Chapter 90: A First Meeting

Chapter 90: Chapter 90: A First Meeting

Just as the two sides were at their most tense, with several military ships preparing to parcel the Vance brothers up and throw them out, a gentle voice came through the smart earpiece at the female staff member’s ear:

"They are my family, allow them in."

"Yes, Master Liam." The female staff member answered seriously, after which she smiled again, bowing her head most sincerely: "I apologise, sirs, we did not know you were the owner’s family. Since you are family there is no need to follow the procedure, please follow me."

The people on both sides of the road bowed in greeting to the Vance brothers again, after which they stood straight and serious once more like sculpted statues. An automatic electric passenger cart came up, and the female staff member stretched out a hand inviting the Vance party to board first. Waiting until they were all aboard, only then did a grade-A Alpha sit into the driver’s seat.

One of Lincoln’s close subordinates could not hold back, whispering into Lincoln’s ear:

"Head of the family, this lot are clearly making a show of force against us!"

Julian’s and Lincoln’s faces were not very pleasant. The grade-A Alpha, though displeased to hear them speak of his own master that way, was a professionally trained guide, so he still smiled and explained most politely:

"Sir, we are not aiming at anyone at all. Look around at both sides of the road, look at these beautiful rice fields then look at the peaceful scene here, is it not wonderful?

If people fall into a dispute with one another and haul out weapons and Mecha to fight, it would not only destroy the planet’s scenery but would also injure other tourists. Or supposing star pirates mixed in disguised as customers, then seized the planet by force?

And so, to protect the safety of the planet and of the tourists, we are obliged to set out such regulations. Every guest must put away all articles of high lethality and pass through the security scanning gate both before and after arriving on the planet Sirius."

The face of the man who had just spoken flushed hot, because he knew that everything the tour guide said was right. This planet was exceedingly beautiful, and it really would be too great a pity if it were destroyed.

The faces of the Vance brothers had eased a great deal as well. Lincoln probed skilfully: "Are the children busy with something? I called Benjamin several times and he did not pick up."

Hearing this, the tour guide could be certain this man was an elder of the Martinez siblings, so he hid nothing:

"Benjamin is probably busy with a press conference. You will know that the newly released film has been very well received, and all the papers want to interview him and the actors in the crew. Isabella’s fashion products are coming out at the start of January next year, so she has been busy at the workshop all this time. Only Master Liam has stayed behind to run the business."

Julian could not hold back from blurting out: "Then what about Elijah?"

The tour guide was taken aback: "The Hall family’s third young master? He is at the press conference with Benjamin. Once the press conference is over he will probably come back here to live, because he needs a quiet environment to write screenplays."

"Elijah... writes screenplays?"

The guide nodded happily: "That is right! The Hall family’s third young master is extremely talented. Not only can he write screenplays, he can act as well. The story of the film The Love Song on the Rooftop was written by him!" He boasted: "I got to witness the way they made the film with my own eyes, and bringing it up even now I still feel excited. Here is the reception hall, Master Liam is standing waiting for you all."

The Vance party looked where his hand pointed, seeing a slender figure standing in front of a fountain. The Omega wore a pale grey top, milky white straight-leg trousers, his chestnut brown hair falling soft over his shoulders. The clusters of brightly coloured flowers surrounding him did nothing to dim the gentle smile on his face.

"Asher/Mother?" In that instant’s glimpse, the Vance brothers seemed to fall into an illusion, seeing their younger brother/mother standing before them. The electric cart slowly stopped in front of the Omega, and he smiled in greeting:

"Second Uncle, Fourth Uncle, it is an honour to meet you both. I am Liam Martinez, the biological son of Daddy Joseph and Papa Asher."

The two Vance brothers stepped down from the cart, looking at Liam with dumbfounded faces. Lincoln asked hoarsely: "Biological... son? What does that mean?"

Liam smiled, inclining his body and stretching out a hand in invitation:

"Let us go inside first, then talk." Having said that Liam went ahead himself to lead the way.

Lincoln and Julian looked at each other, after which they strode along behind him. The Vance family’s bodyguards followed as far as the door, where they were stopped by the hall staff, who bowed and invited them to rest elsewhere. The bodyguards looked at their own head of the family, and only once they saw him nod did they follow the staff.

Liam opened the door, inviting them into his office on the second floor. This place was decorated very elegantly, with a soft carpet underfoot besides, well suited to an Omega’s workroom. The two Vance brothers sat down in their chairs, staring at Liam without taking their eyes off him.

Liam sat down opposite the two of them, pouring each a cup of tea then pushing it across to them. The cool, clean fragrance of tea rose with the steam, spreading through the whole room. The two Vance brothers were drawn in by this scent as well, shifting their gaze off Liam. Lincoln could not hold back, lifting the cup to his nose to smell it.

The energy was exceedingly pure, so that their minds felt as though they were being watered, exceedingly pleasant.

"This is...?"

Liam said with a smile: "That is tea made from young tea buds grown on the planet Cygnus. This tea works to lift the spirits and reduce stress for the drinker, and is a great help in treating mental power rampages. Its drawback is that drinking too much easily causes high blood pressure and insomnia."

Lincoln tried a sip, feeling the flavour of the tea in his mouth. Taken in at first it seemed slightly bitter, but after swallowing it down, a sweetness gradually spread through the mouth, leaving the whole body refreshed.

"Good tea!" Lincoln’s eyes snapped open, not grudging a word of praise.

Liam said with a smile: "If you like it, uncle, in a little while I will have someone wrap some up for you to take home."

Julian, on the other hand, did not know how to appreciate tea the way Lincoln did. He tried a sip, felt his own mental power tending towards calm, and so drained the whole cup in one draught. Liam could not help glancing over at him.

This youngest uncle was the Vance family’s late-born child, a year younger than Benjamin, just turned twenty-seven this year. By that count, at the time nine years ago, Julian Vance had still been an eighteen-year-old youth, still playful and impetuous. What happened that year had probably been a great blow to Julian as well.

While Liam was sizing Julian up, Lincoln was sizing him up too. Alike, truly far too alike. At first glance, he had thought Liam resembled his own third younger brother, but looking closely now, he resembled their late mother more. Now Lincoln was certain about Liam’s bloodline.

He set the cup down, looking straight at Liam and asking:

"What you said just now, what did it mean? Why did the Alpha guiding us call Elijah the Hall family’s third young master?"

Liam drew his gaze back from Julian, then looked towards Lincoln, explaining slowly:

"That year my Papa and Madam Hall were kidnapped by star pirates together, and gave birth at the same time. The situation then was rather chaotic, so Elijah and I were picked up by mistake. Elijah is the biological son of the Hall family, while I am the biological child of the Martinez family. We only changed back a few months ago."

Liam did not spell out the specific situation, nor did he tell too much about his own family’s affairs. First because he did not have a great deal of feeling of closeness with his Papa’s family, second because matters like these were still better coming from Benjamin’s mouth. He tilted his head to look at the two of them, saying:

"I have heard my brother and sister along with Elijah tell a great deal about you all, and I know more or less about what happened back then. But it is not my place to say much, better to wait for my brother and sister and Elijah to come back and speak of it."

He looked at the time on his smart watch, saying: "By my reckoning they should be back about now. I have not told them you were coming to visit, so they will certainly be surprised."

After that, he remembered what Benjamin meant to do tonight, letting out a soft laugh:

"Ah, it may well be that today the two of you will get to witness an exceedingly important historic moment in the life of your eldest nephew."