"Day after tomorrow. I understand."
Although it was possible to use the excuse of modifications to hide the new Aegis inside the two Mobile Suits, there was still some risk involved, making it a backup option.
He Kui nodded thoughtfully after chatting casually with Dearka before cutting off the communication.
This path was a contingency plan, and he had another plan in mind.
Without hesitation, He Kui left the radar room and headed straight to the security department.
"Mr. Hawke."
Inside, Old Hawke was as focused as ever, monitoring everything around the base and checking the incoming and outgoing ships.
He was very serious about his work, and when he suddenly heard He Kui's voice, he jumped slightly in surprise.
"Director He, you scared me!"
Old Hawke said helplessly as he looked up.
Having talked more often, and with He Kui's strong insistence, their relationship had become less hierarchical.
"Have you found the candidates I asked you to keep an eye on?"
"Speaking of which, I was just about to look for you."
Old Hawke said as he sent a file from the computer in front of him to He Kui's wristband.
"The first batch of recruits has been screened. These are all trusted pilots approved by ZAFT."
He Kui's previous pilots had not yet been recruited, and this time he could directly recruit from the Red Uniforms.
However, since the number of Red Uniforms was small, only three files made it to He Kui after the screening.
"Are they all your classmates?"
"Two of them are."
He Kui replied.
But whether they were classmates or not, he had always been a nobody back then.
He did know these two, both of whom were once the pride of the heavens.
It seemed they had also been assigned to the front lines.
He never expected they would want to come to him now.
In terms of strength, they were definitely below Lika, but they still had the capabilities of ordinary Red Uniforms.
As for the Green Uniforms, he would just select a few with strong talents as usual.
For him, with his new abilities, it was even more convenient. Of course, talent was important, but character was equally crucial.
"Have them come over tomorrow."
"Alright."
Although Old Hawke was a bit surprised by He Kui's decisiveness this time, he still agreed.
"Then I'll take my leave."
He Kui accelerated the recruitment process, wanting them to form a team quickly to take on missions.
As for training? He was recruiting combat-ready individuals, each with rich battlefield experience, so basic testing would suffice.
Otherwise, if he made them undergo new recruit training, he would probably be the one getting teased.
"Okay."
Watching He Kui leave, Old Hawke felt a mix of emotions.
Recently, his two daughters had been talking about He Kui a lot. He wasn't completely oblivious; just by observing his daughters' expressions, he could roughly guess their feelings.
He could still talk to others about it, but with He Kui, to be fair, being by his side was indeed the safest option.
But the problem was, He Kui was hard to grasp, and his relationships were so complicated.
Even if Coordinators were generally more open-minded, Old Hawke still found it quite a headache.
However, no matter what he said now would likely have the opposite effect, so in the end, he could only let his daughters play on their own for the time being.
They were both smart, and they had grown up.
Pulling back his complicated thoughts, Old Hawke continued with his work.
Meanwhile, He Kui quickly returned to his office.
"He Kui, you're back~"
Meyrin jumped up upon seeing He Kui, looking quite pleased as if to say, "You didn't scare me today."
"I'm back."
"How's it going?"
Meyrin's progress with the Quantum Virus had reached a certain level, and she no longer needed him to guide her step by step; she just needed him to occasionally provide some ideas.
"Very good! I've already looked at 63% of your work!"
The girl said happily.
"That's great."
He Kui nodded at her words, then a warm smile spread across his face.
Just then, the mechanical sliding door opened again.
"Meyrin~"
Sulei's energetic voice trailed off as she spotted the boy in front of her.
"Oh, you're here too, busy person."
Sulei's smile turned into a teasing smirk.
"Just finished up."
"Oh, and what's next? What do you need Meyrin for?"
Sulei stepped between the two, forcing herself into their space.
"Meyrin is my secretary, right?"
He Kui looked at the girl in amusement.
"Hmph, she's still my apprentice."
Facing He Kui's gaze, which seemed to carry a tangible warmth, Sulei averted her eyes, though her tone remained proud.
"Well, that's just perfect."
"What's perfect?"
Before Sulei could finish her question, He Kui had already lowered his head and skillfully kissed the girl's cherry lips.
"Mm!"
Any resistance she had due to Meyrin being behind her melted away in the heat of He Kui's kiss.
Even her once-clear mind slowed down a beat.
Meanwhile, Meyrin, watching the two kiss, wanted to look away but found it impossible.
She felt a pang of jealousy in her heart, mixed with an even stronger, unfamiliar impulse rising from within.
"Alright then, Meyrin, would you like to come to our house for dinner?"
Still holding the now completely relaxed Sulei, He Kui smiled at the girl.
"Mm."
Though she wanted to refuse, she also didn't want to. At that moment, two conflicting feelings battled within Meyrin like angels and demons.
"After all, I won't get pregnant, so even if we just play around, it should be fine, right?"
After forcefully convincing herself, Meyrin gently nodded her head.
Sulei, still in He Kui's embrace, didn't turn to look at Meyrin; she just raised her head and shot He Kui an annoyed glare.
It was clear that He Kui had anticipated her arrival and had taken the opportunity to directly mention it to Meyrin.
And most importantly, Meyrin had actually agreed.
But it wasn't too surprising; Coordinators were generally more open-minded.
However, "Are you up for it~?"
Sulei leaned closer to He Kui's ear, asking mischievously.
Even if they weren't in the best physical condition, all three of them were Coordinators, and with Shihe being a Red Uniform, it was possible for them to abandon their weapons midway.
"Of course, I can do it!"
He Kui emphasized.
At most, he would just reduce the frequency and spread it out evenly.
That was still doable, but Cagalli's issue would have to wait until the Creuset problem was resolved.
Not thinking too much, He Kui took Meyrin and headed home with Sulei.
At that moment, Shihe quickly noticed the additional Meyrin but didn't seem surprised; she just smiled and walked over to take Meyrin's hand.
"Come sit down; it's time to eat~"
"Okay."
Facing this director and He Kui's formal fiancée, the girl felt quite nervous.
With mechanical steps, Meyrin walked to the dining table, hesitant to speak much as the three took turns teasing her, creating a warm atmosphere.
At this moment, more people gathered around the round dining table.
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