Chapter 324: ZAFT's Surprise Inspection

"Alright then."

"I'll take my leave now."

"You're leaving already, Sis?"

Lost in thought, Russ snapped back to reality when he heard that Aegis was about to leave. Reluctantly, she voiced her dismay.

"Yes, Orb won't be safe for long," He Kui replied. "You should decide accordingly."

He Kui was puzzled by how attached Russ seemed to be to him, despite their limited interactions.

However, with Winslet now guarded against him, staying any longer was pointless. It was better for them to leave for PLANT sooner rather than later. He Kui could always approach them later under his true identity.

It was evident that the Winslet family had their reasons for lingering in Orb, but for now, the immediate threat had been dealt with. It would take time for their enemies to regroup and send another team.

"Before I leave, Mr. Winslet, I have one last request."

"And what might that be?"

"I'd like some materials."

"Of course, no problem," Winslet replied, thinking it was no big deal.

"The materials here are yours to take as you please."

He Kui nodded, and after raiding the storage room, he left with a bundle of A-grade materials and several high-precision material processors.

Winslet, observing the haul, felt a bit exasperated.

He had just given the man two billion dollars, and now he was taking equipment worth tens of thousands. Was this really necessary?

The materials weren't overly expensive, but the portable processing units were another matter. Still, Winslet had already made the offer and wasn't one to quibble over it.

"I'll notify the Orb government in fifteen minutes. Safe travels, Miss Aegis. And thank you for your assistance," Winslet said, sighing at the sight of the heavily laden Aegis.

"Understood," He Kui replied.

With that, Winslet and Russ watched the mysterious, cloaked figure disappear into the distance.

"Father, are we moving away?" Russ asked softly, reluctantly retracting her gaze.

Hearing his daughter's gentle voice, Winslet sighed again.

"We'll leave after I take care of a few things."

"Can we go to PLANT?"

"Perhaps."

Aegis's words couldn't be fully trusted, but the attackers were likely from the Atlantic Federation. If confirmed, PLANT might be their best option.

After all, his daughter was a Coordinator, and Winslet himself was the CEO of a military technology company. May City in PLANT had extended numerous invitations to him.

---

Meanwhile, He Kui returned to his deserted island.

After all the activity earlier, Aegis's power reserves were critically low. Fortunately, he had prepared backup batteries aboard Gates. At worst, he could siphon energy directly from Gates.

After swapping out Aegis's battery using Gates' power supply, He Kui retrieved the materials and processors he had taken from Winslet.

Working swiftly, he assembled a small mechanical bird resembling the one often seen with Kira.

Unfortunately, since he had never seen the original in person, this version was based purely on memory. He wasn't sure how accurate the likeness was.

However, this was far from a recreational project.

Returning to Orb, He Kui piloted the bird toward the girls' dormitory of the local industrial academy.

As a seasoned tactician, He Kui's intentions weren't voyeuristic but strategic—he was targeting Flay.

Finding her room was simple. The dormitory surrounded a courtyard, with each room featuring a window. The low-tech security measures posed no challenge to Aegis's sensors.

It didn't take long for him to locate Flay, whose fiery red hair stood out like a beacon.

As dawn broke, golden sunlight crept over the horizon.

Inside her room, Flay lay on her bed, looking pale and haggard. Her usually vibrant hair appeared dry and lifeless.

Is she really dying?

Seeing Flay in such a state startled He Kui.

Then again, perhaps she didn't know the full truth. Through Flay, He Kui might glean additional information—at the very least, confirm whether Kira was still alive.

Unable to confirm Kira's status had left He Kui uneasy.

Contemplating this, he guided the bird to land lightly in front of Flay.

"Dori."

"A bird?"

Flay blinked at the green mechanical bird before her, momentarily startled.

Having survived while her father and friends perished, Flay had little contact with Kira now. Her grief stemmed more from the loss of her companions.

Regret consumed her. If only she hadn't lashed out and quarreled with them in Earth's orbit, and had instead followed her father back to the Atlantic Federation, perhaps they would still be alive.

Now, she was the sole survivor.

This thought, combined with haunting memories of her time aboard the Archangel, weighed heavily on her.

The last interactions she shared with her friends and fiancé were filled with arguments and disdain. The pain of losing them gnawed at her, leaving her trapped in anguish.

"Am I dreaming?" Flay murmured as she extended a trembling hand toward the bird.

"Dori."

Watching Flay accept the bird, He Kui severed his connection to the imitation Dori.

To avoid detection, the bird was equipped with only basic visual and audio capabilities, integrated discreetly within its body. Unless dismantled or actively accessed, its true nature wouldn't be discovered.

The stone had been cast; now, He Kui waited for the ripples.

---

"Aegis! Aegis!"

As He Kui finalized his work, Elena's urgent voice rang out.

"What is it?"

Directing Aegis to automatically return to the deserted island, He Kui turned to face the agitated Elena.

"I heard ZAFT suspects the Scrap Merchant Guild of stealing some valuable items from them. They're coming to conduct an inspection!"

"Valuable items..."

There was no doubt—the so-called valuables were the limbs of Reborn Gundam.

Fortunately, He Kui had already completed his spear and knew that Luo had repurposed the remaining limbs into external armor for wielding the massive 150-meter blade.

How could they prove anything to ZAFT now?

He Kui was confident he had erased all identifiable features from the spear. Not even the original designer would recognize it.

However, being subjected to an inspection by ZAFT could still spell trouble for h

is current identity.

While the South American Union offered some protection, he was currently far from their jurisdiction.

(End of Chapter)