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nChapter 63 Guardians Arrived

n“Viclan, the Patriarch sent us. We’ll escort you back home!” Vincent, the captain of the Guardians, greeted Viclan and the other scientists with a smile when they got out of their vehicle.

nViclan was so moved that he was in tears. “Is the Patriarch alright?”

nVincent nodded. “Yes, the Patriarch is perfectly fine. He’s looking forward to seeing you back!”

nViclan said guiltily, “I’ve been searching for the Patriarch in Neige over the years but found no clue. Before I knew it, thirty years went by. I’ve disappointed the Patriarch!”

nVincent smiled. “Don’t worry about it. The Patriarch wouldn’t blame you. I was nervous about meeting the Patriarch at first, but then I found him to be a very approachable man. Come, Viclan. The Patriarch is waiting for you!”

nViclan said, “I think we should stop calling me Viclan now. From now on, I’m Charles Soan again.”

n“Sure! You’re about twenty years older than me. I guess I should call you Uncle Charles.”

nThe two men chatted happily.

nSuddenly, a fleet of black sedans stopped nearby.

nVincent frowned and told his fellow Guardians, “Protect our scientists!”

nDespite having fewer people, the dozen or so Guardians immediately formed a circle around the thirty scientists.

nA stalwart Neigerian man with sunglasses walked toward Charles with a smile.

n“Mr. Viclan, may I have a word with you?” He sounded rather friendly and didn’t seem to be here to confront them.

nVincent blocked the man’s way, saying, “If you need to talk, talk to me.”

n“You’re all Moonians, aren’t you? I understand your reaction.”

nThe man nodded and beamed at Viclan. “Mr. Viclan, we mean no harm. We just want to talk to you in private. If you still want to leave after that, I won’t stop you.”

nViclan looked at Vincent and considered it for a minute before saying, “Don’t worry. The airport is a public place. They won’t dare to do anything here. Let me talk to them. We’ve been here for so many years. Even if we’re leaving now, we have to handle the handover properly.” Vincent said, “Uncle Charles, be careful. Give me a sign if anything feels off.”

nHe then crooked his pinky, a secret gesture used by the Soan empire.

nCrooking once meant everything was fine, twice was asking for help, and thrice was “take action when seeing an opportunity.” Four times was to caution everyone that there was danger.

nOnly the Soan empire knew the meaning of the gestures. Naturally, Viclan understood them as well.

n“Got it. Don’t worry.”

nViclan and Lincoln then walked away to have their conversation. Before long, Viclan came back to his people.

nHe seemed hesitant.

nSeeing this, Vincent asked, “Uncle Charles, is everything alright?”.

n“Yes. Those men are high-ranking officials of Neige. They want us to return with them.”

n“I knew it! Uncle Charles, the Patriarch, is waiting. We should get going now.”

nCharles said, “But…”

n“What? Uncle Charles, are you having second thoughts?”

n“No, of course not. Nothing they say will make me change my mind. It’s just that they’ve moved the Nobel Prize ceremony forward. It’s going to take place tonight, and my colleagues and I are all winners.”

n“All of you?”

n“Yes, all of us!” Vincent was perplexed. “Uncle Charles, what are you saying?”

n“I… The Nobel Prize means a lot to me, but it’s not nearly as important as the Patriarch. I’ve worked for Neige for many years, and I want to be recognized for it. I was thinking maybe I could go back after I accept the award. However, if the Patriarch needs me urgently, I can leave right now.”

nEveryone knew what it meant to win the Nobel Prize.

nVincent also knew how hard it was to win that prize. He hesitated and said, “Let me call the Patriarch and see what he says.”

n“Thank you!”

nBack in Moon.

nHimmel Soan received Vincent’s phone call.

n“The Nobel Prize?”

nHimmel Soan’s eyes flickered. After hearing the other party, he replied without hesitation, “Let me talk to Charles.

n“Hello, Charles, this is Himmel Soan. Listen, you don’t need to rush back. You’re a member of the Soan empire, but you’re also a scientist. I know science is what you’re passionate about, and it’s a hard choice for you to make. In fact, it’s not that complicated. Just stay for another day and take the prize. The Soan empire isn’t everything. You need to think for yourself as well.”

nCharles was so excited that his hands were shaking. He nodded repeatedly. “Thank you, Patriarch! I’ll be on my way as soon as the ceremony is over!”

nHimmel Soan wasn’t a selfish man. Yes, Charles was a member of the Soan empire, but he also had his own dream. The two things shouldn’t be exclusive.

nMoreover, the improvement couldn’t be made overnight. Moon could afford to wait for a few more days.

nThey would come back. That was all that mattered.

nHimmel Soan stood by the window and contemplated. He then gave the instructions. “Call everyone and ask them if they’ve been given the Nobel Prize. If they have, tell them not to rush back now. They can go to the ceremony and come back afterward. If they haven’t won the prize, they can still attend the ceremony. Moonians are accepting the prize tonight, and it’ll be an honor for them to witness it.”

n“Yes, Patriarch!”

nWarren and a few others immediately called the scientist overseas. However, the prize was only given to scientists working in Neige.

nStill, the other scientists were encouraged to go to the ceremony as well. After all, it was the Nobel Prize. All scientists would look forward to it.

nIt was like with soccer players. They trained for years so that they could play in the World Cup one day.

nEven if the scientist couldn’t go up the stage, sitting among the audience would still be an exhilarating experience.

n“What? Neige has pulled many strings and moved forward the Nobel Prize ceremony, and it’s happening tonight? Damn it! They have no shame!”

n“Screw them! They’ve lured our scientists there, too!”

n“Shit! Neige is using the Nobel Prize as a reward! They have no right to do that!”

nFlamia.

n“Branco, you can’t leave!”

nA few cars blocked the road.

nOver a dozen Flamians got out and stared at the car trapped in the middle.

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