After assigning tasks to the research team and exchanging brief greetings with Mu and Morgan Chevalier post-landing, Yang Hui left Dawn Company. There was no need for him to oversee the subsequent research anymore—he trusted Erica Simmons and the team to establish the framework for the Quasi-GN Drive system.
"How's it going?"
Yang Hui headed straight to the intelligence department's office to meet with Creuset, who was currently disguised as Vidar. He sought updates on both the search for Cagalli and the number of infiltrators that had slipped into Orb.
"The situation isn't severe. Investigations across departments are halfway done, and only a few have been uncovered so far. These individuals aren't my main concern," Creuset reported. "As long as the high-security divisions in Dawn Company and Ame No Minashira remain uncompromised, they won't obtain valuable intelligence or deal any critical damage to Orb."
Orb's policies were entirely transparent, publicly available for all to see, making it impossible for spies to gather useful intel. Major military operations were privately discussed and decided by Yang Hui, Sumeragi, Creuset, and others before direct orders were issued, leaving no room for leaks.
The only potential vulnerabilities were Dawn Company and Ame No Minashira—the former being the primary research hub, the latter serving as the space force's headquarters. A breach or sabotage in either could significantly hinder Orb's progress. However, the risk was limited to high-clearance sectors, such as Dawn Company's classified research divisions or Ame No Minashira's restricted zones.
Ame No Minashira was particularly secure as the space force's command center, where outsiders couldn't infiltrate, and key personnel were never left unguarded, leaving no openings for Carbon Humans to replace them. Dawn Company had already conducted internal checks, identifying a few impostors—but only among peripheral staff, with core members remaining unaffected.
The initial oversight had been underestimating LOGOS's use of Librarian Works' Carbon Humans for infiltration. Now, with heightened vigilance, further breaches were unlikely, and purging the remaining threats was merely a matter of time.
The priority now was locating Cagalli—even if only her corpse—before enemies could exploit her.
"Any leads?"
"None. Whoever did this is skilled." Creuset pulled up a holographic map of Orb, highlighting areas. "The green zones have been cleared. The yellow ones are suspicious but low-probability based on traffic, population, and logistics, so they're cordoned off but not yet searched. As for these…"
He paused, his expression darkening as he pointed to three red zones—places that should've been the easiest to monitor: the Attha family estate, the residential district for high-ranking officials, and… Yang Hui's own residence.
"My place can be ruled out. I used Innovator Mode there earlier—Brain Quantum Waves detected nothing unusual…"
"Under normal circumstances, what's the range of your Brain Quantum Wave detection?"
"Two kilometers. With the assistance of Original GN Particles, I can detect as far as the GN Particles diffuse."
"That does rule it out." Creuset marked Yang Hui's residence as a green zone. Within a two-kilometer radius, even if someone secretly dug an underground chamber, it would be impossible to evade Yang Hui's detection. Moreover, an underground project spanning two kilometers couldn't escape the notice of Yang Hui or others in the residence.
What about methods to shield Brain Quantum Waves?
Creuset didn't believe such methods existed. Brain Quantum Waves were an entirely new concept in this world, and apart from their team, only a handful of people knew about it. There was no way this intelligence could have leaked, and even if it had, it would be impossible to fully decipher in such a short time.
"Alright, I'll leave the residential areas of high-ranking government officials to you. I'll head to the Attha family's estate now."
"Understood."
Creuset assigned two of his four elite squads to accompany Yang Hui to the Attha estate. Though he knew Yang Hui's individual combat prowess was exceptional, caution was still necessary—Yang Hui couldn't afford to be compromised.
Besides, Yang Hui was Orb's highest-ranking Chairman. Should he really be personally engaging in such field operations? Were the ground combat and security squads trained for nothing?
Upon arriving at the Attha estate, Yang Hui was greeted by Kisaka. Since Cagalli's disappearance and Mana (Carbon)'s arrest, the entire Attha household had been in turmoil. Kisaka, confirmed to be the real one, had to stabilize the situation while also sealing off information.
"Lord Yang Hui, what brings you here?" Kisaka's heart sank when he saw Yang Hui arrive with a group of intimidating men. He feared another crisis had arisen.
"Vidar suspects the enemy might be hiding in plain sight—Cagalli could be concealed within this estate. I've brought people to investigate."
"This…" Kisaka wanted to say it was impossible, that he knew every inch of this estate and Cagalli couldn't possibly be hidden here. But he couldn't refute it—the secret passage Mana (Carbon) had used to help Cagalli evade surveillance was one he hadn't known about. At the time, he'd questioned why such a passage existed, but Mana (Carbon) had claimed Uzumi had ordered its construction as an emergency escape route, so he'd dismissed his doubts. Now, looking back… something was off. Very off.
"Lord Yang Hui, should I gather the servants for you?" Kisaka asked.
"Yes, assemble them, then take me to the center of the estate. No one is to approach."
"Understood."
Though unsure of Yang Hui's plan, Kisaka obediently carried out the orders, leading the group to the estate's central location before withdrawing—no one was permitted near, not even him.
Yang Hui had his men spread out, inspecting the surroundings before dispersing to maintain vigilance.
"Heh… truly… nowhere to hide." Yang Hui thought of the micro-cameras they'd uncovered earlier. The enemy had planted twice as many as their own side—Cagalli had practically no secrets left in their eyes.
Moreover, Yang Hui was certain that these surveillance cameras had been installed after Orb's reconstruction, just like the secret passages Kisaka had reported. During Orb's reconstruction, Yang Hui had conducted a thorough inspection of the Attha family residence and found no trace of such installations.
Closing his eyes and reopening them, Yang Hui activated Innovator Mode once more, extending his perception to everyone within a two-kilometer radius. He wasn't just searching for Cagalli's trail—he was also scanning through the Attha household servants, most of whom were longtime staff members he recognized.
But two seconds later, Yang Hui froze momentarily, his face lighting up with surprise.
"Someone come here!"
"Lord Yang Hui."
"Conduct an immediate search of the entire residence! Find every entrance to the secret passages!"
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