Deal Reached—Please Follow and Bookmark

Shao Energy Core—Heart of Terra.

Energy Defense System.

Orbital Particle Cannon.

Single-Pilot Drift System.

Automated Factory.

Energy Weapon Manifest.

Blue Blood Thruster.

The densely packed list made Stacker Pentecost gasp for breath. He greedily looked over each technical entry, constantly tapping and scrolling on the Virtual Screen, reading the data and technical descriptions. Although much of the data and explanations were extremely brief, Stacker Pentecost did not care!

What he cared about was where these technologies could be applied and what effects they could achieve!

And these brief descriptions suited him perfectly. If he opened the list and found nothing but detailed technical data, it would instead be like reading an unreadable heavenly tome. That was the sort of thing perhaps only PPDC technicians could understand.

It had to be said that every technology Luke Field had brought out was an immense test of Stacker Pentecost's resolve. The moment he saw them, he could not help imagining how much the Jaegers at headquarters could improve if they were equipped with these new technologies—and how many more of his soldiers might survive their battles because of them.

It was clear that Luke Field had come prepared with great sincerity. Stacker Pentecost even felt that he had practically laid out all of Shao Industries' foundations.

Technology for technology.

This had been common during the early years of the PPDC, especially when the First Generation and Second Generation Jaegers were being built. Only through the combined efforts of technical personnel from both member and non-member nations, with all technology shared freely, had they been able to rapidly construct Jaegers and hold back the collapsing situation. It was only after the Third-Generation Jaegers, when member nations developed their own distinctive Jaeger technologies, that Technology Barriers and secrecy began to emerge.

What made Stacker Pentecost hesitate was that Shao Industries was not one of the member nations. It was merely a corporation.

But on second thought, a corporation with such a deep accumulation of technology was already qualified to conduct a Technology Trade with the PPDC. Besides, times had changed. Three or four years ago, no matter how tempted he was by these technologies, he could neither have used all of the PPDC's Jaeger technology as bargaining chips nor had the authority to decide so. Back then, he would have preferred using official means, finding every way possible to acquire these technologies at the lowest cost. At worst, he could simply throw money at the problem.

But now, the once-powerful PPDC had become a relic of the past. Even the Jaeger Program, which had been highly valued just a few years ago, had been officially shelved. Jaeger bases were being shut down, research teams dissolved, and stationed troops withdrawn. Everyone with access to intelligence knew that the PPDC had no future—and neither did the Jaeger Program.

So how important could these technologies still be?

Three or four years ago, a technology exchange would have been unthinkable. The Senators behind the PPDC would never have agreed.

Three or four years later, such an exchange no longer seemed difficult. At least, Stacker Pentecost believed that those Wall Faction Senators would not mind selling these technologies, which were useless in their eyes, for a good price—or trading them for something else. Perhaps after some time, once they stepped down, Stacker, who would automatically become the PPDC's highest-ranking officer, could make that decision himself without any restraints.

"Are these technologies real?" Stacker Pentecost pondered.

"Genuine in every respect." Luke Field smiled. He had waited three years before coming to the PPDC for this trade. What for? Was it not for the day the PPDC reached the end of its rope? Of course, he could have chosen not to trade and spent more time conducting Reverse Engineering based on information about those Jaegers. That would not have been difficult for him; in fact, he had already done it. But now, for the sake of perfectly completing the Unlock Mission, he was willing to give the PPDC a hand under a legitimate pretext. And upgrade himself while he was at it.

"How do we verify them? Do you have a Prototype?"

"Kulturo itself is the product of all these technologies combined. Of course, if you need it, Shao Industries and I would be happy to update and upgrade your active Jaegers as well. But if we do that, your active Jaegers will have no secrets from us."

"The PPDC's funds are very tight." Stacker Pentecost's tone was somewhat dazed.

"We can put the funding issue aside for now and first see the effects of the technology."

"What do you mean?"

"Work First Payment Later. Technology as Payment." Luke spread his hands, easily wiping out a considerable amount of Shao Industries' future profits without informing Shao Zhiwen. However, Luke and Shao Zhiwen had discussed this beforehand, and in the end, Shao Zhiwen had raised no objections or dissatisfaction.

Of course, Stacker Pentecost could not truly pay nothing at all. At the very least, over the next eight months, though the PPDC's funds were tight, they had not fallen so low that they could not produce a single cent.

"Pleasure doing business. I'll settle matters on my end as soon as possible." After extensive thought, Stacker Pentecost recalled the plan he had been considering these past few days and finally gritted his teeth in agreement. Things had reached the point where they had to risk everything, so he naturally no longer cared about regulations concerning so-called technology leaks.

"I can arrange for things to begin anytime." Luke Field, having gotten what he wanted, was equally satisfied. All he had to do now was wait for the documents.

As they left the office, a short-haired woman with an Eastern face approached them. Stacker Pentecost introduced them, saying, "This is Mako Mori. She'll show you around the base from here on. You can tell her anything you need. I have problems to handle."

Luke Field nodded.

For the next while, Luke Field toured the base under Mako Mori's guidance, sampled the cafeteria food, and finally arrived at the Jaeger Academy training grounds.

"Every one of them has undergone extensive training so that they can become Jaeger pilots one day. But even if they are talented enough and work hard enough, reaching that goal is still very difficult." Mako Mori looked at Luke Field. "Perhaps they will thank you in the future, Dr. Luke."

"Thank me for what?"

"For lowering the threshold for piloting Jaegers by so much."

Mako Mori smiled. "Before you arrived, we received some surprising news. Your Sixth-Generation Jaeger Kulturo uses a Single-Pilot Drift System. And in my impression, the Jaeger Academy has no record of you at all. It seems you have never undergone the relevant selection or training. Yet you are its operator—its pilot."

"What are you trying to say?" Luke asked.

"Shao Industries—or rather, Dr. Luke—you must have improved Drift technology and given it a certain degree of accessibility, haven't you?" Mako Mori spoke with anticipation on her face, her black eyes fixed on Luke Field without blinking.

"You're very clever, Miss Mako. Perhaps in the not-too-distant future, you'll soon get to experience this technology." Luke Field gave her an affirmative answer.