The vengeful bombardment from ZAFT outside had ended. Faced with the impenetrable defense of the Umbrella of the Moon, no matter how unwilling they were, after a period of stubborn stalemate, the fleet assembled by Creuset had no choice but to retreat helplessly.
Within the visual range of Artemis Fortress's optical detectors, everything was clear. To confirm the authenticity of the enemy fleet's retreat, the fortress garrison dispatched a Mobius Squad to scout for intelligence further out.
When the squad relayed their message, everyone in the fortress erupted in cheers. The enemy was now positioned at a distance where, even if they launched a surprise attack, the fortress would have ample time to react and deploy the Umbrella of the Moon.
Additionally, based on observed intelligence, some battleships in the enemy fleet had already begun breaking formation and heading toward distant space. It seemed only a matter of time before the fleet disintegrated.
"Heh heh heh."
At the scene that was nominally an officers' meeting but effectively a victory banquet, General Charle gazed delightedly at the latest intelligence report in his hands. The news was even better than he had anticipated. If the enemy fleet before them were to withdraw entirely...
He would need to carefully embellish the victory dispatch to be sent back to the Eurasian Federation's headquarters. Having achieved victory against the Coordinators in a head-on battle with minimal losses, even before the East Asian Army's arrival, and forcing the enemy to retreat empty-handed—compared horizontally, wouldn't his performance outshine even that of Zheng Yong, now hailed as the East Asian Army's top tiger general?
After all, Zheng Yong had only defeated ZAFT by mobilizing the entire nation's strength, while on paper, General Charle had only Artemis Fortress at his disposal!
Though inwardly bursting with pride, he maintained a humble and reserved demeanor on his face. General Charle immediately decided to share this great achievement and unparalleled glory with all his subordinates present.
"Everyone!"
Clearing his throat, General Charle delivered an impassioned speech, barely containing his self-satisfaction. He concluded with a flourish about the glory of Rome and the gaze of Caesar.
Throughout the speech, with masterful subtlety, General Charle hinted at promises of promotions and rewards, thoroughly stirring the emotions of everyone in attendance. When he finished, the room erupted in thunderous applause, painting a picture of prosperity and unity.
To an uninformed observer, it might have seemed as if the Eurasian Federation Army, under General Charle's leadership, had already achieved a comprehensive victory over the Coordinators!
"Hmph." Li Chengzhi, who had attended the banquet, relaxed his hand, allowing the small object in his palm to slip into his pocket. As General Charle glanced his way, Li Chengzhi raised his glass in a toast, as if to congratulate him.
Just as Li Chengzhi, having obtained what he needed, was looking for an opportunity to leave, General Charle—perhaps displeased with Li Chengzhi's earlier reaction or eager to flaunt his success once more—broke away from the crowd of fawning sycophants around him and strode over to Li Chengzhi.
"Captain Li, you seem rather restrained at this banquet," General Charle remarked, swirling his glass of red wine and subtly mocking Li Chengzhi as if he were some unsophisticated rustic.
"Yes," Li Chengzhi replied, catching the implied insult but showing no annoyance. He responded respectfully to the smug general.
"Thank you for General Charle's invitation. This banquet has truly broadened my horizons..."
Just empty pleasantries? Who doesn't know how to do that!
Starting from every move General Charle made during the recent operation, Li Chengzhi escalated all the way to the friendship between their two nations.
From analyzing the current political situation to dragging in ancient war history, his rambling was like an old woman's foot-binding cloth - long-winded and foul without containing anything useful.
With his eyelid twitching uncontrollably, General Charle had long since mentally checked out. He never expected that his simple intention to show off would lead to him experiencing what true linguistic artistry meant at this very moment. Watching Li Chengzhi's continuously moving lips and listening to the lengthy speech comparable to psychological pollution...
"I'd like to make a few final points..."
When General Charle heard these words, he shuddered and could endure no more.
The other party had been speaking nonstop without even pausing for breath. Sweating profusely, General Charle dared not let him continue.
"Alright, alright!" Repeatedly interrupting Li Chengzhi's attempt to continue his lengthy discourse, General Charle's hand holding the wine glass trembled visibly.
"It has been both delightful and honorable to hear Captain Li Chengzhi's insights."
General Charle spoke without regard for decorum.
"I believe I saw you wanting to leave earlier?"
To make the host actively utter words equivalent to asking a guest to leave - Li Chengzhi's skill in speaking nonsense was truly remarkable!
"Oh?" Now that the other party was kicking him out, Li Chengzhi, who originally intended to leave, suddenly acted reluctant to go.
"Actually, I'd still like to discuss some matters with General Charle."
"No, no, no, you don't."
As if seeing some monster, General Charle maintained a smiling face while continuing to urge his departure.
"Is that so."
Seeing this, Li Chengzhi expressed great regret, then abruptly changed topics and began talking about the hardships in the East Asian Army's military history on his own.
By the end, Li Chengzhi actually shed tears. Placing his glass on a waiter's tray, he proceeded to embrace the dumbstruck General Charle.
"Captain Li, Captain Li, what's wrong with you? There's no need to be so sorrowful during such a joyous occasion!"
Charle stood rigidly as Li Chengzhi hugged him. Here he was, a grown man, being embraced by another man in full public view!
This made General Charle, who always took pride in his status and maintained strict standards for appearance and bearing, extremely uncomfortable.
"Life aboard the Archangel has been so hard."
Having started the waterworks, Li Chengzhi saw no reason to stop halfway.
Using this pretext, he wanted to squeeze some benefits from General Charle before leaving this fortress.
"I understand, I understand." General Charle watched Li Chengzhi out of the corner of his eye - snot and tears flowing freely, making moves to wipe them on him.
He looked as frightened as a young maiden seeing five or six burly men leering with ill intentions.
"Someone! Adjutant, send supplies to the Archangel as well. How can we let our allies suffer during such a happy occasion?"
Seeing Li Chengzhi preparing to resume his wailing, General Charle gave him no opportunity. Breaking free from Li Chengzhi's grasp, he strode away swiftly.
"Tch." Once General Charle had disappeared from sight, Li Chengzhi instantly stopped his performance - tears and sobbing vanished on the spot.
Li Chengzhi looked around and noticed everyone avoiding him as if he were the plague.
With today's harvest in hand, Li Chengzhi leisurely turned and headed back toward the Archangel.
"General, are we really going to resupply the Archangel?" the adjutant asked, stepping closer to General Charle.
"Resupply? What resupply?" General Charle sneered while disgustedly cleaning the stains Li Chengzhi had left on his clothes. "I gave the order, but if the subordinates forgot, what does that have to do with me?"
"So that's how it is! You're truly brilliant, General!" The adjutant suddenly understood and gave a thumbs-up.
"Barbarians will always be barbarians," General Charle remarked, as if recalling something else. "Give the order: throw away all the cups and bowls that Li Chengzhi used. If it weren't so difficult to replace the floor, I'd want to change that too!"
Unbeknownst to him, General Charle was expressing extreme disgust toward Li Chengzhi while continuing to voice his disdain for East Asia.
Meanwhile, outside the Artemis Fortress, an uninvited guest had quietly arrived.
Seeing that the enemy ZAFT forces had retreated, the fortress garrison—both to conserve energy and in accordance with military regulations—deactivated the Umbrella of the Moon's protective shield. This provided an opportunity for a warrior wholly dedicated to rescuing his friend.
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