"Here!"
The 11 or 12-year-old Wang Liuyi, before her official appearance four years ago, looked incredibly small.
"She's already carrying out Celestial Being missions at such a young age? That's impressive," Yang Hui remarked with a hint of amazement, though he still put on an expression of dissatisfaction.
"Hey, little girl, it's rude to interrupt adults during their date," Yang Hui added with a teasing tone.
"Yang Hui, she's still just a child," Leesa Kyūjō advised, looking at Wang Liuyi.
After all, Leesa hadn't yet experienced the baptism of war, so all of her tactical predictions were still theoretical, and she hadn't immediately noticed Wang Liuyi's extraordinary presence.
"Take a closer look, Leesa, she's not just any ordinary little girl," Yang Hui said, stepping closer to Leesa Kyūjō and placing her behind him, his right hand instinctively resting on the grip of his gun.
Leesa Kyūjō was stunned by Yang Hui's reminder, and only then did she realize the subtle clues. The fact that Wang Liuyi had used formal titles and addressed them directly showed she had a clear objective. The serious expression on her bodyguard's face, too, suggested an unordinary background. Furthermore... when they weren't paying attention, all the other patrons and staff had quietly left the café, leaving only the two of them.
"Please don't be alarmed, Mr. Yang, Miss Kyūjō. I mean no harm," Wang Liuyi said with a calm tone.
"Are you sure about that, little girl?" Yang Hui replied, maintaining his wary demeanor. He knew Wang Liuyi came in peace, but he still had to play it cool. Otherwise, the former ace pilot and genius MS designer from the People's Revolutionary Federation would look far too naive.
Wang Liuyi, however, didn't mind Yang Hui's attitude. She placed a PAD on the table and slid it toward them.
"Please take a look at this first, and then decide whether to trust me," she suggested.
Yang Hui and Leesa Kyūjō exchanged glances before nodding. They both picked up the PAD and began reviewing it together, but they didn't fully relax. Yang Hui's hand still rested on his gun, ready for action.
As time passed, Leesa Kyūjō's vigilance began to fade and was replaced by shock. Seeing this, Yang Hui naturally kept up the act.
After they finished looking over the contents, they sat back down and returned the PAD to Wang Liuyi.
"So, what do you think? Can we sit down and talk now?" Wang Liuyi asked, already knowing the answer.
"Heh, after seeing this, what other option do we have but to talk?" Yang Hui sneered, casually glancing around the café and at the bodyguard behind Wang Liuyi.
As soon as they opened the PAD and saw the content, Yang Hui felt several sets of eyes on them, all brimming with hostility.
Though he wasn't an innovator or new-type human, his battlefield instincts were still sharp.
"My apologies, Mr. Yang," Wang Liuyi said. "You know these things are top secret, and we can't let outsiders see them."
"Outsiders...?" Yang Hui chuckled.
"Yes, our organization, Celestial Being, was founded 200 years ago by the 'King of Inventions' Dr. Aeolia Schenberg, gathering like-minded individuals to operate in the shadows, constantly watching and influencing the world.
We do not act for personal gain but to eradicate war. We intervene with force to stop any form of warfare—whether territorial, energy-related, ethnic, or religious. For this purpose, after years of effort, we've gained the ability to face an entire nation with just an individual."
As she spoke, Wang Liuyi tapped on her PAD, bringing up another file for them to see.
"Next-generation MS... Gundam...?"
Yang Hui and Leesa Kyūjō studied the data on the Gundam. Although it was just a brief overview with no specific data, it was still very enticing.
Leesa Kyūjō focused on analyzing whether this Gundam could truly have the capability to take on an entire nation, as Wang Liuyi claimed, while Yang Hui, purely interested in the technology, didn't mind getting a little satisfaction from this "monkey version" of the Gundam. For him, joining Celestial Being was inevitable.
After reading through the document, they returned the PAD to Wang Liuyi.
"So, have you both thought it over?" Wang Liuyi asked.
"I have a question," Leesa Kyūjō responded.
"Go ahead."
"I understand why you'd want Yang Hui to join, but why me?" Leesa asked with a calm demeanor, aware of her own limited status as a recent graduate and a master's student. Why would an organization like Celestial Being want her? What could she contribute?
"This was all predicted by VEDA, Miss Kyūjō," Wang Liuyi answered. "While you may not have any combat experience yet, no one can deny your ability in battlefield forecasting. Although Celestial Being is powerful and Gundam is strong, they are weapons, and weapons need someone to command them. You're the best candidate."
Leesa Kyūjō looked to Yang Hui for his thoughts, knowing that whatever decision they made would be shared between them.
Yang Hui could see that Leesa was already tempted. After all, she was just starting out, but to be noticed by an organization as large as Celestial Being and entrusted with such responsibility was no small matter.
He nodded and said to Wang Liuyi, "Alright, we'll join."
"Congratulations on making the wise choice, Mr. Yang, Miss Kyūjō. Welcome to Celestial Being. When will you be ready to leave?"
"One month. The AEU's military exercise will serve as my farewell battle," Leesa Kyūjō said.
Wang Liuyi then looked at Yang Hui, awaiting his answer.
Yang Hui shrugged and said, "Naturally, I'll be going with my wife."
"Alright, I'll take my leave now. I look forward to our next meeting," Wang Liuyi said, leaving after completing her mission.
After Wang Liuyi left, Leesa Kyūjō grew a bit disheartened. "I was too careless... I should have recognized her uniqueness from the beginning."
As a battlefield forecaster, analyzing intelligence and providing perfect action plans was her core duty, but she had missed something this time. In a real battle, such an error could lead to the loss of soldiers' lives.
"It's okay, who would've thought that such an organization would use a child as a messenger?" Yang Hui comforted her.
"But... battlefield forecasting errors mean someone will sacrifice their life. I can't afford to make mistakes!" Leesa responded, her concern evident.
"Don't worry, Leesa. No one is perfect. Who can guarantee they'll never make a mistake? Besides, you've got me. Even if you make a mistake, I'll help you fix it," Yang Hui said, embracing Leesa Kyūjō.
"Mm, I'm glad to have you."
"That's my line, Leesa."
...
In Wang Liuyi's car, her bodyguard, Hong Long, expressed doubts: "Miss, is it really okay to tell them this much? That Yang Hui doesn't seem like an easy person to deal with. I don't think he'll fully trust us just because of our words."
"According to VEDA's calculations, Yang Hui is the core figure in this world's change, and the biggest variable in Celestial Being's actions. VEDA's directive is to bring him into Celestial Being at any cost," Wang Liuyi replied.
"How can that be?" Hong Long was shocked.
"Do you know what the success rate would be if Yang Hui stands against Celestial Being?" Wang Liuyi asked, her voice dark.
"Please, Miss, enlighten me."
"Zero. No matter how many times it's calculated, it's zero."
"What!?"
"That's why VEDA gave such an order," Wang Liuyi said, but added silently, "As long as he doesn't betray Celestial Being, he'll have the right to freely command all of Celestial Being's resources."
"Miss, then your goal..." Hong Long trailed off, but the implication was clear.
"I know, but it's still too early. We must wait for the right moment."
"Yes, Miss."
"The core of world change... to gain VEDA's highest authority upon joining... Yang Hui, where will you lead this world? I truly look forward to it..."
...
Just as Red Dragon and Wang Liuyi had anticipated—no, as VEDA had predicted—after their meeting, Yang Hui and Leesa Kyūjō quickly finished their date and went directly to find Professor Efman.
"Mm? You're back? Just in time, I've been waiting for you to start the second phase of the experiment. Come on, let's go..."
When Professor Efman saw Yang Hui, he immediately rushed to pull him into the lab, but Yang Hui stopped him.
"Professor, I need to talk to you. Right now," Yang Hui said seriously.
Seeing the solemn expression on Yang Hui's face, Professor Efman's enthusiasm for the experiment cooled, and he nodded, leading him to his private office.
"Let's have Billy join us too," Yang Hui added.
"Eh?" Billy Katagiri, who had been curious about what was going on, froze.
"…Alright."
The four of them gathered in Professor Efman's private office, sitting across from each other.
"Professor, just now, someone came to talk to Leesa and me. She said..." Yang Hui and Leesa Kyūjō explained the conversation they had with Wang Liuyi and revealed everything they had learned about Celestial Being.
"This! You can't be serious, right?" Billy Katagiri stared in disbelief, suspecting that Yang Hui was playing a prank on them. After all, he had done this before, and while Leesa Kyūjō wouldn't do such a thing, she was after all Yang Hui's fiancée.
But Professor Efman, his expression serious, grew more somber as he listened.
"Mearin, Kyūjō, you've accepted the invitation, haven't you?" Professor Efman asked gravely.
"Yes," they both nodded.
"Then tell me... why?" Professor Efman asked, his voice intense. This kind of information, if leaked even a little, would bring catastrophic consequences not just for Yang Hui and Leesa Kyūjō, but for the entire Celestial Being organization.
Though Professor Efman was touched by Yang Hui's trust, he didn't believe Yang Hui was someone who would act out of emotion.
"Professor, I suspect there's more to this plan. Dr. Aeolia Schenberg must have hidden some secrets, and they're far-reaching
. I'm determined to uncover these secrets, and I hope to have your help when the time comes," Yang Hui said.
"Is that so? Then..."
---
(End of Chapter 3)