[To all respected directors of the Hailan Design Bureau]
[After careful consideration and comprehensive evaluation, it has been decided to appoint Ms. Erin Carbon as the Deputy Director of the Hailan Design Bureau, effective July 2, 2070.]
[Ms. Erin Carbon has extensive industry experience...]
Just a day after returning to the design bureau, He Kui received this rather disheartening message in his inbox.
For the directors, this news was undoubtedly a bad omen.
It meant their positions were becoming precarious.
"He Kui."
Clearly, Shi He, who rushed into his office, had also received the news.
"Don't panic; we just need to focus on our own work," he reassured her.
However, even as he said this, the Beam Weapon Group, being a hot topic lately, would undoubtedly be under close scrutiny.
"Right, by the way, here's a pink Haro I made yesterday," Shi He said, handing him a small black Haro connected to the control panel.
[Shi He Hanifus Current Affinity: 142]
[Experience Bonus: 7]
[Shi He Miniature Component Processing Level B: (6774/10000)]
[Research: High-Energy Pulse Cannon (1435/10000) (Reversed)]
"You've made progress; you might reach Level A soon," He Kui smiled.
"Mm! Thanks to you, He Kui!"
Her skills had indeed begun to flourish again with He Kui's support.
"I'll cook dinner tonight! I bought lots of ingredients yesterday~" Shi He rolled up her sleeves, ready to get started.
"Okay."
"By the way, has there been any progress on the high-energy pulse cannon?" He Kui followed up.
"Our side hasn't made progress yet, but with our cooling system, the pulse group recently published a paper in the internal forum. We've tested running data on the equipment, and it indeed can accumulate energy quickly. A student at May City University also proposed a hypothesis that seems capable of achieving larger-scale energy fusion, but the energy release process is still unstable and prone to explosions."
He Kui frowned slightly upon hearing this; if what Shi He said was true, his research might end up being wasted.
While it wouldn't be completely useless—after all, this knowledge would flow into his mind—the rapid advancements in technology were leaving him behind.
Falling behind meant he would inevitably be overshadowed by the talented individuals in ZAFT.
"Do you have any relevant materials? Let me take a look," he requested.
After Shi He operated her wristband for a moment, she sent the paper to He Kui's computer.
"I'll head back for now; you can check it out," she said, relieved to see He Kui finally taking interest in the high-energy pulse cannon, and she turned to leave, careful not to disturb him.
At that moment, He Kui didn't notice Shi He's departure; he was focused on studying the paper before him.
Comparing the academic paper with the foundational knowledge in his mind, He Kui quickly realized that although he was lagging, he was still correct in his understanding.
Unlike He Kui's completely accurate theory, both sides had several foundational errors and design direction mistakes. Some design flaws might require extensive trial and error to correct.
He wasn't kind enough to point this out to them.
If he did, he wouldn't even have the chance to overtake them.
Just after finishing the paper, a new email arrived.
[Director He and Deputy Director Hanifus, please report to the Deputy Director's office.]
Upon reading this, He Kui's expression turned serious as he stood up and exited his office.
Outside, Shi He also stood with a solemn expression.
After exchanging a glance, the two of them walked out together.
The summons from the Deputy Director was not to be taken lightly.
Heaven knows whether they were the ones being sacrificed.
Before long, they arrived at the Deputy Director's office, located in the same building but far more impressive than He Kui's office, adorned with a fine traditional Chinese painting.
The entire room exuded a strong sense of ancient Eastern charm.
"Director He, Director Hanifus, please take a seat," Erin Carbon, a sharp-looking middle-aged woman, said as she guided them to the luxurious sofa in her office.
In addition to Erin Carbon, there were two others present.
"These two are the directors of the pulse group. The reason I called you here is to brainstorm ideas on how to tackle the technical issues related to the high-energy pulse cannon," Erin Carbon said with a friendly smile, introducing everyone before getting straight to the point.
Upon hearing this topic, one of the pulse group members looked at He Kui and Shi He with a hint of barely concealed arrogance.
The main director merely nodded politely at the two of them.
While the Beam Weapon Group also undertook the development of the high-energy pulse cannon, they hadn't produced any results so far, so their attitude was understandable.
After taking her seat, Erin Carbon continued, seemingly unfazed by the gazes directed at her.
"Currently, the high-energy pulse cannon is one of our primary focuses after beam weapons at the Hailan Design Bureau and is of utmost importance to the entire project. I believe everyone is aware of this, right?"
The four nodded in agreement.
"We've been quite interested in the recent developments from the pulse group. As for you, Director He, although I know you are primarily responsible for beam weapons and may not have extensive research in pulses, as a member of the design bureau, we truly need your intellect," Erin stated.
"You flatter me, Deputy Director. We will certainly do our best," He Kui replied earnestly upon being singled out.
"Mm."
With a friendly smile, Erin Carbon continued, though it was unclear whether she truly believed her words.
"I called you all here amidst your busy schedules to gather ideas and discuss some recent challenges regarding high-energy pulses."
While she said this, He Kui sensed something was off.
As the Deputy Director, Erin couldn't possibly be unaware of their lack of achievements in high-energy pulses.
In this situation, her request for him to discuss challenges seemed suspicious.
Perhaps she was here to warn him about his recent side projects and keep him in check.
While there was no malice intended, it was true that the Beam Weapon Group occupied an important position in the Hailan Design Bureau.
At that moment, He Kui wasn't too anxious. Although his theoretical knowledge of high-energy pulses was limited, the pulse group wasn't too far ahead, especially since there were several errors in their research.
As they were contemplating, the four of them pulled out their tablets.
"Since Deputy Director Erin has suggested it, let's have the pulse group lead off," the pulse group director said seriously, projecting the information from his tablet onto the coffee table's screen.
"The energy compression has been completed, but the design of the pulse generator remains unresolved. We've simulated thirty-five designs in the computer, all of which have failed."
As he spoke, the screen flashed through the thirty-five design schematics.
"I see. What does Director He think?" Erin asked.
"I believe that some of the semiconductor components in these designs are overly bulky; perhaps they could be further compacted," He Kui suggested.
"Doing so might compromise stability due to the energy's impact on the internal components," the pulse group director frowned.
"A smaller generator means a quicker response during the release process, which translates to a faster firing rate. This would reduce the impact of prolonged energy retention on internal components. Although the power might be diminished, stability should improve," He Kui explained.
"...That does seem plausible! But how do we address the arrangement of the transistors inside the pulse generator?"
The pulse group director pondered various possibilities before his eyes lit up.
"For this, we are currently considering various feasible solutions, and the first proposal will be ready soon."
This was actually just one of the flaws; discussing it didn't matter since he could always delay the design draft.
Watching He Kui actually contribute to the discussion, Erin was surprised, and her smile became genuinely warmer.
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