Chosen: Beyond Fate

Ji Jue widened his eyes innocently. “Me? How could it be me? You know, as a newcomer, I respect hospital rules more than anyone. How could I possibly violate them?”

Mr. Qian’s smile grew brighter. “Then why did you carry out medical treatment without reporting to your superiors? That doesn’t comply with hospital regulations, does it?”

An uncontrollable, bone-chilling cold rushed from the soles of Ji Jue’s feet and shot straight to the back of his head. A deep, soul-freezing dread swallowed everything.

Behind him, Tong Hua could already sense the mouths invisible to the naked eye emerging from thin air, faintly enveloping Ji Jue’s head, neck, arms, legs, and torso. All of them were impatiently waiting to lick and devour him.

“It was an emergency measure. The patient’s life comes first,” Ji Jue answered promptly, expression solemn. “While I was performing my duties, a patient asked for help. After my assessment, I determined that the condition had deteriorated to the point of endangering the patient’s safety. After I explained the treatment method, and with the consent of both the patient and the patient’s family, I successfully completed the treatment and achieved positive results.”

The smile on Mr. Qian’s face vanished, leaving behind only a ferocious expression. “Know your place. You’re only a resident physician. Hospital rules do not grant you permission to accept patient requests!”

“But they also don’t forbid it, do they?” Ji Jue asked, completely ignoring the malicious pressure that felt like needles on his back as he stared straight at that disfigured face. “Besides, as a doctor, how could I just stand by and watch a patient suffer?”

“Is that so?” Mr. Qian said expressionlessly, staring Ji Jue down.

“Of course it is,” Ji Jue replied firmly.

Since he was a kind-hearted doctor, he had provided emergency treatment to a patient in distress during ward rounds to alleviate her suffering. He’d earned the gratitude and admiration of the patient and her family, and also received praise from other patients, embodying and upholding the responsibilities represented by the white coat.

Isn’t that how it should be? If I’m not the headline in the hospital bulletin this month for doing this, there’ll be an outcry.

The malice and ferocity on the doctor’s face faded without a trace in an instant. The gaping mouths retreated back into the shadows, and the exaggerated smile returned to Mr. Qian’s face, now filled with approval and satisfaction.

“Just as I’ve been told!” Mr. Qian patted Ji Jue’s shoulder, his expression growing increasingly “kind.” “Seems like you get along quite well with the patients. You never hesitate when it comes to healing and saving lives. I really didn’t misjudge you. You’re the best among all the new recruits this time!”

“Thank you for the praise. I’m just doing my duty.”

“What a pity, though. I originally thought you might make a small mistake or two. I was even thinking of helping you out a bit... hehehehe...” As if sighing with regret, Mr. Qian’s hair wriggled like snakes as he looked back at him again. “Since you can handle such difficult situations, I’ll leave the next surgery to you.”

His smile was bright, full of anticipation. “I’m sure you guys won’t let me down, right?”

If this were the outside world, Ji Jue would have probably asked, Do you even hear what you’re saying? Me? Surgery? I don’t even have a medical license, okay?

But considering this damn hospital didn’t pay salaries and treated its own people’s lives so carelessly... Well, it seemed perfectly normal for them to treat patients’ lives carelessly too.

It was no big deal. It wasn’t that serious.

After mentally going through every possible reason and still finding no way to refuse Mr. Qian’s request, Ji Jue finally nodded. “What surgery?”

“What else could you be doing in obstetrics and gynecology? Of course, assisting with childbirth.” Mr. Qian patted his shoulder again. “Go back and take a good look at the patient’s files. Get ready for the surgery in a bit.”

With that, he turned and left, turning back only when he reached the end of the dark corridor. His bright smile couldn’t be seen clearly in the darkness. “If you don’t do well, or if you violate hospital rules, very bad things will happen.”

Then he disappeared without a trace, leaving Ji Jue alone. He clicked his tongue. “How bad? Are you gonna dock my pay?”

Although Tong Hua was terrified, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Of course it means he’ll take your lifespan!”

“Then it’s settled.” Ji Jue pointed at her decisively. “You’re my assistant!”

“Why me?!”

“You won’t let your teammate suffer while you stand by and watch, right?” Ji Jue replied matter-of-factly. “We’re already this close. If we’re going down, we go down together.”

“Thanks a lot!” Tong Hua snapped in frustration. “When we get out, I’m telling Ms. Wen that you bullied me.”

“Go on then. We’ll all complain together. I’ll also say you were peeping at me changing and trying to ruin my innocence.”

Ji Jue walked at the front with his head held high, full of confidence. It’s decided then!

***

He quickly had Tong Hua speedrun all the files and books, forcing every piece of obstetrics-related information into his brain. Even so, Ji Jue still felt dizzy and overwhelmed.

To be safe, he read through everything in the records and books, absorbing every bit of knowledge and every surgical explanation. He even read half a manual on postpartum care for sows.

But this probably wouldn’t be useful anyway. With how bizarre this Time Ruin hospital behaved, he wouldn’t even be surprised if the person on the bed turned out to be a 200-jin, muscular American football player.

It was better to be safe than sorry. Even so, when he saw the “mother” on the operating table, who had four or five legs, seven or eight arms, and only her head somewhat resembling a human’s, Ji Jue couldn’t help but shake his head in amazement at the absurdity and marvel of this Time Ruin.

With such a freakish design, if this were in a horror game, this “mother” would definitely be the final boss, the kind where you would first trigger a chase sequence and have to run a marathon through a haunted house.

Seeing fresh food delivered to her, the woman on the delivery bed immediately began struggling fiercely. She opened her mouth full of fangs, desperately trying to replenish her nutrients.

Unfortunately, her limbs, neck, and torso were tightly bound by chains. She couldn’t move at all. Her pitch-black eyes, devoid of any whites, stared fixedly at Ji Jue while she howled.

Beside the operating table, Mr. Qian watched calmly with a relaxed smile. “Hurry up. Everyone’s waiting for you. Don’t keep the mother waiting.”

Under the spotlight-like surgical lamp, various instruments had already been prepared. Beyond the light, it seemed as if there were figures packed tightly together, watching from the shadows. How many were they, ten? Or perhaps twenty or thirty?

Around the operating table, vague silhouettes had long been waiting. They were restless yet expectant, eager for the surgery to begin. Crimson eyes flickered from within the darkness like a sky full of starving stars.

“Who are these people?” Ji Jue asked, turning back.

“They’re the accompanying family members,” Mr. Qian replied. “Don’t worry, they won’t interfere with your work. You should also be considerate of the bond between the mother and her family. Of course they need to be present at a moment like this.”

Present for what? A feast?

Watching those blurred figures cracking their knuckles and drooling, Ji Jue’s eyelid twitched. So when the child was born, they’d have a banquet. If the child wasn’t born, they’d just eat the doctor instead. Was that it?

He quietly kicked Tong Hua to snap her out of her daze, then strode confidently to the operating table. Raising his already gloved right hand, he made a gesture beside him. To avoid Tong Hua thinking he was trying to make a heart with his fingers, he specifically clarified, “Prepare the anesthesia. Hand me the tools.”

Tong Hua jolted as if struck by electricity and quickly pulled her half-raised hand back. After fumbling around for a while, she finally found a syringe of anesthetic among a pile of trays, but it was immediately slapped away by Ji Jue without hesitation.

“Not that.” He pointed toward a corner of the operating room. “Bring me something bigger.”

In the corner of the room, leaning against the wall, was a heavy hammer. Its handle was stained with dark, dried marks, and its head was covered in rust. The moment one touched it, they heard faint screams in their ear, as though the hammer had killed who-knew-how-many unlucky doctors or patients.

“Let’s go!”

Boom!

As the family members, the doctor, and the assistant watched in shock, Ji Jue swung the sledgehammer in a full arc and brought it straight down onto the mother’s head. The entire delivery bed let out a mournful groan, nearly falling apart.

Under the restraint of chains, the writhing, multi-limbed mother suddenly went rigid. Her body straightened, then went limp. The screams and wails ceased.

Ji Jue whistled softly, nodding in satisfaction. She was knocked out but not brain-damaged. He’d used just the right amount of force. But the woman’s eyes snapped open again, this time filled with crimson, as she let out another piercing scream. Ji Jue’s smile faltered.

How ungrateful. In that case, let’s actually damage the brain a bit.

Bang!

Ji Jue delivered another hammer strike, and another, and another, and another. With every impact, the mother’s countless limbs convulsed, lifting and falling like a game of whack-a-mole. It was spectacular in a horrifying way.

After that grotesque face was completely reduced to a mass of mangled flesh, no longer moving or making a sound, Ji Jue finally stopped. He cautiously raised the hammer again, and upon seeing no reaction, finally put down his “anesthesia tool” with a hint of disappointment. He was still thinking of playing a bit longer.

“If the patient wakes up, remember to tell me. I’ll give her another hit. Intraoperative awareness is very dangerous,” Ji Jue solemnly instructed Tong Hua, making the corner of her eye twitch uncontrollably.

Danger? What danger? I feel like your anesthesia method is the real danger here!

Luckily, Flawless Craft allowed him to control the force precisely. Otherwise, with that swinging style, the first few hits would’ve blown the mother’s head apart.

“It’s no big deal, it’s pretty easy,” Ji Jue reassured her. “Don’t be nervous. What’s there to be afraid of? I just have to cut her open, take the baby out, then stitch her back up.”

“I-I’m not nervous!” Tong Hua insisted.

She wiped sweat off her forehead, only for Ji Jue to turn back and add, “No, I wasn’t comforting you. I was talking to myself.”

Tong Hua shut her mouth. She wanted to ask, Bro, are you even qualified to do this?! But she wasn’t bold enough to slam the table and say, “Move aside, I’ll do it,” so she could only panic internally.

“Alright, stop wasting time. The anesthesia will only be effective for a limited time,” Ji Jue said. “CT scan. Hurry up!”

For a moment, Tong Hua was even more confused. CT scan? Where’s the C... oh, is he referring to me?! It’s my first day in the Time Ruin, and yet I get shot at, mocked, get scared for fun, and now even made to be a CT scanner. I will remember this. I’m going to spread your quotes everywhere when we return.

Grinding her teeth, she glared at Ji Jue for a long while. In the end, she still extended her hand. The Aether Eye instantly perceived everything. What it observed transformed into records, continuously pouring into Ji Jue’s mind. It was like turning on X-ray vision, and everything became so clear.

But after clearly seeing the condition inside the mother’s body, Ji Jue couldn’t help but gasp, his eyelids twitching. What the hell is this supposed to be? Obstetrics?! How is this any different from disarming a bomb in an armory?! Seriously, at this point, why not just call a bomb disposal expert and get it over with?