The Mech Touch novel Chapter 1086

"It is almost sinful to partake in this bounty." The representative uttered as Ves carefully opened a vintage nutrient pack and took out a sample for the man to try. "Yet don’t mind if I do."

As soon as the foreigner from the Friday Coalition took a bite, he went into an instant ecstasy! "How divine! It is indeed as you claimed!"

Ves smiled as the representative took another bite and savored the sublime flavor. Thousands of years of fermenting had done the contents of the nutrient pack a lot of good!

"This isn’t just any kind of regular nutrient pack." He boasted as he entered into salesman mode. "Look at the markings and serial numbers of the nutrient pack. Not only are they of genuine CFA stock, but they are also dated from before the Age of Mechs! If that isn’t enough, they also originate from the long lost Starlight Megalodon!"

The representative studied the markings of the nutrient himself. "I was doubtful of your claims that you have somehow obtained the nutrient packs of a long-lost battleship of the CFA. The disappearance of the Starlight Megalodon is wracked with secrets. How could you possibly come into the possession of some of her nutrient pack supply?"

"I have my ways." Ves replied vaguely. "Due to some circumstances that I am not allowed to explain, I spent some time in the frontier. You can connect the dots from there."

"Very well. I’ll take your entire supply. How much do you have?"

"With the opened pack included, I only have fifty-three nutrient packs left." Ves stated as he slapped his palm against the open crate in the vault.

"I am prepared to purchase all of them for 100,000 coalition credits each. That is a princely sum for a Brighter like you who came into possession of such a treasure."

"100,000 cols? Do you think I am mad!? As a connoisseur of nutrient packs, I know quite well that these vintage nutrient packs are worth much more than that! You should pay 100 million cols for them per pack! I’ll even throw you a ten percent bulk discount if you buy all fifty-three of them at once!"

"Oh, please. Don’t insult my intelligence, Mr. Larkinson. Aged nutrient packs are not impossible to acquire. 200,000 cols."

"Those are fake goods you are talking about. Nutrient packs that have undergone artificial time acceleration might be able to offer similar complex flavor profiles, but they are equivalent to mass-produced goods! My nutrient packs are different! They are exceedingly rare goods with a special origin and story behind them. If your patron adds them to their collection, they can show them off with pride that they own a piece of the Starlight Megalodon! Where else can you find such a treasure that your patron can comfortably display without attracting the attention of the CFA? 90 million cols!"

"That is a ludicrous amount for mere nutrient packs. No matter their age or history, nutrient packs serve as an economic way to supply ships and colonies with long-lasting survival food. They consists entirely of synthetic ingredients mushed together in an approximation of organic food! There are limits to how much one should pay for hem! 300,000 cols!"

Ves chuckled. "You and I both know that we are not talking about trading a bunch of nutrient packs here. Regardless of their original form, their meaning is completely different now due to their aging and their remarkable origin. These nutrient packs are valuable specifically due to those reasons and those reasons alone! This is your chance to buy a piece of history! And I will only charge 80 million cols each!"

The two nutrient pack connoisseurs continued to haggle back and forth for a while. Eventually, they came to an agreement to sell all fifty-three nutrient packs for the low price of 2.7 million cols.

Once they shook hands and signed a contract, the representative commanded a lifter bot to pick up the crate and depart the vault.

Before he left, the representative turned around. "These are the only nutrient packs from the Starlight Megalodon that you possess, correct?"

"I’ve left a couple for my own collection." Ves lied. "I can completely guarantee that you have obtained the remainder."

"Very well."

Once the representative left, he stepped outside the vault area and reached a position where he regained his connection to the LMC’s internal network. He sent a call to Gavin.

"Gavin, please send in the next representative down to the vault."

"Okay, Ves." Gavin replied dubiously over the feed. "Why all of this song and dance? Why not meet them all at once?"

"I have my reasons." Ves replied before shutting off the connection.

He quickly returned to vault and entered another area where a single crate stood in the middle. Ves awaited for the next guest to be escorted to the vault by an attendant.

"Ah, Mr. Larkinson." The newcomer said, a woman this time. "From the drab decor of this underground area, I suppose you are about to show me your goods."

Ves smiled and opened the crate, revealing a number of nutrient packs. "You presume correctly, miss. Forty-six vintage nutrient packs, excavated straight from the missing Starlight Megalodon! As far as I am aware of, they are the only goods to have emerged from that legendary CFA battleship! Would you like to have a taste?"

"Please. How else will I be able to verify your claims? I am familiar with all of the historical CFA nutrient pack flavors, so don’t think you can bamboozle me with counterfeits."

"I would never dream of doing so, miss."

Like a sleazy salesman, Ves repeated the same routine that happened a moment earlier. He hyped up the historical value of the nutrient packs. They were not mere vintage nutrient packs, but relics of the CFA!

Ves fared a little worse during the haggling that ensued. The woman was a shrewd negotiator and they only shook hands when they arrived at a price of 2.2 million cols per nutrient pack.

After waving the female representative off with her newly-purchased crate, Ves smiled sardonically to himself. "Well, I have four more chances to do better."

Now that he gained more confidence in the value of his vintage nutrient packs, Ves continued to meet representative after representative. Even though he outright lied about the fact that they received his entire supply of vintage nutrient packs from the Starlight Megalodon, Ves didn’t think much of the consequences.

All he cared about right now was ripping off the representatives of profligate nutrient pack collectors from the Friday Coalition!

After completing six trades, each of which involved around fifty nutrient packs each, Ves completely traded away his entire stash!

"Meow." _{frёeωebɳovel.com}