Reid's questioning was met with Malchio's composed shake of the head as he slowly responded,
"Mr. Reid, not everything is driven by ulterior motives. I genuinely just wanted to speak with you. The world is in such chaos now, and you've already begun making your mark. Surely, you'll inevitably be drawn into the war, won't you?"
Reid didn't refute Malchio's words because even if he wanted to avoid being entangled in the war, the system would force him into it.
Moreover, he found it hard to believe that Malchio had sought him out today without orders—his current influence wasn't yet at a level to sway the world. He wasn't some Super Coordinator with a special status either, making it all the more peculiar that Malchio would wait for him alone.
But Malchio was tight-lipped—a trait that served him well in navigating the circles of powerful figures across nations. If he refused to talk, there was little Reid could do about it.
Seeing Reid fall silent, Malchio spoke again,
"Very well, Mr. Reid. If you'd rather not discuss war, let's change the subject. I wish to establish an orphanage in the Star Palace Colony Satellite. I was hoping you might help facilitate this."
Reid inwardly scoffed. An orphanage? More like a liaison station under the guise of an orphanage.
He wasn't sure which faction this liaison station would serve, but he could agree to the proposal. Une already had plans to establish war orphanages to cultivate loyalists—this would be a perfect opportunity to test the true nature of the forces behind Malchio. So he replied,
"Regarding orphanages, the New Misurugi Republic already has plans in place. In fact, the buildings are already constructed, with supplies and staff ready to move in. Schools in the vicinity have also been completed. But we lack personnel. If Malchio can assist us in gathering suitable orphans, I believe we can collaborate.
By the way, we're implementing a nine-year compulsory education system. I want these orphans to decide their own futures after their studies. Of course, I expect those you recommend to have clear backgrounds. Please keep the disability rate below 5%."
Malchio nodded at Reid's words. Controlling the disability rate made sense—after all, the New Misurugi Republic wasn't running a pure charity. They undoubtedly aimed to cultivate a group of loyalists for the state.
As for the orphans deciding their own futures—that was just lip service. In this era, survival alone was a blessing. Malchio extended his hand and said,
"No problem. There are many children displaced by war and hunger on Earth right now. I'll coordinate with child relief organizations across the planet. I give you my word that they will all be of clean backgrounds—no child spies trained by other nations."
Reid sneered inwardly. No spies? He didn't buy that for a second. Still, he figured most would likely be genuine orphans. In any case, all staff and teachers were natives who obeyed his commands without question. If there were any child spies, he'd root them out.
Thus, the collaboration was settled. After shaking hands, Reid and Malchio exchanged pleasantries about the "bright" future of the world before concluding their brief meeting.
The following period passed without any further complications for Reid. The first day of the conference concluded smoothly, though judging by the expressions of the diplomats from both sides as they emerged, the negotiations had made no progress whatsoever.
Later, when Reid inquired with Angie, he received the same answer. The Earth Alliance wanted everything to return to pre-war conditions, merely acknowledging PLANT's existence as a sovereign state. They demanded the complete withdrawal of all armed forces from Earth and payment of an astronomical sum in reparations.
This was nothing short of utterly insincere—even extortion wouldn't go this far. Even Siegel, a man of relatively good temper, was nearly fuming with anger. Naturally, the first day's talks yielded no results.
After the conference, it was time for both sides to engage in separate discussions with the New Misurugi Republic. As per the usual arrangement, Angie, who was "friendly" toward PLANT, went to receive Siegel, and they went to inspect the Kampfer.
Meanwhile, Reid took Albany, the Earth Alliance's Secretary-General whom he was meeting for the first time, to the expanded factory. He planned to pitch a certain consumable product to him.
This consumable was none other than Chobham Armor. The armor piece Reid had salvaged had been analyzed by the Factory Module using technical data from the NT-1's cockpit, and its underlying technology had been fully deciphered. It could now be mass-produced in external factories.
Thus, Reid led the Earth Alliance delegation to the factory's testing grounds to witness a demonstration of the Chobham Armor.
Reid deliberately installed the Chobham Armor on a GINN and then subjected it to a barrage of machine gun fire, large rocket launchers, and artillery shells.
The results left Albany clapping in amazement. Under normal battlefield conditions, ten GINNs would have been blown to pieces by such an onslaught. Yet, the GINN protected by the Chobham Armor only sustained minor damage—and that was only because the camera mounts had been destroyed, causing the armor to detach.
As for the armor's glaring weakness—its terrifying weight—Albany dismissed it outright. "That's not an issue at all," he said. "This thing would be perfect for fortress defense."
This time, however, Reid had no intention of selling the technology. The Chobham Armor was his stepping stone into the arms industry. Defensive armor was also less likely to provoke PLANT's sensitive nerves. Besides, Reid planned to sell to both sides—Angie was already handling a large shield made of Chobham Armor for the Kampfer.
As for the price, given its exceptional performance, Reid set it at 1 million Federation credits per square meter for 60mm-thick plates. Custom shapes and additional thickness (for extra fees) were also available. Even Reid thought he was selling it too cheaply.
But since this was a consumable product, and considering the need for long-term profits, Reid decided to undercut the price. He settled for a mere 700% profit margin.
Unsurprisingly, given the performance-to-price ratio, the Earth Alliance didn't hesitate for long. Shortly after the demonstration, after consulting with his superiors, Albany placed an order with Reid for over ten thousand Chobham Armor plates of various specifications. Reid found himself looking at the old man in a much more favorable light.
However, what Reid didn't expect was that after Albany had placed the order, late into the night, the local security personnel stationed outside his room informed him that a diplomat from the Earth Alliance delegation—a man named Zhao Zhongjian—wished to meet him privately.
Upon hearing the name, Reid immediately recognized this person was from the East Asian Republic. However, the East Asian Republic had very little presence in the original work, mostly serving as background scenery. The only confirmed major battles they participated in were the Nova Colony Offensive-Defensive Battle and the Kaohsiung Spaceport Offensive-Defensive Battle.
Still, out of respect for his past life's identity, Reid decided to meet this person. If he remembered correctly, this was a balding middle-aged man, at least fifty years old—someone he could take down single-handedly. Besides, being on his own turf, he wasn't worried about any potential traps.
Arranging a secret meeting room, Reid met Zhao Zhongjian at night. To minimize unnecessary probing, Reid spoke fluent Mandarin right off the bat (this story's setting maintains Mandarin as the East Asian Republic's official language) and got straight to the point:
"Ambassador Zhao, what urgent matter brings you here so late at night? Please speak frankly."
Zhao Zhongjian was surprised that Reid could speak Mandarin. After all, in today's world, Mandarin was notoriously difficult to learn. But given that Reid's father was born in East Asia, he might have taught Reid Mandarin from childhood. This certainly made communication easier. Smiling, Zhao replied:
"Commander Reid, your Mandarin is excellent. Since you're being direct, I won't beat around the bush either. On behalf of the East Asian Republic, I wish to propose a joint technological development project for new Mobile Suits with the New Misurugi Republic."