Chapter 233: The Matters of the Older Generation

"Only fifty percent?" Both Lord Uzumi and Yang Hongyu furrowed their brows. Such a low success rate was unacceptable to them.

"That's right, only fifty percent. We have too little time left," Yang Hui shook his head and said.

Fifty percent referred to the probability of developing Orb into a powerful nation that could withstand the pressure from both the Earth Alliance and ZAFT while adhering to its neutral principles. Even if war broke out, Orb would need to be capable of self-defense.

If Yang Hui had arrived in this world twenty years earlier, he would have been confident in developing Orb into a third major power on par with the Earth Alliance and PLANT. But now, it was already the end of CE70. The G Project was nearing completion, and the X Series had already been transported to Heliopolis, meaning the main storyline was about to begin.

From the start of the storyline to the Earth Alliance establishing its own MS units and attacking Orb, there was only about half a year left.

Half a year was far from enough for Orb to develop the strength to rival the Earth Alliance and PLANT, even when factoring in the full capabilities of Yang Hui, Setsuna, Lyle, and Tieria.

Moreover, considering that Orb was constantly under the surveillance of these two major powers, building MS units would require importing large quantities of rare materials from outside. Such a significant move could not escape the notice of the two powers. Once discovered, Orb would inevitably face political and economic sanctions, restricting its imports and exports, leaving Orb with technology but no means to convert it into combat strength.

It was even more likely that this would provoke the two powers into launching a preemptive attack on Orb.

Thus, the fifty percent success rate Yang Hui mentioned was calculated based on all these difficulties. In truth, it was already quite high.

"...I understand. Go ahead and do it."

The difficulties Yang Hui could foresee, Lord Uzumi naturally could as well. To be honest, after considering all possible factors, Lord Uzumi felt that the fifty percent Yang Hui mentioned was likely an inflated figure meant to comfort them. In his view, it wasn't even fifty percent—it was less than ten percent.

However, Yang Hui's perspective aligned completely with Lord Uzumi's. The current Orb was like a prostitute putting up a facade, standing on the moral high ground to preach slogans and ideals but lacking the strength to uphold its stance. Once the Earth Alliance or PLANT decided to force Orb to take sides, Orb would have no choice but to comply, joining one of the powers and shattering the illusion of neutrality.

Therefore, for Orb to maintain its neutral stance and avoid being manipulated by any individual or power, it must possess the strength to protect itself—even the strength to stand against the world.

But... Lord Uzumi was old. His drive for progress had long been worn away. His vision was limited to maintaining Orb's current status, unable to see the path to future development.

On the surface, Yang Hui's secret collaboration with Sahaku to jointly develop MS units seemed to undermine Orb's stance. But in reality, it was quietly paving the way for Orb's growth and development.

So... even if the success rate seemed negligible in his eyes, Lord Uzumi would still support Yang Hui's plan. At worst, he would use his own life to pave the way for the younger generation. As long as Orb's ideals were passed down and the seeds could grow strong, what did the sacrifices of the older generation matter?

"Leave it to me, Lord Uzumi."

Yang Hui's assessment of Uzumi was mixed. Uzumi's vision was limited to the present, unable to discern the future development trends. As a leader of a nation, such a person was a failure, especially given the complexity of Orb's situation. Orb's path was like rowing against the current—if it didn't move forward, it would fall behind. Seeking only temporary safety would inevitably lead to Orb's downfall over time.

However, as the leader of Orb, Uzumi had devoted his entire life to the country, even willing to lay down his life to pave the way for Orb's future. This was truly admirable. Not only him, but most of the high-ranking officials were the same.

With such a leadership group, the entire nation was united, possessing unparalleled cohesion. This... was the true reason why Orb was called the "Sleeping Lion."

"Go to Heliopolis. Since you were involved in the plan, witness it through to the end."

"Alright, I've already booked my ticket. I'll leave today."

"And... if possible, bring that foolish daughter of mine back."

Yang Hui: ~sigh~

Just hearing the words "foolish daughter" gave Yang Hui a headache.

Cagalli Yula Athha, Uzumi's adopted daughter and the first princess of Orb. Sounds impressive, doesn't it?

But!

Yang Hui's only assessment of Cagalli was "a forever immature troublemaker."

She was fiery, impulsive, and single-minded, only caring about what she saw and never thinking about the deeper meaning behind things. Once she made up her mind, she wouldn't listen to anyone's advice or care about others' feelings, stubbornly charging ahead and even dragging those around her into her reckless antics.

Most importantly! Cagalli was also short-sighted, firmly believing that the current state of Orb was the best and rejecting any change.

Cagalli was truly Uzumi's daughter, sharing his short-sightedness and even surpassing him in this regard. While Uzumi no longer had the drive to push forward, he could still support the younger generation's ambition and see the path Orb needed to take in the future.

But Cagalli couldn't see it. She even criticized Yang Hui's actions, believing they were destroying Orb. Her approach was to continuously compromise under the guise of maintaining Orb's neutrality, ultimately allowing other forces to gradually erode Orb, silently consuming it until nothing remained.

Yes, Yang Hui's methods indeed carried significant risks, but Orb's current situation was such that it would either rise in silence or perish in silence. Taking a gamble meant Orb still had a future, but Cagalli's approach was blindly pushing Orb to the brink of destruction with no chance of turning back.

So... Yang Hui had already made up his mind. He would do everything possible to protect Uzumi and the others. If that failed, he couldn't let Orb fall into Cagalli's hands.

"Can I refuse?" Yang Hui asked with a pitiful expression.

He and Cagalli had known each other since childhood, and their relationship was terrible. They almost always ended up arguing whenever they met. Yang Hui wasn't truly a child, so he didn't take it seriously, but Cagalli loved to pick fights with him. Every time she saw him, she would start an argument, adopting a "if I can't win, no one leaves" attitude, which gave Yang Hui a headache. Well, if he couldn't handle it, he'd just avoid her.

"Hahaha, your relationship is still as bad as ever."

When it came to the relationship between their children, both Uzumi and Yang Hongyu laughed simultaneously.

"It's not my fault, she just won't let me off the hook," Yang Hui shrugged, speaking helplessly.

"I understand, but Xiao Hui, I want to ask you to bring her back—not in the name of Uzumi Nara Athha, but as a father."

"...I'll do my best. You know your daughter better than anyone." If it were a request from a national leader, Yang Hui would have refused on principle, but he couldn't turn down the plea of an old father.

"Hahaha, then I'll leave it to you."

Yang Hui nodded and stood up to leave. After he left, the smile on Uzumi's face completely vanished, replaced by a headache. In contrast, Yang Hongyu's expression was one of pride and satisfaction.

"Sigh, why can't that girl learn a thing or two from Xiao Hui?"

"Hehe, Xiao Hui has been a genius since childhood, with the maturity and steadiness of an adult. It's not something just anyone can emulate."

Setting aside their official roles, Uzumi and Yang Hongyu were long-time close friends. In informal settings, their conversations didn't need to be too serious.

"Old Yang, about what I mentioned to you earlier... have you thought it over?"

"Not really. You know my kid—there's not much I, as a father, can decide for him," Yang Hongyu shrugged, speaking frankly.

"Really, no room at all? Doesn't your family like Cagalli a lot? Can't you help push things along?"

"That's true, my family does adore Cagalli, almost wishing she were their own daughter. But... a daughter isn't a daughter-in-law. Don't forget about Noriega and the Wang family's two girls."

"Ah..."

"Forget it. Xiao Hui and Cagalli really aren't a good match."

"Sigh, that girl... she might never get married."

...

Yang Hui was unaware of the private conversation between Uzumi and Yang Hongyu. Right now, he was solely focused on figuring out what to do next and how to maximize the benefits.

If nothing unexpected happened, ZAFT's intelligence network would already have obtained information about the G Project, and Creuset's team would be on their way to Heliopolis. A battle was inevitable.

Yang Hui didn't care much about the plot. What he needed to consider was how to preserve Heliopolis during the upcoming conflict. After all, it was Orb's only visible Colony. If it were destroyed, Orb's citizens might worry about whether the nation could protect them, leading to a loss of morale.

However, the destruction of Heliopolis also had its advantages. First, it could serve as a reason to demand diplomatic compensation from PLANT, securing a large amount of resources. Yang Hui had good relations with PLANT's higher-ups, so obtaining compensation was feasible. Second, Orb currently lacked space forces, making Heliopolis a sitting duck. If either of the two major powers had the intention, they could easily seize Heliopolis without much effort, leaving Orb helpless. Rather than having it remain a distant burden on Orb's resources, it might be better to destroy it outright.

What? You're talking about territories in space?

Come on, once the Orb Union becomes powerful, not just one [Heliopolis], but dozens or even hundreds of [Heliopolis] won't be a problem!

So, Yang Hui couldn't immediately decide whether to protect [Heliopolis] or not.

There was also the matter of seizing the X Series. He had considered taking a Gundam as a temporary ride, but this thought was quickly dismissed due to his identity.

For the time being, the excuse of protecting himself was valid, but in Yang Hui's plan, he was definitely going to follow the Archangel, at least for a part of the journey. Once he followed the Archangel and helped them in battle, neither the Earth Alliance nor PLANT would let this opportunity slip.

For example, as a Natural, why could he pilot an MS? Or, as a neutral party, why would he help the Alliance in battle?

All of this would bring crisis to the Orb Union.

As for the idea of having to follow the ship, there were many talented people on the Archangel: the captain, the vice-captain, the ace pilot, the helmsman who could pilot the battleship like a fighter, the super mechanic... A ship full of talents, especially Vice-Captain Bazirulu. Yang Hui couldn't bear to let her become a victim of political struggles.

Most importantly, there was Kira. Although Kira would eventually join the Orb Union's ranks, Yang Hui didn't just want Kira to help the Orb Union in battle. To completely bring Kira to his side, early contact was essential. Because Kira was lost during this period, this was almost the only chance to build a good relationship with him and instill his own ideas. Once Kira had determined his own path and values, it would be difficult to make him accept his ideas.

"The Ultimate Coordinator... I wonder if I can accelerate your growth..."

(End of Chapter)