Chapter 9: Nuclear Explosion

He Kui's promotion to B-level and his advancement in position went smoothly. Although his rapid rise was impressive, it did not attract too much attention. Talents like Sule, who reached B-level at a young age and were on the verge of A-level, were far more remarkable. Compared to these prodigies, He Kui could only consider himself hardworking—perhaps he was a diligent type of talent.

As Valentine's Day arrived, He Kui pretended everything was normal, but in reality, he felt increasingly on edge throughout the day. Even the Haro he prepared for Sule suffered a reduction in its value due to quality issues. At this moment, however, he was more concerned about the brewing storm than the performance of his creations.

As an assistant engineer, He Kui was now part of a team, primarily assisting Sule with technical validation models.

"He Kui, what's wrong? You seem off today," Sule asked, frowning adorably.

"Nothing, sorry."

"Well, your micro-circuitry is misconnected. That's why the radar isn't responding."

Sule zoomed in on a corner of the radar interface on her computer, her tone slightly reprimanding.

"Got it."

Just as He Kui was about to pick up the tools to make the necessary adjustments, a shrill air raid siren suddenly blared.

The working crowd was startled, halting their tasks as they instinctively prepared to evacuate, following their previous training.

"Director Sule, do you know what's happening?" one of the other assistant engineers asked.

"I'm not sure. Let's head to the shelter first."

Sule glanced thoughtfully at He Kui, who was also making his way to the safe area, but quickly dismissed her thoughts.

The group moved orderly toward the shelter, and while many whispered anxiously, no one raised their voice. The atmosphere was eerily quiet.

"He Kui, what do you think is going on?" Sule asked, catching up with him.

"I don't know."

His uncertainty was genuine. Although he was aware that June City would be targeted for a nuclear strike, the chaotic fluttering of his "butterfly wings" had altered the outcome, making it unclear.

"I see."

After approximately three hours in the shelter, the alarm was finally lifted.

As they exited, He Kui was met with two pieces of news: the bad news was that the June City Seven colony had indeed been hit by a nuclear strike. The good news was that the majority of residents had evacuated to the colony's most fortified shelters, so the reported casualties were minimal, with only a few individuals remaining behind during the evacuation.

"The Earth Alliance actually launched a nuclear attack on our colony!" 

Upon returning home, He Kui found Shi He, her fists clenched in anger.

"Yes."

Despite the confusion caused by his own actions altering events, He Kui didn't dwell on it too much. He realized he needed to grow at his own pace, regardless of whether the plot played out as he remembered.

While Shi He was furious and insisted they must accelerate weapon development, He Kui continued his Haro business.

In the following days, the atmosphere within ZAFT grew increasingly tense. Despite the relatively low casualty count, the nuclear attack on a colony was a significant shock to PLANT. It signified that the Atlantic Federation was engaging in acts of genocide against them. If they had done it once, they could do it again, and a retaliation was necessary.

However, with the United Nations replaced by the Earth Alliance, even the previous International Court had dismissed PLANT's accusations against the Atlantic Federation for genocide. Instead, the Alliance issued a declaration that guaranteed each government would mobilize all resources, both economic and military, to assist allied nations in the conflict.

Every government promised to cooperate with the signatories of this declaration, explicitly stating they would not negotiate separate ceasefires or treaties with the enemy.

This declaration had undoubtedly drawn all Earth Alliance nations into an adversarial position against PLANT, making reconciliation impossible.

Amidst this backdrop, Chairman Clyne delivered a televised speech across all of PLANT, promoting an independent declaration and urging neutrality as a counter to the Alliance's declaration. This announcement aimed to encourage non-member nations on Earth to collaborate with PLANT, clarifying PLANT's stance.

The comprehensive war between PLANT and the Earth Alliance had officially begun.

The next morning, He Kui could hear the chants supporting retaliation echoing outside, and the previously deserted streets were now bustling with people carrying various signs. These were volunteers organized by the design bureaus participating in the march. Yet, regardless of the chaotic atmosphere outside, He Kui remained focused on his room, working on a new model of Haro—a radar type that would automatically sound an alert in case of danger. This version could provide additional ability points and be sold for two hundred credits more, though it was also costlier to produce.

"Ding Dong."

"Coming!"

He Kui opened the door.

"Kazama?"

He was greeted by the familiar face of Kazama, though he looked significantly more haggard than before, dark circles under his eyes betraying his fatigue.

"Come in. What's wrong?"

"Is your fiancée home?"

"Kazama, what's going on?"

Shi He emerged from the room.

"Never mind. I'll head back now. I'll visit again next time."

Kazama winked at He Kui before quickly leaving, his visit being brief yet enigmatic.

"What was that about?" 

"I have no idea."

They exchanged puzzled glances, wondering about Kazama's unexpected appearance.

"This is for you."

He Kui handed Shi He a small, four-legged transport robot. He had expanded his skills beyond just crafting Haros and could now create basic transport robots as well.

[You gifted Shi He Hanivis a present, Micro Component Processing +15]

[Shi He Hanivis Current Favorability 100]

[Experience Bonus 5]

[Micro Component Processing B-level: (1376/10000)]

[Sule Favorability 80]

[Experience Bonus 4]

[Information Engineering C-level: (528/1000)]

Looking at the numbers on the panel, He Kui sighed in relief. After a day of rest, he would likely be back at work the next day, and he could also upgrade his Information Engineering skills for a rating. Earning some bonuses wouldn't hurt either.