"It's been a long time, Director He."
"You should call him Councilor He now, Luo!"
Shuli, who was standing beside Luo, said with a hint of annoyance while looking at him, her face beaming with energy.
"Councilor He~!"
"Shuli."
He Kui didn't mind her somewhat sycophantic behavior.
As a councilor, his power wasn't limitless, but for Luo and the Waste Merchant Guild, he was indeed a significant figure worth currying favor with.
"So, what do you need us to do this time?"
Luo, who had walked with He Kui from the port to an empty, secure room, smiled and spoke with the same warmth as always.
As for Shuli, she waited outside as usual.
"There's a shipment I need you to transport to the outer waters of Alaska."
"The detailed coordinates are recorded here."
"Of course, please keep it confidential."
He Kui placed a finger on his index finger while his other hand rested on the table, where a display showed a container similar to the ones they had transported before.
On the edge of the display, detailed latitude and longitude information appeared.
The landing location was clearly in international waters.
"I understand."
Perhaps following instructions from the upper echelons of the Waste Merchant Guild, or perhaps out of trust in He Kui, Luo didn't ask further questions and readily agreed.
"Thank you."
"No problem."
"By the way, He Kui, do you know what's happening in South America?"
With Luo's question, the room fell into an eerie silence.
"I know about Panama. Many people died."
He Kui sighed.
In fact, he still had contact with Ailina. After she discovered his identity, he even sent her a gift. It did add something, but not SEED—it was a repeat of Lacus's piloting skills.
Perhaps SEED still needed to be unlocked. As for Ailina, she continued to hide her identity, wearing a mask and fighting as a squad leader. He wanted to persuade her to stop, but she wouldn't listen, so he could only follow her in AI mode.
Fortunately, there were only small-scale skirmishes there, and with Hergules's support, as long as they stayed hidden, there shouldn't be any accidents.
This was also the reason he had the girl wear a mask. Most people in South America knew about Ailina and him.
As long as Ailina was still around, she would attract Creuset's attention.
But stirring up trouble in Alaska could also benefit the situation in South America.
However, since Luo brought it up now, he must have guessed something, right?
"Yes, many people died, but thanks to one person, more people survived."
It seemed like Luo simply wanted to say this. After finishing, he bowed slightly to He Kui and left without delay, taking the cargo with him.
"A seventeen-year-old councilor."
Looking at the gradually receding PLANT Colony Satellite and the dark, unremarkable asteroid, the voluptuous professor sitting in the captain's seat sighed.
"It's really hard to tell, isn't it?"
"Right, He Kui is amazing."
Luo proudly gave a thumbs-up.
"Yes, establishing a good relationship with him early on has brought us many benefits."
This time, the professor surprisingly didn't deny Luo's words but instead agreed.
After the professor, Shuli also nodded excitedly.
He Kui was only a few years old now. Once he became the chairman in the future, they would have a chairman as a friend. In the Waste Merchant Guild—no, even in the entire Earth Sphere—if they went out and said they were close friends and partners of the PLANT chairman, and that they had contributed to the chairman's home, who wouldn't give them face?
"But this time, you still don't know what's inside, right?"
The professor interrupted the girl's daydream once again.
"Not sure, but the coordinates he gave are outside the battlefield between PLANT and the Atlantic Federation, so there's no danger."
"No danger, huh?"
The professor pondered.
"Do you remember the time we shipped a container to Orb for him?"
"Yes."
Luo nodded.
"It was around that time that 'Pallas' appeared in Alaska. The professor has mentioned it many times~"
Shuli interjected.
Not a single word, sentence, or content is missing in 69shu!
"Indeed, once isn't enough to confirm, but what if it's twice or three times? You should know that the containers we shipped were as tall as an MS."
The professor crossed his legs and brought the red wine glass to his lips.
"But the MS doesn't match. According to our intelligence, 'Pallas' was using a Strike Dagger Gundam on the battlefield in Alaska."
"Besides, even if he is Pallas, I think assisting him is fine if it's for peace."
For once, Luo also became serious.
Even if he didn't have the strength to participate in the frontlines, at the very least, he could still do what he was capable of.
"Peace, huh~"
The professor swirled the wine in his mouth, feeling the bitterness spread before finally swallowing it.
The matter was settled in this small discussion among Luo and the others.
Meanwhile, on the other side, He Kui, along with Shihe and Sulei, arrived at the radar room.
"If Creuset finds out that Luo has been here, he might set up an ambush."
Shihe frowned.
"If they really surround the Holm, you'll be caught between a rock and a hard place."
"I've already informed Mattias, and he'll help cover Luo's tracks."
They couldn't underestimate the enemy. Who knew where those endless spies from the clan would pop up next? Naturally, He Kui had also considered this possibility.
And he remembered that the professor was a close friend of Director Erica.
So he couldn't show any flaws in front of the professor, or what if she really told Erica?
Although it might not be a big deal, He Kui preferred to keep the initiative in his own hands when it came to exposing his identity.
"Don't worry, Luo is the luckiest man in the world."
He Kui laughed.
"If he says it, you can believe it."
"If your identity is completely exposed in PLANT, you know what will happen, right?"
Shihe said helplessly.
"I know."
With his reputation, he probably wouldn't end up in jail, but at the very least, his position as a council member would be gone, and his political career would be ruined.
But everything has two sides. As Pallas, he had only contributed to PLANT.
Therefore, as long as the identity of Aegis could lead them to victory, the actions of Aegis would undoubtedly translate into his own prestige.
Of course, for now, protecting himself was still the most important thing.
Aegis was a machine created to fend off external enemies and protect the fragile Colony Satellites of PLANT.
As He Kui pondered, the four of them began making their final preparations here.
(End of Chapter)