701  Chapter 700

Brian was stunned, and he stared at the man in disbelief. “What did you just say?”

Even Holly was at a loss for words.

Luke frowned.

The man immediately rushed forward, handing them his phone.

On the screen was a video of Professor Barry Brandt being interviewed, specifically the part where he mentioned old Mr. Sims.

“Mr. Sims came to me and asked, ‘Are you willing to dedicate twenty years of your life for your country?’ We set up a massive operation, a plan so intricate it fooled everyone! Now people are calling him a spy because he funded me, and I gave him money… Yes, I did send him money, but it was because I wanted to transfer my earnings from overseas back home. Under the guise of purchasing domestic advanced technology, I wired the money to him and tricked everyone. I’m back now—not only to clear my name but to clear Mr. Sims’ as well!”

The weight of the interview hit everyone like a tidal wave.

In the Special Division, every door opened, and people flooded into the hallway, gathering around Brian.

He stood there, frozen, staring in shock toward the room where old Mr. Sims was being held.

The rest of the Special Division members followed his gaze…

Holly’s eyes turned red. She was so overwhelmed she could barely hold herself back from screaming.

Her grandfather was innocent!

Tears streamed down Holly’s face as she bolted toward old Mr. Sims’ room. The Special Division had posted guards outside his room to prevent any attempt at escape, but now, no one moved to stop Holly. The guards, too, were overcome with emotion, their eyes red as they looked in the direction of old Mr. Sims’ room.

Brian’s lips trembled as he slowly moved forward, intending to head to Mr. Sims’ room himself, but suddenly someone ran up to him from outside. “Mr. Dawson, an important figure is here with Professor Brandt!”

Brian blinked in surprise, then quickly stepped outside.

There, standing beside Professor Barry Brandt, was a high-ranking official usually only seen on television. The two had just gotten out of a car.

Without waiting for his security team, Professor Brandt rushed into the Special Division building, grabbing Brian by the arm as soon as he saw him. “Where’s Mr. Sims?”

Brian was still in shock, barely able to process what was happening.

He quickly turned and pointed toward Mr. Sims’ room, but before he could say anything, Professor Brandt was already moving quickly in that direction.

Everyone, including the members of the Special Division, followed as they headed in that direction.

Inside, Holly was crying.

Professor Brandt paused for a moment, straightened his jacket, then pushed open the door.

Old Mr. Sims had been held there for some time now, and the Special Division had made sure to block out all the windows to make his stay as uncomfortable as possible.

The room was dark. When the door swung open, the sudden flood of light was overwhelming, and old Mr. Sims raised a trembling hand to shield his eyes.

The light from the doorway was blinding, like a path leading out of the darkness.

Old Mr. Sims hesitated, then gently patted Holly, who was still sobbing into his lap. “Holly, help me up. We have guests.”

Holly quickly wiped away her tears and helped him to his feet.

Slowly, with shaky steps, he made his way to the doorway, where he finally laid eyes on Professor Brandt.

At fifty, the professor was still in the prime of his life, while eighty-year-old Mr. Sims represented a bygone era.

Yet in that moment, these two, separated by decades, gazed at each other as if reuniting after a long-lost friendship. There was nothing but deep, unspoken emotion in their eyes.

For a few seconds, no one spoke.

Somehow, at that moment, everyone’s eyes filled with tears.

One had endured public shame abroad for more than twenty years to protect his work.

The other had borne the weight of countless misunderstandings at home, never once offering an explanation, all to support the other one.

When Keira and Lewis arrived, they were greeted by the sight of this powerful, moving scene.

Keira looked from Barry Brandt to old Mr. Sims, and a sudden thought flashed through her mind: “The peace we enjoy today is thanks to the sacrifices of those who carry the burden for us.”

Suddenly, someone choked up, and that was all it took. The floodgates opened, and everyone broke down, one after another.

“Mr. Sims, I’m so sorry!”

With that, someone stepped forward and bowed deeply. “When I delivered your packages, I spat in one of them. I’m so sorry!”

“Mr. Sims, I wronged you!”