"Sounds good. I like you, haha!"
"Like hell you do! You were the first one they shot dead!"
The crowd burst into another round of laughter.
Amid their laughter, Xu De smiled too.
As long as they could be friends, and weren't part of Blue Cosmos, he was more than happy to welcome them.
Of course, an organization like Blue Cosmos, which was strangely similar to the rednecks, probably wouldn't want to be friends with him anyway.
Their basic principle was to put their own people first.
Especially after Coordinators had taken away so many jobs, positions, and resources.
The situation was actually rather subtle, and not too different from the world Xu De had lived in during his previous life.
When the economy declined, the world would shift to the right.
That was something Xu De couldn't change at the moment, and he didn't have such far-reaching ambitions, either.
For now, all he had to do was take things one step at a time.
Now that he'd achieved his goal of becoming a reserve Gundam pilot, his next goal was to master the controls and secure his position as a pilot.
At the same time, he needed to prevent Le Creuset from attacking Heliopolis and prepare for the worst: a direct confrontation with the Le Creuset Team at Heliopolis.
Of course, there were plenty of details to work out, and he would need to tackle them gradually over the coming year.
In short, he'd secured a year to prepare and learn.
A year from now, he needed to at least reach Mu's level, so he could hold his own against him.
As Xu De chatted amiably with the others, Cook and Halberton came down from the observation room upstairs.
When everyone saw Halberton appear, their lively conversation fell silent.
They all saluted him in unison, their heels striking the floor with a sharp crack that rang through the training area.
"You all performed well this time."
Halberton looked at the group, with Xu De at their head. He gave a slight nod, then continued.
"Now, I'll announce the names of those who passed this evaluation."
[Xu De, Moody, Francis, Draco Wells, Victor York, Nagata Toru]
"This is only the beginning. I hope you'll keep up the good work, continue to grow, and become the future elite forces of the Earth Alliance. Find the battlefield that belongs to you."
Halberton's words were not rousing, and his voice barely rose.
Yet the plain sincerity of what he said left everyone stirred and unable to contain themselves.
The six of them saluted Halberton again.
"Thank you, sir!"
Their voices rang out in unison across the training area.
"Mm."
Halberton returned their salute and continued.
"And to everyone who didn't pass, you've worked hard, too."
"But once you leave here, I hope you'll keep what you've seen here confidential."
Even without Halberton's reminder, they had all signed confidentiality agreements. At a moment like this, no one was about to declare that they would tell everyone what they'd seen.
Halberton said a few more formal words, then turned to Xu De.
"Corporal Xu De, come with me."
"Yes, sir!"
After answering, Xu De followed Halberton away, watched by the envious eyes of the others.
"This is your appointment document, rank insignia, and medal."
In Halberton's office, the general handed Xu De a set of second lieutenant's shoulder boards and collar tabs, a document, and a finely crafted wooden box with gold trim bearing the Earth Alliance logo.
"Normally, you'd have to complete three months of special training before graduating and being promoted. But this counts as a wartime promotion, so that requirement has been waived."
"As for the medal, it isn't a high-level decoration, so there wouldn't have been a ceremony anyway."
"You're one of the few people to have been commissioned as an officer on the battlefield."
Halberton spoke solemnly.
As he'd said, military academy graduates could become second lieutenants straight away, just as Xu De had in his previous life.
But it was exceptionally rare for a reserve recruit to be promoted to an officer rank after only a few months of service.
Normally, one needed to serve for at least three years, obtain a recommendation from a senior officer, and pass an interview with a battalion commander before being promoted.
It was much like taking a certification exam.
Some certifications weren't available just because you could pay the fee. A junior college graduate had to work for three years before taking the exam, while someone with a bachelor's degree could take it right away.
The principle was the same.
A direct promotion from corporal to second lieutenant could happen only during wartime.
That was why the battlefield offered a chance to distinguish oneself.
Of course, most people couldn't seize such an opportunity. It all depended on the circumstances.
As for Xu De, he was clearly forcing the original host's fate onto a different path.
Otherwise, the original Xu De wouldn't have been commissioned on the battlefield and promoted several ranks from corporal to officer.
He would probably have died at the World Tree long ago, just like Hans and the others.
That was why Xu De's eyes widened slightly at the officer's insignia before him, his pupils seeming to catch the glint of the sun. This promotion also meant that the future could be changed.
Looking at the Earth Alliance's white uniform, Xu De clenched both hands and saluted Halberton.
"Thank you, sir!"
"Mm. The remaining 1.5 million will be deposited directly into the bank account you provided when you arrived."
One million of that was the reward for his earlier military achievements, while the other five hundred thousand was the prize for taking first place in this evaluation. To the Earth Alliance, which controlled most of Earth's resources, it was a drop in the ocean.
But to Xu De personally, it was still a huge sum.
Though the Atlantic Yuan didn't have the same purchasing power as the currency in Xu De's previous life, 1.5 million was still enough to support an ordinary person for ten years.
Of course, that was based on current prices.
But with the Neutron Jammer due to arrive in the near future, prices would surely skyrocket.
Skyrocket... Thinking about the Neutron Jammer's future impact on Earth, the plan he'd been turning over in his mind began to take shape.
With that in mind, Xu De continued.
"Admiral, I have a question that may be out of line."
"Go ahead," the admiral replied.
Seeing how serious Xu De looked, he was curious to hear what the young man had to say.
"If ZAFT decides to drop Neutron Jammers on Earth, have we made any contingency plans?"
"..."
The admiral had already thought Xu De had a sharp eye for the battlefield.
Even so, he was surprised by the question, and his eyes widened slightly.
"We discussed that possibility in a meeting."
"But first of all, Neutron Jammers need energy to operate. In theory, they can't keep one running on Earth for an extended period."
The admiral shook his head.
Nuclear power was a nearly inexhaustible energy source, but using it to power a Neutron Jammer would defeat the purpose.
Wind, solar, and other green energy sources, meanwhile, weren't efficient enough to generate the power required.
Besides, even if ZAFT dropped one here, what would stop them from destroying it?
Before you continue