Reid was utterly speechless listening to the demands from the East Asian Republic.
The other party noticed Reid's expression and realized their request might have been too far-fetched, so they tentatively asked,
"Mr. Reid, if this requirement is too high... we can discuss it further, negotiate again..."
Reid, however, shook his head. The Earth Alliance had indeed developed Mobile Suits equipped with single-unit positron cannons in the future—the first "mass-produced" variant of the Strike Gundam, the Saber (commonly known as the 105 Saber, with only twenty-three units produced before being deemed too expensive to continue), even retained the Strike's Striker Pack compatibility system.
The Atlantic Federation had also developed a backpack-mounted compact positron rapid-fire cannon called the "Lohengrin."
But even with cutting-edge high-density batteries, they couldn't keep up with the energy consumption of a positron cannon. Moreover, after miniaturization, its effective range was laughably short, making it practically useless. Reid suspected the East Asian Republic would scrap the idea themselves once they realized its impracticality.
So, Reid calmly explained,
"First, if you want to mount a positron cannon on a Mobile Suit, you'll need to develop miniaturization technology. Let's revisit the idea of installing it on an MS after you've achieved that.
As for fitting naval artillery onto an MS, I personally recommend developing a Large Mobile Armor instead. Mobile Suits should stick to compact beam weapons.
Now, regarding high-firepower units—I believe cannons with a caliber under 250mm can be mounted, though recoil will be a major issue. Still, that's not an insurmountable problem.
In the future, beam weapons will dominate warfare. Just look at my Chobham Armor—it proves that conventional projectile weapons will become increasingly ineffective.
So, for this mass-produced model, I suggest using solid ammunition for ultra-long-range engagements, beam weapons for mid-range, and arm cannons for close-quarters combat.
High-firepower units inherently lack mobility, so we might as well reinforce them with heavy armor to improve battlefield survivability. Trying to rely on melee techniques when cornered is suicidal—and a waste of ammunition capacity.
If an enemy gets too close, just ram them with your sheer bulk or punch through their head monitor. Of course, that's assuming they aren't wielding a beam saber to stab you first."
Hearing this, the engineers on the other side nodded in approval. Major Li's earlier demands had sounded absurd even to them, but Reid's proposal was far more professional.
Seeing that his engineers had no objections, Major Li concluded that Reid wasn't trying to deceive them. He then considered—a 250mm cannon should have an effective range of at least thirty kilometers.
Sure, their towed howitzers could fire farther, but Mobile Suits were far more agile, capable of aerial drops, and could engage in close combat—unlike howitzers, which would be helpless in melee and easily destroyed.
But mounting suppression weapons on Mobile Suits changed everything—their firepower saturation tactics would become viable again. Plus, with beam weapons and arm cannons covering mid-to-close range, this setup had real potential.
So, Major Li decisively said,
"Mr. Reid, we'll proceed according to your specifications. How soon can you provide the initial blueprints?"
Reid's proposal clearly pointed toward one thing—the Guncannon. But Reid intended to completely overhaul it.
Reid was planning to modify a Guncannon based on the design philosophy of the Iron Man from the A.D. universe. The frame would directly use the GINN's, and by switching to an E Carbon Steel frame, it could support the Guncannon's larger build.
As for the armor, Reid wasn't ready to reveal the Luna Titanium Alloy yet. He would simply use the ceramic composite armor he had initially drawn. After all, once the prototype was delivered, the East Asian Republic would inevitably modify it further.
Moreover, the East Asian Republic had purchased plenty of Chobham Armor. Without him even suggesting it, they would likely develop a full armor-type Guncannon on their own.
This way, there was no need to worry about the Guncannon being inferior to the GINN in performance. The GINN pilots would probably have zero interest in such a hulking metal beast.
Reid even planned to modify the Guncannon's cannon into a standardized backpack system. That way, the East Asian Republic could swap between cannons and missile launchers as they pleased.
Of course, the classic (or rather, insane) anti-air backpack couldn't be left out—a quadruple-mounted 155mm × 50-caliber anti-air rapid-fire cannon that could also be depressed for direct fire in a pinch. Its power and range far surpassed the GINN's 76mm heavy assault machine gun. And given the East Asian Republic's industrial capacity, they wouldn't bat an eye at barrel wear.
Besides the modified Guncannon, Reid had also prepared a second option: the ground combat-type Gundam.
He figured that since he hadn't yet completed the MS 08th Team campaign, he could just retrieve a ground combat Gundam from there to fulfill the order. This machine wouldn't need modifications—its performance was already slightly better than the GINN's, and it was more agile to boot.
Even if the mass-produced models didn't require it, Reid could further modify it into a custom unit for sale. Right now, his B-grade mobile suit technology wasn't sufficient, but that didn't mean it would stay that way after the next phase of missions.
At the very least, if the East Asian Republic dared to demand another "two to three months for completion" condition on a custom unit, he could slam the design tablet in their faces and tell them to do it themselves—he didn't need their warship anymore.
The most crucial point was that both the Guncannon and the ground combat Gundam had clear limits to their modification potential. Reid didn't have to worry about the East Asian Republic's mobile suit technology skyrocketing just because they obtained these two units. After all, when the cat teaches the tiger, it always keeps the skill of climbing trees to itself.
Having sorted out his plans, Reid calmly responded to Major Li's question:
"Three days for the preliminary blueprints, then we'll discuss modifications. If the blueprints are finalized within 15 days, I can complete the unit in the remaining half-month. After that, you can secretly transport it back, and the first phase of the deal will be complete."
The arrangement was perfectly reasonable, and the East Asian Republic had no objections.
Thus, Reid's first requirements meeting with the East Asian Republic concluded successfully.
After the meeting, Reid went straight to Angie's office to find her, bringing Noin along as well.
Once everyone was present, Reid shut the door and immediately launched into his pitch:
"Angie, Noin, the next task from that unknown entity has arrived."
Angie's face lit up with excitement. The Star Palace had already begun accepting external citizens, and in these early stages, Une's newly expanded government framework wasn't fully operational yet. Angie had been helping out daily, and after work, she couldn't roam freely like before when only the original inhabitants were around.
Nowadays, Angie could genuinely be stopped on the street by her adoring fans for photos. After all, she was currently the only woman in the entire Earth Sphere who had defeated a Coordinator one-on-one in Mobile Suit combat. To top it off, fans later dug up the story of her single-handedly capturing a Laurasia-class battleship.
So Angie enthusiastically waved her fist and cheerfully said:
"Reid, just tell me what the mission is. By the way, you can bring people along this time, right? You have to take me."
Seeing Angie's combative attitude, Reid knew she'd been cooped up for too long recently, so he went along with it:
"Of course I'll take you. But I just got the anti-beam coating technology today and need some time to coat all our units. So we can't depart until tomorrow. I plan to bring both you and Noin."
"I called you here because I have intel about this battle. Now both of you take out your notes, sit down, and listen carefully..."
About two hours later, Reid left Angie's office looking slightly tired but quite relaxed.
Now that government buildings had external immigrants recruited by Une working in them, the foreign clerks who saw Reid emerge alone after spending two hours in Angie's office with Noin immediately began whispering among themselves. They remarked that being able to walk out on his own after a one-versus-two situation proved Mr. Reid was truly formidable.
(End of Chapter)