Beneath The Tiger Gaze - #3 Genma Corporation Series

Chapter 10

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The simple red plastic mat measuring 2 x 3 meters covered Angelina's white ceramic floor as the homeowner sat amidst her books, facing her former patient, who had now transitioned into an interior house critic.

"Dirty," Ramaik muttered as he raised his head, eyeing the cobwebs in the corner of the living room ceiling. He then turned his attention to the tattered curtains, emitting a low growl from his throat.

Angelina's brow furrowed in irritation, but she chose not to respond and roughly rummaged through the contents of a medical kit on her right until she found the gloves and ointment she was looking for.

Angelina quickly wore the gloves while Ramaik's suspicious gaze peered between the books. His eyebrows nearly met when he asked, "Is that... a tarantula?"

"Give me your hand!" Angelina cut him off, pulling her chatty guest's sleeve. She leaned down, pursing her lips, and gently touched the area around the slowly healing wound.

Not infected, but why hasn't it healed—

Angelina's breath caught when she felt a cold gel applied to her bruised cheek. She reflexively pulled back and barked sternly, "Ramaik! Stop touching me!"

Ramaik displayed a flat expression. He turned his face away and fell silent as Angelina began to bandage his wound.

*****

"A male orangutan reported nesting in the palm oil plantation ten kilometers from here," Nanjan announced when the team members had gathered in the cafeteria.

The atmosphere in the cafeteria at eight in the morning was much busier than the previous night. At another long table, two men in green uniforms, responsible for feeding the animals, were chatting with three security officers in brown uniforms. Meanwhile, four female caregivers, who typically cared for the baby orangutan at the orangutan school, sat at another table, joking and glancing repeatedly at Ramaik before giggling flirtatiously.

Angelina ignored the playful nudges of the girls aged 16 to 20 as they dared each other to introduce themself to Ramaik. She smacked Ramaik's hand, which had just placed a chicken thigh on her chocolate cheese toast, and turned to Nanjan, seated to Ramaik's left.

"Mr. Nanjan, I'm not willing to participate if you don't provide a tranquilizer gun for me."

"Doctor, I'm also waiting for that damn kid to return our guns, but the safety of the orangutans is at stake. I believe Mr. Ramaik's presence will help to ease your concerns," Nanjan diplomatically replied. He then smiled sweetly at Dr. William, who sat to Angelina's right and continued, "Well, I believe accelerating the release fund could also help improve the well-being of our employees. Compared to the tranquilizer guns, I'm sure the supervision house facility in the release forest needs more attention..."

Angelina's eyes narrowed when her stingy superior tried to request additional funds for Dr. Yuuki, the mixed Dayak-Japanese girl who always looked cute, even when pouting. But her attention was immediately diverted when another piece of chicken she had rejected landed on her breakfast.

"Ramaik! I don't want the chicken! Where are your fruits and vegetables? It is unhealthy to eat meat only!"

"So, Doctor William hitching a ride to the airport with Mr. Nanjan? Let the team go ahead in that case..."

Labih's voice joined the conversation, and as Angelina glared at Ramaik, he pouted and hid his chicken plate from her view.

Angelina then turned to Mrs. Umi, who seemed to be watching them, and exclaimed, "Ma'am, please bring me two slices of California papaya and a bowl of spinach!"

"It seems Dr. Sandy's assumption was correct," Dr. William mumbled as he watched the interaction between Angelina and Ramaik, ignoring Nanjan's pleas. He broadly smiled when he saw Ramaik's annoyed expression and said, "Dr. Angelina, there are a few things I need to discuss with you before I leave. I hope this additional task doesn't burden you."

*****

"Besides the stitched tongue, there's a cracked neck... Even though Mr. Ramaik can speak now, his accent is still not normal. Reading ability is equivalent to a first grader, and math skills are at a second-grade level. The bone cracks likely occurred before Genma's regeneration experiment, so the permanent damage is extensive."

Angelina repeated Dr. William's words inwardly about her former patient's condition, but her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a violent jolt.

"Whoa! Hang on!" Labih exclaimed as the Toyota he was driving began to traverse the rocky, unpaved road.

Huh?!

Angelina instinctively cried out in surprise. The woman, who rarely wore a seatbelt due to sitting in the back seat, tilted and slid to the left when the driver recklessly stepped on the gas on a steep diagonal path.

Another jolt made the car seem to jump. Angelina's body spun, and she bumped into the man beside her the entire time.

The scent of the forest filled Angelina's nose. Her heart pounded as warmth spread from a pair of strong arms that enveloped her waist.

The vehicle continued on the extreme route for several more minutes. Labih wildly shouted as they crushed some protruding rocks from the ground. Angelina felt a gentle friction at the top of her head. However, she could not change position due to the steep angle of the car. She surrendered as she fixed her gaze on the embroidered RTW logo on the green T-shirt worn by Ramaik.

*****

Labih's delighted shout assaulted Angelina's hearing as the vehicle leveled out. She pushed Ramaik's chest with both hands, quickly shifting back to her original position and scolding their wild driver, who was now laughing hysterically. "Mr. Labih!"

"Sorry, Doc, but this is the safest route!"

The ringing of Labih's phone interrupted the man's speech. The owner immediately grabbed the device from the dashboard and answered the call. "Yes, Mr. Nanjan."

Angelina averted her eyes when she met Ramaik's gaze. She watched the row of banana trees from her window as Labih'swords entered her hearing.

"Long-tailed monkeys? Where are they?"

Another scream escaped from Angelina's lips as the car suddenly changed direction. She was jolted once again and nearly collided with the window when someone pulled her into an embrace.

A feeling of comfort enveloped Angelina as Labih skillfully navigated the vehicle through the extreme terrain. The man who paid little attention to the comfort of his passengers shouted, "We're making a quick stop, Doc! The Natural Resource Conservation Center

needs help with the long-tailed monkey in Labuah City!"

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