Chapter 234: The Beginning of Turmoil, the Omen of Upheaval

After a long voyage, Yang Hui finally set foot on solid ground. Although it was just a Colony, staying in a cramped spaceship for an extended period was quite uncomfortable.

"Phew~ Finally here." As soon as he got off the plane, Yang Hui stretched lazily. The air in Heliopolis, a non-industrial Colony, was still fresh, and the crispness quickly dispelled his grogginess.

"Young Master, where should we go now?"

"Where is Professor Kato currently?"

"At Heliopolis Institute of Technology."

"Then let's head to Heliopolis Institute of Technology. And also..." Yang Hui stopped in his tracks and looked helplessly at the entourage following him—bodyguards, assistants, and others, numbering at least twenty. "...you don't need to follow me. I don't like being so conspicuous."

"But your safety..."

"This is Heliopolis. What danger could there be?"

"But..."

"Enough. Leave me a car, and the rest of you disperse. That's an order."

"Y...yes."

The group was reluctant to let Yang Hui act alone, given that his name was at the top of the PoK (Pull in or Kill) lists of various nations, and he had already experienced numerous kidnappings and assassination attempts.

However, Yang Hui's orders were absolute, and they had no choice but to comply, as most of them were retainers of the Yang Family, not official personnel of Orb.

Though they agreed on the surface, covert protection was still essential. The bodyguards quickly dispersed, seemingly leaving but always lingering nearby, ready to protect him at a moment's notice if danger arose.

Yang Hui, of course, was aware of this and didn't mind. He simply didn't want to make a spectacle like a national leader's visit. Moreover... his visit to Professor Kato wasn't just to check on the progress of the X Series. Kira, the Ultimate Coordinator, was currently a student of Professor Kato.

And... Yang Hui had interacted with Kira when they were younger, and they had a good relationship. Given Kira's personality, he probably hadn't forgotten him.

...

After passing through the bustling city center, Heliopolis Institute of Technology, though filled with students, was much quieter than the city. Yang Hui preferred this atmosphere, as too much noise was not conducive to thinking.

Walking into the campus, Yang Hui was reminded of his past. He recalled that the last time he experienced a normal campus life was in the Gundam 00 world. Since then, he hadn't had the chance to enjoy a normal, complete campus life. Whether in the Gundam AGE world or the Gundam SEED world, he had been racing against time, graduating as quickly as possible by skipping grades.

"But... this is about to end too." Yang Hui sighed. Regardless of Heliopolis' fate, the students here wouldn't be able to enjoy their carefree campus life as they did now. The events in Heliopolis were just a signal, marking the beginning of a turbulent era. Unlike the previous war between the Earth Alliance and PLANT, this upheaval would leave no nation untouched.

At that moment...

"Thud~"

"Ouch."

Someone suddenly bumped into Yang Hui from behind.

"Miriallia! Are you okay?"

"It's okay, just a bit sore..."

"I told you to watch where you're going. Now you've bumped into someone, haven't you?"

"We should apologize quickly."

Before even turning around to see who had bumped into him, Yang Hui already knew who it was just by the voices.

"I'm sorry, my friend accidentally... Huh? You're... Yang Hui!" Kira, ever gentle, was the first to apologize to Yang Hui. But when he saw Yang Hui's face, he froze, then immediately lit up with joy, for this was a dear friend he hadn't seen in many years.

"Kira? Kira Yamato? Long time no see."

The trio before him consisted of two boys and a girl. The girl was Miriallia Haw, Kira's current classmate, with short brown hair that curled at the ends and light green eyes like emeralds.

One of the boys was Tolle Koenig, Miriallia's boyfriend, with similarly messy brown hair and a casual attire that clearly showed he wasn't much into grooming himself.

And the last one was Yang Hui's target, the [Ultimate Coordinator], Kira Yamato.

Of course, the Kira now was still quite young, wearing a black jacket with a white collar and a few red accents. His light purple eyes were filled with a happy, gentle gaze, and his youthful face lacked the future's determination but was even more tender.

"It really is you! What are you doing here?" Kira asked with pleasant surprise.

"Do you know each other?" Miriallia and Tolle inquired curiously.

"Yeah, Yang Hui and I were classmates in elementary school, both at the Lunar City Elementary. But Yang Hui was so smart, we only spent a year together before he skipped grades and graduated," Kira recalled, trying to remember his past interactions with Yang Hui.

"Really? Is that true?"

"A legendary genius?"

Miriallia and Tolle were both shocked. In their eyes, Kira was already a genius, but to think there was someone even more exceptional than Kira, someone who could graduate from elementary school in just one year!

"Haha, you flatter me. I'm Yang Hui, nice to meet you," Yang Hui extended his right hand to Miriallia and Tolle.

"I'm Tolle Koenig, and this is my girlfriend Miriallia Haw. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Yang Hui. I didn't expect you to be so approachable."

"What should I be like then? Sticking my nose up in the air, all high and mighty?" Yang Hui joked after shaking hands with them.

"Hahaha."

"By the way, Yang Hui, what brings you here?" Kira asked.

"I'm here to see Professor Kato."

"Professor Kato?"

"Yes."

"Actually, we're heading to see Professor Kato too. Let's go together."

"Sure."

"Speaking of which, Yang Hui, are you from the East Asian Federation?"

"No, I'm from Orb."

"Oh? I see."

...

Yang Hui hadn't expected to meet Kira, Miriallia, and Tolle ahead of time, but it was a good opportunity to make a positive impression. As they walked and chatted, Yang Hui found a rare sense of ease. In Orb, everyone knew his identity and his excellence, so interactions were either cautious or sycophantic. The only ones who could speak to him sincerely were his elders, Sumeragi, Wang Liu Mei, and Mina, who was far away at [Ame No Minashira].

Arriving at Professor Kato's research lab, with introductions from Kira and the others, Yang Hui also met Sai and Katz. Together with the five of them, they made up Professor Kato's students.

However... here, Yang Hui encountered someone he had anticipated but very much did not want to see.

"Why are you here?"

A heavy coat tightly wrapped around her body, a loose newsboy cap pulled down as far as possible to conceal her appearance and blonde hair, she had dressed herself up like a boy.

"I should be asking you, Cagalli, why did you come here?"

The girl dressed as a boy was none other than Cagalli, the person Yang Hui least wanted to face. How annoying!

Just as Yang Hui had expected, Cagalli exploded upon seeing him, angrily rushing over to grab his collar and demanding, "It was you, wasn't it? Was it you?"

Honestly, Yang Hui really wanted to slap Cagalli to snap her out of it. They were supposed to be hiding their identities, and the G Project was a top-secret matter for the Earth Alliance, as well as a confidential issue for Orb. Yet here she was, shouting and screaming in front of outsiders, as if she was about to reveal the secret to the world.

Not to mention the act of leaking secrets, if the top-secret information were to be known by civilians, given the Earth Alliance's style, all five people present would either face life imprisonment or execution. Cagalli's actions were undoubtedly pushing them toward the abyss.

"Calm down, Cagalli!" Yang Hui glanced to the side intentionally or unintentionally, reminding Cagalli that there were outsiders present.

But once Cagalli got worked up, she wouldn't care about these things, nor would she notice Yang Hui's reminder.

"It must be you! Do you know what you're doing is putting Orb..."

"Shut up!"

A furious shout interrupted Cagalli's questioning, and tears instantly filled her eyes as she let go of Yang Hui's collar.

"Remember your identity, and be aware of your surroundings," Yang Hui straightened his wrinkled collar and coldly reminded Cagalli. "Control your mouth, Cagalli. Don't let your impulsiveness harm others."

"Um..." Kira timidly stepped forward to ask, though he didn't know what had happened between Yang Hui and Cagalli, but arguing wasn't good.

Moreover... after not seeing each other for many years, he didn't know what Yang Hui had been through or what his status was, but the aura he had just emitted in that moment truly frightened them.

"Sorry for scaring you," Yang Hui's face softened again as he sincerely apologized to Kira and the other four. "My little sister is a bit immature and has caused you trouble."

"Yang Hui!" Hearing Yang Hui call her his little sister, Cagalli exploded again.

"We're the same age, but you're three months younger than me."

"You!"

"Shut up! Wait quietly over there!"

"Hmph!"

Seeing this, the others awkwardly smiled, secretly sighing at how strange this pair of siblings was.

"Alright, is Professor Kato here? We came to see him," Yang Hui asked Sai and Katz, who had been here earlier.

"Sorry, the professor went out, but he should be back soon. If you don't mind, you can wait here," Sai said. He and Katz had already heard Yang Hui's name from Kira and knew he was Kira's childhood friend, so they didn't drive them away.

"Then we'll trouble you."

"Not at all."

At that moment, Yang Hui's PAD rang.

"It's me," Yang Hui's expression turned serious again upon seeing the caller.

"Young Master, emergency situation. The ZAFT Forces are approaching Heliopolis despite warnings. One Naska-class vessel and six GINNs."

"Notify the Heliopolis government to sound the evacuation alarm immediately."

"Yes, I will send someone to pick you up right away..."

"No need. I will head to Dawn Company. You focus on guiding the civilians to safety. That's an order!"

"Under... understood."

After ending the communication, Kira and the other four stared at Yang Hui in shock once again. Cagalli quickly asked, "What's going on?"

"A Naska-class warship from the ZAFT Forces has ignored warnings and is approaching Heliopolis. MS units have also been deployed. For your safety, you should evacuate immediately."

"How could this... Could it be...!" Cagalli glared at Yang Hui, suspecting that his actions were the reason Heliopolis was under attack.

Kira and the others struggled to accept Yang Hui's explanation, but among the five, Sai was the first to regain his composure. Coming from a wealthy merchant family, he was the most well-off among them and could sense that Yang Hui was no ordinary person.

"Who exactly are you?" Sai asked.

"I haven't lied to you. My name is Yang Hui."

"Your demeanor, that call just now... You can't be an ordinary person."

"...Just go and evacuate. You might learn about my identity in the future, but not now."

"...Alright."

"By the way, take her with you when you evacuate."

As he spoke, Yang Hui pushed Cagalli toward the group.

"Yang Hui! You..."

"Remember your position, Cagalli. Don't let your actions harm others."

"...Tch!"

"What about you, Yang Hui? Aren't you going to evacuate?" Kira asked with concern. Regardless of Yang Hui's identity, he was still his friend.

"There's something I must do."

--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there 

patreon.com/TLGod

Thanks!