Chapter 5: DECISION THAT HAS BEEN MANIPULATED

The long-awaited day for Byung-Hun has arrived. It is because he will come home after submitting the urgent report that his professor suddenly asks him to do which is weird to him. More strange is the head Professor Vincent is the one that relay the message to him, saying that 'Diego wanted you to finish today'. His professor usually never bothering his subordinates who on leave but he will not argue with it then. Furthermore, last minute assignment like this is not new in this kind of working environment and also he didn't want his co-workers to finish it for him. All that he needs to do is type the report as fast as possible so that he can go home.

"Byung-Hun, I found this on my table just now." One of his colleagues suddenly come to him.

With his eyes still focused on the computer screen he asked, "What is it?"

His colleagues take the envelope and examine the contents in it. "It's not yours. It's for Alex actually. Got a note here that say, the last report about the red meteor that Alex made doesn't have his signature as one of the researcher so please ask him sign it now and send it together with your own report. - Professor Diego."

"What? Since when professor Diego run errand for the other team? And why am I so busy today." Byung-Hun soon feels the rush and frustrated.

After about an hour he does the report finally everything is being printed. Byung-Hun sign the report as researcher and ask one of colleagues to check the report. If everything is okay the final things his colleagues need to do is sign as witness. This report format is being used in their organization to make sure every report is valid and authentic.

"Why are you still here?" Alex suddenly visit when he saw that his friend was still there and not yet went home.

"Thank God! Alex." Said Byung-Hun with a relieved face.

"Wow! That's the first time you look so glad seeing me." Alex feel a bit honor.

"Where is it?" Byung-Hun tries to find the reports that mean for Alex earlier in his messy table. After finding it, he in such a rush opens the paper that Alex signature supposed to be and rush him to sign it fast. "Your last report doesn't have you signature so professor ask me to get it from you and send this back to him. Sign it quickly. My taxi already here long ago."

"Are you sure? I already sign it before if I remember correctly." Alex tries to open the pages, but looking at Byung-Hun face stop him from doing so and just sign the paper.

"Let me send it for you then." Alex offered, but just in a split second Byung-Hun is nowhere to be found anymore. In the meantime, the situation actually been observed by Dr. Martin and Professor Vincent from a far.

"Nothing can beat a rushing time and a trust. What a perfect opportunity. I can see you are right on that Martin." Said Professor Vincent with a satisfied smile on his faces.

"Arrange everything fast, Professor. We need to move quickly. Make sure Alex isn't visiting his son this midday till afternoon because we need to see the progress after we inject the medicine."

Professor Vincent nodded and went on his way to be prepared.

"Now, I will go and obtain the liquid and of course, fighting just one more person." Said Dr. Martin to himself.

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-WARNING VIOLENCE-

::In the medicine lab::

Never once, Dr. Melanie leaves the lab unoccupied after the fight with Martin. Even if she needs to go somewhere she will make sure to in charge, at least someone she trust to watch the medicine for her. It is because she can sense that Dr. Martin is scheming something behind her back this couple of days.

Today, her instincts say something bad is about to happen. Her other co-workers were suddenly unable to come to work and not just one person, but the whole team except her and Dr. Martin for some reason. This whole situation made her uncomfortable and a little worried. She kept the medicine close as a precautionary measure.

Melanie stares at the medicine while thinking to herself. The red meteor only produced ten bottles of liquid. Four bottles are used to try and error the formula and six others will be will be mixed with the right formula only when they found the one that suitable for it. So far in her opinion, none of the hundred formula that they made is really comparable with the stone and make her feel like working in the dead end. Of course, with one of her co-worker attitude, not very much helping to ease the burden anyway.

"Well, you're sure protective towards the liquid Melanie." Came the said person.

Hearing that voice making Melanie change her sitting position to standing. She realizes she needs to keep her guard. "You know very well who I protected this from."

Dr. Martin is smirking at the women. He already works on a perfect plan and he surely not wanting his plan to go to waste. Just one woman obstacle is just a piece of cake to get rid of. Confidently, he walks closer to Melanie.

"Stay back if you don't want to get hurt. However, I'm not a good person as you already know."

Aware of the dangers to come, Melanie reached for the thickest book on her desk and throw it to Martin. Martin, who was aware of the situation managed to dodge but stumbled. Of course, he didn't even think Melanie would dare to attack him like that.

While Martin was still in a daze Melanie reached out the six bottles of liquid and try to run out from the lab with the formula that they are working on. However, before her run, Martin, that still on the floor, pulled Melanie's leg and made her fall. As a result, the bottles that Melanie grab also falls along with her.

Seeing the bottle scattered into pieces and the red liquid flowing everywhere, Martin is losing his mind.

"Shit! This is your entire fault." Without any mercy, Martin gets up and kicked Melanie's body that still on the floor as hard as he could while letting go of frustrated feeling that arise inside him. The pain-holding sound that Melanie emitted was not at all impressed in his heart at the time.

After seeing Melanie not really moving, he feels a bit satisfied and observe the scene. Luckily, there's two bottles of the liquid survive the fall.

"Huh, looks like luck is on my side Mel. There's nothing you can do now."

Melanie, who was in pain could not catch the words Martin spoke. Her vision was blurred as if about to faint but she still try to talk, "Mar.. tin… Don't… d..do..i..it."

"You're still as annoying as usual Mel even in this situation. I was still hurt by your words the other day so what would you say if I chose you to be the first to taste this red medicine?" Martin searched for the syringe in the lab and injecting a bottle of liquid on Melanie at the time, he completely forgot that the liquid hadn't been added to the formula yet. Neither he nor Melanie was aware of it.

"Done." Martin satisfied with his work.

"You… Son of the bitch!" Melanie used her last strength to scream that word before completely fainted.

"Forgive me, but what happened today I will blame it all on you. I'm going to say that you're trying to take this medicine away and I'm trying to stop it. No witness can defend you Melanie. That's why don't try to be smart with me. Lastly, I hope you will be fine but if not… Go to hell!" Martin just walks away leaving Melanie just like that.