Who is Playing the Love Development Game in Gundam

Now that He Kui was back, a celebration banquet was in order. It wasn't to celebrate a victory but rather the successful completion of their project.

"Wow, it seems He Kui is truly our lucky star! Ever since he joined our group, our progress has accelerated significantly."

"Yeah."

Although there was no alcohol and the food wasn't extravagant, the atmosphere was lively. Who wouldn't be happy when bonuses were involved?

Yet, intentionally or not, with the new project came some rearrangements, leaving certain individuals to continue the development and maintenance of the reconnaissance GINNs.

If He Kui remembered correctly, most of these people were the ones who had previously spread rumors about PLANT.

It seemed PLANT was gradually filtering out personnel, so he had to be even more cautious.

With this in mind, He Kui kept his demeanor humble, wearing a warm and friendly smile that made people feel as if they were basking in spring.

The celebration didn't last long, and afterward, they were granted half a day off.

Looking at the 100,000 in his account, He Kui felt a sense of achievement. After struggling financially for so long, he had finally obtained his first pot of gold.

This was much quicker than earning a regular salary. However, the reconnaissance GINN had been in development for quite some time; he could say he had picked up a bargain. The upcoming Earth-bound reconnaissance GINNs would likely require collaboration with the aerodynamics team.

Of course, that wasn't a problem. The data between various research groups was still shared, at least at the director level.

However, he couldn't splurge the 100,000 carelessly; he still needed to purchase materials and think about housing. With the war looming, inflation and other factors would likely cause property prices to drop, so he decided to hold off on buying for now. Renting was also expensive.

As He Kui walked down the street, he opened his phone.

A quick search showed the rental prices near the PLANT area.

A five-bedroom, two-living-room, three-story place was nearly 50,000 a month.

Even if split among five people, that was still close to 10,000 a month. However, the rental subsidy for the two of them was only 6,000, leaving 4,000 a month to cover, which would mean 2,000 each.

If it was for safety, he could begrudgingly accept it. Given his current progress, he should reach A-level in a few months, and it wouldn't take long. The only problem was finding four trustworthy housemates.

He usually spent his time either at work or tinkering with robots at home, so he had little social interaction.

Shi He seemed to be similar, as they were both not very talkative. Knowing the neighbors was good enough, but finding reliable roommates would be challenging, especially with spies still lurking around despite many being caught.

He could only take his time to find people. However, with the reconnaissance GINN he was developing for atmospheric use, the risks would likely increase.

He Kui decided to allocate 90,000 of his earnings for purchasing materials. To hedge against inflation, leaving money in the bank or investing was not viable, so it made sense to buy high-quality, well-circulated materials while prices were low; it might provide some stability.

[Our hero of PLANT! Lau Lu Kruzé officially received his award today at the April City Council Building, making him the first recipient of the Nebula Medal. Mr. Kruzé shot down 37 Earth Alliance MA units and sank six warships, showcasing the superiority of our Coordinators and the inevitability of our future.]

"Kruzé is amazing!" 

Shi He exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with admiration as she settled down on the couch after dinner, watching the news.

"Yeah."

To her, Kruzé was the epitome of a Coordinator, but He Kui knew the truth. He was a clone, seeking revenge against the world and dragging everyone down with him.

Watching the cold glint of the silver mask on the screen and the smirk on his lips made it seem as if he was dominating the world.

Even though He Kui was now a B-level researcher like Shi He, the world of heroes felt far away. It was better to focus on the present.

With that thought, He Kui told Shi He he was heading back to his room. He was currently working on developing a new Haro to expand his market and also prepare some gifts for Lacus at her fan meeting. It didn't have to be much—just enough to ensure he could reach B-level piloting skills, which would significantly increase his chances of survival on the battlefield.

Speaking of which, Lacus's annual concert was coming up soon. Last year at this time, he had been busy making Haros. Although he was still working on them now, he was in a completely different situation than a year ago.

Meanwhile, in April City, Lacus was studying He Kui's detailed profile in her expansive garden.

"He Kui's background appears to have no red flags, but the results from the May City spy capture operation have been minimal."

A man in a black suit reported to Lacus.

"No red flags, but his progress seems somewhat unusual, and although the surveillance footage from the gift exchange was too chaotic to capture clear images, it did catch He Kui passing by and participating in the gathering."

"Continue to observe him. If everything checks out, we might consider inviting him to join us."

"However, his fiancée leans towards the Sara faction, and their relationship seems quite strong."

"That's not an issue. According to Sule, he's not a combative person."

Plus, he was a fanboy. As for who he admired, that was obvious.

"Understood."

"Thank you for your trouble."

"Not at all."

As the man bowed before Lacus's dazzling smile, he immediately straightened up.