C25 Penetrating Carbuncle

The resuscitation room lights went out.

The attempt to save the man lasted barely ten minutes.

Morio watched the flatline on the electrocardiogram and, unable to contain himself, pulled down his mask to reveal a brooding look.

It wasn't the old man's death that upset him.

The man was a stranger to him, no relation at all.

So, his life or death didn't really concern Morio.

What really irked him was the loss of any chance to pass his professional evaluation.

"Damn, such rotten luck," he muttered.

With a scowl, Morio gave the gurney a vicious kick and spat out, "You picked the worst possible time to die!"

A nurse, visibly shaken, presented Morio with the old man's death certificate for his signature.

Signing with a fury, Morio nearly tore through the paper.

"Dr. Chen, what should we do with the body?" the nurse asked after taking the signed certificate.

"Just dump it in the morgue for now. We'll wait for the family to claim it before deciding on cremation." Morio waved his hand dismissively and left.

The "body" of the old man was covered with a white sheet and wheeled to the morgue.

At that moment, a shadowy figure stealthily followed behind.

Inside the morgue, the transporter left the body carelessly and exited, closing the door behind him.

As soon as the door shut, the figure silently appeared next to the old man.

It was Westley.

He first checked the old man's neck, then lifted his shirt to take a closer look.

There were four tiny needle marks on the old man's chest.

A small cluster of reddish blood had accumulated at those points.

This was the vital heart blood.

The heart, being the most crucial organ, is the essence of life.

Only with the heart's cessation does true death occur.

Westley's earlier use of the Four Seal Needles was to lock the heart blood, inducing a hibernation-like state.

Thus protected, the heart blood wouldn't drain away, and the old man wouldn't die immediately but rather enter a state of suspended animation.

"Thank goodness that foolish doctor didn't go ahead with surgery on the elderly man. That would have spelled disaster," Westley shook his head.

To Westley, epilepsy wasn't particularly challenging to treat.

He had discovered another ailment within the old man.

This illness was unlike any common disease.

Penetrating carbuncle!

He gently turned the old man's body over and, sure enough, spotted a mole the size of a green bean on his back.

The mole was directly aligned with the old man's heart.

In truth, the Penetrating carbuncle wasn't really a mole.

It was a condition that had slowly developed from the old man's daily exhaustion and his heart's inability to cope.

The complexity of this condition was significant, involving not just an abnormal heart blood supply but also poor lifestyle choices among various other factors.

The risk posed by the Penetrating carbuncle was akin to living with a ticking time bomb.

Should the patient's actions cause the carbuncle to burst, there would be only one result—death!

Blood would then spurt from the spot until the patient bled out completely.

The manner of death was nothing short of horrifying.

"Luckily, you found me."

With a slight smile and a moment's contemplation, Westley took a silver needle and inserted it into the Penetrating carbuncle...

In the internal medicine department, Morio was chatting up the new nurse.

The new nurse was quite attractive, constantly pressing her seductive body against Morio as they spoke.

Morio was far from being a man of integrity.

His hands roamed inappropriately over the nurse's body as he whispered sweet nothings that would make anyone blush.

His bitterness over failing the professional exam had been thoroughly eclipsed by the enticing sensations before him.

Suddenly, the door burst open with a bang.

A tall, burly man in a black suit entered.

The scantily clad nurse, startled, quickly jumped back.

"Who are you?"

Morio's question was cut short as he promptly clamped his mouth shut.

A procession of seven or eight imposing men entered the clinic, one after the other.

Dressed in suits and sunglasses, they resembled emotionless robots, exuding an air of detachment.

"Who in the world are you guys?" Morio stood there, stunned.

The men in black lined up in two rows, standing with arms crossed, their gaze fixed ahead.

Shortly thereafter, a middle-aged man clad in a brown suit and wearing glasses made his way in at a leisurely pace.

Standing around 5 feet 9 inches tall, his hair was impeccably groomed, and behind his spectacles, his square face was set with eyes that sparkled with intensity.

His mere presence exuded an air of unapproachability.

Such a demeanor couldn't have been developed overnight; it was likely the result of a long tenure in a position of power.

Clearly, he was a person of considerable influence.

Morio Chen realized this in a heartbeat.

As he was about to introduce himself, two more individuals hurried in.

Morio recognized them immediately.

The portly, shorter man was none other than Benjamin, the hospital director, and accompanying him was his mentor, Ledford.

The arrival of both the director and the deputy director to greet this man spoke volumes of his esteemed status.

"Dean, Director Ledford," Morio greeted them quickly.

Ledford signaled to him with a glance to remain silent.

Benjamin, on the other hand, didn't even acknowledge Morio. Instead, he warmly welcomed the newcomer. "Director Freeman, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Director Freeman?

Morio was taken aback.

Was he from the illustrious Freeman family of Lindzac City, ranked among the top five?

The Freeman family boasted a legendary figure—Sayeed Freeman.

In his youth, Sayeed made a name for himself in the social sphere, becoming well-known throughout the Jiangnan region.

Growing weary of conflict, he later ventured into the business world and single-handedly established a commercial empire, propelling the Freeman family to the pinnacle of success.

As Sayeed aged, he stepped back from the limelight, passing the reins to his son, Reeve Freeman.

Despite the emergence of new talents, the Freeman family's comprehensive strength had consistently remained in Lindzac City's top five, never once slipping.

The depth of the Freeman family's legacy was indeed profound.

And the man before them was none other than the current patriarch of the Freeman family, Reeve Freeman.

Reeve was celebrated as the heir who most embodied Sayeed Freeman's spirit and was recognized as a titan of industry.

"Hello," Reeve Freeman greeted Benjamin with a brief handshake.

Considering his stature, the simple act of shaking hands with Benjamin was a generous gesture of respect.

"Director Freeman, may I inquire about the purpose of your visit?" Benjamin asked with caution.

"My father collapsed suddenly while out for a walk. I was informed that he was brought here, so I came to check on his condition," Reeve explained calmly.

Benjamin was taken aback.

He was completely unaware of the situation.

"I understand that the doctor who brought him in was Dr. O'Brien."

Reeve's gaze fixed on Morio with an intensity that seemed to pierce through him, "How is my father doing now?"

Morio felt as though lightning had struck him.

Damn it!

The elderly man from earlier was Reeve's father?

This is a disaster!

How am I supposed to break the news to him?

Do I tell him that his father has passed away?

Despite the mild weather of early spring, Morio was drenched in sweat, his clothes clinging to his skin.

Reeve's expression hardened as he pressed, "Dr. O'Brien, what is the current state of my father's health?"

His voice rose sharply, carrying an authoritative weight that demanded attention.

Beneath that imposing presence, Morio managed only a mournful tone, "I'm sorry, Mr. Freeman. I did everything within my power to save him. But he..."

He trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid, yet the implication hung heavily in the air.

"What?"