Carlos turned his gaze toward Ariel and waved at her. “You re here. This is Stanley Pryce. You probably already know who he is.”
Ariel recognized the man before her almost instantly.
Stanley was frequently featured in new coverage related to politics, international summits, the country’s diplomatic and military affairs, and so on. He was one of the top officials serving in the Department of Defense.
Though Ariel was typically poised, meeting someone of Stanley’s stature rattled her more than she let on.
She walked up to Stanley and greeted him humbly. “Hello, my name is Ariel Walker.”
Stanley shook hands with her. He didn’t give off a particularly commanding presence as he said in a gentle voice, I know. I often hear Carlos talk about you. I finally got the chance to meet the impressive young lady today.”
Ariel glanced at Carlos.
With a stoic look on his face, Carlos snorted. “When did I ever do that? This girl was so rebellious. I couldn’t have been bothered to talk about her.”
Ariel kept silent.
It was obvious that Carlos and Stanley were close. However, they could only meet each other once or twice a year as both were extremely busy. This time, they finally had the time to sit down and catch up a little.
“Have a seat, Ariel. It’s alright. There’s no need to be so nervous.” Stanley clearly had a rather favorable impression of Ariel. He had been very warm and friendly to her.
Ariel nodded.
Stanley continued, “The U.N2 that you developed has contributed greatly to achieving many other important breakthroughs in military tech. I can’t help but be amazed by how young you are after seeing you today. Your knowledge and expertise in technology have been imperative to our country’s development.”
Carlos took a sip of his drink and said, “You’ll make her feel too proud of herself if you keep showering her with praises.”
Ariel smiled wryly.
Stanley didn’t respond to Carlos‘ remarks. Instead, he remarked approvingly, “I read the two papers that you published a few years ago in the SCI Aerospace Section One Journals. Your writing was of a top–notch level.”
For Ariel to have published two papers in the Section One Journals, someone like her would be highly regarded and widely respected in the academic world.
Stanley was both glad and impressed that their country had such exceptional talent. However, he was curious about one thing. “Why did you stop working on your research at one point, though?”
Ariel’s lips lifted in a slight smile. “I got married at some point, so…”
Stanley was a bit surprised to hear that.
Carlos frowned and added, “They’re already working on getting divorced now.”
Ariel hadn’t informed Carlos that she had already received the divorce certificate. That was why Carlos said what he did he thought they were still working through the divorce.
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