By the third day, the line outside the clinic stretched down the block.
No advertisements.
No official referrals.
Just people who had nothing left to lose.
---
Dr. Hart watched the security feed in silence.
"This is spiraling," she said.
"Someone is feeding information."
Lin Chen was reviewing patient data.
"Of course they are," he replied.
"Silence only works until results appear."
---
[System Log: Information Leakage Detected.]
[Source: Multiple Civilian Channels.]
[Containment Probability: Low.]
---
Pressure Builds
An unmarked car stopped across the street.
Then another.
People pretending not to watch.
People who were very clearly watching.
---
Inside the clinic, a middle-aged man collapsed.
Late-stage cardiac failure.
Transport denied by three hospitals.
Lin Chen didn't hesitate.
"Prep Operating Room Two."
Dr. Hart hesitated.
"This one won't be quiet."
Lin Chen met her gaze.
"Neither will the alternative."
---
The Line Is Crossed
Two hours later, the man walked out on his own.
Pale. Weak.
Alive.
Phones came out immediately.
Someone cried.
Someone screamed.
Someone started recording.
---
[System Log: Public Outcome Event — Triggered.]
[Containment Status: Failed.]
---
By evening, the first official arrived.
Health Bureau.
Mid-level authority.
Nervous smile.
---
"We've received reports of unlicensed procedures," the man said carefully.
"You understand the implications."
Lin Chen handed him a tablet.
Patient data.
Time stamps.
Pre-op and post-op comparisons.
---
"Explain this," Lin Chen said.
The official stared.
"This… isn't possible."
"Yet it happened," Lin Chen replied.
"Decide what matters more."
---
Two Fronts
That night, Dr. Hart found Lin Chen in the corridor.
"Consortium channels are moving," she said.
"They're calling this dangerous. Unverified."
Lin Chen nodded.
"They always attack credibility first."
---
[System Log: Narrative Conflict Detected.]
[Probability of Smear Campaign: High.]
---
Choosing Exposure
Lin Chen stopped walking.
"We won't hide," he said.
Dr. Hart's eyes widened.
"They'll crush us."
"No," Lin Chen replied calmly.
"They'll validate us."
---
He turned to a nearby patient's family.
"Tomorrow," he said,
"bring anyone who can't get treatment."
---
[System Log: Strategic Exposure Mode — Enabled.]
[Risk Level: Extreme.]
[Potential Authority Gain: High.]
---
Storm Approaches
Across the city, calls were being made.
Hospitals.
Media outlets.
Legal departments.
The consortium didn't panic.
They prepared.
---
Lin Chen stood in the clinic doorway as night fell.
"Medicine was never about permission," he thought.
"It was about outcomes."
---
[System Log: City Control Progress: 24%.]
[Next Event: Public Confrontation Inevitable.]
---
End of Chapter