Who is Playing the Love Development Game in Gundam

"Meyrin, how are you adjusting?" He Kui asked as he saw his young secretary nervously typing on her computer outside his office.

Since his return from Earth had been delayed, Meyrin had only just started her new position.

"No problem!" Meyrin replied cheerfully, patting her chest with a cute, determined smile. Her eyes sparkled with admiration and reverence as she looked at He Kui.

"You accomplished a lot on Earth this time!" she said with enthusiasm.

"Just a bit, I suppose."

"Not just a bit! There's an awards ceremony in five days!" Meyrin's eyes gleamed as she spoke. The ceremony was for outstanding contributions made during the defense of Victoria Harbor. Among the military personnel, Andrew's achievements stood out the most, but for engineers, He Kui was the top contributor in logistics, having strengthened the defenses of three different bases.

"The media's saying that if you hadn't reinforced Victoria Harbor, we might have been overrun!"

"I saw that," He Kui replied with a small laugh.

He wasn't sure if his contributions had been that significant, but it was clear the Zala faction was eager to promote his image. It wasn't just about factions; it was about trust. As a Coordinator, he wouldn't betray PLANT's confidence.

This praise also had a greater purpose. With the impending large-scale operations, morale was crucial, and one of the simplest ways to bolster it was by creating heroes. For the military, it was figures like Creuset and Andrew, while He Kui was praised as a model of the design bureaus' achievements.

Though perhaps not a hero in the traditional sense, he embodied the hopes of many PLANT citizens.

"Alright, I'll leave things here to you. If anything's unclear, you can ask Haas, and if you're still stuck, feel free to ask me," he instructed. Haas had recently returned from Boaz and had been involved in defending Victoria Harbor from lunar orbit. While not a significant role, he had still managed to take down three Dagger units with his GAT-X.

"Understood!"

Seeing Meyrin's earnest look, He Kui smiled. She could handle simpler paperwork, leaving him free to supervise the assembly of the Mobile Defense Shields and meet with Erlin.

"Keep up the practice. Since you like electronic warfare, continue to study it deeply."

With that, He Kui left the office and soon arrived at the underground factory. Security was as tight as ever, and with the experimental units nearing completion, the guards were becoming even stricter. Though He Kui's face was well-known, he still had to show his ID to proceed deeper inside.

After passing through multiple checkpoints and heavy doors, he finally saw Erlin at the main control console, a pleased smile on her face.

"Erlin."

"He Kui, you're here."

Erlin turned, making room for him beside her.

"The Mobile Defense Shields are assembled per your specifications and data. Testing is scheduled for tomorrow," she informed him, then added, "I've got more good news about what Kladis mentioned at dinner yesterday."

"The design bureau merger? Is it happening?"

"Yes. The news came today: it's expected to go to the Supreme Council for proposal in two weeks. If Zala leads the vote, it should pass, which means your chance to become a director is quite high."

"Not guaranteed, though?"

"True. The Clark Design Bureau also has experience in aquatic MS development," she said, her smile fading a bit. Coordinators valued practical achievements, and while He Kui's skills exceeded an A-level technician, these were mainly in manual skills, not design. They couldn't place a parts engineer above a designer.

"But at worst, you'll still get a bonus."

"That's not enough." He Kui shook his head, handing Erlin a tablet loaded with structural blueprints.

"What's this?" Erlin asked, surprised. As a frame specialist, she quickly recognized the unique aspects of the design. It was lighter than their GuAIZ model and had structural reductions, yet the frame's defensive strength was improved through clever arrangements.

"It's a prototype for a new aquatic MS," he explained.

While he didn't yet have all the details, he had already completed the structural design. The Crab Demon's frame alone was stronger than that of the GuAIZ units. However, it was originally designed to be nuclear-powered, making this version a scaled-down model. Fortunately, the advanced battery technology in this world enabled it to retain much of the original Crab Demon's performance.

The design also introduced a new titanium alloy, which was valuable on its own. While its strength was comparable to their current armor, if refined to lunar titanium standards, it could enable the creation of the legendary Gundam models. Beyond nostalgia, if they could attain lunar titanium, it would provide more armor options beyond just PS armor.

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Erlin exclaimed, shaking him excitedly.

A brand-new aquatic MS could be revolutionary. Their key bases, from Carpentaria to Gibraltar and Victoria Harbor, were all near water. And to invade Alaska, they'd have to rely on naval forces. Successfully deploying this unit could lead to significant accomplishments, possibly earning He Kui a Level 2 Future Medal.

"I forgot." He Kui scratched his head, remembering how his focus on Durandal's situation had overshadowed the Crab Demon project.

"Forgot?!" Erlin gave him an incredulous look.

"With everything happening on Earth, it only occurred to me when I saw how hard it was for them to use GuAIZ in combat there."

"Well, whatever the case, our media will make it sound impressive regardless."

"Clark Design Bureau will cooperate, won't they?"

Initially, he had thought of partnering with them. If they didn't support him, he might miss this promotion.

"They will." Erlin's smile returned. "Their director isn't overly attached to his position. In fact, he's looking to trade it for certain benefits."

Since he thought he couldn't hold onto it, he saw trading it as an opportunity. This was a pragmatic approach.

"Good to know," He Kui said with relief.

"I might need to skip tomorrow's Mobile Defense Shield testing."

"One day's absence is fine."

"Thank you."

He Kui nodded, mentally bracing himself for his meeting with Durandal the next day. While the prospect of career advancement was exciting, facing PLANT's most influential figure weighed heavily on him.

Trying to "reel in" Durandal was a delicate task, and He Kui doubted it would be as easy as he hoped. He suspected that Creuset, with extended longevity, might want to join Durandal's Destiny Plan and possibly recruit him as well.

If he thought a life-saving gesture alone could sway Creuset, that would be underestimating the man. Joining the Destiny Plan was a high-risk proposition, one that sought to reshape the world at its core.

However, if they brought up the Destiny Plan and he refused, they might see him as a threat and decide to eliminate him. Any gratitude for saving their lives could easily be overridden by their ideological goals.

For now,he decided to win Creuset's trust, keep a few secrets within the robotics project, and play along.

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