Gundam 00: Rise of China

He angrily ended the video call with the other two leaders of major countries, but as soon as the video went dark...

President Union slammed his fist on the heavy solid wood desk, causing everything on it to tilt and fall over.

"Damn it! Those two clowns dare to mess with me!"

"If it weren't for those..."

With his tie askew, President Union's chest heaved violently. If he hadn't retained a sliver of reason, he would have blurted out something that couldn't be revealed yet in front of the others.

But when he recalled the three-way summit that had just ended, in which the leaders of the People's Revolutionary Alliance and the AEU echoed each other, stabbing him in the heart with their words about the Taliban's crushing defeat.

The Union president, who was furious, simply couldn't swallow this insult.

After all, they not only failed to take down the tiny country of Taliban, but also made Union lose face in front of the entire gravity circle.

"Get out, everyone!"

He rudely waved away the staff and secretaries surrounding him, and when he was alone in the large office, the Union president, his face so gloomy it could drip water, opened another communication.

"The Cona family, Alessandro Cona."

The connection was established even faster than he had expected, as if the person on the other end had been waiting all along.

On the lit screen, Alejandro Cona, dressed in a perfectly pressed dark suit, sat in a study by the floor-to-ceiling window, with an entire wall of ancient books as a backdrop, and he appeared calm and composed.

"Your Excellency, President."

Kona bowed slightly, his tone impeccably respectful. "A call so late, is it about Taliban?"

"You even know that!"

With his eyes fixed on Kona on the screen, President Union slammed his fist on the table, unleashing a torrent of anger and accusations.

"What promise did you make to me back then?"

"You said the Celestials would cooperate with us in suppressing the Taliban and help the Union stabilize regional order!"

"And then? Those Gundams turned around and opened fire on our fleet!"

"The entire Gravity Sphere is laughing at Union right now!"

"The People's Revolutionary Alliance and the AEU are even trying to intrude into our backyard!"

Listening quietly, Kona maintained a peaceful smile, his arms crossed and resting on the armrests, but his eyes remained devoid of warmth.

In truth, he was quite disdainful.

With the Taliban defeated, the most pressing issue is dealing with the ensuing troubles, yet this very president is blaming me...

The scope of their thinking is ridiculously narrow.

But Kona would never say such a thing aloud; the family motto was that the head of the family should be able to face everything with elegance.

Whether it's good or bad!

So, after the president had vented his anger, Conner slowly spoke, his tone sincere and tinged with just the right amount of apology:

"Please calm down, Your Excellency."

"The directives from the top leadership of Tianren have always been to combat Taliban militants and assist in maintaining stability in the Union region, and there is absolutely no doubt about that."

"As for the unusual attacks that occurred on the battlefield, they were purely acts of disobeying orders by frontline drivers."

"Young people are easily influenced by the emotions on the spot, and the action department is not doing a good job of managing them. I will handle this on my end."

"Disobeying the order privately?"

How could a perfunctory and evasive explanation possibly satisfy anyone? Upon hearing this, the Union president narrowed his eyes and stared at Kona on the screen, as if trying to find a flaw in that impeccable smiling face.

Kona met his gaze calmly, showing no sign of panic.

After a few seconds of stalemate, the Union president finally gave up.

He knew very well that the Conner family had been rooted in the Union for hundreds of years, with deep and complex connections, and that he, as the Union president who could only serve for a few years, could not touch them.

In the end, President Union could only let out a heavy snort, his tone turning cold.

"Kona, remember this: you and your family's roots are in Union."

"You know perfectly well who has indulged and supported your family to get where it is today."

"Don't stand in the wrong place, and don't have any improper thoughts."

After saying this, President Union cut off the communication without waiting for Kona's response.

The moment the screen went dark, Kona, who had been calm all along, chuckled, then got up and walked to the liquor cabinet next to him, making himself a gin-based martini.

The crystal glass refracted delicate light under the warm glow. He slowly swirled the wine in the glass, as if the accusation from before was nothing more than a gentle breeze brushing past his shoulder.

"Ribbons".

He swirled his wine glass and called out softly.

From the shadows, the green-haired boy emerged silently, his posture upright, his face androgynous and refined, his eyes lowered, his tone respectful. "Lord Kona."

"Do you think we can still trust those pilots of the Celestials?"

Looking up at him, Kona continued to swirl the wine glass in his hand.

"The frontline changed the attack target without authorization, defying Veda's orders."

"It is still under control at present."

Ribbons, head bowed, spoke calmly.

"They don't dare to openly disobey Veda's core instructions; this behavior seems more like a deviation in on-the-spot judgment."

"certainly,"

Noticing Kona's calm expression, Ribbons immediately added.

"To be on the safe side, we can have VEDA issue a notice first to give them a warning."

"We'll find another opportunity to conduct further testing."

Finally, this reply made Kona nod, which was considered a preliminary approval of the arrangement.

Holding his wine glass, Kona walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. Lost in thought, he gazed at the brightly lit city below for a long time.

It was only without the reflection in the glass that Ribbons could be certain and know that the other person was actually looking at him!

Even better.

After being stared at for a while, Ribbons' eyelashes twitched almost imperceptibly, and he spoke at the opportune moment, his tone carrying just the right amount of indignation.

"That president was extremely rude to you just now."

"You have suffered so much for the sake of the Kona family's long-cherished wish."

"Wronged?"

Kona chuckled, tilted his head back, and downed the drink in one gulp. The liquor slid down his throat, carrying a spicy warmth.

"They're nothing more than puppets pushed onto the stage by us, the shadow regimes."

"If you obey, all the honor and glory will be yours; if you disobey, you can be replaced at any time."

Turning around, Kona looked at the green-haired boy standing there, his tone carrying a hint of nonchalant mockery.

"It's not worth arguing with a puppet who's only there to take the blame but has no self-awareness."

"Those who truly accomplish great things pay no heed to the barking of clowns."

"Aren't you right, angel who has come to my Kona family?"

"You're right." Ribbons lowered his head respectfully, his long eyelashes concealing the emotions in his eyes.

Looking at Kona's back as he walked away, his thoughts were calm and indifferent.

当然是这样。

Humans are puppets controlled by the gods, opera performers for the gods' amusement.

Lord Kona thought so, and so did he.

Meanwhile, in the president's office, a man stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

Throughout history, no matter how fiercely Union presidents have fought each other in private, their stance has always been consistent when facing those in power in the shadows.

Those people treat the president like a puppet, but a puppet is, after all, the highest authority standing on the table.

Who would truly be content to be just a puppet on a string?

His fingertips tapped lightly on the glass, names flashing through his mind before finally settling on Jason Thicke.

Throughout the entire army, no one can surpass him in terms of command ability and strategic vision.

More importantly, Jason comes from the mainstream military, has very little connection with Kona's shadowy forces, and has a genuine patriotic heart.

This is the kind of person he needs right now, the final anchor.

"Jason..."

President Union murmured the name, his eyes slowly brightening.

We will use him to ensure the Union's safety and to prevent the worst from happening.