Simultaneous Time Travel: Gundam? All Teammates are Old Six

Chapter 40: A New Course, Frey's "Investment" and the Call of the Ocean

[Bridge of HMS Archangel in the Indian Ocean]

"Bartfield team, cease pursuit, returning to base."

The communications officer's voice trembled slightly, as if he had survived a disaster.

Maru Lamias finally leaned back against the captain's seat, watching the signal representing the "Desert Tiger" on the radar gradually fade into the distance, her azure eyes filled with an unresolved confusion.

Release the water.

It was too obvious. That man was less fighting and more using a grand armed parade to "politely send them off."

Her gaze unconsciously drifted to the corner of the bridge. The "special advisor" who should have been in her seat was nowhere to be seen. From beginning to end, Ling Yu had not issued a single order, but the course of the battle was strangely exactly as he had boasted about in the "script" before the battle.

Who exactly is he?

"Notify the entire ship to lift the Level 1 combat alert." Suppressing her doubts, Maru issued the order: "Bow unchanged. Target: Orb."

In any case, they are safe for now.

The night breeze, carrying the salty, damp scent unique to the ocean, caressed the broad deck of the Archangel.

Ling Yu leaned against the railing, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips, enjoying a moment of peace after the battle. The African sand had finally cleared his nostrils.

A soft footstep came from behind.

He didn't turn around, but lazily asked, "What, did the Captain send you to monitor this 'unstable factor'?"

"I don't work for anyone now."

His voice was clear, cold, and firm.

Ling Yu turned around in surprise. Frey Alster stood behind him, the sea breeze blowing through her flaxen hair. Her eyes, once filled with sorrow and hatred, were now as calm and deep as the sea at night.

She has changed.

She is no longer the pampered young lady who only knows how to cry and depend on others.

"Something wrong?" Ling Yu raised an eyebrow.

Frey didn't answer, but silently handed over a military data disk.

"What's this? A love letter for me? That's so old-fashioned. These days, it's all about sending emails." Ling Yu reached out and took it, not forgetting to crack a joke.

Frey's lips curled up slightly for once, but she quickly regained her composure: "This is my 'pledge of allegiance'."

Ling Yu was taken aback upon hearing this and looked down at the data disk. The file title that popped up on the screen made his pupils shrink slightly.

[Analysis Report on Financial Audit Vulnerabilities in the Atlantic Federation Military-Industrial Complex]

[Appendix: Preliminary Evidence of the Black Market Transaction Chain of Major Suppliers]

Not a single word in this document mentions revenge, but every piece of data and every clue is like a knife that can precisely pierce the heart of the Blue Cosmos benefactor.

"You're right." Frey looked directly into Ling Yu's eyes, her unwavering determination putting a slight pressure on him. "Tears and prayers won't bring victory. Money and intelligence are the most powerful weapons."

She took a step forward, and the two were so close that they could feel each other's breath.

"I want to 'invest' in your 'Genesis' project," she said.

There was no pleading, no probing; it was an equal business offer. She staked her most valuable wisdom and future possibilities on Ling Yu's card table.

Ling Yu was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled. He put away the data disk, reached out his hand, but instead of shaking hands, he gently ruffled Frey's hair as if teasing a kitten.

Under Frey's astonished gaze, he spoke in a tone that was both cynical and utterly serious:

"Welcome to the team, my partner. But let's be clear first, this is a startup, no stock options, no profit sharing, at most... we'll provide you with three meals a day?"

Frey didn't pull away from his hand, but simply felt its warmth. She softly hummed in agreement, and deep in her eyes, a glimmer of hope quietly ignited.

Back in the hangar, Kira, Kose, and the others were gathered around the Strike Gundam, frowning over the problem of energy consumption.

"Hey, genius kid, don't look so glum." Ling Yu appeared like a ghost, patted Kira on the shoulder, and casually handed him a data disk. "Here, take this and play with it. Consider it a return gift for the roasted scorpions you treated me to in the desert last time."

Kira took it with a puzzled look and plugged it into the computer.

Instantly, the entire technical team erupted in chaos.

"This...this is optimized code at the OS level? My God! This algorithm model is simply art!"

"And these patches! They can forcibly boost energy transmission efficiency by at least 5%! My God, this means we can fire a couple more shots!"

Kose practically rushed over and hugged Ling Yu's leg, his face flushed with excitement: "Master! Where did you get all this stuff?!"

"Oh, I downloaded it from a post called 'V-Project' when I was browsing military forums before, and I just optimized it a bit." Ling Yu had a "this is easy" look on his face, broke free from Koslo, and made a quick getaway.

Kira and a group of tech geeks were left behind, gazing at the gleaming code with godlike reverence.

[Personal Terminal]

Ling Yu hummed a little tune as he returned to his room. As soon as he closed the door, the smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a solemn expression.

He opened the system panel, and a light screen unfolded before his eyes.

[Phase 1: The Chess Game in the Desert, Completed.]

[Mission Rating: A+ (Successfully rescued key figure Nicol, turned the tide of battle, and resolved the threat from Bartfield without combat or bloodshed; however, the handling of the probing attack from "another player" was somewhat clumsy and needs improvement.)]

[Task Reward: 3000 System Points.]

[Special Achievement Reward: Unlocks a special redemption item—[Dawn Desert Communication Token] .]

Ling Yu stared thoughtfully at the token icon. It seemed to be a ticket to establish contact with some neutral resistance organization.

Before he could think about it, a new task notification popped up.

[New main quest unlocked: The Azure Voyage.]

Mission Objective: Escort the Archangel safely to Orb.

[WARNING: Multiple high-energy emissions detected moving towards the target area. Danger level assessment for the shipping route: Extremely high.]

"A high-energy reaction?" Ling Yu stroked his chin, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes. "Looks like this sea is about to get lively."

He walked to the porthole and could only see the endless, pitch-black ocean outside.

Where Ling Yu couldn't see...

Subtle changes are taking place on a vast virtual world map that only God can see.

The white dot representing the Archangel is sailing towards Orb along its fixed route.

Behind it, on the African coastline, a red dot of light, representing desolation and filled with chilling killing intent, was following at an alarming speed.

Far to the north, on the icy ruins of Alaska, a black dot of light representing Chen Kai, radiating an aura of ominousness and destruction, began to move slowly and steadily toward the southern sea after a brief flicker.

Meanwhile, in Orb, the final destination of the flight route, a gentle yet unfathomable blue dot representing Su Yunxiu...

It had already quietly lit up.

Like a well-woven net, it awaits the arrival of all the pieces.

A storm is coming.

On the deck, the sea breeze made Ling Yu's clothes flutter.

He stretched and gave a sly smile to Mu La Flaga, who was leaning against the railing beside him, enjoying the breeze.

"Hey Uncle Mu, the next step is to go to Orb. Could it be a four-way battle, just enough to make a mahjong game?"

Mu La Flag was startled, and cold sweat broke out on his brow.

He quickly came over and covered Ling Yu's foul mouth: "Stop talking nonsense! It's finally quiet down a bit..."

And what's with your mouth? Is it blessed? Why does everything you point to cause trouble?!