"Doctor, how is her condition?"
"Stable, just weak. There are no signs of interrogation or abuse."
"That's good."
Yang Hui let out a relieved sigh as he looked at Mana lying on the bed, her face pale but her breathing steady. Though they hadn't found Cagalli, stumbling upon Mana—whom they had feared was already dead—was an unexpected stroke of luck.
After activating Innovator Mode, Yang Hui immediately sensed a familiar Brain Quantum Wave signature—Mana's own. This was something he hadn't anticipated. And just as she and Creuset had predicted, she was right beneath the Attha residence. Truly, the most dangerous place was also the safest.
Yang Hui promptly ordered his squad to begin searching while detaining all the household staff for interrogation. The familiar Brain Quantum Waves he had detected weren't limited to just one person.
What they uncovered was shocking. The Attha estate could now be divided into two distinct parts—the luxurious mansion aboveground and an intricate network of underground tunnels below. Each passage was even connected via double-layered secret paths, a testament to the Carbon Humans' meticulous planning.
In the underground facility, aside from the LOGOS special forces and Mana, they found four other prisoners—longtime servants of the Attha household who had also been replaced by doppelgängers.
Of course, Yang Hui knew the Attha estate wasn't fully cleansed yet, especially with unfamiliar new faces and external collaborators. There was no way such an extensive tunnel network could have been built by just a handful of people without anyone noticing.
"The Attha estate has been investigated. We found Mana and several other imprisoned staff. The underground setup is... quite impressive," Yang Hui reported coldly over the comms to Creuset.
"...I've started on my end as well."
"Good. I'm leaving this matter to Kisaka. I'll join you shortly."
"Understood."
After ending the call, Yang Hui handed over command to Kisaka and headed by car to the government officials' residential district to rendezvous with Creuset. By the time he arrived, Creuset had already searched multiple residences.
The forced inspections had drawn fierce protests from the officials, but the sight of fully armed soldiers kept their complaints muted. When they saw Yang Hui arrive, they mistakenly assumed someone had secretly contacted him to intervene on their behalf.
"Lord Yang Hui, Sir Vidar has gone too far..."
"He barged into our homes without a search warrant, an arrest warrant, nothing..."
"You must uphold justice for us..."
"Please order him to cease this brutish behavior immediately and remove him from his position for trial..."
...
Yang Hui's expression turned disdainful as he regarded the complaining officials—all remnants of the old aristocratic class. If not for the lack of suitable replacements, he would have purged them long ago.
What fools. While Creuset's intelligence division held considerable authority, it didn't extend to raiding every high-ranking official's residence without cause.
The officials personally nurtured by Yang Hui and his team were unlike this group. They stood obediently to the side, cooperating with Creuset's work, immediately recognizing that the intelligence department had Yang Hui's approval.
Yet these individuals, clinging to their seniority without self-awareness, bickered until Yang Hui grew thoroughly exasperated.
"Silence!"
"..."
With that icy roar, the marketplace-like clamor vanished. Everyone shut their mouths and turned their eyes to Yang Hui.
"The intelligence department is hunting down critical spies. Vidar's actions were carried out under my orders. All you need to do is cooperate quietly—"
"But... Lord Yang Hui, this is unacceptable!"
"Yes, are you implying we're harboring spies?"
"That would be treason! How could we possibly dare?"
"Aren't you afraid of alienating us?"
"If Lord Uzumi knew you were acting this way, he would surely reprimand—"
Slap!
Before the official who invoked the deceased Uzumi to chastise Yang Hui could finish, a sharp slap struck his face. The force sent him sprawling to the ground, blood and teeth spilling from his mouth.
"All of this is for Orb. Your only option is to comply. What? Do you miss Lord Uzumi?" Yang Hui leaned down, his frigid gaze and tone enough to freeze souls as he stared at the fallen man.
"N-no... Lord Yang Hui..."
"Oh? If you miss him, just say the word. I'll arrange a reunion."
"I... I wouldn't dare..."
At last, the older nobles sobered up. After Orb's fall, they had dispersed to Papua New Guinea and the Mass Driver, each fulfilling their duties while awaiting Orb's rebirth—a commendable effort. But once Orb was rebuilt, they rushed back to the homeland and... promptly lost their heads.
They saw themselves as the true elders, the elite of Orb. With most of the high-ranking nobles beneath the Five Great Families purged by Yang Hui, they naturally rose in status. But power corroded them, turning them into what they were now—looking down on the newly promoted youth, throwing their weight around, and engaging in plenty of shady dealings behind the scenes.
"You. Yes, you." Yang Hui didn't recognize the man groveling on the floor—some minor official from a mid-tier family that had climbed higher after the restructuring. He didn't know his name, nor did he care. "Hand over half your family's assets. All your duties are suspended until replacements take over."
"Lord Yang Hui! You can't—"
"Why can't I?" Yang Hui tilted his head.
"Because... because..."
"Or would you prefer an alternative? Like having certain evidence laid out before you?"
"I... I..."
Yang Hui ignored the man's incoherent stammering and hollow stare. He knew his fate was sealed—and that Yang Hui had shown mercy. Otherwise, not even the remaining half of his assets would be spared, and he might find himself behind bars.
As Yang Hui straightened up and swept his gaze over the others who had dared to lecture him, they shuddered in unison, lowering their heads and stepping back in fear.
"Work faithfully for Orb, and you may retire with dignity. But the price of overestimating your cleverness... I doubt you'll enjoy it."
"Yes... yes, Lord Yang Hui."
"Good."
After warning the group, Yang Hui didn't waste any more time with them and went to find Creuset at the temporary command center.
"Still no trace?"
"We've found a lead. There are secret tunnels beneath the Ulma residence as well. We're currently exploring them. Unless something unexpected happens, Cagalli should be hidden somewhere in the underground area."
"What about that Ulma?"
"The real one. Committed treason. Confessed everything without even being interrogated after capture."
"...I see."
(End of Chapter)