The protagonist, Lu Yan, a seasoned hospital worker known for his professionalism and compassionate demeanor, reassured, "Breast swelling during pregnancy is a normal occurrence."
His patient, Zhou Qiming, feeling neither fully alive nor inclined toward death, weakly replied, "Thank you."
In a mere half-hour after entering the scene, he unexpectedly lost his reproductive autonomy.
Lu Yan briefly explained the surgical process to the patient, "I'll need to perform a cesarean section to extract the fetus and then locate the placenta for removal."
Supplementing the system's information: "[Removing the placenta only temporarily suppresses the affliction, with an estimated duration of about two years. If the source of contamination in the mother becomes stronger, the phantom infant will regenerate... My suggestion is to first address the contamination on Zhou Qiming's body, then pay a visit to Dragon Maiden Lake.]"
"[There, something highly desired by the kingfisher might be beneficial for you, though I cannot guarantee your liking.]"
"What is it?"
"[The carp needs to leap over the dragon gate to transform into a dragon. Right now, since the dragon gate cannot be found, seeking the Dragon Maiden is the only option.]"
Lu Yan had to pause before continuing, "But this will only prevent pregnancy in the short term. In two years, if the contamination source at Dragon Maiden Lake strengthens, it will recur. Therefore, I recommend seizing the opportunity to thoroughly eradicate the contamination at Dragon Maiden Lake."
Given the gravity of the situation, Zhou Qiming swiftly emerged from his sorrow.
"Will cutting off the placenta prevent further pregnancies?" This was his primary concern now. "Truth be told, this month the scar on my belly hasn't healed. We can't administer anesthesia during the surgery, and I truly don't want a fifth occurrence."
Childbirth is excruciating. Zhou Qiming didn't have to undergo natural labor, but cesarean sections without anesthesia were torturous enough to make even tough men shed tears.
Having dealt with numerous critically ill patients, Lu Yan had crafted a set of reassuring phrases long ago: "Barring unforeseen events, short-term pregnancy should be avoided. However, there's still a risk of unexpected complications. For safety, it's best we sign a preoperative consent form."
Zhou Qiming's heart skipped a beat, "Alright."
Sensing his apprehension, Lu Yan comforted, "You'll be fine."
"...Okay."
For some reason, Zhou Qiming felt even more anxious inside.
Lu Yan inspected the surgical equipment Zhou Qiming had prepared. All were state-of-the-art instruments, functioning flawlessly. They were quite costly.
Zhou Qiming: "Dr. Lu, wait a moment. Summon Chen Shier to bind me tightly on the operating table."
During the previous surgery, due to unbearable pain, he had inadvertently kicked the doctor, resulting in substantial compensation for work-related injuries.
Upon hearing this, Chen Shier produced a silken thread resembling silk, dutifully securing his boss.
Zhou Qiming now resembled a pig firmly strapped onto a spit for roasting.
Chen Shier assured while patting his chest, "Doctor, rest assured, this is the B-grade pollutant ice silkworm's thread, incredibly sturdy. It's valued at 2000 contribution points per foot! If my boss manages to break free without using talents, I'll offer my head to be kicked like a ball."
"By the way, Doctor, can I watch?" asked Chen Shier.
"Sure."
Some doctors don't like being watched during surgeries, finding it nerve-wracking, but Lu Yan wasn't one of them.
Besides, if Chen Shier weren't allowed to watch, it would be Zhou Qiming who'd be nervous.
Lu Yan turned on the shadowless lamp.
Under its illumination, the ghostly fetus on Zhou Qiming's abdomen appeared even more terrifying and grotesque.
Its scalp was thin enough to vaguely discern an underdeveloped brain.
The ghostly fetus seemed light-sensitive, possibly aware of its imminent fate, furiously thrashing within the mother's body, fists and kicks flying.
Zhou Qiming's fiercely knit brows reflected the excruciating pain. He couldn't help but curse in dialect, "You're trembling, keep shaking. Shake a couple more times. I'll scatter your ashes later, you rascal!" With determination, he viciously bit down on a wooden stick.
This step primarily aimed to prevent him from unintentionally crying out during surgery. Secondary was avoiding alarming the neighbors into thinking a crime had occurred next door. But primarily, he feared that if Lu Yan got nervous due to a startle, it'd be his own undoing.
Previously, surgeries were conducted by several doctors together, with nurses and an anesthesiologist present, often interspersed with light-hearted banter between procedures.
Now, there was only Lu Yan, performing the surgery alone. It felt somewhat desolate.
Lu Yan didn't immediately proceed. Instead, he calmly retrieved his phone from his pocket and opened a video app.
Curious, Chen Shier asked, "Doctor, what are you doing?"
"Watching a cesarean section surgery tutorial," Lu Yan replied calmly. "I haven't performed a cesarean section before, nor did I intern in obstetrics and gynecology."
Whether it was an illusion or not, the operating room fell eerily silent upon this revelation.
Stepping closer, Chen Shier whispered, "Boss, should we switch doctors now?"
Glancing at Lu Yan's face, Zhou Qiming's tone was filled with a tragic heroism, "No! I don't want another doctor; I want this one!"
Lu Yan finished watching the video at 40x speed, jotting down notes on handling common unforeseen situations. Feeling completely confident, he raised the scalpel in his hand.
"Usually, the bodies of those with celestial awakening are in good shape. Even if Lu Yan's surgery were to fail, the chances of death were slim. However, as a doctor, Lu Yan wished to minimize errors as much as possible.
"Can we use epidural anesthesia for a cesarean section?" he asked the system.
[It involves puncturing the spinal nerve roots, leading to a high probability of paralysis.]
"In that case, assassinating a celestial doesn't need to be complicated. Just feed them anesthesia."
[Common anesthetics in the market are mostly ineffective against celestials. No need to worry. Trouble arises only if the anesthesia succeeds. The human brain is miraculous. If it loses consciousness, it can't control internal pollutants, and the lesions will rapidly deteriorate.]
Lu Yan ceased dwelling on the issue.
After disinfecting the abdominal area, he laid out a sterile surgical sheet. Lu Yan was always extremely focused during surgeries. Ordinary tools couldn't cut the skin, and the surgical knife provided by Zhou Qiming, a B-grade tool, was exceptionally sharp.
Since Zhou Qiming's previous surgical wound hadn't healed completely, Lu Yan opted to make a new incision to prevent cross-infection.
Lu Yan cut through the layers of fat, fascia, and muscles, exposing the extensively damaged abdominal cavity.
Inside Zhou Qiming's abdomen lay something resembling a tumor-like uterus, different from a normal female uterus. Its surface resembled a breathing fruit, oozing a network of fine blood vessels.
For the mother's body, the fetus itself was a tumor-like entity, and the discomfort during pregnancy was the body's natural rejection response.
In nature, no organism escapes a weakened state during pregnancy. It was no wonder Zhou Qiming's psychic threshold had been continuously decreasing.
Lu Yan used gauze to stop the bleeding, maintaining a clear view for the surgery. He gently pierced the fetal membrane, finally revealing the full form of this fetus.
Its entire body was grey-black, covered in crevices, resembling a canid with a human face.
The ghostly fetus lacked an umbilical cord; it solely relied on the tail from the lumbar vertebrae of the mother for sustenance.
This baby bore a malicious expression, showcasing jagged teeth while emitting a piercing cry.
Compared to a normal infant, its size was larger, and it exuded a nauseating stench from the yellowish unknown fluid covering its body.
The infant tore through the peritoneum, opening its sharp-toothed mouth toward Lu Yan.
Chen Shier swiftly intervened, landing a punch on the infant's abdomen. With a psychic threshold of three thousand, he didn't even need to use his talent against such an infant.
It rolled its eyes, continuously wailing in agony, full of resentment and unwillingness.
The infant's cries made Zhou Qiming struggle intensely. Through this method, the ghostly fetus was provoking the maternal instincts of its mother.
Chen Shier clasped his hands, bellowing, 'Halt!'
Shaolin martial arts, the Lion's Roar, combined with his talent, could restore sanity to those in a frenzied state.
Zhou Qiming was struck with clarity after the blow, gradually regaining his senses.
Lu Yan inserted the surgical knife into the ghostly fetus's heart, delivering the final blow.
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