As Fred finished speaking, he stepped back under the watchful eyes of the crowd, making way for Jiuer.
Witnessing this scene, the vast majority of people—whether they supported Fred or envied the young man—were left dumbfounded.
Logically speaking, having just completed the research, he could have said a few words himself to deepen everyone's impression of him and even boost his prestige.
Yet the young man seemed to deliberately avoid making a speech.
He simply announced the end of the test and left it at that.
At the very least, anyone else present would have given a speech.
Was it due to his noble character?
Under the increasingly admiring gazes of the crowd, Jiuer cleared her throat lightly.
She interrupted everyone's thoughts and once again drew their attention to herself.
"Everyone has worked hard."
Jiuer was one of the few who was not surprised by Fred's choice. Though her expression remained serious, her voice carried a slightly higher pitch than when she first entered.
The excitement in her heart subtly leaked through her calm tone.
Neither Fred nor the others found this strange. They all understood what the success of this Battleship meant.
It not only meant that Fred had become the father of PLANT's Battleship, but also that PLANT truly possessed its first Battleship.
They finally had a blade for counterattacks.
Thus, Fred could understand Jiuer's excitement.
Most of those present felt the same way.
Their faces were filled with excitement and restlessness, as if they could already envision the Coordinators standing proudly between heaven and earth.
Along with this, the gazes directed at Fred grew increasingly reverent.
Although Fred had chosen not to speak, this unconventional behavior unexpectedly earned him even greater admiration from those present.
Even some researchers who had previously envied him set aside their prejudices and began to lower their heads before Fred.
As for Fred, facing the expressions of the crowd and the occasional glances directed his way during Jiuer's speech,
he inwardly sighed with a bitter smile.
Though he couldn't decipher the expressions on most people's faces, he could sense the direction of their gazes.
They were clearly fixed on him.
His earlier decision not to speak seemed to have backfired.
But it didn't matter much. After all, these people were already under strict control by ZAFT.
It would be difficult for any news about him to spread.
Moreover, he had already made his stance clear to ZAFT.
If they still didn't believe him, there was nothing more he could say.
With these thoughts, Fred's expression remained largely unchanged.
Long periods of effort had long since tempered his mind to greater maturity.
What they thought was their business; he was still only doing what he believed was right.
Just as Fred snapped back to attention, Jiuer's words once again flowed into his ears.
"Our strength is to ensure that the term 'Coordinator' is forever linked with 'dignity' and 'future,' not equated with any other words."
Jiuer's words were filled with power, and as she said, PLANT truly should possess strength.
Only then could plans be made for future balance.
But PLANT's strength could not be too great, so that no future Coordinator leader would be foolish enough to want to provoke war.
The scale of this was rather difficult to grasp.
However, at this point, he still believed that Lacus would have a method.
As for what method, it was better not to think about such a difficult problem.
After this research, as long as he successfully made contact with MS, Fred's own plan would already be mostly successful.
As for how to maintain this balance in the future, of course, that would be left for Lacus and the others to worry about.
As long as he could trap and eliminate Creuset and the others, then the world would be vast and open, free for him to soar!
Thinking this, perhaps influenced by the atmosphere of the occasion, Fred's heart also grew excited.
Just as the atmosphere of the occasion was pushed to a climax by Jiuer's words.
Jiuer's upright figure turned toward Fred.
Her face wore a warm smile.
This was the first time Fred had seen her appearance.
Just as Fred was thinking somewhat calmly in his heart, Jiuer continued to speak.
"Director Freed, with the deepest passion of a patriot, you have led the team to this day. Your presence has been indispensable to the success of this experiment."
Hearing Jiuer's praise, under the gaze of most people's enthusiasm and a small number's jealous frenzy, Fred lowered his head slightly to show humility, while feeling quite surprised in his heart.
He had thought Jiuer would skip over him.
He had not expected her to speak so openly and honestly.
Moreover, was this "patriot" remark not actually mocking him?
Amid Fred's inner muttering, Jiuer continued without pause.
"In you, we see the most shining qualities of the Coordinator ideal: excellence, collaboration, and silent responsibility."
Upon hearing this, everyone applauded, only VV and the others looked gloomily at the focus of the crowd.
Even if they did not want to admit it, they had to acknowledge that Fred at this moment could truly be called accomplished and renowned.
On the other side, the members of the same team beside Fred all straightened their chests, appearing excited yet restrained.
Only after the applause gradually subsided did Jiuer continue.
"In the future, when this giant ship cuts through the starry sea, its wake will forever be inscribed with the sweat and wisdom you all poured into it today."
"This is not only a victory for ZAFT, a victory for PLANT, but also a victory for us Coordinators."
"May this spark ignited by you forever illuminate PLANT's path forward and warm our shared journey home."
"Thank you, Director Freed, Director Thomas, Director Edward, Director Chelsea, and thank you to everyone who has worked hard on the front lines!"
As she spoke, Jiuer also turned toward Fred and the other researchers, bowing deeply.
These were their own people after all, even though they intended to conceal Fred's contributions.
But at least here, she could sincerely express her gratitude.
Gratitude for his protection of Coordinators, for his contributions to Coordinators.
At the same time, Jiuer's remark about "patriot" was not sarcasm, but a heartfelt acknowledgment and even a hope that Fred could become one of them.
They indeed divided their forces by ethnicity, but Fred's performance and the changes he brought were enough for her to fully regard him as one of their own.
This was also why she placed Fred's name at the top of the list.
Upon hearing this, the crowd in the venue felt as if an even greater wave had surged upon an already turbulent sea.
Instantly, the venue erupted into a frenzy.
Cheers, encouragement, and blessings from everyone, filled with hope and longing for the future, echoed throughout the venue for a long time.