Who is Playing the Love Development Game in Gundam

"He Kui, are you short on money lately?"

As He Kui was leaving, a colleague trailed behind him.

"Um, it's okay," He Kui nodded but had no intention of elaborating. In these times, you never knew who might be a spy or an informant; who would dare discuss such matters openly?

Casual complaints were one thing, but if he revealed that he was short on cash and ended up being pulled into a spy ring, he would have no tears left to cry.

"…"

The ambiguous answer seemed to leave his colleague speechless as he scratched his head.

"Well, if you're really in need, I have some leads."

"Thanks, but no thanks."

He Kui quickened his pace, wearing an expression that clearly communicated his disinterest.

Given He Kui's dismissive attitude, his colleague could only watch him leave with a helpless look.

Not long after, news broke that the rumor about the dormitory charging fees had been officially debunked; it was all nonsense, and the benefits provided by the design bureaus would remain unchanged.

In retrospect, such a development was to be expected. After all, these were the five major design bureaus. If they truly began charging, the number of spies would likely increase, but whether the false rumors were intentionally spread was up for debate. No one reported anything to He Kui.

A few days later, as He Kui was just outside his dormitory area, an explosion suddenly erupted from one of the higher floors of a nearby building. The massive shockwave caused the solid base of the colony to tremble beneath his feet.

Was that near his home?

In an instant, panic washed over him, and his wrist buzzed with a notification.

[Are you home?]

[No, are you?]

"He Kui!"

The clear, ringing voice of Shi He brought him back to the present, easing his tightly strung nerves.

Shi He was standing behind him, completely unharmed.

"Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, I just got off work. What's happening up there?"

"I'm not sure."

He Kui had just spoken when a colleague rushed out from the building.

"It seems there's been an explosion."

"An explosion?"

"Yeah, and it sounds like it was significant. The building has cracks everywhere; it's likely man-made."

These buildings were constructed with materials far sturdier than the brick-and-mortar structures of the 21st century. If they could be damaged like this, it certainly wasn't an ordinary accident. There was no gas system, and their electrical systems were extremely reliable.

If it was man-made, did that mean a terrorist attack?

As various emergency sirens rang out, fire trucks, ambulances, and police vehicles arrived at the scene within minutes.

The situation was handled swiftly. The area was deemed unsafe, and a bomb disposal team was called in to check for other explosives, while they were temporarily relocated to a nearby hotel.

The hotel was a simple accommodation, and given the sparse occupancy, it only had one bed.

This was quite an adjustment for two people who were used to sleeping separately.

"I'll take the sofa."

"No, that's not necessary."

Shi He didn't feel the need to sleep apart, especially not after the shock of seeing the explosion smoke rising from a distance. He Kui had unconsciously crept into her heart during that moment of fear.

"I wonder if those Haros are okay."

Feeling shy, Shi He shifted the topic away from her discomfort and gazed out the window.

"They'll be fine; I can just make more."

He Kui also looked outside, where their dorm area was located. Though obstructed by the towering buildings, the view was unimpressive, and he felt an urgent need to move.

Although their dorm was within the factory area, the number of people who could enter was overwhelming. Safety was not guaranteed; whether it was being targeted or possibly being approached by spies, it was dangerous.

While PLANT surely had corresponding protective measures, they had already proven capable of planting bombs on Chairman Clyne's ship. Besides, while there were not many B-level personnel, they could still be replaced. When security forces were stretched thin, their priority would obviously be to protect A-level researchers.

"Looks like we really need to rent a place."

"But the high-security houses are all located near the PLANT area."

Shi He sighed. Even if they chose to forgo the dormitory and opted for housing subsidies, the rent in those areas was not something they could afford. They were talking about villas, not to mention they weren't as grand as Clyne's mansion, but they were still proper villas.

"Maybe we could find someone to share a lease?"

"Share a lease?"

There were indeed similar arrangements, with several rooms in one villa, but finding suitable housemates was another issue.

For now, they decided to put that problem aside. The day after the bombing, they managed to return to their residence. Of course, there was no such thing as a holiday due to the explosion; work continued as usual, and upon reuniting with their colleagues, everyone inevitably discussed the previous day's explosion.

The same conversations echoed back and forth.

"How was work today?"

Back home, Shi He had already pulled out some food, though it was nothing too extravagant—just some ordinary synthetic meat provided by the cafeteria.

"I was asked about a million things."

He Kui chuckled lightly.

"Same here."

Before he could say more, the doorbell rang.

"Who is it?"

Just after the explosion, He Kui was wary and checked the surveillance to see who was at the door before deciding not to open it.

"Hello, Mr. He Kui. I'm your neighbor."

"Neighbor?"

He hesitated before realizing the person must be referring to Kazama's former household.

"Hello, may I ask who you are?"

"My name is Ashu Angel, and I work in aerodynamics."

"Aerodynamics?"

"Yes, I'm involved in the atmospheric development of the GINN."

Ashu spoke in a low voice.

Were they planning to directly invade Earth? But it was clear that this wasn't something He Kui needed to worry about right now.

He should focus on completing the radar first.

Though he thought this, He Kui still invited Ashu in for a brief chat before they bid each other farewell.