Yzak, Dearka, and Nicol were utterly stunned—far more shocked than by everything Athrun had told them before.
"That's impossible! Isn't he a Natural?" Yzak demanded.
"Calm down, Yzak. Athrun is just speculating," Nicol quickly tried to soothe him.
"But if it's speculation, there must be a reason, right? Athrun, why do you think so?" Dearka asked. Though just as proud as Yzak, he was far steadier in critical moments.
"Well, I did report this to the higher-ups," Athrun admitted. While he hadn't shared all his suspicions about Yang Hui, he had disclosed one key detail—that the original special codes in the X Series were written by Yang Hui. "Do you remember those core lines in our Mobile Suits' original Operating System?"
"Yeah, the ones that were the hardest to modify," the three nodded. They couldn't forget how those lines had doubled the time it took to rewrite the OS when they hijacked their units.
"Yang Hui wrote those codes. We were elementary school classmates—I saw him working on them once," Athrun revealed.
"What!?"
"So you're saying... Yang Hui was involved in the Earth Forces' MS development program?"
"That damn bastard! Wait—doesn't this prove Orb is siding with the Earth Forces? I'll report this immediately—" Yzak, initially furious, suddenly saw this as leverage—a legitimate reason to justify an attack on Orb. He turned to leave but was stopped by Athrun.
"Wait, Yzak. It's useless. I already reported this intel from the start."
"What? Then what did the higher-ups say?" Yzak pressed eagerly.
Faced with his excitement, Athrun could only shake his head with a bitter smile.
"It didn't work. During the hearing, my father and the others tried to use this against Orb, but... they lost."
"Lost? What do you mean lost?" The three stared at him in disbelief.
"Politically and diplomatically, they lost. My father and the others were completely outmaneuvered by Wang Liu Mei—single-handedly. Left speechless. You all know about the apology and reparations statement."
"This—!"
"How is that possible? She's just a girl, how could she—?"
The three were dumbfounded, especially Yzak and Dearka. As rising stars in ZAFT, born into prestigious families and excelling in their own right, they were destined to become key figures in the organization—perhaps even inheriting their parents' seats in the Supreme Council.
But now... their pride lay shattered, crushed beyond recognition, unable to accept the reality Athrun had just described.
"That's Yang Hui. That's Wang Liu Mei. And Sumeragi—do you really think someone who stands beside them could be ordinary?" Athrun said calmly, neither belittling nor mocking. He felt the same way. Once confident in his abilities, he now realized that compared to Yang Hui and his fiancée, he was nothing.
"Wait, going back to the topic of the unknown MS—even if the original OS was written by Yang Hui, we've all seen that OS. It's simply not something humans can operate. Not even we Coordinators could handle such a complex OS, let alone Naturals. So Athrun, don't you think you might be overanalyzing this?" Dearka asked.
"I don't know," Athrun shook his head. "But I know Yang Hui. He never does anything without certainty, so... I'd say the possibility is high."
"..."
"If that's the case, I suspect Orb might already have operational MS units—mass-produced ones, I mean," Nicol analyzed.
"That's highly possible," Yzak and Dearka agreed, unusually not contradicting Nicol this time.
"This intel must be reported. This nation is too dangerous," Yzak said. Not just him, but even Dearka and Nicol felt a chill run down their spines. Orb appeared peaceful on the surface, with no trace of war, yet they could possess mass-produced MS units. How could that not be terrifying?
And... there was another deeply unsettling thought: if Orb already had MS units operable by Naturals, what about the Earth Forces? Could they also have MS units now?
"This must be reported!" Yzak decided.
"Right, let's inform Captain Creuset and ask whether we should continue pursuing Long Legs..."
"Of course we pursue them! Long Legs... we absolutely cannot let them go!" Yzak said bitterly. Long Legs had to be sunk—it was their stain, something they had to erase.
"...Let's report first."
Elsewhere, while intercepting Athrun and the others was technically official business, Yang Hui and his team had taken the opportunity to show the four around Orb, even managing to steal a day of leisure amidst their work.
"This kind of life... is really nice," Sumeragi mused as they returned to the previous café, watching the bustling crowds and soaking in Orb's tranquility.
"Yes, but... only within Orb, and only for now," Wang Liu Mei sighed in agreement.
"We've done all the preparations we can. Speaking of which... any updates from Mina?" Yang Hui asked.
"Mina sent a rather interesting message. She's unsure how to proceed and wants your opinion," Wang Liu Mei chuckled, forwarding a message to Yang Hui's PAD.
Yang Hui opened it, paused, then shook his head with a wry smile.
"I didn't expect them to cross paths after all."
"Mina knows you're on good terms with them, so she's asking whether we should save them from Gina if necessary."
"Are you sure it's about saving them and not saving Gina?" Yang Hui smirked at Wang Liu Mei.
"Who knows?"
"Tell Mina not to worry about Gina. His childish antics won't interfere with our plans."
"Understood."
"Is that really alright, Yang Hui? I'm worried Mina might—"
"She won't intervene." Yang Hui knew what Sumeragi was concerned about—that as Gina's twin sister, Mina would inevitably step in to save him. But after all these years, Sumeragi still didn't fully understand Mina.
Mina was an ambitious woman. Before the long-cherished wish of the Sahaku family and the might of Orb, everything else could be set aside—even the life of her twin brother.
If Gina's reckless actions jeopardized their plans, Mina wouldn't hesitate to eliminate him herself without waiting for others to intervene.
Had Yang Hui and his group not existed, in the original timeline, Mina would have colluded with Gina until much later, when Lowe's influence would eventually change her perspective and make her understand the principle that "Orb is wherever its people are."
But Yang Hui's early appearance hadn't completely overturned Mina's views. However, every plan he proposed and every promise he made struck right at her sensitive points. Combined with the undeniable competence Yang Hui and his team displayed—giving Mina genuine hope for Orb's rise—she chose to side with Yang Hui over her foolish brother.
"What about them? Do they need help?" Sumeragi asked. Gina was an absolute fool—naive and impulsive—but even she had to admit his skills as a pilot were exceptional.
"No need. That guy Lowe has the best damn luck in the universe. Gina alone won't be enough to kill him. And Gai isn't simple either."
"Understood. As per the original plan, once the Archangel leaves Orb, we can begin formal training for the MS units. I'll expedite my coordination with them."
"Liumei, what's the situation with the Earth Forces?"
"They've already begun mass production, and the OS for Naturals is nearly complete."
After receiving the answer, Yang Hui turned to Sumeragi.
"Within expectations. Companies like Actaeon are quite formidable—no less capable than PLANT's Heinlein, Asimov, and Clarke Design Bureau." Sumeragi replied matter-of-factly. From the start, she had found this world's points of conflict baffling, even laughable.
Naturals inferior to Coordinators?
What a joke. Coordinators might have a higher starting point, but that didn't guarantee a higher endpoint. The notion that "Coordinators are monsters" was nothing more than the envy of the mediocre toward the exceptional. After all, the so-called "Coordinator monsters" they feared were born from genetic adjustment technology developed by Naturals.
"Heh, ZAFT is going to take quite a hit this time. Serves them right." Wang Liu Mei sneered.
"I'm not worried about either the Earth Forces or ZAFT. What concerns me are the shadowy masterminds we still haven't uncovered." Yang Hui said gravely.
"Our operatives in the Atlantic Federation suffered heavy losses—suddenly and without warning." Wang Liu Mei reported seriously. Since establishing their intelligence network in this world, this was the first time they had suffered such a devastating blow. "The enemy must have detected our presence long ago. They acted without hesitation, severing over a dozen lines at once. Only a few peripheral members managed to escape."
"Based on what we have so far, what have we uncovered?"
"We've confirmed Muruta Azrael of Blue Cosmos and Lord Djibril of LOGOS. Should we eliminate them?" Wang Liu Mei asked.
"No need."
Though these two individuals played significant antagonist roles at different stages of the plot, they were essentially just figureheads pushed forward by those operating behind the scenes.
Through in-depth investigations by intelligence agencies, it became clear that both [Blue Cosmos] and [LOGOS] were massive yet loosely structured organizations. Most of the publicly known figures were merely decoys or targets, while the true powerholders remained well-hidden, their identities known to very few.
This was precisely why Muruta Azrael could maintain his foolish, spoiled heir persona while still serving as the leader of [Blue Cosmos].
"I understand. I'll keep a close watch on them. Their connections behind the scenes..."
Wang Liu Mei grasped Yang Hui's meaning—familiar faces were easier to control, and it also created the illusion that those in the shadows were untouchable.
"Don't rush for now. We'll find opportunities later to plant our own people."
"Understood."
"Mm." Yang Hui watched as the crimson sun slowly sank below the horizon. "Let's head home. Rest today, work resumes tomorrow."
"Pfft—" Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei felt his warm hands settle at their waists, their cheeks flushing as they shot him an exasperated glare. "Are you sure this counts as rest?"
"Of course! Hehe!"
(End of Chapter)