For a doctor, working endless surgeri&es every day was common. So, when Lu Yan received a call from the head surgeon at midnight asking him to come in for an extra shift, he didn't object. After all, his surgical skills were widely acknowledged at the hospital due to his youth and proficiency in various new procedures. Whenever there were complex cases, the head surgeon often sought his assistance.
But today's surgery seemed different.
Until Lu Yan entered the operating preparation room, he hadn't seen the patient. He wasn't entirely clear about what surgery he was supposed to perform either. This was clearly unusual.
In the prep room, while changing into surgical attire, Lu Yan overheard hushed conversations among others.
"It seems there's a new outbreak of contamination in the coastal areas," the head nurse expressed with concern. "Experts claim it's a genetic illness caused by nuclear waste dumped into the Pacific by an Eastern island in the last century. H City is under lockdown now. Fortunately, this illness is only appearing in coastal regions..."
"It's not just the coast; it's inland too. The cause definitely isn't solely nuclear contamination," Lu Yan remarked calmly.
"Oh, how does Dr. Lu know?"
"My father was also afflicted with this contamination disease. He was taken away by the authorities on the second day when the deformities began to show."
Lu Yan still remembered it was winter. His father's head had inexplicably swollen, resembling an inflated soccer ball. A second face faintly emerged on the tumor growing from the back of his head.
It was the happiest day of his life.
"...I'm sorry," the young nurse lowered her head.
"It's okay. I don't mind," Lu Yan reassured her.
Dr. Li, also in the same operating room, nervously pulled out his phone. "My friend is a journalist, and he's just been dispatched to H City. This is what he sent me in the middle of the night."
Unable to resist his curiosity, Lu Yan leaned in to watch the video.
The footage was shaky, seemingly taken covertly. It showed a scene at night with streetlights illuminating military anti-explosive shields, distant cries, and gunfire.
As the camera panned, everyone present involuntarily gasped when the object being aimed at became visible.
"What is that thing?"
As per Lu Yan's knowledge, deformities caused by contamination usually manifested as bodily distortions such as tumors, bent bones, abnormal brain development, but they still retained a human form, to some extent.
However, the thing in the video was hard to identify as human. In the dim light, a vaguely humanoid figure stood at the entrance of an office building, lacking a head. Tentacles sprouted from its neck, resembling a peculiarly growing tree. These tendrils extended around, each tip bearing a deceased person. Blood dripped onto the marble floor, emitting a dreadful sizzle.
"Ready! Focus fire!"
A military officer shouted, his voice barely masking fear of the unknown.
Intense gunfire erupted, bullets raining down like a storm. The creature's body was riddled, nearly turning it into a pulp.
The monster collapsed, seemingly lifeless for a long moment.
"Is it over...?" someone in the video asked.
But the next second, the mass of tentacles broke free from the muck, slowly inching forward.
The video abruptly cut to black.
In the operating preparation room, a profound silence enveloped everyone.
"Is this some kind of filming? How can such a thing exist?" A resident doctor dismissed it, perhaps to bolster his own courage. "Maybe it's 3D without glasses, well done."
"But what if it's real? Deformed individuals have been appearing for years... even though it hasn't had much impact every time..." Dr. Li's complexion turned pale as he shook his head repeatedly.
Lu Yan remained silent. Despite the word "speech" in his name, he was unexpectedly taciturn.
He was donning nitrile gloves as the door to the prep room was pushed open again.
The head surgeon entered with three unfamiliar individuals.
With just a glance, Lu Yan realized: these people were definitely military.
They exuded a heavy aura, standing rigidly, almost like they were sculpted from the same mold.
The head surgeon, usually cheerful like a Buddha, now wore a grave expression that was frightening.
Surveying the room, he spoke sternly, "Surgical gowns aren't enough; put on Level 3 protective suits!"
The young resident doctor hesitated, "Is it this serious? Could it be Ebola?"
Beside the head surgeon, a young man stepped forward, "Apologies for the interruption. I am Lin Sinan. The patient this time is a member of my team. He contracted the contamination disease while dealing with pollutants in H City. We hope to surgically remove the affected area before proceeding. Before that, we need everyone to sign a confidentiality agreement. Based on complete voluntariness."
The timid young nurse asked, "Is it nuclear contamination?"
Lin Sinan turned and gazed deeply at him, "No. If only it were. If possible, I wish it were nuclear contamination."
Many present seemed hesitant.
Treating patients was a doctor's duty, but when it might endanger oneself, it required serious consideration.
"Where do we sign?" Lu Yan inquired.
Wiping sweat from his forehead, the head surgeon produced prepared confidentiality documents.
Lu Yan quickly scanned through the content. It mostly demanded that doctors refrain from disclosing the surgery's details, refraining from capturing images or filming, and strictly avoiding any public disclosure.
He promptly signed his name.
Ultimately, three doctors remained for the surgery— the head surgeon, Lu Yan, and Dr. Li. Two nurses. No anesthesiologist.
Additionally, there was a special assistant—Lin Sinan.
Typically, outsiders were not allowed in the operating room. However, given the circumstances, no one questioned it much.
The young nurse jested with a hint of nervousness, "If the patient isn't saved, will this guy just pull out a gun and finish us off...?"
Lin Sinan wasn't dressed in military attire, but the outline of a gun bulged in his pocket.
Though the operating room was well-lit, the operating table remained vacant.
A minute later, two officers wheeled in a round metal capsule on a stretcher.
Lu Yan couldn't help but glance at the head surgeon.
Throughout his life, the head surgeon had saved numerous lives and was a figure in medical textbooks. Yet, at this moment, his hands trembled slightly.
As the capsule door opened, a chilling gust swept out.
The patient was lifted onto the operating table.
At the first sight, Dr. Li couldn't hold back and turned away, retching.
The young nurse's expression changed drastically, her voice trembling, "What is this?"
The patient's abdomen was covered in translucent eggs. Illuminated by the surgical light, these eggs revealed lively creatures inside, resembling fish.
Black juvenile fish swam joyfully within the eggs, brimming with vitality.
These eggs seemed to have grown out from the patient's body. The surface of the fish eggs even showed stretched skin tissue, beneath which lay shriveled fat, all densely packed together.
Like a spoonful of caviar.
Lu Yan thought to himself.
The military officers swiftly secured the patient to the bed, their movements practiced.
Lin Sinan stood at a distance, "He's parasitized by a Class C contaminant. He's reached the second stage of deformity. The doctor said, perhaps excising the lesions on his body, with auxiliary treatment, might offer hope for recovery. It's an urgent situation, and there's no time to return to the central lab. We're entrusting this to you. Please rest assured, these fish eggs are just ordinary parasites and won't cause secondary contamination to normal individuals."
Lu Yan possessed a valuable trait — his composure. This calmness enabled him to perform exceptionally when he first held the scalpel.
Now, after a momentary shock, Lu Yan was the first doctor to immerse himself in the surgery.
This action made Lin Sinan glance at him more than once.
The patient's breathing was faint. Clearly, there was also pain.
The moment each fish egg was excised, the patient convulsed as if in struggle, their face flushing red, the blood vessels on the egg sac distinctly visible. The removed fish eggs rapidly shriveled, resembling dehydrated sea cucumbers, shrinking into small masses.
These fish eggs were collectively tossed into a specialized processing box filled with boiling water. High temperatures couldn't kill the eggs but effectively reduced their activity.
"Why not administer anesthesia?" Lu Yan couldn't help but inquire. "Even though the patient is immobilized, muscle spasms could hinder the surgical field."
Lin Sinan fell silent for a moment before replying, "Administering anesthesia might mean never waking up again."
The First People's Hospital was the best in H City, naturally boasting the finest doctors. Once the initial chaos passed, the surgery proceeded methodically.
The patient's bleeding was kept within an optimistic range. Yet, after prolonged focus, in the third hour of surgery, Dr. Li accidentally cut his glove, dousing his hands in dirty water from the fish eggs.
"Help—Help!" Dr. Li's composure shattered instantly. "I won't perform the surgery! I quit! Let me go!"
He abandoned the scalpel and rushed out.
Lin Sinan furrowed his brow but made no attempt to stop him. In this state, Dr. Li wouldn't be able to leave the hospital; he'd undergo psychological counseling and contamination checks.
The surgery persisted for four and a half hours. Finally, the last fish egg in the patient's chest cavity was successfully excised.
The department head, sweating profusely due to age, felt dizzy the moment he set down the scalpel.
"The surgery was successful..." The department head looked toward the patient's sole "relative."
Lin Sinan's muscles, taut for hours, finally relaxed, a faint smile gracing his face.
Lu Yan blinked, looking at the back of the patient's hand. Under the skin, something seemed to flow through the veins.
The patient must have been an extraordinarily resolute soldier. Enduring surgery without anesthesia resulted in mere muted grunts. Towards the end, there weren't even those. Perhaps the pain had numbed him.
Now, his fingers twitched slightly, seemingly attempting to catch the doctor's attention, but the bindings were tight, the movements minimal.
Lu Yan glanced into his eyes. They were tear-filled, brimming with reluctance and determination.
Was he... asking for help?
Almost instinctively, Lu Yan's scalpel cut through the skin tissue on the patient's hand. Tiny golden fish eggs gushed out.
Lin Sinan's expression changed drastically in an instant.
"Bang—"
An unexpected gunshot resounded, deafening.
Nurses screamed, huddling together.
Lu Yan had performed numerous surgeries, especially critical rescues. He couldn't guarantee everyone would leave the operating table alive. Yet, he had never imagined a patient would meet such a fate on the surgery table.
Blood splattered on protective gear, not only blood but also some internal organs. Too close to evade.
The department head's legs weakened, and he sat on the floor.
Lin Sinan lowered the gun, his tone apologetic. "I'm sorry. I misjudged. He had entered the third stage. Contamination was unavoidable. We had to remove the contaminants early. Tomorrow, specialists will contact you for compensation."
Lu Yan still stared blankly at the body on the operating table, seemingly unresponsive.
Lin Sinan's teammate had already silently approached, beginning to move the patient's body. They wouldn't go to the morgue but would be sealed in a containment unit and incinerated at high temperatures.
"I apologize for exposing everyone to such a scene."
Lin Sinan bowed once more and exited the operating room.
The remaining people exchanged bewildered looks.
The department head didn't dare remove his protective gear, even though he was drenched in sweat.
A bitter taste filled his mouth as he said, "I'll give everyone three days off. Go home... rest well."
The young nurse's hands still trembled uncontrollably as she wiped the mist from her goggles. "Department head, is contamination disease really a disease?"
The department head forced a smile. "I don't know. But I've heard a theory that those from the research institute call it... evolution. And evolution inevitably accompanies extinction. Without extinction, new species won't secure ecological niches."
"Prepare yourselves." He didn't want to say more.
Lu Yan entered the changing room and turned on the faucet in front of the mirror.
Post-surgery, hands should be washed, yet the water flowed while his hands remained clenched in fists.
Lu Yan gazed at his reflection in the mirror.
It was a face devoid of emotion—neither joy nor panic or fear.
No one knew what he was thinking. Naturally, no one noticed what he did during the surgery's final moments.
He turned off the tap, tucking his hands into his pockets, relaxing his grip.
In that instant, a mechanical sound echoed clearly in Lu Yan's mind—
"Congratulations, host, on awakening the innate talent—Omniscience."
"Congratulations, host, on acquiring the item: Kingfisher's Young Egg (unhatched, Grade E)."