Warning:
Due to the apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic setting of this novel, it is filled with violence and gore. Proceed with caution.
For doctors, it was common to have surgeries every day.
Therefore, when he received a call from the director in the middle of the night to ask him to go back to work overtime, Lu Yan had no complaints.
After all, his excellent surgical skills were recognized by the whole hospital since he was young and could perform many surgical procedures. Whenever there was an intractable disease, the director always liked to ask him for help.
However, today’s surgery seemed to be a little different.
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Nw Zyd eked’v pll vbl ryvkldv wdvkz bl ldvlale vbl pwatknyz ralryayvksd assx. Gp qsa obyv pwatlau bl oyp tskdt vs es, bl oyp dsv iwkvl pwal.
Mbkp nzlyazu eke dsv xyjl ydu pldpl.
Rd vbl pwatknyz ralryayvksd assx, Nw Zyd nbydtle kdvs bkp pwatknyz tsod yde zkpvldle vs svbla rlsrzl obkprlakdt.
“Mblal pllxp vs cl y rszzwvksd ekplypl kd vbl nsypvyz yalyp…” Mbl blye dwapl zssjle osaakle. “Omrlavp pyu vbyv vbl rszzwvksd ekplypl kp nywple cu rlsrzl qasx svbla yalyp ewxrkdt dwnzlya-nsdvyxkdyvle oypvl qzwke kdvs vbl Vynkqkn Xnlyd y zsdt vkxl yts. Rv’p y bwxyd tldlvkn ekplypl nywple cu dwnzlya rszzwvksd. Lso, T Ukvu byp clld kd zsnjesod. Wsavwdyvlzu, vbkp ekplypl sdzu snnwap kd nsypvyz yalyp…”
Nw Zyd pyke, “Rv’p dsv sdzu sd vbl nsypv cwv yzps kdzyde. Mbl alypsd kp elqkdkvlzu dsv fwpv dwnzlya rszzwvksd.”
“Gb, bso eke Pa. Nw jdso?”
Nw Zyd nyzxzu pvyvle, “Yu qyvbla kp yzps pwqqlakdt qasx rszzwvksd ekplypl. Xd vbl plnsde eyu yqvla vbl ekpvsavksd1[畸变 xyu yzps alqla vs yclaayvksd, ydsxyzu, sa elhkyvksd.] puxrvsxp yrrlyale, vbl ywvbsakvklp vssj bkx yoyu.”
Nw Zyd pvkzz alxlxclale vbyv kv oyp okdvla. Tkp qyvbla’p blye oyp wdwpwyzzu poszzld, zkjl y qssvcyzz qkzzle okvb oyvla. G pyansxy2[Fyansxy kp y vurl sq nydnla vbyv cltkdp kd vbl csdlp yde kd vbl psqv (yzps nyzzle nsddlnvkhl) vkppwlp (Yyus Uzkdkn, 2020).] qykdvzu alplxczkdt y plnsde qynl talo clbkde bkp blye.
That was the happiest day of his life.
“…Sorry.” The little nurse lowered her head.
Lu Yan comforted her, “It’s okay. I actually don’t care.”
Doctor Li, who was also in the same operating room, looked around and nervously took out his mobile phone.
“My friend is a reporter and was sent to H City. He sent it to me in the middle of the night.”
Lu Yan couldn’t help but look closer.
The video was very shaky. Looking at the angle, it looked like a sneak shot.
The lens was facing the ground. It was night, the street lights were on, and the military explosion-proof shield glowed with cold light. There were faint cries and gunshots in the background.
The lens slowly moved up.
When they clearly saw what was pointed at by the gun, everyone present couldn’t help but take a cold breath.
“That’s… What is that?”
In Lu Yan’s cognition, the distortions caused by pollution disease usually manifested as physical deformities, such as growing tumors, bending bones, abnormal brain development… but at least, they still retained a human shape.
However, it was difficult to tell if the thing in the video was still a person.
Under the dim light, there was a vague figure standing at the entrance of the office building. This thing had no head and tentacles sprouted from its neck. Its whole figure looked like a strangely growing tree.
These tentacles spread all around and a dead person hung at the end of each tentacle. Blood dripped on the marble slab, making a terrible noise.
“—Prepare! Set fire!”
An officer shouted, with an unconcealable fear of the unknown in his voice.
Fierce gunfire sounded and the hail of bullets was dense as if it was raining. These ammunitions pierced the monster’s body and blossoms of blood exploded one after another. Its body was almost blown into mud.
The monster fell to the ground. There was no movement or sound for a long time.
Someone in the video asked, “Is it over…?”
However, the next second, the group of tentacles broke free from the mud and slowly moved forward.
The video was cut off and it was completely dark.
In the surgical preparation room, everyone present fell into a long silence.
“They’re just simply filming, aren’t they? How could there be such a thing.” As if to embolden himself, a resident doctor looked disdainful, “It’s a naked-eye 3D, right? It’s done pretty good.”
“But, what if it’s true? Distorted people have appeared for several years… Although they have a small impact each time, but…”
Doctor Li’s face was pale. He just held his arm and shook his head.
Lu Yan didn’t speak. He had a “Yan”3[This character (言) in his name means ‘words,’ ‘speech,’ and ‘to talk.’] in his name, but he was unexpectedly taciturn.4[寡言 pertains to being reserved or uncommunicative in speech.]
He was putting on acrylic gloves on himself when the door of the preparation room was pushed open again.
The director came in accompanied by three unfamiliar people.
With just a glance, Lu Yan realized one thing: these people must be soldiers.
They had a heavy aura of slaughter on their bodies, had straight backs, and their every move was carved out of the same mold.
The director was always cheerful, like a Maitreya Buddha, but now, his expression was heavy and frightening.
He looked around and sternly said, “These surgical gowns are not enough. Put on Level 3 protective clothing!”
A young resident doctor was taken aback, “Is it so serious? Could it be Ebola?”5[Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a rare and deadly disease in people and nonhuman primates. It can be transmitted through direct contact (Center for Disease, Control and Prevention, n. d.).]
Next to the director, a young man took the lead and said, “Excuse me. I’m Lin Sinan. The patient this time is my team member. He unfortunately suffered from a pollution disease in the process of solving the Pollutants in H City. We hope that his diseased part can be surgically removed. Before that, you need to sign a confidentiality agreement. It is in accordance with the Principle of Complete Autonomy.”
The little nurse timidly asked, “…Is it nuclear pollution?”
Lin Sinan turned his head and gave her a profound look, “No. If possible, I also hope it’s nuclear pollution.”
Many people present seemed to hesitate.
It was a doctor’s bounden duty to treat patients, but if their lives got involved, they had to weigh everything.
Lu Yan asked, “Where should I sign?”
The director wiped the sweat from his forehead and took out the confidentiality documents he had prepared long ago.
Lu Yan took a quick glance. It was nothing more than asking doctors not to disclose the contents of the operation to others, not to take photos, and not to mention it to the public.
He simply signed his name.
In the end, only three doctors —the director, Lu Yan and Doctor Li— and two nurses were left for the operation. There was no anesthesiologist.
In addition to them, there was also a special assistant, Lin Sinan.
It was impossible for outsiders to enter the operating room. It was just that the situation was special, so no one asked much.
The little nurse bitterly complained, “If the patient is not saved, won’t this person pull out a gun and directly shoot us…?”
Lin Sinan was not wearing a military uniform yet his pocket was bulging high, clearly showing the outline of a gun.
The lights in the operating room turned on, but there was no one on the operating table.
A minute later, the two officers pushed a circular metal cabin using a stretcher.
Lu Yan couldn’t help looking at the director.
The director saved countless people in his life. His name had long been in the textbook. However, at this moment, his hand was slightly trembling.
The hatch opened and a cold chill came out.
The patient was carried to the operating table.
The second he saw him, Doctor Li could not hold back, turning his head, and throwing up.
The little nurse’s expression drastically changed and her voice trembled, “This is… What is this?”
The patient’s belly was full of translucent eggs. Under the illumination of the shadowless lamp, the throbbing creatures inside similar to fish were revealed.
The small black fish were swimming happily in the follicles,6[In terms of anatomy, it pertains to a small secretory cavity, sac, or gland.] full of exuberant vitality.
These follicles seemed to have grown from the patient’s body. On the surface of the fish eggs, the supporting skin tissue and the shrivelled fat underneath were visible, densely packed together.
It was similar to a spoonful of caviar.7
The officers numbly tied the patient to the hospital bed, their movements quite proficient.
Lin Sinan stood in the distance, “He was parasitized by Level C Pollutant and has reached the second stage of distortion. The doctor said that perhaps there may be hope for recovery from the removal of the lesion on his body and adjuvant treatment.8[It is a type of treatment applied after initial treatment for cancer, especially to suppress secondary tumor formation.] The situation is urgent and it’s too late to rush back to the central laboratory. I can only ask you. Please rest assured that these fish eggs are just ordinary parasites and will not cause secondary pollution to ordinary people.”
Lu Yan had an excellent trait, that was, calmness. This calmness allowed him to complete a task brilliantly the first time he got a scalpel.
It was similar to this time. After a moment of shock, Lu Yan was the first doctor to start the operation.
This made Lin Sinan couldn’t help but look at him more.
The patient’s breathing was weak. He was obviously in pain.
Whenever a fish egg was cut off, the patient would spasmodically struggle. His face was red and the bloodshot eyes on his eye sockets were clearly discernible.
The picked fish eggs quickly dwindled like sea cucumbers that had been steamed to dryness, shrinking into a small mass.
These fish eggs were thrown into a special treatment box, which was filled with boiling water. High temperature could not kill fish eggs, but it could effectively reduce their activity.
“Why don’t we anaesthetize?” Lu Yan couldn’t help but raise his head and asked, “Although he has been tied, muscle tremor will also hinder surgical field of view.”
Lin Sinan was silent for a moment before saying, “After anaesthesia, he might never have a chance to wake up again.”
The First People’s Hospital was the best hospital in K City and naturally had the best doctors.
After the initial panic, the operation became apparently orderly.
The patient’s bleeding was controlled within an optimistic range.
It was probably because he was concentrating for too long and lost his focus, during the third hour of the operation, Doctor Li accidentally cut his gloves. The dirty water in the fish eggs drenched his hands.
“Help—help!” Doctor Li’s composure collapsed in an instant, “I’m no longer doing this surgery! I resign! Let me go!”
He dropped the scalpel and rushed out the door.
Lin Sinan frowned but did not stop him.
In this state, Doctor Li couldn’t get out of the hospital anyway. He would be pulled to do psychological counselling and pollution testing.
The operation lasted four and a half hours. The last fish egg located in the chest cavity was finally successfully removed.
The director was getting older, with cold sweat on his head, and the moment he put down the scalpel, he couldn’t stop himself from feeling dizzy.
“The operation was very successful…”
The director looked at the patient’s only “family member.”
Lin Sinan’s muscles that had been tense for a few hours were finally relieved and a slight smile appeared on his face.
Lu Yan blinked and looked at the back of the patient’s hand.
Under the skin, there seemed to be something flowing in the blood vessels.
The patient should also be a soldier with extraordinary willpower. He only muttered a few muffled groans during the operation without anaesthesia. In the later part, he no longer moaned in pain. Maybe he was numbed due to pain.
Currently, his fingers were slightly trembling, as if he wanted to attract the doctor’s attention. Unfortunately, the straps tied him firmly and his movements were very light.
Lu Yan looked into his eyes. It was a pair of tearful eyes, full of perseverance and determination.
Was he… asking for help?
Almost subconsciously, Lu Yan’s scalpel cut through the skin tissue on the back of the patient’s hand.
One after another, tiny golden fish eggs gushed out.
Lin Sinan’s complexion changed drastically in an instant.
“Bang—”
The unexpected gunfire sounded deafening.
The nurse huddled, screaming.
Lu Yan had performed many operations, especially in the rescue of some critically ill patients. Of course, he couldn’t guarantee that everyone could get off the operating table alive.
He just never thought that the injured would die like this on the operating table.
Blood splashed on their protective clothing. There was not only blood but also some internal organs. They were too close to avoid them.
The director’s legs softened and he sat on the ground.
Lin Sinan put down his gun, his tone was full of apologies, “Sorry. There was an error in my judgment. He has entered the third stage. This pollution is unavoidable. We can only eliminate the Pollutant in advance. Tomorrow, someone will contact you to provide compensation.”
Lu Yan still stared at the corpse on the operating table, seemingly unresponsive.
Meanwhile, Lin Sinan’s teammates stepped forward in silence and began to carry the patient’s body. It would not be sent to the morgue. It had to be put in a protective cabin and then cremated at high temperature.
“I’m very sorry for letting everyone see such a scene.”
Lin Sinan bowed one last time and exited the operating room.
The people who were left looked at each other.
The director dared not take off his protective clothing, even if he had been smothered in a layer of sweat. He said with difficulty, “I will give everyone a three-day off. You should all go home… Have a good rest.”
The little nurse’s hand still couldn’t help trembling. She wiped the fog on his eye shield, “Director, is the pollution disease really a disease?”
The director smiled bitterly, “I don’t know. It’s just that I’ve heard that those in the Research Institute call this… evolution. Evolution is bound to go hand in hand with extinction. Without extinction, new species will not get a niche gap.”9[This translator has shallow knowledge regarding biological evolution. According to Conway (2019), a niche can be broadly defined as the biotic and abiotic conditions required for a species to persist. A niche gap, I assume, is an evolutionary point or event where new species come into existence. Please, correct me if I’m wrong.]
“You should be prepared.” He refused to say more.
Lu Yan went to the locker room and turned on the faucet in front of the mirror.
He should wash his hands after the operation. The water was running but his hands were clenched into fists.
Lu Yan looked at himself in the mirror.
It was a calm, indifferent face. Without joy, there would be no panic and fear.
No one knew what he was thinking and naturally, no one noticed what he did at the end of the operation.
He turned off the faucet, put his hands in his pockets, and relinquished his grip.
At that moment, a mechanical sound clearly sounded in Lu Yan’s mind—
[Congratulations to Host for awakening the ability— All-Knowing.]
[Congratulations to Host for obtaining the item: Kingfish Small Egg (Unhatched, Level E)]
The author has something to say:
The setting is made up and purely fictitious, please do not substitute it into reality.10[T/N: Any real-life similarities are coincidental.]
Already hooked! Count me in on this translation as well! Thanks for your hard work translating!
Yayyy! You’re also here! Please, accompany me on this new translation journey.
The summary was an instant click for me and I was pleasantly surprised to see your name associated with it! ^_^
😍💕
I can’t wait for this to continue I was hooked just from the summary. I love it already thank you for translating.🥰💘
Welcome aboard!
This chapter was really intriguing. I look forward to reading this novel. Thank you for the translation.
Awesome 😎👍