Once again, it was the bar near the Federal University, which had been bought by Wang Liu Mei as a private meeting place for Yang Hui.
After meeting with Professor Eifman and Sergei at UNION and the Human Reform League respectively, Yang Hui arrived here to meet the last person who had invited him.
"It's too late."
"Come on, I just got back from space! I just ran to the Human Reform League and then to UNION. Can't you cut me some slack?"
Looking at the beautiful woman sitting at the bar, her eyes filled with dissatisfaction, Yang Hui smiled wryly.
Today, Kati Mannequin was not in military uniform; she wore a purple evening gown, with a white ribbon hanging from the crook of her arms. Her usually tied-up hair was now cascading down her shoulders, and her cold, beautiful face radiated a different kind of charm.
"You look beautiful today." Yang Hui ordered a drink and raised his glass to Kati Mannequin.
Kati Mannequin's face flushed, but she still lifted her glass to clink with Yang Hui's.
"How have you been lately?" Yang Hui didn't directly ask Kati Mannequin why she wanted to see him. After all, they used to be classmates, and she was a close friend of Sumeragi. It was only natural to show some concern after not seeing each other for a long time.
"Same as always, just moving around various military districts, mostly doing military exercises."
"Military exercises, huh? That one in Moralia was quite good."
"Still lost, though." At this, Kati Mannequin pouted, her aloof exterior suddenly giving way to a more girlish demeanor, which was unexpectedly cute. This contrast momentarily left Yang Hui dumbfounded.
"What… what are you looking at?" Kati Mannequin felt Yang Hui's gaze and blushed, lowering her head to mumble.
"Nothing… nothing." Yang Hui quickly averted his eyes.
"...What about you?" Kati Mannequin took a sip of her drink and asked Yang Hui.
"Just a life of toil. You know some of the things that have happened recently. I'm basically a brick, moved wherever I'm needed."
"The old saying from the Human Reform League: the capable do more work. You should be happy about that." She downed another drink and signaled the bartender to refill her glass.
"Hey, hey, hey, Kati, I remember your alcohol tolerance isn't great. Are you sure you can handle drinking like this?" Yang Hui wanted to stop her. First, they hadn't even gotten to the main topic yet, and she was already getting tipsy. Second… there were only three people in the whole bar, including the bartender, and the only other one was a man. What would happen if she got drunk?
"None of your business. I want to drink today." Kati Mannequin snatched the drink that Yang Hui had tried to pull away.
"Uh… you…"
"You're not my keeper, so why should you care?"
"…"
Wow, that's a really valid point. I'm left speechless!
After downing another drink, Kati Mannequin's face turned as red as an apple, but she finally got to the point: "Sumeragi told you, I'm being reassigned again, and it's to a highly classified unit, with the rank of Colonel."
"AEU's Gundam investigation unit, right? Congratulations! You're now the fastest-promoted officer in AEU history."
"If you need me, I can also be a captain…"
"What did you say?" Yang Hui didn't catch her quiet voice.
"Nothing!"
"Oh… okay."
After downing another drink, Kati Mannequin seemed a bit unsteady, leaning toward Yang Hui.
"Uh, um… Kati?" He let Kati Mannequin lean against him but raised his hands in a gesture of innocence.
"Are you even a man? I'm like this… hic you… hic"
"Kati… um… I…"
Yang Hui was indeed somewhat slow on the uptake when it came to romantic feelings, but he wasn't completely oblivious. At this point, if he still couldn't figure it out, he'd really be brainless. No wonder Sumeragi had such a strange expression when she told him to "properly" greet Kati Mannequin.
Yang Hui wanted to say something, but the next moment, his mouth was sealed by her warm lips.
After a long while, their lips parted, and Kati Mannequin looked at Yang Hui with slightly dazed eyes, her hand caressing his face.
"Kati…"
"Don't speak, let me take a good look at you."
Yang Hui felt helpless, remaining still.
A few minutes later, Kati Mannequin's eyes regained clarity. Though her face was still flushed, the shyness had vanished. She left Yang Hui's chest, gazing at him with intensity, her expression returning to its usual aloofness.
"The upper echelons have sent my unit to secretly infiltrate the Kingdom of Azadistan, and we're accompanied by a recruited PMC unit. Our orders are to incite internal strife in Azadistan, so you all need to be careful."
With that, Kati Mannequin stood up to leave.
But as she reached the door, Yang Hui caught up and grabbed her arm.
"Kati…"
"Don't do that, Yang Hui. It's… not the right time yet."
"You…"
"Let's make a bet."
"...What kind of bet?"
"At the end of the first phase, if I'm in command and you win, I'll come to your side. If I win, I'll be in command of the Celestial Being unit from now on."
"...Okay."
After making the bet with Yang Hui, Kati Mannequin gently kissed him on the cheek and then left the bar.
Yang Hui sat back down, gulping down a large drink, shaking his head with a bitter smile.
He understood Kati Mannequin; she was proud. She liked Yang Hui but wouldn't let herself fall easily. She had her own ideas and her own position. She wanted Yang Hui to know that she wasn't just any woman. Even if they were together, she wouldn't be a mere ornament for him to protect. So, she wanted to prove her worth through this bet.
On the surface, the outcome of the bet seemed the same: Kati Mannequin would end up by Yang Hui's side. But in reality, it was different. If Yang Hui won, Kati Mannequin would be dependent on him. Conversely, if Yang Hui lost, Kati Mannequin would be above him, and on the battlefield, Yang Hui would have to unconditionally follow all her orders.
That was the initiative.
"What a truly… proud woman. Kati, I'm waiting for your challenge." Yang Hui said to himself.
After finishing another drink, Yang Hui stood up to leave. He needed to get back quickly today; he had one at home and one in space, and he still needed to report to his two current wives.
Whether they knew about it was one thing, but whether he took the initiative to report… that was his own issue.
…
At the UNION Celestial Being unit, Professor Eifman called Graham.
"Professor, did you need something?"
"Yeah, get ready. That thing is arriving tomorrow."
"Hmm?" Graham paused for a moment, his eyes suddenly shining with excitement. "Is it that one?"
"Exactly. It's currently just a test machine pieced together according to the design, and we still need to test the specific data."
"Rest assured! Professor Eifman, I will master it perfectly!"
"That's best, because we don't have time to waste."
"Professor, have you received any news?" Graham managed to suppress his inner excitement.
"The first phase of the plan is about to reach a turning point, but before that, VEDA has received intelligence that AEU has secretly dispatched troops and PMCs to Azadistan."
"In that case… heh, that guy should be back, right?" Graham asked with a smile.
"Yeah, he just came down a few days ago."
"Then we really don't have much time left. Professor, I'll go rest now. I'm really looking forward to it. My new machine, the Flagbearer, is far more noble than the Flag Fighter."
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