What do you think?
Not interested.
This was Lacus's immediate reaction upon hearing the proposal from the black-haired boy Lelouch standing before her.
In her view, this was the most direct manifestation of the East Asian Federation's ill intentions toward her Clyne Faction.
The difference between her fleeing alone and the collective exodus of the entire Clyne Faction leadership was significant in meaning.
If Lacus went into exile abroad from PLANT, she could still justify it as a personal action—persecuted by the Sara Faction.
It would be a necessary move, and while it involved the Clyne Faction as a whole, the impact would be controllable.
But if she followed Lelouch's proposal, there would be no room for justification; it would directly confirm the charge of treason.
It was foreseeable that all Clyne supporters back home would be thrown into an uproar.
And most importantly, wouldn't the next step be to establish a provisional government on East Asian territory?
Once she accepted the proposal, there would be no turning back; she would lose control over what followed.
With such measures in place, the reputation of the Clyne Faction in PLANT would be tarnished beyond repair, reeking of scandal from miles away.
There would be no chance of staging any triumphant "return of the king" drama.
So that's how it is, no wonder Wang Hu didn't dare show his face in front of me.
Though her expression remained unchanged, the look in her eyes shifted as Lacus stared at the shameless Lelouch, who thought she was a fool.
She finally understood the deeper reason why Wang Hu hadn't come.
A man's words are as deceptive as a ghost's; back on the Archangel, he sang sweeter than a nightingale.
But when it came down to it, he sent a kid to try and fool me?
Having experienced her father's death and successfully evolved from a politician's daughter into a politician herself, Lacus responded, "In principle, I agree with the East Asian plan to extend aid and rescue the entire Clyne Faction."
"And I am deeply grateful for it."
While verbally agreeing, she was already calculating differently in her heart.
Lacus inquired gracefully, "I wonder what specific plans the East Asian side has in mind?"
Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat.
The collaboration fraught with scheming had begun, and Lacus was prepared to turn the enemy's plot to her own advantage.
She wanted to first understand the East Asian's comprehensive plan, then at key points use her own methods.
To break free from the control of both the East Asian and Sara Factions in one move, as long as she secured the Eternal and successfully left Plant territory.
Then it would be a vast sky for the birds to fly freely.
"Thank you for your support."
Lelouch bowed slightly; the long-prepared speech he had ready became useless in the face of Lacus's cooperative demeanor.
But that didn't mean he naively believed the pink-haired girl before him would cooperate honestly.
Even though this woman shared the same hair color as his sister Euphemia.
Based on both the intelligence from Wang Hu and his brief interaction with her.
She was an interesting opponent.
At this point, Lelouch was still confident that everything would proceed according to his will.
"The East Asian plan is simple: we hope Miss Lacus will fully utilize the power of the Clyne Faction."
"First, obtain the daily schedules of all personnel on this list."
Wang Hu pulled out the personnel list he had prepared on the way, filled with the names of important figures on this Colony Satellite.
Among them, Durandal's name was placed inconspicuously in the middle.
Lelouch handed the list to Lacus.
"We also hope to obtain the deployment information of ZAFT Forces' local defense units."
"Along with the dispatch timing of relevant departments on this satellite, and of course, the topographic map of the satellite."
"Please wait a moment."
Instead of giving an immediate response, Lacus took the list and lowered her head to examine it.
Although Lelouch's arrangement of names appeared fair and reasonable, someone as intelligent as Lacus immediately spotted Durandal's name on the list.
In truth, Lacus was not truly mild-tempered when it came to the widespread smear campaigns against her currently circulating throughout the Satellite Colonies.
After making some indirect inquiries, she couldn't confirm whether Durandal was behind it, but based on the same deduction as Lelouch - whoever benefits the most has the strongest motive - Lacus had also set her sights on Durandal.
Her eyes flickered slightly as she instantly adjusted her internal strategy.
"I'll have my supporters compile the requested materials as quickly as possible."
Putting away the list, Lacus gave Lelouch the satisfactory response he wanted.
Then, using the excuse of needing to contact her supporters, Lacus gracefully turned and temporarily departed.
"Solid," Lelouch murmured as he watched Lacus leave, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Just as he predicted, this woman had also detected the hidden meaning in the list.
In that case, at least seventy percent of the information she provided should be usable.
Now everything depended on the East Asian Alliance.
After the room contained only their own people, Lelouch instructed the East Asian representative who had accompanied them to prepare identical materials to those he had requested from Lacus.
Lelouch intended to cross-reference both sets of information to refine his plan.
"Truly terrifying."
Unconsciously, Mu found himself standing with Zhang Peng and his apprentice, observing Lelouch who sat with closed eyes devising his plans.
"Whether it's that Lelouch or our mission target Lacus, I sense this assignment won't be easy."
"Heh heh heh."
Zhang Peng forced a dry laugh while wiping sweat from his forehead.
Colonel Wang Hu, where exactly are you now?
If you return any later, I fear those two will turn the entire PLANT upside down!
And where was Wang Hu, whom Zhang Peng was so anxiously thinking about?
Through East Asian underground operatives, Wang Hu had obtained daily schedules of certain individuals even earlier than Lelouch and Lacus.
Following the records, Wang Hu casually made his way to Durandal's residence.
According to intelligence, this former biology doctorate holder, now a political rising star in PLANT, had stayed home all day.
"Politicians never seem to lack money," Wang Hu mused after circling Durandal's property, arriving at an astute conclusion.
Although Durandal's home was far less grand than the Clyne mansion, owning a detached house in the land-scarce Colony Satellite was impressive enough.
It was clear that the other party's financial resources couldn't be too shabby.
"Thanks to local policies, there aren't any surveillance cameras?"
Muttering to himself, Wang Hu skipped a step based on the information he'd gathered from circling the house earlier. He moved to the edge of the perimeter wall.
With a running start—tap, tap, tap—he used the wall for leverage and executed a classic Jackie Chan-style vault.
Wang Hu slipped effortlessly into Durandal's home.
Stealthy yet bold.
Perhaps because Durandal was a typical Westerner, many homes in well-policed neighborhoods kept their windows and doors unlocked.
Once in the yard, Wang Hu climbed to the second floor and tested a few windows and doors at random. Once again, he entered the house with ease.
"What's this?"
When luck strikes, it truly can't be stopped. The room Wang Hu had broken into appeared to be the study.
His eyes casually scanned the space and landed on a photo frame on the desk.
Inside was a picture of Talia, the future female captain of the Minerva. In the photo, the beautiful captain was holding a child, both smiling warmly.
"The starting point of the Destiny Plan."
Wang Hu paused for a moment, then pocketed the photo frame.
After that, he abandoned all pretense of stealth, opened the door normally, and stepped out.
Naturally, even the slightest sound from the door didn't escape Durandal, who was far from deaf.
Hearing the unusual noise, and with Rey—the clone of Creuset he had adopted—currently training at the ZAFT military academy, Durandal, dressed rather casually at home, came to investigate.
"Hello, Mr. Durandal."
Wang Hu greeted him with a smile, showing no trace of nervousness, even as Durandal stood before him holding two cups of steaming hot tea.
A flicker of surprise crossed Durandal's face. Though this was his first time meeting Wang Hu, and Wang Hu was clearly an uninvited intruder, Durandal acted as if he were greeting an old friend. Once the surprise faded, he naturally offered one of the hot cups of tea to Wang Hu.
"So hot."
Wang Hu accepted the cup with a faint, ambiguous smile, eyeing the steam rising from the tea.
"I thought you might throw this at me the moment you saw me."
"After all, you Westerners seem to prefer ice-cold water."
Just by looking, he could estimate the temperature of the tea. If it were splashed all over his face, even Wang Hu wouldn't escape unscathed.
"You're quite the joker, Mr. Wang Hu."
Durandal chuckled. Even if that had been his initial thought, he certainly wouldn't admit it outright.
Glancing at the room Wang Hu had emerged from, Durandal maintained his composure and extended an invitation.
"Please, come this way. Having a Qilin grace my humble home today truly brings it immense honor."
"You flatter me."
Wang Hu followed behind Durandal, reciprocating the politeness with businesslike courtesy.
"Mr. Durandal, your use of East Asian allusions is quite impressive."
"Of course."
Leading Wang Hu to a quiet reception room, Durandal gestured for them to take their seats as host and guest. He set his teacup down on the table and smiled warmly as he offered his compliment.
"Today, the East Asian Alliance is becoming a crucial force leading global peace. As its strength gradually increases, its influence on the world grows ever larger."
"Learning East Asian culture and languages has become a mainstream trend in today's world."
"It can be responsibly stated that if one wishes to seize opportunities for better development in the current world, the East Asian Alliance is an indispensable key link."
"Those who cling to past arrogance and prejudice, unwilling to acknowledge the ever-evolving East Asian Alliance, will inevitably be left behind by the tide of progress."
Wang Hu stared at Durandal with considerable surprise, feeling as if he were watching an official state news broadcast.
No wonder Durandal had been able to run circles around the Atlantic Federation during the Second War.
He even managed to unite the two factions in the Satellite Colonies that should have been diametrically opposed.
"Secretary Durandal, if I may ask, have you ever studied in our East Asian Alliance?"
Wang Hu would never believe, even if beaten to death, that the other had achieved this level through self-study alone.
Without at least a decade of dedicated effort, how could one possibly attain such accomplishments?
"I had wanted to visit the East Asian Alliance, but never got the opportunity."
"However, I've read many books from East Asia, particularly those on humanities which have greatly benefited me."
(End of Chapter)