With the protection of the Twelfth Independent Technical Division and the cooperation of Ethan Rhea, the concert concluded smoothly without any incidents.
"I have to go now." Backstage, Lacus reluctantly wrapped her arms around Yang Hui's waist, her lovely face pressed tightly against his chest.
"Alright. Be safe, and if you don't want to perform anymore, just stop."
"I can't do that." Lacus released Yang Hui, her firm and earnest gaze meeting his. "This is the only thing I can do, and I will do it well."
"You silly girl, there are many other things you can do."
"Like what?"
"Like... helping me relieve my fatigue?"
"Get lost. I'm leaving. Sayla is still waiting for me in the Demon Capital."
"Sayla came to Earth too?"
"Yes, she got a spot in an exchange program to study at the Demon Capital Central Hospital."
"That's pretty good."
"Go see her when you have time. She's complained to me about you many times."
"It's not like I can just go whenever I want." Yang Hui shrugged, indicating his helplessness. Although they had captured Kycilia Zabi, the war in the East Asia Theater was not over. The Zeon Army still occupied the Indochinese Peninsula, a steady stream of reinforcements was gathering in Australia, and the Philippine base was under constant attack by Zeon. The Twelfth Independent Technical Division's battle in the East Asia Theater was far from finished.
"You'll have to arrange your own time. I really have to go."
Lacus and her team departed from the East Asia Military Region General Headquarters. The Twelfth Independent Technical Division also had to return to its base, but before that...
"Find anything?" The moment Lacus's plane disappeared over the horizon, Yang Hui's face turned ice-cold.
"Yes. Bombs were also planted in several key locations on the plane. It was done by people from her management and bodyguard teams."
"Are they all caught?"
"Not a single one got away."
"Good."
Yang Hui strode forward, a terrifying, murderous aura cloaking him like a tangible black coat. The air around him seemed to drop in temperature. Amuro, following behind Yang Hui, felt as if the air he was breathing was full of tiny water droplets, or even ice shards.
He made his way to the prison. All the people who had been identified were already locked up, including Federation soldiers as well as Lacus's manager and bodyguards.
"Any results?" Yang Hui asked.
"None," Jung replied, shaking his head.
Yang Hui said nothing, walking straight up to the first prisoner and looking down at him.
"I... I won't say anyth—" Feeling Yang Hui's terrifying killing intent, the prisoner's lips trembled, but he remained stubborn. For such hard-headed types, Yang Hui's method was...
Bang!
He shot him without the slightest hesitation.
Blood blossomed as the prisoner fell to the ground, his eyes wide with disbelief. Red and white matter splattered across the floor.
Without a second glance at the corpse, Yang Hui moved to the second prisoner.
"I... I won't say any..."
Bang!
Another bullet entered a forehead and exited through the back of the skull. The prison now held another corpse.
"I... I..."
Bang!
Whatever he wanted to say—whether to be defiant, to beg for mercy, or to tell the truth—he no longer had the chance.
Yang Hui didn't care if they talked or not. Even if he killed everyone here and got no valuable intelligence, he wouldn't mind. It would just mean spending a little more time investigating. These people had dared to make a move on Lacus; he didn't plan on letting a single one of them go.
So... whether this group of prisoners could survive Yang Hui's wrath depended entirely on when Ethan Rhea would arrive.
Bang!
Another person lost all signs of life and collapsed to the ground. Yang Hui's murderous intent did not diminish in the slightest as he walked toward the next prisoner. Every time he stood before one, he would raise his gun and fire—two fluid, seamless motions with no pause in between.
"I'll talk! I—"
Bang!
Someone couldn't hold out any longer. The moment Yang Hui stood before him, he immediately broke, but Yang Hui still didn't pause. He put a bullet in his forehead, ending his life.
This time, however, was different. Yang Hui didn't continue to the next prisoner. Instead, he turned his head and asked Jung in a puzzled tone, "What did he just say?"
"N-nothing," Jung and the others said, shaking their heads. They too were drenched in a cold sweat from Yang Hui's actions. They knew Yang Hui was ruthless to his enemies, but they had only seen it in MS combat. Witnessing his most brutal and bloody side in person left even these battle-hardened veterans trembling with fear.
Yang Hui's actions were definitely against regulations. Even if it was confirmed they were all criminals, the soldiers should have been tried by a military tribunal, and the others by a civil court, before a final verdict was given.
But Yang Hui, without any interrogation or formal procedure, had killed them without hesitation, even when one of them broke. This was no longer an interrogation; it was a pure slaughter.
"I'll talk! I'll talk!"
"I'll talk too!"
"Don't! Don't kill me! I'll tell you everything!"
...
Seeing a pause in the executions, their hope for survival extended by a second or two. They started shouting before Yang Hui could even take another step.
"What's going on?" Just then, Ethan Rhea arrived with his men. Seeing the carnage on the floor and hearing the prisoners' desperate cries for survival, he asked.
"Colonel Ray, you're here?" Yang Hui holstered his pistol. All the prisoners breathed a sigh of relief. Although they didn't know what kind of judgment awaited them, at least they weren't going to die right now.
"Major Yang Hui, what is the meaning of this?" Ethan Rhea asked, his tone heavy.
"I'm conducting an interrogation."
"An interrogation?"
"Yes, and it's quite effective. See? They're all willing to talk now." Yang Hui gestured behind him at the prisoners with a gentle smile, a complete and utter contrast to his earlier cold-blooded cruelty.
"Yes, yes! I'm willing to talk!"
"I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! It was..."
"I'll talk too! I received orders from..."
Seeing a lifeline, the prisoners scrambled to spill everything they knew, not daring to hold anything back. They were truly scared out of their wits, terrified that this god of death, Yang Hui, would start killing again.
Ethan Rhea was their lifeline, that was true, but everyone present knew that he had no real control over Yang Hui. If Yang Hui decided to go on a rampage, they would still be dead.
"...I see." The prisoners' shouts overlapped, making it difficult to discern what they were saying.
However, Ethan Rhea could roughly guess. He knew about Yang Hui and Lacus's relationship. Although he didn't know Yang Hui well, he could see that he was fiercely protective. For those who dared to touch his people and got caught, being sent off with a bullet was definitely a mercy, not a fate worse than death.
"Then I'll leave the rest to you, Colonel Ray."
"Alright." Ethan Rhea nodded. He also wanted Yang Hui to leave the prison as soon as possible. He could cover up a few deaths, but if Yang Hui really went on a killing spree, he wouldn't be able to explain it to his superiors.
Yang Hui left with the men from the Twelfth Independent Technical Division. Only then did Ethan Rhea truly feel a great weight lift from his heart. The prisoners were so overjoyed they wept, realizing for the first time what a beautiful thing it was to be alive.
"Alright, one by one, start talking," Ethan Rhea said. He knew he might be facing a grim truth, but this matter had to be thoroughly investigated—not just for Lacus, the Federation, and all the fans, but also to ensure no time bombs were left ticking in his jurisdiction.
...
On the way back to the base, Yang Hui keenly noticed that the way people in the vehicle were looking at him was a bit off. He shook his head with a wry smile. "I know I'm more handsome than you guys, so there's no need to feel insecure."
"Pfft! Ahem, ahem..." Caught off guard by the dark humor, everyone in the vehicle choked on their own saliva. Jung, who was driving, almost lost control of the steering wheel.
"What are you doing, Jung!? Trying to assassinate your superior officer!?" Yang Hui cursed good-naturedly.
"Major, I'm not taking the blame for this one!" The familiar dark humor helped Jung and the others relax their tense hearts.
"Exactly! It's clearly the Major's fault!"
"Major, next time you're going to be morbid, can you give us a heads-up? We really can't take it!"
"If you could take it, where would my fun be?"
"Haha, that's true."
"The familiar flavor."
"This is the real Major."
"No, it should be said, this is the Major."
Everyone spoke cheerfully. A cruelty beyond the reach of ordinary people was indeed hidden in Yang Hui's heart, but he was still him—the commander who turned into a devil during training and instruction, who joked around and had a dark sense of humor in private, and who was an incomparably ruthless Death God to his enemies.
"When we get back, remember to make up for your training. Super-sized."
"Major, you're a devil! You must be a devil!" (xN)
"What? Don't I look the part?" Yang Hui tilted his head, showing everyone his sinister profile, the pointed horns of his personality glinting.
"Nooooo~!!!!" (xN)
...
The battle in the East Asia Theater lasted for a total of one month. With the help of the Twelfth Independent Technical Division, Ethan Rhea quickly drove all Zeon forces out of the Indochinese Peninsula, returning the territory to Federation control.
The war in the East Asia Theater could be considered the most significant victory the Federation had achieved since Zeon declared war. The Middle East had only managed to turn the tide, and North America had only reclaimed a very small portion of its territory. In contrast, the East Asia Theater not only defended all its territory but also successfully captured the fallen Philippine region.
Most importantly, they had captured Kycilia Zabi, which threw the Zeon Earth Attack Force into temporary chaos. This led to certain gains on all fronts across the globe and gave the Federation more bargaining chips. The Moderate Faction within the Federation even proposed a deal with Zeon, using Kycilia Zabi as leverage to gain more benefits and reclaim lost territories.
"Heh, they really don't understand Gihren Zabi at all." Hearing this news, Yang Hui simply treated it as a joke.
Gihren Zabi was a psychopath who would stop at nothing to achieve his grand ambitions and had no moral bottom line. Familial affection... to him, it was at most a chess piece, or even an obstacle.
Therefore, there was no way Gihren Zabi would agree to such a deal.
"You seem to know him well?" Just then, an elderly but ramrod-straight figure walked into the office.