Gundam UC Hunting Time

"Want to make a bet? As long as this guy doesn't die, he'll definitely become a general someday."

Beside him, watching Lin Xingyuan being praised and complimented by the leaders of the Space Force, Tachibana Kamiina extended an invitation to Kajima Yu, but Kajima Yu thought the same way and refused. He looked at Lin Xingyuan with some envy, only to find that the guy was lost in thought, staring intently at the dock outside the glass wall.

Lin Xingyuan was indeed inspecting the spaceships under construction, mainly to see how they differed from those built for Luna 2. He was delighted to find that several of his suggestions had been implemented. First, the Salamis-class, being a newly built warship, seemed to have a longer hull, resulting in a larger hangar and potentially greater carrying capacity (the maximum MS carrying capacity was set at 6, but for operational convenience, it typically carried only 4). However, it appeared to lack catapults, probably to save money. This was understandable, as the Federation intended the Salamis-class as a light cruiser—sufficient firepower, inexpensive yet plentiful, and capable of rapid deployment. Now, with MS carrying capacity, it could better adapt to various missions, and it was foreseeable that this type of warship would become a mainstay of the space fleet.

Secondly, there's the Magellan-class. To Lin Xingyuan's surprise, the newly built Magellan-class in Gabro didn't adopt the temporary solution of adding two hangars like at Luna 2 base. Instead, like the Salamis-class, it used a bottom hangar design—presumably considering that a wide hull would be difficult to operate if it were to launch from the ground into space. However, because the hull is much larger than the Salamis-class, and the shuttle space has been incorporated into the hangar, the bottom hangar space of this Magellan-class modification is enormous. He easily calculated that it could carry at least 8 mobile suits, and it also had catapults, greatly enhancing its operational capabilities without weakening the Magellan-class's original artillery firepower—this was probably a compromise to appease the big-ship, big-gun advocates in the Federation military.

"Um!?"

As his gaze swept over the Salamis-class and Magellan-class ships under construction, Lin Xingyuan spotted a catamaran undergoing outfitting in the dock. Its red, blue, and white paint scheme was exceptionally vibrant, as if it were born to attract attention. It was none other than the Federation Army's new Pegasus-class assault landing ship, the White Base!

[Oh, oh, oh—it's Pegasus-class!]

[White Base!]

[Is it already completed?]

Yes, it was launched on July 7th, this pace is quite normal.

The comments section erupted in cheers, discussing the ship's highlights.

While Lin Xingyuan was excited, he also noticed that there were several other ships of the same type nearby that were also carrying out outfitting operations!

This is really... how can I possibly get one to use as my flagship?

Here, he was racking his brains and letting his imagination run wild; over there, a group of military leaders were passing around the report, exchanging opinions in hushed tones, and quickly reached a consensus.

"Captain."

Kim Collini turned to Lin Xingyuan, who immediately snapped out of his daze, straightened his back, and looked back at him with a serious expression, striking a very proper pose.

"We have reviewed the report. A specific decision will be made after tomorrow's technical review meeting. We look forward to your performance."

"Yes!"

Lin Xingyuan saluted in response, but instinctively felt displeased—even though the important figures had already made their decisions, they still had to go through the motions; politics was truly troublesome.

Author's message

……

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That's about enough of the dialogue; the next chapter will focus on acquiring the new mecha.

By the way, which Pegasus-class aircraft do you think is suitable for the protagonist to ride?

Chapter 97 Timree and His Special Machine (Bonus Chapter)

UC0079 July 1——

On the Zeon side, Tsumad Corporation completed the first mass-production model of the MS-09.

Meanwhile, the Federation began its RX trial production program, known as the X-79 technical demonstration meeting.

Because it concerned the overall combat strength of the Federation Army, this technical demonstration meeting was of a very high standard. All the generals of the Federation Army, Navy, Air Force and Space Force who were in Gabro attended, occupying almost half of the seats in the meeting room, while the other half consisted of Federation Army technical personnel led by Dr. Timree.

Lin Xingyuan set off half an hour early and found the meeting room five minutes before the deadline. He obediently followed the bigwigs of the Space Army into the room, only to find that there was no seat for him among them. Just as he was hesitating whether to stand for the meeting, Brigadier General Gao Yun gave him some pointers.

"Your location is over there."

He pointed out a spot to Lin Xingyuan, who was surprised to find that Timree was sitting next to him.

I'm sitting at the same table as Timree!?

He suddenly felt a little embarrassed, but he still went over with a straight face.

"Captain Lin?"

Timre asked Lin Xingyuan in surprise, then extended his hand. His voice was calm, and he wore black-rimmed glasses, exuding the erudition unique to a tech guru, completely different from the image of the mad researcher Lin Xingyuan had in mind.

It's probably because the brain wasn't experiencing oxygen deprivation at that time.

Thinking of his fate, Lin Xingyuan couldn't help but feel some sympathy and reached out to shake his hand.

"Yes, nice to meet you, Dr. Timree. I have long dreamed of meeting you one day."

"That's what I think too!"

His gentle demeanor surprised Lin Xingyuan somewhat—before this, he had imagined the scene of meeting Timree, and even prepared himself to be scolded by the other party, after all, he had interfered in part of the design of Project V, which was equivalent to painting his own colors on someone else's artwork. However, Timree did not do that, but instead praised Lin Xingyuan's proposed costume change plan.

"With the proposal you put forward, Captain, our Gundam design has been transformed from a work of art into a perfect weapon."

Well, it seems he's quite proud when it comes to his field.

"You flatter me."

Lin Xingyuan sat down next to Timre, who continued speaking with a rather emotional tone.

"As expected, only the soldiers on the front lines know what weapons are needed on the battlefield. It's just a pity that our technology is not good enough to fully meet the requirements you put forward, Captain."

"Uh? Which aspect do you mean?"

Lin Xingyuan became curious, and Timre sighed.

"We don't have a powerful enough thruster for that Winged Flight System. If we absolutely have to use it, we must significantly reduce the armor of the aircraft."

"Is that right?"

Lin Xingyuan felt a little regretful, but then he realized something was wrong—the wing equipment he proposed was just a type of thrust glider, not a flight backpack. According to the calculations of those top tech gurus in Luna 2, it would be perfectly feasible to make it.

Which link in the chain went wrong?

Just as he was about to ask a question, the meeting began. The host went on stage to announce the agenda and build momentum. Then, the various generals spoke—they were talking about the problems they were encountering on various fronts. In short, mass production of MS was a must, they had no choice but to do it. Their points were substantial, but they didn't really relate to today's meeting. It was typical bureaucratic behavior. Timree wasn't listening at all; he was just pulling Lin Xingyuan aside and whispering to him.

"Captain, if it were you, what kind of machine would you need?"

When the father of Gundam asked this question, Lin Xingyuan immediately got excited—this was the prelude to building a custom machine for himself! So he immediately took out the machine design he had been fantasizing about for a long time and told it to Timree.

While it's called "YY," it hasn't really deviated from the framework of the RX-78. After all, redesigning a new machine takes too long, and it would be ridiculous if it ended up like the NT-1, not being ready by the end of the war.

His requirements were simple: based on the RX-78, abandon the core fighter and adopt a spherical cockpit, strengthen the airframe structure, and incidentally install linear seats to improve G-force resistance and reduce inertial effects. If the screen couldn't cover the entire surface, it needed to be at least half-circle, with the extra internal space used to house detectors and a 60mm Vulcan cannon. For the head, the Vulcan cannon's caliber could be reduced; it only needed to destroy incoming missiles and rockets. The extra space could be used for high-performance detectors and antennas. Two small antennas weren't enough; four large antennas were needed to improve communication capabilities, and they had to be two white and two yellow for a cool look! In addition, the airframe needed numerous attitude control nozzles to improve maneuverability; if possible, magnetic coating technology should be incorporated during manufacturing. There also needed to be numerous weapon hardpoints, such as beam saber mounts, ammunition racks, or grenade racks on the waist, interfaces on the wrists for beam sabers, and racks inside the shield for propulsion jets, armor-piercing cones, etc.

He rambled on and on, and Timree took careful notes. After Lin Xingyuan finished speaking, he looked at the overview and was surprised to find that Lin Xingyuan had an unusual understanding of MS. Suddenly, on a whim, he asked him a question.

"Captain, if you were to design a Gundam, what kind of mobile suit would you create?"

This question directly touched the itch of Lin Xingyuan and the mecha design enthusiasts in the comments. The two immediately joined forces and started talking, describing the features of the second-generation MS, such as the movable frame and the fully separable outer armor. Timre listened with his eyes shining.

However, just as Lin Xingyuan was getting excited and was about to talk about the PS armor, the host suddenly called his name and reminded him to come up on stage to speak. This meant that the meeting was finally getting down to business and there was no more time for them to chat.

So Lin Xingyuan straightened his uniform and went on stage on behalf of the Space Force—after all, he was the head of the military branch and ranked first. His speech was basically just a verbal recitation of the report he had submitted.

"—The above is our Space Force's requirement for mass-produced mobile suits. I think everyone can understand that the Zeon forces on Earth cannot hold out for long. We will eventually have to settle our score with the enemy in space, so we hope that our requirements can be given priority."

After finishing his eloquent speech, Lin Xingyuan returned to his seat.

"We should prioritize ground forces. How can we confidently engage in a decisive battle in space without dealing with the Zeon forces on the ground?"

"However, if we cannot control the universe, the enemy will send troops down in an endless stream."

"Zion has run out of troops, that's General Rebil's opinion. We must drain them dry on our home turf."

"Then spend a fortune to rebuild?"

"I heard that the Space Force has a new mobile suit, right? It's said to be performing quite well? We could totally use that to fill in."

The general and the councilors began to express their opinions, and the meeting started to get noisy. Some even targeted Lin Xingyuan. Lin Xingyuan never expected that the special iron ball he helped design would be brought up again. Just as he was about to explain the limitations of the iron ball, a secretary walked into the meeting and reported some bad news.

When the Federation Space Force's reconnaissance force intruded into the SIDE3 space area to conduct armed reconnaissance, it clashed with the Principality of Zeon's home fleet. The Black Tri-Star Independent Squad, belonging to the 1st Battalion Command of the 7th Assault Mobile Army, sank the Federation reconnaissance fleet flagship, and the Special Iron Ball Unit suffered heavy losses!

The news caused an uproar. Just as Lin Xingyuan was grieving over the loss of the special iron ball unit, Ge Pu's voice drowned out all the noise.

"Alright, generals, gentlemen, let's face reality."

Author's message

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Ask for support!

Chapter Ninety-Eight: Finalization and the New Landline

Gop looked around at everyone, his gaze landing on Kim Colliny and Tianm, who gave him a barely perceptible nod. Then he looked at the others.

"The reconstruction of the Space Force will take time. In the meantime, we need to solve the problems on the ground first."

Once he opened his mouth, he basically set the tone. Then, Tim Rey, who was prepared in advance, went on stage and immediately transformed into a fanatic obsessed with technology. He passionately presented the plan for the first mass-produced machine, which was indeed the RGM-79 Ground GM.

The design was basically the same as Lin Xingyuan knew, the difference being the addition of a backpack system. Different backpacks could be used to achieve different functions, essentially taking over the Steel Cannon's niche. However, as Lin Xingyuan predicted, the higher-ups weren't interested in the backpack system; they only wanted quantity.

"What we lack most right now is time, and the troops lack experience in using mobile suits, and we don't have the convenient logistics of space. So this equipment conversion system is unnecessary. Please give us enough simple and reliable mobile suits."

Lin Xingyuan recognized the officer who spoke; he was none other than Colonel Ethan Riel, commander of the Earth Federation Forces' Far East Front Independent Mechanized Regiment, the superior of Amada Shiro's superior, and the unfortunate fellow killed by Aprasaras in the 08MS squad. On the surface, this man appeared to be a gentle and resolute leader, but in reality, he was extremely ruthless, willing to sacrifice anything to achieve victory and maintain his reputation, even at the cost of his subordinates' lives—a typical Federation insectoid commander.

Incidentally, he belonged to the anti-Reibille faction.

"That's true."

"Leaving aside steel cannons for now, steel tanks have already rolled off the production line. Stopping them now would be inappropriate from all angles."

"No matter how much firepower MS puts in, it can't compare to a steel tank."

After listening to his speech, many high-ranking officials and technicians showed their approval.

"However, the advantages of changing clothes are still obvious, especially when the quantity is small."

Timre argued his case forcefully, and some of the technicians expressed their support. Just as the two sides were deadlocked, Brigadier General Gao Yun suddenly asked Lin Xingyuan a question.

"Captain, you've also participated in ground combat. What advice do you have?"

"..."

In an instant, all eyes turned to Lin Xingyuan. It was as if he was being roasted over a fire. Lin Xingyuan finally understood why Tachibana Kamina had scolded Gao Yun. This person was indeed cunning.

[We could learn from the GTO GM's approach: make the beam saber interface universal, so that we can directly install cannons and missiles by disassembling it.]

Just as he was thinking, "What's it to me?", the comments from the ID Phone Duke gave him a suggestion that caught his eye, and he immediately presented it as a plan.

Because it didn't cost much, the simplified costume change plan was approved. Lin Xingyuan breathed a sigh of relief and sat down. Seeing many army generals smiling at him, he felt as if he could hear his reputation rising, and he felt like he had made a profit.

After the plan to produce the ground combat version of the GM was finalized, the Air Force representatives took the stage and presented their proposal. After seeing their proposal, Lin Xingyuan finally understood why Timree said that the flight backpack could not be developed.

These people are too ambitious. When they saw the Wing Backpack, they wanted a flight backpack. They even reduced the MS armor to the level of a skin layer in order to be able to fly!

[Won't this make the RX-78E obsolete?]

The Gundam GT-FOUR project has failed...

If his little wings could be used to create a flying mobile suit, I wouldn't have any objections.

The viewers in the live chat were all having fun, and Lin Xingyuan reflexively looked at Gao Yun, and sure enough, the black man was smiling at him.

"Captain Lin, what are your thoughts?"

"I don't!"

Don't mess with me like this! I'm not an MS expert!

Lin Xingyuan cursed inwardly, then immediately denied it, saying that he hadn't drawn the Windam technique. If he wanted to fly, he'd have to wait another ten years.

Gao Yun: "That's a good option."

“This is really…” Seeing the air force general’s disapproving look, Lin Xingyuan immediately changed his words: “It’s just a little immature idea.”