Appeal

"Wait!"

When Mrs. Jin was still five meters away from the [Magic Mirror], Dr. Hua spoke up.

"I am not rushing to my death, but according to the rules of the [Trial], Mr. Chen Miemie, you are implying that I want to destroy the seal. This is an insult to my reputation.

Therefore, to choose someone who already harbors an alien race in their home instead of me... please state your reasons clearly."

Mrs. Jin paused her steps.

Chen Miemie turned to him.

"Dr. Hua, you might think we've only met twice, but in truth, my understanding of you far exceeds your imagination."

"I'm all ears."

"How I know is quite complicated, so let's just skip that part.

Dr. Hua, your request just now was to enact laws banning organ transplants, right?"

"Yes, this is what I have always insisted on at the clinic."

"Indeed, if one were to gather your background information, the entire East District Clinic would probably think this request perfectly fits your persona.

But I have always had a doubt.

That is, Dr. Hua, why are you so opposed to organ transplants?

This technology does indeed spawn some black and gray market industries, but the technology itself is a normal medical procedure.

If it's solely because it indirectly causes organ trafficking, there are plenty of gray industries in the medical field, yet I haven't seen you fight against every single one of them.

If I remember correctly, your initial motivation for studying medicine as a child was because of your grandmother's illness, but your grandmother did not die from an organ transplant either.

Therefore, I have never been able to find the source of your obsession."

Dr. Hua clapped his hands. "It seems you really do know me very well. To be observed like this without me noticing in the slightest, you are quite impressive. So, what is your theory?"

"Theory? Hmm, that's a good word for it. I am indeed not entirely certain.

I think the difference between organ transplants and other gray medical practices lies in this:

You have to personally remove the organs from the original donor, and I believe that is what you cannot accept.

I have seen your surgical data.

With your exquisite medical skills and the blessing of [Mystic] abilities, your surgical success rate is as high as 90 percent, and that is even when taking on all sorts of difficult and complicated cases.

Dr. Hua, you didn't have a great background, you matured early, and while you appear to follow the rules, you actually understand the ways of the world far more deeply than others.

So I guessed.

Is it possible that you are well aware this world is not so black and white, and that shady deeds cannot be stopped, so you set a bottom line for yourself—

At the very least, you cannot personally harm the innocent. As for what others do, you don't want to interfere, nor can you.

Organ transplants hit right against your bottom line; it requires you to personally deprive an innocent person of an important organ.

I wonder, did I guess right?"

The corner of Dr. Hua's eye twitched slightly.

"If the occasion weren't wrong, I would have taken you as a confidant and had a good couple of drinks with you."

"I'll remember that. You owe me two drinks."

"Your guess is mostly correct, but that has nothing to do with your choice today, does it?"

"Of course it does.

Dr. Hua, since your bottom line is merely that you won't do it yourself, then the sole request you would trade your life for shouldn't be to stop others from performing organ transplants.

If your request today was to deal with a few powerful figures you have a grudge against but normally can't touch, I might have believed it a bit. But this fake request you presented is far too noble and completely lacks any of your personal desires."

"I have no worries about food and clothing now, and I don't have any personal desires."

"Really? Do you need me to remind you?

The position of clinic director is hopeless, and you might even be pushed out of the clinic.

Powerful figures have teamed up to pressure you, and even your backer, the Jiang family, has abandoned you.

But can you just leave your grudges unavenged?

For example, Scar and his sister, or your first medical mentor, Director Guo?

Even when you had some power in the clinic, you couldn't touch them. In the future, you won't have the slightest chance."

"How do you know about Scar, and Director Guo!"

"In this world full of mysteries, secrets aren't leaked when a second person knows them, but rather, the possibility of exposure exists the moment the first person knows."

Dr. Hua's surprise did not last long. There was no point in agonizing over how he knew anymore.

"Haha, hahaha... Since you know everything, then I have indeed lost."

The two of them did not continue this topic.

At this point, they were only a thin piece of paper away from the truth of Dr. Hua destroying the seal.

Top-down is called reform; bottom-up is called revolution.

When there is no hope of climbing to the top to dictate reform, falling into the dust at the bottom leaves only one path: revolution.

And for an underclass person wanting to overthrow and rebuild the old order, the first step is to completely destroy everything that exists.

For Sixiang City, losing the seal is the first step in the destruction of the old order.

And right now, this is Dr. Hua's only chance to destroy the seal.

"Dr. Hua, you've asked me quite a bit. I also have a few things I'm unclear about. Can you help clear my doubts?"

"Tell me."

"How exactly did Director Guo of the clinic die?"

Dr. Hua sank slightly into his memories, his gaze seemingly looking far away.

"That night.

I took Director Guo to the ward. I cured him, and we talked for a long time.

We hadn't talked so calmly in a long time. It felt as if time had gone back to when I was just a boy, first entering the clinic.

Director Guo had been attacked by the circulating head nurse. He didn't lose his life, but he suffered considerable pain. My treatment made him very grateful; he thought I had saved his life.

At the end of our chat, he said to me, 'I've changed my mind. I support you, and I will go talk to the higher-ups.'

I watched him send out a message supporting me to become the director.

Then, the next day, he died.

Thinking back on it later, it wasn't surprising. He was about to retire and had already lost his value. Being disobedient in the end truly gave them a reason to kill him.

I don't know who exactly did it, and it doesn't really matter. If I had to give it a name, it would be 'the powerful elites'."

"I see. That is a bit of a pity.

However, Dr. Hua, for twenty years you have treated illnesses and saved lives, adhering to your bottom line. You must revere life. Do you not realize that your choice will cause countless bloodshed? This seems somewhat contradictory to your unwillingness to harm the innocent."

"When you save too many people and receive too much gratitude, a person becomes numb.

I have seen too many people cured on their hospital beds, only to lose their lives the moment they walk out of the clinic.

I slowly realized that a doctor's abilities are limited. Sometimes, we cannot even decide what happens inside the operating room.

Illness is not just in the person; it is in the family, in the city, in the era itself.

If you want to cure the disease, you cannot hope to do so without spilling a single drop of blood, without leaving a single wound, or without bearing any side effects.

Therefore, Mr. Chen Miemie, is there another possibility?

The request I made at the very beginning—'to enact laws and perfect the rules'—is my true desire."