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Chapter 131

Chapter 131: Lobotomy

Chen Wenwei’s surgery was arranged first . The operation was set to take place in an I-Grade Super Sterile Surgical Room on the neurology floor of the surgical building . I-Grade had the highest sterility among all the surgical rooms . It had the fewest dust particles and the lowest density of microorganisms . It was most suitable for brain and organ transplant surgeries .

Inside the spacious surgical room, Chen Wenwei in the patient’s garb was already lying flat on the operation table . His eyes were closed due to full body anesthetic . Compared to this morning, the patient’s youthful face appeared even more tired . His cheeks had sunk even further . The anesthetists and nurses were already waiting . Soon, the surgical door opened, and the medical unit in sterile scrubs walked into the room . Gu Jun was among them . Looking at the surgical lights and the surgical tools, he felt a sense of belonging . It reminded him of the last surgery he had performed . Ironically, even though the environment was far more appropriate than a dirty stone path, the imminent operation was going to be far more barbaric than a simple amputation .

“The patient’s vitals are stable,” the anesthetist, Guo Jun, informed them . “The drugs can still keep the patient’s central nervous system under control . ”

Gu Jun glanced at the encephalogram on the screen of the patient monitor system . The signal showed that Chen Wenwei was in a deep sleep state . Currently, the graph was no different from a normal person’s, but no one could tell what kind of reaction he would go through during the operation . The standard procedure for a lobotomy came from a rather backward era, so the accuracy could not be guaranteed . It was one of the reasons why it was frowned upon all over the world . However, with a more mature method and more advanced imaging devices like MRIs, the accuracy of the surgery had been highly improved . A lobotomy would be used in some situations to heal a concussion or brain tumor .

However, the patients of Nightmare Illness provided another layer of complication . Their immune system had been weakened by the illness, so the operation had to take into consideration their post-surgery recovery . Therefore, the operation draft would be a combination of old and new technology . It would most effectively destroy the prefrontal cortex while limiting the damage to bare minimum .

The main surgeon, Si Kouxian; the first assistant, Song Yilong; and the rest looked like they were ready for war . Even though the group of middle-aged men was the best neurosurgeon Eastern State’s Medical Department had to offer . Even for the fourth assistant, craniotomies were an everyday affair for them, but they lacked experience in this kind primitive operation procedure . Furthermore, they knew that they could not afford to make any mistakes .

“Just treat this as a normal operation,” Si Kouxian said to encourage the group and himself . The group moved toward the surgical table—the positioning of everyone was different from neurological surgeries . The main surgeon was posted above the patient’s head, the anesthetic machine was placed on his left side, and the mobile system and other devices were on the right . Gu Jun stood behind the nurses and machines as he watched the surgery unfold . At the same time, through the cameras placed above the surgical lights and the cameras around the room, the situation was broadcast live on a big screen inside a conference room one floor above this surgical room, the research center at the psychology building and the headquarters . Countless researchers were studying this operation quietly; Prof Qin and Tang Zhifeng were among them .

Soon, the surgery started on the many screens . Chen Wenwei’s head was fixed in place with a three-point head clamp and was turned ninety degrees for an easier entry for the surgery . His head had been shaved clean . The EEG kit was moved away from the surgical spot . Fresh blood poured out before blood flow was stopped . The surgeon started with an incision on the scalp before moving onto flipping back the skin…

Gu Jun focused his attention as he watched . He had read the material before he came and participated in the pre-surgical meeting, so he knew what was happening . A small hole would be drilled into two sides of the patient’s skull, and then they would conduct the operation on three different spots on each side . Currently, the main surgeon used the electric saw to cut open the temporal fascia, temporal lobe, and periosteal layer . The muscle was peeled back from the periosteum and pinned into place by hooks . The patient’s skull was thus exposed .

“Cranial drill,” the main surgeon ordered . The nurse moved to oblige . Si Kouxian accepted a Midas Rex cranial drill affixed with a small drill bit . He leaned forward and aimed it at the patient’s skull . He prepared to punch open a hole right above the patient’s ear canal . This location had been accurately calculated before . The sound of drilling echoed inside the room . It shattered the silence everywhere the surgery was broadcast live . Anxiety surged around like invisible waves .

The people conducting the surgery were experienced neurosurgeons . This was Gu Jun’s first craniological surgery . Seeing the patient’s skull being operated on, he felt some kind of buzzing feeling in his own skull . He watched as the rapidly spinning drill bit slowly made its way into the patient’s hard skull .

As Song Yilong, the first assistant, used a scrapper to clear away the bone dust under the drilled hole, Si Kouxiang accepted a leucotome from the nurse . This surgical device looked like a huge screwdriver . It had a long body that could extend deep into one’s brain, and the sides of the body were rounded, leaving no sharp edges . The surgical instrument’s end tapered into a metallic ring . With a pull of the handle, the ring would spin from the kinetic force and shear through the nervous fiber .

Si Kouxian had already poked the head of the leucotome into the brain through the drilled hole . When he reached the predesignated location, he stopped . Long Yilong used the surgical probe to access the latest scan . The monitor next to them showcased the brain’s current situation as a 3D image, combining it with the MRI data obtained pre-operation . This would allow Si Kouxian to adjust the location of the ring more accurately .

“This is a surgery that has been awarded a Nobel prize before,” Si Kouxian mumbled as he pulled on the handle . Instantly, there was a resounding snip . The metallic ring that was hidden inside the patient’s brain had scrambled a part of the patient’s prefrontal lobe .

With one part down, there were two more spots to go . It felt like the air in the room had frozen . Gu Jun had no expression on his face; no one could really tell what kind of complication would arise from this kind of primitive procedure . But he also knew that if they did not find a treatment for the Nightmare Illness soon, it would only get worse . The surgical options would get more and more barbaric . Cingulotomy, cerebral hemispherectomy…

Basically, their option was to cut here a little, remove a bit there, to see what would happen . This was inhumane to say the least, but the patients had no choice nor did the doctors . Facing an illness where modern medicine had failed them, they had all gone back to the dark ages . Si Kouxian had not finished adjusting the leucotome when a sharp beeping sound reverberated around the surgical room . The situation that they were worried about had occurred . The anesthetist uttered worriedly, “The patient’s heart rate is increasing! The EEG is also straying . This…”

The data on all those devices was all over the place, but before the group could decide what to do, a strange and hoarse voice interrupted them . It came from the patient’s skull .

“Ah . ” The nurse handling the machines was the first to scream . Then, the expressions of the patrolling nurses and the group of doctors all darkened . Chen Wenwei, who literally had a hole still open in his brain, suddenly opened his eyes . His mouth was mumbling something, but there was only chaos and emptiness in his eyes .

“Command, the patient… the patient has woken up . ” Si Kouxian was stunned beyond belief . Although they had prepared a contingency plan in preparation of the patient’s active reaction, that was only with regards to mobility changes while still under the effect of anesthetic . Throughout the history of medicine, there were only a handful of patients who had regained consciousness in the middle of their surgery . They could feel pain and could hear the sound of the medical officers around them, but they could not speak or move . Some anesthetics came with muscle relaxants, so some patients’ muscles would flinch during surgery, but that was perfectly normal .

However, what was happening to Chen Wenwei was definitely not normal . The man was opening his eyes and speaking .

“Wenwei?” Si Kouxian tried to calm himself down . He immediately asked, “Wenwei, can you hear me?”

Gu Jun watched this exchange from the side, and suddenly, a strong warning gripped his heart…

“Ph…” Chen Wenwei’s body did not move . His head remained fixed in place, but his face was startlingly white . His eyes were so red, it looked like the capillaries in the eyes were about to pop . The strange, throaty noise continued to echo out from his mouth .

“Nglui… nafh… Cthulhu…”

Gu Jun’s eyes widened as the discovery descended upon him . It was that sentence!

“Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn . ”

At almost the same time, he could feel a giant mental wave ravaging the room like a palpable wave . It erupted from where Chen Wenwei was lying .

“Ah!” Si Kouxian and Song Yilong, who were closest to the patient, screamed helplessly . Their hands reached instinctively to their splitting heads . Their faces that were hidden behind the masks were blanched, and their bodies were shaking like leaves in a storm .

Then the second assistant, third assistant, the anesthetist, and the nurses were consumed by extreme pain! All except… Gu Jun .