3 The Call Of Fate

-Chu Shuzhi-

The first time Zhao Yunlan had said Shen Wei's name, he had been surprised. Of all the professors in the whole country, it was just too much of a coincidence that the one involved in such a dangerous expedition was none other than his once best friend from back to high school. They had lost contact a few years ago, mostly because of their respective works.

Shen Wei was quite busy studying history with top grades and no one said that traveling all over the country or even outside of it, was a good way to keep old friendships, but now that he knew where to look for Shen Wei, he was not going to let their most needed reunion to be made in front of his perverted boss and a bunch of childish idiots. There was also a few things he rather ask Shen in private about their coming trip, which he find it highly suspicious, no matter from where he look at it.

Just like Zhao had done before him, Chu hastily walked toward the history department, in which he hoped to find Shen Wei and a few answers to his many questions at the same time. He ignored the stares of some students as he walked toward Shen Wei's office, he wasn't known to be the social type anyway and knocked on the door.

"Come in." He heard Shen said and Chu did as he was told. He open the door and walked in, expecting to find him alone, but Shen Wei was intently looking at an old map, with a frown on his handsome face and by his side, was a young man, probably one of his students, equally frowning. Then Shen turned to look and greet the new guest, but as he saw him standing, he suddenly stood up in surprise.

"Old Chu?" Chu Shuzhi?" Shen asked, still a bit surprised to meet him there. He honestly expected to see him again tomorrow, when both teams will meet to travel together to the mountains.

"Shen Wei, you shouldn't look so surprise. I do work for Zhao Yunlan, as a member of his team, but I'm sure you already know that, right?" Chu asked, closing the door behind him.

"Well, I did knew you worked for him, but I expect to meet you again tomorrow." He honestly said.

"I'm sorry but there is no way I will meet with you after so many years, in front of that shameless pervert. I rather meet an old friend in private." Chu said, slightly glancing at the young man by Shen's side. For some reason, the guy also looked familiar, although he couldn't said from where.

"Don't worry Chu, he is someone we both can trust. Actually, you already know him, he is professor Ouyang nephew, Guo Chancheng. He insists on going with us to look for his uncle, so you may as well help me convince him otherwise." Chu arched an eyebrow, finally remembering the guy.

"You had to be kidding me. Little Guo? The scardy cat little Guo, that usually hided from me because I was too intimidating?" Chu asked in amusement. Last time he had seen him was when he visit Shen Wei's house and professor Ouyang had been there, planning something with Shen Wei's father. He was a little brat back then and although Guo had grown in body to adulthood, he doubted he had grown in confidence.

"Yes, the one and only." Shen said, smiling, while Guo blushed.

"I see... so you had grown some now? Mount Kunlun is not a playground kid. It's dangerous even for professionals, let alone for newbies that lack confidence and jump in fright, even at the sound of the win." Chu said without restrain.

"I know it dangerous... I know I may not be of much help, but... my uncle is out there, alone. I will find him, I have to." Guo said shyly.

"We all have one chance at life, if something goes wrong and trust me, something will go wrong, then there is no turning back. I you die, is game over and it will not help the professor if he is still alive, that his nephew die looking for him."

"I will still go. Whatever my fate is, it will happen to me anyways, regardless of where." Chu laughed, while Shen sighed.

"He had grown headstrong Shen Wei. I'm sorry, but I think you can't have it your way with this idiot. Don't worry, I will look after him for you."

"I can look after him too, you know? I may not be an expert at hiking, but I'm stronger than I look."

"Of course you are. If I remember well, you were the champion in kendo in all your three years of high school, but... how can I put this? I don't think you will have the time to keep an eye on him." Chu said mockingly.

"What do you mean?" Shen asked, slightly moving his head at one side in confusion, which was his personal trademark, a thing that will make Zhao Yunlan go crazy for his friend in no time, he just knew it.

"Although I trust Zhao Yunlan with my life, any day at any time, he does have an annoying habit. He have a soft spot for male beauties, like yourself, which means, you will have your hands full with him, because there is no way he will let pass this chance." Shen coughed, Guo blushed and Chu simply laughed more.

"Chu Shuzhi, seriously..." Shen begin refuting, even when he could already feel his face burning up with embarrassment.

"I'm not joking, I would wish you good luck avoiding him, but as all his team already know, he is like the god of good luck himself and you being the one in charge of this expedition, instead of an old geezer, just prove it to me once more. Just to give you a fair warning, you are exactly his fantasy type, so if you are not interested, turn him down in the spot, otherwise he will find the way to woo you sooner than later." Shen half smiled, wondering if he had bewitching him already, when shaking hands with him, because he had felt something at that time and in all honestly, who was him against a god of luck?

"Never mind that, because in a way it's a good thing he is indeed full of it. Whatever or not he can woo me is irrelevant, because your almighty god of luck Chief, needs to work extra hard this time if he wants to keep us alive long enough to find the professor." Shen said, looking for an old notebook.

"What do you mean?" Chu asked, coming closer to his desk.

"Let me show you something and then you tell me if he will have the time to flirt with someone else." Shen said, passing the pages until finding the desired one and showed it to his old friend. The shock on Chu's face was evident.

"Pass this information to him for me. If he still wants to go to the mountains with us, he better prepare you all for what could be coming at us when we less expect it." Shen said seriously.

"Holy crap, just what is that?" Chu asked seen the hasted drawing of a beast that could only exist in nightmares, because it was something he had never seen before. A thing most suited coming out from hell.

"That is what we are finding out." Shen said, slightly taping his friend back.

-Yunlan-

Several hours later, quite late in the night, Zhao was still far from wanting to fall asleep. The picture Old Chu had showed him about the mysterious beast, not even Lin could find in records all around the world, was really bothering him. Apparently, it wasn't too big, most like a bit bigger than a wolf, yet he was sure it didn't belong to mother nature. The world was full of strange creatures from deep within the oceans, to tick jungles and lakes or barely explored lands, but the thing he saw didn't belong to any of them.

He keep pacing right and left in his living room, only occasionally stopping to look out to the busy city trough the reinforced glass wall. He understood now why the professor was set on going, just looking below and he was also motivated to go there, if only to keep the country and its people safe from that possible treat. However, that meant he was pulling his team in serious danger, not to mention that even if they had prepare for the worst case scenario, there was no guarantee they could keep the professor team safe.

"Shen Wei... just who are you? Why did professor Ouyang go looking for the entrance of Mount Kunlun? Why did you receive those notes?" Zhao asked himself as he finish his watermelon lollipop. The questions were many, yet the answer very few. He looked at the clock in one of the walls and impulsively took the phone to dial a number. It was Shen Wei's office number, but being almost midnight, he doubted anyone would answer. However, at the third ring, the charming voice of the handsome devil was heard from the other side.

"Professor Shen, it's rather late, why are you still at your office?" Zhao found himself asking him. Damn, why he had to begin with such a stupid private question. He was the idiot who called him there in the first place. He heard Shen Wei sigh from the other side.

"Perhaps because you have such a strong luck to keep me here until you could call me?" Shen joked.

"Ahhh, so he told you about that." Zhao whisper, making a note to kill Chu Shuzhi later.

"Yes, among other things. Couldn't sleep?" Shen asked, toying with the phone cable at the other side. He felt at ease hearing Zhao Yunlan's voice.

"What about you? It's almost midnight, you should have some rest for tomorrow's trip. You should know better than anyone else how dangerous this can turn out to be. Do the rest of the professors knows about those notes?" Zhao asked curiously, taking sit in one of his comfortable sofa.

"Yes, I don't like keeping dangerous things from others that could end up hurting them. In that way, we are both alike." Shen smiled, so did Yunlan at the other side.

"It's like you know me..." Zhao said.

"Believe it or not, I have the feeling I do. Strange, huh?" Shen whisper, closing his eyes. Why did he had to tell him that?

"Strange is something I'm used to. I have someone working for me who truly takes that price. Don't worry, we all have that feeling at some point." He said.

"Did you?" Shen asked curiously. Maybe he had not being the only one feeling the same.

"Yes. It happen to me quite a while back. I saw someone, at the hospital, when my father had a stroke, that I keep thinking I have seen him before, even when it was obvious I didn't knew him at all, because his school uniform was different than mine. I was in my last year of high school back then and I think someone from his family die in an accident, so of course, I didn't bother him. I can only remember something about a twin, he looked lost and keep whispering the word Didi with so much love, that it kind of imprinted in my mind, although I no longer remember his face." At this, Shen Wei's heart begin to run faster. The odds in such a case were so high he felt dizzy for a second.

"Zhao Yunlan, which hospital was it and in which year or day if you still remember? Please tell me." Shen asked, recalling something from his past and when he heard Zhao's answer, he deeply paled.

"Shen Wei? Are you okay? Your breathing is a bit heavy now..." Zhao asked as he stood up a bit worry.

"I... I'm fine... it's just... I think the one you saw back then was me. My brother Zun was in an accident the same year and was brought to that hospital, pretty much the same day your father had his heart stroke. He was my twin brother and he..."

"Die... I'm sorry." Zhao finish for him. If the situation was any different he would had laugh at the coincidence, but his brother die that day and he had just confirmed that his encounter with that man was something only the gods could pull off, because they had been linked by fate, maybe from the very beginning.

AN: I kind of like those two, linked by fate, it's not only romantic but also mysterious. Hope is still in the right track, this one will have a lot of dangers and supernatural occurrence while in the mountains. Thanks for the votes, they always give me the needed fuel to keep up writing.