Where's my golden core? Did you think I removed a kidney stone?

Su Ye appeared calm, but his hands were trembling slightly.

Holding the bag containing the 'Golden Core Prototype', a cool sensation flowed from Su Ye's hand into his chest, like a drop of ink falling into clear water, slowly and silently spreading within him.

There's an indescribable feeling of comfort, like taking a sip of ice-cold mineral water on a hot summer day, the coolness sliding from your throat all the way down to your stomach.

But this is not normal.

Su Ye lowered his eyes and mechanically followed the procedure to finish the surgery. His movements were normal and even more steady than usual.

My mind was utterly shocked.

[Water Embryo - Embryo of the Golden Elixir]

The special talent crystal formed in the kidney under supernatural conditions has been removed and will lose its activity within one day...

The line of translucent pale blue text vanished in the blink of an eye, as if it had never existed. But every single word was etched into his mind.

He couldn't help but think of that college student.

Wearing an anime T-shirt, with a clear-eyed naiveté, he asked in a booming voice, "Bro, are you really not a Golden Core cultivator?"

He thought it was absurd at the time.

Now he feels that he is the one who is being ridiculous.

That kid was right.

Depend on!

It really is a golden elixir.

How could something like this exist?

Or will it appear as... gallstones?

In my memory, this was a peaceful and ordinary world, until suddenly a 'nascent golden core' appeared...

That's so jarring!

……

The surgery is over.

Zhang Yuanping took off his gloves, stretched his neck, gave the circulating nurse a few instructions on postoperative precautions, and then glanced at Su Ye, saying, "Send the specimen to pathology and have them do a component analysis. Something about this stone just doesn't feel right; let's see what's going on."

"Okay, Teacher Zhang."

Su Ye's voice was steady, no different from usual.

He carried the specimen bag out of the operating room and walked down the corridor toward the pathology department.

The pace was neither fast nor slow.

My brain is working at lightning speed.

He was very familiar with the specimen submission process—the specimen bag was sealed, a patient information label was affixed, a pathology test application form was filled out, the specimen was sent to the pathology department window for registration, and then handed to the technician. The technician would conduct a gross observation, take photos, collect samples, embed them, slide them, and stain them. Finally, the pathologist would issue a report.

The entire process takes anywhere from three days to a week.

The problem is, once this thing is handed over, it's no longer in his possession.

The pathologists will cut it open, grind it, and make slides.

It loses its activity within one day.

If that line of text is true, then this nascent golden elixir will have at most twenty-odd hours of "activity." After being sliced ​​and stained, it will be nothing more than a dead stone, no different from an ordinary gallstone.

However, if the specimens are not sent for testing, Zhang Yuanping will not be able to explain it to his side. The specimens taken during the operation must be sent for pathology. This is an ironclad rule, and there are no exceptions.

Su Ye walked to the stairwell at the end of the corridor and stopped.

He leaned against the wall, looking down at the specimen bag in his hand.

Through the semi-transparent plastic bag, you can vaguely see the dark blue crystal wrapped in gauze inside.

He searched through the original owner's memories in his mind.

There's a convenient pharmacy next to the hospital lobby on the first floor, selling some common medicines and Chinese medicinal herbs. Many of the herbs are mineral-based, such as ochre, magnetite, talc, and gypsum...

Flower Stamen Stone.

The mineral-based Chinese medicine containing iron sulfide is yellow and white, hard in texture, and when broken into small, irregular pieces, it is about the same size as this "stone".

Moreover, the density of the flower stalactite is relatively high and its composition is complex. After pathological sectioning, it will most likely be judged as a "rare component stone" or "unknown composition", which is consistent with Zhang Yuanping's judgment during the operation.

It's a bit risky.

But Su Ye felt he had to do it.

It wasn't an impulse.

If this thing is truly some kind of supernatural creation, then its value far exceeds what a pathology report can measure.

Amidst a myriad of thoughts swirling in my mind.

Su Ye turned around and went downstairs.

The lobby on the first floor was bustling with people. He walked into the convenience pharmacy wearing a white coat and stood in front of the Chinese medicine counter.

"Hello, I'd like to buy some flower-shaped stones."

The pharmacy worker looked up at him. White coat, name tag, young face—it's not unusual for resident trainees to come and buy Chinese medicinal herbs; some senior doctors in certain departments even send their students to run errands.

How much do you want?

"Just a small piece, about the size of a thumbnail."

The older sister took a piece of stamen stone from the medicine cabinet, chipped off a small piece with a small hammer, weighed it on an electronic scale, put it in a paper bag, and handed it over.

"Three yuan and fifty cents."

Su Ye scanned the QR code to pay, thanked them, and turned to leave the pharmacy.

Instead of going directly to the pathology department, he went into the restroom on the first floor of the inpatient department.

After confirming that no one was there, he locked the cubicle door from the inside.

Open the specimen bag and carefully peel off the gauze.

The deep blue crystal lay quietly in his palm.

Up close, it's even more beautiful than it appears on the operating table—its surface is as smooth as a mirror, with subtle, flowing lines in the deep blue, like a miniature deep ocean current. It feels cool to the touch and has a strange texture, more like something... alive.

Su Ye took a deep breath.

He placed the nascent golden elixir into the inside left pocket of his white coat, close to his chest.

Then take out the fragment of the flower stamen stone, rewrap it in the original gauze in the specimen bag, dab it with the remaining bloodstains on the gauze, put it back into the specimen bag, and reseal it.

The technique was clean and efficient.

He glanced at himself in the mirror.

His complexion was normal, and his breathing was steady.

There are no flaws to be found.

Su Ye rinsed his hands, walked out of the restroom, and headed down the corridor toward the pathology department.

……

The pathology department is located on the third floor of the outpatient building, at the very back, and there's always a short queue at the window. When Su Ye arrived, there were only two people ahead of him, and he was quickly seen.

Behind the window sat a middle-aged female doctor wearing glasses. She took the specimen bag and application form, and routinely opened the bag to take a look.

Then she paused for a moment.

"This is so big?" She pinched it through the gauze. "Kidney stones can be this big?"

Su Ye's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Yes, Professor Zhang Yuanping asked us to send it for testing to check the ingredients."

The female doctor frowned, put down the specimen bag, and picked up the landline on the table.

"Let me call and confirm."

She dialed a number.

Su Ye stood in front of the window, his hands hanging naturally at his sides.

The fingertips of his left hand curled slightly.

That was his only little gesture.

The wait wasn't long, about thirty seconds, but Su Ye felt like three minutes had passed. He could hear the dial tone, then the click of the receiver connecting, and then Zhang Yuanping's highly recognizable deep voice.

Through the receiver, I could vaguely hear—

"Yes, it's a specimen from my unit... Yes, it was taken via percutaneous nephrolithotomy. I tried three laser treatments but couldn't break it up, so I finally removed it whole... This stone is a bit strange; it's too dense, with a CT value of 1847. Could you please do a composition analysis to see what it is?"

The female doctor hung up the phone, signed the application form, and put the specimen bag into the registration basket.

"Okay, the report will be ready in three to five business days."

"Thank you, teacher."

Su Ye turned and left.

Stepping out of the pathology department, the cold air from the air conditioner in the corridor hit me.

He exhaled.

In his left breast pocket, the deep blue crystal rested against his chest, feeling slightly cool.

It felt like a heartbeat.

It was in sync with his heartbeat.