"You really do know everything! Come on, hurry up and tell me, tell me now!"
Completely unaware that her standing in Wang Hu's eyes had just dropped another notch, Cagalli grabbed his arm and pressed him eagerly.
"What exactly is it that I don't know?"
"Uh."
Staring at her flushed face, eager eyes, and lips glossed with moisturizing lip balm—not to mention her current posture practically pressing her entire body against him—Wang Hu scratched his cheek.
"Could you get off first? Otherwise, if a server walks in, it'll be really awkward."
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Wang Hu signaled for her to calm down.
"Huh?" After Wang Hu's reminder, Cagalli seemed to realize that her outfit and current appearance were rather inappropriate.
No matter how tomboyish she usually acted in public, deep down, she was still a girl.
As if electrocuted, Cagalli quickly retreated to her seat, her red face lowering in embarrassment.
"What was your original plan for coming here?"
Adjusting his collar to let in some air—unintentionally revealing collarbones as alluring as Li Ming's—Wang Hu deliberately asked.
"There's a professor I've met before. He's also an incredibly skilled mechanical engineering expert."
"If Dad wants to help the Allied Forces build Gundams, that professor will definitely be involved."
Hearing Wang Hu's question, Cagalli lifted her head slightly—only to catch sight of that tantalizing glimpse again.
Whoosh—she immediately lowered her head again, answering in a muffled voice while her mind replayed that fleeting image.
"I see. That works too."
Nodding, Wang Hu didn't notice the girl's wandering thoughts.
Tapping the table, he gestured for Cagalli to take a closer look at the diagram he had drawn.
"Do you see anything?"
With a hint of prompting, Wang Hu waited expectantly.
"N-no?" Still preoccupied with thoughts of Wang Hu's collarbones, Cagalli's mind felt like a rusted gear, refusing to turn.
"Tch." Shaking his head helplessly, Wang Hu propped his chin on one hand and tilted his head to look at her.
"W-what?!"
Cagalli had been trying to focus on the faction map Wang Hu had drawn, but at his sigh, she turned—only to be met with a picturesque sight. Stuttering, she stubbornly held onto her pride, refusing to back down.
"The Allied Forces' factions include my own East Asia, the Atlantic Federation—the strongest in the original gravity sphere—and the seemingly declined but still resource-rich Eurasia."
A captivating curve formed at the corner of Wang Hu's lips as his gaze settled on Cagalli's apple-red face.
"Tell me, which of the above can Orb compare to? Population, resources, technology."
"What does the Allied Forces lack that Orb possesses?"
"You—!"
The moment the topic turned to Orb—especially with Wang Hu seemingly looking down on it—Cagalli's protective instincts flared up.
"Don't underestimate Orb! We have a Space Launch Site too! And our Dawn Company is no worse than yours!"
"Finally showing some intelligence."
Smirking, Wang Hu raised an eyebrow.
"Heliopolis is in space, which can be considered the Coordinators' home turf."
"Is it safe?"
"Safe?" Cagalli was completely drawn into Wang Hu's pace.
"We're a neutral nation! Why would ZAFT attack us?"
"A neutral nation that manufactures weapons for the Allied Forces, enemies of the Coordinators?"
Staring intently at Cagalli, Wang Hu smirked mockingly.
"I..."
Faced with Wang Hu's question, Cagalli was momentarily speechless before quickly returning to her original argument.
"It was your Allied Forces who forced my father into this! If not for your coercion, he would never have agreed to make murderous weapons for you!"
"First, let me clarify one thing—Dawn Company is an arms manufacturer."
Changing his posture to rest his chin on crossed hands in a classic commander's pose, Wang Hu fixed his gaze on the indignant Cagalli.
"The nation of Orb has limited resources. Don't tell me Dawn Company's profits alone could fund your country's Space Launch Site construction."
"Could your nation alone possibly consume such vast quantities of weaponry?"
"This?"
Cagalli had never considered this question before, yet Dawn Company's profits combined with Orb's appropriations were indeed the funding sources for the launch site...
"If weapons are meant to be used, wouldn't the profits be limited just from sales?"
Wang Hu pressed further, watching as the flush faded from Cagalli's face.
"I!" Staring into Wang Hu's unusually profound eyes, a flustered Cagalli didn't know how to respond.
If weapons were meant to be used, did that mean Orb had been profiting from bloodshed all along?
Preaching neutrality and valuing every life, yet secretly dealing in the business of human suffering!
"Ugh..."
An uncontrollable wave of nausea rose from her stomach to her throat. Cagalli covered her mouth with both hands, desperately trying not to vomit.
"The Allied Forces are fully capable of manufacturing Gundams ourselves. Yet while commissioning Orb to build them,"
"we also provided significant technological support. Do you think Orb might have studied and appropriated these technologies during production?"
Not giving Cagalli time to recover, Wang Hu continued presenting facts—that the Allied Forces' commission to Orb was fundamentally unreasonable and disadvantageous.
Who would entrust their family's treasured secrets to an outsider who wasn't even an ally, especially when that outsider could learn and absorb your proprietary technology?
What kind of behavior was this?
It was aiding the enemy!
"You're trying to recruit my father!"
Seeing Wang Hu relentlessly tarnish Orb's reputation, Cagalli vehemently objected.
"Not mentioning how we forced your father anymore?"
Wang Hu felt somewhat relieved that the girl had finally stopped spouting naive rhetoric.
Of course she wouldn't mention it—those words would remain buried deep in Cagalli's heart.
After Wang Hu's revelations, the girl had come to recognize the filth beneath Orb's polished surface.
In her view, her father might have been blinded by greed for the Allied Forces' technology when he agreed to the deal.
"Now let's examine this place."
Nodding, Wang Hu signaled for Cagalli to start thinking critically.
"What about this place?" The confused girl stared blankly at Wang Hu.
"Setting aside why the Allied Forces would collaborate with Orb on weapons development—let's just assume the decision-makers were idiots—"
Wang Hu began his analysis.
"Dawn Company and the Space Launch Site hold significant value for the Allied Forces. However, when they commissioned Orb to manufacture the Gundams, Orb accepted the Allied Forces' request."
"In reality, Orb took the benefits but showed no intention of joining the Allied Forces or offering them any support."
"This has displeased the higher-ups. Moreover, Orb chose to manufacture the Gundams in space—ZAFT's territory!"
"It's for confidentiality."
Cagalli hastily cut off Wang Hu, sensing exactly what he was about to say next.
Something she absolutely didn't want to hear!
But just because the girl didn't want to hear it, did that mean Wang Hu would stay silent?
No way!
"Was Orb's homeland not confidential enough?"
With that single remark, Wang Hu shut down Cagalli's explanation, narrowing his eyes.
"Faced with real pressure from the Allied Forces, that Lion of Orb has probably already decided to double-cross them."
"By placing the Gundams in space, then notifying ZAFT to seize them once they're completed—while pretending ignorance—Orb can let the Coordinators walk away with the Allied Forces' classified technology."
"That way, they can give the Allied Forces a flimsy excuse while currying favor with the Coordinators."
"Best of all, they can stage it to look like Orb suffered heavy losses, just to shut the Allied Forces up."
"Three birds with one stone—how commendable!"
(End of Chapter)