To avoid being exploited further, McGillis immediately began searching for the impostor using his identity upon returning to the Gjallarhorn Mars Branch, while also intensifying his hunt for information on the Gundam Frame.
As for Reid, he naturally wouldn't spend the day idly admiring the scenery.
The Code Amelias squad was gathering resources to strengthen themselves, and strengthening themselves meant targeting him. Reid couldn't just stand by and watch these resources turn into ammunition aimed at his head.
So, once the Gran Chaos ascended and cloaked, Reid immediately ordered Hoshino Ruri to pilot the ship to the Martian capital. Using the superior computational power of the onboard Veda Unit 2, they began monitoring all corporations that had signed contracts with McGillis of the Code Amelias squad.
For Hoshino Ruri, obtaining the delivery locations from these corporate contracts was a trivial task.
However, when Reid saw the dozens of delivery points scattered across vast distances on Mars—all with simultaneous receipt times and requiring only drop-off without personnel—he felt a headache coming on.
No wonder Martian corporations are notorious for shortchanging, he thought. Clearly, the Code Amelias squad had no qualms about spending other people's money.
But how many members did the Code Amelias squad actually have? Haman, Teletha, Chang Wufei, McGillis, plus the loli-form Code Amelias—just five people total.
Reid wasn't about to dismiss this "quintet" as incompetent. After all, these five had managed to create the New Danuu's Child and had already hit him with two World Impacts.
Frankly, having to guard against this squad during every G Invasion was exhausting Reid. He'd already decided that at their next encounter, he'd activate Trans-Am without a word.
He would dismantle the New Danuu's Child, eliminate Chang Wufei, McGillis, and Code Amelias, capture Haman and Teletha, then attempt to bring them back to the CE Universe for... re-education.
If that proved impossible, Reid felt he'd have done all he could. Should they continue causing trouble, he'd have no choice but to resort to ruthless measures.
After all, his conflict with Code Amelias was irreconcilable. Even if she promised to relinquish her claim to administrator privileges, he wouldn't tolerate such a latent threat.
One must remember: Code Amelias's core ability was betrayal. Her words were utterly untrustworthy. If he couldn't eliminate her, he'd have to find a way to seal her away again.
Therefore, even if the five members split up, they couldn't possibly cover all these delivery points for supplies.
Most of the displayed delivery locations were decoys.
These weren't decoys in the sense that corporations wouldn't deliver goods there, but rather that the Code Amelias squad had intentionally abandoned some locations from the start.
Reid was certain this was Teletha's scheme—she'd created a puzzle for him to solve.
Only a small fraction of these delivery points would actually be visited by the squad, but which ones? Reid had no idea.
Moreover, Reid was convinced the five would operate together, denying him any chance to divide and conquer. In contrast, if he split his forces to cover more ground, they'd likely be ambushed.
So he treated these dozens of delivery points as rare boss spawn locations.
The current situation is this: encountering this rare BOSS with too few people would be dangerous, while having too many people makes it highly unlikely to encounter at all.
For Reid, the current squad represents his hard-earned assets—losing even one member would break his heart. Therefore, splitting the team was never an option from the start.
Alternatively, they could split into at most two teams, with Reid and Ange each leading one, to ensure safety.
But two teams would be utterly insufficient to cover these dozens of spawn points, making the chances of ambushing Codename Amelias' squad extremely low.
However, just as Reid was struggling with how to intercept Codename Amelias' squad, McGillis gave him an assist.
For McGillis now, if the Gundam Frame couldn't be found, these supplies purchased by the impostor posing as him were his last resort. He had to take the risk and use these supplies to quickly incite a rebellion against Earth's Gjallarhorn—succeed or perish.
Thus, McGillis contacted the suppliers, demanding all undelivered goods be sent to a warehouse under his control.
As the primary client, and since these goods were acquired at a high premium for speed, the suppliers merely cursed inwardly about the hassle but outwardly pledged full compliance.
With over a dozen spawn points reduced to just one, things became much simpler for Reid. He could simply lay in ambush, guaranteeing that Codename Amelias' squad would at least be unable to obtain the supplies.
But Reid's joy lasted less than two hours before Teletha made her move.
Due to the urgency and volume of these supplies, many had to be transported from Colony Satellite factories around Mars.
So, Codename Amelias' squad transformed into space pirates, outright engaging in plunder.
According to intel Reid received, three shipping carriers were simultaneously hijacked across several routes near Mars.
Moreover, reports of the hijackings were delayed—these bandits employed special signal-jamming methods (Minovsky Particles). By the time shipping companies noticed something amiss and sent investigators, they found only empty transport ships with destroyed thrusters and all onboard recordings wiped. (McGillis provided the code, Teletha wrote the virus—sufficient to infiltrate these civilian transports.)
The only silver lining was that these bandits seemed averse to unnecessary killing. Casualties were mostly MS pilots providing escort, while transport ship crews who didn't resist were generally spared.
Of course, these surviving crew members provided intel: the ship hijackers used an unfamiliar MS, and the cargo was hauled away by that same MS.
Synthesizing all available information, Reid concluded that Codename Amelias' squad members—Haman, Chang Wufei, and McGillis—had likely all gone out to conduct these highway robberies.
In fact, McGillis was even piloting the Bael. Fortunately, all recordings were destroyed, and ordinary transport crew wouldn't recognize the Bael—otherwise, this universe's McGillis would probably have a meltdown.
It must be said that Codename Amelias' squad's smooth operations around Mars were partly Reid's fault.
Both Gjallarhorn's Mars Branch patrol fleet and the subsequently arriving Arianrhod Fleet had been wiped out by Reid.
Now, the Gjallarhorn Mars Branch fleet only dares to defend their headquarters and no longer ventures out recklessly, lest the unknown enemy take the opportunity to raid their base.
McGillis was naturally pleased to see these corporate transport teams being robbed.
With the supplies hijacked, he wouldn't be the one breaching the contract. Instead, these companies would have to pay him compensation, and he wouldn't need to settle the remaining payments either.
Moreover, it was no secret that the Gjallarhorn Mars Branch fleet had been prematurely crippled by an unknown force, giving McGillis ample justification to consolidate his forces.
Of course, these companies weren't fools. Many directly called McGillis to accuse him of staging the incidents to swindle both money and supplies.
But these accusers were merely trying to pressure him. They could easily guess that McGillis lacked both the audacity and the capability to continuously raid everyone's transport teams.
For now, the blame fell squarely on Reid's forces. The companies believed it was the mysterious unit that had suddenly emerged and annihilated two of Gjallarhorn's sub-fleets.
Frankly, when Reid pieced together the situation using intelligence gathered by Hoshino Ruri via Veda Unit 2, he felt utterly wronged.
However, Reid couldn't step forward to explain himself at this point.
So, he decided to embrace the chaos—since he was being framed, he might as well make the most of it.
Now, predicting which transport route Codename Amelias would target was even harder than guessing which delivery point they'd previously chosen for receiving goods.
That's because the supply transport routes were highly fragmented, and with all factions rushing resources to Mars, tens of thousands of transport ships were heading toward the planet.
Thus, Reid resolved not to suffer losses in vain.
Since it was confirmed that Codename Amelias's MS squad had split up, Reid could also divide his forces.
He ordered Hoshino Ruri to map out all traceable Mars transport routes, planning to deploy his own teams to hijack supplies.
With Codename Amelias's squad location unknown, it made more sense to seize opportunities himself rather than search for them aimlessly.
This way, Codename Amelias's squad wouldn't be able to pinpoint his forces' positions either, increasing the likelihood of both sides targeting the same objective and clashing.
Moreover, Reid had the numerical advantage. To prevent defeat in solo encounters with Codename Amelias's squad, he organized his teams as follows:
Reid and Ange, both individuals whose combat prowess could overwhelmingly suppress opponents and who were unlikely to lose in one-on-one fights, would operate alone.
Since Nein was also in Reid's cockpit, Ange wasn't worried about him encountering Haman alone and the two engaging in... passionate activities.
Then, the Black Tri-Stars and Belfgang formed a team of four, the Xia sisters made up another team, and Noin led Salya and Hilda as a third team.
This way, no matter which team encountered members of Codename Amelias's squad, they stood a high chance of victory.
Reid had privately instructed the Black Tri-Stars and Belfgang that if they encountered Haman, they should flee immediately. Haman's stealth High-Energy Laser Funnels posed a significant threat to the four of them.
However, if the four attempted to escape, Haman would most likely not even pursue them, and in practice, she wouldn't be able to catch up anyway.
The Black Tri-Stars and Belfgang understood the situation—Haman was Reid's lover, so they needed to show some respect. They assured him they would retreat immediately upon spotting her and reporting her location.
As for the others, Reid didn't need to give instructions. Once the Xia sisters activated their Psycho-link system, Haman would either flee or face capture. They all possessed considerable Awakening Values, and with the exponential amplification of the Psycho-link system, their sixth sense for danger alone could counter stealth Funnels.
Meanwhile, Noin, Salya, and Hilda would most likely defeat Haman in a confrontation, and at the very least, they could definitely protect themselves.
Then you might ask, what if they encountered Chang Wufei or McGillis?
Reid stated that these two were far less combat-capable than Haman. If spotted, they shouldn't hesitate—activate the Burst System and shoot them down immediately.
However, if they managed to create distance, they shouldn't pursue. In this kind of guerrilla warfare, Teletha's command and coordination were what demanded the most attention.
Reid wasn't arrogant enough to believe his tactical arrangements surpassed Teletha's, and the actual squad coordination was handled by Hoshino Ruri aboard the Gran Chaos.
But Reid held a significant advantage in intelligence and mobility compared to Teletha. So, if Teletha truly intended to engage in a battle of micro-management, Reid believed Hoshino Ruri, who was responsible for overall command and coordination, might not necessarily lose.
With the tactics decided, Reid's squad naturally split into teams and dispersed into orbit around Mars, embarking on their plundering spree.
And naturally, the various mining and transport corporations on Mars were thrown into chaos.
The efficiency of Reid's squad far surpassed that of Code Amelias' team.
Whenever they spotted a transport ship with escorts, they would shoot them down first. Then, Hoshino Ruri would remotely hack into the transport ship's systems, turning it into a drifting metal coffin in space, incapable of transmitting any information and left waiting for rescue.
As for the cargo, Reid's squad would simply haul it away using their Mobile Suits and deliver it to designated coordinates, where the Gran Chaos would later retrieve it.
Moreover, since Reid knew exactly what each transport ship was carrying, they targeted high-value shipments.
Ange even stumbled upon a golden legend: while searching for targets, she discovered a convoy not listed in their data but heavily guarded.
Adhering to the principle of "a thief never leaves empty-handed," Ange attacked the transport team and rummaged through it, finding a Mobile Suit named Gundam Asmoday.
Reid had no idea how this Mobile Suit, which was supposed to be on Venus, ended up on Mars. But considering it appeared in mobile game lore two years ago in 323, it wasn't impossible for it to show up on Mars now. (The frames of the Seven Stars families weren't quite suitable, so this frame with less background was just right. Besides, the mobile game had shut down, so there was no risk of retcons.)
Despite Reid's swift plundering, they still hadn't located the three Mobile Suits from Code Amelias' team.
Clearly, Teletha was avoiding Reid's squad while continuing her own raids.
Finding three Mobile Suits in the vastness of space was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
This plundering feast finally ended when the Martian corporations couldn't take it anymore and ordered all transport fleets to cease operations and return to their Colony Satellite factories.
By this time, although these major corporations had determined that McGillis wasn't responsible—after all, Gjallarhorn's Mars Branch forces had been under constant surveillance—he became the most convenient scapegoat.
Since the penalty fees for such large contracts were astronomical and would require full compensation, major corporations, being capitalists, were naturally unwilling to pay. Moreover, the tangible losses of the goods meant someone had to take the blame.
However, McGillis was no pushover. From what Reid knew, he quickly reached agreements with several of Mars' largest corporations by promising to assist in cracking down on the criminals.
The signed contracts were voided—McGillis wouldn't pursue penalty fees nor demand refunds of deposits, but the companies had to absorb their own losses, as McGillis was also a victim.
With major corporations leading the way, smaller firms naturally followed suit and canceled their contracts. Freed from the pressure of outstanding payments, McGillis at least didn't have to worry about selling himself out for the rest of his life.
But the debts in his own account remained. So, a day later, McGillis contacted Reid and delivered a Gundam Frame Unit.
The Gundam Gremory, a Gundam-type Mobile Suit owned by the Fareed family, one of Gjallarhorn's Seven Stars.
Originally, this unit was stored in the hangar at Gjallarhorn's Earth headquarters, Vingolf.
However, it seemed that two years ago, McGillis's adoptive father had secretly transported it out and sold it. (This confusing plot point is from the mobile game, not my invention.)
It appeared McGillis had secretly recovered the unit, held onto it for who knows how long, and was now selling it to himself.
Reid didn't take advantage of McGillis for free—he genuinely gave half of the exchanged gold to McGillis.
McGillis could naturally guess that this mysterious force had participated in the earlier hijacking, but the two tacitly understood each other at this point.
After all, robbing the transport convoy had genuinely helped McGillis.
Without the immense pressure of penalty fees, those capitalists, experts at squeezing every last drop, would never have let McGillis off so easily.
It could only be said that even after losing two fleets, Gjallarhorn remained the most powerful force in the solar system.
As one of the heads of the Seven Stars families, as long as McGillis played by the rules, even if the Gjallarhorn Seven Stars Council later held him accountable, they would first ensure his protection to maintain Gjallarhorn's authority.
Thus, with their fists not as strong as the opponent's, these Martian capitalists had to concede, giving McGillis room to maneuver and avoiding a hasty rebellion.
Of course, the whole incident was ultimately a mess.
Major Martian corporations suffered massive losses in escort Mobile Suits and transport ships (all requiring major repairs). The death benefits for the lost escorts alone would be a heavy burden, and the value of the lost cargo was astronomical.
Many corporate executives were being summoned back by the leaders of the economic circles that controlled them to explain the situation. If their explanations weren't satisfactory, they might not make it back alive.
As for McGillis himself, even after exchanging the Gundam Gremory for a large amount of gold from Reid, he only managed to fully replenish the public funds he had misappropriated from Gjallarhorn and pay off about two-thirds of his personal debts.
So, McGillis was still penniless and buried in debt.
However, the current debt level was within his tolerance, and Almiria Bauduin, Gaelio Bauduin's younger sister, genuinely had feelings for McGillis.
Despite the significant age gap between them, after Gaelio Bauduin's death, McGillis became the sole heir of the Bauduin family—the greatest attachment in Gaelio Bauduin's heart.
Thus, if McGillis could swallow his pride and rely on Gaelio Bauduin's resources, the remaining debts could easily be resolved.
It must be said that although the original McGillis endured a deeply painful childhood, in adulthood, he was surrounded by people who genuinely cared for him.
Unfortunately, a tragic childhood requires a lifetime to heal.
The tormented McGillis, even aware of the sincerity around him, could no longer trust anyone.
However, in this universe, due to Reid's intervention, several of McGillis' key enemies were eliminated by Reid. He might truly achieve his dreams after all his intricate schemes.
Naturally, the beneficiaries of this robbery incident were the two external teams: Reid's and Code Amelias'.
It could be said that after Reid's involvement, 70% of the Mars enterprises' losses were caused by Reid.
Code Amelias' team only managed to skim some profits—they certainly gained, but nowhere near as much as Reid.
Nevertheless, Code Amelias' team had fewer members, and they exclusively absorbed the supplies from the Gjallarhorn Mars Branch warehouse, which was sufficient for them to develop substantially.
Thanks to Forest Hunting for the 5000 Qidian coin tip.
A 2000-word bonus chapter for the tip—1000 words repaid this chapter, 1000 still owed.
By the way, I forgot to write the title for the previous chapter after finishing it yesterday... Clearly, writing late at night muddles the brain.