Without much delay, as soon as the virtual test of the cannon body was passed, He Kui quickly set out again with Shi He to Boaz.
"Is this the positron siege cannon?"
The staff at Boaz were astounded by the massive dark grey barrel standing several people high.
The streamlined outline was faintly visible, covered with thick lines.
It was just a prototype, with the cannon body only supported by a simple stand connected to Boaz for power.
The complex circuitry was neatly embedded within the barrel.
The elliptical muzzle, inspired by memories of the Archangel, was surrounded by electromagnetic coils to generate a magnetic field.
In this positron cannon, technology and power were perfectly melded.
"It's still just a prototype; it might explode the barrel."
"Haha, Director He, you must be joking."
The staffer said, but seeing He Kui's serious expression, the remaining humor on his face vanished, switching seamlessly to a look of resignation.
"This is an antimatter weapon, right?"
"That's why we're conducting experiments outside the light shield; we just need Boaz to supply power."
The positron cannon's stand was made long to maintain a safe distance from Boaz.
While the light shield could withstand direct positron shots, it was certain to handle the scattered energy from an exploding barrel.
"That's good."
Hearing He Kui's words, the staffer finally relaxed.
"The room is the same as last time. I wish you all the best, Director He."
Nodding towards He Kui, the staffer left the temporary storage for the positron cannon.
After watching the staffer leave, He Kui took out a round robot, which automatically attached itself to the metal ceiling corner once activated.
Many people wanted to see him fail, and He Kui wasn't naive enough to think others wouldn't play dirty.
If everyone were genuinely working for PLANT, there wouldn't be any conflicts now.
This time, besides Shi He, He Kui also brought another new employee who had just graduated from the military academy.
Seeing He Kui emerge, the employee hurried forward.
"Director He, how did it go?"
"Severin, the experiment starts tomorrow. Get ready."
"Alright!"
With the experiment scheduled for the next day, neither of them was in the mood for anything else. They prepared for the following day and then went to sleep.
The next day came in the blink of an eye.
After directing several GINNs to install the positron cannon outside Boaz, the first experiment with the positron cannon began.
"Electron generator, energy accelerator, and fire control system are normal. All systems are online."
"Ten-second countdown to firing, ten... nine..."
He Kui quickly counted down to one and pressed the firing button, nervous but determined.
The positron cannon's internal systems swiftly activated, and a blinding light gradually appeared at the muzzle, akin to the sun's dazzling rays. It turned into a scorching red positron beam directed at the target.
The positron cannon, with astonishing speed, flew over Boaz and directly hit the distant target.
He Kui hadn't even exhaled when an ear-piercing alarm shattered the surrounding silence.
"Barrel stability is decreasing."
With Shi He's words, the cannon, still firing its positron beam, began vibrating slightly in the blinding light, with the shaking intensifying as if an invisible force was trying to tear it apart.
"Internal temperature rising. At this rate, the internal magnetic field won't hold."
"Stop it."
He Kui sighed. Seeing the positron beam grow violent and start to distort, he pulled the power switch.
The deep red heat of the positron cannon gradually cooled.
"The barrel's stability isn't enough, and the layered armor isn't stable. Heat dispersion is too fast; let's apply an anti-beam coating."
After reviewing the data, He Kui suggested.
With experience from other weapons and DSSD's electric field system, this result was decent. No barrel explosion at least proved his approach wasn't wrong.
As December approached, after conducting various tests and along with testing the radar and Haro receiver operation, He Kui, who had been staring at the monotonous stars outside Boaz, finally stabilized the positron cannon's barrel structure.
The cannon's stability was successfully maintained with the anti-beam coating, and the safety tests also passed smoothly.
However, the coating wore out, requiring occasional maintenance, and couldn't be fired too many times.
"He Kui!"
"Yes, it was a success!"
Facing Shi He's enthusiastic hug, He Kui returned an excited smile.
Though relying on beam cannon and high-energy pulse cannon knowledge, in a sense, this positron cannon was something he developed from scratch.
And with it, he could progress further.
"You've worked hard too; go rest. We'll return to PLANT tomorrow."
"Alright!"
Severin, slightly startled, followed along.
Noticing the boy's unusual behavior, He Kui and Shi He exchanged a knowing glance but said nothing.
That night, in the warehouse storing the positron cannon.
A figure disabled the cameras with a device and stealthily unlocked the electronic lock on the door.
Staring at the prototype positron cannon, the figure swallowed.
Approaching the computer console, the figure began working.
"Severin, what a keen interest."
The sliding door opened again, and He Kui appeared behind the boy with a faint smile, followed by a dozen Boaz internal guards who quickly surrounded him.
Though the guns weren't loaded, he was already cornered.
"Didn't expect you to be a Blue Cosmos spy."
He Kui sighed with a hint of regret.
"Do you know what awaits you as a Blue Cosmos spy?"
What awaited was torture. For a collaborator, ensuring they wished for death would be guaranteed.
They'd extract every bit of information before stopping.
"I'm not a Blue Cosmos spy, Director He. There must be a misunderstanding!"
The boy raised his hands, trying to maintain composure.
"You just accessed the system to steal the prototype's data, didn't you?"
He Kui pointed to the inconspicuous robot in the corner.
"Though you disrupted the surveillance, mine is independently networked."
"I..."
"So I'll ask one last time: are you a Blue Cosmos spy?"
Though He Kui's voice was soft, it bore down on the boy with authority.
One guard, in sync with He Kui's words, unlocked the rifle's safety.
The soft 'click' sent a shiver down the boy's spine.
"No, I'm not a spy! Director Park asked me to do it! He said if the experiment succeeded, I should steal your data and alter the prototype's data!"
Between becoming a Blue Cosmos spy and being a pawn in internal power struggles...
If forced to choose, most would likely choose the latter.
He Kui wasn't surprised by Severin's confession.
Severin wasn't a professional spy, far inferior to those from Blue Cosmos. For someone like He Kui, who'd seen many spies, Severin's actions were obvious within two days.
If not for needing evidence, He Kui wouldn't have waited so long to act against Severin.
"I've given you plenty, haven't I?"
Severin had received a share during the hydraulic purification distribution, not to mention bonuses from other completed research.
"I'm sorry, Director He. Director Park threatened me, saying if I didn't help, then..."
Severin began to cry, but He Kui had already turned away. The guards and inspectors behind him would handle the arrest and interrogation.
"Aren't you curious about what he said?"
Shi He, still angry, said.
For such a traitor, if not for He Kui's restraint, she would have confronted him.
"What could he threaten with? Director Park has some connections with the defense committee, but how could he threaten Severin, whose family isn't doing poorly? He probably offered some benefits."
"He Kui..."
"It's fine. We'll need to be more cautious when hiring for the company in the future."
Though still small, that company was essentially his own force.
"We should take this opportunity to screen current employees and give them a wake-up call."
"Yes."
"Alright, I'm about to get promoted, so smile~"
Seeing Shi He still upset, He Kui gently lifted her soft cheeks.
"Afterward, you'll be the director. With Hoss around, it shouldn't be a problem."
"Okay!"
Hearing He Kui's words, Shi He finally showed a sweet smile.
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