Love Redux: Fated to the Handsome Doctor

Night fell as silently as the dark corridors of the abandoned building located on the border of Jakarta and Bekasi. No one would have suspected that within its walls lay a laboratory operating with sophisticated facilities.

Footsteps echoed along with the swing of a flashlight beam from the building’s guard. A bespectacled man in a neatly tailored suit walked alongside the guard toward a secret door on the third floor.

“New cologne, sir?” the guard casually remarked, knowing today was payday. If only his boss wasn’t in a bad mood, his salary might not be delayed. The stout man in his early fifties didn’t want his family to suffer hunger like African children.

Nevertheless, his salary had to be paid today.

“Hmm. Can you smell it?” replied the boss, starting to remove his sunglasses. The area was sufficiently dark, and the eyes of uninvited guests were unlikely to penetrate the double security of this mysterious building.

The man reverted to his true identity and discarded his disguise.

“The scent is pleasant, sir. Seems like an expensive perfume, isn’t it?” the guard asked with a suspicious smile. But, of course, the boss understood his subordinate’s intent.

“Check your account. Amber has transferred it,” he said, avoiding small talk. He was very busy.

“Wow! Mr. Seno is so generous!” exclaimed the guard with joy. He was thrilled that his salary, along with the sweet-mouthed bonus, was valued at several million by the boss who had a secret job below. Whatever it was, he didn’t want to know anything except that his salary was paid on time.

***

Seno arrived at the third floor. Security became tighter there. A lift with a retina scanner greeted him before he could step into the 3×2-meter room.

As the green sensor blinked and the retina scan verified that Seno was the one attempting to enter the lift, the door opened automatically. Seno immediately pressed the B button, and in an instant, the control lever sank downwards, lowering the lift to the basement.

Seno could feel a gentle vibration as the lift began to descend. The atmosphere inside the lift was cold and silent, with only the faint sound of the lift mechanism escorting Seno into his secretive world.

“They should have developed the antidote by now! Damn it!” Seno grumbled.

Lately, all his plans had been disrupted because of his bad mood. Seno couldn’t control his emotions to finish the secret project of testing the illegal drug he was working on.

Actually, many scientists could work on autopilot, but Seno’s will was also an important consideration they had to fulfill for the success of this drug.

“Damn! Useless women!”

Seno cursed all the women he had encountered in his life, especially… Mahya! He was so curious and wanted to taste Mahya’s scent, at least once in his lifetime. Seno was very intrigued by her.

When the lift door opened on the basement level, Seno was faced with a long corridor with concrete walls on both sides. Neon lights on the ceiling provided sufficient illumination. Seno stepped out of the lift and walked along the seemingly endless corridor.

After a few steps, Seno arrived at a thick metal door that seemed to have no conventional handle or key. Next to the door was an electronic control panel with a touch screen emitting a soft blue light.

Seno glanced around before pressing several code combinations on the touch screen. The metal door slowly opened, revealing the sophisticated laboratory inside.

“Phew…”

Seno sighed deeply after successfully entering the security code with various follow-up questions known only to him. Shortly after, the door opened with bright light emanating from the clean white room inside.

The atmosphere of the laboratory immediately became apparent, with its distinctive aroma and serene, entrancing ambiance. LED lights gave a futuristic and cold vibe, as if Seno had entered a different world from the old dim building before.

“Welcome, Boss!” A bald man in a white suit rushed to shake Seno’s hand as he entered the lab. He had just come out of the administrative room, not far from the research room.

The cold atmosphere and the sound of monitors and machine whispers were audible. Seno’s mood was somewhat comforted by the orderliness there.

“How’s the progress?” he asked after receiving a spray of disinfectant over his body. The hazmat suit and accessories made Seno and the lab environment protected, including the bald man.

“It’s still in development, Boss,” the bald man replied, trembling. For three weeks now, those were the only words he could utter. Seno was obviously furious.

“When will it be done?” he impatiently snapped. However, the bald man seemed unable to provide certainty. “It’s… still in progress.”

“Silence!”

Seno was tired of the irresponsible statements. “Where is the head responsible?” Seno asked, scanning the researchers working there. They fell silent as Seno seemed about to erupt like a volcano toward them.

“Doctor Hanung is in the cultivation area, Boss,” the bald man pointed to another room across the glass room they were occupying.

“Huh! Watch out!”

Seno growled before heading to the cultivation room. The bald man once again only followed as before, and they finally entered the cultivation room as Seno planned.

Dr. Hanung, in his white laboratory uniform, was already waiting in his room filled with sophisticated equipment and monitor screens displaying complex data. He welcomed Seno with a warm smile.

“Welcome, Boss. Is there anything I can assist you with?” Dr. Hanung asked, offering a seat. He had just finished checking the plants and was currently writing a report for the next sample testing phase.Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

Some time ago, the extraction sample of the herbal plant poison had failed. Hopefully, this time their research could yield the expected results.

“Assist me with what! How’s the progress? I can’t wait any longer!” Seno yelled, refusing to sit in the designated chair.

Dr. Hanung smiled bitterly, feeling unable to meet the deadline given by his employer. “It’s quite difficult,” he sighed. But, of course, he wouldn’t give up easily.

“When will it succeed? Hhhh! So useless!”

Seno cursed angrily, imagining all the complications and failures that had occurred in this secret project. Dr. Hanung tried to explain some technical details, but Seno refused to listen to any explanations.

“However it takes! This research must succeed!” he shouted without wanting to hear any further explanation from the doctor.

Dr. Hanung sighed deeply. Indeed, these repeated failures were frustrating. But… he could only wait for a miracle.

“Give me one more chance, Boss….”

Suddenly, the monitor screen in the room flickered, catching Seno and Dr. Hanung’s attention immediately. Both of them stared at the screen in amazement as the data displayed something extraordinary.

“What’s this?” Seno asked, his eyes widening as he saw graphs and figures showing a significant change in the development of this secret project.

Dr. Hanung quickly checked the data. His smile immediately widened. The awaited moment had arrived.

“This is amazing, Boss! It seems there’s a major breakthrough in chemical reactions and plant processing. We might…”

Seno didn’t listen further. His eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. He felt a new hope for this project. Without a word, Seno left the room and headed to the glass room overlooking the cultivation area.

There, the exotic

plants being tested were growing healthily. The UV exposure gave a special shine to their colorful leaves. This success looked very promising.

“I will soon conquer the world… with your help, Dolalopa!”