After resting and regaining her composure, Mina sought out Yang Hui to discuss Ame No Minashira's next steps. But before that, she had something else to bring up.
"Gina came to see you?"
"...Yes."
"I see."
"Let's not talk about him. Did you receive the gift I sent you?"
"Yes. But why did you give P02 to him? And why didn't you retrieve P03?"
"Do you think... the P Series can compare to the X Series?"
"No."
That was an understatement. The X Series was the result of a massive investment, developed jointly by multiple top-tier research institutes and military manufacturers as the Next Generation MS. In contrast, the Astray Gundam P Series was merely a covert imitation of the X Series, secretly developed by Orb—hardly more than a watered-down version. How could it possibly compare?
"So the P Series isn't as valuable as you might think. At best, it's the foundation for mass-produced MS. We already have P01, along with all its data and specs. The Astray project is complete. Giving away P02 and P03 to recruit talent is a better use of their worth."
"...I understand. Then what about P04 (Green Frame) and P05 (Purple Frame)? How do you plan to handle them?"
"Send P04 to Dawn Company as a flagship unit for elite pilots. The MS units are just getting started—they need a few standout models to set the standard. As for P05..."
He didn't finish, but his gaze gave the answer.
"No need. P01 is enough for me," Mina said.
"P01 is P01. It belongs to Gina."
"Will you let him go?"
"..."
The answer stuck
"The Unicorn-class Escort Cruiser, measuring 320 meters in length, carries a maximum of 6 MS units with 1 MS catapult. Its primary power source is nuclear, supplemented by one plasma fusion drive. Armaments include: 1 twin-mounted 225cm high-energy beam cannon [Gottfried Mk-71], 2 single-mounted 225cm high-energy beam cannons [Gottfried Mk-70], 10 CIWS Array anti-air Vulcan Cannons, and 2 eight-cell missile launchers capable of loading all missile types...
The White Tiger-class High-Speed Cruiser, at 371 meters long
But... for Orb to establish such a space fleet, calling it a pipe dream would be an understatement—it's practically a fantasy!
A space fleet? Just one Qilin-class Main Battleship would drain all of Orb's current resources, not to mention the accompanying MS!
There's also a serious issue: using nuclear power as the primary energy source? What kind of international joke is this? Under the effect of Neutron Jammers, nuclear energy is completely useless, isn't it?
"I know what you're thinking. This is just our ultimate goal. We can start construction now. As for the required resources and funds, I'll find a way to handle it," Yang Hui said.
Mina fell silent. Yang Hui was right—they couldn't give up just because it seemed impossible now. To achieve their shared vision and elevate Orb to
"Ha ha ha ha!" Seeing Yang Hui's frustrated and exasperated expression, Mina's earlier gloom from being suppressed by him vanished completely, and she burst into cheerful laughter.
"That idiot, does she think Orb's crisis isn't bad enough? Is she insane? Can't she just let people have some peace!?"
If he hadn't known, Yang Hui could have used all sorts of excuses to avoid returning to Orb to see Uzumi. But now that Mina had told him—and given her scheming nature—she would definitely inform Uzumi about it. Then Uzumi would come to Yang Hui, asking him to bring Cagalli back to Orb...
Wait, no. Even if Mina didn't tell Uzumi that Yang Hui knew, Uzumi would still ask him to retrieve Cagalli.
Because in Orb, Cagalli was truly a lawless little princess who dared to ignore everyone—except for one person: Yang Hui.
Everyone else either didn't dare or couldn't bear to discipline Cagalli, but Yang Hui did, and he was ruthless about it.
He still remembered when they were kids—once, after Cagalli acted up, Yang Hui scolded her so harshly that she hid in her room crying for three days and nights, too afraid to come out. After recovering, she went right back to causing trouble, only for Yang Hui to lock her in a dark room for a whole week, with no light except when food was delivered.
From then on, though Cagalli still argued and clashed with Yang Hui, she never dared to act recklessly again—or at least, not in a way that would let him find out.
"Sigh... Fine, I get it. I'll head back to Orb for now."
"Good luck. That little princess is a walking time bomb."
"Heh." Yang Hui smirked coldly, rolling his eyes. "Can the Monkey King escape the Buddha's palm?"
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