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

Chapter 211 One whale fall, all things come to life
"Lamba, look who's here!"

After returning to Zeon, Ramball and Hamon went back to their ancestral home, which held countless fond memories for Ramball, regardless of whether he intended to revive the Ramball family's former glory.

At that moment, while he and Harmon were enjoying a simple yet cozy lunch at home, the doorbell suddenly rang. Harmon, who hadn't yet had time to rehire a nanny, got up to open the door.

Then, as Lanbarar was carrying a large bowl of rice, he heard his wife's joyful shout.

Then, Seramas, dressed in a Federation Army lieutenant uniform and wearing a peaked cap that concealed his blond hair, and Hamon walked into the room hand in hand.

"Uncle Ramba!"

"Aldesia, come on, sit down. I'll get you some tea, oh no, what would you like to drink? Soda, milk tea..."

"I'll just have tea!"

Artesia sat obediently on the sofa, while Markarius, who was following behind her, raised his hand quite naturally.

"Could I have a Coke, please?"

"There's no Coke here!"

"I'd like milk tea!"

"There's no milk tea either!"

Ramball immediately poured Makarius a glass of ice water, and even thought it wasn't enough, so he scooped in a spoonful of ice.

However, Makarius didn't stand on ceremony and grabbed Ramball's water glass, pouring half of his own ice water into it.

"Come on, cheers!"

"Boy!"

Ramball then raised his glass and drank the water just like Makarius, and then, not forgetting to chew the ice cubes with a crunching sound.

Meanwhile, Hamon was busy chatting with Sera about everyday things, and was also preparing to cook two more dishes to nourish her.

"No need, Aunt Harmon, we've already eaten!"

"Then let's eat some more, since we're already here!"

Upon hearing this, it was clear that they had to eat something. So, Sera took off her military jacket and followed Harmon into the kitchen.

"Then I'll help you!"

After Serra and Hamon left the restaurant, Ramball still looked at Makarius with a wary gaze, but his attitude was no longer as hostile as when Serra was there.

"So, you're leaving?"

"Yes, there's still a lot to do. I need to go back to Earth to take care of it, and I estimate I might not have another chance to come back for another year or two!"

"What about Serra?"

"She came back to Earth with me!"

"Can't we stay in Zeon?"

Do you think Zeon is safe right now?

Ramball was taken aback, then shook his head. Zeon seemed safe at the moment, but there were plenty of undercurrents surging beneath the surface. If it weren't for the Federation Army stationing a large number of troops in every satellite, there might have been another riot. The remaining members of the Zabi family who hadn't been completely captured, and the independent individuals who refused to submit to the Federation, were all making quite a scene. After all, in the new Republic government, meetings were filled with arguments and fights every day, and people were often carried out with bruises on their faces.

"It's better if she comes back to Earth with me. Even if we send her back to Zeon, we'll have to wait until this chaotic period is over!"

"I understand!"

"And that matter, now, we can begin!"

"Won't doing this cause a backlash within the federal government?"

"No, with Kinias there, there's no need to worry about the Federation forces. As for the parliament, they just need to raise the funds. Not to mention, Zeon should also take on part of the satellite reconstruction task!"

Marcarius glanced at the kitchen and then said.

"I have only one requirement: political reliability. I don't want anyone who is pro-Zabi!"

"I understand, I will send someone to investigate!"

Makarius nodded, then continued.

"You take charge of the Matsunaga family's affairs. As for Hoss, don't worry, he'll cooperate!"

"I understand, but why are you doing this?"

"That's definitely a backup plan!"

Marcarius cracked his neck, then looked up at the ceiling and continued.

"You never know when we might need it!"

"Hasn't the war already ended?"

"But has the problem been solved?"

Ramball was speechless, for it was the truth.

After having a meal at the Ramball family's house, Makarius left the mansion with Sera. Not long after the two left, Ramball also left, but he didn't rush to work. Instead, he drove around the streets a few times to make sure there were no tails following him before changing direction. Then, his car drove into another luxurious estate.

"Mr. Lamba, the chieftain is already waiting for you!"

Once the carriage came to a stop, a servant immediately stepped forward to open the door, while another led Lambaral through the garden path paved with bluestone bricks and into the room.

"Mr. Lamba, please have a seat!"

A tall, gray-bearded old man with white hair was already waiting in the garden greenhouse in a corner of the manor. A small table was set with exquisite tea sets and delicate pastries; even before approaching, a rich, sweet aroma filled the air. At a time when sugar and butter were still controlled commodities, rationed and subject to strict regulations, such an afternoon tea was clearly beyond the reach of an ordinary Zeon family. But alas, the owner of this manor was named Matsunaga!

As the earliest East Asian immigrants to arrive in Side 3, the Matsunaga family accumulated a vast fortune through trade and became one of the few major financial groups in Side 3. Their family status was second only to the Zabi family, of course, before the Lall family was wiped out.

"Long time no see, Mr. Ken!"

"Yes, the last time we met was at Mr. Deacon's funeral. I never imagined that so many years would have passed and things would turn out like this!"

"This is what the head of the Matsunaga family, Kenjiro Matsunaga, remarked."

"Yes, who could have imagined so many things would happen? I heard your third son also joined the army. I wonder if he has returned safely?"

"That kid is back safe and sound!"

"That's good. After this battle, countless families will have been wiped out. It's good that you can come back safely!"

Due to systemic issues, most of the noble sons of the Principality of Zeon joined the mobile suit forces, and the result was that the particle beams fired by mobile suits piloted by civilians were just as deadly as those fired by the noble sons.

"It's just a pity about General Dozru!"

The relationship between the gorilla and the Matsunaga family is not shallow. Back then, the third son of the Matsunaga family, Matsunaga Makoto, damaged military property and violently beat up military police. He was almost taken to the shooting range and shot. He survived thanks to Dozle. After joining the army, he was still a problem child, always beating up his colleagues. Dozle continued to be his backer and even discovered his potential to pilot mobile suits.

During the Battle of Solomon, the gorilla entrusted his family to Makoto Matsunaga. After escorting them back to Zeon, Matsunaga heard of Dozru's death and promptly withdrew from the army to go home and continue sponging off his father.

However, everyone now knows that General Dozle did not die in battle, but was captured by the Federation. But in fact, he was not far from death. As the fourth on the list of war criminals, he was destined to die. He is still alive now, but the Federation Special Court is still compiling the various atrocities committed by the Zeon army during the One Year War and has not been able to file a complete lawsuit.

“If he wants to visit Dozru, I have friends in the Federation who can help!”

"I see. I'll ask him another day, but I'm sure he won't refuse!"

"By the way, you must have come to visit for something, right?"

"Here's the thing, the Republic government is currently trying to raise war reparations for the Federation, so they plan to dismantle companies like Zeonnikzmad and sell them to pay off debts. I think it would be a waste to sell them all to the Federation, so I wanted to ask if the Matsunaga family is interested!"

Kenjiro raised an eyebrow and then pondered. If Lanbarar was here to beg for alms, he would definitely agree without hesitation. But if it was about to delve deeper into the military industry, then he would have to think it over carefully.

"If it's about sharing the country's burdens, then I naturally have no problem with it. But what about the subsequent business development?"

"You don't need to worry about the technical issues; His Excellency Kiniassakhalin will take care of them. As for subsequent orders, there are no problems either. The rebuilt Zeon Self-Defense Forces will also have equipment needs, not to mention the post-war debris cleanup and satellite reconstruction work!"

"Kinias Sakhalin? The Sakhalin family?"

"Yes!"

"I can't believe he's still alive?"

"Not only is he alive, but he's even working for the Federation Army's RX project team!"

"what!"

Kenjiro's eyes widened in disbelief. How come all these seemingly handsome guys have suddenly sided with the Federation? Not to mention Kinias, what is the Federation's RX Project Team for? They are currently responsible for the sole guiding principles that lead the development of Federation mobile suits.

What Nalan Balar said is very realistic!

"What about the Federation?"

"As long as it doesn't involve core secrets and is subject to public scrutiny by the Federal Commission for Investigation, there's no problem!"

Kenjiro Matsunaga was immediately caught in a dilemma. He was quite certain that if Lanbarar had come to ask him this, it must be because of instructions from the Federation. The prospects were naturally very good, and the rewards would not be bad either. However, the Matsunaga family would also be caught up in the undercurrents and would be unable to continue to implement the strategy of self-preservation.

"Let me think about it!"

"Understood. Please give me your reply as soon as possible!"

Lanbarar didn't intend to persuade the other party immediately. The Matsunaga family had survived to this day amidst turmoil, which naturally meant they possessed wisdom.

Kenjiro Matsunaga then made a special inquiry about the asset auction. In fact, it was already public knowledge. The federal investigation team had conducted a detailed assessment of all the assets of Zeon's many military industrial companies so that interested companies could make purchases. The person in charge of this work was Makarius.

After finding out this level, Kenjiro Matsunaga had a clear idea of ​​what was going on. He then invited Lambara again and expressed that the Matsunaga family was willing to join in.

"Then you certainly won't be disappointed!"

Soon, the government of the Republic of Zeon couldn't wait to hold an asset auction. Of course, although it was called an auction, in reality, the division of the pie, the participating Federation military enterprises, lunar cities, Federation forces, industrial sectors from Side 6, and the only remaining Zeon faction all had clear plans.

The established Federation military-industrial complexes were limited in size and did not capture a large share, mostly within their own areas of expertise. The real beneficiaries were Anaheim and the Federation forces, who almost split the core components of Zeon military-industrial enterprises such as Zeonic, Zmador, and MIP, including technical personnel. Moreover, unlike the Federation forces, which still conducted identity verification and background checks, Anaheim, having already tasted the sweetness of war profits, was like a glutton, accepting everything regardless of its quality.

"Isn't Anaheim afraid of something going wrong by doing this?"

"When have those lunar merchants ever cared about these things?"

"But no matter what, we should give them a heads-up!"

"Those guys won't appreciate it!"

"Let's hope nothing goes wrong!"

The person in charge of the Federation Army is Major General Gao Yun. According to the Federation Army Headquarters' plan, the original RX project team is no longer suitable for peacetime development. Therefore, it will undergo a reorganization and be integrated into a single organization, named the Strategic Naval Research Institute (SNRI).

Major General Gao Yun has been appointed as the direct head of the organization, responsible for coordinating the development plan of the next generation of Federation mobile suits. Although the war has ended, there are still remnants of Zeon in the Earth Sphere, and with the remaining Zeon forces in Axis, the Federation's peace still faces considerable challenges. Continuing to upgrade and iterate on technology and equipment is imperative.

Moreover, in peacetime, there is no need to make technological compromises for the sake of time, as is the case in wartime, thus allowing for direct development of more perfect equipment.

Moreover, the Naval Strategic Research Institute has a major advantage: it has detailed Gundam combat data available for reference.

As for Zeon, considering the Federation's sensitive areas, the Matsunaga family only purchased Zeonic space robots and individual soldier equipment projects, without touching battleships and mobile suits. This was good news for Hosfizer, because Zeonic had started with these two projects, so this was a tribute to and a replica of the past. In order to distance themselves from the past image, Matsunaga Kenjiro, on someone's suggestion, gave the new company a name with a strong East Asian style: Tsunami Heavy Industries.

After the auction, the Zeon government finally had funds to alleviate its precarious financial situation and pay compensation to the federal government. However, the cost was that its once proud industrial base was completely dismantled. In the past, Zeon could independently manufacture massive warships like the Gwajin-class and produce and develop various types of mobile suits and mobile armor. But now, its production capacity is reduced to small equipment such as individual soldier weapons, space repair robots, and space patrol boats.

The old Zeonic has disappeared. If nothing unexpected happens, Zeon may never have a large-scale enterprise like before. After all, with the precedent of the One Year War, the Federation will not give any other force an opportunity to start a war!
(End of this chapter)