When Yu Lian went to Lieutenant General Sylvester's office again, he brought good news that "order had been restored throughout the fortress" and "the technical hazards would be properly addressed." He also brought a detailed plan, which he had named the Sade Fortress Completion Plan.
"C-Completion?" Lieutenant General Sylvester was utterly bewildered, though he also had a faint premonition that something was wrong.
"Yu Lian, my friend, are you planning to expand the fortress? If this had been before, I'd have supported you wholeheartedly. But you said yourself that the Empire's forces would be bearing down on us soon. We don't have time to expand the fortress."
"No, actually, we're going to dismantle it."
"..."
"You have to understand, sometimes you have to give something up to gain something. Removing the diseased parts often lets you travel light. Humanity had to give up its flesh and become orange juice to complete itself. The changes our fortress needs to undergo are a much easier sacrifice."
"...I-I told you before, anything was fine as long as you didn't tear down the fortress."
"Don't worry. We'll only dismantle a small part. I promise you, the spiritual home of the Far Shore's soldiers will never disappear. Our Fortress Completion Plan involves more than just this change. It concerns the future of the entire Far Shore Theater!"
"...Please don't say 'our.' This is yours." Lieutenant General Sylvester spoke through a long face, his words sounding surprisingly firm. It was the only shred of resolve and pride he had left.
"No, it's ours. You're the one in charge, old senior. I can't do anything without going through you." Yu Lian smiled. "I have a lot of faith in this plan, and you should too. Right?"
Of course, even Yu Lian couldn't draw up a detailed operational