Who is Playing the Love Development Game in Gundam

After spending half a day with Lacus, He Kui boarded the shuttle to return to his asteroid.

"Is there something you want to ask?"

He Kui looked across at Lica and Iron Wall, who were staring at him intently, with an amused look. Lica was curious, while Iron Wall's gaze held a hint of admiration. 

"When did you and Miss Lacus become so close?" Lica couldn't help but ask.

Though they hadn't heard their conversation, Lica had noticed the close proximity when Lacus had leaned in to speak.

"We were just talking," He Kui replied, explaining simply.

"Oh."

Lica nodded, but her face clearly showed her disbelief.

"Anyway, I'm heading back now."

Seeing that the shuttle had docked, He Kui stood and exited his seat.

Watching him leave, Lica turned to Iron Wall.

"So, what do you plan to report?"

"I'll report everything truthfully," Iron Wall said with a straightforward tone.

"Right."

After all, before being bodyguards, they were soldiers. Obeying orders was second nature to them, especially as members of a special operations unit. Protecting He Kui didn't mean they would cover for him—at least, not without reason.

Unconcerned with their discussions, He Kui returned to the radar room.

Meanwhile, at the Waste Disposal Guild's base on the Moon near Yulan, things were busier than ever.

The reason was obvious: the battle between ZAFT and the Atlantic Federation on the Moon. The battle had left the guild with a large amount of wreckage to process according to standard procedures.

The guild might look unremarkable, dealing with dirty, labor-intensive work, but its operations required advanced technology. They first sorted out reusable metals and materials from the wreckage and separated hazardous substances needing special treatment. Then, the metal parts were dismantled, cut, and smelted to separate metals from non-metallic materials. Following that was purification and recasting, which produced refined metal alloys.

Even those alloys had grades, with the highest purity being used by He Kui for his projects. His precision required high-strength materials.

In short, the Waste Disposal Guild was an essential part of this world. Without it, battle remnants would have already littered the Earth and surrounding space. So, the guild's port was bustling with workers dedicated to recycling and refining materials, like a hive of industrious worker bees.

"Well, if you ever need a job, Aegis, you're welcome to join my team," Ro joked with a broad grin as he greeted He Kui, who had just emerged from his room.

Though he wasn't sure if she was He Kui, there was no harm in extending the offer.

Before He Kui could reply, however, Elena stepped in between them.

"No way! Aegis isn't going anywhere with you!"

"Alright, alright." Ro moved on, pulling out a tablet to show He Kui.

"We're about 60% through the cutting and refining process for the mobile suits, but we've slowed down because we're stretched thin."

"Is it a manpower or equipment issue?"

"Mainly manpower."

"Then count me in."

"Great."

Ro nodded happily and led He Kui into the hangar inside the base.

One of the suits had already been disassembled into parts, some fully processed, others not. The remaining suit was also mostly dismantled, with cables and wires sticking out.

"Let's get started."

The sooner he finished, the sooner he could head back to South America. Delaying further wasn't ideal.

While he was working, a sudden alert from a distant Aegis bird drone caught his attention.

"What…?"

The message on the drone was hard to believe: a team of six frogmen, under cover of darkness, were making their way along the cliffs near Winslet's estate, armed and ready.

"Ro, keep working. I'm going to check on the aircraft's progress."

"Sure thing."

A bit puzzled, Ro didn't object.

In moments, He Kui was remotely controlling Aegis in Orb. The Atlantic Federation's Deputy Foreign Minister, George, had just finished his visit there earlier that day. Even if someone wanted to act, now seemed like the least likely time.

Judging by their skills, they didn't look like ZAFT agents, and it was unlikely Orb would be involved in such an attack.

With Aegis's thrusters at full power, He Kui navigated the waters at a speed comparable to a motorboat.

Hopefully, he'd make it in time.

It was possible Ras would survive, but Winslet could be in real danger. After all, a child was easier to manipulate. If Winslet died, the entire company would fall into Ras's hands, and it wouldn't be hard to coerce her into surrendering her inheritance.

Arriving at the base of the cliff, He Kui saw through the drone feed that the assault team had switched to their ground gear and was knocking on Winslet's door. Alarmingly, it seemed that Mr. Winslet was obliviously about to open the door for them.

This company was definitely a family business. Given Winslet's obliviousness, he should have been dead long ago if it weren't.

As He Kui maneuvered Aegis's thrusters to scale the cliff, he mentally complained about Winslet's naivete. At the top, he fully activated the thrusters, launching Aegis into the air.

Aegis's brown cloak billowed in the moonlight, attracting the attention of the strike team below.

Well-trained, the strike team didn't hesitate. Though unsure of what was in the air, they raised their guns and fired at Aegis.

He Kui deftly dodged most of the bullets, performing a graceful arc, then opened all ten fingers and activated the multi-target locking system. The ten high-voltage cables from Aegis's fingers silently extended through the night sky, embedding themselves in each of the six operatives. A powerful current flowed through them, incapacitating the team instantly.

The high-voltage current, strong enough to stun even Isaac, was just as effective on these soldiers.

"Aegis…!"

The door had barely opened before Winslet saw Aegis land in a superhero pose, surrounded by six seemingly lifeless soldiers. The scene was so surreal it left Winslet momentarily speechless.

"Sorry for the sudden intrusion, Mr. Winslet," He Kui said through Aegis.

A quick scan showed Aegis had taken three hits, but the suit's shell had absorbed the bullets. He had dodged well, but there had simply been too many shots to avoid them all completely.

After quickly covering the torn spots on the cloak, He Kui walked over to Winslet.

"Who are they?" Winslet asked, looking

at the six men sprawled on the ground in confusion.

"That's for you to figure out. Who have you offended recently?"