"What 'me'?"

Ji Jue stared back innocently, retorting, "As you know, being a newbie, I do take hospital regulations very seriously—how could I wilfully break them?"

Consequently, Director Qian's smile grew even brighter, "Then why did you proceed with medical treatment without reporting to your superiors first? That's against the rules, isn't it?"

An uncontrollable chill rose from his heels, crawling up the back of his head.

The cold engulfed his soul.

Behind him, Tong Hua could already see, one by one, enormous maws invisible to the naked eye emerging from the void, already faintly enveloping Ji Jue completely.

Head, neck, hands, legs, viscera...

Eagerly yearning to lick and chew!

"In times of urgency, the patient's life comes first."

Ji Jue's response was unwavering, and his expression solemn: "While I was carrying out my duties, I received a distress call from a patient. After my assessment, the condition had deteriorated to a point where the patient's safety was at risk.

After I explained the treatment method, and with the patient and family's consent, the treatment was successfully completed with gratifying results."

In that instant, the smile disappeared from Director Qian's face, leaving only a hideous expression: "Understand your place, you're just a resident. The hospital's regulations do not allow you to respond to patients' pleas for help!"

"But they don't forbid it either, do they?"

Ji Jue counterquestioned, utterly indifferent to the hostility looming over him, gazing at the utterly transformed face: "Besides, as a doctor, how can one stand by and watch patients suffer?"

"Is that so?" Director Qian looked at him expressionlessly, staring intently.

Ji Jue nodded decisively, "Of course, it is."

A well-meaning doctor, while doing rounds, offered emergency aid to a suffering patient, helping her escape agony. He won the gratitude and admiration of the patient and her spouse and garnered praise from other patients, thus earnestly defending and upholding the duty symbolized by the white coat.

Isn't that the case?

Based on this deed alone, wouldn't I rightly be the talk of the month's hospital newsletter, and nobody would have any objections, right?!

In an instant, the malice and hideousness faded away.

The huge maws retreated into the shadows, and Director Qian's exaggerated smile reappeared on his face, filled with approval and pleasure:

"Just as I'd heard!"

Director Qian clapped his shoulder, his demeanor even more 'kind': "It seems you get along quite well with the patients. You also never hesitate when it comes to treating and saving lives.

I was indeed correct about you; you're the best among the newbies!"

"Thanks for the compliment, but it's all part of my job."

"It's just a pity. I thought you might make a small mistake. I was even considering whether to give you a helping hand... giggle..."

Director Qian's hair writhed like snakes, looking back over: "Since even this doesn't phase you, then the lead role in the upcoming surgery is yours."

His smile was radiant, filled with expectation: "You won't let me down, will you?"

Out there, Ji Jue would've probably asked, 'Do you want to check what bullshit you're spouting?'

Me? Surgery?

I don't even have a medical license, okay?

But considering this damn hospital doesn't even pay a salary and treats people's lives like weeds, mistreating a patient's life seems pretty normal.

Just sprinkle some water, lah.

What's the big deal?

After scouring his brain for reasons and finding none to refuse Director Qian's request, Ji Jue could only nod: "What kind of surgery?"

"What other kind of surgery is there in gynecology? Of course, it's childbirth."

Director Qian gave his shoulder one final pat and kindly instructed: "Go back and review the patient's records; get ready to take the stage in a little while."

And with that, he turned and left.

Just at the end of the corridor, shrouded in darkness, he suddenly turned around, his radiant smile now cloaked in shadows: "If you don't perform well and break hospital rules, very bad things can happen."

Vanishing without a trace.

Leaving Ji Jue behind to quirk his lips: "How bad? Dock my pay?"

Tong Hua, traumatized, couldn't help but roll her eyes: "They'll dock your lifespan, of course!"

"Then it's decided."

Ji Jue pointed at her resolutely: "You're going to assist me!"

"Why?!" Tong Hua was shocked and dismayed.

"Why should teammates suffer while I do nothing?" Ji Jue retorted as if it were the most natural thing: "We're all so familiar; of course, if we die, we die together!"

"I thank you so much!"

Tong Hua was fuming: "I'll go out and tell Sister Wen you're bullying me."

"Cry, let's all cry together. I'm also going to say you peeped at me changing clothes and wanted to defile my pure body!"

Ji Jue walked at the front, head held high, full of confidence.

That settles it!

.

Then, he hurriedly had Tong Hua quantum speed-read through all the archives and books, stuffing his brain with all the childbirth-related data.

Ji Jue still felt dizzy and overwhelmed, unable to cope with the information.

For the sake of caution, he went through all the records and analyzed every piece of relevant knowledge and techniques in the books, even including aftercare for postpartum sows.

Though he felt it would mostly be useless.

Given the bizarre conduct of this hospital in Time Ruins, Ji Jue wouldn't be surprised if lying on the bed was a 200-pound, gender-swapped, burly black-skinned rugby player.

One could only say, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Even so, upon seeing the 'mother' on the operating table with four or five legs, seven or eight arms, and only the head still somewhat human, Ji Jue couldn't help but shake his head in astonishment at the miraculous and outrageous creations of Time Ruins.

"This design," he muttered, "would make a great final boss in a horror game. The kind where you have to trigger a chase and run a marathon through a haunted house."

At that moment, seeing fresh flesh approaching, the mother on the delivery bed instantly began to struggle violently, opening her mouth full of sharp teeth, eager to replenish her nutrients.

Unfortunately, chains tightly coiled around her limbs, torso, and neck made it impossible for her to move. Her pitch-black eyes, lacking any hint of whites, stared dead at Ji Jue, continuously howling.

"Get on with it, everyone is waiting for you."

Beside the operating table, Director Qian, a passive observer, smiled broadly, "Don't make the mother anxious."

Under the spotlight-like surgical lamp with all sorts of equipment readily prepared, the shadows beyond seemed... teeming with people.

Ten, twenty, or thirty?

Around the operating table, the blurry outlines had already been waiting for a while, now restless and expectant, yearning for the surgery to begin. Their crimson eyes twinkled in the darkness like hungry stars.

"Who are these people?" Ji Jue turned around.

"The mother's family present for support," Director Qian informed him, "Don't worry, they won't disturb you. You must also understand the bond between the family and the mother.

At such a critical time, it's natural they want to be here."

Here for what?

To feast?

Watching those indistinct figures rubbing their hands and drooling, Ji Jue's temples throbbed furiously—throwing a banquet if the child is born, and if not, dine on the doctor, is that it?

After giving Tong Hua a discreet nudge to snap her out of her daze, Ji Jue, without hesitation, stepped up to the operating table, lifting his already gloved right hand, and gestured to the side, reminding specifically to avoid any misunderstanding that he might be making a heart shape with his hands, "Ready the anesthesia, hand me the tools."

Tong Hua, as if struck by lightning, retracted her half-raised hand and scrambled to find the syringe filled with anesthetic among the trays of various sizes, only to be swatted away without mercy by Ji Jue.

"Not that one."

He pointed toward the corner of the operating room: "Bring a bigger one."

In the corner of the operating room, against the wall, a large hammer leaned. Its grip was covered in dark red stains, its head riddled with rust. As soon as one grasped it, it seemed one could hear the wails of countless unfortunate doctors or patients it had crushed.

"Here we go!"

Bang!

Before the bewildered eyes of the family, the director, and the assistant, Ji Jue swung the hammer in a wide arc, raising it high and bringing it down hard on the mother's head.

The entire delivery bed shrieked, nearly falling apart.

But under the entanglement of iron chains, the mother, with seven arms and eight legs flailing, suddenly stiffened, her body straightened, and then collapsed, lifeless.

The screams and howls ceased.

"Phew..."

Ji Jue whistled, nodding satisfied: Bewilderment without brain damage, perfect force!

But then, he saw the mother's eyes suddenly snap open, blood-red once more, as she let out a harrowing scream.

Ji Jue's smile froze for a moment: That's a bit disrespectful.

In that case, let's go for some 'brain injury' after all!

Bang!

Instantly, Ji Jue delivered another blow, then another, and several more!

With each muffled thud, numerous limbs spasmed, raised, and then fell, as if playing a whack-a-mole game, quite the spectacle.

It wasn't until that ferocious face was thoroughly bloodied and indistinguishable, and not a single twitch remained, that he stopped. Tentatively, he raised the hammer again, and, finding no response, somewhat disappointedly set down the anesthetic tool.

There goes my fun.

"If the patient wakes, let me know, I'll need to top up the anesthesia, as patient awareness during surgery is quite dangerous."

Ji Jue sternly instructed Tong Hua, causing her eyelid to twitch uncontrollably.

Dangerous? Dangerous my ass! I feel like your method of anesthetizing is more hazardous!

Lucky for Heavenly Skill, you know how to control the force, otherwise, with swings like that, you'd have blown the mother's head off with the first few strikes!

"No big deal, easy peasy," Ji Jue assured her, "Don't be nervous. What's there to fear? It's just cutting open, taking out, then sewing up, right?"

"I'm, I'm not nervous!" Tong Hua tried to sound tough, wiping the sweat from her forehead, only to see Ji Jue looking back at her, "I'm not comforting you, I'm saying it to myself..."

And there, her vision darkened: Come on, big brother, can you even handle this?

But she wasn't brazen enough to step up and tell him to move aside, so she could only fret.

"Enough dawdling, we've got limited time for anesthesia," Ji Jue ordered, "CT, quick!"

Tong Hua was even more confused.

CT? Where's the C… oh, me?!

Tong Hua gritted her teeth and glared at him for a long time before finally reaching out her hand—entering Time Ruins on the first day, got a gun pointed at me, teased, scared, and now I'm serving as CT!

I'll remember this grudge.

I'll spread your wise words eight hundred times over!

The ether eye instantly penetrated everything, and then, the observed sights transformed into records, continuously pouring into Ji Jue's brain.

It was like turning on x-ray vision.

Everything became crystal clear.

But after seeing the condition inside the mother's body, Ji Jue couldn't help but take in several gasps of cold air, his temples throbbing wildly again.

How is this assisting birth?!

What's the difference between this and defusing bombs in an armory?

If it's come to this, couldn't we have simply gone all the way and called in a bomb disposal expert?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.