After returning to May City, He Kui quickly made his way to Sulei's home.
"Where did you go earlier?" Sulei asked, placing a cup of tea in front of He Kui.
"November City. There's a problem with the asteroid."
After briefly explaining the situation, He Kui continued, "If we incorporate quantum communication technology into our mineral radar, can it penetrate about sixty meters of rock?"
"Sixty meters should be doable. I was working on a similar project before, but it was put on hold due to the new mobile suit."
The range of quantum communication certainly exceeded sixty meters, considering that distance isn't much for a Gundam on the battlefield.
"Let me see."
Taking the tablet from Sulei, He Kui examined the mineral radar, which was now equipped with various quantum communication devices. It was bulkier than a regular radar, but...
"I'll allocate the funds. How long until we have a prototype?"
With the Warrior Gundam temporarily completed, Sulei had some free time, and she had already begun preliminary research.
"If we skip practical testing, about three days, but..."
Skipping practical tests meant the effectiveness and expected results were unknown.
"No worries, I'll join in."
"What about the Dragoons?"
Though happy to hear He Kui would join, Sulei was concerned about neglecting his primary work, which could draw criticism.
"The Dragoons can proceed simultaneously."
"Not planning to sleep?"
"I'll skip it."
With the decision made, the next three days were spent rapidly enhancing the mineral radar.
"Why are you still so busy!"
At home, seeing He Kui prepare to return to the office after dinner, Shi He was frustrated.
"No choice, there's an issue with the asteroid, so I need to spare some time to upgrade the mineral radar."
Work hours were spent adjusting the Warrior Gundam's Dragoons, leaving only after-hours for radar development.
"It'll just be for a few days."
He Kui reassured her softly.
He had no idea what they would find inside.
His feelings were complex, like opening a blind box. The odds were slim, but what if?
This gambler's mentality drove He Kui even more.
As they talked, the TV's glamorous female host began reciting the day's news.
"According to the new pay system, the Integrated Design Bureau will place greater emphasis on employees' innovative contributions and performance, with skill level assessments more closely tied to compensation. Director Erin, the current leader of the Integrated Design Bureau, stated..."
"Chairman Zala is eager to act."
Listening to the news, He Kui remarked.
"This system is quite good; it effectively stimulates potential."
Shi He generally agreed with some of the Zala faction's policies.
"Indeed."
Their view was that with nuclear-powered machines soon available, they should invest as much as possible to defeat the Earth Alliance, or at least crush the Atlantic Federation in one go.
"Let's just focus on what we need to do."
He Kui's position within the design bureau was now secure. His concern was the future; salary cuts and raises wouldn't affect him.
As an enforcer of policies, some researchers might resent potential pay cuts, but not many.
His goal was to build a positive reputation within PLANT for his future.
Although his identity naturally garnered some support, his constant weapons development made him unpopular with certain members of the Clyne faction.
He wasn't universally loved, much like how Cagalli once wanted to scold him.
"Yes, but you should keep your business under wraps and avoid too much interference."
"Too much exposure could have negative consequences."
Shi He advised.
Though He Kui wasn't making much and wasn't breaking the law, using insider information to profit could draw unwanted attention.
"I understand."
Compared to the Clyne family's ventures, he was far behind, even lagging behind the Zala faction's enterprises.
He had to keep striving, but discreetly.
With that in mind, He Kui checked an online site for updates on the Archangel and was relieved to see it hadn't sunk before heading back to the office.
With Sulei's prior research and He Kui's strong involvement in mineral radar development, they finally completed the prototype in three days.
With everything in place, testing was the next step.
"Will it work?"
On the ship heading outside November City, Sulei seemed a bit nervous.
They had only passed data validation and went straight to practical testing, making it feel more rushed than usual.
"It will."
If not, he'd have to get a refund, so failure wasn't an option.
With that thought, He Kui activated the bulky radar module on the battleship.
With quantum communication's involvement, the radar quickly penetrated the asteroid's interior.
He Kui watched the radar display intently, feeling tense.
As the image slowly changed, the rock structure was gradually analyzed.
Unlike typical solid rock, the screen showed a spongy appearance.
"It looks corroded by sulfides or similar substances. At least half isn't usable."
Sulei also observed the screen.
"Let's keep looking."
As they spoke, the radar delved deeper, from ten to twenty, thirty meters...
Holding their breath, they finally reached sixty meters.
The rock was free from black, loose marks, replaced by purple spots.
Not many, about ten cubic meters in area.
"I recall purple indicating unknown materials, but it's initially estimated to be valuable, right?"
He Kui, seeing the purple, felt a mix of joy and disbelief.
"Yes, but this is quite a large piece."
Sulei suppressed her excitement and cut off all external communications from the ship.
"This should be advanced rare metal. Should we report it?"
With only the two of them present, deleting the experimental data would mean no one else would know about their discovery.
"..."
He Kui's joy quickly turned to a frown.
Rare metals he could process, but using them reasonably was a challenge, likely drawing ZAFT's attention.
"...Do you think Lacus would be interested?"
"Miss Lacus? She certainly would be."
Sulei nodded without hesitation.
The Clyne faction aimed to realize the power of ideals, so rare metals would interest them.
Such metal was scarce even within ZAFT; all collected would barely make a standard shield.
He Kui's find was about that size.
"Then let's not delay. Help me contact her when we get back."
"Are you serious?"
Sulei hesitated, hearing He Kui's quick decision. Though she had considered it, she wondered if He Kui could really let it go.
"Yes, it's our joint discovery."
He Kui replied softly and gently.
[Sulei's favorability: 158]
Seeing the favorability meter, He Kui wasn't excited; his actions weren't driven by favorability.
He couldn't keep the metal, so exchanging it for tangible benefits was wiser.
Since it was their discovery, Sulei's opinion mattered. If given to Lacus, He Kui expected some benefits in return.
After all, she was quite wealthy; perhaps she could trade a radar for the asteroid.
It would also improve his piloting skills.
"Alright then."
Seeing He Kui's certainty, Sulei didn't argue further.
Feigning normalcy, the two returned to the design bureau.
Once home, Sulei quickly connected with Lacus.
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