The Mech Touch

e would cost at least 100 million credits, but both the LMC and Ves wouldn ’t lose any sleep on such a trivial amount of spending.

The costs only ramped up hard when Ves filled up the other half of the space.
Ves had composed a very extravagant shopping list that would cost several billions credits to obtain.
This was because the best equipment could only be imported from the Firday Coalition.

Even though the lab and workshop floor took the least amount of space, it featured some of the highest level of defenses.
Only the final floor below featured even more extensive security features.

”Let ’s stop by the last floor before we go. ”

They had to enter a special, highly secure elevator to go down to the last floor.
A massive alloy gate stood before their sights.

”This is the vault.
As you can see, the front vault gates alone can withstand a typical mech squad for an entire day.
The sheer amount of alloys incorporated in the construction makes it fairly troublesome to open it.
Right now, many of the locks and security systems are not yet in place, so I won ’t be able to show you how it looks inside. ”

”That ’s a shame, but I ’ve seen enough. ” Ves nodded.
”Let ’s return to the old workshop.
I have work to do. ”

Ves planned to utilize the vault to store anything of value that would have been stolen if he placed it on the warehouse floor.
For now, he mainly planned to store any high-grade exotics and rare mechs that fell into his possession.

More than an hour later, Ves left the construction site and flew back to the outskirts of Freslin.
Compared to the massive undertaking in the forest, his older workshop resembled a doll house.
The two couldn ’t be more different.

Even if Ves was about to retire his old workshop, he would always remember it fondly.
He started his business here, and produced his first mechs from these modest halls.

Change was inevitable.
Ves and the LMC had to adjust with the times.
A modest workshop couldn ’t keep up with the pace of their growth.

Once Ves arrived at his office, Gavin awaited him in front of the door.
He flexed his feet up and down as he seemed anxious for some reason.
The moment Ves came into view, he smiled like a glittering sun.

”Ves! I ’ve been waiting for you for months! Do you know how agonizing it is to be without you?! ”

”Haha, you don ’t need to be so happy.
I don ’t swing that way. ”

The mood suddenly turned a little awkward.
”Ahem, the reason why I ’m here is because public is interested in you. ”

”Let ’s talk about it in my office. ” Ves said, and turned around to dismiss Melkor and the guards.
”Come on in and take a seat. ”

Once they took their places, Gavin began to babble about the public ’s interest in Ves.
”You ’re growing into a household name in Bentheim.
Even the other major planets in the Republic such as Rittersberg has started to take note of you! You can ’t imagine how many news portals and publications have knocked on our doors with a request for an interview.
You already missed the hottest period! ”

Ves regretted missing out on these prime opportunities.
Several prestigious publications at the level of the Rimward Star Herald had approached the LMC for an interview or profile piece when the sales of the Blackbeak started to explode.

These opportunities disappeared after the publications found out that Ves took part in the Republic ’s expedition to the Glowing Planet.
It was as if they expected that Ves would perish on the hostile, wartorn planet.

”Can we approach them for another chance? ”

”That ’s not something we can do.
They ’ll ignore us if we approach them on our own initiative.
They can be petty like that, and some of the hype has died down by now. ”

Gavin offered him a list of publications that still showed some interest in him and his company.
Most of them consisted of regional and planetary publications.

”I don ’t see any major names on this list. ”

Ves sounded disappointed.

”Even if they don ’t have a wide reach, it ’s still very useful to engage with the publications that are highly circulated in our target segments.
For example, the Bright Republic edition of Mercenary Central is the premier news magazine for mercenaries.
Many mercenary commanders avidly read their weekly issue or catch their daily broadcast. ”

Even Ves had heard a lot about the mercenary publication.
”Mercenary Central is a fine choice.
Let ’s add for consideration. ”

After that, Gavin suggested a couple of other publications.
Ves rejected most of them because he didn ’t believe they would benefit his profile or boost his sales.

”Mech Mothers is one of the more widely circulated news portals in the Republic.
It ’s widely aimed at the parents of mech pilots, and exert a significant influence on the mechs they pilot. ”

”No.
I ’m not going to engage with a bunch of parents, even if it ’s one of the most popular publications. ”

”Ah here, what about Junior- ”

”No. ”

After rejecting a bunch of tangibly related publications, Gavin finally gave up.
Besides an interview with Mercenary Central, Ves rejected every other option.

”Gavin, I don ’t have the time to grandstand in front of the public.
A couple of interviews are enough to put my name in the public sphere.
A mech designer should let his designs do most of the talking.
My Blackbeak is doing excellently in that regard. ”

His publicist and assistant sighed in defeat.
”Very well, boss.
I ’ll take that under advisement.
Do I have permission to allow your officers to be interviewed about the company? Many publications are happy if they can get a hold of your chief operating officer or chief financial officer.
These are mostly the dry and boring ones that focus on business, of course. ”

”That should be okay as long as they keep their mouth shut on certain topics. ”

”That ’s great! You can send me a list of the things you don ’t want them to say, and I ’ll pass that on to Mr.
Altern and Mrs.
Mackarie. ”

Ves fobbed off most of the interviews because he only had a limited amount of time to design his rifleman mech.
He wanted to devote his full attention to completing it in three months.

”I don ’t even know if I have that much time.
The war will break out very soon. ”