Chapter 76: Who is the New Deputy Director?

Time quietly flowed by.

Before them, the near-Earth asteroid belt gradually came into view, illuminated by the dazzling sun. 

Asteroids of various shapes floated silently in this region of space, unchanged for centuries, faithfully recording the history of the universe.

"This is the largest near-Earth asteroid belt in the vicinity, all of which have traversed from Mars. However, due to the explosion of the World Tree, this area has been contaminated by a lot of debris. Even after being cleaned up by the waste merchants once, it still hasn't been thoroughly cleared, so the radar's effectiveness here is quite weak," the captain explained to the two.

"If we're going to make a move, we need to do it quickly, as we're quite close to the Moon," he added.

"Understood, we're at a distance of 500; we can begin," Su Lei said, holding a black Haro connected to the console while seated in the reconnaissance Kin.

"Alright, the red squad will engage in reconnaissance. From here on out, you're on your own," the captain concluded, cutting off communications.

"You heard him; let's get moving," He Kui encouraged.

"Okay."

Their detection radar was integrated into the canopy of the reconnaissance Kin, which weakened its ability to locate enemies but significantly enhanced its sensitivity to mineral responses.

After briefly stating their names, the two quickly found themselves amidst the vastness of space.

Before them was a belt of debris, with various fragments and asteroids floating all around.

The remnants of the World Tree, along with countless years of accumulated space debris from humanity, had been reduced to mostly worthless pieces after being recycled by waste merchants. Some were pockmarked, while others were smooth as glass.

Technological remnants from different eras seemed to have come together in a chaotic time warp.

It was in this complex environment that the radar's practicality could truly be tested.

"The mineral radar system is operational, automatic scanning mode is active, mineral radar activated," He Kui skillfully typed on the keyboard. A wave of electromagnetic energy, invisible to the naked eye, was emitted, penetrating through countless fragments and small asteroids.

Simultaneously, various colored signals began to flicker on the radar screen.

"Black indicates useless signal feedback, corresponding to debris," He Kui began with the most abundant identifiers nearby.

"Looks about right."

"Next is green, indicating industrially useful metals."

"But there aren't any," Su Lei shrugged.

"...Let's keep looking."

Finding a suitable asteroid wasn't easy.

Two hours passed quietly, and just as He Kui felt his concentrated mind beginning to wane, the radar emitted a series of 'beep' sounds.

"Detected a metal response."

He Kui said as he steered the Kin towards the detected source.

Before long, the asteroid they had worked so hard to find came into view.

"It's an unrecorded asteroid; it must have recently come from Mars," he noted, circling the small asteroid, which was large enough for two Kins to fit side by side.

"Although it's relatively small, traditional radar confirms that this asteroid contains metallic minerals," he added.

"Let's bring it back; today's mission is complete," Su Lei said, relaxing a bit.

"Got it."

However, just then, the communication system of the reconnaissance Kin activated.

"Front heat sources detected, distance 1500; three Mobius units confirmed."

"They must be part of a patrol and planetary exploration team. Shut down engines for now," He Kui instructed.

Although the Nasca-class could easily engage and escape, they needed to conduct their tests, so the red squad issued the appropriate orders.

He Kui swallowed back the words he was about to say.

"Those guys are battle-hardened," Su Lei noted, seeing through He Kui's thoughts.

"True."

He Kui wasn't dissatisfied; he maneuvered the Kin to rest atop the asteroid.

"Could you be a bit more graceful?"

Watching the reconnaissance Kin awkwardly lie down like a turtle, Su Lei sighed.

"Being low-profile makes it harder to detect."

What's important is that landing like a superhero would certainly attract attention.

Before long, the three Mobius units turned and veered away from their position.

The return journey was uneventful.

"However, if your radar could recognize other resources, that would be great. Currently, with just two types of signals, we still have to rely on the old radar," Su Lei mentioned while transmitting the data from the radar using a portable computer under the Kin.

"For example?" He Kui asked.

"Blue could indicate water and ice, and red might represent geological anomalies," she elaborated.

"Blue should be feasible, but red? The data is too scarce to analyze automatically."

This radar needs to analyze the feedback signals, including depth, density, shape, and composition.

Finally, it would draw conclusions through the computer's automated processes.

The issue is that geological anomalies are essentially rare metals, of which only trace amounts have been discovered on PLANT.

"I'll try again when I get back!"

The successful radar test had clearly excited Su Lei.

"Great, but let's eat first."

"Once the transmission is complete, we'll go!" 

Hearing about food, Su Lei snapped out of her previous excitement.

"Then hurry up; I'll start preparing."

After borrowing a kitchen from the captain, He Kui prepared a meal of sauerkraut fish from Earth, and soon Su Lei joined him.

"Why did you make so much? Are you trying to stuff me?" 

Seeing three fish laid out before her, Su Lei was taken aback.

"It's for the crew on the ship."

"Oh."

There weren't many personnel on the Nasca-class ship, and they typically ate in shifts; at that moment, the cafeteria only had the two of them.

In the quietness, there was a hint of warmth.

Su Lei took a bite of the tender and juicy fish, the sour and spicy flavor gradually spreading in her mouth. The tender meat melted on her tongue, and the expression of happiness and satisfaction made He Kui, as the cook, smile.

"I heard that the new deputy director of the Hailan Design Bureau will be selected soon."

He Kui casually mentioned a rumor he had heard from the Waste Merchant Guild's website before leaving.

"Yeah, it's about time. That position has been vacant for so long, they should select someone from the pool of deputy director candidates," Su Lei replied.

"Who do you think it will be?"

Currently, there were only five candidates for the deputy director position.

To reach that level was quite challenging, and He Kui felt it was still far from him at this point.

"It could be Valerio Valle, who is responsible for the power and system development of the Zaku, or Erin Carbon, who is in charge of the Zaku's frame development. It's hard to say right now."

Both individuals mentioned by Su Lei were experts involved in developing the Zaku and could indeed become contenders.

"If it's Erin Carbon, then some measures we discussed earlier might be implemented," He Kui noted.

Unlike Valerio Valle, who was deeply engrossed in research and difficult to work with, Erin Carbon had a political background, making her decisions lean more toward the Defense Committee.

In contrast, although Valerio could be arrogant and hard to deal with, at least he focused on

research while spending his remaining time tinkering with small parts. Once he was in a position of power, he might not bother with the affairs of others.

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