Who is Playing the Love Development Game in Gundam

Two days passed, and the humid, sweltering weather showed no signs of relenting.

While the radar station had been successfully repaired, energy shortages remained an issue. The original sabotage had left even the power station partially destroyed, so full restoration would still require considerable time.

With the radar station drawing most of the available power, the team had to scavenge resources from other parts of the base. They adopted a timed allocation system, prioritizing military units. This allowed the radar to function, though barely.

"The flexible wings are set to arrive this afternoon, and there's still the defense system testing to handle."

Glancing at his work tablet, He Kui sighed, feeling this assignment had turned out even busier than his usual duties at PLANT.

Such was the nature of working under someone else. At least, according to the ambitious vision Director Erlin had outlined, things should improve once he completed his mission perfectly and returned home safe and sound.

As he looked wearily at the defense reinforcement plan on his computer, he noted the challenges of balancing power consumption. With the beam shield's massive energy requirements, it was unusable on Earth. Instead, they had to rely on a combination of anti-beam coating and layered armor.

However, due to limited material supplies, they could only apply the layered armor to critical areas, like the radar station, power station, and command center.

Most crucial, however, was rooting out potential spies; as long as infiltrators remained, even the strongest defenses wouldn't be secure.

The radar-controlled anti-air system also needed upgrading. Reinforcements had started arriving, with the first priority being the wall facing the Eurasian Federation's direction.

"Off to work again?"

Shi He, still groggy, sat up on the bed.

"Yes. Do you want to rest a bit longer?" He Kui asked.

"No need; I'll be ready in a moment."

Her voice was soft and endearing, though tinged with fatigue. She couldn't quite figure out what had changed recently, but the upper hand she'd always held now seemed to be slipping in their evening moments together. Could he be experiencing a second growth spurt?

After a quick stretch, she slipped out of bed.

Her graceful curves, smooth skin, and the light, gauzy outfit gifted by Aisha made for an enchanting sight.

"Recently, people have been stopping me outside, asking where you are," she commented, stretching.

"Who are they?"

"Probably your fans. You're quite popular around here," Shi He said with a yawn.

As a high-ranking officer with his reputation established in Gibraltar, He Kui's position had risen to Director. His standing in the base was just one step below the Commander.

Those who had seen his duel with Diego held deep respect for him, admiring both his intellect and combat skill. As a result, his renown in Gibraltar exceeded that in other bases, though, to him, this fame had little practical use.

"For now, it's best not to wander too much."

He Kui had no intentions of rallying soldiers or drawing attention. Such behavior could easily be misunderstood, especially with "The Clan" keeping tabs on him. Crowds were a risk he'd prefer to avoid.

Instead, even for the outer wall construction, He Kui remotely controlled the mechanical arms.

After a short conversation, Shi He set off to the underground hangar to receive the flexible wing equipment, while He Kui stayed at his computer to manage the remote installation.

Just as he was enjoying a rare moment of peace, a transmission from within the base connected to his computer.

"Hello, Director He."

The voice on the other end, distorted by a voice modifier, was unnerving.

Without hesitation, He Kui activated his tracing program to locate the signal source. While the Gibraltar base operated on an internal network, given the spies around, compromised internal communications seemed reasonable, particularly for messages of lower confidentiality.

"Who are you?"

"An admirer of your talents."

He Kui fell silent, caught off guard by the blunt approach. This sounded like something straight out of a decades-old villain's script—blunt, unpolished, and strangely awkward.

"Thank you?"

He Kui replied politely, while his hands kept working on tracing the signal source.

"Ever considered working for a different employer?"

"Not at the moment, but I'd consider it. What kind of benefits are we talking about?"

"…Whatever you require, we can provide."

Their audacity left He Kui momentarily speechless.

"And how would I know you're genuine? I don't even know who you are."

"Come to us, and you'll learn everything. From what we understand, Director He, you're a first-generation Coordinator, correct? We can ensure your parents' protection as well."

Their words carried both a promise and a veiled threat. Had He Kui not set up his asteroid base, he might've been concerned. But now, he knew his parents were safe there.

"Are you from Actaeon?" he asked calmly.

"Us? We're far beyond Actaeon's league," the voice replied with quiet confidence.

Even with the voice modifier, He Kui could sense their arrogance.

"If you're interested, meet us tomorrow at midnight at these coordinates. Someone will be waiting."

As soon as the coordinates appeared on his screen, the line disconnected.

However, unlike in movies where the villains would dramatically hang up, He Kui succeeded in tracing the source.

Perhaps they hadn't anticipated his skill in information engineering and electronic warfare.

Noting the coordinates near the outer base perimeter, He Kui quickly contacted Andrew, who was outside.

"Captain Andrew, do you have a moment?"

"Of course. What's going on?"

Hearing He Kui's serious tone, the usual humor dropped from Andrew's voice, and he, too, adopted a serious demeanor.

"There's something I need to discuss. Could you come here so we can talk in person?"

Since he wasn't sure if it was a trap, He Kui wanted to take every precaution.

"No problem."

Andrew arrived within a minute, knocking on He Kui's door.

"Director He, what happened?" Andrew asked, his intense gaze scanning He Kui as he entered.

"Here's the situation," He Kui explained the events that had just unfolded.

"A force even more powerful than Actaeon…," Andrew muttered thoughtfully.

"Do you have any idea who they might be?" he asked.

"None at all," He Kui replied with a shrug. "Why would I know?"

"Fair point," Andrew laughed, picking up the coordinates He Kui handed him.

One coordinate was the meeting point, and the other marked the contact's location.

"What's your take on this, Director He?"

"My guess? A faction coveting the technology I've been working on."

After all, the most advanced ZAFT weapons were nearly all his handiwork. It wasn't surprising that "The Clan" would have their eyes on him.

"Seems likely. Then let's hold off on alerting them; tomorrow night we can make a move to apprehend them."

"You're the expert, Captain."

"Don't worry, Director He. I wouldn't let you face unnecessary risks."

"Still, this could be a trap," He Kui cautioned.

"We'll be careful," Andrew assured him with a smile.

"With you on it, I'm at ease."

Knowing Andrew's expertise, He Kui had no intention of overstepping. After expressing his thanks, he saw Andrew out.

Must be someone Lacus sent, he thought, watching Andrew's retreating figure.

Recalling certain plot elements, He Kui knew that Lacus and Andrew were connected through Da Costa, a contact established even before any injury might have changed their relationship.

As long as he was protected, it didn't matter if Andrew was working for Lacus. Better the Clyne Faction than "The Clan"; at least they posed no life-threatening danger.

The day passed quickly. He Kui had just finished installing about 20% of the layered armor on the outer base perimeter when night fell.

Gibraltar's evening weather was slightly better than the day, with lower temperatures and humidity. In the late night, the camp was under curfew, with most people resting in their tents, leaving only a few guards patrolling.

Surrounded by the unfamiliar sounds of cicadas and the salty tang of the sea, He Kui felt a pang of nostalgia.

But he wasn't here for sentimentality tonight.

Instead of heading to the designated coordinates, he and Andrew waited at a nearby defense fortification, observing.

"The decoy's ready to move at any time," Andrew informed him. With remarkable efficiency, Andrew had even prepared a lookalike in just one day.

The decoy shared about a 40-50% resemblance to He Kui, with makeup filling in the gaps.

Watching the

monitor, He Kui almost felt like he was looking in a mirror. The decoy's mannerisms and gait were eerily similar.

"Let's get started," He Kui said with a resolute nod.