Chapter 19

Chapter 019

The K-City Pollution Disease Prevention and Control Center was a hive of activity.

As a logistics department, the Center handled a wide array of miscellaneous duties including, but not limited to: public education on Pollution Disease, reception of Awakened individuals, logistical support, and psychological counseling. So, seeing a steady stream of people in the main hall wasn't unusual at all.

The moment Lu Yan stepped into the main lobby, he felt numerous gazes settle on him.

He'd been good-looking since childhood, so delicate as a boy that his gender was often mistaken. As an adult, his face possessed the flawless, striking beauty of a high-end CG model. Lu Yan accepted the subtle advantages this face afforded him, just as he'd learned to accept the varied stares that inevitably followed.

But there was a distinct difference between simple appreciation and the weight of covert observation.

His heightened senses, now sharpened, made him acutely sensitive to being watched.

In the lounge to the left of the lobby: two men, their attention fixed and eager. The younger one, who looked like a little monk, seemed poised to approach, only to be held back by his companion.

In the second-floor reading area: three elders, two men and a woman, pretending to read newspapers while stealing glances his way.

The system let out a low whistle. [Don't be so tense. None of them mean any harm. You're a rare and coveted healing-type, after all. The two in the lounge want to ask for your help with a treatment. The ones upstairs are the Center's psychological analysts, preparing to assess your mental state and behavior.]

Lu Yan's lips pressed into a thin line.

Lin Sinan gave him a nod, saying he needed to go file their mission reports, and asked Lu Yan to wait for a bit.

So, Lu Yan was left alone in this relatively unfamiliar environment. Plenty of people milled about, but he recognized none of them.

He'd been to the Prevention Center once before, after being rescued. The compound was vast, divided into front and rear sections. The front housed work, living, and leisure areas, while the rear contained secure archives and warehouses. The monthly supplies for Awakened individuals were also stored here temporarily.

As the headquarters for the Awakened, it wasn't a place any thief would dare target.

Lu Yan didn't stand there idle for long. Soon, a staff member who had assisted him previously hurried past with a stack of files, his eyes lighting up in recognition. "Mr. Lu, you're back."

[Meeting a familiar face in an unfamiliar place can lower one's guard a little, don't you think?]

Lu Yan's gaze flicked to the man's name tag.

Su Fufeng.

Given the mentally unstable condition of many frontline Awakened, a result of prolonged exposure to Pollution Disease work, familiar receptionists and liaisons were considered essential.

It was worth noting that most personnel assigned to individual Awakened were of the opposite sex.

But, having learned of Lu Yan's sexual orientation from Lin Sinan, the Center had specifically assigned him a male staff member.

Su Fufeng was tall and slender, with a handsome face.

His expression was one of pleasant surprise. "I heard you were out on a mission. It seems you've completed it."

Lu Yan studied him for a couple of seconds before replying, "I preferred the suit you wore last time."

A testament to his professional training, Su Fufeng didn't bat an eye. "Understood. I'll change into it shortly. Would you like me to wear the same tie as well?"

"The slim grey one suits you better."

Upstairs, the psychological analysts, listening through their earpieces, noted down their first observation: Dominant personality, exhibits strong desire for control.

Su Fufeng was a skilled conversationalist. No matter what Lu Yan said, he could effortlessly pick up the thread, keeping the exchange flowing without ever letting it grow dull.

In that single hour, Lu Yan ended up speaking more to him than he had to anyone else in the past year combined.

"Highly confident in professional abilities, displays arrogance and conceit."

"Exhibits severe mysophobia."

"Craves praise... Hm, this differs from his university records."

...

By the end of the session, the profile they'd compiled seemed to be of Lu Yan, yet not quite him.

[Host, your wariness is truly impressive.]

So strong that he fundamentally resisted letting anyone understand who he really was.

"I just don't like being recorded like a lab specimen."

He must have been a laboratory mouse in a past life, spending its entire existence under scrutiny. Otherwise, it was hard to explain this deep-seated aversion and disgust.

Fortunately, the psychological analysts weren't on permanent standby. He only had to perform this charade for a few hours each visit.

The conversation proved so agreeable that Lu Yan even exchanged contact information with Su Fufeng.

Of course, Lu Yan's work kept him busy, so frequent communication was unlikely.

Two hours later, Lin Sinan finally returned. "Dr. Lu, I've finished my mission report. It's your turn now."

Writing the report itself took half an hour. The remaining ninety minutes were spent waiting for the summons.

This was probably Lin Sinan's first time telling such a white lie, and his inexperience showed.

Thus, Lu Yan could only offer a slightly regretful smile to the man beside him. "I should go give my report now. I'll see you later."

*

The room in the Prevention Center designated for report-writing strongly resembled a classroom.

Even the paper provided felt like the exam booklets from the national college entrance exams. The familiar scent of printer ink was laced with a hint of essential oil meant to soothe the nerves.

No wonder Tang Xun'an, eighty-two years out of high school, still had nightmares about taking those exams.

The level of detail in a report was left to the Awakened individual's discretion. The only hard rule was not to fabricate information. After all, these reports were shared resources; inaccurate data could get a colleague killed.

Lu Yan's report wasn't perfunctory. He focused on detailing Lu Jiahe's abilities but omitted his own experience of becoming "Lu Yan" within the dream.

For his efforts, he received 10 contribution points.

The report would be encrypted and transmitted to headquarters. If the information was verified as accurate, additional contribution points would be awarded.

This puzzled Lu Yan. "How does headquarters verify the authenticity of the data?"

[Support-type talent, ranked 198: Truth Discernment. I suggest you spend 100 contribution points to exchange for a Talent Ranking List, so you stop asking me these elementary questions... Oh, right. You don't have 100 points. Never mind.]

After the report came the physical assessment. No thousand-meter runs like in university—this only measured spiritual power threshold and pollution index.

When the results showed Lu Yan's spiritual power threshold had risen to 837, with a pollution index of only 6.1, Lin Sinan was utterly flabbergasted.

"What have you been eating to grow that fast?" He struggled to suppress the wave of melancholy rising within. "You've only been an Awakened for a short while. It took me at least a year to reach 800! A whole year! And your pollution index is so low. That's incredibly stable."

Lin Sinan had long been aware his own aptitude was average. After fifteen years of service, his contemporary Bai Qiushi had already reached A-Class, while he still lingered at D-Class. But Lu Yan's progress speed was unprecedented in his experience.

Lu Yan offered consolation. "Objective differences exist between individuals. Don't be too disheartened."

For some reason, Lin Sinan seemed on the verge of crying even harder.

By the time Lu Yan completed the entire Prevention Center process—filing the mission report, reporting equipment loss/damage, and claiming he'd used up his special medication during the prior nightmare (prompting the staff to issue him two new pills on the spot)—night had fully fallen.

He declined Lin Sinan's offer to drive him home and headed for the subway alone.

There it was again—that faint, almost imperceptible sensation of being watched.

Someone was following him.

Lu Yan turned. Everyone on the street appeared normal. When his gaze accidentally met that of a young woman, she even blushed and approached, asking for his contact info.

"I'm gay," Lu Yan stated without hesitation, the phrase he'd uttered thousands of times since adolescence rolling off his tongue. "My apologies."

This had been his standard method for avoiding advances from women since his teens.

The system had reason to suspect Lu Yan was simply asexual. The belief that he might prefer men was likely the result of repeated self-hypnosis and suggestion.

"Who is it?" he asked the system.

[The young monk and the middle-aged salary-man type you saw at the Prevention Center. Two C-Class Awakened. Code names: Martial Monk and Detective. The Detective has a talent for concealment, so you see him, but your brain automatically filters him out.]

[Honestly, I can't read their minds. But based on the information I have, I believe they want to ask you... to see a patient.]

Lu Yan's profile was technically confidential. Many knew headquarters had acquired a new healing-type Awakened. But that person's identity, appearance, residence, and code name were classified.

However, no wall was completely airtight, especially in these times when social order hadn't fully collapsed.

Awakened individuals might not lack for money, but what about others? Like Prevention Center staff or research institute scientists.

Knowing he was being tailed, Lu Yan lost the desire to go straight home. He got off the subway and walked directly to the hospital.

Although he'd joined the Special Operations Department, he hadn't resigned from the hospital. The administration had been understanding. Besides Lu Yan, Director Hu—who had bought a plane ticket and fled overnight—had also Awakened and was reportedly about to be promoted to deputy director.

In short, Lu Yan retained his position: no salary, no regular shifts, but he was welcome to visit. Performing a surgery or two while there would be even more welcome.

Lu Yan rather enjoyed surgery. It was stress-relieving.

So, a few minutes later, Chen Shier could only watch, wide-eyed, as Lu Yan changed into surgical scrubs and walked into the operating room.

He tried to rush forward again, but the Detective held him back. "You didn't approach him earlier. Now he's about to perform surgery and you show up? You'll just annoy him."

"That's why I wanted to go earlier!"

"We were still within the Center's surveillance radius earlier!" the Detective said earnestly. "What would the Prevention Center think if they knew we contacted Lu Yan privately? What if Dr. Lu can't cure him, and the Boss then goes to the Center? Wouldn't that just paint a target on his back?"

Not all Diviners joined the Prevention Center.

Some preferred freedom, disliking organizational ties. Some feared combat, their courage failing at the Special Operations Department's notoriously high mortality rates. Others, their minds twisted by pollution, committed crimes—bold, lawless, landing on red lists. Headquarters treated those Diviners the same as pollutants.

"It's fine," the Detective said. "A surgery takes a few hours at most. We'll wait."

They just hadn't anticipated that Dr. Lu preferred to work in marathon sessions. Especially after his physical enhancement. Where he used to handle two, maybe three surgeries a day, he now powered through six in a row, still bursting with energy, while two anesthesiologists collapsed from exhaustion.

By the time Lu Yan emerged from the operating room, Chen Shisi had waited so long his gaming account had been locked out by the "healthy gameplay" system.

Seeing Lu Yan, Chen Shisi's eyes lit up. He stepped forward, a brilliant smile spreading across his face.

"Benefactor—I mean, Dr. Lu. Might this humble monk trouble you for a few minutes? We'd like to request a house call. Price is negotiable."

He was as eager as an old fortune-teller under a bridge, offering to read a pretty girl's palm.

Lu Yan gave him a cool glance, his words blunt. "I don't like being followed."

The Detective's eyes widened. He hadn't expected to be detected even while using his [Stealth] talent.

Chen Shisi's face flushed with embarrassment. "Our deepest apologies, Dr. Lu. It's just... we didn't dare approach within the Center's surveillance perimeter. We received information that you're a healing-type Diviner. We were hoping to ask you to examine our boss... His pollution level isn't high, we assure you, it's perfectly safe. It's just the... aberration is somewhat extreme..."

"The consultation fee is negotiable. How's this: just for coming with us to see the boss, we'll pay 300 contribution points for your trouble. If you can cure him... our boss is willing to pay 5,000 points!"

Currently too poor to grasp the purchasing power of contribution points, Lu Yan had little frame of reference.

But the dagger the Prevention Center had issued him, Hidden Edge, had a market value around 500 points.

Browsing the forums earlier, he'd seen healing-type artifacts selling for between 800 and 3,000 points.

A thoughtful expression crossed Lu Yan's face.

[Go,] the system urged. [You're still 90 points short for the talent ranking list. Besides, this pollutant... is quite interesting. Shares a source with Wang Yu.]

Lu Yan was about to agree when Chen Shisi gritted his teeth. "6,000. Not a point more."

Lu Yan paused. "Ah."

"6,200! Not a single drop more!!" Chen Shisi's heart was bleeding.

Lu Yan: "...Fine."

*

The black sedan headed toward the Qujiang Park villa district.

"Our boss is originally from Bashu Province," Chen Shisi chattered incessantly during the ride, making the Detective wish he could sew his mouth shut. "He came all the way to K City specifically to find you for treatment. Actually, asking you isn't just because you're a healing-type. It's mainly because your profession is doctor. If... unscientific methods can't fix it, the boss wants to try a scientific approach."

Lu Yan only half-understood. "What scientific approach?"

"Our boss is pregnant." Chen Shisi's expression was pained. "He's a man. If it can't be resolved, he wants an abortion."

Hearing this, Lu Yan's first reaction wasn't how can a man be pregnant? but rather, "I'm not an obstetrician."

"Same difference, same difference. The boss is very concerned about face. Doesn't want to see other doctors. We Diviners never use anesthesia for surgery—probably something wrong with our brains after being polluted. Anesthesia is less effective, and brain death is a high risk."

Lu Yan: "Why is he pregnant?"

"The boss took on a commission from the forums a while back. To resolve a sudden D-Class pollution incident in Fuling Province. The pollution range was small, practically an E-Class zone."

"The place is called Longnu Lake. The surrounding village is Longnu Village. Only a few hundred households, built around the lake. For the past few years, women in the village haven't been able to conceive, while the men all got pregnant with..." Chen Shisi swallowed. "...ghost fetuses."

His expression was one of deep distress. "They look... very, very strange. You'll see. Our boss went to resolve the incident, searched for a long time but couldn't find the pollution source. Instead, his own belly swelled up. No idea whose seed it is. Not only that, he's been growing weaker. He doesn't want to go to the Prevention Center, afraid his enemies might find out."

Twenty minutes later, the van arrived at Qujiang Park. Lu Yan himself lived near the city center, where prices hit 50,000 per square meter. Qujiang Park, though a park, had excellent surroundings, with many hillside villas built around it. Prices there had skyrocketed to 150,000 per square meter. Clearly, this boss's income was substantial.

The Detective applied his anti-surveillance talent, confirming no one was tailing them, before driving up to the gate of a three-story western-style house.

A rather handsome man, sporting a enormous belly, opened the door.

One hand braced against his lower back, the other resting on his massive stomach, his expression was grim, his tone weak and sickly. "Dr. Lu? My apologies. I was just dealing with morning sickness, not feeling well. I'm Zhou Qimeng."

With that, Zhou Qimeng couldn't help but cover his mouth, retching dryly.

[Tsk, what a tragedy. A forum-ranked top 100 Diviner, brought so low by a curse-type talent.]

[Zhou Qimeng. Self-made first-generation rich. CEO of a listed gaming company.]

[Peak spiritual power threshold: 7,600. Registered B-Class Diviner.]

[Talent: Virtual World. Ability similar to hypnosis. Rank 39 on the list.]

[Pollution Deviation: Virtualization, Pixelation.]

Lu Yan looked at the man before him, handsome enough to be a male model, and once again felt the severe competition within the circle. "He's that 'Any 1s here?' guy? He looks perfectly fine. Can't find a partner?"

[He's a looks-obsessed snob. Extremely so. Likes people who look like CG models.]

[Incidentally, you seem to fit his aesthetic.]

For a moment, Lu Yan wasn't sure whether to extend his hand. "Hello. Lu Yan."

Since the purpose of the visit was treatment, they skipped further pleasantries.

For this session, Zhou Qimeng had specially prepared an operating room in his home.

Chen Shisi and the Detective had been sent away.

Zhou Qimeng, supporting his heavy belly, slowly settled into a reclining chair and undid his shirt buttons. "Twelve said he explained on the way, so I won't repeat it. From the moment this fetus appeared, it's been draining my power. It's only been a month, but my spiritual power threshold has already dropped to around 5,500."

He unfastened all the buttons on his loose shirt, revealing the full expanse of his stomach.

Lu Yan's eyes narrowed slightly.

Zhou Qimeng's belly was abnormally distended. Perhaps stretched too thin, the skin had become a semi-transparent, flesh-toned gray. Thick blood vessels bulged, tirelessly pumping dark, bluish-black blood toward the monstrosity at its center.

It was indeed a monster. The fetus inside Zhou Qimeng already had a humanoid shape, a long tail curled behind it, its face resembling some alien horror. Bulging eyeballs hung on either side of its cheeks like a goldfish's.

Upon seeing Lu Yan, the terrifying visage actually smiled at him.

The infant stretched out a hand, and a small palm-shaped bulge pressed against Zhou Qimeng's taut skin.

Silently, Lu Yan pulled out the detector he'd just collected from the Prevention Center. The device resembled a stethoscope.

On the instrument, Zhou Qimeng's pollution level was indeed not high—only 32. But when moved over the infant in his belly, the detector emitted a warning chime. Pollution value: 900. D-Class pollutant.

"When my belly first started swelling, I performed a C-section once. But the fetus grew back quickly." Zhou Qimeng's abdomen was crisscrossed with surgical scars. "Three surgeries in one month. I was afraid of losing control later. Each time the pollution value exceeded 1,000, I'd find someone to perform a C-section. But it grows faster each time. If you can't resolve this... I'll have no choice but to seek help from the Research Institute."

Zhou Qimeng was grateful for the Research Institute's contributions to humanity's future—provided he wasn't the one being studied.

Every non-official Diviner who sought the Institute's help was rumored to leave having been skinned alive.

Lu Yan asked the system, his face impassive, "Is this something I can treat?"

[Yes. Perform a C-section, then kill the infant and have Wang Yu eat the polluted placenta. That should do it.]

In the month following Lu Yan, Wang Yu had eaten plenty of strange things. But most were pollutants. This would be its first time consuming something from a living person.

The system sensed his hesitation. [Why would you think a placenta growing on a man is normal? That thing is the pollutant. No different from the frog-men or blood-men you've eaten.]

His dialogue with the system happened in his mind. To an outside observer, he simply wore the stethoscope-like detector, his expression serious as he conducted the examination.

After a long while, Lu Yan spoke. "It seems treatable. I'll try."

A flicker of hope cut through the suffocating despair in Zhou Qimeng’s eyes. He shifted upright in the chair. “Really?”

The movement caused a warm, milky-white fluid to drip onto the back of Lu Yan’s hand, carrying a faint, cloying sweetness.

A slit opened in the palm of Lu Yan’s left hand. Wang Yu stirred, curious, its tongue beginning to probe. Lu Yan slammed his hand down on the table, pinning it.

The silence was thick enough to choke on. Lu Yan grabbed a tissue, wiped his hand clean. Then, unable to resist, he washed it with a splash of sterile water.

The Prevention Center’s intelligence was often flawed, but one detail was painfully accurate.

Lu Yan’s aversion to filth was very, very real.

Zhou Qimeng felt a deeper, more profound humiliation than any he had ever known. “My apologies, doctor. The pregnancy… sometimes these things are beyond my control.”