That night, after taking care of Sulei, He Kui moved to Shihe's side.
"Shihe, why didn't you dodge?"
He Kui gently embraced the calm yet immobile Shihe, smiling softly.
Although the Haro had flown out quickly, Shihe had noticed it beforehand. After all, she was in a Red Uniform and her micro-control skills were becoming increasingly refined. Shihe could definitely have avoided that Magnetic Field.
"Do you like it this way, He Kui?"
Without offering an explanation, a blush appeared on Shihe's face.
"I do."
"Then if you like it, I like it too~"
With that, Shihe passionately kissed him.
After a while, Shihe was satisfied, leaving only Meyrin in the room.
The restraint on Meyrin had been lifted when Sulei fell asleep. Now, the young girl's face was flushed with anticipation as she looked at him.
"Happy birthday."
"Mhm!"
Accepting He Kui's gift, the girl responded happily and then turned her gaze to the small gift box in her hands.
"Can I open it, Meyrin?"
"Go ahead and take a look."
With He Kui's permission, Meyrin quickly opened the box.
A pair of delicate, ruby-studded earrings caught Meyrin's eye.
"These earrings have an Alarm Device and an Emergency Communication Device, along with a small Quantum Virus Data module."
"Although they're small, they can barely infiltrate general facilities."
"If connected to the base network, their computing power increases, allowing them to hack into military facilities."
Of course, such powerful communication couldn't be condensed into such a small earring, so they could only be used offline if taken too far from the asteroid.
For infiltrating general civilian facilities, they were more than sufficient.
"Thank you~!"
More than the functionality of the earrings, Meyrin was happier about He Kui's thoughtfulness.
"Meyrin will wear them all the time!"
The girl then stood on her tiptoes and kissed He Kui.
Tonight was destined to be an unforgettable birthday for Meyrin.
[Mobile Suit: Mark Knife (26741/50,000)]
[Mobile Suit: RGZ-91 ReGZ (5814/30,000)]
[Academic: Quantum Stealth Communication (39214/50,000)]
[Academic: Advanced Quantum Virus (12365/30,000)]
The next morning, He Kui arrived at the radar room and smiled as he looked at the virtual interface in front of him.
All his progress was going well. Once Lacus returned, the basic prototype of the Mark Knife would likely be ready.
With that thought, his attention returned to the view of Orb in front of him.
The military island wasn't far from Orb's capital island. It was currently afternoon in Orb, and the crimson sunset cast long shadows over them through the distant coastline, while the salty scent of the sea in the air indicated their current location.
After resting in Orb for a while, He Kui, along with Cagalli and Lacus, arrived at the outskirts of the Kaguya Spaceport.
This was also the location of Orb's Defense Headquarters and the Dawn Organization's main base.
"Director Erica, it's been a while."
Facing the head of the Dawn Organization who had come to greet them, Lacus offered a serene smile.
"Miss Lacus."
As they walked, they showed Lacus around many of the Dawn Organization's research facilities.
Although the Dawn Organization was a military research institute, it was also a research facility directly under Orb's jurisdiction.
In addition to military research, there are also numerous studies focused on civilian welfare.
"This is where we conduct research on agricultural science in space environments. We have successfully cultivated rice in space."
"Really~?"
Lacus, who had been calmly observing the high-tech equipment they also possessed, now showed a spark of interest in her eyes upon hearing Erica's words.
However, this did not show on her face.
The matter of the Hydroponic Pods was of great importance and not easily resolved.
"Would it be convenient for me to see the specific data?"
As soon as Lacus asked, Erica, well-prepared, pulled out a tablet.
Clearly, this research was primarily intended for trade with PLANT.
After all, although they also had Amenomihashira here, Orb, backed by Earth, had no problem meeting the dietary needs of the people on Amenomihashira.
"Compared to research data from countries around the world, we have successfully reduced costs by 25% and increased efficiency by 15%."
Erica spoke with a smile, her face filled with pride.
Upon hearing this, He Kui felt a sense of relief.
The technology was not significantly different from PLANT's existing technology.
After all, Erica was unaware of the internal research progress within PLANT and did not know that He Kui had almost perfectly solved this issue.
The standards Erica mentioned were merely the current international technological standards.
PLANT, of course, would not directly share its Hydroponic Pod technology with the international community.
However, compared to the internal progress of PLANT, the Dawn Organization's research on Hydroponic Pods still had many areas for improvement.
Seeing this research, Lacus's excitement subsided somewhat.
Agriculture had always been a sore point for PLANT, having nearly been devastated by a nuclear explosion before. As a reserve leader, Lacus had a certain understanding of agriculture.
She also knew that the current technology did not represent a significant improvement over PLANT's and could not directly solve PLANT's food issues.
Of course, it was still a good thing, and if both sides could collaborate on further research, it would be even better.
Keeping this in mind, Lacus nodded with a smile and agreed.
"This was my suggestion, you know~"
In a corner where no one could see, Cagalli's voice, seeking credit, came through the microphone to He Kui's ear.
"This research?"
Hearing Cagalli say this, He Kui's expression turned a bit strange.
"Yes, you've been worried too, right? Your parents have been working hard every day."
Cagalli nodded, her usually efficient face showing a hint of shyness.
Looking at Cagalli before him, He Kui couldn't help but recall the days when Cagalli was on the asteroid.
Time flies, and although it hasn't been long, those days might never come again.
"Thank you, Cagalli."
He had thought it was Orb's special preparation for trade, but it turned out to be Cagalli's suggestion.
Although it was still behind his own progress, He Kui felt a warmth in his heart.
His own child still had him in her heart.
"It's nothing, He Kui has helped me a lot. Consider this a small repayment."
Although Cagalli couldn't see the eager look in He Kui's eyes, as a Newtype capable of Seed Awakening, she could sense his heightened emotions from the slightly elevated tone of his voice. A shy smile appeared on her face.
"Did I help
He Kui?"
"Of course, having Cagalli here is the greatest help to me."
He Kui's words were spoken with genuine sincerity.
From every perspective, with Cagalli's presence, he was certain to complete his Hydroponic Pod.
(End of Chapter)