He Kui finished upgrading Elena's system and stepped out of her cockpit.
"Want to give it a try?" Elena asked, flashing him a mischievous grin.
"Alright," He Kui replied, re-entering the cockpit. In the cramped space, he let Elena sit on his lap.
"So, A likes to be on the bottom, huh?" Elena teased, her voice sultry.
He Kui simply smiled without responding. Letting her sit on his lap was practical—her weight would mask any inconsistencies if someone else observed. It was simpler this way.
"Let's go!" Elena cheered as she powered up the controls.
"Wow, it's so fast!" she exclaimed, eyes lighting up as they took the Short Dagger for a test run.
"Told you," He Kui said, nodding. "By the way, Elena, any news on what happened after the Atlantic Federation's last attack?"
"After? Not really. I heard they just retreated."
"Retreated?" He Kui echoed, slightly skeptical. "That's it?"
"Apparently, it's all thanks to you, too! After all, you're an elite pilot," Elena said, beaming.
"If you say so…"
He Kui's instincts told him the Federation wouldn't just back down. With White Whale's suggestion, it was likely they would shift tactics, possibly even supporting internal conflicts within South America. Maybe they'd help the rebels advance from inland, surrounding them on multiple fronts.
If things got messier in South America, it might end up working against him. Still, He Kui decided it was best to wait for the president's orders. After all, that man would make sure to use He Kui's skills when necessary.
With that settled, He Kui left his South America setup on standby and shifted his focus to Orb, where he'd followed Lasse to the Winslet family's seaside estate. The mansion was spacious, rivaling the Athha estate, though its isolated coastal location raised concerns.
It felt vulnerable to attacks. If He Kui were a robber, this would be his first target, especially with the poor communication due to the neutron jammers. It seemed like an ideal setting for a murder mystery, the kind where even local authorities would struggle to respond.
Yet, unlike the main cast of characters like Kira and Lacus, they didn't seem to face such immediate threats.
"Do you really live here?" He Kui asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Pretty fancy, right?" Lasse replied proudly.
"It is impressive," He Kui agreed with a nod, following her inside. After greeting the butler, they made their way to the drawing room.
"Lasse, why are you bringing in guests?" A man with a European face, likely her father, looked at He Kui with a mix of curiosity and caution.
"Dad, remember how we're looking for researchers? I found one!" Lasse announced excitedly.
"A researcher? This person?" He eyed He Kui's cloaked figure with a skeptical look. With her masked and cloaked attire, she looked more like a potential thief than a researcher.
"My name is Aegis," He Kui replied, introducing himself calmly.
"Aegis… as in the Greek shield?" Winslet raised an eyebrow.
"…Lasse mentioned your current research project," He Kui continued, unfazed. "You're working on improving the Baku's mobility systems, correct?"
"That's right," Winslet said, nodding.
Winslet's expression softened as he began explaining. "Recently, Director He Kui on PLANT developed a bipedal propulsion hover system. It's left the Baku's current systems somewhat… lacking. His design moves faster across deserts and within bases than our Baku models."
"Director He Kui?" He Kui asked, feigning surprise.
Lasse giggled, "Sis, are you from Mars or something? It's He Kui—the engineering genius everyone's talking about. You'd know if you kept up with the news!"
"…"
He Kui felt a bit dazed by her enthusiasm. Of course, he knew exactly who Director He Kui was. After all, it was him. He was merely gauging Winslet's opinion of him, which would prove useful for future collaboration.
"Apologies. Lasse is quite the fan of Director He Kui," Winslet explained with a smile.
"No, Dad! I want to marry him someday!"
"…Isn't that a bit sudden?" He Kui muttered, caught off guard by the young girl's proclamation. Thankfully, his mask hid any sign of his embarrassment.
"It's not! You have no idea how amazing He Kui is! Look, I have proof!"
Lasse pulled out an album from the bookshelf, filled with news clippings about He Kui's achievements, from his development of miniaturized beam weapons to the hover system. The thick scrapbook was a testament to her admiration.
"Well, as you can see," Winslet sighed, "Azimov Design Bureau has tasked us with producing something even more efficient than his hover system, or we risk losing the Baku contract…"
He Kui understood the stakes. If they couldn't come up with something better, their orders would plummet.
"Have you thought about incorporating a hover system directly into the Baku?" he suggested.
"We did consider it, but the technology is restricted. Besides, it would add extra weight," Winslet replied. Just adding the hover system had already bulked up the GINN models.
He Kui understood. While he had miniaturization solutions, he couldn't just hand them over freely.
Winslet waited silently, as if assessing He Kui's potential. This was evidently a test.
He Kui was almost nostalgic at the thought of an entry test. After a moment, he began outlining his idea.
"I think you could completely overhaul the rear leg assembly, replacing it with a tank tread system and adding rocket thrusters."
He Kui's fingers moved over the screen, adjusting the blueprint as he spoke. The Baku's rear legs were replaced with a large track, while three large thrusters and dozens of smaller directional nozzles were added to its back.
"…This…" Winslet stared, astonished at the bold design.
Lasse, meanwhile, had been planning to subtly suggest He Kui join a different team for interference device research as a little 'punishment' for not knowing He Kui. But seeing her 'sister' come up with a seemingly viable solution so quickly left her speechless.
"If high-speed maneuvering is needed, the tracks can be lowered," He Kui explained. "At moderate speeds, you can retract the front legs and use only the rear tracks to move."
The result would be similar to a combination of the Gouf Tank and Zowort, with the Baku Tank achieving even greater speeds due to its lighter weight.
"We can also modify the claws into beam guns. As long as the rear tread structure works in tandem with the tank components for propulsion, it should hold."
"…"
Winslet stared at the sketch, rendered speechless by the feasibility hidden within its seemingly wild design.
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