Char and Flit watched with amusement as Yang Hui was dragged away. They truly hadn't expected to see such an entertaining spectacle, but it was also quite awkward. After all, when Sergei dragged Yang Hui away, he hadn't told them to enter the house. Since the host hadn't spoken, it wasn't appropriate for them to follow on their own.
"I apologize for the display, gentlemen. Please, follow me," Holly said, naturally taking up her duties as the lady of the house at this moment.
"Much obliged, Madam."
Following Holly into the house and arriving at the study, Char and Flit were surprised to find that the expected brotherly quarrel hadn't occurred. Sergei and Yang Hui were sitting on opposite sides, both perfectly calm.
"Ho? Yang Hui's elder brother is no ordinary man."
The same thought occurred to Char and Flit simultaneously. They immediately deduced that the struggle outside just now had been an act. As for why... it certainly wasn't for their benefit. It was for the eyes watching from the shadows.
"Let me introduce you. Sergei Smirnov, my elder brother. This is my sister-in-law, Holly Smirnov."
"These two are Char Aznable and Flit Asuno, both my companions."
Holly sat down beside Sergei, while Char and Flit sat beside Yang Hui. Both sides nodded to each other in acknowledgement.
"Since both you and my sister-in-law are at home, does that mean they've moved against you?" Yang Hui asked.
Sergei was currently a Major General of the Federation, and one with actual military power. Yet he was currently idle at home, and with his wife as well. It was clearly not as simple as taking a vacation.
"Yes. The higher-ups sent an A-Laws inspector to my territory, accompanied by several others. They weren't ordinary people."
"Not ordinary? Innovators?"
"Yes. Carrying authorization from the Federal Chairman, they directly bypassed my authority and began an internal investigation, claiming there were spies from Celestial Being and anti-government forces."
"Heh, it seems Ribbons can't sit still anymore." Yang Hui sneered. They hadn't come earlier or later, but chose to strike now with such heavy-handed methods. It clearly had everything to do with their return.
"You shouldn't have come back," Sergei sighed. "The Innovators are hiding behind the scenes. They've replaced most of the officials from the Federation's founding using various excuses. The current Federal Assembly is nothing more than their puppet, and they have the A-Laws as their trump card. By coming back, you're walking right into their trap."
"Don't worry. Since I've dared to show my face, it means I have absolute certainty," Yang Hui said.
"...Sigh."
"Alright, Brother, Sister-in-law, since you have the chance, take a good rest. I still need to go see Kati." Now that the necessary words were spoken and the situation understood, there was no need for Yang Hui to stay at the house. It wasn't time to go home and rest yet.
However, as he reached the door, Yang Hui paused. Without turning his head, he said to Sergei and Holly, "Don't worry about Andrei. I will bring him back in one piece."
With that, Yang Hui led Char and Flit away without stopping. Hearing this, Sergei and Holly froze. Holly covered her face and wept, while Sergei's eyes turned red and filled with tears, which he struggled to hold back.
Sergei was not a man to yield easily. Even if an A-Laws inspector and Innovators came to his door with the authority of the Federal Chairman, he wouldn't have been dismissed so easily. Sergei's subordinates were all his trusted confidants; if pushed too far, it was entirely possible for Sergei to openly rebel against the Federation.
Yet both Sergei and Holly were dismissed and confined to their home, and Andrei was nowhere to be seen. From beginning to end, Sergei and Holly hadn't mentioned Andrei's whereabouts, even though Andrei had loved following Yang Hui around since he was a child.
Therefore, Yang Hui judged that Sergei and Holly were being threatened. The leverage used against them was Andrei.
"Flit, send a message to Creuset. Have him find Andrei Smirnov's location."
"Understood."
"Yang Hui, if your brother's side is like this, the other side is likely in a similar position, right?" Char asked. To legitimately eliminate the A-Laws and the Innovators while overthrowing the current Federal government, Sergei would be a massive asset. So would Kati. The regular army units under their command could provide significant help.
But now, half of this prepared trump card had been torn away. Given the opponent's current attitude and style, the other half was likely the same.
"Kati won't be threatened. You don't know her." Yang Hui's lips curled slightly. Sergei and Holly had Andrei as a weakness, making a threat possible.
But Kati had no such weakness. Or rather, her only weakness was Yang Hui himself, and Yang Hui would not become a liability for her. Therefore, Ribbons could not threaten her, nor could he make her yield.
...
Just as Yang Hui was heading to the military camp where Kati was stationed, Kati was facing the same situation Sergei had encountered.
"Major General Kati Mannequin, I am Major Arba Lindt, an inspector from A-Laws. I look forward to working with you."
"An inspector? Why was I not notified in advance?" Kati Mannequin had long anticipated this, but she still feigned anger as she questioned him.
"A classified mission, Major General Mannequin."
"Classified? What kind of classified mission allows a mere Major to monitor me, a Major General?" Kati pressed, her expression darkening. Her commanding presence made Arba Lindt break into a cold sweat.
"Major General Mannequin, I am a special envoy of the A-Laws. The A-Laws is an independent unit directly under the Federal government and has the right to—"
"So, is it the Federal government that gave you the courage to act so arrogantly in my presence, a mere Major?"
"I didn't... what I mean is..."
"Guards! Take him down!"
"Wait—"
Arba Lindt saw Kati's guards immediately rush in to seize him. He panicked. His status in the A-Laws had always made things go his way; as a direct independent unit of the Federation, A-Laws held supreme status. Even a Major was someone regular army generals didn't dare offend lightly.
Arba Lindt was essentially a man who hid behind power to compensate for his own cowardice. His confidence and courage were tied only to the success rate of a mission. When he held the advantage, he would show great courage, boast, and belittle those he looked down upon. But when the situation worsened, he would quickly retreat, hoping his subordinates would save him in desperate circumstances. He often relied on the talents of others to achieve success, yet rarely showed appreciation to his subordinates. As a shrewd survivalist and tactician, he always ensured he attacked the enemy with overwhelming force to guarantee victory, but he often underestimated his opponents and was poor at predicting enemy movements.
He enjoyed this privilege, as well as the status and vanity it brought. Coming to Kati's defense zone this time, he had wanted to flex his authority before her, perhaps even winning over the coldest "highland flower" of the military with his dominance.
But he hadn't expected her to care nothing for the A-Laws' authority and instead order his arrest.
"Please wait, Major General Mannequin."
At that moment, a man with short, pale purple hair entered with several others, a gentle smile on his face. He wore an A-Laws uniform with the rank of Captain.
"And who are you? Is my guard detail eating dirt? Any random stray can enter my office without being announced?" Mannequin asked coldly.
"Forgive the intrusion. A-Laws Special Independent Squad, responsible for escorting Major Lindt. I am the squad leader, Captain Revive Revival."
"Hmph, more A-Laws people? Is everyone in the A-Laws a lawless rabble?"
"Pardon us, Major General Mannequin. Before arriving, we sent a cable to your department. Perhaps your subordinates overlooked it, leading to this misunderstanding. This is the formal appointment letter from the Federal Chairman. Please, have a look." Revive Revival explained to Kati with refined elegance.
Kati took the Chairman's appointment letter and examined it carefully. Then she glanced at Arba Lindt, Revive Revival, and the others before waving her hand for the guards to retreat.
Once released, Arba Lindt let out a sigh of relief. He glared at Kati with resentment, but his eyes met her cold, indifferent gaze. He trembled with lingering fear and took several steps back, standing obediently to the side.
"Ho?" Seeing this, Kati's lips curled. she had a guess about the identities of Revive Revival and the others. "So, dear envoys, what are your instructions?"
"It is like this, Major General Mannequin." The task of answering should have belonged to Arba Lindt, but seeing that the man didn't dare utter a word, Revive Revival cursed "useless" in his heart and answered for him. "The anti-government forces are becoming increasingly brazen. The threat of Celestial Being is like a thorn in our side..."
"So instead of doing your jobs and eliminating the anti-government forces to bring peace to the Federation, why have you run all the way here?"
"Tch, what a vixen," Revive Revival cursed internally. Kati's interruption wasn't just to tell them "your status means nothing to me," but also to accuse the A-Laws of incompetence and being useless.
However, he maintained his elegant smile and answered patiently, "It is precisely because of this that we have come, Major General Mannequin. The A-Laws' suppression of anti-government forces has never ceased, and we have achieved much. However, at critical moments, the enemy always manages to find an opening to break through. Therefore, Commander Katagiri has judged that there must be spies for the anti-government forces within our military, leaking information to them. Otherwise, they couldn't possibly escape every time."
"Then you should conduct a thorough internal investigation first, Captain Revival. A-Laws operations are classified; the regular army knows nothing of them and couldn't leak anything even if they wanted to."
"That is hard to say, Major General Mannequin. Naturally, an internal purge was conducted within the A-Laws with significant results. But to be safe, the regular army cannot be overlooked, can it? It is all for the sake of world peace."
"..."
"Of course, Major General Mannequin is a hero of the last war. We also trust the Major General's ability to manage her subordinates. However, the procedures must still be followed, if only to give us something to report back."
"Hmph, do as you wish." Since the opponent had put it that way, she indeed couldn't refuse. At the very least, she was still a Federation soldier and had to obey the orders of the Federal Chairman.
"We greatly appreciate your understanding, Major General Mannequin." After saying this, Revive Revival led his people out. However, at the door, a single sentence from Kati made them pause.
"When walking through the camp, it's best to stay in the light. My people are a bunch of fierce tigers and wolves; they are very sensitive to strangers. It would be unfortunate if a misunderstanding occurred."
"...Thank you for the warning, Major General Mannequin. We will be careful."