Beneath The Tiger Gaze - #3 Genma Corporation Series

Chapter 8

Follow @Benitobonita so you do not miss my stories.

Angelina stepped out of the building with a grim expression. The sky had turned dark, but with the help of dim yellow streetlights illuminating the concrete roads ahead, she had no trouble observing her surroundings.

Ten minimalist Type 27 houses, painted in a grayish-white hue, lined both sides, enclosing a vast field that led to the canteen and the food storage warehouse. As Angelina squinted against the dim light, she observed Ramaik's figure receding into the distance as he headed toward the two-story building housing the canteen.

What a Cat Man! Angelina muttered inwardly as her feet hurriedly followed the man.

*****

Angelina pushed the glass door and entered the 180-square-meter canteen. The aroma of fried chicken greeted Angelina instantly. She looked around and found Ramaik already sitting next to Dr. William. He seemed to be engaging in a conversation with Nanjan and Labih.

"Rama—"

"Oh, Doctor! Come here!" Labih's shout abruptly cut off Angelina. The man patted a chair on the left, right across from Ramaik, and yelled across the wooden table, "Mrs. Umi, where's Dr. Angelina's baked rice?! She's here!"

"Well, I—"

"Ready, sir, it's already prepared," replied Mrs. Umi, lifting some pieces of fried chicken from the fryer. "Just warm it up for five minutes, Doctor."

Angelina surrendered, her stomach growling. She sighed deeply and sat in the green plastic chair that Labih had prepared.

A brief silence filled the air when Angelina joined them. However, a few seconds later, Nanjan turned to Dr. William, continuing their interrupted conversation.

"We require additional funds for the slow lorises and orangutans. Dozens of slow lorises need GPS collars, and we also need to inject tracking devices for the orangutans."

Angelina's eyes rolled as she listened to Nanjan'sutopian vision for the animals. But her attention shifted when she saw Ramaik glance at her with a faint smile.

Angelina recalled her intention and pushed the plastic bag of prescription-less medical supplies toward Ramaik with a frustrated hiss. "Take this."

"I think we should prioritize getting an extra tranquilizer gun, Mr. Nanjan."

Dr. William's crispy voice muffled Ramaik's disdainful snort. Angelina's eyebrows shot up when the Cat Man had his interest diverted to the ongoing discussion.

"Ah, no, it's not necessary. Dr. Angelina can fend for herself."

"Hey! I almost died this morning!" Angelina retorted sharply. The woman, who hadn't had a proper meal since noon, postponed her urge to kick Ramaik's foot under the table and directed her complaint toward her stingy boss. "I need a tranquilizer gun."

"Rambun will return the tranquilizer gun tomorrow morning," Nanjan interjected quickly. "You and Mr. Ramaik can take turns using—."

"I don't need a weapon," Ramaik's unique accent immediately completed Nanjan's unfinished sentence.

"Great, that means Dr. Angelina can use it," Nanjan's face lit up. He turned his attention back to Dr. William and shifted the topic. "Regarding the slow lorises..."

A restrained growl echoed in Angelina's throat. Yet, she felt reluctant to voice her concerns about workplace safety and hissed in frustration at Ramaik, who ignored her.

"Ramaik, take the med—"

"Doctor, the meal is ready. Please move the plastic bag," Mrs. Umi, who had stood nearby, holding a tray of dishes, interjected.

Ramaik's head turned as he heard the sound of crinkling plastic taken from the table. His eyes sparkled with mischief as Angelina placed the plastic on her lap with a sour expression.

"While I understand your concerns, putting GPS collars on all the slow lorises in East Kalimantan is not a wise or effective course of action..."

Ramaik seemed to have lost interest in the ongoing debate. He observed Angelina's plate and bowl with a disgusted expression. "What's that?"

"It's sweet and sour spinach, sir," Mrs. Umi answered before Angelina could respond. "It's delicious, with sweet potatoes and fish heads. In Jakarta, it's similar to sweet and sour soup."

However, Ramaik didn't seem impressed. He suddenly picked up one of his chicken pieces and placed it on Angelina's plate filled with fishbone crumbs.

"Hey! I didn't ask for that!" Angelina vehemently rejected it, returning Ramaik's offering to his plate.

However, Ramaik insisted on putting the chicken back onto Angelina's plate, muttering, "You're too skinny; eat this."

"I don't need it. You should be eating vegetables." Angelina handed the chicken back to Ramaik and then picked up a spoon. She scooped some sweet and sour spinach from her bowl and placed it on top of Ramaik's pile of chicken. "It's not healthy to eat only meat."

Ramaik suddenly pushed his plate of chicken towards Angelina. Then, he turned his head toward Mrs. Umi, who was still standing and watching them, and said, "Ma'am, please fry five more pieces of chicken."

"Ramaik! I don't want the chicken!"

Angelina's shout silenced five people in the canteen. She didn't realize that they became the center of attention. She glared at the troublemaker until Labih's awkward voice entered her ears.

"You two are close, aren't you?"

"No!" Angelina retorted in annoyance. She then looked at Mrs. Umi and corrected her former patient's order. "Don't bother with the chicken. Replace it with clear spinach soup and two apples, peeled and cut into quarters."

Angelina ignored Ramaik's low grumbling. She scooped some broth from her bowl and started eating the rice.

Nanjan suddenly cleared his throat quietly. He seemed to remember his noble mission and continued the conversation. "Some of the slow loris enclosures are in poor condition. We've just received three permanent patients. One was blind from being shot by a poacher. Additional funding would be helpful."

Angelina stared bitterly at the chicken thigh, which had landed on her fish-flake-covered rice. However, she no longer refused. She pushed Ramaik's offering to the side of her plate and continued her dinner.

*****

Fifteen minutes passed, and the conversation shifted to the role of the local population and the mangrove forest when Mrs. Umi placed a bowl of clear spinach soup and a plate full of peeled apple slices between Angelina and Ramaik.

Ramaik slowly pulled the bowl of clear green soup with reluctance. But before eating, he whispered to Angelina, "Angel, eat the chicken...."

Angelina glanced as Ramaik made a sound as if he was going to vomit after chewing and swallowing spinach quickly. Her fingers then picked up the chicken meat she had been neglecting and mixed it with rice.

One mouthful of the dish had entered Angelina's mouth when she noticed a faint curve on Ramaik's lips. She immediately averted her gaze and immersed herself in the ongoing discussion, which had now moved to the effectiveness of orangutan special schools for the orangutans on Sanctuary Island.

Dear readers, please press the star button