Upon hearing this, the others expressed admiration one after another, their eyes flickering with various thoughts. They had all heard rumors about Yang Hui. Just as Revil had said, members of the Vist Foundation would receive special attention from the Federal high command, even if the rumors about Yang Hui were unpleasant to hear.
Now... everyone present was shrewd enough to notice something, but aside from words of praise, they said nothing else. They only pondered in secret whether they should make contact with Yang Hui, how to approach him, and what they could gain from him.
"You flatter me, Generals. It's just a bit of cleverness, hardly worth mentioning in front of pillars of the Federation like yourselves," Yang Hui said modestly. While he had indeed accomplished merits, it was important to remain humble in front of these people. At the same time, a bit of flattery would benefit his future activities within the Federal Army.
Regardless of what paths these individuals might take in the future, for now, figures like Gopp, Revil, and Tianem were still keeping them in check, preventing any major disturbances. Since his future plans would involve interacting with them, maintaining good superficial relations was necessary.
"A bit of cleverness managed to rescue this old man from Zeon's hands?"
Hearing this, Yang Hui was momentarily stunned, his brow furrowing slightly. While unable to discern Revil's intentions, he inwardly cursed the old fox.
Everyone present could tell Yang Hui was being modest and recognized his capability in rescuing Revil from Zeon. But if Yang Hui himself were to boast about it, it would come across as arrogance—implying that these high-ranking officials were incompetent for failing to accomplish what he had.
Yang Hui had been tactfully humble, leaving a good impression on everyone. Some things were better left understood without being spoken aloud, to avoid awkwardness.
But... no one had expected Revil to single out this matter and bring it up.
"Just a bit of cleverness," Yang Hui continued modestly, not wanting to let Revil put him on the spot, as it would be detrimental to his future actions.
"Heh." Revil chuckled without saying more, merely casting a teasing glance at Yang Hui.
Yang Hui scanned the room and seemed to grasp Revil's intention. Except for Gopp, who remained calm, the others no longer looked at Yang Hui with the same fervor as before.
"That damn old man!"
Revil was undermining Yang Hui's advantage. If Yang Hui made too strong an impression from the start, wouldn't he have options beyond just Revil and Gopp? After all, not everyone present belonged to the same faction.
Moreover, as Yang Hui operated within the Federal Army in the future, he would need to maintain good superficial relations with these people. By slightly damaging those relations now, wouldn't he later need Revil to mediate or even suppress opposition for him?
"Alright, Revil, you're old enough—stop teasing the young man."
If Revil was the fierce wolf of the Federal Army, then Gopp was the cunning fox. Revil was straightforward and rigid, while Gopp was smooth and flexible. One firm, one yielding—complementing each other perfectly. This was the true essence of the Federal Twin Walls.
"Let's go. Now that you're back, we need to discuss our next strategy. As for Mr. Yang Hui..."
"Then I'll take my leave now." Yang Hui understood Gopp's meaning—this was essentially being asked to leave. "Jaburo is the Federal Army headquarters, filled with military secrets everywhere. I'm just an ordinary civilian, so I won't break any rules."
Taking the hint to make his exit, Yang Hui hadn't planned to discuss cooperation matters with Gopp and Revil inside Jaburo Base right now anyway. There were too many people around, some of whom were potential opponents in disguise. He couldn't afford to let them learn too much.
Gopp shared the same intention, which was why he had subtly suggested Yang Hui's departure.
This actually suited Yang Hui perfectly. Not negotiating immediately would give others opportunities. Although Yang Hui had no interest in the conservative faction led by Jin Kolini, nor in old tofu and the future Titans... this could still serve as a means to strengthen his own bargaining position.
After watching the big shots leave, Yang Hui returned to the shuttle and instructed the pilot to head directly to the Vist Foundation estate to attend his nominal older brother's birthday banquet.
...
"Gai, is everything arranged?" Creuset asked Gai Murakumo upon returning home.
"All arranged. Our flight tickets are for tonight."
"And the Vist Foundation's attitude?"
"Very welcoming."
"Heh, as expected." Creuset chuckled lightly. He was currently the brightest rising star in the Federal Parliament—young but already wielding considerable influence, making him someone all factions sought to befriend and win over. Naturally, the Vist Foundation would warmly welcome Creuset to Cardeas's birthday banquet.
"Martha Vist..."
"Reject her." Just hearing the name made Creuset feel disgusted.
Martha Vist, the second daughter of the Vist family, Cardeas's younger sister, and Yang Hui's older sister, was both a feminist and an ambitious schemer. She planned to gain greater power, completely control the Vist Foundation while also entering the Federal Parliament to become one of the Federation's behind-the-scenes manipulators.
But to achieve this, Martha couldn't join the Federal Parliament herself. Instead, she chose to seduce someone qualified to reach the top, marry him, and then secretly control him.
Originally, her target had been the future Chairman Ronan, currently Congressman Ronan Marcenas, but Creuset's appearance made her change targets.
The current Martha in her twenties had inherited the Vist family's good genes and was still quite beautiful, but beautiful women weren't scarce. Combined with her sharp-tongued behavior within the Vist family and her ambitions far exceeding her actual capabilities and skills, Creuset found her utterly repulsive.
"Already rejected."
"Good. From now on, reject any invitation from her, regardless of the reason."
If Martha Vist had abilities that Creuset could respect, he wouldn't mind playing along with her game.
But given Martha Vist's current capabilities, far from being useful, she might actually jeopardize their plans. Besides, with Yang Hui already in the Vist family, they didn't need a second person to leverage the Vist Foundation's value.
"Understood."
"Captain..."
"What is it?" Although Creuset had asked Athrun to stop calling him captain, the other seemed accustomed to it, so Creuset didn't press the matter.
"Martha Vist and Yang Hui don't get along well. She's likely to interfere with our plans."
"So?"
"...We should have her contained."
"As expected of you, Athrun." Creuset naturally knew that Yang Hui and Martha Vist's relationship was as incompatible as fire and water—to be precise, Martha Vist had always viewed Yang Hui as a thorn in her side, though Yang Hui paid little attention to her.
According to Creuset's thinking, it would be best to make this detestable woman disappear without a trace.
But Yang Hui stopped Creuset, telling him: "This woman still has some value. Let her stir things up in the parliament so we can see more people's true colors. Besides, a boring, tense life always needs some entertainment, doesn't it?"
Athrun's approach, consistent with his character, was too gentle—such obstacles should be directly eliminated if they needed to be dealt with.
Controlling her? That would require wasting manpower to watch her, wasting resources to sustain her, and yielding no returns whatsoever.
"I'm sorry, Captain, I..."
"I'm not blaming you, Athrun. The gentle Athrun is the real Athrun, isn't he? Moreover, your gentleness can be a very important weapon in certain situations, so keep it up."
"...Thank you very much, Captain Creuset."
"Alright, let's prepare to depart. Yang Hui should have already returned to Earth with General Revil by now."
"Understood." X2
...
Meanwhile, on the other side, Martha Vist, who had been rejected by Creuset, was throwing a tantrum in her room.
"That bastard Creuset! I've humbled myself to invite him so many times, and he rejects me every single time! How ungrateful!"
Martha Vist was proud, and she had the capital to be proud. Born into the Vist Foundation, she had grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth. Since childhood, everyone around her had flattered and fawned over her. As an adult, her beauty had captivated countless men, with many high-ranking officials and nobles eager to become her suitors.
Yet, she had set her sights on Creuset—young, handsome, exceptionally capable, and quite resourceful. Whether considering Creuset's personal qualities or her own ambitions, he was her first choice.
However, when she confidently approached Creuset, she encountered the first Waterloo of her life.
Martha Vist wasn't angry at the time. Talented people always had their own pride, and perhaps Creuset was playing hard to get. Once she had him, she could slowly mold him to her liking.
As for him truly rejecting her—Martha Vist hadn't even considered it at first. She had investigated Creuset's background: he came from a minor family with no significant political standing. His current position was entirely due to his own abilities, with no help from his family.
Thus, the Vist Foundation, as one of the Federation's top families, should be the most coveted asset for someone in politics without connections. If Creuset had ambitions for power, he couldn't possibly refuse the backing of the Vist Foundation behind her.
But... reality slapped her hard across the face once again. Creuset rejected her repeatedly, his attitude growing firmer and more decisive, making Martha Vist face the truth: Creuset wasn't playing hard to get—he genuinely had no interest in her.
"If I can't have him, then I'll destroy him. Someone, come here!" Martha Vist gave up on Creuset, and a malicious idea began to take root in her mind.
"Young mistress."
"Inform Ronan Marcenas that I have invited him to join me at Cardeas' birthday banquet tomorrow."
"Yes."
"Heh... hehehe..." After the person left, Martha Vist's face twisted into a dark, distorted smile. "Rau Le Creuset, you forced me into this. I'll make you understand what price must be paid for rejecting me! The Federation, the entire world, will kneel before me... Heh... Hahahaha..."
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "TLGod" on Patreon!"
Thanks!