After an enthusiastic conversation with Captain Hawk, He Kui watched him depart on a Laurasia-class ship back to the homeland, ensuring the cargo was intact.
He Kui continued overseeing the installation of the large defensive light shield. There were minor issues, but nothing significant.
After work, He Kui was summoned by the chief of staff, who was finally available.
"Chief of Staff, hello!"
He Kui saluted the man, dressed in purple, who served as Boaz's chief of staff.
"Director He, apologies for not meeting you earlier."
Though polite, the chief of staff didn't invite He Kui to sit, suggesting a subtle reprimand.
"I heard you recently saved a cargo ship?"
"Credit goes to Ironwall."
"Well, I think it's better for you to focus on the project's progress and your own safety."
"Yes."
He Kui didn't argue. If he died here, the chief would be responsible. As for the project, it seemed the chief didn't have much faith in the light shield system.
The light shield system was far more complex than the high-energy pulse cannon. Many senior officers at Boaz, aware of the details, were skeptical, including the logistics minister.
They felt the Defense Committee and He Kui were gambling with their lives by testing the shield at Boaz without practical trials, relying solely on simulations.
If the shield generators and reactors exploded, it would be catastrophic for everyone.
"Alright then, keep up the good work."
"No problem."
Saluting again, He Kui left the plain office and returned to his room.
"He Kui..."
"What's wrong?"
He Kui asked softly, seeing Shi He's adorably angry face.
"Listen!"
Shi He activated the owl positioned by the door.
A faint conversation played, seemingly outside their door.
"Do you know why Director He is here?"
"No, but he seems to be tinkering with something mysterious outside. Hope it's not some weapon experiment on us."
"Like bioweapons?"
"That's terrifying!"
"Not impossible. I heard senior officers say it's like playing with our lives."
"Are they planning to crash Boaz into Earth?"
"Definitely not! Just hope He Kui doesn't mess with us. It's fine if the research fails, just don't let us die."
"Director He's research has always been successful."
"Who knows..."
The conversation faded, and Shi He angrily shut off the replay.
"They say you're not capable!"
"Probably talking about the research..."
He Kui added.
"That's still saying you're not capable!"
Hearing Shi He's firm words, He Kui smirked.
If Crueser weren't possibly next door, he'd show Shi He just how capable he was.
"But I know He Kui can do it! Just have to wait until work's done!"
With their shared understanding, Shi He had a good idea of what He Kui was thinking.
She was teasing him on purpose.
"Thank you."
The following days returned to normalcy, with He Kui diligently overseeing the installation daily.
To prove his capability, he even quickened his work pace.
As for Crueser, he left with his two ships two days after resupplying, off on some secret mission.
For He Kui, as long as Crueser didn't come to kill him or destroy the world, he didn't care where Crueser went.
Amidst the busyness, a week passed in the blink of an eye.
"Chief of Staff, the final system adjustments are complete. Component-level testing is done, and multi-subsystem integration tests passed."
In the command room, He Kui reported to senior officers, including the chief of staff.
The central screen displayed the light shield generator layout throughout the base,
and various parameters from system simulations.
In short, everything was normal and ready to go online.
"So, we can begin simulated combat testing?"
The chief of staff asked, frowning.
"Yes."
"Good, shall we start now?"
Delaying was pointless. If death was inevitable, might as well be now with He Kui to blame.
"No problem."
Pretending not to see the chief's resigned expression, He Kui agreed.
Combat testing was simple—activate the shield, have GINNs fire a few shots, and then let the battleship's main cannon hit it.
Extreme testing theoretically could last until energy depletion, but that would be for later.
With the enemy absent, two GINNs and a Naska-class battleship quietly exited the internal port.
Various weapons were tested, from live ammunition to beams, even the high-energy pulse cannon.
Testing began with a standard beam rifle.
The shield system activated, generators humming, generating colorful energy that enveloped Boaz.
"Electromagnetic deflectors functioning normally."
Shi He nodded tensely at the monitoring station.
Not just Shi He, but other senior officers swallowed nervously.
If the shield failed, the beam would penetrate, and an explosion would be catastrophic.
"Proceed."
As the highest authority in the trial, He Kui didn't hesitate, ordering the GINNs to fire beam rifles at Boaz's rock wall.
The shield surface flashed brightly, the beams disappearing as if absorbed by water.
"High-speed camera contact analysis and spectrometer readings normal, sensor analysis normal."
"Low-energy beam test successful, all systems normal, continue."
He Kui observed readings from monitoring devices and sensors.
Hearing He Kui's assurance, several observers mentally wiped away nonexistent sweat.
"Understood."
The Naska-class captain carefully aimed at the rock wall again.
This time, an anti-beam shield was placed before the wall to prevent damage.
Though the main cannon's energy wouldn't cause much harm, internal shock was a risk not worth taking.
Soon, the main cannon fired, a beam thicker than the rifle's, striking the light shield.
Despite two rounds of volleys, the shield remained stable.
The friend-or-foe identification system functioned perfectly, aside from the expected issue of not projecting live ammo.
"Actual test data matches simulated data. Friend-or-foe identification system normal, trial successful."
"Good!"
Seeing the success, the chief of staff stood excitedly. Other senior officers couldn't hide their smiles.
Surviving and gaining a new weapon was a breath of fresh air, relieving tension, even fostering some guilt towards He Kui.
As the control room celebrated, the Earth Alliance fleet, sensing something amiss, appeared on stage, accompanied by Boaz's internal alarms.
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