"Hmm? Councilman Creuset? Weren't you..."
"Generals Gopp and Revil are getting on in years. With the constant stream of guests at the banquet, they need some rest."
"I see. Congratulations, Councilman Creuset."
"I don't deserve such praise. The two generals were merely being gracious and chatted with me a while longer."
"But isn't that a testament to Councilman Creuset's capabilities?"
"You flatter me. I noticed Mr. Yang Hui seems to have a good relationship with the two generals as well."
"The two generals are not foolish men. Their perceptive eyes naturally see what others cannot."
"Just as I thought. I never quite believed the rumors circulating outside. After speaking with Mr. Yang Hui today, I'm certain my judgment was correct."
"It seems Mr. Creuset also possesses perceptive eyes. Councilman Creuset, please."
"Please."
The two raised their glasses, clinked them together, and took a sip as a gesture of respect.
They conversed like strangers meeting for the first time, their words filled with distance and formality. Yet only they knew that through such polite and distant dialogue, they had already achieved their respective objectives.
Primarily, Creuset was reporting that his conversation with Gopp and Revil had gone well. Both viewed him favorably as a rising political star. While this was merely approval without explicit support, it marked a good beginning. There was still a long way to go before the elderly, experienced generals would openly endorse him.
Meanwhile, Yang Hui subtly conveyed to Creuset that his cooperation with Gopp and Revil was proceeding smoothly and the plan would not encounter obstacles.
"Athrun, Gai, come over."
Athrun and Gai Murakumo approached Yang Hui and gave slight bows.
"I must thank Mr. Yang Hui for speaking up on my behalf. Damage to my reputation is a minor matter, but it would have been unfortunate if Mr. Cardeas's birthday celebration had been disrupted."
"Since you are guests, as host it's only natural to treat you with courtesy."
After exchanging a few more casual words, Creuset left the balcony with Athrun and Gai Murakumo. He and Yang Hui were supposed to be unacquainted, and staying together too long might invite unwanted speculation.
Moreover, it was getting late. The banquet was winding down, with some guests already taking their leave. Before long, as the host satisfied his guests, the remaining cleanup was left to the servants. Cardeas summoned Yang Hui alone to his study to discuss matters from before the banquet began.
"When did you find out?" Cardeas asked Yang Hui with a grim expression.
"For some time now. It wasn't difficult to investigate if one tried," Yang Hui shrugged, offering his fabricated explanation. "The Vist Foundation rose with my grandfather, and his ascent was too rapid. Overnight, the massive Vist Foundation materialized out of thin air, transforming him from a maintenance worker into the founder of the Vist conglomerate, building a vast empire. This clearly indicated something was amiss."
"...Go on."
"Although Grandfather continuously erased traces of his past after rising to power, where actions were taken, traces remain. They cannot completely disappear. By focusing investigations on that period and following the clues..."
Click
Cardeas suddenly drew a pistol from his desk and aimed it at Yang Hui. There was no need to hear more. He had already determined that Yang Hui hadn't merely heard some rumor from certain people—he had genuinely uncovered the Vist family's secret.
As the head of the family, considering the interests of the clan, Cardeas had no choice but to take some forceful measures...
"Haha, I bet there's no bullet in your gun." Yang Hui chuckled casually, walking over to the side on his own, pouring himself a cup of black tea, and taking a sip.
"...You're destroying the Vist Foundation," Cardeas said solemnly.
"Oh? How am I destroying it? With that broken stone slab?"
"That secret could overturn the Federation..."
"Nonsense. Overturn the Federation? You think too highly of that stone slab." Yang Hui sneered. Why did everyone in the Vist Foundation believe that the original text of the Universal Century Charter had the power to overthrow the Federation?
In short, it was fake, and he refused to acknowledge it!
What would happen if it were made public?
"...You don't know..."
"NT."
"Yang Hui! Don't say another word!" Cardeas was horrified. He had been making excuses for himself, convincing himself that Yang Hui didn't know much and that there was still room for reconciliation. But Yang Hui had just revealed facts that Cardeas didn't even dare to dream about, fearing he might accidentally let them slip in his sleep.
If Yang Hui truly knew everything, then as the head of the family, Cardeas had to steel his heart...
"Are there any confirmed NTs now?" Yang Hui asked Cardeas calmly.
"...I said..."
"Answer me, Cardeas. Are there any confirmed NTs now?"
"...No."
"Then what are you worried about?"
"Are you saying... eliminate them in advance?"
"Do you really see me as that sinister?" Yang Hui rolled his eyes. Honestly, the decline of the Vist Foundation in UC 0096 wasn't without reason. Whenever trouble arose, Cardeas' first thought was to resort to these underhanded methods. Didn't he realize that doing this too often would be impossible to cover up once their influence waned? And when the reckoning came, it would be a massive bomb.
Moreover, the Vist Foundation was now at the pinnacle of the Federation, with its industries deeply embedded in every aspect of people's lives. Frankly speaking, if the Vist Foundation were to falter, the entire Federation would tremble.
As the head of such a family, couldn't your thinking be more upright? Aren't open strategies appealing? Why do you always resort to these shady schemes?
"Then what do you mean?"
"What I'm saying is... doesn't the Federation have any NTs?"
"Huh..." Cardeas was taken aback for a moment, then thought about it... That actually made sense. In theory, NTs were humans who had evolved to adapt to the space environment, and there were people in the Federation living in space too. According to theory, New Humans could also emerge there.
"But these New Humans... aren't they ticking time bombs that could overturn the Federation?"
"You mean these NTs would threaten the interests of the current higher-ups?"
"Exactly. You have to understand, NTs..."
"What if some of the higher-ups are NTs themselves?"
"Huh... Is that even possible?" Cardeas doubted it. After all, most of the core higher-ups were in their seventies or eighties, and they had been living comfortably on Earth for years. Was evolution even possible for them?
"The opportunity is equal for everyone, isn't it?" Yang Hui shrugged, only suggesting the possibility without giving a definitive answer.
But he knew very well that this situation had indeed occurred—Revil was a Newtype... or rather, he would become one in the future. Things that radar and reconnaissance teams failed to detect, he could sense. What else could that be if not a Newtype?
To put it bluntly, if Revil hadn't died, the Zeon remnants of the Delaz Fleet might have been completely wiped out before they could even formulate the [Stardust Operation]. The Titans would never have been established, naturally preventing the outbreak of the [Gryps War]. Haman's Neo Zeon likely wouldn't have dared to return, and the subsequent series of disasters would never have happened.
As long as Revil lived, the phrase "the Federation stands firm as Mount Tai" wasn't just empty words.
In such circumstances, what did it matter if the original text of the Universal Century Charter was exposed? Revil, as a Newtype, was already at the pinnacle—how could anyone overthrow him?
Moreover, Revil wasn't some stubborn traditionalist. His views on Newtypes were quite moderate; he didn't treat them as tools or lab rats. If someone had the ability, wasn't it right for them to hold higher positions?
"...No, you can't convince me."
"So what? Planning to make me follow our father's path?" Yang Hui smirked mockingly.
Cardeas and Yang Hui's father, the previous head of the Vist Foundation, had learned about [Laplace's Box]—the Vist Foundation's greatest secret, which was the original text of the Universal Century Charter—and intended to make it public. For this, their grandfather, Syam Vist, secretly executed him.
This was precisely why Cardeas felt such immense pressure. He knew this secret and was aware that his own father had been secretly executed by their grandfather.
And now, he might have to adopt the same attitude toward Yang Hui...
"I told you, there are no bullets in your gun." Yang Hui smiled. This wasn't a joke but his firm conviction.
How well did Yang Hui understand weapons? When a gun is loaded, whether it has bullets or is empty, the sound is different—extremely subtle, but Yang Hui could discern it.
"..." Cardeas stared at Yang Hui, finally sighing and placing the empty pistol back in the drawer. "My gun doesn't, but others' guns do."
"Mine does too."
Assassination? Hah, as if Yang Hui had never experienced assassination before?
He had! Many times!
Not just assassination, but also intimidation, threats, kidnappings, and more. Regardless of his public reputation, he was still a member of the Vist Foundation. Countless people sought to exploit his identity to gain something from the family.
But had any succeeded?
Not once. Not only had they failed, but they had all been counter-killed. Those behind the scenes either disappeared or were forced to cede territories, pay reparations, and sign numerous "humiliating" treaties.
As for assassination attempts from within the Vist Foundation... hah, Yang Hui dared to claim that only he had the right to deal with others in the family. Who would dare cause trouble for him? What a joke!
After living over a hundred years and being reborn three times, having been the leader of a secret organization, a heroic military figure, and a national leader—arranging personnel in a small family like the Vist Foundation was child's play.
Yang Hui even wondered what expression Cardeas would make if he told him that everyone around him, except for Jair Zhang, was actually Yang Hui's people.
"...Sigh, Yang Hui, could you just..."
"No." Yang Hui knew what Cardeas was about to say and cut him off directly. "I need that stone tablet. I must obtain it."
"...Grandfather would never agree." Cardeas knew how terrified his grandfather currently was of Laplace's Box being exposed - otherwise he wouldn't have secretly executed his own son.
"I'll make him agree."
"...I don't know what you're planning, Yang Hui, but... I have only one condition, no, it's a request - please don't harm the Vist Foundation." Cardeas knew he couldn't stop this younger brother whom he'd never been able to read since childhood. Though he was the family head, he understood perfectly well that if Yang Hui wanted to take control of the Vist Foundation, he could accomplish it effortlessly. He simply had no interest in doing so.
Therefore, despite being the family head, he could only use the word "request" with Yang Hui.
"There might be some impact." Yang Hui stood up to leave, pausing at the doorway to tell Cardeas, "But it's still the family that raised me for over twenty years, isn't it?"
(End of Chapter)