Chapter 2: She's a fledgling？
751 Words
Evan initially thought he had dialed the wrong number and hung up with a frown.
Unexpectedly, the call came in again.
After he hung up several times and she called just as many, his patience worn thin, Evan picked up the phone to a stream of soft, pleading voices.
"Sir, I'm serious. I'm 20, healthy, young, and clean. I attend Northern City University. The quality of my eggs must be very good, please consider it."
Evan's actions paused, his brows furrowing deeply.
A college student, still falling for this kind of scam?
He spoke sharply into the phone, "Selling eggs is illegal, don't you have any common sense?"
There was a long silence on the other end, apparently stunned by his rebuke.
All that could be heard was faint breathing, tinged with nerves and indecision.
Without waiting for her reply, Evan decisively ended the call.
Exiting the operating room, he removed his surgical gown and tossed it into the trash.
He had just finished a series of minor appendectomy surgeries and felt a headache coming on.
Owing to a staff shortage at the hospital, even a specialist in challenging cases like himself was redirected to perform surgeries, making for a hectic day.
As he walked past the other departments, Christian, who had just finished his shift, reached out to grab his shoulder, raising an eyebrow in greeting.
"What a coincidence, Dr. Evan. I finally caught you. Come on, let's have a drink after work."
Evan glanced up at him, his tone subdued: "The dark circles under your eyes look like you've been cursed. If you continue drinking, you're going to drop dead."
"Don't remind me, I'm frustrated," Christian grumbled as they walked. "The college students these days are merciless. Just now, a girl came in, having sold her eggs, now facing ovarian necrosis and uterine erosion. She can’t have children anymore and is sobbing in the ward. It's giving me a massive headache."
Evan paused, the phone call from earlier coming to mind.
The girl's voice had been soft, imbued with a youthful tremble, indicating her serious yet anxious demeanor.
She was at an age where the world hadn't yet revealed its harsh truths.
She could well have been conned by some deceptive ad about egg selling.
His eyes darkened as he tossed his car keys in the elevator.
He didn't consider himself a good Samaritan and wasn't inclined to get involved in such matters. In his view, as a physician, he couldn't prevent people from bringing trouble upon themselves.
Reaching the underground parking lot, Evan got into his car and fired up the engine.
Outside, Christian was still tapping on the window, "Are you sure you won't join me for that drink?"
"No."
With that brief reply, Evan pressed the accelerator, and the Land Rover sped off without a second glance.
...
At ten in the evening, his phone rang once more.
Evan, mid-shower, heard the vibration on the washbasin. He managed a glance at the caller ID before casually answering.
"Amy, please believe me, I'm in desperate need of money. I won't involve the police and will keep your secret. Could you please give me a chance?"
The familiar voice carried a note of crying this time, suggesting urgent desperation.
In his line of work, Evan frequently encountered this type of frantic anxiety, particularly near the hospital's ICU. It usually meant trouble – a lack of funds, dire need, and no help in sight.
Peering out, Evan recognized the number and grew impatient.
Who had wrongly advertised his number, or had the girl dialed incorrectly?
Either way, the call had been redirected to him in error.
He had no interest in meddling.
About to hang up, his mind flashed back to Christian’s words that day—about the ruthless nature of current university students.
"Ovarian necrosis, uterine damage, infertile forever..."
He turned the conversation around and spoke curtly, "Are you a virgin?"
The confusion was evident on the other end, "What do you mean?"
"Simple. You say you're clean, right? Are you a virgin? Only virgins need apply; anyone else, don't bother."
Evan was deliberately intimidating.
Amy remained silent on the phone for half a minute; her face must have been on fire. Finally, her quiet, hesitant voice replied.
"Yes."
Evan halted, the shower's cool water continuing its cascading trail down his body.
The irritation nagged at him, not even quelled by the coldness of the water. Taking a deep breath, he spat out his terms coldly.
"Prove it."
- Writer
