Why would I join the army if I can’t drive a Gundam!

Chapter 209 The Future of Zeonnik

As the commander of the occupying forces, Makarius's work was indeed quite complicated, but the workload was not too heavy, because the caretaker government led by Darcia was very cooperative and even ran much more smoothly than during the Zabi era.

Makarius attributed this to the lack of visible intervention. Of course, this is not to say that intervention was bad, but because in the past, the interference of the Führer's guard was simply creating trouble out of nothing. It not only failed to help the government solve its problems, but also increased the burden on the residents of Zeon. It was not even an outsider instructing an expert; it was purely a power grab for the sake of power grab.

So, less than a month after the Zabi family died, some Zeon people felt that this might not be such a bad thing. After all, life was even better than during the Zabi era, because there was no longer a need to support a huge army, and the daily rations that Zeon civilians could receive were no longer the extreme 800 kcal of the past, but had increased to 2,000. Of course, this was only temporary. The federal government was already mobilizing surplus war materials in the country to transport them to Zeon as rations for residents. It was conceivable that for at least one or two years, the lives of Zeon people would be closely related to the military rations of the Federation.

However, while the food problem has been solved, another very important issue remains pressing, one that, if left unresolved, could be akin to another massive bomb: Zeon's industry, which is now almost completely at a standstill. To expand its military and prepare for war, almost all of Zeon's domestic production and daily life revolves around a series of military industrial enterprises. Companies like Zeonic are incredibly large, employing nearly a million people in their upstream and downstream supply chains. Previously, companies like Zeonic had received substantial orders from the military, but after Zeon's defeat, these orders were decisively canceled by the caretaker government, leaving the workers in factories and other enterprises struggling to feed themselves.

Therefore, at the request of Hosfizer, the founder of Gionnic, Darcia had no choice but to seek out Macarius again!

“Darcia? Let him in!”

When Darcia arrived, Makarius had just gotten up and was having breakfast. To make it easier for him to work, he directly requisitioned a hotel on the street next to the Zeon Ministry of Defense as his and the other personnel of the occupation command. He was well aware of his position. If he were a general, he certainly wouldn't have been so polite. However, even though it was an ordinary hotel, the conditions were not bad, especially since the hotel chef was very skilled. After all, the hotel was close to the Ministry of Defense and several other military departments, and high-ranking officials frequently came and went, so the hotel naturally had its own merits.

Soon, Darcia walked into the restaurant wearing his light gray suit and a small round hat.

"Good morning, Mr. Prime Minister, please have a seat!"

"You rested well, right, Lieutenant Colonel?"

"Not bad, much more comfortable than sleeping in the warship's dormitory. It's just that I was forced to sleep on the floor the first night because I wasn't used to such a comfortable environment. Could you please bring the Prime Minister a breakfast as well?"

Darcia readily picked up his utensils and began to eat. Although he was old, he always had a good appetite. After all, his daily workload was quite heavy, and he couldn't keep up without eating his fill. Especially since he used to have to participate in Gihren's important speeches for the country from time to time, which often lasted for several hours. Darcia and many other officials had to stand obediently below.

After eating and drinking his fill, Makarius sipped his coffee and looked at Darcia.

"So, Your Excellency, is there something you need from me today?"

"It is like this, His Excellency Hosfizer of Zeonnik would like to invite you to visit Zeonnik's industrial satellites!"

"Oh, I had completely forgotten about that! I'd really like to visit your Zeon factory!"

Darcia then saw Makarius become excited, and he couldn't wait to get up and look at Yudin beside him.

"If you have any documents, handle them for me. If you're unsure, let me know. Send someone to inform Captains Amuro and Brad that we're heading to White Base! Also, all pilots in the battle group who are interested, assemble at White Base!"

"understand!"

Yudin nodded, then immediately left the room to deliver the message.

When they learned that Macarius was going to take people to visit Zeonic, many pilots in the battle group became interested. They had fought against Zaku Tiger Dom and other improved mobile suits so many times, and were naturally curious about what kind of company created these mobile suits. Subsequently, the large group rushed to the dock and boarded the white base under the watchful eyes of Bright.

"Sir, isn't this a bit too lax?"

Brad looked at Makarius and then spoke.

"Half of the mobile suit pilots in the entire battle group are here. What if something happens in Zum City?"

"Then he'd better have an accident. The entire fleet of Magellan-class battleships is waiting outside the satellite. Even if Char comes, he won't be able to take them down immediately. I'd like to see if this guy who dares to cause trouble can take down those battleships first or if our people will blow up the colony satellite first!"

"I was just overthinking it!"

Brad could only sigh that this was someone who had survived countless trials and tribulations. No matter how harmless they looked, they could be decisive and ruthless when it came to the crucial moment. Compared to him, he seemed to be getting old!

"Captain, although I don't know about other things, frowning like that all the time will really make you look old!"

"Milai probably wouldn't like an old man either! You agree, Milai?"

Then, Makarius saw Brad's face turn visibly red, and the helmsman standing in front of the wheel also turned red in the ears.

"Who would like that old-fashioned guy!"

The helmsman stammered as he turned around and said.

Then, Brad fell into deep self-doubt. Even after returning to his captain's seat, he was still pondering whether he was really old-fashioned because of his frequent frowning.

Although the captain was daydreaming, the White Base still left Zum City under the escort of two Salamis and headed deep into the Zeon satellite constellation. On the way, the crew saw the satellite cannon that had been bombed and was now surrounded by two squadrons. Even the main body of the cannon had been boarded by two brigades of ground troops.

Currently, a large number of technicians are evaluating the cannon. Makarius estimates that no one would be willing to dismantle it. Both the Federal Parliament and the Federal Army Command will prioritize allocating funds for its repair. After all, the existence of such a strategic weapon is a deterrent to any anti-Federal forces.

Beyond the satellite cannon lies a series of so-called military satellites, modified to resemble various Earth-like terrains, including mountains, rivers, lakes, deserts, and even oceans. Various technological weapons produced by companies like Zeonnik Zmard are tested here before being deployed to Earth. Behind these test satellites are a series of production satellites, and Zeonnik's manufacturing plants are located here!
When the white base and escort fleet appeared in this dark space, the two Salamis ships on guard duty immediately released two GM squads and sent a warning to the fleet.

After confirming the identification code, the GM squad escorted the fleet until they entered the port before returning. The strict inspection procedures here were naturally stipulated by Macarius. It was best to station more guards in a place like a military factory, otherwise, there would be situations where people would infiltrate and steal experimental mobile suits under testing. Macarius didn't want to hear any more nonsense about the Zeon cause.

The Geonnik Company, which he is inspecting today, is a well-known and prestigious company. The fact that it is named after Geon speaks volumes about its extraordinary status.

It can be said that the Zeon Corporation accompanied the Zeon army from its inception to its current state. In the early days of the Muzo Republic, the Zeon Corporation produced rifles, armor, and even vehicles and space robots for its security forces.

Later, with the establishment of the Zeon army, the development of more heavy equipment was put on the agenda, including tanks, fighter jets, and warships. Zeonic received more and more funding until the advent of the mobile suits.

The Zaku they developed was even the first mobile suit in human history. In the past, in the tall factory buildings located inside satellites, machines roared day and night, and a steady stream of raw materials flowed in from one end of the production line. After being processed in various workshops, they were finally transformed into tall mobile weapons and rolled off the production line. The scene was spectacular. But now, this place is in its twilight years.

The founder of Zeonnik, Hosfizer, had been waiting outside the factory for a long time. He was an elderly and frail but vigorous white-haired gentleman. When he saw Macarius surrounded by a crowd and even had a small team of Jim Cosmic Commanders acting as guards behind him, the old man immediately shook off his attendants and strode towards Macarius.

"You must be the famous Red Dragon, right?"

"I wouldn't call myself famous, I'm just somewhat well-known!"

Marcarius raised his right hand and then gestured a tiny universe on his fingertips.

"That's quite a bit of fame for them. Those kids have racked their brains and gone to great lengths to beat you!"

Old man Hoss raised his cane and pointed to a building not far away.

"They worked day and night there, developing one machine after another, but in the end, sigh, I thought to myself, I must meet you, the famous Federation ace! Now, I finally have the chance!"

The old man's words carried a hint of regret. There was nothing that could be done about it. After all, the being before them was someone who had made the designers of Zeonic vomit blood. In order to create a mobile suit that surpassed the performance of Gundam, the designers of Zeonic were almost bald. But what was the result? Neither Zaku nor Tiger, nor Dom or Warrior, were any match for him.

At that time, whenever the Zeon Ministry of Defense held a meeting of military-industrial complex enterprises, it would always bring up Gundam for comparison. Finally, when Zeonic finally developed the Warrior, a mobile suit that was comparable to Gundam, the war ended. Not only were the designers unwilling to accept it, but the old man was also unwilling to accept it.

"Lord Fizele, if I may be so bold, even if you were given another ten years, you still couldn't do it!"

"Yes, after all, the Federation Army's technology is also improving..."

"This has nothing to do with technological advancements. The most important thing about a mobile suit is its pilot. Whether it's a Zaku or a Warrior, when it's used for evil purposes, it's destined to fail!"

Makarius pointed to Jim behind him.

"Someone once asked me this question: Have you ever seen Jim up close? The lives it saves are beyond your imagination. I would also like to ask you: Have you ever seen Zaku slaughtering innocent civilians up close?"

Fizele shook his head and then sighed silently.

"I have seen it. During the Battle of Britain, I saw colonies destroyed by nuclear missiles launched by the Zaku, and I also saw colonies filled with G2 gas. The streets were littered with all kinds of corpses, their faces contorted from inhaling the gas. Before they died, they wished they could tear their own throats and rip out their own tracheas. Everyone's hands were covered in congealed blood!"

"I'm sorry, but I was unaware of these details!"

"Yes, you are unaware of this, which is why you will never be able to build a machine that can defeat Gundam. This is not due to insufficient technology or poor craftsmanship, but rather the original intention behind developing weapons!"

As the two were talking, the crowd had already entered the workshop that had been shut down for many days. On the assembly line, there were still many unassembled mobile suits, all of which were MS-14 Warriors. This mobile suit was well designed, but unfortunately it was designed too late. Only about twenty of them could be put into use in the Abaoa Sky Fortress.

"Warrior is a good machine. If we didn't already have the GM, the Federation might also be interested!"

"But in terms of performance, this machine is far superior to the GM, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but what can you do when it's a Zeon machine!"

"So, Giannisk has no hope, is that right?"

“I understand that you went to great lengths to invite me here because you wanted to see my stance as an ace pilot and hear me speak up for Zeonic. But I’m sorry, Zeonic, Zmmad, and MIP Corporation will all become dust in history. I think you’ll receive a notification soon!”

Fizele fell silent. Although the news was not enough to break the old man, it was enough to make him feel heartbroken.

"As for the employees of Gionic, I know they are protesting, but I think it would be better to compare them with the war refugees in Side 2 and Side 5. What do you think? At least you, who created the machines of destruction that destroyed their homes and slaughtered their families, still have warm houses and happy families!"

“I understand. If this is the atonement that Zeon must make for the sins he has committed, then I understand!”

(End of this chapter)