21st Century Necromancer-Chapter 790 - 786: The Pregnancy News

While Chen Yu was busy treating patients, Jounouchi Hiromi also had a pile of tasks to attend to.

As the hospital’s current expert and authority in the field of artificial womb technology, Jounouchi Hiromi could easily secure her position as a full professor in this year’s faculty competition based solely on this research area, equaling Chen Yu’s academic rank.

As for Chen Yu being promoted to the head professor of general surgery... One can only say that although gender equality has been discussed for a century, it’s already quite difficult to achieve true gender parity. To realize genuine gender equality and eradicate sexism is an arduous and long journey.

Moreover, Jounouchi Hiromi had no intention of entering this year’s professorship competition, and the reason for this was the very child growing inside her womb.

According to traditional Japanese views, a woman should devote herself to caring for her husband and teaching her children at home after getting married. It is seen as shameful for a man to allow his wife to work as it suggests he cannot provide for her.

But after discussing with Chen Yu, Jounouchi Hiromi decided to continue working.

As for childbirth, maternity leave would be enough.

Japan encourages childbirth due to the issues of an aging population and declining birth rates. The statutory maternity leave begins six weeks before the expected delivery date and extends until eight weeks postpartum. Additionally, following maternity leave, there is an option to take child care leave, which by law can last up to a year and a half from the child’s birth. Some companies even offer up to a three-year leave.

During this period, although the company no longer pays a salary, the government provides a subsidy based on two-thirds of the pre-leave wages. Moreover, personal income tax, pensions, and other social welfare contributions are waived. There’s also a lump-sum childbirth allowance provided upon the birth of a child. The benefits can be said to be very generous indeed.

Of course, for Jounouchi Hiromi, who was only recently pregnant, it is too early to take leave. Still, she needs to start planning now to ensure her duties are in order before she goes on maternity leave to prevent any issues from arising during her absence.

In addition to her regular patient consultations, Jounouchi Hiromi’s responsibilities include overseeing the artificial womb experiments.

Although the hospital had assigned her a highly specialized research team and the experiments were gradually progressing onto the right track, Jounouchi Hiromi still needed to make many decisions due to lack of experience, especially now with several sets of experiments running concurrently, further increasing her workload.

Before, she didn’t mind the exhaustion and took on the responsibilities herself out of commitment to her work, but now, considering she would be away from her job for a substantial period, it was essential to find someone to take over her tasks.

Chen Yu was naturally the most suitable candidate. He had assisted her with the artificial womb technology research, was well-versed in the technical details and key areas, and, as the Necromancer, he was also quite familiar with the original Flesh Womb Spell that the artificial womb technology was based on. Jounouchi Hiromi had no doubts entrusting her responsibilities to him.

However, Chen Yu had his work cut out for him, and with the upcoming professorship election where he was running for the position of head professor—an arrangement orchestrated by Professor Kube—he would be preoccupied with numerous social engagements. Consequently, after some consideration, Jounouchi Hiromi decided against handing over her responsibilities to Chen Yu.

Considering whether there were any suitable candidates within the research team, Jounouchi Hiromi finally settled on Nakagawa Susumu.

Nakagawa Susumu, previously just a trainee doctor, had shed his title after Chen Yu mentored him for a year and then delegated him to Jounouchi Hiromi as a research assistant. His excellent performance in the previous artificial womb experiments earned him a lecturer position.

Having been involved in the artificial womb experiments, Nakagawa Susumu held significant status in the research team, possessing firsthand experience and data.

While his leadership skills were somewhat lacking, Jounouchi Hiromi felt there wouldn’t be any issues with him leading the experiments while she was on maternity leave.

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"Professor Jounouchi, did you want to see me?" Nakagawa Susumu greeted her as he was called into her office. After such a long period of growth, he had become much more composed than when Jounouchi Hiromi first met him, no longer the flustered trainee doctor he once was.

Jounouchi Hiromi nodded at him and passed a document from her desk: "This is the research paper I’ve put together from our last artificial womb experiment, along with the relevant technical key points. Take it, memorize it well because in my absence, you’ll be taking over to lead the research team." ƒreewebɳovel.com

"Eh? What do you mean you won’t be here, Professor Jounouchi?" Nakagawa Susumu appeared utterly baffled, his newfound maturity instantly crumbling to reveal his original bewildered self.

"What do you mean ’I won’t be here’! I’m talking about the period when I’m not here!" Jounouchi Hiromi tapped Nakagawa Susumu with the folder in her hand, slightly irritated, before continuing, "Because I’m recently pregnant, I’ll be taking maternity leave in a few months. It wouldn’t do for the lab to be unattended.

Since you have participated in the last experiment and have sufficient experience, I’ve chosen you to take over the lab’s forthcoming administrative duties. But with you acting like this, now I’m starting to doubt whether you truly are up to the task."

"Sorry! I am really very sorry! Professor, please believe me, I will work hard and will not let you down!" Nakagawa Susumu quickly bowed and apologized, asserting his determination, as he certainly didn’t want to lose this opportunity that had come his way.

Seeing Nakagawa Susumu like this, Jounouchi Hiromi shook her head in resignation but ultimately handed over the research papers to him.

As Nakagawa Susumu took the research papers from Jounouchi Hiromi, he immediately put on a flattering smile and congratulated her: "I haven’t congratulated you on your pregnancy yet, Professor Jounouchi! When is the due date?"

"I don’t know yet, the child is just over a month old, there’s still plenty of time." Jounouchi Hiromi said, her face lighting up with a maternal smile upon hearing Nakagawa Susumu’s congratulations.

Once Nakagawa Susumu heard Jounouchi Hiromi’s explanation, he nodded in realization, offered a few more congratulatory words, and then left her office.

Leaving Jounouchi Hiromi’s office, Nakagawa Susumu returned to the general surgery office to find Dr. Moto, and he hurriedly whispered to him, "Dr. Moto, you won’t believe it—Professor Jounouchi is pregnant!"

"Professor Jounouchi is pregnant? Are you serious?" Glasses Doctor was shocked by the news, exclaiming out loud, and now the whole department of general surgery was aware.