"The response is incredibly fast, and it's so agile. I haven't even pushed the acceleration to its maximum, yet the speed is already this terrifying. I haven't even activated the auxiliary booster tanks, and my reactions are already struggling to keep up." Zhou Ya piloted Gundam Chrysanthemum with her hands gripping the control sticks and her feet on the pedals.
As Zhou Ya operated Gundam Chrysanthemum in simulated combat and technical verification, she swiftly evaded attacks from MD-controlled drones and GM Mobile Suits.
Even when she counterattacked with shots the instant she evaded, Zhou Ya could not hit every target. Nearly half of her counterattack targets went unhit.
Zhou Ya found that her vision had started to blur. She knew her body was nearing its limit, and she understood that her current physical condition simply could not handle Gundam Chrysanthemum.
"Second Lieutenant Zhou Ya, can you continue?" an inquiry came through the communications channel from the command center.
Knowing this was not the time to play hero, Zhou Ya voluntarily gave up.
Zhou Ya removed her helmet. Sweat covered her forehead and face, and she panted with a pale expression.
After returning to base and opening the cockpit, Zhou Ya stepped out with legs so weak that she could not walk properly and had to be supported by others.
The other Mobile Suit pilots gathered around Gundam Chrysanthemum had not seen its other simulated battles, but they had seen the speed at which it launched. In a very short time, it had turned into a streak of starlight before their eyes.
"I never expected the new Gundam the boss developed to be that fast."
"Exactly. It turned into a streak of starlight right in front of us."
"Second Lieutenant Zhou Ya is one of our ace Mobile Suit pilots, yet even she can't handle it."
"Then ordinary Mobile Suit pilots like us don't even need to think about piloting that Gundam."
"Look, it's Lieutenant Li Xiucheng's turn now. He's getting ready to test that new Gundam."
"Lieutenant Li Xiucheng is also an ace Mobile Suit pilot, and he's even better than Second Lieutenant Zhou Ya. I wonder whether he can handle that newly developed Gundam."
A sudden dry cough sounded behind them.
The Mobile Suit pilots turned around and immediately saluted.
"All right, stop watching. It's time to work. We need to set off."
"Yes, Captain." x4
After Gundam Chrysanthemum had finished resupplying its new auxiliary booster tanks and Berserk Boosters, Li Xiucheng took hold of the controls and launched.
During the initial sprint, Li Xiucheng had already felt that Gundam Chrysanthemum's speed vastly exceeded what a Mobile Suit should have.
During the simulated battle, Li Xiucheng was initially able to operate Gundam Chrysanthemum and evade every attack from the MD system-controlled drones and Mobile Suits.
"This Gundam is already absurdly fast without even using the auxiliary booster tanks. The Gundam I pilot doesn't have such terrifying speed."
"Lieutenant, the next phase of simulated combat is beginning."
Li Xiucheng began fighting in a mode of evasion while counterattacking.
The people in the command center watched the instruments and Gundam Chrysanthemum's testing and verification.
"Lieutenant Li Xiucheng has achieved complete evasion so far. His counterattack target hit rate has reached over 70 percent."
Long Fei, who was watching Gundam Chrysanthemum in the command center, showed no change in expression.
"Boss, should we proceed to the next stage?"
"Don't ask me. Ask the pilot."
"I can still continue to the next stage."
Dozens of missiles locked onto Gundam Chrysanthemum and rapidly shot toward it.
Li Xiucheng immediately controlled Gundam Chrysanthemum to flee, because this test was not about shooting down the missiles, but about whether Gundam Chrysanthemum could shake them off.
Li Xiucheng accelerated to the maximum and activated the auxiliary booster tanks' Berserk Boosters as well, increasing his speed to more than three times that of the earlier test.
"My chest feels awful. This speed is too fast."
"The missiles have been shaken off," one announcer in the command center said as he looked at the results on the instruments.
"The missiles have lost their target and are now like headless flies. Remotely disable them and recover the missiles."
Li Xiucheng then shut down the auxiliary boosters and reduced his speed back to its original level.
"A few more seconds, and I would've felt like my entire chest was about to be crushed flat." Li Xiucheng removed his helmet and said this while panting.
Li Xiucheng did not continue with the next testing phase and instead terminated the test and returned to base.
After leaving the cockpit, Li Xiucheng held onto the railing and panted.
Once Gundam Chrysanthemum had been resupplied again, the next tester was Yue Yangchun.
The test results were the same as Li Xiucheng's. After shaking off the missiles, he could not proceed to the next test.
When he returned to base and the cockpit was opened, Yue Yangchun vomited directly, throwing up everything he had eaten earlier.
The other Gundam pilots tested Gundam Chrysanthemum afterward, but their results were roughly the same as Second Lieutenant Zhou Ya's.
Long Fei left the command center as soon as Yue Yangchun finished his test.
He knew that the following pilots would not surpass Yue Yangchun and Li Xiucheng's results.
"Looks like I need to devise a training plan and find a way to improve their physiques. Should I use the Augmented Human methods from the Gundam UC era, the kind of surgery from other science fiction novels that modifies the human body, or rely on drugs to enhance their physical abilities?" Long Fei kept thinking about what method he should use.
At that moment, the person in charge of the command center came out and walked toward Long Fei, calling out to stop him.
"Boss, wait a moment. Take a look at these results first." The person in charge held out a tablet for Long Fei to examine the test results.
After looking through them, Long Fei discovered that Gundam Chrysanthemum's hardware had indeed suffered no problems throughout the continuous testing. The issue was that its coordination and continuity were not smooth, meaning the problem lay in the software.
Although locking onto enemies depended on the pilot's skill, the software programming caused the hardware's operations to lag somewhat behind. It still needed further programming and adjustment.
"Hand it over to the software engineering department for adjustment, programming, and configuration."
Recently, Long Fei had entrusted many detailed adjustments to his employees.
As for himself, he focused on researching and developing new technologies.
Ever since he had obtained the power unit used by nuclear fission Mobile Suits, it had given him some inspiration. Although he currently had no way to manufacture a Minovsky-type Thermonuclear Reactor like the ones in Gundam's storyline—
He could partially break down Minovsky-type Thermonuclear Reactor technology, then combine and design it together with the technology of his own Super Energy Reactor and the power unit used by nuclear fission Mobile Suits.
"When one road doesn't work, find another route. There will always be a road that leads to the final destination."
Long Fei went to his office to continue researching and developing new technology.
While Long Fei was conducting his research, Li Jiaming rushed into his office to discuss something with him.
"Boss, there have recently been international news reports about several countries suffering wars and unrest, causing many refugees to scatter abroad. Many of them have nowhere to go. We can select some of these refugees to join our mercenary corps."
"Are these refugees all from fallen countries?"
"One country has already been destroyed. Those refugees do not want to become subjects of the Empire. They want a democratic system, so they refused to surrender to the Empire. As a result, that Empire directly expelled every refugee unwilling to surrender from its territory."
"All right. Commander-in-Chief, arrange this matter."
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