The Mech Touch

The Larkinsons started out as an offshoot of a third-class clan. While Ves had led his clan on an amazing upwards trajectory, there was no doubt that he started out from a much lower starting point than most of the people he interacted with today.

While Ves explicitly absorbed the Purnesse Family so that he could put a more sophisticated facade on his clan, his own speech, body language and other behavioral patterns were clearly not up to standard.

People like Gloriana and Calabast were much more adept at interacting with people at this level!

Though he was aware of his own deficiencies, Ves never thought about undergoing rigorous training. He was comfortable in his own skin and did not want to turn his outside persona into a false image of himself.

Eccentricity and non-conforming behavior was part of his personality. Even if he exaggerated it a bit sometimes, his conduct still reflected pieces of his true self.

In this meeting today, Ves tempered this side of himself. Prior research into the Murphy Family showed that Gelly Murphy and her people had little patience for nonsense. They conducted themselves in a conservative manner and had no tolerance for flamboyance.

This was why Ves suppressed his wilder emotions and only put up a polite facade.

Perhaps that had been a mistake.

Tyana Delcrost was able to play this game much better. Not only that, ZZR Industries was able to offer a solid package of benefits that was much more solid than the vague promises that the Larkinson Clan could offer.

Maybe Ves should have stayed true to his true self.

When Tyana’s sneers and insults towards his clan finally caused him to trigger, he no longer held himself back!

This woman had been talking down on him far too many times!

However, even as he let his wilder side out, he did not completely lose his attention on his goal. He discreetly transmitted a message through his implant even as he thought about how he could spin this uncontrolled moment to his advantage.

His eyes may be focused on a scandalized-looking Tyana, but his true audience was the Murphies!

Sure, what he was planning to do might not conform to rules, but Ves was already accustomed to breaking them whenever it suited him. At this point, there was no downside to acting out. Instead, his extreme behavior along with the plan B that he had prepared as eventuality might allow him to reverse this situation!

”Patriarch Larkinson! Behave yourself!” Tyana responded as soon as she recovered from his initial outburst. “I knew you were a dog. You uncivilized vagabond should have stayed on the edge of the galactic rim where you belong. If you think your stupid little clan—”

”SHUT UP!” Ves boomed as he took another powerful step forward while also channeling a bit of Zeigra through his mind!

Though Ves wanted to smack Tyana on her face quite badly, he was still cognizant enough to know that was an enormously bad idea.

This was why he resorted to one of his older tricks, which he was able to execute much more effortlessly than in the past!

As soon as Ves began to exude the aggressive glow of a feline apex predator, no one in the meeting chamber was able to disregard his presence!

The sheer ferocity and magnitude of his borrowed glow was so formidable that someone completely unaccustomed to the phenomenon would definitely not remain calm!

As a result, Tyana continually backpedaled as if Ves continually smacked her in the face.

He had done all of this without physically touching the CEO!

This was a shocking sight. The symbolism was unmistakable. Ves had woken up and exhibited complete dominance towards an arrogant woman who thought she was a dragon only to reveal her true colors as a gecko.

The Larkinson delegation standing nearby endured the glow a lot better.

As members of the Larkinson Clan, they couldn’t count the number of times they came in the vicinity of living mechs.

”I have continually treated you and others with respect, yet all you do is open your mouth and denigrate people for no good reason. You accuse us Larkinsons of being uncivilized, but I think your childishness and your lack of restraint is an even greater sign of incompetence! Everything you have told us so far shows that no matter what titles you hold, you are still a child pretending to be an adult!”

”I—”

”The adults are speaking at the moment!” Ves ruthlessly cut her off! “I cannot possibly fathom why you think it is okay to talk carelessly and allow yourself to make more enemies. A good businesswoman would never land herself and the company she represents in a bad light. The fact that you think it is okay to call us losers in front of the Murphies is disturbing and shows that you are completely messed up as a business partner!”

He turned and faced the Murphy delegation even as he gestured towards Tyana.

”Take a good look at the executive that ZZR Industries has accepted as its CEO. They say that the character of the leader often mirrors the hierarchy of a company and vice versa. How many spoiled and arrogant brats like Tyana are part of ZZR’s leadership? With someone like her in charge, how many executives and managers possess any integrity? Do you think that this company will show any sincerity and honesty towards Murphy & Sons once you are bound to it? I very much doubt it! If I were you, I would watch my back lest this stain of a company stab you in the back!”

His aggressive posture and his fiery words had an effect on his audience.

The Redfields looked a lot more intrigued at the moment. The mercenaries didn’t have a stake in this meeting anymore, so they effectively turned into bystanders.

The Murphies on the other hand exhibited mixed reactions. They looked as if they rarely if ever dealt with outbursts of this kind. They were both fascinated and apalled.

Gelly Murphy was absolutely livid, however. She was the organizer of this meeting and had expected it to proceed in a manner that befitted her expectations. Ves’ severe breach in decorum reflected badly on her as a host! This was why she looked as if she was close to calling security to put an end to this disruption.

Her reaction to his outburst fell within his expectations. Gelly Murphy was over 120 years old and had passed the stage where she was more open and flexible to unexpected developments.

As a mother and a long-standing leader of a shipbuilding company, Gelly Murphy’s greatest goal was to ensure her children remained alive and well enough to inherit her legacy without any issues.

Her ambition and her drive for greatness had long been extinguished.

This meant that whatever Ves wanted to say would probably fall on deaf ears as far as Gelly Murphy was concerned.

It was fortunate that Ves had no intentions of trying to persuade the old woman this time. He had encountered his fair share of stubborn and intractable women and knew that his chances of getting them to change his mind was too low.

If Ves wanted to get through the thick skulls of the Murphies, then he needed to direct his words towards the younger generation of the family.

He explicitly met the eyes of the number 2 and number 3 executives of Muphy & Sons.

Out of everyone in the shipbuilding company, Chief Ship Designer Karina Murphy and Chief Shipbuilder Melaia Murphy were the actual heads of the company’s business operations.

While they did not concern themselves as much on high-level decisions as their mother Gelly, Karina and Melaia definitely played vital roles in the key activities that sustained the shipbuilding company!

The pair of sisters were also the future of Murphy & Sons. Ves was banking on that as he tried to appeal to them directly.

”Madame Karina. Madame Melaia. Your company is at an important juncture at the moment. I believe you realize that as well, or else your family wouldn’t have held this meeting. You have listened to the pitches of a soldier and a businesswoman today. Each of them have presented different trajectories for your company, but mine is different. Do you know why? Because I’m a creator, just like you. We both share something in common for that reason.”

Ves transitioned from channeling his anger towards channeling his passion. He consciously tried to pull himself in the same group as Murphy’s ship designer and shipbuilder.

”Neither of the two other leaders understand what it is like to be in your shoes.” He continued. “We dedicate our lives to become better at designing and making products. No matter whether we are in the business of selling mechs or ships, we all hope that we can reach critical acclaim in our respective industries. It is not enough to settle for selling generic starships. If you truly want to excel in your field, you need to go further and become better at your respective jobs.”

”Patriarch Larkinson.” Gelly Murphy spoke in a rebuking tone. “I must ask you and your fellow Larkinsons to leave. You have already had your chance. You will not get another. Please make your way out this instant.”

”I’m not talking to you! I’m talking to the heart of your shipbuilding company. Karina, Melaia, forgive me for addressing you directly, but think about your own futures. Cooperating with ZZR Industries, an industrial company that has only ever focused on efficiency, profits and standardization will not do your shipbuilding company any good. Partnering up with this company will only make Murphy & Sons resemble it more, especially with a self-absorbed leader like Tyana Delcrost in charge.”

”And you profess to be different?” Karina Murphy asked in a skeptical tone.

”I’m a mech designer.” He said. “You must have studied my record and my work. My products are not only innovative, but also sell well as a result. I can help you follow a similar path. As a fellow creator, I can make sure that my clan and I will facilitate your more creative ventures. You must have developed more unusual ship designs over the course of your career. How many of them were you forced to shelve because your mother Gelly and the rest of the top management do not want to take any risks?”

The difficult expressions on Karina and Melaia Murphy’s faces already revealed the answer.

”For once in your life, take charge and overrule your mother’s overcautious decision.” Ves pleaded towards the two middle-aged women. “Cooperating with ZZR Industries might offer more financial security, but it will likely stifle whatever creative ambitions that you hold. You won’t have to do that if you cooperate with our clan. You can make Murphy & Sons stand out from the competition by designing and making ships that are more brilliant, innovative and excellent than usual!”

His passionate speech was getting to the two female executives. He had succeeded in rousing their creative impulses, which had long laid dormant since the company relocated to the Red Ocean.

”Sheer folly!” Gelly Murphy sneered. “I have not heard anything concrete from you, Patriarch Larkinson. Your claims are as empty as your trade consortium. There is no possible way for you to augment the creativity of our shipwrights.”

”You’re wrong. Let me prove it to you, madame.”

Ves spread his arms and issued a roar.

”DO IT, JOSHUA! SHOW THESE MURPHIES WHAT TRUE CRAFTSMANSHIP IS LIKE!”

Far outside of the rented compound, the Everchanger finally came into action.

The masterwork expert mech originally wasn’t supposed to be here, but Ves had called it over moments before.

In truth, he had already kept the mech and its mech pilot on standby, not as a security precaution, but to play the pivotal roles in plan B.

Joshua began to perform two different actions.

First, he commanded the Everchanger to change its design spirit to Vulcan. Though he was relatively new to this entity, he had no trouble embracing the crafting-orienting entity’s glow.

Second, he worked together with the Everchanger to activate the resonating ability associated with Iridescent Mercury.

As soon as they did so, the Everchanger’s glow massively increased in range!

Numerous streets and many different structures filled with people became disrupted as Vulcan’s glow enveloped tens of thousands of people!

The people in Murphy’s rented compound were no different!

Both Karina and Melaia Murphy widened their eyes as Vulcan’s vastly-amplified glow specifically tried to attune with their minds!

”What is this?!”