Who is Playing the Love Development Game in Gundam

The next day proceeded without incident.

Upon arrival, He Kui entered the design bureau to oversee the installation of components for the new mobile suit. The outer armor's construction was swift; within moments, the Gundam's frame was nearly complete, except for the head and back section. The remaining parts required high-strength materials around the thrusters and the anti-neutron interference system, which had not yet been manufactured.

"He Kui, what do you think this machine should be called?" Yumu asked with a warm smile, this time more genuine than before.

Observing He Kui's expertise firsthand, Yumu was convinced of his true talent. None of the design challenges, from the Mantis to the Gundam, had stumped him. His design skills were undoubtedly among the best in PLANT. By assisting such a genius, Yumu knew his own position would only rise.

"Let's leave it up to the National Defense Committee," He Kui replied nonchalantly. He was just an employee, and it wasn't his personal machine. He didn't mind if it was called "Covenant" or "New Covenant." What mattered was that he got to build it—and managed to secure a second prototype for his own experiments. Unfortunately, he couldn't tamper with the anti-neutron interference system. All the internal data of the device was encrypted, and if someone tried to disassemble it, a trigger mechanism would initiate a nuclear explosion.

How exactly did Creuset get his hands on this intel?

He Kui didn't have much time, especially with Creuset likely acquiring the anti-neutron interference plans soon. This would inevitably lead to a nuclear standoff. If he couldn't stop it directly, though, he could always rely on "Pallas" as a countermeasure.

It would be ideal to manufacture another Aegis model, especially since he needed to recoup the 5 million credits. The mining operations should be able to resume soon…

As these thoughts crossed his mind, his wrist communicator buzzed.

"Couldn't stay idle, huh?"

He Kui had already tapped into the plans of a spy group meeting in a dim basement, thanks to his modified Owl surveillance drone. Outfitted with a shielded, miniaturized listening device, the Owl could slip into almost any location undetected.

He Kui recorded the trio's conversation, securing solid evidence. Now, it was just a matter of how to use it. He'd prepared for this, both online and offline. He Kui wasn't the naive kid who'd nearly leaked information in front of Lacus before.

The black Owl drone flew to an unremarkable, camera-free corner of the city and dropped the evidence there. Along with the evidence was a note promising a reward of 100,000 credits for reporting the spy.

For those in these impoverished neighborhoods, that amount was astronomical—a life-changing sum. If no one discovered the note within three days, he could always relocate it.

With everything set, He Kui exited the Owl's control interface and left his office. After exchanging greetings with familiar employees, he entered Erin's office.

The office looked as it always did—cluttered with stacks of documents, each covered with skeletal designs.

"Erin, you called me here about the new frame?"

Although Erin hadn't said much, He Kui had a hunch.

"Yes," Erin sighed. "I must be getting old because I just can't seem to finish this frame design."

"You're still going strong," He Kui replied with a smile.

"Enough flattery. I heard your Gundam's frame is already completed?"

"It's passed the tests."

"Great. Come and take a look then." Erin gestured for him to take her spot.

Though much younger, Erin treated He Kui as an equal or even a mentor in some fields.

"Not sure I can offer much advice here," He Kui said, glancing at the frame she'd been working on.

It was likely Providence Gundam, the massive boss-tier mobile suit. With its powerful specs and DRAGOON system, it was a true weapon of mass destruction. Naturally, it was assigned to the experienced Hiran Design Bureau for development.

Examining Erin's frame, He Kui noted it was broader than Strike or similar suits, with a sturdy appearance. The design drew on the Freedom and Justice frame as a base.

"Since it'll use the DRAGOON system with eleven remote-controlled pods, each detachment and reattachment would create stress and impact on the frame. The frame has to be strong enough to handle it," Erin explained with a hint of frustration.

"One or two I could manage, but eleven pods are just too much!"

"Maybe you could try rare metals?" He Kui suggested after a moment.

There wasn't much he could critique in Erin's design. After all, she was the creator of the GINN, ZAKU, and GOUF frames and had more experience than He Kui. His only completed projects were the Mantis and his Gundam, so he couldn't make major improvements.

However, he did have insights from other areas.

"I doubt I'll get approval for enough of that stuff."

"Not to worry. Just reinforce the critical connection points with rare metal and use the lightweight titanium alloy from Mantis for the rest."

"The minor adjustments could be offset by fine-tuning the thrusters to balance the load," he added.

Too bad they hadn't yet developed the strong Gundarium alloy for his Z-Gundam. If they could construct Providence's frame from that, they could significantly reduce its weight while enhancing defense.

"Hmm…" Erin lowered her head, considering the feasibility.

"Yes, that could work!"

When Erin looked up again, her frustrated expression had been replaced with eager excitement.

"Glad I could help. By the way, could I join the development of this new Gundam?"

"Why?" Erin asked, puzzled.

Up until now, He Kui had been reluctant to take on new work, even to the point of needing constant reminders. She'd even been amused to see the normally patient Joule Senator lose his patience with him. Now, the same He Kui was volunteering to help develop a new Gundam? It was unheard of.

"I'm curious. My project is just a cost-effective, mass-production model for tech validation."

"Alright, I'll file a request for you."

Considering that He Kui was the inventor of the DRAGOON system, his involvement would only make the process smoother.

With a slight smile, He Kui nodded. Inside, he was celebrating. Being involved in the development meant he could leave a backdoor in the DRAGOON system. It didn't matter who eventually piloted this behemoth—he wanted to ensure it couldn't be used against him.

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