Romance could wait until retirement when everything was safe and secure.
With power, influence, and capability, what kind of relationship would be out of reach?
For now, progress was the priority.
Thinking about the Agamemnon-class thruster engine he had only glimpsed briefly, Fred felt an itch in his heart.
Without further small talk with those around him, Fred quickly made his way directly to Lenore's office.
Hearing the door open, Lenore looked up.
"Leaving already?" Lenore smiled.
"Yes."
Both knew the arrangements ahead, so their words were brief.
"Our researchers are already in position. Official launch is in one week."
"Use this time to review things again."
"Not everyone is convinced by you," Lenore added unusually verbose, offering a reminder.
"Yes, I'm prepared."
Fred wasn't the least bit surprised.
After all, as a newcomer taking the director position right away, it would be strange if everyone accepted it readily.
But he didn't mind too much.
As long as they followed his orders, that was enough.
With his higher rank and their assigned tasks to assist and monitor him, he had no concerns.
As for a few possibly looking down on him, Fred cared even less.
What good would their approval do?
It wouldn't put food on the table.
Besides, as long as he kept progressing, he would surely earn their respect.
So Fred was quite at ease.
Interpersonal relationships weren't something he needed to worry about.
All he needed was to advance.
"Same as always."
Seeing Fred's calm and earnest demeanor unchanged, Lenore smiled again.
"Take today off. Go prepare."
"No, I can join the research here now. The crops in your twenty-third experimental field were just planted. I want to analyze them further."
He was greedy, wanting to cram every bit of knowledge into his mind.
Moreover, since agriculture had gained the Golden Finger, his research in it had become increasingly smooth.
It was like having a cheat code, even accelerating his knowledge acquisition compared to before.
With all these factors combined, Fred remained full of passion for agricultural research.
"Alright."
Seeing Fred's excitement, Lenore gave a wry smile and didn't refuse further.
Given Fred's nature, he'd probably be displeased if she turned him down.
Besides, having such a super diligent genius assisting made her work much smoother.
No wonder everyone outside adored Fred—even she felt the same.
Calling it treating Fred like a son might be exaggerated, but she certainly held a protective fondness for him as a junior.
Thus, after Fred returned to agricultural research the next day, he sat quietly at home—not idle, but reading the engine materials Lacus had given him earlier in the library.
[Aerospace Engineering +0.08]
[Aerospace Engineering (Proficient) 1.32/100]
Watching the text before him, Fred gradually surfaced from the ocean of knowledge.
"Not bad."
A slight smile touched Fred's lips.
1.32 may not seem like much, but considering how recently aerospace engineering was last upgraded—just a few months ago—this progress is significant.
At this rate, breakthroughs are likely within a few years.
And the catalyst for this lies right here.
Fred gazed at the materials before him.
He had only reviewed one-third so far, but each increment added over 0.05 points, confirming his hypothesis was correct.
The higher the quality of knowledge and the deeper his understanding, the easier it became to improve.
Recently, he had developed multiple design proposals for the Laurasia-class engine.
Each proposal represented a possibility.
And each possibility marked his own progress.
Contemplating his bright future, Fred felt increasingly exhilarated.
Just as Fred was lost in his excitement, a familiar voice snapped the young man back to reality.
"Brother~!"
"Athrun and the others are here~"
"Alright, I'm coming."
Hearing this, Fred stood up.
It was time for his combat training class.
He was quite satisfied with how fulfilling each day had been.
...
Several days passed in this fulfilling manner. Aside from essential work and classes, Fred spent most of his time holed up in his study researching the Agamemnon-class engine.
The results were encouraging.
The Agamemnon-class Mobile Suit was massive, with an equally large power reactor. In zero-gravity space, its speed was actually quite high.
Fred's task was to miniaturize the Agamemnon-class power reactor and engine while optimizing and modifying the structure.
This way, outperforming a standard Drake-class wouldn't be an issue.
It would also meet Patrick's requirements.
Of course, these were still theoretical plans at this stage.
He had drafted several proposals, but how long implementation would take and what challenges might arise remained unknown.
Nevertheless, he was prepared.
With that thought, Fred took a deep breath and switched on the computer in his study.
The screen flickered to life, revealing four half-person-sized virtual displays before him.
Each screen showed one of Fred's subordinates.
Three men and one woman.
One of them was familiar to Fred—though Fred knew him, the reverse wasn't true.
Albert Heinlein, one of the future engineers behind the Freedom and Justice, and the technical director of the Millennium.
Brilliant and highly capable.
Currently, however, Albert Heinlein was just an eighteen or nineteen-year-old youth, appearing somewhat arrogant and far from the confident, steady figure Fred remembered.
His role in the theatrical version was limited, so Fred didn't know much about his personality.
"Pleased to meet you all."
"Deputy Director Heinlein, Martha, Franji, Wu Zhen."
Fred's expression was stern.
Even with his mask on, the tight line of his lips revealed his seriousness.
Dealing with subordinates was different from interacting with friends.
Joking around wouldn't earn their obedience—it would only make him seem easy to push around.
Even if he didn't plan to fully recruit them under his command, without projecting a strong leadership presence, he wouldn't be able to guide the work effectively.
Though few in number, each of these individuals excelled in their respective fields.
First, as the director, Fred was responsible for overall coordination, technical decision-making, liaising with the battleship design department, and budget management.
Rey specialized in the core energy system, Martha was a mechanical and materials engineer, Franji was an expert in digitalization and automation, and Wu Zhen handled nuclear reactor safety design.
Each of them was an ace researcher capable of working independently outside this team.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this an all-star lineup.
Naturally, as the leader of the research line, Fred's own research capabilities had to surpass everyone else's.