UC will eventually reach the stars

"Yes, thank you very much for your arrangement." Rita's father was still a little nervous when facing Ye Yun, after all, this person would most likely be the one holding his livelihood in his hands in the future.

"Welcome! Are you tired?" Aina squatted down to welcome the three still somewhat bewildered little ones.

"Why did you bring us here!" A little girl with short black hair stepped forward, blocking the man and woman behind her, glaring at Aina who was squatting down, clearly on high alert.

“Michelle…” The little boy tugged at the girl, as if he was worried about something.

“A thoughtful little boy and a somewhat impulsive but opinionated girl.” Doris’s lips curled up. Of the three Ye Yun had brought, at least two had already shown signs of precociousness. So the question was… Her gaze drifted to the last one. “What’s so special about you?”

"A straightforward little girl." Aina smiled and reached out to ruffle Michelle's hair. The girl was clearly a bit flustered by this affectionate gesture and Aina's praise, only able to say that she was too inexperienced compared to Aina, who had grown up in aristocratic circles. "And there's also a little boy who's considerate of others but doesn't quite know how to express it, so cute!" Compared to Michelle, Jona Bashutta, whose head was being patted by Aina, blushed instantly.

"Aina, what did you do? Why is this little guy blushing so much?" Ye Yun had just finished explaining the situation to the elders of the three families and, through a combination of coaxing and intimidation, convinced them to let the three little guys join Ye's Heavy Industry and stay in the Federal Army camp as special engineers of Ye's Heavy Industry.

Yes, it's solid evidence that Ye Ning, president of Ye's Heavy Industry, illegally used child labor, with a minimum sentence of three years!

"He's just shy." Aina's smile was very gentle. She also found the little guy's behavior very amusing. She mischievously pinched Jonah's cheek, making Rachel, who was bent over with her hands on her knees next to her, feel a little restless.

"It's called... Jonah, right?" Ye Yun reached out and tapped Jonah's head. "Are you excited to see such a big robot?" Ye Yun pointed to a GAT-1 short sword that was walking by carrying a shield.

"Hmm!" A little boy would have to be at least 20 years old to resist the allure of a giant robot! Jonah, who is still a child, naturally couldn't resist! He looked excitedly at the short sword belonging to Squad 09 that was being unloaded from the Media. He had touched it several times on the plane, even though Michelle next to him was glaring at him like he was a traitor.

"Then grow up quickly." Ye Yun put his military cap on Jonah's head, then turned to Michelle. "To protect the people around you, you need ability and strength. Of course, if you can protect more people, you should try to move up the ranks."

Finally, Ye Yun looked at Rita and reached out his hand, "Why haven't you said anything?"

Rita also reached out her hand to Ye Yun, gently placing it on his fingertips.

"Hmm!" Ye Yun was taken aback. A strange feeling immediately spread from his fingertips. It wasn't the electric shock sensation between his eyebrows, but rather a feeling as if he were gazing at the starry sky.

No, perhaps "immersing oneself in" the starry sky would be a more accurate description.

"Ye Yun, Ye Yun!" Ai Na's expression gradually turned to surprise as she called out to Ye Yun softly, and finally she simply reached out and put her hand on Ye Yun's arm.

"Hmm!" Ye Yun seemed to be startled awake. He took a deep breath and patted Aina reassuringly. The surprise on his face hadn't completely faded when doubt resurfaced. He looked at the blonde, blue-eyed Rita in front of him. "Is this... is this your magic?"

“Magic?” Rita seemed surprised, but suddenly she felt closer to Ye Yun. “This isn’t magic, it’s just…” Rita looked up, a smile on her face, a smile that no longer felt lonely. “Hello, my name is Rita, Rita Bernal.”

"Okay, my name is Ye Yun! We're friends now!" Ye Yun shook hands with Rita again. This time, there was no illusion of merging into the starry sky like before; it was just a very simple handshake.

"Mmm!" Rita nodded obediently, without saying anything more.

"Can we not come here so often?" Michelle looked around, a hint of unease in her eyes. Soldiers and weapons were everywhere, and the reputation of the Federation Army was... well, so for a little girl like Michelle, she really didn't want to stay here for too long. Moreover, Ye Yun always gave her a feeling of oppression, especially after he shook hands with Rita, this feeling seemed even more pronounced.

"No way!" Before Ye Yun could speak, Rachel pulled out three documents from the package Gao Long handed her. "A specially appointed engineer for Ye's Heavy Industry! The monthly salary is over 1, and the penalty for breach of contract isn't too much—just thirty years' salary." (Translation: You've already signed the contract; at least for now, you can't afford the penalty.)

“…” Michelle looked shocked by the shamelessness of the adults.

"Don't make that face, little ones. It's okay if you don't want to come. I'll arrange a school for you later. I'm also going to Southeast Asia, so it won't be convenient to take you with me then." Ye Yun laughed heartily. Where could he find such an understanding secretary as Rachel? She was willing to play the bad cop. He just needed to be the good guy.

"..." Rita paused for a moment, then looked at Ye Yun, "Can I come along?"

"Huh?" This time Ye Yun was genuinely puzzled. Why did Rita want to come with him?! What was going on? He subconsciously looked at Rita's parents, who had somewhat embarrassed smiles on their faces. Of course, they didn't want to.

However, they clearly understood that there was something mysterious about their daughter. Putting aside the fact that Ye Yun's offer was incredibly generous, they couldn't openly refuse his request. Of course, they genuinely didn't want Ye Yun to take their children to the battlefield.

"In that case! I want to go too!" Before her parents could speak, Michelle interrupted loudly, standing in front of Rita like a protective mother hen, even excluding her other friend, "Jonah! You're going too, aren't you!"

"..." Jonah was clearly puzzled for a moment, but he couldn't resist Michelle's repeated loud questions and nodded blankly.

"Then..." Ye Yun's smiling expression held an indescribable feeling, as if urging him to bring... well, at least Rita, "to set off together?" After Ye Yun finished speaking, he looked at their parents, "Although this situation is somewhat unexpected, please believe me, I will settle them in the headquarters, which is definitely a safe place."

As employees of Ye's Heavy Industries, the parents of the three families looked at each other. Finally, Mr. Bernal stepped forward and said, "Mr. Ye Yun, it's not that we don't believe your promise, but we simply cannot accept our children going to the war zone, so..."

"So you can all go together as employees of Ye's Heavy Industry." Rachel's eyes were somewhat cold. Although she didn't know what had happened, seeing Ye Yun's promise to these kids, there was no doubt that something had just happened, and that her boss had gained something!

"That's a good idea. Don't worry, there's no danger in the rear. If the Zeon army can reach my main base, I might as well commit suicide." Ye Yun smiled confidently. He simply didn't believe that the Zeon army could do that. Not to mention that their troop strength and resources were several times greater than the enemy's, the fact that Ye Yun could smoothly obtain supplies was enough to make the Zeon army at the mining base green with envy.

"Uh..." Ye Yun and Rachel's coordinated actions regarding official matters left the three families with absolutely no room for maneuver.

"The cost of deployment to the war zone will be doubled, and 100% of the salary will be added." Aina delivered the final blow. The people in front of her were just ordinary people, but they should be able to see that the world situation would become chaotic in the coming period, and it would be very difficult for an ordinary person to survive.

And now, Ye's Heavy Industries is extending an olive branch right in front of them.

Could they refuse? Or rather, having already arrived at the base in northern Sichuan, did they still have the option to refuse?

Obviously not.

"Great! Thank you so much for this opportunity!"

Chapter Thirty-Six: Copying Homework

The incessant flashing of camera flashes made Ye Yun feel like he was being bombarded with flashbangs. If it weren't for the fact that Ye Yun was familiar with this kind of setting, he might have been embarrassed right before his eyes. Of course, Ye Yun also knew that it was because the GAT01 short sword, which served as the backdrop for the launch event, was diverting the "firepower," otherwise the density of the flashbangs would have been one or two times higher.

At the Kitagawa base, the Federation forces held a large-scale press conference. Ye Yun, using a pre-prepared script and some improvisation, flawlessly answered the reporters' questions. Meanwhile, the reporters were busy photographing the Zeon mobile suit wreckage surrounding the area.

To publicize this victory, the Federation forces simply and decisively characterized this Zeon operation as "Zeon's Third Airborne Operation." Of course, this victory was not automatically labeled as a failure of Zeon's "Third Airborne Operation," with the remnants fleeing into no man's land to eke out a living. It could be described as a great victory.

Similar to Major General Merck's statement, Ye Yun was promoted one rank because of this victory, and his original experimental squadron was also expanded into a MS mixed training battalion, which was about to be transferred to Southeast Asia to complete the task of mopping up many Zeon army remnants who had fled into the plateau.

"Congratulations!" Aina gave Ye Yun a hug.

"Thank you." Ye Yun hugged Aina, then his sister Ye Ning. But there wasn't much to say there; Ye Ning ended up nagging her brother a bit. Finally, Ye Yun walked over to his good friend, business partner, future brother-in-law, and possibly even brother-in-law, Kinias. The two smiled at each other and gave each other a high five. "So, what do you think? I promised, the Sakhalin family will rise again and become even more glorious than before, right?"

"The second phase of Project 'G' has begun. This time, we don't need to go around the world promoting industrial machines to raise R&D funds." Kinias didn't answer Ye Yun's question, but instead changed the subject. "The Federation Army is very generous with the money they've given to the development of new machines, and they're very satisfied with your design ideas for the five combat forms. Sometimes I just don't understand why you come up with so many strange ideas."

Air, sea, sword, cannon, sword, air, and cannon all combined – those who know, know. SEED newbies' desire to copy others' homework is crystal clear.

Of course, Ye Yun would prefer to combine the three into one Destiny, rather than a fully equipped Assault. Unfortunately, he probably wouldn't have many good people who could control the Destiny, and it would be impractical to make a large-scale leap in the performance of the combined machine.

"Because... I'm offering my suggestions more from a user's perspective." Ye Yun's expression was very serious as he smiled and said, "So my proposed solutions are very much to their liking. To put it bluntly, the military has this kind of personality: wanting some things and wanting others back, and ideally wanting even more."

After speaking, Ye Yun and Kinias exchanged a glance, both smiling. Yes, all of this was forged by them together. The name of Dawn Heavy Machinery Manufacturing must now resound throughout the entire human world. The damned Zabi family must now know without a doubt what price they paid for all the evil deeds they committed against the Sakhalin family.

The Sakhalin family is not a piece of trash they can mold and manipulate at will! The Zabi family will fall just like the two boys' resentful curse, because of Sakhalin's renewed greatness.

"The 'G' project's advanced, or rather, the completed G100 series, is underway according to your vision of the GAT-X100 universal frame and backpack combat system. Of course, the top priority is the GATX105 assault rifle as the basic development project." At this point, Kinias subconsciously played with his long hair. "The Federation Army really likes your name."

"The sword-wielding GAT-X101 Duel for close-quarters combat, the artillery-based GAT-X102 Storm, the high-mobility GAT-X103 Thunder, the underwater combat GAT-X104 Forbidden, and the GAT-X105 Assault, which is both the beginning and the end!" Kinias recited the GAT-X series with no small amount of pride, referring to the fact that Ye Yun had done nothing but conceive and name them. "Once they're complete! We will undoubtedly end the war!"

To be honest, Ye Yun and Kinias's MS design path is the opposite of the Federation's traditional approach of developing powerful technological prototypes, then mass-producing them to replace existing technology with mass-produced models. Ye Yun and his team accumulated technology by designing industrial robots, then developed the quasi-military model GAT-00 Military Rio, and subsequently upgraded it with military technology and armor to obtain the GAT-01 Short Sword.

The GATX series that Kinias has launched now is an upgrade of the short sword by combining various combat experiences gained from the short sword with the technology and equipment resources that the Federation Army has opened up to Ye's Heavy Industry and Dawn Heavy Machinery Manufacturing. To put it simply, the short sword is made of ordinary armor steel as its main means of defense, while the GATX series will use Luna Titanium in key defensive parts and parts that are vulnerable to attack, and all equipment can be upgraded to the maximum without regard to cost.

Apart from the battery power pack, which is currently one of the most important features of the "G" project, neither Ye Yun nor Kinias has any immediate plans to change it to a Mitsubishi power reactor. However, the twenty-odd usable Mitsubishi reactors salvaged from the Zaku wreckage seem to have given Kinias some ideas.

"Yes, as long as we can complete the second phase of Project G, we will be unmatched." Ye Ning said with a smile. Although Ye's Heavy Industry originally had a certain number of arms orders, there was no doubt that no one would refuse the enormous wealth of becoming the main MS manufacturer of the Federation Army.

Moreover, for Ye's Heavy Industry, the completion of the second phase of the "G" plan has another particularly important significance! That is because Kinias has given her an important "dowry". Although this is Ye Yun's joking statement, in fact, Ye Ning was almost stunned by Kinias.

Dawn Heavy Machinery Manufacturing will focus on MS body manufacturing, but the core of the second phase of the "G" project is to enhance combat endurance with additional battery units, weapon systems, and to change the battlefield adaptability of MSs by quickly changing combat backpacks (this sounds familiar, ah~ Littoral Combat Ship! It's you!), and to refine squad configurations based on the operating habits of MS pilots.

In fact, the final result is that, apart from the configuration of special squads, the backpack is basically configured according to the pilot's own preferences and is rarely changed. It is more of a conceptual specialization of combat power than the original design of combat mode conversion.

In short, the core of the second phase of the entire "G" project is not the mobile suits (MS), but rather the MS's add-on components: the "Backpack Combat System!" Conglomerate B was overjoyed... ah, no, Yeh's Heavy Industries was overjoyed!

According to Kinias's prediction, once the second phase is completed, the backpack system will give the short sword a dramatic boost in combat power! And what will the Earth Federation Forces do after tasting the benefits?! Need we even guess? Being able to easily add a certain device to a main battle weapon that's already widely deployed, resulting in a massive increase in combat power! Can the Federation Forces resist buying it all up?

And all of this will be Ye's Heavy Industries' orders!

So Ye Yun jokingly referred to it as Kinias Sakhalin's betrothal gift to his sister Ye Ning. Ye Yun, after being tapped on the head by his sister, didn't seem to object to this remark.

“The transfer has been confirmed. Control of this base will soon be handed over to another Major, Lynington, whom you should all know.” Ye Yun flicked his mission manual and handed it to Rachel, who was standing next to him. Then he took off the medal from his chest and placed it in Aina’s hand. “Keep this safe for me.”

"Hmph..." Aina pouted, not saying much, but under the amused gazes of the others, she seemed to be hastily fleeing.

"Nores." Ye Yun first looked at Kinias, who just rolled her eyes at him in annoyance and didn't say anything. Then Ye Yun looked at his sister, hmm, with fierce eyes, and turned to look at Nores, who was also wearing a Federation military uniform.

"Young Master Ye Yun!" Nores nodded to Ye Yun. In this battle, neither Nores nor Gao Long were at the forefront of the attack, but were in the second line to hold the line. It was precisely because of these two that all the Federation MS pilots seemed to have more courage to take the initiative and fight to the death with the Zeon MS.

As for Norres, he was very pleased with Ye Yun's gesture of handing over the medal representing his honor to Miss Aina, and his eyes were filled with joy as he looked at Ye Yun.

"The attack on Dhaka might take months, and we'll need your help then." Ye Yun looked at Nores in front of him. Gao Long, that unlucky guy, was shot and it would take at least a few weeks. Although Squad 09 still had enough combat power, they would obviously need to rely more on Nores.

"Rest assured! I will crush everything!" Nores made the promise without hesitation. Now, the Sakhalin family and Ye Yun's Ye's Heavy Industry are basically in the same boat, sharing both prosperity and adversity. So he had nothing to hesitate about.

“By the way, the factory in Bazhou sent over a 180mm cannon. You might be able to use it as early-stage artillery equipment.” Kinias seemed to have thought of something. “I remember your long-range shooting skills are quite good.” Kinias looked at Ye Yun and sighed. “I will make some adaptive modifications to your short sword.”

"Heh, Bazhou has changed its tune quite quickly. Weren't they a bit dismissive before? If it weren't for my brother's good relationship with Bazhou Milai, they wouldn't have bothered with us at all." Ye Ning said resentfully. Bazhou is also a long-established industrial oligarch, involved in everything from space colonies to specific military production, making it a super industrial giant.

Naturally, the reaction of these large companies to the "collaborative R&D" request from Yip's Heavy Industries, a company they consider "not a large company," is predictable.

However, the tables have turned. Even though the information about Project G had not been widely circulated before, the Zeon forces had carried out an airborne operation specifically for it, which could be considered the best evidence and the best propaganda!

"Use it, why not? Ask them if they have any other good toys!"

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Pleasant Cooperation

A massive Media aircraft slowly landed in Dhaka, a city that had been partially abandoned. Now, Dhaka was regaining its vitality. Ye Yun would use Dhaka, which still had some infrastructure, as a forward base. All the Federation troops would depart from here and head up the mountain to challenge the mining city occupied by the Zeon army.

Of course, the Zeon army wasn't stupid either. They had already started organizing their outer defenses in the past few days. Clearly, the other side wasn't entirely convinced of their previous defeat and was preparing for a second round with Ye Yun.

"Nores's battle report." Doris placed a document in front of Ye Yun. "The Zeon mobile suit forces attempted to attack our forward outposts but were repelled by Nores, who was returning from patrol."

"..." Ye Yun quickly glanced at the battle report. "The Zeon army is more active than we imagined, and..." Ye Yun looked at the battle report and a smile appeared on his lips. "The Zeon army has clearly started to learn our previous tactics, searching for our movement routes and then ambushing us along those routes."

A crucial point is that, unlike the training base in northern Sichuan where there are still quite a few people living, the area around Dhaka consists of only a few small villages and is basically a large-scale no-man's land, making it a perfect place for the army to conduct large-scale infiltration.

However, Ye Yun did not want to engage in such a large-scale and prolonged war of attrition with the other side, nor did he want to invest a huge amount of manpower and resources to build a blockade line.

"Organize a hunting force." Ye Yun narrowed his eyes. War and business competition have one thing in common: you have to target the opponent's weaknesses. The Zeon army's biggest weakness can be summed up in two words!

Supplies!

Even if, in theory, the Zeon forces occupy the former mining city and restart mineral mining, this is not STC, where raw materials can be poured in and finished products produced instantly. Production lines cannot be established in a short time. Therefore, all the resources consumed by the Zeon forces in the mining city still need to be airdropped from space.

That makes it simple...

"Contact the Air Force; it's time for them to rack up kills!" Ye Yun's first hope was that the Air Force could establish an aerial patrol mechanism. These Zeon forces didn't yet have enough air cover, leaving the Federation Air Force virtually free to do as it pleased overhead. Therefore, a coordinated air-ground operation was needed: the Air Force would conduct the first wave of interception when the Zeon forces began their airdrop, followed by a second wave of interception using long-range artillery and other reliable means.

Yes, for various reasons, the Zeon army could not gather supplies from the rear and transport them forward. The losses and dangers in this process could drive the Zeon army crazy.

Then, Ye Yun's second plan was to form a combat force centered around MS squads to hunt down Zeon's MS. As long as the core MS of Zeon's attack could be destroyed, the combat power of Zeon would shrink very quickly.

If there is a third move, it would be that after Ye Yun completes the integration of his troops, he plans to directly airdrop into the enemy's face!

As for those small Zeon troops, well, hopefully they'll appreciate the minefields Ye Yun planned for them. This traditional craft is something these aliens probably don't understand. Multiple anti-tank mines buried together can flip a Type 61 tank over or cripple a Zaku's foot.

Moreover, the minefield that is detonated will soon receive a warm greeting from long-range artillery with its coordinates marked, highlighting that there will be plenty of them.

“By the way, there are several villages nearby. According to the scouts, they are basically all armed resistance villages… guerrilla villages.” Rachel placed a document in front of Ye Yun.

“Alright… Send someone to contact them and tell them that we will use machinery, food, and daily necessities to hire them as our eyes and ears. We don’t ask them to help us fight, but if they discover any Zeon activities, we will reward them handsomely.” Ye Yun nodded. The Earth Federation’s methods back then were indeed not gentle, and the aftereffects have not ended to this day.

However, Ye Yun pondered for a moment, "No, I'll go myself. Where is the place?"

"You're going? Aren't you afraid of being detained by them?" Doris was taken aback, and her gaze towards Ye Yun became slightly strange. After all, Ye Yun, as a commander of a branch of the Federal Army, was actually risking going to the guerrillas to negotiate with them. Was he courting death?

“If the other party has any brains, they will be rational.” Ye Yun shrugged and exchanged a smile with Aina.

————————————————————————————————————-————

"I really didn't expect that a young officer in the Federal Army would have such courage." Although the middle-aged man in the wheelchair seemed to be praising Ye Yun, the gritted teeth in his words were absolutely genuine.

There was no other way; Ye Yun had arrived in their village with two squads of eight short swords and a mechanized company. Just as Ye Yun had said, anyone with a brain had to be rational, otherwise this guerrilla village would be wiped out in a very short time.

"

"Mr. Baresto Rosita, after all, you are also dangerous individuals. It's only polite to be well-prepared when negotiating with you," Ye Yun said with a smile.

“This is a gift we prepared for you.” Aina placed a box in front of Baresto Rossita.

"Oh?" Baresto Rosita opened the box, glanced at it, and took out an engraved pistol. His eyes showed some surprise. "I really like this gift. Thank you very much!" Baresto Rosita then raised a glass of wine to Ye Yun. "I'm starting to get interested in your ideas now."

"You're too kind." Ye Yun's lips curled up. This kind of scoundrel values ​​practical interests the most. Negotiating with this old guy doesn't require so much righteousness. Ye Yun is very familiar with this negotiation mode. "Simply put, we are outsiders, while you are the locals. We hope to get your guide, and we hope that you will inform us when you find Zeon."

"..."

Baresto Rosita took a deep breath. "Colonel Ye Yun, I think you might have too many expectations of us." Baresto Rosita stroked his cane, looking at Ye Yun before him. "Neither Zeon nor the Federation seems like a good person to us." After saying this, Baresto Rosita leaned forward. "To put it bluntly, we suspect that after Zeon leaves, you'll take care of us as well."

“Mr. Rosita, as you said, it’s wartime now, and your location is right between our army and the Zeon army. What do you think…” Ye Yun looked at Baresto Rosita with a smile on his face, “Do you have a choice? By coming to see you, I have shown my sincerity. Afterwards, I will report your merits truthfully. If there are no surprises, you will receive some extra material rewards.”

"Hmph... What could it be? What has the Federation done besides collecting taxes from us?" A burly man behind Baresto Rosita said indignantly to Ye Yun.

“Oh, there’s quite a lot that can be done now.” Ye Yun shrugged. “If you agree, my engineering corps will build a road for you to Dhaka. Although Dhaka is somewhat abandoned, there should still be some people left after the war. At the same time, I will build a small irrigation facility for you in a nearby valley. It won’t generate electricity; it will just be for your irrigation needs…”

In short, Ye Yun offered a series of conditions, including not only infrastructure construction, but also practical material rewards such as food, clothing, housing and transportation. He also offered to set up a military store and hospital in their village, and if they were bold enough, they could set up an advanced repair point there. All of this would be operated until the end of the war. He even offered several official staff positions, with salaries directly from the Federation.

"..." To be honest, Baresto Rosita was somewhat stunned by Ye Yun's "combination punch" that seemed to cover all aspects of his situation. He was no longer considering whether to agree, but rather... "How can you guarantee that all of this will become a reality?"

“Pfft…” Aina laughed first. “Mr. Rosita, this is the contract from Ye’s Heavy Industries. Please take a look.” When Ye Yun, Aina, and Rachel were discussing the matter at the beginning, they had already anticipated the hostility of this guerrilla village towards the Federation.

Aina proposed a very simple solution: Ye Yun, besides being a major in the Federation Army, was also the second young master of Ye's Heavy Industries. As for why Ye's Heavy Industries would invest in Bangladesh… the reason was simple: with North America, the main grain-producing region of the Earth Federation, severely damaged by the Zeon forces, it was unknown how long it would take for grain production to recover to its previous levels. Meanwhile, Bangladesh possessed vast uninhabited areas, expansive low-altitude plains, and a network of waterways! What did this mean?!

It's important to understand that holding onto food is equivalent to holding onto human life (the greatest strength of China in confronting the world isn't how much industry it has, but rather the grain reserves across the country that can feed the entire nation for several years)! After a brief telephone conference, Ye Ning expressed considerable interest in such power, stating that testing the waters was not a problem.