Chapter 1

At the highway toll station, I stared nervously at my phone.

The heart in the box would fail if not transplanted into the patient within half an hour.

Driver Bob leaned close to the toll collector's ear and whispered something.

Instantly, the toll collector's expression changed.

"Get out. Open the box. Inspection."

She pointed at the box containing the donated heart, and my own heart skipped a beat.

"Sir, I can't open it. This contains—"

Bob cut me off. "That's a heart. Evidence of her murder."

"No, this was donated by a patient. I'm a doctor."

The toll collector pressed 911, and I was forced to the ground. They seized the box.

At this moment, only 29 minutes remained before this heart would fail.

The boy in bed 18 had been waiting for this heart for half a year.

Today, he'd finally received good news.

The director sent me to the neighboring city to retrieve the heart.

This heart was originally donated to a patient in the neighboring city.

But the previous patient temporarily didn't meet surgical requirements.

The heart was urgently reassigned to our hospital.

"Remember, be quick. Otherwise the heart will fail."

I memorized that instruction and followed the ambulance driver to retrieve the heart.

Before we even got on the highway, the ambulance suddenly had a blowout.

Bob took me onto a tightly sealed minibus.

Getting off the highway, I kept my eyes glued to my phone.

Fifteen minutes' drive remained to reach the hospital.

That boy would be saved.

But Bob leaned close to the toll collector's ear, saying something in a low voice.

The toll collector's expression changed instantly.

She quickly walked to the back window and barked an order at me.

"Get out. Open the box. Inspection."

She pointed at the box containing the donated heart, and my heart skipped a beat.

I clutched the box tightly, my face showing difficulty.

"I can't open it. This contains—"

Bob interrupted me. "See? I told you. She definitely won't let you open it. That's a heart. Evidence of her murder."

I stared at him in shock, not understanding why he would say something so absurd.

"No, this was donated by a patient. I'm a doctor."

The toll collector heard me admit the box contained a heart.

Instantly, she forced me to the ground and seized the box from my arms.

"Don't open it! Once you open it, this heart will be ruined."

The toll collector's hand paused.

I pulled out my always-carried ID. "Doctor from City Central Hospital. Wesker."

Bob snatched the ID. "Fake. How hard is it to get a fake ID? Don't let her fool you."

"If this murderer escapes with stolen goods from your station, you'll all be held responsible."

I stared at him intently. "Bob, what are you talking about? You know someone at the hospital is waiting to be saved."

He pointed at the temporarily switched minibus and opened a news link.

"See? This type of vehicle is perfect for murder. If you don't believe me, have the police come investigate."

Only then did I realize why Bob had suddenly insisted on switching vehicles.

He'd planned this all along.

But right now, saving a life was urgent.

I quickly explained. "I really am a doctor from City Hospital. This heart was donated by a patient. It's about to fail. Can you let me deliver the heart to the hospital, then investigate?"

"You believe her? Let her go, and you think she'll come back?"

"She says it was donated? Make her show proof."

The toll collector extended her hand. "Where's the proof? Show it. If you can prove it's real, we'll let you go immediately."

Because it was a temporary reassignment, none of the paperwork was ready yet.

"I don't have the paperwork. The hospital is processing it."

"Once it's ready, I'll definitely bring it to you."

Bob looked at the toll collector. "She doesn't even have proof. Do you believe she's a doctor, or believe me that she's a murderer?"

I stared at Bob angrily.

"Bob, that's a human life. You've seen that boy. When you drove the ambulance, he always greeted you. How dare you falsely accuse me?"

His eyes reddened. "Precisely because I've seen that boy, I can't bear to let him die without understanding why. He's only in his teens. You killed him."

"Bullshit! This is false accusation. It's illegal. You'll go to prison."

"Explain quickly. That child can't wait."

Time passed second by second. I was frantic with anxiety.

"I'm not afraid of your threats. For that child's sake, I can't let you go."

"Since you refuse to repent, I'll have to present evidence."