Half a month had passed since the great decisive battle that occurred outside the PLANT satellite cluster.
The shockwaves from this battle were clearly not going to dissipate so quickly.
Even now, small-scale conflicts were still ongoing in various regions within the Earth Sphere.
These were remnants of the ZAFT Forces, unwilling to accept defeat, venting their frustrations everywhere.
However, for those ZAFT remnants who seemed intent on transitioning into terrorists, the people at a certain East Asian Army military base weren't particularly concerned.
Because currently, they had more pressing matters to attend to.
"Soldiers of the East Asian Army consider obedience to orders their sacred duty."
In a small auditorium within the base, many members of the Uprising Army had gathered together.
They quietly watched the podium at the front.
There, a general bearing the rank of lieutenant general was reading out the judgment against their unit's elite ace, Wang Hu.
Judgment?
Yes, you read that correctly - judgment in the literal sense.
Surely everyone hasn't forgotten?
During the Genesis battlefield, the high command of the East Asian Federation had once issued orders for ceasefire negotiations under pressure from international public opinion.
But what did Wang Hu do at that time?
He presented various unequal negotiation demands to the ZAFT Forces, who were already unwilling to admit defeat.
Thereby escalating the situation and successfully reigniting the conflict.
However, given his position at the time, this behavior was undoubtedly an overreach of authority.
After all, on the battlefield, not to mention that General Zheng was the supreme commander at the time, even those holding the same rank of colonel as Wang Hu were numerous.
So there was no way it was Wang Hu's place to make such decisions arbitrarily!
Even if the final outcome might have been what both the East Asian Federation leadership and the entire East Asian Army wanted to see.
But this is the East Asian Army, not some ragtag bandit force.
Should we ignore various violations of regulations and discipline during the process just because the outcome was good?
If we were to tacitly approve of Wang Hu's actions simply because the final result was favorable,
Raising the disciplinary rod high only to lower it gently,
Then it's predictable that the military rules and discipline of the East Asian Army would suffer severe impacts in the future.
Many people would follow this example, as long as they could claim the outcome was good.
Military insubordination, and subordinates overriding superiors.
This bandit-force mentality would very likely become rampant within the East Asian Army.
Therefore, based on these reasons, the East Asian Army high command general was here in this auditorium,
In front of many people, he removed all Military Emblems and epaulets from Wang Hu's uniform!
As punishment through forced retirement.
Thereby demonstrating deterrence to the entire army, warning future generations not to follow this example.
"Wang Hu, I hope you remember this lesson and achieve new glories in your future life."
After announcing the punishment against Wang Hu, the general who came here to perform this highly unpopular task
Pat Wang Hu's shoulder as he stood straight as a pine tree, then quickly left accompanied by his aides.
And as soon as the general left the venue, the people in the auditorium could no longer contain their indignation.
They swarmed around Wang Hu, who had now become a civilian.
"Colonel, the punishment from the higher-ups is too severe, but rest assured, I will definitely submit a petition to them."
"Right, if we're writing one, it should be written in blood. Everyone knows exactly what that woman named Lacus is scheming."
"If we had stopped back then, wouldn't we have fallen right into the enemy's trap!"
"Exactly, Colonel Wang Hu's decision at the time was absolutely correct."
Amid the clamor of voices, all were expressing indignation on Wang Hu's behalf, believing the higher-ups' punishment was excessively harsh.
Faced with the crowd's goodwill and comforting words, Wang Hu, standing at the center, responded with a calm smile.
His demeanor suggested as if he weren't the subject of their heated discussion.
As if the one forced into retirement due to punishment wasn't him.
Seeing Wang Hu's current state, many couldn't help but shudder inwardly.
Oh no, has Colonel Wang Hu been unable to handle the shock? He might have lost his mind.
"Quiet, everyone!"
Just as these well-meaning soldiers of the Uprising Army were considering whether to take Wang Hu to a psychologist,
Li Chengzhi stepped forward and loudly quelled their unrest.
"Say something, or these people won't let this go."
"You're not really going to let them write a petition in blood, are you?"
After the commotion subsided, he turned to Wang Hu, who was holding a uniform without rank insignia and wearing a dark green shirt.
"Oh, alright."
As if snapping out of a dream, Wang Hu curled a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.
"What is PLANT like now?"
Scanning the room and meeting everyone's eyes, he posed this question first.
Hearing Wang Hu's inquiry, the crowd immediately wore expressions of pride.
That PLANT—the one that once routed the Allied Forces and boasted of being humanity's future!
"After the war, our East Asian Army fully garrisoned PLANT's homeland, with troops stationed on every satellite."
"The ZAFT Forces were disbanded, retaining only the basic Constabulary System for maintaining public order."
"All zaibatsu forces involved in war activities were dismantled, and relevant personnel were brought to trial."
"Economy, military, and politics are being rebuilt under our supervision."
"Especially the education system and cultural entertainment industry—to make those Coordinators fully recognize the injustice of war,"
"We established a specialized regulatory system. Anything not approved by this system, like newspapers, magazines, or news, is prohibited from release."
Temporarily distracted by Wang Hu's question, the soldiers eagerly shared what they knew.
Overall, the current state of PLANT resembled the aftermath of World War II in old history, when the predecessors of the Atlantic Federation Army occupied the island nation.
Of course, officially, our East Asian Army is a force of benevolence and justice, committing no offenses.
But behind the scenes, settling scores and seeking revenge were naturally to be expected.
In truth, Wang Hu knew far more than these soldiers present, but there were many things he couldn't voice openly.
Speaking too bluntly would invite scrutiny, and now, having officially become a civilian, Wang Hu preferred to avoid trouble.
Those truly curious could always dig through historical records.
However, it could be said that compared to the rough deeds of their historical counterparts...
The East Asian Army doesn't handle dirty work, and there are plenty of people eager to take it on.
Especially the Eurasian Federation Army stationed alongside the East Asian Army in the Plant Satellite Colonies, along with other third-party garrison forces.
They might not be good at fighting wars, but they excel at being occupation forces.
Thanks to the Eurasian Federation Army and other units setting such a "fine example," the Coordinators now view the East Asian Army as if they were benevolent officials bringing clear skies!
It probably won't be long before scenes of harmony between soldiers and civilians play out across the Satellite Colonies, right?
"So," Wang Hu said, recalling various amusing incidents and unable to suppress his laughter. He shrugged as he watched the atmosphere in the room grow lively again. "Trading just me for the current situation—was it a loss?"
Hearing this, many soldiers lowered their heads. To be honest, with Wang Hu alone taking the punishment in exchange for the present outcome, it really wasn't a loss.
Everyone benefited from start to finish, with only Wang Hu excluded.
"Alright." Holding his clothes, Wang Hu smiled and squeezed through the crowd. He paused at the main entrance of the auditorium, turning back. "Focus on doing what you need to do. Don't forget there are still loose ends to tie up."
"That's your task from now on. Rather than worrying about me, put your energy into your work."
With those words, Wang Hu quickly vanished from everyone's sight.
By the time the soldiers snapped out of it, Wang Hu had long since disappeared, and the same went for Li Chengzhi, who had earlier urged everyone to calm down.
This left the soldiers, at the very least, unable to find the main person they wanted to hold a farewell ceremony for.
So where did the now civilian-status Wang Hu and Li Chengzhi go?
"Miss Lacus, I've come to say goodbye."
Still within this base, of course, Wang Hu was in a place ordinary soldiers couldn't access.
"Wang Hu." Seated in a room that appeared scenic and beautiful—though the lovely views were merely high-tech projections—Lacus turned her head upon hearing the man's voice. Her complexion looked fairly good.
After a brief glance at Wang Hu's attire, the exceptionally clever Lacus roughly understood his current situation.
"You shouldn't have done that back then." Perhaps with some lingering resentment, Lacus spoke these words, her tone carrying a hint of provocation.
"I don't see it that way." Pulling over a chair, Wang Hu sat down in front of the pink-haired diva, accompanied by Li Chengzhi.
"Let me tell you something: there's intelligence indicating that the remaining ZAFT Forces who fled the battlefield have joined up with those scoundrels from the Library."
"They've now withdrawn to the Mars Colony."
In one sentence, he dragged the composed Lacus back into memories of the Genesis battlefield.
She vividly remembered how, after Wang Hu killed Athrun and freed up his hands to return to the front lines, the power he displayed completely dominated the entire battlefield.
It was under this man's leadership that the ZAFT Forces, who had been trading blows evenly with the East Asian Army, were swiftly reduced to a disorderly retreat.
To our fellow readers indoors, please take good care of your health. The significant temperature difference between indoors and outdoors can make one feel quite uncomfortable.
Lastly, let me say this: the dizzy, lightheaded sensation of nearly suffering heatstroke is truly unpleasant.
May none of our fellow readers ever experience this...
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