THE SPRING TIDE

Lin Jing wiped his food out in a hasty as if the world would swallow him. His eyes kept glancing at the black cat that spooned him around, hissing. Everyone in the hall jiggled their eyes between the fidgeting scientist and the black cat. The calm, tame black cat turned feral soon after it saw Lin Jing.

"Hey, Lin Jing. You haven't answered my question yet." Chu ShuZhi threw the magazine in his hand. "Is that cat really..."

"We are back!" The front door opened abruptly, Zhao YunLan and Shen Wei's figures entering the hall.

"Lao Zhao!" Lin Jing shouted at the man who closed the door.

"What?" Zhao YunLan turned around, meeting the scientist's panicked eyes. Lin Jing not replying just glanced at the black cat.

"That cat..." Zhao YunLan creased his eyebrows for a moment before he raised them, he opened his mouth but no word came out.

"What?" Shen Wei frowned a little at his lover's strange attitude.

"A...Um..." Zhao YunLan stuttered, not even spouting a word.

Shen Wei peered at the cat and his lover in turn, something about the cat brushed a familiarity in his conscience. Narrowing his eyes, Shen Wei tracked the familiar energy. His eyes widened when he found out who the energy owner was.

"Zhao YunLan." Shen Wei gapped, stared at his lover incredulously but then clenched shut his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Zhao YunLan panicked when Shen Wei strode towards the cat.

"Do what I'm supposed to do." Shen Wei touched the black cat, transferring his energy and slowly, the black cat's form was expanded until it reshaped into a human they all know. All jaws dropped when they saw the frowning Da Qing.

"Zhao YunLan!" Da Qing growled and strode towards the man.

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Da Qing! I can explain everything..." Zhao YunLan ran away but the upset Da Qing kept chasing him around.

"No! I will not listen to you! How could you do that to me?! Tricked me to transform into a cat and then injected me with the DNA blocker!" Da Qing shouted, jumping to the large table as he tried to catch the man but Zhao YunLan's deft feet prevented Da Qing from grabbing the man.

"Shen Wei! Do something!" Zhao YunLan pleaded.

"No." Shen Wei replied. "You deal with it yourself." He said, sitting down on the sofa.

"What...What..." Zhao YunLan jumped to the table when Da Qing almost caught him from his side.

"Zhao YunLan you have a nerve!" Da Qing shouted to the escaped man.

"Look, Da Qing! I did it for your safety!" Zhao YunLan replied from across the table.

"You have no right to do it without my consent!"

"You are too stubborn!"

"And you are a pr*ck!"

Another round of the epic romp began.

Lin Jing tiptoed toward the lab when Chu ShuZhi pulled his collar, "you aren't going anywhere until you tell us what the hell is going on in this place and why the Deputy is coming in that form after missing for days." He said sternly without any hint of mercy.

Everyone glanced at the fidgeting Lin Jing and the nervous Zhao YunLan, they still couldn't comprehend what really happened far behind the days. Thinking backward, they remembered that Da Qing was gone. The man hasn't followed them to the North Pole nor has he stayed at the headquarters. Busy days made them forget to ask about the Deputy Chief's whereabouts.

"Well...Well..." Lin Jing gulped. "Everything started when we were about to depart for the North Pole. Boss told the Deputy to stay with Wang Zheng and Sang Zan but the Deputy refused. So Boss told me to prepare the DNA blocker. We just had a little amount at that time so the Boss pretended to drop something under the counter and asked the Deputy to transform into his cat form and help him. When the Deputy transformed, Boss injected him with the DNA blocker."

"Lao Zhao injected him?" Zhu Hong's eyes widened.

"I was not!" Zhao YunLan threw his hands up.

"You didn't...But you commanded Lin Jing to do it." Day Qing charged at Zhao YunLan once more.

"I did it for your safety.." Zhao YunLan dodged the attack.

"How many times should I tell you? I'm not a coward!"

"Da Qing! I told you to stay not to make you a coward." Zhao YunLan shouted, "you have a family to take care of!"

"Don't give me that bulssh*t!" Da Qing scowled, "you have a family too. Everyone has. Why am I the one who should stay?!"

"Because we don't have children!" Zhao YunLan was desperate, "I was the one who chose you to be my deputy. If something happens to you, how can I face your wife and children?" He pulled his hair backward. "My father was there, General Shen too. Me and Shen Wei came from military families. Zhu Hong has immense power, I'm not worried about her. But you..." Zhao YunLan couldn't proceed with his words, messaging his nose bridge.

"Do you want to say that I'm powerless?"

"It's not about you. It's about me. I'm not confident that I will be okay if something happens to you. Ah Ming was already held captive by Ma TiHua. I can't focus on both of you."

Everyone lowered their gaze. Zhao YunLan wasn't wrong. However...

"Lao Zhao, I don't think that you have a right to be angry with Zhao MingAn." Zhu Hong crossed her arms on her chest. "You must admit that you and Xiao Zhao have no difference in this case."

"Of course, we were different." Zhao YunLan plunged his butt into the soft sofa, tired. "That boy has no experience with an evil man such as Ma TiHua."

"What happened with Xiao Zhao?" Da Qing asked.

"I'll tell you later." Zhao YunLan hoisted his feet to the table, "you literally missed everything."

Da Qing huffed, sitting on the chair nearby. "How about Xiao Guo?"

"What about Xiao Guo?" Zhao YunLan frowned, lifting his face that was drowned in his palm.

"You let him follow you to the North Pole." Da Qing was still not satisfied.

"Lao Chu took care of him, I'm not worried." Zhao YunLan replied arbitrarily.

"But they are in the middle of the cold war." Da Qing joined his eyebrows.

"Not anymore..." Zhao YunLan smirked, "they are in the process of nurturing their brotherly love." He said meaningfully.

"Huh?" Da Qing was surprised, peeking around to see the faces who disagree.

Chu ShuZhi rolled his eyes, as Guo ChangCheng's face tinted pink and took a glance at the nonchalant man. Chu ShuZhi released Lin Jing's collar, took a magazine, and slid his fingers among its pages.

Guo ChangCheng's chest felt like being stabbed when Chu ShuZhi showed his disinterest. "I...I don't depend on Chu Ge...I can take care of myself." The young man lowered his face and strode away.

Chu ShuZhi threw the magazine to the table, "I'll patrol around." He said as he paced to the door.

Zhao YunLan and Shen Wei glanced at each other, "do I miss something?" Zhao YunLan peered around.

"Everything!" The other responded in unison.

**********THIS STORY IS STOLEN BY NOVELHD, PLEASE JUST READ THE ORIGINAL IN WATTPAD OR AO3 **************

The head of the scientists working for Han YiTing stood up before the tube where the other YeZun was kept, eyes reflecting dismay. Breathed heavily, he massaged his nose bridge.

"Something wrong?" A voice heeded shocked him.

"Young Master Han..." The scientist blinked. His glasses dropped to his lower nose, covering half of his eyes' width.

"Scientist Liu looks troubled. What's wrong?" Han YuSen leaned on the entrance, crossing his arms and smiling.

The head scientist opened his mouth, about to reprimand the young man but he found that the laboratory's off limit wasn't the most important presently. "Minister Han commanded me to use this body as the research object. But..." The scientist breathed out.

"But..." Han YuSen pushed his torso up, striding towards the tube.

"But he is scientifically still alive. I can't just pry open his torso like a dead body."

"Scientifically not death?" Han YuSen frowned.

"His brain and backbone neuron systems are active even though his heart is no longer beating."

"Do you want to say that we could 'resurrect' him?" Han Yusen's pupils dilated.

"If we have the technology, we could."

"We don't have it?"

"Yet, Sir."

Han YuSen glanced at the tube, "if we don't have it, then how can we preserve it this way?"

"We don't...It was all Mr. Ma's scientists did."

Listening to the reply, Han YuSen lowered his gaze for a moment. "So, you want to say that we don't have the technology to resurrect him as well as the technology to preserve him?" He lifted his gaze, "meaning, he could 'die' any time?"

"Next few weeks, yes" the head of scientists fixed his glasses and pulled back his messy hair. "That was why I persuaded Minister Han to wait until the end of this month. When he truly dies, we will not have any issue with the law. It will be bad if the XingDu Bureau or National guard sees this."

"Mhm." Han YuSen nodded, "his face is similar to the head of the Xingdu Bureau. We can mistake him for Director Shen's twins." Han YuSen touched his chin, resting his elbow on another arm that crossed his tummy.

"The problem is deeper than that."

Han YuSen joined his brows, crossing his arms once again as he shifted his eyes to the scientist. "What happened?"

"They both have the same DNA."

"What?" Han YuSen agape.

"The parental line is the same." The scientist gulped, "they are brothers."

"How do you know his DNA?"

"We found some of his hair and blood samples kept in that lab." The scientist replied. "That was why I said, we will be in a dangerous situation if they know." The scientist sighed, ruffling his greying hair. His old face looked tired.

"Yeah...That will be disastrous..." Han YuSen smirked. "Then...Scientist Liu, how about you cooperate with me?"

"Young Master..."

"I'll make sure that you will not be impacted by this case."

The head of the scientists peered at the young man, a smug smile adorned Han YuSen's handsome face.

**********THIS STORY IS STOLEN BY NOVELHD, PLEASE JUST READ THE ORIGINAL IN WATTPAD OR AO3 **************

"I'll get it..." Chu ShuZhi exclaimed as he stood up from his seat and strode toward the SID main entrance when the door was knocked.

"Good morning." The familiar yet unwanted face now smiled at him, Chu ShuZhi could feel his blood boiling inside his chest but the source of his anger smiling stupidly, unaware.

Lu Chang stared back at the man who sent him a death glare, he kept smiling. "My name is..."

"I know what your name is." Chu ShuZhi cut the man's words, "but what are you doing here?" He crossed his arms.

"Well, I have a date with Xiao Guo." Lu Chang replied, cheerfully.

"Ah, Chang Ge!" Zhu Hong's voice heeded, "wait a moment! Xiao Guo is getting ready." She smiled.

"Okay." Lu Chang nodded, smiling.

"Why don't you get inside?" Zhu Hong asked. Lu Chang just glanced at Chu ShuZhi who towered over him, blocking the entrance. "Lao Chu, what are you doing there?" Zhu Hong lifted her eyebrows.

Chu ShuZhi didn't get less upset, glaring at Zhu Hong in disbelief but the lady just moved her head, beckoning him to step aside. Chu ShuZhi rolled his eyes and strode inside, followed by Lu Chang.

"Lao Zhao!" Zhu Hong pulled her cousin inside, "this is my cousin, Lu Chang."

"Ahh, the one who called Xiao Guo this morning?" Da Qing asked insensitively.

BANG!

Everyone shifted their attention toward the source only to find a broken chair with Chu ShuZhi standing near the poor furniture. "My hands slipped." Chu ShuZhi's curt explanation was heard as he pushed the chair away and plunged himself into another chair.

"Aaah..." Zhao YunLan raised his brows, nodding. "Then, Chang Ge...Please, sit down. Our Xiao Guo will be here in a minute." Zhao YunLan glanced at Shen Wei behind him and sat on the sofa after the man nodded. Smirked a little, as shook his head, glancing at the grumpy man across the hall.

The hall was silent. Only Wang Zheng and Zhu Hong's typing hands heeded. A heavy atmosphere wafted from Chu ShuZhi, strong enough to kill the entire room. Zhao YunLan glanced at Shen Wei who sat beside him. The man sighed a little but didn't do anything. Understandably, this was a private matter.

"Lu Ge!" Every single eye darted to the chirp. Guo ChangCheng climbed down the stairs with a fresh appearance. "I'm sorry, am I making you wait too long?"

"No...I just arrived." Lu Chang smiled, "come on..." He extended his arm.

"Alright..." Guo ChangCheng nodded. "Chief Zhao, Director Shen...I'm leaving." He said and waved his hands to everyone in the hall after both men nodded.

"Hey, Lao Chu...Where are you going?" Da Qing asked when Chu ShuZhi stood up a few moments after both people disappeared behind the door.

"Patrol." The man replied as he walked outside. Everybody followed the man with their eyes and a laugh broke in the hall soon after the man closed the door.

However, the laugh wasn't last long as they were interrupted by the doorbell echoes. "Let me get it." Da Qing jumped down from the sofa, fixing his daigu reng's straps, and walked toward the door.

"What happened?" Zhao YunLan when Da Qing returned with an envelope in his hands.

"Someone was delivered this by command of someone else that name he refused to mention. He said that this envelope is for Director Shen." Da Qing passed the envelope to Shen Wei.

"What is it about?" Shen Wei asked, hoping to get slight information.

"The mailman said, you will find out soon after you open it." Da Qing sank his hands into the pockets.

Every eye now gawked at the envelope and Shen Wei. Shen Wei took a deep breath and slowly opened the envelope. His face darkened when he pulled out a tress of silver hair inside.

"Shen Wei..." Zhao YunLan gulped when Shen Wei looked at him. He reached for the lock of hair, letting Shen Wei pry open the envelope to find another clue. Shen Wei pulled the paper inside;

Meet me at Dragon restaurant. Private chamber, code: amber.

Han

"Han YuSen..." Shen Wei, who could trace the energy, recognized the sender.

Spring tide. The moon's gravitation pulled generated a force called the tidal force that caused the earth and its water to bulge out the side closer to the moon. When the moon was far away from the sun, the force wasn't too significant. But when the full moon came at the same time as the new moon, where the Sun and moon stood in the same ecliptic, there would be the highest high tide called the spring tide or the King tide that could lead to disaster.

**********THIS STORY IS STOLEN BY NOVELHD, PLEASE JUST READ THE ORIGINAL IN WATTPAD OR AO3 **************

Picture credit to wallpaper flare.

Daigu Reng: