"Yes, there are four layers of security outside."
"Food production is still unstable, so we can't afford to be careless."
He Kui explained.
"Yes, yes, I've heard that many times."
"I won't say anything, so don't silence me."
Le Lu said lightly, as a small aerial robot acting as a photographer landed in her hand.
"Speaking of which, the calls for you to step up have been growing louder recently. You're considering it, right?"
"Yes, you know about it."
He Kui said. Given Le Lu's well-informed nature, she must have known that he had been building his own neutral faction recently.
"That's great. If I join, maybe I can even become an elder."
Le Lu joked half-heartedly.
"Miss Le Lu wants to enter politics?"
He Kui raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Not really, but cooperation is another matter."
"You have a great chance of becoming the future Council Chairman. I'll give you information, and in return, you'll grant me more freedom to report, including on Earth. How about it?"
"I don't need the information. As an exchange, how about suppressing some of my gossip news?"
He Kui narrowed his eyes and asked.
"Hmm."
This was somewhat against her principles, and Le Lu's face showed a hint of conflict.
"Just suppress it a little, reduce it, no need to completely eliminate it."
Reducing some gossip news could help maintain his image. Previously, he hadn't considered becoming the Council Chairman, so it didn't matter. Or rather, even if he had wanted to, he wouldn't have had the capacity to control public opinion. But now it was different; he had some spare capacity, so naturally, he wanted to manage it.
"Alright! But I'll also share any news I get with you."
"Thank you."
Seeing the deal struck, He Kui extended his hand.
The two shook hands firmly.
The agreement was thus sealed.
Meanwhile, later that same day, as the sky darkened,
He Kui arrived at Patrick's residence in December City.
"Councilor He."
Greeting He Kui at the door was none other than Athrun, with Nicol standing behind him. Both of them appeared more mature than the last time they had met.
Their expressions were also more eager than before, even Athrun, who usually showed little emotion on his face.
Of course, this eagerness wasn't about currying favor but rather about his research.
"Councilor He, please come in."
Athrun nodded slightly and stepped aside, while Nicol, unlike the stoic Athrun, smiled at him.
"Just call me He Kui."
"That wouldn't be appropriate~"
Nicol quickly replied.
"It's fine, we're all on the same side."
"How's the situation on Earth?"
He Kui didn't give them a chance to argue and continued as he entered.
"It's not bad, it's stabilized for now."
This was a small dinner gathering. Besides Athrun's parents, Nicol's father, Yzak's mother, and Dearka's father were also present.
It was essentially a parent version of the Red Uniform Squad.
And these parents were among the centers of power in PLANT, accounting for at least two-thirds of its authority.
Dining with them, even He Kui felt a rare sense of nervousness.
As his status continued to rise, occasions that made him nervous became increasingly scarce.
This was one of those rare moments.
"He Kui, while the Hydroponic Pod is important, the Nanomedical Pod is also needed," Sosis said with a light chuckle after meticulously cutting the steak on his plate.
Though it was a prompt, his expression was gentle, clearly carrying a hint of jest.
"The first prototype of the medical pod should be completed this week," He Kui replied with a smile, elegantly cutting into his own steak.
The delicacies before them weren't exactly expensive, but this "not expensive" was relative to the Zala family.
For an ordinary family, this meal would cost nearly a month's worth of Emergency Relief Grain.
It was precisely this disparity that nearly incited riots.
This gap was deeply rooted in the fabric of their world.
If you didn't climb up, you would fall.
Even He Kui himself would amass wealth, though in return, he could also do his best to protect them.
Meanwhile, as He Kui pondered over the steak before him, several council members paused their dining motions upon hearing his words.
"He Kui, are you serious?" Patrick asked, aware of the profound implications of He Kui's project.
Regeneration of severed fingers, post-natal Coordinators.
With this, they could even capture Sosis, subtly alter their obedience genes, and release them back.
They could potentially overcome the drawbacks of cloning, conquer most diseases, and perhaps even achieve immortality—though that was an extreme notion, and no one here was considering it yet.
"Yes, but it's just the most basic medical pod," He Kui replied, glancing at Sosis.
"He Kui is right. It's the simplest version, but it's 30% more efficient at treating traumatic injuries than our current medical pods, and the prognosis is also excellent," Sosis added in his refined manner.
Listening to Sosis's eloquent words, one couldn't help but wonder how this doctor had fathered Dearka.
Was it the mother's genes?
"But the cost has increased by 60%, production time by 800%, and maintenance costs are 500% higher than a standard medical pod," He Kui's words struck the room like a hammer.
With these figures, it seemed only Elite Red Coats could afford to use it and make it cost-effective.
"Can these costs be reduced through further research?" Patrick asked with a frown.
"Yes, they can," He Kui confirmed.
"If it can be managed, it would be a great benefit to the public," Patrick's brow relaxed slightly upon hearing He Kui's affirmation.
"By the way, how is our cooperation with East Asia going?" He Kui asked.
The room fell silent for a moment before Amalfi continued.
"The proposal has been approved. We will officially return the Kaohsiung Spaceport in a week."
"We've also agreed to many construction projects."
"Both the space station and the Colony will allow our Coordinators to occupy 30%, making it a win-win situation."
Of course, they were afraid He Kui might leave, but at this point, fear was useless.
Moreover, it was just a question. Not answering might only drive He Kui further away.
"In a week, then," He Kui murmured.
If they could receive this intelligence as well, then he didn't have much time left.
He would still need to make a trip to East Asia. He wondered if Murakumo Gai would be available this time.
"If we can reach a cooperation agreement this time, that would be great. East Asia's rejection of Coordinators isn't that severe after all."
Hearing He Kui's response, the others subtly breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, if He Kui had taken the initiative to say he wanted to take on the construction of the space station, they certainly wouldn't have been keen on the idea.
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