Looking at Lu Tianming's excited and somewhat fanatical eyes, Mina couldn't help but feel... this man might be even crazier than her.
That sense of being willing to sacrifice even his own life to achieve his ideals... she felt Gina paled in comparison. At the very least, Gina probably wouldn't scheme to use himself as a pawn in his plans.
If he didn't even care about his own life... then what was the purpose of realizing these ideals? Was he simply a fanatical idealist?
Or was it for someone more important and precious to him than his own life?
Mina didn't know... but at least for now, she didn't have the confidence to continue probing further. She could only force a smile and accept Lu Tianming's "recruitment."
Shortly after Mina left through the door, Cagalli cautiously peeked her head in. Seeing Lu Tianming still sitting in his seat, she immediately walked over with concern and tentatively asked:
"...Hey, that woman who just left looked pretty fierce. She didn't do anything to you, did she?"
Seeing Cagalli's gaze darting toward the door as if still shaken, Lu Tianming found it somewhat amusing.
It seemed... she must have caught a glimpse of Mina earlier.
"No, we just had some basic discussions about mutual interests. Nothing particularly serious," Lu Tianming waved his hand and said with a laugh. Given that the Sahaku family was already in a somewhat compromised position... she hadn't displayed the expected dominance and madness.
Even when she attempted to seize control of the conversation, he had easily suppressed it.
"That's good—Father asked me to remind you to prepare a speech draft. You'll probably need it for your inauguration speech in a few days."
"Just talk about how you plan to lead ORB to survive in this war-torn world. It's fine to make it grand and ambitious. They say during wartime, people need inspiring, powerful speeches."
"And to be honest, public expectations of you are surprisingly high right now... If your promises are too modest, people might actually criticize you for lacking backbone."
As Cagalli said this, she seemed to recall something amusing, and a slight smile unconsciously crept onto her lips.
Seeing her expression... Lu Tianming knew she was probably thinking about that "God-Blessed One" title currently circulating.
This title... while outsiders might find it impressive when mentioning it, being called that by acquaintances was actually quite awkward.
It felt like having your cringey chuunibyou past dug up and publicly exposed.
"The inauguration speech..."
Lu Tianming sighed helplessly. Thinking about it now, it was almost laughable—before transmigrating, he was just an ordinary college guy, and now in what seemed like no time, he was about to become president.
He felt an inexplicable sense of unreality, and for a moment, Lu Tianming suddenly found himself nostalgic for his student days when he could just use AI to generate speech drafts at will.
In this world where even Gundams can be manufactured, civilian AI technology is actually less advanced than before my transmigration... The mere thought of having to write his speech draft personally made Lu Tianming's head feel heavy.
It was a long-lost yet intensely familiar sensation... the reluctance to do homework.
————————————————
While Lu Tianming was worrying about his inaugural speech, an entirely different scene was unfolding at Blue Cosmos.
At this moment, Azrael had led his remaining troops back to Blue Cosmos' secret base. With their return, the Mobile Suit factory in the base resumed operations, continuously producing parts and assembling them into Mobile Suits to replace those lost in the previous battle.
"...Damn it, every time I see these Mobile Suits now, I'm reminded of the last battle."
Looking at the partially assembled Duel Daggers in the factory, their frames still exposed, Azrael couldn't help but shudder.
This sight always brought back memories of the last battle - the battered Duel Daggers scrambling back to their ships in disarray, making a hasty retreat.
"Then let's quickly pass through this area. After all, this isn't the main focus of your inspection today."
The Adjutant sighed lightly and made a gesture inviting Azrael to walk quickly through this part of the factory.
They hadn't come here to watch the assembly line of mass-produced units... They had another purpose.
Azrael nodded and walked past the ordinary Mobile Suit production workshops. After winding through several corridors, they finally reached an elevator. He pressed the button and descended underground.
Their destination wasn't the Mobile Suit production department, but rather the research and development division for Mobile Suits and their supporting equipment.
"Lord Azrael, you've arrived."
Just as they stepped out of the elevator, a researcher in a white lab coat holding an electronic tablet bowed, greeting this important figure.
Azrael seemed satisfied with this respectful reception, nodding slightly before asking, "How is the new round of Coordinator enhancements progressing?"
"Quite smoothly, my lord... Mass production has even begun - this is the Coordinator mass production workshop at Research Institute Number Two."
The white-coated researcher nodded and handed over his tablet, pulling up a video recording.
Azrael took the tablet and watched. The footage showed a laboratory where numerous humanoid figures with nearly identical appearances were immersed in cultivation tanks, resembling scenes straight out of a biochemical film.
"These are all clones based on a single genetic template. The original was a Coordinator Mobile Suit pilot, so theoretically, all these test subjects possess the ability to pilot Mobile Suits."
"However, these test subjects' lifespans, physical conditions, and personalities all exhibit some randomness... Their piloting abilities don't always fully manifest or can be consistently implemented."
At this point, the researcher shook his head regretfully - there were still too many unknowns about life for humanity. Achieving stable production of Mobile Suit pilots through cloning still required considerable technical research.
...However, creating not a pilot, but a 'bio-computer' similar to an 'AI' that can understand and execute commands is relatively much easier.
"But it's alright. As long as our bio-CPU technical verification unit is successfully completed and the technology is validated, this project can quickly move into practical production."
As he spoke, a flicker of excitement seemed to flash in his eyes. He led the way while chattering incessantly about the experimental project.
"Alright, Mr. Azrael—we've arrived. This is where we store the large transformable MA we mentioned to you."
The white-coated driver suddenly stopped at the end of the long corridor, smiling as he made an inviting gesture.
Curious, Azrael followed him out of the corridor and into the space beyond.
What greeted his eyes was the mechanical behemoth standing over fifty meters tall...and Shani, restrained in the open cockpit like a trussed duck.
"This is our project codenamed 'Destruction'...the large strategic MA."
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