The Unveiling of Secret Queen

Chapter 1080: Chapter 1080: I’ve Heard It All From Mr. Wafford

Audrick Zachmann and Stanley Zachmann seemed rather relaxed, glancing at each other, unsure of what to say.

In the end, it was Audrick who couldn’t hold back. He leaned forward slightly, hesitated, and finally spoke, ”By the way, Nathalie, why did you go to the Illegal Zone?”

Before leaving, he had told Nathalie Quinlan that he was heading to Sablehaven to film a variety show. Later, when Mr. Wafford and the others showed up, Mr. Wafford mentioned to him that Nathalie was there as well. Audrick had been shocked.

Nathalie had just finished replying to a message. At his words, she looked up and placed her phone aside, casually resting her arm on the table. She seemed indifferent as she replied, ”I went with Mr. Wafford and the others.”

Audrick: ”...”

Of course, Audrick knew she had gone with Jackson Wafford and the others. That wasn’t what he was actually asking!

But, unsure if Nathalie understood the underlying meaning of his question, he paused and then added, more perplexed, ”I heard from Mr. Wafford that the reason we were able to smoothly resolve the dispute with Cubicle Group was because the Red Alliance helped out. But we don’t know anyone from the Red Alliance, so I don’t get why they’d help us...”

Nathalie listened to the puzzled tone in his voice as he muttered to himself. She quickly guessed that Jackson Wafford hadn’t told him about @ilovebeingskinny.

So she didn’t bother bringing it up.

Just then, the dishes they had ordered, along with the soup base, were brought to the table.

The waiter helped them turn on the stove.

Soon, the spicy beef-tallow soup base began to boil, filling the private room with the mouthwatering aroma of hot pot.

The jars of sesame oil were placed near her hand. Nathalie picked up two jars and handed them across the table, then took her chopsticks and started adding seasonings to her own bowl.

Stanley Zachmann, sitting across from her, looked at how she was safe and sound, and for some reason, the tension that had been weighing on him noticeably eased. He relaxed as he watched the girl adding scallions and garlic to her bowl, searching for cilantro. Without hesitation, he handed the cilantro over to her. ”Here.”

Nathalie lifted her gaze. Her actions paused for a second, then she silently accepted the cilantro from his hand.

She casually and nonchalantly added a small amount to her bowl.

Stanley noticed she didn’t reject him, and his heart gradually softened. Staring at the porcelain-white profile of the girl’s face, his expression grew tender. He quietly explained, ”Nathalie, I’m sorry. I worried you. I didn’t mean to keep this from you. It’s just... the situation was really complicated at the time. I didn’t know how to handle it right away. And besides, I was out of the country... So... so I didn’t tell you then, and I asked Audrick not to tell you either.”

Nathalie’s shoulders relaxed slightly. Her voice, a bit hoarse as if she hadn’t slept well, came out beneath a low-pressed cap hiding her eyes. Only her sharp chin was visible as she replied, ”It’s fine.”

Stanley felt even more guilt-ridden seeing her like this, lowering his head as if struggling to find the words. ”Mr. Wafford told me everything.”

Nathalie lifted her head.

Stanley looked at her and smiled faintly. His scholarly demeanor gave him an air of elegance and grace. ”He told me that the reason we were able to resolve this matter was thanks to your help. I don’t know exactly how you did it, but I’m really thankful you were there.”

”This scientific breakthrough is incredibly important for the country. If the industry couldn’t accept it, then the hard work we’ve poured into it over the past few years would’ve been for nothing...”

Hearing this, Audrick, who worked in IT, was deeply moved.

The domestic industry, when compared to international counterparts, had started late in his field.

In certain cutting-edge tech sectors, the most advanced technologies and resources were still monopolized and controlled by foreign entities.

The country had no choice but to spend high prices buying outdated products discarded by others.

And those entities never gave them the opportunity to research or develop independently.

The breakthrough Tsinghua University had achieved this time in chip technology—going from 0 to 1—was truly no easy feat.