"Did you see the Gundam this time?" Siegel continued to ask.
"No, they must have heavily modified the Gundam," Lacus replied.
This time, she was ostensibly there as an idol for an event, so Orb naturally wouldn't just bring out the Gundam openly. Even if they had secretly sent the Gundam over, it would still be the same. At the very least, to avoid recognition, they would definitely have to heavily modify the Gundam. Keeping it as a trump card now was also understandable.
Both sides were indeed cooperating, and they had given the Gundam to Orb, but both sides still harbored wariness toward each other.
"However, I did get a new Mobile Suit," Lacus said, sending the nearly completed data of the Mark Knife to her father.
"This Mobile Suit is almost finished by He Kui? That's fast..." Seeing the progress, even the well-informed Siegel couldn't help but praise again.
It seemed like He Kui's inspiration never waned; he was practically on a roll. Even while developing weapons for ZAFT, he could simultaneously work on this Mobile Suit in private. This was enough to demonstrate He Kui's formidable abilities.
Of course, if he knew that He Kui was also piloting the Aegis, he would be even more surprised.
"Next, the Mark Knife can officially begin technical verification at the factory. Our people should be able to handle it."
"Alright," Lacus agreed, hesitating for a moment but ultimately deciding not to mention the Aegis to her father.
After all, if she did, she would have to explain why she had seen the Aegis before. And that would inevitably bring He Kui into the picture. Although it was all speculation, her father would believe her. But for now, she didn't want He Kui to be suspected.
She would eventually uncover his fox tail herself; this was her little indulgence.
Smiling slightly at her father, Lacus turned and left the study.
Meanwhile, He Kui, who had just disembarked from the shuttlecraft and was walking home, was still looking at the virtual frame in front of him.
[Lacus Clyne Affection: 83]
[Affection Bonus: 3]
[MS Operation Skill Level A: (42564/100,000)]
[Spatial Awareness Level A: (20871/100,000)]
Overall, he was almost halfway there, but it was still too slow. Lacus's affection had reached over 80, but it didn't seem much different from the beginning. She was really good at hiding it.
He would need to find a way to strengthen it when he had the time. But what opportunity would there be?
Still pondering this, He Kui had already returned to his small home, where Sulei hugged him tightly.
"Why do you look so troubled? Did someone reject you again?"
"How could that be? I'm handsome, charming, and dashing. How could I be rejected?"
"Pfft, if it's not you being rejected, then was it Lacus?"
"Actually, yes," He Kui said, touching his nose with a smile.
"You're lying. I don't believe you."
Sulei glared at him, then hugged him even tighter.
"But Sulei can comfort you," she said, standing on her tiptoes and initiating a kiss.
Shihe rolled her eyes and turned to the slightly shy girl beside her.
"Meyrin, aren't you going?"
"Ah, but Shihe..."
Meyrin looked a bit embarrassed, seemingly having her own thoughts about the order of things.
"It's fine, you two go ahead."
Shihe smiled, holding the unfinished plan for the nano-production process and the surveillance footage of the Aegis.
"I'll help Shihe!" Meyrin said, blushing as she heard Sulei's soft moans from next door.
"Alright, sit down."
"She'll be done soon. Sulei doesn't have much stamina anyway."
Shihe suddenly made a few sharp remarks, laughing.
"How do I not have stamina?!" Sulei retorted, though her words were already faltering.
"Mhm, Sulei has stamina."
"Of course I... ah!"
"Can you not move while I'm talking?!"
Sulei glared at He Kui, who was on top of her, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Then Sulei can move herself?"
He Kui raised his hands innocently.
"Fine, I'll move myself!"
Sulei's peach-colored cheeks puffed out in annoyance as she glared at him, then she pushed He Kui down and sat up, taking on the role of a valiant female knight.
Of course, this female knight's stamina was rather lacking, and she was already exhausted and lying on He Kui before even finishing one round.
Meanwhile, news of the attack on the base near Prince Port in the Alexander Archipelago had reached the desk of the Atlantic Federation's Special Intelligence Division at the Pentagon.
"According to the survivors, the attackers were likely a small team, with at least three pilots," Matiss said, looking grimly at Creuset.
"But no traces of 'people' were found in the three cockpits," Creuset continued.
"It's probably the Quantum Virus. Could it be the Aegis?" Matiss said, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Very likely."
"But how was it done?"
Even if it was remote, there would still need to be a connection point.
"It's probably that Little Bird."
Although their ambush during the last Orb probe had ended in failure, they hadn't come away empty-handed. At the very least, they had learned that He Kui had the Little Bird as a trump card.
Unfortunately, the Little Bird had been reduced to a charred husk in the explosion, with no other parts remaining.
"As for the control method, it was likely connected outside the cockpit. If he used PS Armor, he probably wouldn't have been able to do it."
Thinking back to their encounter in South America, Creuset said.
At the time, he had been caught off guard and could have easily fallen for it. Based on his understanding of He Kui, if He Kui had a way to infiltrate his Mobile Suit, he would have tried.
But he hadn't, which suggested that He Kui simply couldn't control his Mobile Suit.
And both times, He Kui had controlled Daggers. It was likely that he was powerless against more advanced Mobile Suits.
"That makes sense," Matiss said, lowering his gaze in thought.
"But if what you're saying is true, and He Kui is the Aegis, could he really control three Mobile Suits at once?"
This wasn't something that spatial awareness alone could achieve.
Although the Dragoon system also required manual control, it was much simpler than controlling an MS, involving only movement and shooting.
"Perhaps he has accomplices?"
"Or perhaps your intel is wrong, and the Aegis is an organization. Or perhaps He Kui is just one member of that organization. Or perhaps it's not the Aegis at all."
Facing Matiss's dissatisfaction, Creuset shrugged.
"I'll find out."
"You'd better. Whether he's He Kui, the Aegis, Pallas, or whatever else, we can't let him disrupt our plans."
"Yes."
With that, a cold smile appeared on Creuset's face as he turned and left.
He Kui—his intuition wasn't wrong. That man was the biggest variable in this world.
For his own goals, he needed to get rid of He Kui as soon as possible.
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