Gone Wrong

For a doctor, working around the clock and performing surgeries continuously is a common occurrence.

Therefore, when Dr. Lu Yan received a call from the chief in the middle of the night asking him to return for an extra shift, he had no objections.

After all, his surgical skills were recognized as the best in the hospital. Being young, he was also adept at many new surgical techniques. Whenever there was a challenging case, the chief always preferred to have him lend a hand.

But today's surgery seemed different.

Even after entering the preoperative preparation room, Lu Yan did not see the patient. He wasn't even clear about the type of surgery he was supposed to perform.

This was evidently unusual.

In the preoperative preparation room, as Lu Yan changed into his surgical attire, he overheard others whispering.

"It seems that the coastal area is experiencing another outbreak of the pollution disease…" The head nurse looked worried. "Experts say pollution disease is caused by the nuclear waste dumped into the Pacific Ocean by Dongdao Island last century, resulting in genetic diseases due to nuclear contamination. Now, H City is already under lockdown. Fortunately, this disease only appears in coastal areas…"

Lu Yan said, "It's not just the coastal areas; it has also appeared inland. The cause is definitely not only nuclear pollution."

"How does Dr. Lu know this?"

Lu Yan calmly explained, "My father also contracted the pollution disease. The day after the deformities appeared, the authorities took him away."

Lu Yan still remembered that winter. His father's head had swollen abnormally, resembling a water-inflated football. A tumor grew on the back of his head, vaguely showing a second face.

It was the happiest day of his life.

"...I'm sorry." The young nurse lowered her head.

Lu Yan reassured her, "It's okay. I don't mind."

Dr. Li, who was in the same operating room, nervously took out his phone.

"My friend is a journalist and was sent to H City. He sent me this video late last night."

Lu Yan couldn't resist peeking at the screen.

The video footage was shaky, seemingly shot secretly.

The camera was pointed at the ground. It was night, the streetlights were on, and military riot shields reflected a cold light. There were faint sounds of crying and gunshots in the background.

The camera slowly moved upwards.

When the figure being pointed at by the gun was clearly visible, everyone in the room gasped.

"What is that… thing?"

In Lu Yan's understanding, pollution disease usually results in physical deformities, such as tumors, bent bones, or abnormal brain development... But at least the patient retained a human shape.

However, it was hard to tell if the being in the video was still human.

In the dim light, a vaguely human-shaped figure stood at the office building's entrance. This being had no head, with tentacles spraying out from its neck, making it look like a strangely growing tree.

These tentacles extended in all directions, with a dead body hanging from each one. Blood dripped onto the marble floor, making a horrifying sizzling sound.

"—Prepare! Fire at will!"

A commanding officer shouted, his voice betraying an undisguised fear of the unknown.

Intense gunfire sounded, bullets raining down like a storm.

The ammunition pierced the monster's body, causing blood to bloom like flowers. Its body was almost blasted into a pulp.

The creature fell to the ground and remained motionless for a long time.

"Is it over…?" someone asked in the video.

But the next second, the mass of tentacles struggled free from the pulp and slowly moved forward.

The video cut off, plunging into darkness.

In the preoperative preparation room, everyone fell into a prolonged silence.

"This must be a movie, right? There's no way such a thing exists." A resident doctor tried to bolster his courage, his expression disdainful. "It must be naked-eye 3D, done pretty well."

"But what if it's real? Deformed humans have been appearing for several years now… Although the impact has been limited each time…"

Dr. Li's face turned pale, hugging his arms and shaking his head continuously.

…

Lu Yan remained silent. Despite having the word "Yan" (speech) in his name, he was surprisingly reticent.

As he donned his acrylic gloves, the door to the preparation room was pushed open again.

The chief entered, accompanied by three strangers.

With just a glance, Lu Yan realized that these people were undoubtedly military personnel.

They exuded a strong sense of ferocity, their postures straight, every movement disciplined and uniform.

The chief, who usually wore a cheerful smile like a Maitreya Buddha, now had an expression of grave seriousness.

He scanned the room and sternly said, "There aren't enough surgical gowns. Put on the Level 3 protective suits as well!"

A young resident doctor was taken aback, "Is it that serious? Could it be Ebola?"

A young man beside the chief stepped forward, "Excuse me. I am Lin Sinan. The patient this time is one of my team members. He contracted the pollution disease while dealing with pollutants in H City. We hope to surgically remove the affected area. But before that, we need everyone to sign a confidentiality agreement. This is completely voluntary."

A young nurse timidly asked, "...Is it nuclear pollution?"

Lin Sinan turned and gave her a deep look, "No. If it were possible, I would also wish it were just nuclear pollution."

Many people present hesitated.

Treating patients is a doctor's duty, but if it means risking their own lives, they naturally have to think twice.

Lu Yan asked, "Where do I sign?"

The chief wiped the sweat from his forehead and produced a prepared confidentiality agreement.

Lu Yan quickly scanned it. The document essentially required doctors not to disclose the surgery details to anyone, not to take photos or videos, and not to spread information publicly.

He signed his name without hesitation.

In the end, the surgery team consisted of three doctors: the chief, Lu Yan, and Dr. Li, along with two nurses. There was no anesthesiologist.

Additionally, there was a special assistant—Lin Sinan.

Normally, no outsiders would be allowed in the operating room. But given the special circumstances, no one questioned it.

The young nurse joked bitterly, "If we fail to save the patient, will this guy just shoot us on the spot…?"

Lin Sinan wasn't wearing a military uniform, but the bulge in his pocket clearly outlined a gun.

The operating room lights were on, but the surgical table was empty.

A minute later, two officers brought in a round metal pod on a stretcher.

Lu Yan glanced at the chief.

The chief, who had saved countless lives and had his name etched in textbooks, was trembling slightly.

The pod opened, releasing a blast of cold air.

The patient was placed on the surgical bed.

At first sight, Dr. Li turned his head and vomited.

The young nurse's face changed dramatically, her voice trembling, "What is… this?"

The patient's abdomen was covered with translucent eggs, illuminated by the surgical light, revealing tiny creatures inside, resembling fish.

Black fry swam joyfully inside the eggs, full of vitality.

These eggs seemed to grow from the patient's body. The skin and tissue supporting the eggs were visible, as well as the shriveled fat beneath them, packed tightly together.

It looked like a spoonful of caviar, Lu Yan thought.

The officers swiftly strapped the patient to the surgical bed with practiced efficiency.

Lin Sinan stood at a distance, "He is parasitized by a Class C pollutant and has reached the second stage of mutation. The doctor believes there's hope for recovery if the affected areas are surgically removed and followed by supportive treatment. Time is urgent, and we couldn't return to the central lab in time, so we have to rely on you. Rest assured, these fish eggs are ordinary parasites and won't cause secondary contamination to people."

Lu Yan had a commendable trait—calmness. This calmness allowed him to excel the first time he held a scalpel.

Now, after a brief shock, he was the first to start the surgery.

This caught Lin Sinan's attention, making him look at Lu Yan twice.

The patient's breathing was shallow, clearly in pain.

Each time an egg was cut off, the patient would convulse, his face turning red, and blood vessels visible on the eggs.

The removed eggs quickly shriveled, like dried sea cucumbers, shrinking into small clumps.

These eggs were disposed of in a special container filled with boiling water. The high temperature couldn't kill the eggs but effectively reduced their activity.

"Why not use anesthesia?" Lu Yan couldn't help but ask, "Even though he's secured, muscle spasms could obstruct the surgery."

After a brief silence, Lin Sinan replied, "If we use anesthesia, he might never wake up again."

The First People's Hospital was the best in K City, naturally boasting the best doctors.

After overcoming the initial chaos, the surgery proceeded in an orderly manner.

The patient's bleeding was kept within an optimistic range.

Perhaps due to prolonged concentration, Dr. Li, a bit dazed during the third hour of the surgery, accidentally cut through his glove. The contaminated fluid from the eggs soaked his hand.

"Help—help!" Dr. Li's mental state collapsed instantly, "I'm quitting! Let me out!"

He dropped the scalpel and ran out of the room.

Lin Sinan frowned but didn't stop him.

In this state, Dr. Li wouldn't get far, as he would be taken for psychological counseling and contamination screening.

The surgery lasted four and a half hours. The last egg in the chest cavity was finally removed.

The chief, an elderly man, was drenched in sweat and felt dizzy the moment he put down the scalpel.

"The surgery was a success…"

The chief looked at the patient's sole "relative."

Lin Sinan, who had been tense for hours, finally relaxed, a faint smile appearing on his face.

Lu Yan blinked and looked at the patient's hand.

Something seemed to be moving under the skin, within the blood vessels.

The patient was evidently a remarkably resilient soldier, enduring the surgery without anesthesia with only a few groans. By the end, he didn't even make a sound, perhaps numbed by the pain.

Now, his fingers twitched slightly, trying to catch the doctors' attention. Unfortunately, he was bound tightly, making his movements barely noticeable.

Lu Yan looked into his eyes—eyes filled with tears, unwillingness, and resolve.

Was he… seeking help?

Almost instinctively, Lu Yan's scalpel cut into the skin of the patient's hand.

Tiny golden eggs spewed out.

Lin Sinan's expression changed dramatically.

"Bang—"

A deafening gunshot rang out.

The nurse screamed, huddling together.

Lu Yan has performed many surgeries, especially on critically ill patients. He couldn't always ensure every patient survived the operating table.

But he had never imagined a patient dying this way on the operating table.

Blood splattered on his protective suit, along with some internal organs. The proximity made it unavoidable.

The chief's legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.

Lin Sinan holstered his gun, his tone apologetic, "I'm sorry. My judgment was wrong. He had already entered the third stage, making contamination unavoidable. We had to remove the pollutant prematurely. Specialized personnel will contact you tomorrow for compensation."

Lu Yan stared blankly at the body on the operating table, seemingly uncomprehending.

Meanwhile, Lin Sinan's teammates silently moved forward to transport the body. It wouldn't go to the morgue; it would be placed in a protective pod and incinerated at high temperatures.

"I apologize for making everyone witness such a scene."

Lin Sinan bowed and left the operating room.

The remaining individuals looked at each other.

The chief, drenched in sweat, didn't dare remove his protective suit.

His mouth tasted bitter as he said, "I'm giving everyone three days off. Go home and… rest well."

The young nurse's hands still trembled uncontrollably. She wiped the fog off her goggles: "Chief, is pollution disease truly a disease?" Lu Yan asked.

The chief forced a bitter smile. "I don't know. But I've heard that researchers call this… evolution. And evolution inevitably goes hand in hand with extinction. Without extinction, new species won't get the ecological vacancies."

"Take care of yourself," he said, unwilling to elaborate further.

Lu Yan headed to the locker room and turned on the faucet in front of the mirror.

After surgery, hands should be washed. Water flowed over his hands, yet he kept them clenched into fists.

Lu Yan looked at his reflection in the mirror.

It was a calm, indifferent face. Without joy, there was naturally no panic or fear.

No one knew what he was thinking, and naturally, no one noticed what he had done at the end of the surgery.

He turned off the faucet and put his hands into his pockets, releasing his grip.

At that moment, a clear mechanical voice sounded in Lu Yan's mind—

[Congratulations, Host, for awakening the talent of omniscience.]

[Congratulations, Host, for obtaining an item: Kingfish Egg (Unhatched, Grade E).]