Chapter 320: This Life is Set

Tokyo, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital.

Golden sunlight entered the dim department through the gaps in the blinds, strands of gold illuminating the thick piles of documents on the table and making the white tile floor shine; under the reflection of the light, the entire dim office was as magnificent as Toyotomi Hideyoshi's golden tea room, layered and constantly shifting, like the steps of an ivory tower, rising higher with every step.

Yet it was also cold and desolate.

The cold air drifting in from outside felt bone-chilling, and the entire department was as noisy as a marketplace, with everyone busy with their own affairs.

According to custom, today was the morning rounds for Professor Zaizen of the First Surgery Department.

Amidst the movement of white coats and nurse uniforms, only one young man stood out as out of place; on his desk sat a cardboard box, filled with documents and books.

Grabbing his white coat and throwing it over his shoulders, the tall young man with a cold, handsome face packed away a stack of documents; he stood up abruptly, his voice like a booming bell, like a thunderclap on flat ground: "Everyone!"

The busy, noisy First Surgery Department instantly fell silent; over a dozen pairs of eyes stared at the young man simultaneously, filled with confusion, displeasure, disdain, and sympathy, among other things.

"I have been in your care for a long time!" the young man continued loudly, his tone loud, but his voice cold: "Starting today, I will be transferred to the Forensic Pathology Department. May we meet again if fate allows!"

Having said this, the young man bowed slightly, picked up his box, and walked out of the First Surgery Department with long strides.

The name tag on his white coat swayed incessantly.

"Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital, Forensic Pathology Department, Intern Physician, Uesugi Muneyuki."

Ignoring the whispers behind him, the young man clutching his box walked against the flow, leaving the First Surgery Department behind; a burst of noise came from the hospital entrance outside, and another tense morning had begun.

Patients seeking treatment stepped into the hospital lobby one after another, nurses in clean white uniforms were registering patients at the front desk, doctors from the emergency department jogged by pushing IV drips, an elderly person with a pale face sat on the hollow iron chairs in the lobby staring blankly at the big screen, and parents anxiously asked about their children's conditions.

Busy, noisy, and orderly.

Only he was out of place, as lonely as an isolated island in the ocean.

Intern physicians were not allowed to use the elevator alone, so he could only carry his cardboard box through the corridors and stairs.

The Pathology Department was located in the corner of the medical building with the worst lighting; compared to other departments, it was colder here, the air filled with the unique scent of disinfectant and dust, the glass door at the end of the corridor was locked, and a pile of discarded IV poles, wheelchairs, and hospital beds were stacked together, blocking the path to the deeper areas; the morning sun had not yet reached this place, but the haze of death had long shrouded it.

A hospital is a place where death occurs every day, and doctors are a group of people who make a living by writing about the life and death of others.

It was terrifyingly quiet here, but this was not strange, because other places were for the living, while this place was for the dead.

Upon opening the door, one was hit by a strong smell of formalin, human organs were soaked in bottles arranged on shelves, layers of document bags told the history of humanity's struggle against disease since prehistoric times, and on the monitor were residual image data; an old man with a face as thin as a monkey's, deep wrinkles, and hair all combed back with a sparse crown looked up from a pile of report papers.

"You've come?" His voice was dry.

"Nice to meet you, I am Uesugi Muneyuki. Starting today, I will be interning under you, Professor Okochi. Please treat me well." The young man bowed a not-quite-standard bow while holding his cardboard box.

"I have already heard." The old man tilted his head back against the soft chair, his brows slightly furrowed, his deep eye sockets and hooked nose imposing without anger, his hands pressed on the armrests: "You are here to be a doctor, not to run for Lawmaker. This is a National Hospital, not a place to see who has the loudest voice."

"……I apologize." The young man's face was as indifferent and cold as the cool moon in a well; he put down the box and bowed slightly: "I was just……"

"I had originally intended not to take on any more apprentices, if not for your grandfather asking me." The old man put down the documents in his hand, clasped his fingers together, and stared at the young man with cold eyes: "Have you really thought this through? The field of forensic medicine is a very famous 7K industry."

"Do I have any other choice now?" Uesugi Muneyuki bowed again: "Before I officially become your disciple, I would like to ask you one thing."

The old man did not speak; he simply signaled with his eyes for Uesugi Muneyuki to continue.

"Was I wrong to do that?"

"Uesugi-kun." The old man seemed to have anticipated this question; he pondered for a moment and shook his head: "Whether to tell a patient their exact condition is a question that will never have a correct answer. Medicine does not possess absolutes; we are engaged in an eternal war."

"Perhaps as Zaizen said, your personality is better suited for looking at the dead than the living, because the dead do not speak, and we only need to state the facts clearly." Before the old man finished speaking, an even louder sound came from above the ceiling.

An emotionless electronic female voice passed through the cold corridor of the Inpatient Department, followed closely by the sound of dense footsteps.

"Professor Zaizen's general rounds."

Being a professor leading morning rounds is every doctor's dream, but now that dream was already out of reach.

"In the National Hospital, the one with the loudest voice is the professor." Uesugi Muneyuki glanced at the ceiling: "And also the one with the best medical skills."

"We have too many politicians here, but very few doctors." Professor Okochi clasped his fingers together and managed a forced smile: "If there are no other questions…… welcome to the Forensic Pathology Department, Uesugi."

Uesugi Muneyuki returned an equally awkward smile; a complex pain lingered in his chest, both painful and slightly pleasant; he recalled his experiences over the past 22 years, and ripples stirred in his eyes.

He was not from this world; by traditional definition, he was a transmigrator from the Celestial Empire.

But unlike other transmigrators, Uesugi Muneyuki did not awaken until his second year of high school; the reason was that he had accidentally touched the Bishamonten statue that his brother Uesugi Sadanori had brought back from an archaeological site; at that moment, he finally recalled his past life and recovered the memories of his previous life.

Yes, he was born into the Uesugi Residence, the very Yamauchi Uesugi clan of the Dragon of Echigo, Uesugi Kenshin, the Yonezawa Uesugi clan of the Feudal Lord of Yonezawa Domain, Uesugi Kagekatsu; he was the second son of the family, having lived a superior and affluent life since childhood; his grandfather was a professor at the University of Tokyo, his father was the director of the Tokyo Cultural Exchange Hall, and his brother was an Archaeological Researcher at Waseda University.

Regarding how to accept the fact of his transmigration and how to accept his new identity, Uesugi Muneyuki had learned to silently accept it over the past few years; regardless, life had to go on, and regardless, he had to strive to live and live well.

Naturally, there was also finding that missing her.

The side effect of the transmigration was that Uesugi Muneyuki liked things that were real; nothing made Uesugi Muneyuki feel more grounded than seeking truth within a fake world.

He liked the truth.

Unfortunately, the patients did not seem to like it; he received the most complaints in the medical department; when other doctors and nurses tried to use "well-intentioned" lies to gently test whether patients understood their condition, what Uesugi Muneyuki liked to say most was "It is cancer."

And his medical skills were really not that brilliant; being able to get into Tokyo Medical and Dental University was just him bringing out the drive of a small-town test-taker from his past life to memorize everything by rote.

The result was that Uesugi Muneyuki was transferred from the glorious Surgery Department to the Forensic Pathology Department.

Forensic medicine? Not even a dog would study it!

Pathology department? Not even a dog would go there!

Traditionally, the most popular department in a hospital is Surgery; the Forensic Medicine Department not only has no perks, but basically has no research projects, and there is no so-called seniority system to slowly get promoted; dirty, tiring, and dangerous are the synonyms for this profession, and once you get the stench of a corpse on you, no matter how many times you bathe, you cannot wash it off.

Being transferred to the Forensic Pathology Department, Uesugi Muneyuki's life was now "set."

And this was also a cursed profession; in the medical history of this world, the probability of forensic doctors dying bizarrely or dying suddenly from acute illness seemed to be much higher than that of ordinary doctors; no normal person would want to touch it.

The "7K" mentioned by Professor Okochi refers to "dangerous, dirty, tiring, strict, no breaks, no makeup, and unable to get married," representing the 7 types of work environments that Japanese people hate the most.

Unfortunately, forensic medicine had them all.

Now the whole family was finished.

Urging people to study medicine is like being struck by lightning; urging people to study forensic medicine is like being trapped in the Avici Hell for eternity, eating at the same table as Nurgle.

But Uesugi Muneyuki had no other choice; perhaps as Professor Okochi said, compared to looking at the living, he was better suited to looking at the dead; one didn't need to consider so much with the dead.

"Familiarize yourself with the environment first; the people from the Police Station will be here soon." Professor Okochi returned to his calm, unruffled expression: "Is this your first time coming into contact with a corpse?"

"Yes." Uesugi Muneyuki was also concise; facing this "fake" world after his transmigration, he always maintained a cold face.

The already cold and quiet environment did not gain any more vitality because of the arrival of a newcomer; Professor Okochi sat behind his desk, Uesugi Muneyuki cleared out a workspace, and the old man and the young man were silent, without even a bit of basic pleasantries or small talk.

Professor Okochi, a professor in the Forensic Pathology Department of the Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital, once served a term as the Division Director of the hospital's medical school; like Uesugi Muneyuki's grandfather, he is a recipient of the Emperor's Award, a true heavyweight in the medical world.

It is just that he is not easy to get along with; if it were not for his grandfather stepping in, he would absolutely not have taken him on.

There is always a feeling of Bodhi Patriarch taking on Sun Wukong.

So the question is, when will Professor Okochi knock on his head three times?

Uesugi Muneyuki was arranging his things, waiting for the arrival of the Police Station.

Why did he come to study medicine?

The reason is simple: his family proposed a condition to him. As a famous scholarly family, they promised that if Uesugi Muneyuki could get into a university at or above the level of a Super International Class A University, or a university designated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the family would pay his full tuition, miscellaneous fees, and living expenses.

Uesugi Muneyuki had no reason to refuse this proposal.

Spending two years, Uesugi Muneyuki raised his deviation score from 20 to nearly 70, finally getting into the Medical Department of the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, and the family cheered with joy.

Human joys and sorrows are not shared; Uesugi Muneyuki's only goal was to obtain the family's support.

Yes, the tuition for one year at Tokyo Medical and Dental University is as high as 1.3 million yen; if you add in miscellaneous fees, equipment costs, club fees, and living expenses, it costs at least 3 million yen a year.

Even as a transmigrator, Uesugi did not have the courage to shoulder over 8 million yen in scholarship loans before even entering society.

Yes, most scholarships in Japan are loans that must be repaid, and the annual interest rate is never lower than 3%; scholarship loans have even become a type of financial product.

Damn these Japanese days.

…………

After waiting for a while, someone came.

Two tall men in suits knocked on the door of the Forensic Pathology Department; one was old and one was young. The older man in the suit had a center-parted hairstyle, greasy hair, big eyes, and a big nose, and looked to be in his forties.

The younger man in the suit had small eyes, a thin, pockmarked face, and a fierce appearance, his cropped hair looking fresher than his greasy superior's.

"Excuse me, we are troubling you again this time, Professor Okochi." The older man in the suit took out his identification.

"Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Otsuka Police Station, Assistant Police Inspector, Tanaka Naoki."

A detective?

Uesugi Muneyuki thought calmly, because only detectives wear plain clothes all day.

Is there a case?

The other Police Sergeant, Kuwabara, also introduced himself.

One old and one young, a very classic pairing.

"Let's go." Professor Okochi stood up slowly, and Uesugi Muneyuki hurriedly introduced himself.

"A rookie?" Assistant Police Inspector Tanaka looked at Uesugi Muneyuki with interest: "Whoa, it's been a long time since I've seen such a rookie come to study forensic medicine. You're called Uesugi, right? The Uesugi of Uesugi Kenshin?"

"That's right, the Uesugi of Lord Kenshin." Uesugi Muneyuki only felt a sense of greasiness rushing toward him.

"Then your first time will be taken by me, Tanaka Naoki!" Assistant Police Inspector Tanaka said strange things, taking the initiative to reach out toward Uesugi Muneyuki: "There are a lot of elderly people in this area, so I might have to trouble you often in the future. Please treat me well!"

"Much..." Uesugi Muneyuki reluctantly shook hands with Assistant Police Inspector Tanaka; the other party's hand was very oily.

Sure enough, just after getting into the police car, Assistant Police Inspector Tanaka became particularly interested in Uesugi Muneyuki.

The steel and concrete on both sides retreated crazily, and the conversation inside the car did not stop.

"Hey, kid, you're so handsome, do you have a girlfriend? Are her breasts big?" Assistant Police Inspector Tanaka was in high spirits; what old people in the Japanese workplace like most is teasing rookies and asking all kinds of embarrassing questions. He could see that Professor Okochi had no intention of shielding Uesugi Muneyuki, and Uesugi Muneyuki himself was a pure rookie still in an internship, naturally a good target for bullying.

This is a common obedience test in the East Asian cultural sphere, a glorious and brilliant traditional culture.

Heh, the end of a forensic doctor.

Uesugi Muneyuki rolled his eyes and said unpleasantly: "No girlfriend, but I do have a lover, from Musashino University. Her breasts aren't big, but her legs are quite long; I should be able to date her for a few more months before switching to the next one."

"Whoa, little brother Uesugi plays quite wild~" Assistant Police Inspector Tanaka was very familiar; he held a rice ball and ate it sweetly and heartily: "Get ready, but this time it should be over very quickly."

"The deceased is Endo Masao, 72 years old, three generations living under one roof. The deceased was once a foreman for a construction company, and his body had entered a semi-incapacitated state since he turned 70."

"Yes, on the day of the incident, the deceased did not get up, but the family members did not pay attention until near noon when they went to check and found he had committed suicide by hanging. The situation and the scene basically match what the family said. We need a professional doctor to issue a death certificate."

"I see." Uesugi Muneyuki was expressionless: "Is it not an unnatural death?"

"Where would there be so many unnatural deaths?" Assistant Police Inspector Tanaka looked exhausted when he brought up this question: "Just close the case as a suicide. This is your first time dissecting a corpse, you don't want things to become troublesome, right? Little brother Uesugi?"

Me? You're letting me do it on my first time?

Seeming to see Uesugi Muneyuki's expression, Professor Okochi finally spoke.

"Yes, you will do it."

Heh, touching a corpse on the first day.

Uesugi Muneyuki closed his eyes.

I really have it in this life.

I finally managed to squeeze out the new book after holding it in for a few months. This time I will try a slightly different route; please support me.