Upon returning to Dawn Company, Erica Simmons didn't ask Yang Hui where he'd been. Her responsibility was research and development—other matters didn't concern her.
But Yang Hui's grave expression made it clear something significant had occurred.
"Director Simmons, Uncle Mu, come with me."
Investigating whether those around him were genuine couldn't be done alone. Yang Hui decided to verify a small group first, then expand outward from there.
His first choices were Erica Simmons and Mu—both crucial figures at Dawn Company and people he knew intimately, including their Brain Quantum Waves.
"Did something happen?" Erica Simmons asked.
"Yes."
"Creuset? You found him?" Mu assumed Yang Hui had discovered Creuset's trail, hence the severity.
"No, something else." Yang Hui's hand moved to the small of his back, gripping his pistol. "No matter what you see, stay calm. Don't ask questions."
"...Understood." x2
Though unaware of what was happening or coming next, Yang Hui's expression and tone made it clear—no refusal, no resistance, only compliance.
The next moment left them stunned. Yang Hui's eyes suddenly transformed, shimmering with flowing light—utterly inhuman.
The state lasted mere seconds before vanishing, his hand leaving the pistol.
"Ask whatever you want." Yang Hui sat down, watching their stunned faces.
"Your eyes—"
"What's going on?" Mu began questioning the eye transformation, but Erica Simmons cut him off, prioritizing the situation. Yang Hui's eyes were his secret, yet he'd revealed them—meaning circumstances forced his hand.
This told Erica Simmons something dire had occurred.
"Cagalli is missing."
"What!?"
"At 10 AM, she slipped surveillance and disappeared."
"Impossible! That princess doesn't have those skills!"
"Correct. Someone helped her..."
Yang Hui then explained everything—how Mana, who'd assisted Cagalli's escape, was an imposter, the returned Cagalli was fake, and the real one remained missing.
"This... Carbon Humans?"
"Exactly. Without verification, I can't rest easy." Yang Hui's explanation doubled as an apology—no one enjoyed being doubted.
"Verify us?" They paused. Since the incident that morning, no investigation had reached them. They'd been immersed in Quasi-GN Drive research until summoned here...
"Wait! Your eyes!"
"A special method. Innovators—humans evolving to adapt to space—can sense Brain Quantum Waves. Even perfect clones have distinct waves. I just confirmed yours—you're genuine."
"Innovator? Brain Quantum Waves? Lord Yang Hui, you never cease to surprise us—no, I should say shock us," Erica Simmons said with a hint of resentment in her tone.
Yang Hui didn't blame her. After all, the unknown was an invaluable treasure to researchers.
"Some things aren't for you to know just yet. I'll explain in the future. Right now, we need to find out whether there are rats within Dawn Company—and how many," Yang Hui said seriously.
"Understood. What do you need us to do?" Erica Simmons asked. "We can't investigate openly, or the enemy's goal would be achieved without them lifting a finger."
"Exactly. Start with the people closest to you. Use small, everyday interactions to test them—that should help with preliminary screening. Also, Director Simmons, raise the security clearance for all Dawn Company projects."
"Got it. I'll arrange it immediately."
"Can't you just... use Brain Quantum Waves to confirm? Like you did with us," Mu suddenly interjected.
"I can't. To verify someone's identity through Brain Quantum Waves, I first need to know what their original Brain Quantum Waves look like. I'm familiar with yours, so I can recognize them. But I can't memorize everyone's Brain Quantum Waves. Plus, Innovator Mode drains my mental energy quickly—I can't sustain it for long. And this isn't something we can take our time with."
Yang Hui explained that if Innovator Mode could solve the problem outright, he would have done so.
But unfortunately, it couldn't. The secret of Innovator Mode was tied to their identities. Unless he fully trusted someone, he would never reveal it. Just moments ago, if Erica Simmons and Mu had turned out to be imposters, he would have drawn his gun and shot them dead on the spot.
This was also why Yang Hui hadn't used Innovator Mode when testing Mana, Cagalli, Kisaka, or Kira—there were too many outsiders present, and he didn't want to expose himself.
At the same time, the limitations of Brain Quantum Waves were real. To distinguish the real from the fake, you had to know what the real one looked like first. With so many people in Orb, it was impossible for him to memorize everyone's Brain Quantum Waves. So this method could only be used on those he knew and trusted.
"I see. I know what to do now."
"Go ahead. I appreciate your efforts."
After the two left, Yang Hui rubbed his temples in frustration. For the sake of the mission and the plan, he had no choice but to become the kind of person he despised most.
Beep beep beep...
"Who is it?" A request to enter came through the room's intercom. Yang Hui answered.
"Lord Yang Hui, it's Morgan Chevalier. I'd like to speak with you."
"...Come in."
"Thank you."
After granting permission, the door slid open—but Yang Hui saw that Morgan Chevalier wasn't alone. Rena Imelia, Edward Harrelson, and Jane Houston were with him. Instinctively, Yang Hui's hand moved toward the pistol at his waist, his body tensing. If they made any dangerous moves, he would shoot them down before they could act.
"Apologies for the intrusion, Lord Yang Hui. There's something we believe we should report to you." The leader, Morgan Chevalier, bowed slightly along with the other three men as he spoke sincerely.
"What matter requires all four of you to report together?" Yang Hui asked sternly, maintaining his guarded demeanor.
"The truth is, after we arrived in Orb, we've all had contact with Atlantic Federation intelligence operatives."
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