Although Yang Hui was quite interested in the feud between Don Boyaji and Alzack Bamingos, that was not his focus at the moment, as the little girl beside Alzack Bamingos had captured his full attention.
Yurin was still adopted by Alzack Bamingos just like in the original storyline, but there were differences. In the original plot, there wasn't much emotional connection between Yurin and Alzack Bamingos; she had nowhere else to go, and Alzack Bamingos only kept her out of concern.
However, now it was clear from Yurin's willingness to stay by Alzack Bamingos's side to greet them that their relationship was not as rigid.
"Hmm? Do you know her?" Alzack Bamingos noticed that Yang Hui and Yurin were locked in each other's gaze, so he inquired.
"Yes, in Nora, he saved me," Yurin said, shyly lowering her head as she spoke.
"Is that so?" Alzack Bamingos glanced at Yurin's expression, then looked at Yang Hui. As a wealthy man, he naturally recognized who Yang Hui was. He smiled widely, surprised that his adopted daughter was capable of knowing the young master of Yang Corporation.
"Young Master Yang, thank you very much for saving my little girl."
"You're welcome, it's fate," Yang Hui replied graciously.
"Since you know each other, may I be so bold as to ask if my little girl could show you around the estate later?"
"Thank you very much."
Yang Hui understood the old fox's intentions. If he truly doted on Yurin, a little business assistance wouldn't be a problem, but...
In the original storyline, this man had handed Yurin over to UE under threat, leading to Yurin's tragic future. If Alzack Bamingos had been disheartened by Yurin's unwillingness to open up to him, one could understand, but now it was clearly different. If the same thing happened again, Yang Hui would never forgive him.
Hearing this, Yurin lifted her head and shared a knowing smile with Yang Hui, who responded with a gentle smile in return.
However, the matter of being alone with Yurin still needed to be postponed. Yang Hui could not abandon everyone to go on a date with Yurin; for now, the planning of the "Bat Extermination Operation" took precedence.
At first, Alzack Bamingos had let Yurin play by herself, not wanting her to be involved, and Yurin had no interest in these matters. But to his surprise, Yurin actively requested to participate, marking the first time since her adoption that she had asked him for something, which left him at a loss.
The others were also perceptive; Yurin's desire to attend the meeting was not out of interest or any conspiracy, but simply because she wanted to be with Yang Hui, as evidenced by her tightly clasped hand that showed no intention of letting go.
"Let her participate, Bamingos. Since she's your adopted child, I don't see any problem with it."
"I personally have no objections."
"What's the harm? With such a cute little girl present, the atmosphere won't be dull."
...
Everyone chimed in, while Yurin held Yang Hui's hand tightly, anxiously awaiting Alzack Bamingos's response.
"Well... since you all say so... then let her join us."
Upon hearing this, Yurin smiled happily and bowed to those who had helped persuade Alzack Bamingos, expressing her gratitude.
As everyone entered the conference room, Alzack Bamingos did not insist that Yurin stay by his side; he actually thought it would be better for her to be near Yang Hui.
"To be honest, this is an extremely reckless plan," Alzack Bamingos said bluntly.
"At first, we thought so too, but the victory in the Fardin Resistance changed our minds," Don Boyaji replied.
"Even under extremely unfavorable conditions, we managed to achieve victory. The new weapons provided by Yang Corporation are about to arrive, giving us a greater chance of success."
Don Boyaji and Ractor Elmelda spoke, both feeling the impact deeply. Their pride in their MS had been shattered, as it felt like mere toys in front of UE.
However, under the leadership of three Gundams, UE's large-scale forces were directly repelled. Thanks to effective tactics and the presence of Yang Hui and Graham, who had tied down most of the enemies, they achieved a victory in a large-scale operation that the federal army had never won before, giving everyone hope for victory.
The Vargas rifles were about to be equipped across all MS units, significantly increasing their effective combat power.
"Well... I've also reviewed your battle records. To be honest... if it weren't for Young Master Yang and Young Master Graham, you would have paid a huge price for victory," Alzack Bamingos remarked.
"Uh..." The others were at a loss for words, feeling belittled, but it was the truth.
"That's not the case. The victory of a battle is never the result of one person's efforts. If it weren't for all of you holding off a portion of the enemy forces for me and Graham, we wouldn't have achieved such great results, not to mention the maintenance of the machines, tactical command, and so on," Yang Hui stepped forward to say, which saved face for everyone and provided an exit.
"Well said." Alzack Bamingos had never spoken with Yang Hui before. He had worried that Yang Hui, at such a young age, might become arrogant due to his remarkable achievements and fame, but it seemed that all his concerns were unnecessary.
"So, Bamingos, what is your decision?" Don Boyaji asked, and everyone turned to Alzack Bamingos, waiting for his answer. He had not clearly stated his support for their actions in previous communications, so they needed him to provide an answer now.
"To be honest, I still think your plan is too reckless..." Alzack Bamingos shook his head.
This made everyone feel heavy-hearted. Although Alzack Bamingos could not provide military support, the logistical supplies needed by the joint fleet were substantial. Moreover, the joint fleet of Zalam, Auba, and Diva needed his approval to dock at Minslie's port for rest; otherwise, the officials of Minslie would not dare to let them in.
"...But from the very beginning, I decided to fully support you. After all, this is the first time Boyaji has requested my help."
Unexpectedly, Alzack Bamingos changed his tone, causing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Bamingos, you rascal, how old are you? Still making jokes to scare people," Don Boyaji scolded with annoyance.
"Hahaha, there aren't many chances to scare you, Boyaji, and you have no right to criticize me. At your age, you still charge into the fray like a young man."
"Hmph, I'm different from someone else; I grow stronger with age!"
"What did you say?"
"Do you want to fight?"
It seemed that the relationship between these two old men, one big and one small, was genuinely good, as they were bickering like children despite their age.
The host lost his composure in front of an old friend, but the butler remained professional. It was impossible to hold a combat meeting immediately upon arrival, so he left the two old men to continue their standoff while everyone followed the butler out of the conference room. Finally, Yang Hui had the opportunity to be alone with Yurin.
Yurin led Yang Hui through the garden, running past a small grove, until they reached the lakeside.
"Finally, I see you again, Yang Hui."
"Yes, it seems we are quite fated."
"No, it's not fate. I've always had a feeling that we would meet again."
"Is that so? Then..."
As he spoke, Yang Hui took out the hairband Yurin had left for him and tied it around her hair himself.
"Yang Hui..." They were so close that it felt as if Yang Hui was holding Yurin in his arms, making her blush like a Steam Maiden.
"Yes, this looks better," Yang Hui commented. As for feeling shy... that was a joke; he already had three wives, and Yang Hui was no longer an emotional novice. Would he really feel shy over this?
"Yang Hui, why not keep it on?" Yurin asked, secretly hoping that Yang Hui wouldn't return it to her, as that would mean their connection wouldn't be severed.
"No, I'm not giving it back to you," Yang Hui said.
"What does that mean?"
"This is a talisman that Yurin gave me, but I often get lost in my work and forget about it. I'm afraid I might accidentally damage it, so Yurin, could you please help me keep it until the day there is no more war, and then return it to me?"
"Eh?" Yurin was taken aback. The clever and mature girl understood the underlying meaning, making her even more bashful. "Okay."
"Hehe, then let's go. You promised to show me around here."
"Yes, follow me!"
...
In the following two weeks, they continuously collected and analyzed intelligence, modifying the combat plan. The new equipment for the MS units was not just the Vargas rifles; a batch of high-mobility engine backpacks used by the Dawn Gundam and Samurai Gundam was also delivered.
The upgrades for Diva, as well as the universal interface modifications for Zalam and Auba's MS, were all tasks that the current maintenance personnel could not complete alone. In addition to a batch of technical staff urgently dispatched from the group, even Madonna was called in to barely finish all the work on time.
The pilots of the MS units were also busy. Due to the modifications and the loading of the high-mobility backpacks, they needed time to adapt, so Yang Hui sent Graham over as an instructor.
Two weeks later, everything was ready, and Grudick announced the combat plan.
The fleets of Zalam and Auba would spread out on both flanks to intercept enemy forces threatening Diva. The Dawn Gundam and Samurai Gundam would still act as the spearhead, leading the MS units of Diva to break through the center and launch an assault on Space Fortress Ambat for a landing operation.
Due to limited manp
ower, this was the only method derived from meticulous calculations: to strike directly at the heart and break through UE's command system, exposing UE's true identity to the public.
(End of Chapter)