In the chaos of the battlefield, precision sniping was useless.
With the enemy charging forward, their role was to defend. It was a blessing not to get hit like Kruze, who fought with such grace—survival was already a victory.
The Zaku in Shi He's hands was busy clearing the missiles launched by Mobius targeting their fleet. Explosions erupted like fireworks, as Shi He's machine gun took down the massive missiles one by one.
Meanwhile, He Kui, seated in the back, focused intently on the radar to locate enemies. With the help of Haro's targeting assist, a beam of lightning-like energy shot out swiftly from their machine, striking the Mobius's cockpit precisely.
Debris flew everywhere, and the brilliant starlight illuminated He Kui's view.
There was no time to relax; another Mobius charged toward their flagship. Its linear cannon glimmered with a pale yellow light, charging up before firing at them like a shooting star.
Shi He reacted quickly, pushing the machine upward to narrowly evade the attack.
This wasn't the first time they had faced such perilous situations in a short span.
With each encounter, He Kui felt a growing sense of anxiety.
If only they had PS armor, things wouldn't be so difficult. Armor capable of defending against physical weapons was undoubtedly the key to future warfare.
"He Kui, look! A Loran-class ship!"
After narrowly escaping another crisis, Shi He reminded him.
He Kui then noticed a Kin exploding near the Loran-class ship where Su Lei was stationed.
With defenses breached, several missiles were heading straight for the ship's blind spot, and it seemed the Kin would not make it in time to intercept.
Even they would be unable to provide assistance.
Seeing this, He Kui swiftly pressed the control button on his wrist.
The two Screaming Eagles that had been circling inconspicuously near the Loran-class suddenly activated, their eyes glowing with determination.
Receiving their master's command, they fearlessly charged toward the incoming missiles.
Using their bodies to absorb the explosions, the Screaming Eagles disintegrated into cosmic dust, but the Loran-class ship endured.
With the time bought by the Screaming Eagles, Shi He piloted the Zaku to temporarily seal the breach.
Fortunately, this back-and-forth battle didn't last too long.
The front-line units couldn't return immediately, but as the battleship initiated its slow reverse thrust, many MS units began to regroup.
This crisis had been averted.
As He Kui emerged from the cockpit, drenched in sweat, he noticed changes on the virtual panel before him.
[You gifted Lacus Klein an item, MS Operation Skill +240]
[Lacus Klein Current Affinity: 0]
[Experience Bonus: 0]
[MS Operation Skill Level C: (1000/1000) Can be promoted]
There wasn't any dramatic scene of a breakthrough in the heat of battle.
This was a bit disappointing.
Promotion!
Although he thought this, He Kui didn't hesitate to press the virtual button before him.
Instantly, his brain felt sharper, and his dynamic vision noticeably improved.
Complex maneuvers in piloting that had previously been challenging now felt effortless.
However, he hoped he wouldn't have to test this newfound skill again.
As he pondered, he caught Shi He, who had also come down from the cockpit, still wrapped in a warm embrace.
"Director He, you were amazing!"
"Really?"
He Kui's brow was still furrowed.
"What's wrong?" Shi He asked, looking up in concern.
"I'm just thinking that was too dangerous."
"Yeah, but we made it through!"
As Shi He cuddled into He Kui's chest, the strong beat of his heart was a testament to their survival.
"Mm."
He placed a gentle kiss on Shi He's slightly damp forehead, reinforcing his resolve not to go on any more missions. Unless he could develop PS armor, he absolutely refused to step out again.
"Hoss, you did well. Go rest now."
He Kui quickly regained his composure and, with the confidence built from his past experiences, addressed Hoss, who was still caught up in their affectionate moment. He then changed back into his regular clothes and returned to the bridge.
"Director He, you were incredible!"
Upon seeing He Kui, the captain, who had previously maintained a calm demeanor, stood up eagerly to shake his hand.
The captain's enthusiasm stemmed not only from He Kui's repeated rescues of the ship but also from the respect for his abilities as a ZAFT soldier. Just look at how Kruze was treated here—He Kui was truly appreciated.
"Just lucky."
"You're skilled yet humble, and you can conduct research as well! Haha, you two must be tired; go rest! Your tests are complete, and we've finished unloading our supplies. Our forces will soon return to PLANT to rotate with other units."
"Okay, thank you for your hard work."
After exchanging pleasantries with the enthusiastic captain, He Kui took Shi He back to their room.
However, as they walked, He Kui's smile gradually faded, replaced by a serious expression.
"Shi He, do you think it's too coincidental? We just began our battle, and they showed up. But we had already activated the neutron jammers; how could they arrive so quickly and know the exact location of our logistics units?"
"Are you suspecting there's a mole within our ranks?"
Shi He quickly grasped what He Kui was implying.
"Yes."
Could it be Kruze? Or perhaps a regular undercover agent?
He Kui struggled to recall his previous conversation with Kruze, but that masked man seemed to hide all emotions behind his mask, making it impossible to read him.
"If that's the case, ZAFT should start investigating soon."
"Yeah."
This time, it wasn't just the May City spy hunt; the whole PLANT might be thrown into chaos.
As they remained vigilant against potential ambushes, they successfully returned to PLANT.
The next day, despite having three days off due to the previous events, He Kui still headed to the Hailan Design Bureau, specifically to the radar team.
"Back again?"
Su Lei looked up from her computer, her eyes lighting up with a warm smile.
"Yes, there's still plenty of work left."
"You can do it later."
"Time waits for no one."
He Kui smiled wryly; after the events of the previous day, he couldn't afford to be careless.
"By the way, how much did you get after A-Class and the subsidies?"
"Two hundred thousand."
"About right. That amount is what ZAFT compensates us for; was the obstacle outside the Loran-class ship your doing?"
Su Lei pondered for a moment but couldn't help but ask.
"That was the Screaming Eagle I sent you. Once set to auto-follow, they followed me out of the catapult."
"Turns out it was the eagle! ZAFT probably thinks it's just space debris drifting by."
If Su Lei didn't believe in such coincidences, she wouldn't have asked He Kui.
"And I suppose you wouldn't have told me if I hadn't asked!?"
Su Lei stood up, hands on her hips, a mock frown on her face.
"You're safe, and that's what matters."
He Kui shifted the conversation, gently ruffling Su Lei's hair.
Her soft hair felt comfortable, like a small cat.
"Don't pet your superior's head!"
Su Lei's tone was initially proud but softened.
"Right now, it doesn't matter."
"Oh."
Feeling warmth radiating from her strands to her heart, Su Lei's eyes began to glisten.
"Why are you so nice to me?"
"...Because it's you."
Simply because it was her—not due to the system or anything else.
"Hmph! You just know how to say the right things."
Swatting He Kui's hand away, Su Lei stood on her tiptoes and playfully bumped her forehead against He Kui's chin.
The force was gentle, ticklish, and just enough to make her feel closer to him.
With a soft embrace, she savored the warmth of their bodies intertwined, a sense of intimacy and attachment spreading through her limbs, making her heart flutter uncontrollably.
She just wanted to hold him tighter.
[Su Lei has developed an attachment to you. Affinity: 120]
[Experience Bonus: 6]
[Information Engineering Level A: (10485/100000)]
[Unlocking Research: Long-Distance Mineral Scanning Radar (0/10000)]
-Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LegendaryTL
Thanks!