Ange and Une, being among the earliest arrivals, had grown accustomed to welcoming new companions. As for the Xia sisters, they couldn't care less about how many allies joined them.
However, Reid still intended to keep the Factory Module a secret from the three scientists this time.
Although with the assistance of the Factory Module—especially for Tem Ray and Elvira Hill—their research efficiency would undoubtedly increase significantly.
The catch was that Reid himself would have to remain tethered to them since only he could activate the Factory Module.
Thus, to prevent the scientists' curiosity from driving them to dismantle the Factory Module to study its inner workings, Reid decided to conceal its existence. They could submit regular requests for what they needed, and he would follow up based on the situation.
Moreover, conducting research using external factories and laboratories would strengthen the nation's technological foundation and industrial capabilities—a win-win scenario.
After all, Reid was a half-baked amateur who knew the "how" but not the "why." Theoretically, the New Misurugi Republic hadn't truly mastered these technologies. Reid had merely achieved practical application through the Factory Module, his golden cheat.
Of course, as Reid exited the Factory Module, he also directed the Construction Module to build a comprehensive, large-scale laboratory on the reserved site near the satellite factory. This area, deep within the satellite factory's territory, was far from any settlements, so the sudden appearance of new structures wouldn't raise suspicions.
Reid planned to hand this space over to the researchers for their future projects. Its proximity to the factory would also facilitate the transportation of necessary equipment.
The system's efficiency was always high. Before the five of them had even settled back into the government office building—Une barely had time to sit down—a subordinate reported the arrival of new talents seeking to join them.
Reid took the list directly from Une's assistant and confirmed it was indeed the three summoned individuals.
As per the usual protocol, Reid would meet the newcomers alone first to gauge their attitudes before deciding whether to introduce them to the team.
Soon, Reid encountered the three in the reception room, each displaying distinct demeanors.
Tem Ray was the epitome of a middle-aged, disheveled uncle, though his body had likely been restored by the system, unlike his terminally ill state before death in the original storyline. Yet his overall air of unkempt lethargy remained unchanged.
He showed little interest in his surroundings, sitting blankly—perhaps still pondering Gundam blueprints or trying to make sense of his current situation. From a Newtype's psychic senses, his emotions were relatively tranquil.
As for Nami, even without Newtype abilities, her extreme unease was palpable. Her hands were tightly clasped, index fingers fidgeting in circles, her gaze darting around the room's decor as if seeking distraction. She occasionally stole glances at the others.
When Reid entered, she tensed up like a relocated cat, as if no corner of the room felt safe.
Lastly, Elvira Hill—a mature older sister with a smiling face. Yet her eyes were unsettling; the way she looked at Reid was as if he were a rare, protected species.
Reid's Newtype senses told him Elvira Hill was brimming with excitement and harbored a certain desire toward him.
Of course, this desire couldn't be romantic in nature, but rather an exceptionally intense curiosity. In short, Reid felt this woman might genuinely want to dissect him.
Regardless of what these three were thinking, Reid had to welcome them. After sitting down, he smiled and said:
"Welcome to this world. My name is Reid Isaac, and I'm the leader of a mercenary group. That existence should have already informed you of your identities and basic information about this world. You'll be starting your second lives here. If you have any questions, feel free to ask now."
As soon as Reid finished speaking, the most anxious one, Nami, raised her hand and asked a common question:
"Um... Mr. Reid... C-can I—no, can we—not return to our own world anymore?"
To this question, Reid could only continue being honest:
"The world where you died is no longer accessible. Even if there's a chance to visit an identical world in the future, it would only be a parallel universe. Someone in our team has already experienced this, and you can seek her advice later."
Hearing Reid's words, Elvira Hill seemed even more excited, while Tem Ray also began paying attention to the subsequent conversation.
However, Nami instantly became dejected upon hearing Reid's answer. It seemed she truly hadn't accepted reality yet. But given she was only 16 or 17 years old, this reaction was normal.
Seeing Nami fall silent, Elvira Hill took the initiative to ask:
"Mr. Reid, do you know what that existence that sent me here truly is? It can resurrect people, transport them to another world, and prove the existence of parallel universes. Is it really a god?"
Reid's answer to whether the system was divine was straightforward:
"I don't think so. From my perspective, it's more like a machine programmed with set operational logic. But whether the creator of this machine is a god, I wouldn't dare say.
Let me put it this way: everyone in our team, including myself, has experienced death (Ange and Noin were also killed in battle after the system modified the plot and were sent here, which is why Reid can't reveal his knowledge of the original storyline).
However, I was comparatively lucky—perhaps chosen by the existence behind this machine—so I can gather deceased individuals from other worlds, offering them a second life in exchange for their assistance. Presumably, you all chose not to die, which is why you're here."
By saying this, Reid wanted to remind these three highly intelligent individuals (Nami?) that coming here was their own choice, and wanting to return to their original world now would be too greedy.
Of course, the three of them understood what Reid meant. After death, hearing a voice offering them the choice to live again—unless someone truly wanted to die, who wouldn't choose life?
Thus, Elvira Hill and Tem Ray, having accepted reality, began introducing themselves as if in a job interview, including the settings the system had given them in this world.
From this, Reid learned about their thoughts and aspirations.
Tem Ray had been sent here after breaking his neck in his original world. His dream of creating a Gundam remained unfulfilled, so he wanted to continue developing one in this world, aiming to build a Gundam that would satisfy him.
Then, in the CE universe, his assigned identity was that of an anonymous MS development specialist at the Heliopolis military factory. After being sent back to the Star Palace Colony Satellite by Noin, he struggled internally for a while before deciding to seek refuge.
Elvira Hill's situation was similar, except she came from a world without Watase Aoba. She died in the very first battle of the storyline when the antagonist forces sank her mothership. As a result, she never got to witness the full potential of the Coupling cockpit she had painstakingly invented, leaving her filled with regret.
In the CE universe, she was assigned the identity of a somewhat renowned doctor in academic circles, specializing in the field of mental conduction. The system even helped her draft and publish the initial theoretical paper on the Mental Link System online. However, this theory was ridiculed in academia for being too far-fetched, with some even accusing it of challenging the boundaries of human privacy.
Thus, the disheartened Elvira Hill came to the Star Palace Colony Satellite to try her luck, hoping to secure investment for her research.
After Elvira Hill and Tem Ray introduced themselves, Nami, noticing everyone's gaze on her, naturally explained her own situation.
This Nami was also someone who had died in the original storyline and was sent here. However, the system not only crammed CE universe information into her mind but also stuffed her with all the technical knowledge she would have otherwise whispered into existence.
Her brain was now filled with knowledge she had never studied but could understand and apply flawlessly—a bizarre state where her mind insisted it had never learned these things, yet her hands found them effortless to execute.
This was why Nami felt so uneasy. She believed the knowledge in her head wasn't truly hers. Had she been brainwashed?
As for her identity in the CE universe, like Tem Ray, she was one of the students recruited from Heliopolis Academy.
Reid was somewhat speechless after hearing Nami's description, but it seemed the system's A-rank evaluation of her wasn't unfounded. Since she couldn't whisper anymore, the system simply dumped all the knowledge she should have had into her.
Though the method was crude, it worked. So Reid reassured her, "Nami, you don't need to be afraid. Knowledge is just knowledge. If you were truly brainwashed, you wouldn't even be questioning yourself right now."
Hearing this, Nami thought it over and realized he was right. It was just a bunch of knowledge crammed into her head. She felt a bit embarrassed now—she'd been worrying over nothing. If people could be resurrected and sent to another world, fretting over brainwashing seemed trivial.
But Reid knew Nami was relatively easy to convince, given her young age.
Tem Ray and Elvira Hill, on the other hand, wouldn't be so easily swayed. Reid could still sense their high levels of wariness toward him even after accepting reality.
So Reid decided to bring out something substantial.
To get a researcher like Elvira Hill to willingly work for him, the best approach was to present her with groundbreaking theories within her field—especially secretive ones that were already practical.
Getting Tem Ray to work was even more convenient—he was essentially a "model kit enthusiast" in his own right. The best way to lure such enthusiasts was naturally with various "kits," and cutting-edge MS technologies served as the ultimate "kits."
So Reid stood up and said,
"Alright, now that we're all acquainted, let me show you your future workplace."
With that, Reid led the three of them straight into the satellite factory.
Since the newly constructed large-scale laboratory was located within the factory complex, Reid decided to give them a tour of the facility as well.
In the short time Reid had been meeting with them, their main Mobile Suits had already been transported from the Factory Module to the external factory area.
This gave Reid the perfect opportunity to show off his most advanced customized units.
However, what Reid hadn't anticipated was Tem Ray's reaction upon seeing his machines. Frowning, Tem pointed at the Immortal Aegis and demanded,
"Who designed this unit? I haven't even seen the specs or equipment list yet, but it feels like it's overloaded with features. This should be a high-mobility assault-type, right? Why is it equipped with such a massive Beam Rifle? Even if the designer wanted an all-purpose machine, this isn't the way to do it."
Reid suddenly felt like a hobbyist proudly showing off a pet project to friends, only to have a professional designer tear it apart as amateur work.
But Reid knew Tem Ray was far more qualified in MS design than he was, so he didn't argue. To avoid an awkward standoff, he also didn't admit that he was the designer. Instead, he quickly changed the subject.
Fortunately, Tem was easy to distract. The moment Reid brought up Phase Shift Armor and Mirage Colloid—technologies Tem had no prior knowledge of—his enthusiasm flared up instantly, and he eagerly pressed for details about these new systems.
Elvira Hill was similarly captivated, though her fascination lay with the Lambda Driver System. From her remarks, it became clear she had long been researching the topic of mental interference with reality, though progress had been frustratingly slow. Now, with a practical example right in front of her, she was determined to study it thoroughly.
Thus, Reid led the three to the freshly completed large-scale laboratory. The servers here were brand new, and technical documents were still being transferred from the Factory Module.
Yet, even with only partial data available, Tem Ray and Elvira Hill were immediately glued to their seats, scrolling through the tablets in their hands. Reid couldn't even get them to budge.
Nami, meanwhile, demonstrated the true prowess of a Whispered. Within the scope of her Whispered knowledge, she could comprehend the documents at a glance.
But anything beyond that might as well have been hieroglyphics to her.
The allure of these materials exceeded Reid's expectations—Tem and Elvira were so engrossed they even declined the evening welcome banquet. "Who has time for a feast when there's so much data to go through?" they argued.
Watching their loyalty spike to 65 just from these documents, Reid had no choice but to let them be.
With a resigned sigh, he instructed the lab's resident staff to keep an eye on the two, ensuring they didn't forget to eat or drink in their research frenzy.
You see, the detailed manufacturing data provided by the system gave Reid a headache just looking at the dense filenames. He figured knowing what effects the technology would produce and what it couldn't be paired with was enough—he really didn't have time to study the detailed theories.
So in the end, only Nami accompanied Reid to meet their friends at the Star Palace Colony Satellite. This made Ange think Reid had messed up this time, assuming two of the three people sent over had been eliminated by Reid for various reasons.
Fortunately, after explaining the situation, everyone understood. After all, this is how researchers typically are—the more dedicated they are, the less they enjoy socializing.
I have business to attend to tomorrow, so just one update today, and it'll likely come in the afternoon or evening.