Lu Yan couldn't remember when he had fallen asleep; he was taken for a bath while in a half-asleep state.
When he opened his eyes again, it was already dark outside.
He found it hard to describe the sensation—sore and swollen, like being electrified with the lightest touch.
There were shallow bite marks on Lu Yan's exposed fingers, as if left by a large dog's markings.
The system's voice rang out sluggishly: "Heard you like watching the dog-dragon cry. Yesterday evening, no, afternoon and evening, did he cry?"
Lu Yan: "…"
He wasn't eager to answer that question.
Tang Xunan's smile barely concealed his nervousness as he lightly brushed Lu Yan's waist with the tip of his tail, causing a slight tremor.
"Yan Yan."
Lu Yan blinked, his voice hoarse: "Move your tail away."
Tang Xunan obediently retracted his tail.
Lu Yan changed his clothes and directly contacted Xiao Jia on the phone: "Is there a nearby operating room available?"
Although taking Tang Xunan directly to the Black Clinic for surgery seemed feasible, Lu Yan was not entirely at ease with non-conventional medical facilities.
Moreover, if the pollutant source removal surgery could be performed, Lu Yan didn't mind sharing the surgical experience.
Researcher Xiao Jia was taken aback: "There is, but what do you need it for?"
Lu Yan's gaze fell on Tang Xunan's face: "I want to perform surgery on Tang Xunan."
Tang Xunan's expression suddenly tensed.
The system couldn't help but interject: "He's worried you'll castrate him, heh, men."
Honestly, when Tang Xunan held him tightly, almost arching his belly, Lu Yan did consider it. But given his own satisfaction, he decided not to dwell on such trivial matters for now.
"Ah, what… surgery is this?" Xiao Jia's voice was noticeably hesitant.
Lu Yan: "Pollutant source removal surgery."
Xiao Jia's tone suddenly became tense: "I need to consult with Professor Ji about this."
Although Researcher Xiao Jia looked young, he had 15 years of work experience, making him skilled regardless of where he worked. Moreover, he was Ji Wen's senior disciple, so he was naturally knowledgeable.
He certainly knew what pollutant source removal surgery was.
The term originated from the theoretical research of Qiao Yu, the first director of the First Research Institute. There had long been a saying that the Harbingers were transitional forms of evolution. Therefore, like pollutants, there were pollutants in the bodies of Harbingers. Partial removal of pollutants could effectively reduce the degree of pathology.
The only problem with this theory was that it was difficult to determine the pollutants in the bodies of Harbingers. Because even if they were contaminated by the same pollutants, their manifestations would be different.
And if pollutants were arbitrarily removed from the bodies of Harbingers, there was a high possibility of the loss of talents or death of the Harbingers.
Upon receiving the notice, Ji Wen quickly rushed from the laboratory.
The two sat face to face in the conference hall, with Researchers Xiao Jia, Xiao Yi, and Xiao Bing listening on the side.
"Mr. Lu," Ji Wen's hands were crossed, his expression serious, "As a specialist in the study of pollution diseases and pollutants, I do not recommend any Harbinger undergo pollutant source removal surgery, nor would I perform such surgery. Science can explore, but it cannot act blindly. This surgery, like talent transplantation surgery, is now clearly prohibited."
"Moreover, without any clinical trial precedent, I think… the risks involved are too great."
Lu Yan pondered for a moment: "There are. At Changjia Island, I performed surgery on Ning Huai. The surgery was very successful."
The system couldn't help but add: "Father and son are safe."
Ji Wen was stunned. He knew this talent, and he could feel that what Lu Yan said was true.
His attitude wavered slightly: "But the tyrant's condition is quite stable now…"
"Degree of pathology 93, only 7 away from 100," Lu Yan looked into Ji Wen's eyes, calmly recounting, "7, maybe just one intense battle, and he'll lose his life. I can't be with him all the time, and I don't want to receive news of his death while still on a mission. Do you understand?"
Ji Wen was shocked: "But it concerns the tyrant's safety. I want to know, where did you learn the pollutant source removal surgery?"
"At Luochuan Botanical Garden, in a dream," Lu Yan replied simply, "There should be mention of it in Tang Xunan's mission report. In his dream, I went back to the past and studied with Qiao Yu for three months."
Ji Wen looked deeply into his eyes: "Well, but this matter is of great importance. I need to report to headquarters."
Lu Yan raised his eyes slightly: "Director Ji. I could have kept this to myself, because once it's public, I'll inevitably face some risks and troubles, and Tang Xunan won't refuse me. But I still spoke out because I understand that there is more than just Tang Xunan who is at high risk of pathology. "
As he spoke, silver hues shimmered in his eyes, and the blood-red pupils looked particularly enchanting.
Lu Yan: "I hope you understand my good intentions."
After speaking, he turned and left.
After Lu Yan closed the door, Ji Wen found himself unexpectedly relieved.
Researcher Xiao Bing stood on the side, holding a file bag, hesitating for a long time, but ultimately did not follow.
He whispered: "Comrade Lu Yan was a bit intimidating just now."
It wasn't that Lu Yan's tone was particularly bad, but rather a natural aura of superiority and predator.
This aura even made people subconsciously want to obey.
Ji Wen rubbed the monitoring bracelet on his wrist and asked, "Xiao Bing, what's Mr. Lu's talent threshold now?"
"Ah, the last record was three weeks ago, and the data was 8100."
Ji Wen fell into thought: "I think it should have risen again now."
The increase in talent threshold was also related to pollutants. The more and longer one was exposed to pollutants, the faster this thing would rise.
The threshold meant a critical value. Since it was called a talent threshold, it indicated that even if one was
exposed to pollutants, there was a limit to how much it could rise.
Like Lu Yan now, if he encountered the initial pollutant level of 500, he might not even be able to raise it to 1.
Xiao Bing couldn't help but sigh: "Mr. Lu is really working hard. After becoming a Harbinger, he has hardly had a few days of rest, encountering various tasks… Even when he was still a E-level Harbinger, he encountered an A-level pollution event, the Wall of Resentment. To survive all this is truly miraculous."
Ji Wen's eyes were empty: "You're right, since it's a miracle. Then maybe we can try to believe in it once. I'm well aware that headquarters won't agree. Because they dare not gamble, no one can bear this responsibility. If something goes wrong, it will be the sin of all mankind. Moreover, the tyrant's current state is not in crisis, and many people will feel it's unnecessary… But as Di Ting said, a degree of pathology of 93 is already the greatest danger."
His tone was filled with the sorrow of a desolate wind blowing over icy waters: "In that case, I will take on this responsibility."
Xiao Bing nervously said, "Teacher, let me do it instead!"
Ji Wen stood up from his chair, pinched his rabbit's tail casually, and chuckled, "You're not qualified yet."
Lu Yan had expected a lengthy wait before receiving the surgery notice. However, to his surprise, the very next evening at 8 o'clock, he and Tang Xunan were secretly summoned by Researcher Ji. Xiao Jia appeared nervous, behaving as if they were committing a clandestine act. "Be careful, don't let anyone see us," he cautioned.
Lu Yan entered the surgical room on the second floor. Dr. Ji, dressed in a suit, was unusually serious. He addressed Lu Yan, "Let's start by signing a liability waiver..." Lu Yan raised an eyebrow confidently; he didn't anticipate the surgery to fail. Besides, he wasn't willing to gamble with Tang Xunan's life.
Glancing at Xiao Bing, Dr. Ji handed him the agreement. Lu Yan scanned the document, somewhat surprised to find that the waiver primarily absolved him of responsibility. It seemed to imply that he was coerced into the surgery by the Third Research Institute and bore no responsibility in case of mishaps. Without hesitation, Lu Yan signed his name on the agreement.
Dr. Ji casually remarked, "The ability of Yamata no Orochi was quite practical, but unfortunately, the extraction failed..." Tang Xunan lay on the operating table like a fish awaiting slaughter. Lu Yan, wielding the hilt of Hellfire, lifted his chin with a touch of playfulness, "Are you scared?" Tang Xunan grabbed Lu Yan's hand and kissed his fingertips, "I won't be afraid if you give me a kiss." Ignoring the system's disgusted commentary, Lu Yan leaned down and planted a kiss on Tang Xunan's lips.
Their lips entwined forcefully, as if it were their last kiss. Dr. Ji took out his phone and pretended to make a call in the corridor. Researcher Xiao Jia exclaimed in disbelief, covering Xiao Bing's eyes; the scene was too stimulating for the young man.
Though there were onlookers and assistants providing tools, for Lu Yan, this was a solitary surgery. Donning a mask and gloves, he entered a focused state the moment he grasped the surgical blade. Different-colored areas appeared on Tang Xunan's body within his field of vision. With precise movements, he made an incision on Tang Xunan's abdomen, as accurate as a laser sight.
The golden blood surged out, slightly corrosive; direct skin contact would likely cause reddening. Unlike ordinary individuals, Tang Xunan's bones had a faint golden hue. Without Hellfire and Tang Xunan's control over his abilities, Lu Yan wouldn't have been able to remove them. The system commented on the six pairs of ribs to be removed, assuring Lu Yan of their necessity.
...
Dr. Ji stood outside the operating room, nervously awaiting the outcome, akin to a husband awaiting the birth of his child, albeit without a wife. Assistant Xiao Bing had opened the door twice, bringing painkillers and absorbent gauze. Four hours had passed since the surgery began, and cigarette butts littered the floor by Dr. Ji's feet.
At 1 a.m., Lu Yan finally emerged from the operating room. Dr. Ji hurried forward, "Dr. Lu, is Tang Xunan okay?" Lu Yan removed his mask, calmly stating, "The surgery was successful. Tang Xunan's pathology level has dropped to 67.4. His spiritual power threshold has decreased but remains at 12,700. His vital signs are stable." His tone was as calm as if he had performed a routine procedure.
Behind Lu Yan, tears streamed down Xiao Bing's face, "Teacher, we did it! This method works!" Though Lu Yan seemed indifferent, only the researchers understood the enormity of this achievement. Once the news spread, it would likely shock Harbingers and related personnel worldwide.
For decades, major research institutes had been searching for ways to reduce pollutant levels. Yet, the most significant achievement had been various categorizations of specialized drugs. Once a Harbinger's pathology level exceeded 90, it was essentially a countdown to death. Xiao Bing's eyes were bloodshot, "If only we had found this method earlier... maybe those people wouldn't have had to be euthanized." Dr. Ji felt a fog forming on his glasses; wiping them away, his gaze became resolute and joyful, "It's not too late now!"
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