THE RETROGRADE MOTION

That morning, Zhao YunLan opens his eyes. Slowly adjusting his pupil with the light in his environment, finds his younger brother's face who excitedly shouts to call the doctors. 'Water...' Zhao YunLan tried to reach his brother, 'Ah Ming...' But Zhao MingAn already rushes outside and Zhao YunLan just can sighs.

'Here...' Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard. Shen Wei stands beside him with the glass of water in his hand.

'Thanks...' Zhao YunLan receives the glass. Shen Wei supports the man and when Zhao YunLan drinks, he remembers something. 'How many days did I unconscious?'

'Three days...' Shen Wei replied as he sits beside Zhao YunLan.

'Boss!' Guo ChangCheng runs inside.

'Hey, Xiao Guo...How are you?'

'Boss!' Guo ChangCheng grabs Zhao YunLan and cries in his hugs, 'Boss...Why did you do that? If you died what I have to do without you, Boss...'

Zhao YunLan clicks his tongue and pulls the young man's body, 'Why do you have to be this dramatic!? If I died that all you have to do is proceed with your life, you idiot!' Zhao YunLan hits the young man's head.

'But I will lose my purpose of life...' Guo ChangCheng replied, wiping his tears.

'Then find one!' Zhao YunLan answered, 'It's not like I can be with you forever...'

'Zhao YunLan...' Shen YeZun appears along with the doctor and Zhao MingAn.

'Ah, Professor Shen...' Zhao YunLan welcomed the man.

'How do you feel?'

'Awesome...' Zhao YunLan replied, letting the doctor check on him.

'All his vital signs are getting better...' The doctor said.

'Great then...' Shen YeZun looks relieved.

'May I ask you a question?' Zhao YunLan asked the doctor, 'The blow last night. It was quite severe I guess...But...' Zhao YunLan does not proceed, just inspecting his hands and body.

'For that, you have to thank Professor Shen...I also never see that kind of medicine in whole my life...' The doctor said, 'The serum's capability to repair damaged cells is incredible...'

'Serum? What serum?' Zhao YunLan frowned.

'The offee serum's effect...' Shen Wei replied to the doctor.

'Offee...' Zhao YunLan frowned, 'Ahh...The flower that YeZun created...Is it that good?' Zhao YunLan moves his body to feel every part of it.

'Ge...' Zhao MingAn objected, he really hates his brother's way of addressing Shen YeZun.

'It's not just an ordinary flower...Through many genetic engineering processes, they finally succeed to create a new flower species that has a strong healing effect...' Shen Wei said in pride of a big brother, 'YeZun plans to produce the cheap medicine so everyone can have it easily...But of course, everything will not that simple...' He proceeds.

'Ahh, I see...' Zhao YunLan said, he just knows that Shen Wei is a doting elder brother but then he is halted as something is annoying his sense. 'Hey, Shen Wei...Don't you think that the flower could be the reason for someone to hurt YeZun?' He asked soon after the doctor leaves.

Listen to that, Shen Wei lowers thinks he thinking. 'You right...' He muttered.

'What do you mean?' Shen YeZun finally asked glances at Zhao YunLan and his brother in turns.

'Tsk...Think about it...Do you think a good but cheap medicine is beneficial for everyone?' Zhao YunLan throws the question.

'So...You want to say that...Someone might be threatened by our discoveries...' Shen YeZun asked, lifting his eyes.

Zhao YunLan clicked his fingers and pointed out, 'That's it!'

'That's right...Especially large pharmacies...But which one?' Zhao MingAn asked.

'Nice question...' Zhao YunLan sighs, scratching his head as he thinks. 'Ah, Professor Shen...Are you recognize the man who transformed from the snake?' He asked.

'No...I'm not...' Shen YeZun replied.

'I don't understand why but there is something odd...' Zhao YunLan said.

'What?'

'Nothing...' Zhao YunLan lifts his eyes, 'Is the man survived the explosion last night?' He asked.

'Now you mentioned it...' Shen YeZun said, 'Luckily you told us to find a forensic scientist...Otherwise, we might have lost so much valuable data because everything was destroyed by the explosion...'

'What are you trying to imply?' Shen Wei asked his little brother.

'Lin Jing asked me to take some samples from the snake man's body an hour before the incident...' Shen YeZun replied, 'And from the sample that we took, something is interesting...' He proceeds, looks at his elder brother.

'What was that?'

'The man is HaiXing...'

'What!?' Shen Wei can't believe his ears.

'From the liquid that left on the injection...We know that the injection is previously filled with a strange serum that is full of genetically engineered snake's cell-free DNA...' Zhao MingAn explains, 'The serum brought the recombined DNA molecules into the host organism and create the new combination...' He proceeds.

'But the recombination is not merged completely...' Shen YeZun said, 'In certain circumstances, the snake's DNA will be separated...'

'I see...' Zhao YunLan muttered, 'So that how it is...'

'What do you mean?' Shen Wei asked.

Zhao YunLan was amazed by the question, 'Do you remember the snake man?' He asked. 'When Wang YiKe touched the snake, the snake died for the aging process but the man seems not affected...Now we know that both DNA are different...When the snake died, the human side return...'

'Ah...You're right...' Shen Wei nodded.

'Shen Wei...Shen Wei...You live for ten thousand years and you don't understand this simple thing?' Zhao YunLan muttered.

'Ten thousand years? Are you mocking me?' Shen Wei asked.

'Eh...?'

'Not every DiXing man could have that such long age...Only several people with anomalies in their molecule structure who could reach that age...' Shen Wei shook his head.

'Oh...Sorry, my mistake...' Zhao YunLan covering his confusion, 'So all that we have to discover is who the serum creator...' He laid his body down on the medical bed.

'Mhm...' Shen YeZun replied, 'You right...Ge...May I see the list of laboratories in Dragon City?' He said to his elder brother. 'If we know what they've been through on their research then we could figure out who the one that creates the serum...'

'Sure...' Shen Wei glances at Chu ShuZhi who only stands silently, 'Give him every data they need...'

'Yes...' Chu ShuZhi nods, 'Professor Shen...This way...'

'YeZun, don't overwork yourself...' Shen Wei still has time to remind his younger brother.

'I know...' Shen YeZun nods.

'Don't worry, Chief Shen...I'll make sure that Professor Shen will be alright...' Zhao MingAn replied spiritedly.

Zhao YunLan purses his lips grabs anything nearby and throws it to his younger brother's head.

'Ouch!' Zhao MingAn growled, 'Ge...What that hit for?'

'I wonder...' Zhao YunLan replied.

'Zhao YunLan...Why do you treat your brother rudely?' Shen YeZun looks mind the man's attitude.

'Professor Shen...All I do is for your well-being...If you are too nice to this boy, don't blame me if he devours you alive...' Zhao YunLan replied.

'What...?' Not only Shen YeZun, Shen Wei frowns as he is also confused.

'Ah, Professor Shen...You don't have to listen to him...He is always talking nonsense when he just wakes up...' Zhao MingAn escorted the young professor outside, glaring at his elder brother behind the man.

'But Boss...' Guo ChangCheng timidly said, 'If the snake is chase after Professor Shen...Why the man is following you?'

Zhao YunLan sighs, his hand stretching as he asks for something.

'What?' Guo ChangCheng asked.

'What else? If I use my brain I need something sweet to support it...' Zhao YunLan replied.

'Oohh...' Guo ChangCheng opens his bag and takes a lollipop out from inside, 'Here...' He said, giving the candy to Zhao YunLan after opening the wrap while Shen Wei pulls a chair and sits beside Zhao YunLan.

'First, he following YeZun but always tricked by the scent...But then...He realized that I was somehow always found at the crime scene...That was why he finally decided to follow me and he found YeZun...' Zhao YunLan answered, tilting his head to look at Guo ChangCheng. 'Hey, Xiao Guo...In the future...Don't do that thing as stupid as confronting the stalker just like you did...You're lucky there is nothing that happens to you...'

'But...'

'No "but"! Zhao YunLan is right in this case...' Shen Wei added.

'Alright...' Guo ChangCheng nods, 'I...I'll go to the restroom first...' He awkwardly strides outside.

'You just survive from a fatal explosion yet the first thing you talk about when you wake up is about the case...' Shen Wei leans his elbow to the table and supports his head on his fist, 'And you want me to stop wondering...Honestly, Zhao YunLan...I still can't believe that you are the real Zhao YunLan...'

Zhao YunLan sighs, this man has not even realized how tempting his appearance is this time. 'I don't know myself what did really happen but I'm sorry to disappoint you...I am Zhao YunLan...' He replied, averting his eyes somewhere. Gosh! Now he understands what Shen Wei feels, it's torture like hell yet the man could hold himself.

'When you save me...You said that it was "better you than me"...Are you mistaking me for someone else?' Shen Wei asked.

Zhao YunLan lowered his gaze, 'How am I supposed to answer the question?' He stopped for a moment, 'Shen Wei...Who gives you that name?' He asked to change the conversation's topic.

'The DiJun Regent...' Shen Wei replied.

'DiJun Regent!?' Zhao YunLan was surprised. However, he realized that the HaiXing planet is completely changing. What did he really hope by asking Shen Wei the question? A lingering hope that maybe just maybe, they still have a connection through the name?

'Mhm...He lives for a very long time already...Everyone always comes to him when they have a child to ask a good name...' Shen Wei said.

Zhao YunLan lowered his gaze. Is it possible that the DiJun Regent knows something about his presence in this world? What did really happens to the HaiXing planet? Honestly, Zhao YunLan himself can't be convinced by the falling star's miracle.

'The DiJun Regent...Where do we can find him?' Zhao YunLan asked.

'In the DiJun Palace...' Shen Wei replied with a flat face.

Zhao YunLan clenches shut his eyes in deep irritation. For the first time in his life, he gets an urge to strangle the man that he loves for the stupid answer but Zhao YunLan should admit that this is also the first time for him to see another side of Shen Wei that he saw before.

'What?' Shen Wei asked when he realized that Zhao YunLan stares at him.

'Huh? Nothing...'

Just at the right time, Shen Wei's phone is ringing. 'YeZun...What happens? What!? You found the serum maker...Professor Ouyang!?' Shen Wei gripped the phone even tighter, 'I should have known that...'

'Is it Ouyang Zhen?' Zhao YunLan asked soon after Shen Wei put down his phone.

'How do you know?'

'Yes or not!?' Zhao YunLan has no time to play hide and seek in this such serious moment.

'Yes...'

'I'll go with you...' Zhao YunLan stands up.

'That is unnecessary, I can handle it alone...'

'What do you mean by I can handle it alone!? What are you? An Ultraman!? Even an Ultraman has a family...' Zhao YunLan refused to subdued.

'Ultraman? What Ultraman?'

'Not important! I'm going with you...'

'Are you insane!?' Shen Wei half-shouted, 'You are recuperating...'

'I'm fine!' Zhao YunLan cuts Shen Wei's words, 'I can't let you see that man alone...' Zhao YunLan said as he wears his jacket. 'Let's go...' Zhao YunLan walks outside even before Shen Wei moves from his spot.

Shen YongZheng who is about to enter the chamber, halted as he sees the scene. He can't help but even more notice this Zhao YunLan as this is the first time he ever sees his dominant son can't refuse somebody, smirks as he suddenly got an idea.

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

'So finally we caught the culprit...' Shen YongZheng looks contained.

'Yes, Sir...' Shen Wei happily presented the file.

'Where is the other?' Shen YongZheng asked his son.

'Outside...'

'Let them in...' Shen YongZheng said. 'This case is solved by a team...So meet me as a team...' The old man said.

Shen Wei glances at Chu ShuZhi and the man nods opens the door and invites the others.

'So...How did everything happen?' Shen YongZheng asked soon after all of them inside, sit together at the table.

'YeZun, Zhao MingAn, and Lin Jing found that the snake man is actually a pure HaiXing...' Shen Wei opens the story as the tea is served. 'They also found out about the serum and genetically engineered cell-free DNA inside that turned the man into the snake...Thus, they search for the lab that possibly created it...'

'When we found that Professor Ouyang's lab is the maker, we rush to that place...' Just like a normal twins couple, Shen YeZun proceeds with Shen Wei's words. 'That is the time when we found that actually, the experiment conducted by Professor Ouyang is under request from his funder...'

'Funder...'

'Yes...The owner of Zhang pharmaceutical...Mr. Zhang JiKeng...' Shen Wei said. 'The research is originally to adopt the reptile's capability to regenerate their cells...Snake is just one of them...'

'At the first glance, it seems like enhance the mutation in the human body but actually, it's not like that...' Shen YeZun proceeds.

'Soon after the research was completed...He hands the result over to Mr. Zhang...' Shen Wei added, 'We founds ample proof to relate the snake attacks with him...Especially because he uses numerous HaiXing people to become his lab rat...'

'So you want to say that he modified the serum...' Shen YongZheng asked.

'Yes...' Shen Wei replied, 'Every time someone uses the serum, they always sent someone else to clean up their trace...Like sent someone to kill the young man last time...'

Shen YongZheng looks at the other four that keep silent, 'Zhao YunLan...What do you think?' He asked soon after his eyes darted on the man.

Zhao YunLan sighs as he replied, 'I don't know why but...I don't think that Professor Ouyang is clean...'

'True...Because no scientist will hand over their research just like that...' Zhao MingAn added.

'But that's the deal...' Shen YeZun said.

'Professor Shen...Tell me...If one day your brother asks you to hand over the offee project would you do it? Even though this offee project is the government's project, you will be troubled right?' Zhao MingAn said, 'Lin Ge...What do you think?' He glances at Lin Jing.

'Honestly, I agree with Zhao Ge and Xiao Zhao...' Lin Jing said awkwardly.

Listen to the discussion, Shen YongZheng sighs. 'I already learned this case...And I come up with an idea...I will create a new division for the police department...' He said.

'New department?' Shen Wei asked.

'Mhm...It will be called the Special Investigation Division...' Shen YongZheng replied makes Zhao YunLan choked by the tea, 'And...Zhao YunLan...I want you to be the leader of that division...'

When everybody looks excited, Zhao YunLan feels troubled. He already feels comfortable with the present situation and somehow, that position brings back bad memories.

Zhao YunLan puts down his cup, takes a deep breath as he replies, 'I'm sorry, Sir...But please, allow me to decline...'

The retrograde motion, in astronomy, means the orbital or rotational motion of an object in the direction opposite the rotation of its primary...For some reason, that phenomenon commonly happens in our daily life...When people suddenly move backward from something that they chase...

However breadcrumbing is interesting, don't you think?

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