Gundam 00: Rise of China

The air seemed to freeze, with only Anura's heavy breathing echoing in the air.

His chest heaved violently, his clenched fists turned white at the knuckles, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged, like an enraged lion.

He had clearly used all his strength to smash the glass, so much so that glass shards were scattered everywhere, and even his trouser leg was covered in several drops of beer.

However, he was completely unaware of it.

This overwhelming anger even caused emotional turmoil in Soma Piris, a girl with no money, no job, and no connections.

So the girl turned her head slightly, and for the first time, a look of confusion appeared in her cool eyes.

It's important to know that the instructors at the Super Soldier Test Base only taught her how to pilot a mobile suit, how to kill targets, and how to execute orders.

No one had ever taught her why someone would get so angry over some military intelligence.

With Major Wang Ye, her superior officer, right in front of her, Anura's behavior was truly incomprehensible...

Looking at Wei Meng beside him, the first officer he met upon arriving at the base, Piris asked after thinking it over several times.

"Captain, them?"

This was the first time Piris had proactively asked about something unrelated to the mission since arriving at the Ceylon base.

Seeing this, Wei Meng was surprised and was about to explain.

However, Anura took a deep breath first, forcibly suppressing the surging anger in his heart. He bowed slightly to Wang Ye and the other two, his tone filled with apology:

"I'm very sorry, Major, I lost my composure just now."

"It's nothing." Wang Ye waved his hand and said, "If it were me, I would be angry too."

After gaining Wang Ye's understanding, Anura turned to the bewildered Piris and patiently answered his questions in a softer tone.

"Lieutenant Piris, do you think Celestials are really that powerful?"

"In the month since its official debut, it has fought against the People's Revolutionary Alliance and the AEU, and destroyed countless illegal strongholds. It seems to be making a real effort to eradicate war."

Upon hearing this, Piris nodded indifferently without saying a word.

Yes it is, no it is not.

The Celestial Being's Gundams are indeed extremely powerful, capable of defeating the regular forces of both the AEU and the Human Reformation in a direct confrontation.

"But that's all an illusion."

Seeing Piris nod, Anura sneered, her tone full of disdain.

"Don't be fooled by the fact that their Gundams are all over the world, dominating the news headlines, and everyone admires them immensely. But in the eyes of those who truly understand, their so-called efforts to combat and eradicate war are nothing but a joke."

"It's just skimming the surface, like a dragonfly skimming the water."

"Illegal mining areas and illegal plantations are one thing, but those people are the kind who just hit and run."

"Today, the Celestials came and blew up their mines and plantations, so they packed up and left. Once the Celestials are gone, they'll just move on to another place and continue doing the same thing."

"Over the countless years, which country within the gravitational sphere hasn't conducted targeted cleanups and crackdowns?"

"But what was the result? Nothing changed much."

"After all, as long as the underlying chain of interests remains, as long as the locals cannot survive without doing this, and as long as there are external forces pushing things along, these things can never be eradicated."

After a pause, Anura's tone became heavier, filled with a sense of helplessness regarding certain matters.

"If the celestial beings are willing to do these things, then they are doing some good deeds, so we have nothing to say about it."

"But with the disbandment of those eight illegal armed groups, Tianren Yifang really doesn't want to keep up the act anymore."

At this point, Vikram, who was standing next to Anura, quickly tugged at his arm and gave him several winks, clearly signaling him to stop talking.

The issue of illegal armed groups is too deeply entangled; talking too much about it can easily cause trouble and might even backfire on you.

Although we are all now members of the People's Revolutionary Alliance, there are some things that happened to us in the past...

Seeing this, Wang Ye waved his hand to tell Vikram not to be so sensitive, and then spoke up to defuse the situation.

"Don't stop him. I've said it before, as long as he doesn't betray the country, he can say anything."

"What's past is past, there's nothing to hide."

Upon hearing this, Piris's gaze swept over Anura and Vikram, who were struggling, before finally settling on Wang Ye, his eyes filled with even deeper doubt.

Sitting on the stone bench, Wang Ye glanced at the two still struggling and slowly spoke, saying what Anula wanted to say.

"Lieutenant Piris, you need to understand one thing."

"Major powers may continue to operate illegally mining areas and plantations sporadically due to cost concerns."

"But for those organized illegal armed groups, intelligence agencies from various countries are watching them 24/7, eager to eliminate them as soon as possible."

"These organizations have guns, people, and territory. They frequently carry out terrorist attacks and overthrow regimes, making them a major threat to all countries."

"For hundreds of years, countries have invested countless human and material resources and launched countless extermination operations, but they have failed to completely eliminate them."

"So here's the question."

Wang Ye's tone suddenly turned sharp.

"Why is it that the Celestials, who have been unable to accomplish this for countless years, have only been around for a little over a month and have already casually destroyed a few strongholds?"

"Suddenly, eight illegal armed groups that had existed for decades or even centuries voluntarily announced their disbandment and surrender?"

"Logically, this simply doesn't make sense."

As soon as he finished speaking, Anura finally broke free from Vikram's grasp, and then, meeting Piris's gaze, he spoke, word by word.

"The major is right. Why?"

"I was once a member of an illegal armed group in Ceylon, and I know better than anyone how these organizations operate."

Upon hearing this, Piris's eyes flickered again.

Although she didn't understand normal life very well, the meaning of the phrase "used to be an illegal armed group" was exactly within her comprehension.

Anura showed no shame, only a calm acceptance of everything.

"I joined the armed forces not to burn, kill, and loot, but simply to survive and protect my family and people."

"Back then in Ceylon, we had no choice but to take up arms."

"I can tell you definitively that there are only two ways to truly eliminate an illegal armed group."

"The first is like our People's Revolutionary Alliance, which went to Ceylon to build schools, hospitals, and roads so that people could have food to eat, books to read, and decent jobs to do."

"Cut off the soil on which illegal armed groups depend for survival at the root."

"Without the support of the people, without manpower and supplies, even the most powerful armed forces will disintegrate on their own."

"The second method is simpler!"

Arula's tone turned cold, and a chilling glint flashed in his eyes.

"The higher-ups in this organization are actually working for the other side."

"The organization's financial resources and weapons supplies were firmly controlled by the other side from the very beginning."

"The so-called strikes by the Celestials would at most destroy a few armed strongholds and kill a few minor leaders."

"Even if they get lucky and manage to kill the current leader, someone in the organization will immediately take his place, and it won't be long before it's back to life."

"An organization that various countries have fought for countless years without being destroyed, was disbanded simply because Celestial Being blew up a few strongholds and killed some people of dubious identity?"

With a sneer, Anura's eyes were full of mockery. "There's no such thing as a free lunch."

"The only explanation is that these so-called 'illegal armed groups' were, from the very beginning, dogs raised by the gods."

"Now that their master needs them to put on a good show of 'eradicating the war,' they will naturally obediently leave the stage."

This statement carries a heavy accusation against the Celestial Beings, but when combined with Anura's reasons based on her own experiences, no one can refute it.

And upon closer reflection, isn't Anura's statement reasonable?

If that's the case, then the victory that the celestial beings claim is not a just victory at all.

It was just a self-directed and self-acted scam.

And all the people in the world who were unaware of the truth were kept in the dark by the Celestials.