In her office, Su Lei leisurely toyed with the round, plump owl perched before her. Its gaze had become much more alert than before, with its greyish eyes darting about continuously.
Of course, the owl wasn't simply scanning the room; it was automatically locking onto the heat signatures of her colleagues outside the office walls.
"Your system development must be about on par with mine by now," Su Lei said, poking the owl's hard, brown belly with her delicate fingers, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
"I wouldn't know for sure."
[You have given a gift to Su Lei: Information Engineering +60.]
[Su Lei's favorability: 123.]
[Experience bonus: +6.]
[Information Engineering, Grade A: (20,384/100,000)]
He couldn't see Su Lei's progress exactly, but he was sure that she had reached an A grade by now.
"How's the situation with the director-level reserve talent pool?" Su Lei inquired.
"No one's approached me about it. Judging by the deputy director's attitude, it seems they won't consider me for the role anytime soon."
The director-level reserve talent pool consisted of only the finest elites. With his leadership over three major weapon developments and the mineral radar project, He Kui certainly had the credentials to be promoted to that level. However, his political stance remained unclear, and the current leadership of the Hailan Design Bureau—dominated by the Sara faction—was unlikely to promote him easily.
If he were more neutral, it would be different. After all, the mayor of May City was a neutral figure aligned with Klein's faction. But until they could be certain that He Kui wasn't a hidden Klein agent, the Sara faction wouldn't recklessly elevate him, especially when power was at stake.
"I'm sorry," Su Lei muttered, her fingers still poking the owl's belly, but her eyes now held a trace of guilt.
"I've never regretted meeting you," He Kui replied softly, placing a hand on Su Lei's head and gently ruffling her hair.
He understood what she meant. Su Lei felt that if they hadn't crossed paths, he wouldn't be suspected of being aligned with the Klein faction. Without that association, he might already be in the director's reserve. And, of course, the human resources manager he had crossed early on wasn't helping matters, likely doing everything possible to keep him from rising too high.
"Kui…"
For once, Su Lei didn't pull away from his hand. Instead, warmth filled her heart as she unconsciously leaned into his touch.
[Su Lei's favorability: 125.]
He Kui smiled contentedly at the virtual interface before him.
In truth, he still had a shot. If his value to the Sara faction continued to rise and he maintained a professional distance from Klein's faction, they would eventually seek to recruit him more fully.
And value, for him, came from research.
With his objective clear, He Kui knew that while the current optical wave interference system could already be presented academically, his next step was crucial: heading to Earth.
The path had to be taken one step at a time.
The next day, after saying goodbye to Su Lei, He Kui and Shi He boarded the powerful new machine they had developed and arrived at the unfamiliar Lorasia-class hangar.
"Director He, your rides keep getting more and more impressive."
"And you are...?" He Kui asked, puzzled by the bearded, red-clad man standing before him.
"Apologies, we haven't met. I'm Captain Ironwall."
"Ah, Captain Ironwall, it's an honor."
With a smile, He Kui now matched the voice to the face.
"Still, Captain, your team's gear isn't bad either."
The Lorasia-class hangar was filled with mobile suits, each outfitted with assault equipment that added a heavy and formidable presence to the machines.
"The frontline battles on Earth are the fiercest of all, so it's better to be well-prepared."
"But compared to Director He's machine, we're still behind," Ironwall said, admiring the cutting-edge mobile suit before him.
He Kui's suit looked like a beast ready to charge into battle, its every feature representing the pinnacle of PLANT's technological prowess: the latest anti-beam shield, high-energy pulse cannon, beam sabers, and dual Vulcan cannons.
It was no exaggeration to say that this was one of the finest machines in the world.
"We've still got a long way to go," He Kui responded humbly to Ironwall's praise.
While his machine might be top-tier now, he knew that with the advent of new Gundam models, unsinkable warships, and the notorious White Devil of the Federation, this machine wouldn't guarantee survival. Ultimately, his true strength would be his greatest asset.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, He Kui and Shi He returned to their designated officer's quarters.
"Our re-entry plan involves using the Lorasia-class hangar as an entry pod," He Kui explained, reviewing their trajectory. The Lorasia-class vessel would reach the designated point, release the hangar module, and allow it to enter the atmosphere.
It was a standard procedure, given the heavily armored suits they were piloting, which weren't compatible with traditional drop pods. With only seven mobile suits in total, using dedicated drop ships would also have been wasteful.
"This is my first time re-entering this way," Shi He remarked.
"Well, it's not often we get the chance to land on Earth. You rest first; I'll finish organizing the shield data."
"Alright."
With no immediate tasks onboard, the two soldiers took turns resting, a common practice during such missions.
Hours later, with two Nazca-class ships escorting them, they reached Earth's orbit without incident.
"The moon's activity is minimal, and the trajectory is clear. We've received landing clearance from the Gibraltar base. Adjusting course for re-entry," the captain's voice rang out through the comms.
"Understood. MS clamps confirmed. Ready for deployment," Ironwall replied.
Soon, their hangar module was released, its small wings and thrusters activating as it descended toward Earth. Inside the cockpit, He Kui and Shi He felt the vibrations of the module as it hurtled through the atmosphere.
Surrounded by a glowing orange aura, the descent wasn't too uncomfortable. The separation between the cockpit and the entry module kept the intense heat at bay.
As Ironwall reported normal readings, the shaking subsided, and their craft made a smooth landing on the massive steel runway within the Gibraltar base.
The distinctive red mono-eyes of their mobile suits lit up one by one, piercing through the darkness of the hangar as they stepped out onto the base.
From He Kui's vantage point, the vast expanse of the Mediterranean Sea stretched out before him.
Gibraltar, the critical connection between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, had been fortified far beyond what their previous base at Carpentaria had been. The entire facility was a fortress of silver-gray structures, simple in design but built for strength.
The roofs of several buildings housed massive anti-aircraft cannons, their barrels trained on the sky, ready to repel any aerial attack.
As He Kui and the others marched their mobile suits down the main thoroughfare, soldiers stationed around the base looked on with awe and admiration. Their attention was especially focused on He Kui's machine, its custom blue and heavily armored frame drawing envious stares.
These soldiers knew that only elites could pilot such advanced machines, and the sight of them in action was an inspiration.
Though they couldn't speak due to the cockpit's constraints, many soldiers saluted He Kui and the others as they passed, a spontaneous show of respect.
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