Chapter 36: To Brush or Not to Brush

Having spent about a week on Earth, He Kui couldn't help but marvel at Australia's incredible weather. The year-round heat coupled with the ocean's influence created a humid climate that left him feeling like a soaked sponge after just a short walk. Compared to the high-tech temperature control back in PLANT, the difference was stark.

Thanks to the Gulf of Carpentaria, he had indulged in fish he hadn't tasted in years.

During these days, He Kui had also been busy sharing his knowledge of Deen maintenance with the local support team.

"Take a look at this," Sule said, receiving a Haro from He Kui and placing an internal notice document in front of him.

It was a notification regarding the confirmation of a new unit proposal.

The document clearly stated that the final decision was to go with the original plan for Unit Three. 

The reasons were explained: the rear skirt armor design was inconvenient for movement, and the hands didn't serve much purpose for an airborne warning type. It even mentioned He Kui's achievements, indicating that it could potentially be used as a shield or for offensive maneuvers.

The document was signed by the Equipment Development Department of the Defense Committee.

"Sorry," Sule said regretfully. He Kui's ideas were indeed innovative, but they couldn't compete against the established powers.

"It's fine," He Kui replied.

After Sule had prepared him for this outcome, he had anticipated the rejection, but it still felt disheartening when it was confirmed. His recent pride had been dampened.

The Equipment Development Department hadn't even bothered to meet him in person; they simply dismissed him with a memo. If they truly wanted to, they could easily find ways to sideline him.

"Anyway, this was just a trial run. There will be many more opportunities in the future—ah!!!"

Before Sule could finish, she let out a loud scream that startled He Kui.

"What!? Is the Alliance attacking again?" 

He quickly looked at the radar monitor in front of Sule.

"Y-you! Behind you!"

Sule pointed in horror toward the door, and He Kui instinctively tensed up and turned around, only to find a massive spider—an oversized, hairy, gray-brown creature straight out of an animal documentary.

"W-wait a second!"

He Kui, speechless, picked up a pencil from the desk and threw it at the spider like a dart, instantly piercing it.

"It's just a spider; no need to freak out!" 

"Aren't you scared?" Sule asked, still trembling.

"Not really; I've seen worse."

"Almost forgot, you're originally from Earth."

Many Adjusters raised in PLANT had a phobia of spiders.

"Well, I'll take my leave now."

Seeing that eliminating the spider didn't increase Sule's favorability, He Kui sighed in disappointment.

He had been trying to raise her favorability, but it still hadn't maxed out. Cooking alone wasn't enough to impress her anymore, and he wondered what else he could do. For now, he decided to let things unfold naturally.

"Wait, make sure to take the spider out with you!" 

"Got it."

As He Kui walked from Sule's office to the maintenance area, he unexpectedly ran into a familiar face.

"Ed?" 

"He Kui! Long time no see! You're hard to find; I've been searching the base for nearly half a day."

Ed, with his flashy blonde hair and dressed in green, stood before He Kui.

"Are you alright? I hadn't heard from you for a while."

"I'm fine. We're part of the equipment escort unit."

"That's good to hear."

"But I might have some issues coming up."

"What kind of issues?"

"I might be stationed at the Carpentaria Base for a while, He Kui!"

Ed said this with a near-tearful expression.

Although the Carpentaria Base was crucial and still under construction, not many wanted to be stationed there. After all, it was the only base on Earth, and the Earth Alliance would likely target it for direct assaults. Even without large-scale combat, there would still be sporadic harassment and localized conflicts, making it a high-risk area with unfavorable weather conditions.

"Can you apply for reassignment?" 

"Not anymore; all the positions are filled. But I at least want to request a guard unit. While I won't be able to earn battle achievements, safety is more important than that. We're not Red Robes after all," Ed lamented. For those without connections, good assignments were hard to come by.

"That makes sense."

"I've heard there are many pirates on the civilian routes outside now. Staying in PLANT is definitely better," Ed said, his eyes flashing with envy. With the universe and Earth both facing battles, neither the Earth Alliance nor PLANT had the energy to maintain safe shipping lanes. Some pirates might even be disguised soldiers. In contrast to the frontline soldiers or mercenaries fighting for their lives, people like He Kui, working in the design bureau, had a much safer existence. If they didn't have any ambitions, they could simply relax in PLANT. While life wouldn't be too comfortable, at least their safety was assured. If colonies were attacked, it was likely that the frontline troops would have already met their demise.

However, if someone lacked talent in micro-manipulation, it would require time to accumulate skill. The pressure within PLANT wouldn't allow them much time. He Kui had progressed remarkably, moving from a novice to a B-level engineer in just a few months—quite an achievement that placed him above the elite Green Robes.

"I still haven't been able to see my fiancée," Ed added with regret, his envy evident.

"Ah, right. Here, take this."

He Kui took out a round, black Haro from his backpack and handed it to Ed.

"Why are you giving me a Haro? I'm not your fiancée."

"This one is integrated with infrared mode and blast shield mode. When activated, it functions like a small cover. While it may not be much use in MS battles, it can offer some protection in close-quarters combat. It can withstand a normal RPG shot."

This feature was akin to a game's wall-hack combined with armor—useful for solo ground combat when facing multiple enemies. With an Adjuster's accuracy, it could easily turn the tables, but in reality, if a MS were hit, the cockpit could be blown apart, and ground troops could be targeted by aerial fighters. Real-life skirmishes were rare.

"Thanks."

As Ed accepted the Haro and the virtual window in front of He Kui remained unchanged, he let out a sigh of relief.

If anything unexpected happened, whether to brush up on his skills or not was a dilemma he would have to face.

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