As Yang Hui had anticipated, it was indeed the Atlantic Federation that took the lead in confronting Orb, rather than ZAFT, which had been tricked by Orb twice.
"Sumeragi, the White Dove Plan has entered its final stage of the third phase."
"Understood, I will make arrangements immediately." Sumeragi stood up and left; there was no point in staying here any longer. Since the Atlantic Federation had already made their stance clear, what they needed to do now was prepare for battle.
"The White Dove Plan?" Murrue, Natarle Badgiruel, and the others were momentarily taken aback. They had never heard of it, but given Yang Hui's consistent actions, they speculated that it was a complex and grand plan. Although they were curious, they did not ask further, as they were not yet part of Orb.
"I'll be leaving too, Lord Uzumi. There are still many things to attend to."
"Mm, go ahead."
Yang Hui and Wang Liu Mei stood up to leave, but as they reached the door, Yang Hui turned his head to look at Uzumi.
"Lord Uzumi, may I know who among the higher-ups agreed to hand me over?" Yang Hui's eyes revealed a dangerous glint.
"..." Uzumi did not answer, nor could he, because he knew what Yang Hui intended to do by asking this question.
"Is that so? I see."
"Yang Hui! They are all members of Orb!" Realizing the danger in Yang Hui's eyes and guessing what he was about to do, he stood up and shouted angrily.
"Am I not one of them?" Yang Hui retorted expressionlessly.
"…"
Seeing Uzumi fall silent, Yang Hui sneered twice and left Uzumi's office with Wang Liu Mei, giving her a knowing glance.
Wang Liu Mei nodded and immediately took out her PAD to dial a scrambled number.
"I need a list."
With that simple sentence, the call was disconnected. In less than a minute, a list was sent to Wang Liu Mei's PAD. Upon opening it, she found it was not much different from what she had expected.
"Heh." Yang Hui took a look at the list, which also did not surprise him, "Sailan Family, Matt Family, Gaoqi Family, Hilton Family..."
"What should we do?" Wang Liu Mei asked Yang Hui with a smile, but this smile was different from her usual ones. Those familiar with Wang Liu Mei knew that someone was about to face trouble.
"There's a significant personnel shortage in Papua New Guinea, right? They are all elite nobles; it's time for them to contribute to Orb. The old ones can stay home and watch over things."
"Understood."
Wang Liu Mei felt somewhat dissatisfied; she thought the outcome was too lenient. How dare these people harbor inappropriate thoughts about Yang Hui? They should be dealt with directly, not exiling the younger generation while keeping the older generation under house arrest.
"Orb needs unity right now," Yang Hui explained to Wang Liu Mei.
However, as a couple, Wang Liu Mei immediately picked up on the emphasis Yang Hui placed on "right now," which implied… not for long, perhaps soon?
Neither Yang Hui nor Wang Liu Mei felt the slightest sympathy for these people. Setting aside personal emotions, those who wished to act against him would naturally have to pay the price. From a public perspective, such individuals had no place in the new Orb. The new Orb was united from top to bottom, strong and unyielding, and did not require those who would compromise for immediate benefits!
"Councilor Uzumi, about Yang Hui..." Murrue hesitated, unable to continue. This was her first time witnessing Yang Hui's cold, ruthless side, as well as his frenzied combativeness. The impact on her, Natarle Badgiruel, and Mu had been considerable.
"This shows Yang Hui truly cares about you, Captain Ramius, Lieutenant Badgiruel."
"Eh? What... what do you mean by that?" Murrue and Natarle suddenly became flustered.
"Yang Hui is a complex individual with many facets—domineering yet easygoing, cunning yet upright, cold yet gentle... You can see many contradictory traits in him. But once you understand him, you'll find he's actually quite simple. To his allies, he shows only his best qualities. To his enemies, he reveals his most terrifying side." Uzmi wearily explained his understanding of Yang Hui to the three.
Truth be told, when he'd initially considered allowing Yang Hui into Orb's inner circle years ago, he'd hesitated for a long time. He'd thought Yang Hui was dangerous—the kind of risk Orb didn't need. Yet there was no denying Yang Hui's exceptional capabilities. Through his efforts, Orb had grown increasingly powerful—an undeniable fact. Only... it had created conflicts with Uzumi's ideals.
Uzumi and others acted because of Orb's principles, while Yang Hui acted for Orb's principles. One was the cause, the other the effect.
"..." The three fell silent, especially Murrue and Natarle. Yang Hui had once told them about the darkness he'd experienced—far beyond anything they could imagine. They knew he was keeping many secrets from them.
At first, they'd been hurt. Secrets meant distrust.
But now they understood. Yang Hui wasn't deliberately hiding things—he simply wanted to show his allies only his best side, reserving his terrifying aspects for enemies.
"Councilor Uzumi, does this mean Orb... will truly oppose the Atlantic Federation?" Natarle asked with mixed emotions. Though disillusioned with the Federation, it had once been her belief. The thought of opposing them was hard to accept immediately.
"If Yang Hui says so, then yes. We cannot possibly accept the Atlantic Federation's terms either," Uzumi told them.
Indeed, while the Federation's demands appeared simple, their intentions were malicious. From Yang Hui's earlier display, Sumeragi and Wang Liu Mei's support, and Uzumi's attitude toward Yang Hui—everything pointed to one truth: Yang Hui was indispensable to Orb.
If Orb were to actually hand Yang Hui over, the nation would undoubtedly face severe turmoil. And this was just the trio's speculation—the reality would likely involve civil unrest, possibly even outright coup.
"Councilor Uzumi..."
"You're likely aware that our nation is among the few that don't discriminate against Coordinators. Anyone who abides by Orb's principles and laws may enter and reside here, regardless of genetic modification. We don't debate the ethics of genetic engineering—we simply believe that when Coordinators and Naturals view each other as alien, that mindset becomes the root of conflict. These are established facts, not matters of personal choice."
"Yes..."
"However, I cannot agree with the Atlantic Federation's approach of labeling all Coordinators as evil enemies to be attacked. Orb would never condone such actions either. I don't understand—who is fighting whom, and for what purpose?"
"While I understand your perspective and Orb's ideals, forgive me for saying this might be too idealistic? Even with knowledge of ideal coexistence models, many Coordinators still look down on Naturals, while Naturals envy Coordinators. That's reality," Mu stated bluntly.
"I understand." Uzumi nodded. This was indeed the truth, but... it was also why he ultimately decided to support Yang Hui. "Did you know? Our nation's situation used to be exactly as Colonel Flaga described."
"Used to be?"
"Correct. Until Yang Hui appeared. This phenomenon gradually changed. While not completely resolved, with Naturals and Coordinators coexisting perfectly... it did change."
"Yang Hui?"
"Yes." At this point, Uzmi smiled. "Can you imagine? Proud Coordinators were successively defeated by Yang Hui—as a Natural—in their respective fields of expertise."
"What?!" Murrue, Mu, and Natarle Badgiruel were stunned, as if hearing something utterly impossible.
Uzumi understood. When he first learned of this, he too found it hard to believe—until he witnessed it himself.
Back then, Yang Hui was only six years old. One day, he encountered a Coordinator belittling a Natural on the street. Yang Hui immediately intervened, giving the Coordinator a thorough lesson.
This "lesson" wasn't just physical. The Coordinator happened to be an accomplished baker. Yang Hui challenged him to showcase all his signature techniques, then pointed out every flaw and how to improve them.
When the baker realized Yang Hui's critiques were all accurate, he became dejected but remained defiant. He gathered many Coordinator friends to challenge Yang Hui.
Yang Hui didn't back down. He did something that shocked everyone—setting up an open challenge in the central square, inviting all dissatisfied Coordinators to compete against him, Sumeragi, and Wang Liu Mei in any field.
From physical abilities like reflexes and athleticism to intellectual domains like strategy and finance, every challenger was defeated in their specialty. When the Coordinators still refused to accept defeat, they accused the trio of secretly being Coordinators themselves.
(Note: As previously established, Prometheus Fortress members only had their external ages reset—their physical capabilities remained at peak adult condition.)
In response, the three simply produced their Natural birth certificates, leaving the challengers speechless.
"We all have one head on our shoulders. Who's inferior to whom?"
Those were Yang Hui's words to those Coordinators.
From that day onward, relations between Naturals and Coordinators in Orb gradually improved. While not becoming as close as family, overt discrimination became rare.
"That's why I've decided to support Yang Hui, even though his current approach may seem to contradict Orb's ideals. I believe that under his leadership, Orb can truly uphold its principles and achieve genuine peace!"
"..." The three fell silent again, their previously wavering hearts now beginning to steady.
Yang Hui—that very name had proven to them time and again the meaning of reliability and hope.
"So we won't give up, nor will we tread the path of mutual destruction. Precisely because of this, we can't simply accept the world as it is. Yes, we may be too idealistic, and the road ahead is difficult—but we can't abandon it just because it's hard. The world needs to change, people need to change, and we shall be the first to change! Let Orb be the first nation to change!"
"Lord Uzumi..."
"The choice of path is your Freedom. If you cannot betray your military uniforms, we will still support you wholeheartedly. You're young and capable—you'll surely see the road before you clearly, and recognize the future you truly desire."
(End of Chapter)