"I never expected you to be so considerate toward friends?" Yang Hui teased Creuset with amusement.
He was aware that Creuset had been consistently warning Durandal about certain matters, and Creuset had voluntarily informed Yang Hui of this.
"I simply don't want any variables disrupting our plans," Creuset replied impassively.
Yang Hui believed this statement. What kind of person was Creuset? Someone ruthless enough to drag the entire world down with him. Would such a man play the role of a benevolent gentleman?
However, when helping a friend aligned with reducing variables, he didn't mind lending a hand. After all, anyone capable of becoming Creuset's friend undoubtedly possessed considerable talent. Recruiting more capable individuals for their team was part of the plan.
"By the way, have those people been dealt with?" Yang Hui inquired.
"Taken care of. Those fools thought aligning with the Atlantic Federation would guarantee their safety. Ridiculous. They were devoured completely without us even needing to intervene," Creuset sneered.
Yang Hui and Creuset were discussing the former Orb nobles who had defected with their family assets during Orb's occupation. These were precisely the eight families Yang Hui had previously coerced. Whether it was disappointing or entirely expected, not a single one remained—they had all fled.
Several families, including the Sailan Family, had even used special channels to retrieve their exiled children before escaping.
Regarding the children of those who chose not to flee, Yang Hui felt gratified. These youths could have escaped with their families but voluntarily refused to defect. Some even proactively reported their families' planned betrayal.
Different choices led to different consequences.
The arrogant ones chose escape, only to have their assets completely stripped away. It was uncertain how many still survived. Meanwhile, those who grew through adversity and chose to stay preserved their family legacies. Though their houses no longer flourished, as they matured and served Orb diligently, their status would gradually rise. They might even reclaim noble standing someday.
When Yang Hui had initially exiled these young scions to various locations, hadn't he been giving them a choice? If they could realign their loyalties through this trial, they would remain Orb's nobility.
Yet Yang Hui also understood human greed and depravity. Accustoming to luxury is easy; enduring hardship after privilege is difficult. How many accustomed to splendor could tolerate sudden impoverishment? How many could rise again?
Thus their defection had been within Yang Hui's expectations from the start, and he'd made certain preparations accordingly.
"How much was recovered?"
"Seventy percent."
"Not everything?"
Creuset didn't respond, merely narrowing his eyes slightly at Yang Hui.
"Fine, I'm being greedy," Yang Hui conceded, raising his hands in surrender. Retaining seventy percent of the defecting families' remaining assets was already considerable. During their betrayal, Orb's homeland had fallen, and Yang Hui's group had relocated to space, their focus consumed by the war between PLANT and the Earth Alliance. Had they paid closer attention, escape would have been impossible for the traitors.
Also, don't underestimate everyone in the Atlantic Federation—there are still capable individuals, especially when it comes to making money. Yang Hui admitted he couldn't compete with those businessmen, so securing 70% under prepared circumstances was already a good outcome.
"There's another piece of intel I'm unsure about."
"What intel?"
"The little princess has been acting restless lately."
"Hmm? Cagalli?"
"Yes." As he spoke, Creuset transmitted a report to Yang Hui's PAD.
Yang Hui opened it, and his expression darkened immediately. "Someone's behind her."
"Obviously. Otherwise, the little princess wouldn't be doing something like this."
The report showed that Cagalli, who should have been living a carefree princess life in Orb, was now frequently moving among officials, even making overtures to recruit them.
If this were Cagalli's own decision, Yang Hui absolutely wouldn't believe it. Given her nature, even if she wanted to oppose Yang Hui, she'd do it openly—never in secret. The concept of "biding one's time" simply didn't exist in her dictionary.
Moreover, Orb was thriving now, standing strong as one of the world's most untouchable nations. Peace had returned, and with greater power to defend it, Cagalli would never actively seek to disrupt it. So...
"Investigate."
"Everyone?"
"Everyone. Anyone who's had any contact with her, even just a passing glance."
"That's too broad a scope—like finding a needle in a haystack." Creuset shook his head. After the ceasefire, Cagalli's house arrest had ended, though she was barred from any Orb-related affairs. She was free to move around, but every step was monitored—even showering and using the restroom had female agents watching, ensuring 24/7 surveillance without blind spots.
Upon receiving this intel, Creuset immediately contacted those monitoring Cagalli, but after questioning, no issues or leads were found. This surprised even Creuset—who was this capable of evading round-the-clock surveillance to contact Cagalli?
Now, Yang Hui wanted Creuset to investigate everyone who'd met Cagalli. That was an overwhelming number—Cagalli now visited Orb's city daily, wandering here and there, meeting hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people. Where would he even get the manpower?
"Start with those closest to her, including our own people."
"Understood."
"By the way, has Kisaka been following Cagalli all this time?"
"You suspect he's compromised?"
"He wouldn't be, but he's too soft on her. Find an opportunity to transfer him to Papua New Guinea."
"Got it."
"Also, is Kira being watched?"
"Is that necessary? He lives at the orphanage where Target Two is, rarely leaving. If you're worried about the little princess contacting him, don't be—she doesn't even know Kira lives there."
"Good. Kira may be sensible, but he's too kind. He wouldn't stand by if Cagalli was about to do something foolish."
"I'll handle it. When do you plan to meet Target Two?"
"Has he returned?"
The second target was Mentor Malchio. Originally, he had been the primary target, but after the Scandinavian Kingdom revealed its hand, Mentor Malchio was relegated to secondary priority. Yang Hui had always intended to make contact with him, but the man seemed to have learned something and disappeared after leaving PLANT, remaining untraceable until now.
His home had naturally been looked after by the Yamato family and Lenore Zala, who also cared for the orphans there.
Now, he had finally returned, and Yang Hui could at last meet this enigmatic mentor in person.
"Once the matter with [Julius 7] is settled, I'll go see him. Now that he's back, we must ensure he doesn't vanish again."
"Don't worry, arrangements have already been made."
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