvey furrowed his brow and asked.

“The situation is over? So, you’re not going to agree to the settlement?”

Jeong-woo pulled out a small vial from his pocket and looked back at Harvey Park.

“At this moment, Dr. Lee Hee-cheol is coming up from the analysis room with the test results, and he’ll do the confirmation announcement. I don’t think I need to explain separately.”

Upon Jeong-woo’s words, the nearby staff members, who had been waiting for the patient to wake up, became restless. Amidst the commotion, someone asked.

“What’s the cause? Is it because of the medication?”

“Yes, it’s because of the medication. 100% certain.”

Disappointment filled the faces of the company representatives. With the investigation period overlapping with the investigation of various interactions between drugs, along with the side effects, it was inevitable that there would be delays in the release of the new drug.

“Hey.”

Harvey Park’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“100% certain? Are you kidding me? As soon as we receive data from the FDA, we’ll hold the customer responsible for making such a claim and file a lawsuit…”

“Mr. Lawyer.”

“What?”

“You’re working really hard for Mr. Nam Gung-gil.”

Suddenly receiving praise from his counterpart, Harvey Park’s expression turned to one of confusion.

Jeong-woo spoke as it couldn’t be helped.

“I may not have insights into lawsuits, but I think I should explain for you to prepare.”

“What do you mean by prepare?”

“When the results come out, they won’t agree to a settlement. So, you need to somehow get the VIP room fees.”

As unexpected words flowed from Jeong-woo, the company officials murmured with a hint of anticipation.

Harvey Park became wary. From his aggressive approach to now caring about him and even giving him advice on handling the situation, Jeongwoo’s skill in manipulating people seemed like that of a seasoned lawyer.

“What’s going on? Alright, why don’t you explain it to me.”

“Do you know what Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is?”

“Do I need to know?”

“If you don’t, I’ll explain. It’s a disease that causes refractory ulcers in places like the stomach, pancreas, and duodenum. It affects about six out of a hundred thousand people. Mr. Nam Gung-gil is one of those six.”

Upon hearing this, the attending physician, Cho Sang-wook, seemed to realize something.

“So, it’s a rare disease that causes ulcers to develop and heal repeatedly, leaving traces of the medication he’s been taking in the tissues. This weakened immune system, which reacts intensely even to substances that would normally not elicit a response, created the condition in his body. Well, that was Dr. Moon’s explanation.”

“Unbelievable. You’re saying it coincided with such a rare disease?”

“Chemically, it’s not a coincidence.”

Jeong-woo’s gaze shifted towards Nam Gung-gil lying on the bed. Then, he showed the vial in his hand.

“This contains a substance that neutralizes the nerve stabilizer from JK Bio.”

The eyes of the JK Bio representatives widened. Harvey Park raised a cautionary hand.

“Don’t administer it recklessly.”

“No need to worry. Our sensitive clinical trials specialist seems to have a body that reacts even to the slightest smell. I didn’t administer anything.”

As Jeong-woo spoke, Nam Gung-gil, who had been lying still as if dead, suddenly opened his eyes.

“What? Why am I like this?”

Yawning and wiping saliva, Nam Gung-gil seemed far from being able to get up. Harvey Park, who had thought he wouldn’t even get up if slapped, felt cold sweat dripping from his forehead as Nam Gung-gil woke up as if nothing had happened.

Even if he raised the stakes or played his cards, it wouldn’t be to this extent. At this point, he wasn’t dealing with a customer but an enemy.

After closing the vial, Jeong-woo handed it to Harvey Park.

“Since you like the FDA so much, why don’t you request an examination of this too? If you happen to find any unexpected side effects, feel free to file a lawsuit. I’m not versed in law, but I know chemistry well enough to say that you’ll have a hard time finding anything. I have to stop by the center before 5 o’clock. That’s all.”

As Jeong-woo confidently left the VIP room, Harvey Park couldn’t utter a word.