Who is Playing the Love Development Game in Gundam

The next day, as agreed, He Kui followed members of the Clyne faction to a hidden underground room in the central district of April City.

Despite the lack of sunlight, the room was well-lit, with tasteful decor showcasing the owner's refined aesthetic, including valuable paintings, plants, and various decorations.

"We've arrived," said the young woman who had led He Kui down into the room. She flashed a sweet smile and curtsied, her figure graceful and her shirt slightly unbuttoned, revealing a hint of her chest.

"Feel free to contact me anytime," she added, her voice flirtatious.

"Thank you." He Kui had grown accustomed to such interactions.

Bidding farewell to the enthusiastic young woman, he entered the room alone.

"Director He, we've been expecting you," said one of the three people who rose to greet him.

"Clyne Representative, Miss Lacus," he acknowledged the familiar faces before turning his attention to the mentor seated beside Clyne.

This was his first time meeting the mentor in person.

The man's peaceful aura seemed to calm He Kui as well. It was easy to see how this person had come to be regarded as a spiritual leader.

"This is Mentor Malchio," Lacus introduced, guiding He Kui to the seat beside her.

The four of them sat around a large round table, allowing for a spacious arrangement.

"Mentor Malchio, it's an honor," He Kui greeted, bowing slightly.

Since his first arrival on the moon, Malchio's name had frequently come up in conversations. This was someone capable of influencing the world, and now, he was seated right in front of He Kui.

Of course, everyone in the room had the potential to influence or was already influencing the world on a grand scale.

"Director He, greetings," said Malchio, extending his hand, which He Kui shook with a respectful nod.

Although the four gathered, they discussed only light, everyday topics over a meal, not delving into serious matters until the meal was finished.

"Do you think the compromise proposal has any chance of passing, Mentor Malchio?" He Kui asked.

"That depends on the decision of the Supreme Council," the mentor replied. Clyne then interjected, "Currently, our faction doesn't hold the majority in the Supreme Council."

"And honestly, this proposal lacks sincerity," Clyne said, sending a document to He Kui's device.

"In the current tense atmosphere, to pursue mutual peace and stability, we propose the following terms to establish a new, mutually respectful, and beneficial relationship."

The opening sounded well-intentioned, but the specific terms were riddled with arrogance as He Kui read further.

"The Earth Alliance officially acknowledges PLANT's autonomy and respects its right to self-governance."

That sounded fine, but there was more.

"However, while maintaining autonomy, PLANT must accept limited oversight by the Earth Alliance and abide by jointly established international laws and regulations, as outlined below."

The following restrictive clauses essentially nullified any actual autonomy.

"To ensure peace and stability in the region, both sides should work together to maintain a balanced military presence. PLANT must gradually reduce its MS production and development to meet mutually agreed-upon military limits."

The limits would cap PLANT's standing forces at no more than one-tenth of the population and MS units at no more than one ten-thousandth of the total forces.

While these restrictions supposedly applied to the Earth Alliance as well, their larger population already made the scales uneven.

And PLANT's population would only decline over time.

Each clause read as though it were less of a peace proposal and more of a declaration of surrender.

It was clear why they needed the mentor's presence; if a military officer from the Earth Alliance presented this, Patrick Zala might have had them executed on the spot.

After all the fighting, this "compromise" was no different from what had been on the table before the war.

"Operation Endurance is set to commence," He Kui stated bluntly.

"Do you believe it will succeed, Director He?"

"I'm not certain. But staking everything on this one battle is incredibly risky."

"Yes, it's a desperate gamble. Zala must know we're running out of time."

For Coordinators, time was indeed running out. With the Earth Alliance's MS developments, Coordinators faced an impending deadline.

Of course, Genesis was also one of Patrick's last resorts. Judging by the time, it was likely nearing completion.

"What do you think of the future landscape, Director He?" Malchio asked, his voice calm yet with an undertone of guidance, like a shepherd leading his flock.

"You're likely aware that the fertility rate among Coordinators is declining with each generation. By the third generation, it will be nearly impossible for Coordinators to reproduce naturally."

"Thus, Coordinators are not the future, as Patrick believes. They are merely a transitional phase—perhaps even a flawed experiment."

While Malchio's words could have been seen as blunt or offensive, they somehow sounded perfectly reasonable coming from him.

The future for Coordinators was set to be challenging. For their survival, quick negotiation and reintegration into the Earth Alliance was, from a practical standpoint, the best option.

"Perhaps so..." He Kui responded noncommittally.

"But I'm not in a position to wield influence on par with you three."

"Previously, with the compact MS project, our collaboration was quite smooth," He Kui continued. "Of course, we could deepen that cooperation."

Clyne nodded thoughtfully.

Following that, the group refrained from further in-depth discussion, and He Kui eventually took his leave.

He had made his stance clear; they should understand his position as well.

He was simply a pragmatist who preferred to avoid becoming embroiled in disputes over PLANT's future.

As long as the incentives were substantial, he had no issue remaining neutral.

Zala's faction used him to rally morale, while the Clyne faction sought to sway him to influence public opinion.

Zala's faction's ultimate solution would be to eliminate him.

But Patrick wouldn't do that—at least, not if he remained level-headed.

The Clyne faction had even less reason to harm him.

Caught between the two, he was in a position to maximize his freedom and gain.

With Athrun and his group returning soon, the new mobile suit tests would also begin.

Then there was the Alaska target, which wasn't far from Orb, where Aegis was stationed.

He Kui had reinforced the radar on his asteroid with a quantum firewall, and using the radar from Boaz and Tassil with backdoors he had discreetly placed, he could securely control Aegis from afar.

Reflecting on how easily Rau Le Creuset had infiltrated Alaska in the original storyline, He Kui began to form a plan.

Whether or not the intelligence leaked, he'd be able to catch sight of Rau's movements. 

As long as he captured the evidence and followed Rau into the area, sending the information about Cyclops back to the nearest command ship, his mission would be complete.

If Rau didn't appear, that would mean the intelligence hadn't leaked.

He would need Alaska's blueprints and a highly stealth-capable mobile suit for this plan.

He Kui thought about the stack of experimental components he had been discreetly accumulating in his asteroid's storage.

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