Who is Playing the Love Development Game in Gundam

"Director He, I didn't expect you to have mastered the quantum virus. You must be quite proficient with the quantum firewall as well?"

After Leru left, having gone over the event flow with them, Creuset turned his gaze toward the group, though his main focus was still squarely on He Kui.

"Proficient would be an overstatement. I've just acquired a bit of understanding."

Facing this formidable adversary, He Kui was on high alert, giving his full attention to the interaction.

The pressure he felt from Creuset was no less intense than what he'd felt on the battlefield. In fact, it was even greater.

They'd crossed paths before, so He Kui understood all too well that, as he was now, he was far from being a match for Creuset. He needed to continue his exchanges with Lacus to build up his strength.

"Director He, you're too modest."

"It's all for the sake of PLANT and ZAFT."

The two exchanged brief smiles, each harboring their own thoughts.

Shi He and Su Lei, sensing something was off about He Kui, exchanged a look before Shi He stepped between the two men.

"Captain Creuset, you're really amazing~!"

Her voice conveyed admiration, like a true fan.

"Not at all."

"Captain Creuset, did you recently take part in any operations on Earth?"

Shi He's interruption caused Creuset to set aside his probing thoughts for the moment and focus on their conversation.

Since Shi He had previously applied to join Creuset's team, her sudden approach wasn't particularly suspicious to him.

Engaged in conversation, the four quickly arrived at the central elevator.

Wherever they went, people stepped aside, giving salutes as the four passed by.

Soldiers looked at He Kui and Creuset with a mix of respect and envy.

Without the two of them, this battle would have surely ended in defeat. And this wasn't the first time either He Kui or Creuset had turned the tide of battle. Their outstanding abilities had naturally made them aspirational, though seemingly unreachable, figures.

Their prestige within PLANT would only continue to grow.

"How does it feel to be a hero?" Creuset suddenly asked He Kui during a break in his conversation with Shi He as they rode the high-speed elevator.

"It's a heavy burden."

He Kui sighed, his expression one of reluctant conflict, as though he were someone swept up in these events who only wanted to stay out of harm's way.

"Indeed, if we want to defeat the Atlantic Federation, there's a long road ahead."

"Yes."

And quite a road it would be—with Creuset, Blue Cosmos, and the forces behind them, the path seemed endless.

As he stared at He Kui, searching for any trace of deception, Creuset eventually shifted his gaze, seemingly deep in thought, his demeanor projecting a powerful aura.

In this strange atmosphere, December City's scenery gradually became clearer as the elevator descended. It was dusk, and the golden sunlight bathed the colony in a warm glow, almost as if celebrating their victory.

In a way, it was.

The colony's weather system had adjusted to create an atmosphere befitting their triumphant return.

Along both sides of the main road leading to the central square below, a dense crowd had gathered.

This wasn't He Kui's first visit—his military academy had been here, after all.

But since graduating, each visit to December City had felt different.

When the four arrived, members of the National Defense Council, led by Patrick Zala, were already waiting on the square in front of the central elevator.

As soon as the elevator doors slid open, a wave of cheers filled He Kui's ears.

But neither he nor his companions felt particularly joyous.

Shi He discreetly grasped his hand tightly.

"One day, we'll return here and declare a true victory."

He Kui squeezed her hand reassuringly, speaking softly but with conviction.

"Yes!"

Though the moment was touching, Creuset remained as impassive as ever.

Following the protocol, Patrick Zala himself began walking down the red carpet toward them.

With the fanfare surrounding him, it was as if they had won outright, ignoring the fact that they'd lost a nuclear-powered mobile suit and more than ten ships.

"Today, we Coordinators witnessed a great miracle."

"No, this isn't a miracle! This is proof that we, the Coordinators, have surpassed Naturals once and for all!"

"Those who belittled and mocked us now look on in stunned silence. With our own hands, we have dismantled their light shield, crushed their positron cannons, and proven the might of PLANT and the invincibility of ZAFT!"

Standing behind Zala, He Kui listened along with the others, his expression serious and focused.

He'd heard victory speeches like this too many times to count, especially speeches that celebrated a "victory" in the midst of a loss.

His mind drifted as Zala's speech continued. Amid the crowd, he spotted a familiar figure.

Almost at the same moment, this pink-haired beauty looked in his direction, her expression serious.

"Director He, it's been a while."

After the victory banquet, in a private room at the December City port, Lacus maintained the same solemn expression she'd worn during the ceremony.

She looked like Athena—elegant and dignified.

Her presence had a way of grounding others, and as He Kui faced her, he found himself feeling equally composed.

"Miss Lacus, I assume you're already aware of what happened on the Moon?"

"Indeed."

"It was thanks to your efforts, Director He. But what's your take on the pilot's defection?"

He Kui sighed.

"Councilor Juole asked me about it recently."

"There was a nanobot explosive implanted in him, but its trigger system has been disabled."

"It wasn't due to the neutron jammer. We suspect someone used a quantum virus to disable it entirely."

As the National Defense Council's technical advisor, he couldn't accuse anyone without proof. Without solid evidence, trying to implicate Creuset would only serve as a warning.

"Is there any chance to retrieve Rebirth before the Atlantic Federation completes their reverse-engineering?"

"The Atlantic Federation is vast."

He Kui shook his head. "If we could take them down within a month, a couple of Rebirth units wouldn't even be worth worrying about."

"True."

"But what's done is done."

Lacus adjusted her tone, her expression shifting back to a thoughtful calm.

"Director He, do you think they'll use the neutron jammer canceller to address their energy issues, or will they go straight to building nuclear weapons and mobile suits?"

"The latter, of course. Blue Cosmos has a clear track record in that regard."

"And do you have any countermeasures in mind?"

"Why don't we preemptively share the neutron jammer canceller with others?"

"With others?"

Lacus looked at He Kui in surprise. She had considered this option, but was intrigued by He Kui's political insight.

Not only was he skilled in research and combat, but his political instincts were also exceptionally sharp. No matter how thoroughly she investigated, He Kui's background always pointed to a typical Coordinator.

Meeting her deepening gaze, He Kui continued as if unaffected.

"While the Earth Alliance is fractured, regions like East Asia, Eurasia, Orb, and Scandinavia remain potential allies."

"A re-nuclearized Atlantic Federation would pose a significant threat to other Earth nations, which doesn't align with ZAFT's interests. And if they successfully reverse-engineer the technology, they're likely to lock it in a black box and sell it at a high price to other countries on Earth."

"Why don't you propose this to the Clyne faction?"

Lacus asked, subtly shifting her tone to address him more personally.

"Because the Diplomatic Council is partly under the control of the Clyne faction, I believe."

The head of the Diplomatic Council was from the Clyne faction. Logically, they were best positioned to propose this idea.

Patrick Zala, a hardliner, was unlikely to put forth such a suggestion—it didn't fit his image and could cause unrest among his followers.

The Clyne faction, on the other hand, could play the role of peacemaker, softening perceptions of Zala without undermining him.

"And yet, the specifics would still need to be discussed at the Supreme Council."

Lacus gazed out the window at the many layers of colonies, her voice low.

"That's for you and the Clyne faction to handle."

He Kui shrugged and placed three brightly colored mechanical sparrows on the table before her.

"A gift."

Creuset, Asher Gray… he would need more strength.

"Lacus doesn't want them."

He Kui paused, taken aback. The sweetness in Lacus's voice seemed to have evaporated.

"Why not?"

"Because we're just friends, right? It wouldn't be proper for Lacus to accept so many gifts."

"…"

Hearing Lacus throw his own words back at him, He Kui's mouth twitched slightly.

Not only was she sly, but she clearly held a grudge.

Lacus narrowed her eyes, observing He Kui's every reaction. Why was he so eager for her to accept his gifts?

Mulling it over, she decided to test his boundaries a bit.

"If He Kui spends a day with Lacus, perhaps Lacus would consider accepting your gifts."

Directly requesting information might make He Kui wary of the Clyne f

action. The secrets He Kui held were critical to military strategy, and a misstep could lead to severe consequences for all involved.

So, Lacus decided to start small, adopting a slow, gradual approach.