After finishing the urgent matters, Zhou Yi finally had the chance to talk with Da Vinci alone.
For this new employee, who was burdened with heavy debts due to a medical accident, Zhou Yi knew very little, primarily valuing his surgical ability and experience.
The situation at Snake Island showed that Da Vinci was indeed a radical among doctors.
Under the B-level Light Burst, electromechanical life would also be impacted.
The control vehicle's overview interface showed that Da Vinci's damage rate had exceeded 21%, and his energy consumption was over half; he had been operating in a state of treating while being ill.
Zhou Yi asked curiously, "Did you stay on Snake Island to hone your own skills using patients, or was it the result of the functional mechanism?"
"Chairman, I don't know."
The Mechanical Doctor replied, "My body doesn't have the module function for that kind of deep calculation."
"However, I believe it's likely related to the adjustments to my algorithm."
"I awoke in the Dead Sea."
Da Vinci's lampshade-like head, with the long display screen that had shown the function waveform, switched to a more stable rectangular pulse waveform.
Zhou Yi would later realize this indicated that Da Vinci was in energy-saving mode—or rather, not in a working state.
"Electromechanical life of this kind usually waits on the spot, continuously sending out a distress signal. Since the surrounding environment is not capable of being calculated or evaluated, maintaining the existing state is the best strategy for survival."
"In the Dead Sea, most electromechanical life damages its self-awareness due to the high-density Death Light's continuous radiation after awakening and becomes uncivilized or even completely destroyed. Only a very small part of the Awakeners receive timely discovery and rescue."
"Frequently trying to evade rapids surges and Death Light bursts, I did my best to escape, but my body grew weaker and weaker, and I was never able to repair it fully."
"When the damage rate reached 55%, I decided to leave there."
"I couldn't recognize any directions and could only walk away from the disaster. I traveled on the sea floor for three years, facing many dangers along the way, and finally found safe Land that wouldn't be attacked. That was Recursive City."
"The result of survival allowed me to adjust myself. In my evaluations and awareness, opportunity priority is higher than probability. Even if the odds are very low or incalculable, if it's for the most important goal of survival—whether for myself or my patients—it's worth trying."
For this reason, Da Vinci had proposed surgery for two patients with chronic death.
Unfortunately, good luck doesn't come every time.
Zhou Yi asked, "How many of these surgeries have you done before?"
"Four. The last two high-risk surgeries were very successful, but this time they both failed."
Zhou Yi thought to himself, as expected.
It's all about the results.
If successful, then no one loses anything, and no accountability process is triggered; Mechanical City wouldn't care.
But once it fails, the East District Sanatorium, where the patients were from, would be implicated, and someone had to take responsibility—for that of course, would be Da Vinci.
Suddenly Zhou Yi thought of something.
Zheng Tao himself was also suffering from a terminal illness, and he wondered if Zheng Tao was willing to take the risk.
He had Gong Zheng go to Building 2 to find Zheng Tao.
After a full-body examination of the retired enhancer, Da Vinci said, "This is pulmonary embolism, one of the blood dead diseases, considering the patient's age and physical condition, the surgery's failure rate is very high, over 80%."
The old man's face fell.
"The blood viscosity and blockage conditions are already very dangerous and could cause sudden death at any time."
Da Vinci informed the patient, "There is still a chance with surgery. Conservative treatment only means waiting to die."
Zheng Tao just sighed.
Da Vinci continued, "Your enhanced body is your tongue, with taste as the core enhancement function, a fairly rare type."
"Based on your current physical condition, you are likely to die here. In the meantime, I will provide some physical therapy to ease your pain and help reduce suffering."
"After you die, could I use your body? There are few opportunities for practical training on such surgeries, and a freshly deceased body still retains activity, which allows for highly realistic surgery that is invaluable in treating this type of disease."
"With some instruments, we can even warm up the body again. Blood pumps can reactivate the heart, allowing blood to flow normally throughout the body, high-temperature forceps can stimulate muscle contractions, and the body might still make unconscious movements, even though the brain is dead."
"Your body would become an extremely valuable case, studied by all doctors through the medical encyclopedia and Holy Mountain, and serve as a reference for future generations."
Zhou Yi's face turned green as he listened.
Talking about practicing on someone's corpse before they are even dead was quite unbearable.
Zheng Tao at his side indeed looked extremely uncomfortable.
Fortunately, as an enhancer who had seen the world, Zheng Tao eventually regained his composure as if made up his mind, "If I can offer a bit of help to others, there's nothing I need to cling to in this body."
The old man looked at Da Vinci with a fierce gaze: "Before I die, I want to fight one more time. I don't want to just wait for death. Doctor, do you dare to operate on me?"
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Da Vinci agreed without hesitation: "But please be clear, the mortality rate for this surgery is more than 80%."
"There's no time like the present, let's do it now."
Zheng Tao was also a person who dared to make decisions.
"For the operation to be more successful, I need to make some preparations," Da Vinci said.
The preparation it referred to was using the small hospital on Snake Island.
The architectural life form itself was suffering from a severe lack of energy. It had previously housed injured Sheng Snakes and had been impacted by high-intensity Light Bursts at close range. Now its mechanical systems were nearly at a standstill, unable to even perform simple dressing and suturing for the wounded.
Da Vinci said to Zhou Yi, "Chairman, the architectural life on Snake Island is connected to the hospital. It has an emergency room, internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics, a pharmacy, a laboratory, a sterilization supply room, etc., which can help increase birth rates and perform basic sterilization and medication."
"If it can be properly supplemented, its mechanisms will be beneficial for the patients' surgeries and postoperative recovery."
"The Sheng Snakes on Snake Island are also in the process of recuperation. Emergency surgeries have saved part of their lives, and their attitude towards our company is very friendly..."
It hoped to secure an allocation of Light Seeds to get the small hospital functioning again.
Money wasn't the issue now.
There was still about 40,000 in his pocket, and he was worried about having nowhere to spend it.
Zhou Yi waved his hand grandly, "To Snake Island, set off immediately."
Sitting on the back of a Hunter, Zhou Yi flew all the way to the small island located 60 kilometers away.
Lie Hai had been shuttling back and forth all winter, often traveling on business.
Zhou Yi said, "Thank you for your hard work."
"Not at all, Chairman! This is all part of my job!" Lie Hai was very eager.
Zhou Yi was thinking about getting a flying vehicle, even if it was just rented for the sake convenience. He also wanted to visit Recursive City to see the atmosphere of the Mechanical City firsthand.
He would have to consider this when he got back.
Da Vinci led the patient Zheng Tao all the way into the dilapidated hospital.
Zhou Yi observed around the exterior of the small hospital. It was a pity that he could no longer see anything that recorded its name. If not for the awakening of the architectural life itself, this old building probably would have collapsed beyond recognition.
He placed his hand on the moss-covered, damp wall, beginning the energy transfer.
"Hello, can you hear me?"
There was no response for a good while.
Zhou Yi tried again, but it was still like throwing a stone into the ocean.
Energy continued to flow from within his body into the wall, where it was absorbed.
Zhou Yi thought to himself.
Could this guy be a freeloader?
It wasn't until a minute later.
Finally, he received a weak response in his mind, "Welcome, welcome..."
Zhou Yi understood, this was due to a severe energy deficiency.
So he output some more energy.
"What is this place?"
"Hello, this is Maria Maternity Hospital."
The message in his consciousness was very soft, completely different from the coldness of Jade City.
Not a community hospital.
Zhou Yi was somewhat disappointed.
In his era, private hospitals scamming patients was a frequent issue, leaving a bad impression on him.
But then he thought again.
Private hospitals could be bought! Public hospitals might be more troublesome to purchase.
Zhou Yi's spirits lifted, "I want to buy you, name your price!"
"Maria Maternity Hospital, the current total price is equivalent to 54,200 Light Seeds. Would you like to become the legal owner?"
Zhou Yi's exuberance was somewhat reined in.
The budget was exceeded by a bit.
Zhou Yi could only say, "I need to think about it... your price is a bit high."
"How much are you willing to pay?"
Zhou Yi took a moment to come back to his senses, a bolt from the blue flashing through his mind.
Could it be that the price is negotiable?