"Lacus, what's wrong?"
"Canard has been assassinated."
Lacus said seriously.
"Was it in the Equatorial Union?"
He Kui was taken aback for a moment upon hearing the news, but then he calmed down.
After all, assassination is a common tactic of Blue Cosmos; they had previously dared to directly bomb the leaders of the Mainstream faction and the chairman of PLANT.
Now, bombing a diplomatic commissioner seemed trivial in comparison.
However, this action would undoubtedly have a significant impact on their diplomacy.
"That's right, Canard was assassinated in the Equatorial Union, but the Canard representative is fine and even saved the accompanying officials."
"Your bodyguards are quite impressive."
He Kui guessed something and teased with a smile.
"It's thanks to He Kui; after all, it was your Owl that discovered the assailants, and the deployment of the Anti-Blast Haro that allowed the Canard representative and other affected officials to escape unharmed."
At this moment, Lacus felt a sense of relief after the ordeal.
In reality, the scene was extremely dangerous; although the news didn't report it, the Equatorial Union had assigned personnel to guard every segment of Canard's itinerary.
They were afraid of someone planting a bomb, but unexpectedly, instead of a bomb, there was a suicide attack, and the attackers were spies embedded within their ranks.
"So, Lacus, you didn't come to find me just to talk about this, did you?"
While saving Canard was a pleasant surprise, would Lacus really come to him just for this? "Currently, the Equatorial Union is very curious about your machine."
Lacus said softly.
"So during the discussions, they brought it up, and Canard..."
"Canard agreed to it."
Thinking of Canard's somewhat indecisive personality, He Kui took over Lacus's words.
"Yes."
After all, this was He Kui's creation, and Lacus's expression wasn't too good after Canard unilaterally agreed.
The role of He Kui's Owl was too significant, and after the recent attack, everyone was still on edge, fearing they might be next, so they were reluctant to sign anything, prioritizing their safety.
Without safety, there could be no foundation for cooperation.
After all, dealing with the Atlantic Federation could lead to exploitation, and dealing with PLANT could mean having money but no life to spend it.
However, if they wanted it, they could negotiate, but making such a decision without informing He Kui was a bit disrespectful.
"What specific terms have been agreed upon?"
Hearing that He Kui didn't seem to blame Canard, Lacus sighed in relief, then felt a bit helpless.
He Kui was moving too fast; Canard probably thought the other party was easy to manipulate, and in the end, after being manipulated, she had to come and soothe things over, which was quite a predicament.
Canard was also too eager for results; otherwise, they could have discussed further.
"Providing two thousand Owls to protect the officials."
Discussing Owls during the energy exchange negotiations might seem a bit absurd, but for the many politicians who had just witnessed the capabilities of the Owl, it was undoubtedly a life-saving artifact—who wouldn't want it?
Moreover, with Blue Cosmos being so rampant, they were currently opposing the Atlantic Federation; although they were mainly targeting PLANT for now, who knew when it would be their turn?
What if Blue Cosmos suddenly went crazy, or perhaps they were already in a state of madness?
Nuclear bombs could be launched at any moment.
"So I need to make the design blueprints public for mass production."
Most of the Owl's parts cannot be manufactured by machines, so they require manual labor, and only by handing over the blueprints to PLANT can they be produced.
"That's right, we will buy out your Owl blueprints for 30 billion."
"Okay."
Hearing He Kui agree so easily, Lacus's lips parted slightly in disbelief.
Although three billion was a lot, the profit from this Owl was definitely more than that.
"But I want 2% of the royalties."
"Sure."
Upon hearing He Kui's words, Lacus didn't hesitate to agree.
"Then I'll have someone draft the contract and send it to you tomorrow."
Lacus said immediately.
"Alright."
After hanging up the communication, He Kui smiled.
Lacus didn't know that he had already updated the Owl to a smaller model.
Taking advantage of the current opportunity to sell it for a good price was indeed a very good deal.
"What's up? You look so happy."
Sulei said as she re-entered the room, facing He Kui.
"There's money to be made."
He Kui didn't hide it and quickly recounted what he had discussed with Lacus to the three of them.
At this moment, Meyrin frowned after hearing everything.
"I've heard so much... is it really okay?"
Meyrin gently tugged at He Kui's sleeve and said softly.
This information even included the trading details of the Equatorial Union; no matter how she thought about it, it wasn't something she should know.
"No problem, after all, Meyrin is mine."
Hearing He Kui's words, the girl felt a mix of shyness and warmth.
That night, after exchanging glances, Shihe and Sulei tacitly decided to leave for the time being, leaving only He Kui and Meyrin in the room.
Under the delicate starry sky, He Kui gently held the girl's hand and led her to the bed.
A day had passed, and the girl was less shy and nervous than the day before, more soft and inviting, making anyone who looked on feel a stirring desire.
A dreamless night passed, and the next day, He Kui set off early to the port, where the few people confirmed yesterday were also gathered inside the port.
"Lin Xinran, I'm glad you could join our company."
He Kui began.
"Thank you."
Lin remained somewhat indifferent, but the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, revealing a hint of a smile.
"Why do you want to come here?"
"To make money."
He Kui chuckled upon hearing this.
"Then Lin has come to the right place."
He Kui was asking a question he already knew the answer to; he had done background checks and knew Lin was in need of money, and the reason was simple—her family was ill.
Lin's purpose for coming to him was indeed very strong, and he had also researched her preferences.
However, as long as there were no issues with her identity or background, He Kui didn't mind.
"Mm."
The young girl seemed to be quite reserved, even when facing her boss, she only nodded in response.
"Lin is also from East Asia, right?"
"I'm a second-generation Coordinator."
"Mm."
After the simple and tentative exchange, He Kui ended the small talk and looked at Lin and the green-clad figure behind her.
"I've prepared the Mobile Suits you're accustomed to; Lin, as the captain, you'll be in charge of coordination. We'll set off the day after tomorrow to Panama for a defense mission."
He was continuing with the South American defense task, which was considered a relatively safe area, just right for this team that still needed to gel.
"Okay."
At this moment, in this four-person team, Lin, as the captain, would pilot the GAT-X, while the others would continue piloting the GINNs.
The acquisition price for the GAT-X was very high; even with He Kui's connections, it still cost nearly two billion.
Although there would soon be Lacus's 30 billion, it was not wise to spend recklessly.
Today there are only four thousand words; although six thousand were written, the remaining two thousand felt inadequate, and there's no time to revise, so it will have to wait until tomorrow.