The Mech Touch novel Chapter 1094

On an impulse, Ves decided to take Ketis along with this trip. Unlike some of his cousins, the daughter of the frontier was a lot more accustomed to dealing with thugs and lowlives.

"Bring your sword along." He even told her before they left. "The big one. Not the small one that makes you look like a duelist."

Ketis looked puzzled. Did Ves actually told her to bring along her sword? After so many times of trying to get her to leave it behind?

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

"The people we are about to meet are similar to the pirates you’ve dealt with in the frontier. If you want to earn their respect, you have to show you mean business. I’ve already proven myself to the Whalers with my money and abilities. You’re completely new to them so it’s best if you make the right impression."

Ketis grinned. "Okay. I’ll go get my greatsword."

She returned a moment later with a floating scabbard following from behind. Ves noticed that she was actually carrying her CFA sword!

"Do you still have your CFA gear, Ketis?"

"No." She shook her head in resentment. She sent a glare at Lucky, who decided to tag along as well by clinging to Ves’ shoulder. "I stored by CFA armor and comm in the same vault as your other CFA gear. You cat ate it all. The only reason why I still have my sword is because I carried it around constantly. I even hug it to sleep, you know."

Ves furrowed his brows. How did the CFA miss her sword when they scanned the entire planet of CFA gear?

Then again, the greatsword did not exactly look very sophisticated. Although it incorporated a small amount of electronics, it was essentially a piece of alloy forged into the shape of a sword. It was hardly the best example of high technology in the eyes of the CFA.

Perhaps to them, a sword was as worthless as a bunch of nutrient packs.

"Well, I’m happy that you still retain your CFA greatsword. It’s really sharp."

"Thanks. I already taught Lucky a lesson for messing with my gear. You aren’t going to eat my sword, are you, little fellow?"

"Meow!" Lucky let out in an aggrieved yowl and buried his face in Ves’ shoulder.

Ves squeezed his pet a little tighter. "Pff. Serves you right, you gluttonous little cat. You shouldn’t eat other people’s possessions, you know."

They moved into an armored shuttle provided by SASS which departed from the Mech Nursery and flew towards Freslin alongside a small escort of shuttles carrying armed men.

Although Ves disliked the escort, as a prominent mech designer, business leader and friend of the Tovars, he couldn’t rule out that someone might have designs on his life. He was certainly no stranger to assassination attempts!

As soon as they touched down in a guarded landing zone owned by the LMC and reserved for their use, Ves and Ketis stepped out of the shuttle and descended upon the streets.

While Ketis made sure to wear a poofy beret over her head to hide her most unusual visual trait, Ves made no attempts to hide his identity. The armed guards around him made sure that any attempts to remain incognito would fail.

"It’s him! Ves Larkinson!"

The public quickly recognized him and called out attention to his presence. Although the presence of guards made them think better of approaching Ves, they still gawked at him like he was a god who descended from heaven!

"How wealthy do you think he is? He’s a billionaire right?"

"Ves Larkinson is a hero of the war! He’s the only mech designer who received the Golden Mech in the last war!"

"Marry me! Please marry me!"

The overall reaction of the public even took Ves a little aback. Freslin had changed, and the people who lived in it had changed as well.

The influx of highly-paid managers and workers in the region practically led to a renaissance in Freslin. A lot of new construction took place as the workers of the LMC spent much of their salaries in the city. Everyone needed a place to live and somewhere to unwind. The nightlife of Freslin had received a particularly notable boost in recent times!

As Ves, Ketis and Lucky slowly made their way towards the bar where they agreed to meet with Dietrich, they also encountered more blatant examples of the influence the LMC exerted over the city.

Sprinkled along these new commercial ventures, Ves saw a brand new police station, hospital and even a park that bore the logo of the LMC! All of these public services received some form of sponsorship from the company over the years. The blatant injection of the LMC into the lives of the people of Freslin served to make the company an indispensable part of the city!

Whatever Ves thought of this engagement by the company, the citizens of Freslin loved it! Cloudy Curtain had never been a prosperous planet, and the farming consortiums would rather invest their money in Orinoco. For Freslin to finally enjoy the same treatment as the capital city came as a pleasant surprise to most citizens who saw their quality of life improve.

"With the way your company plays such a big role in the lives of the locals, you’re practically their ruler." Ketis joked.

"It’s not the responsibility of the LMC to provide public services. That’s the government’s job."

"Well, the government obviously didn’t care before you came along. Shouldn’t that be enough to put you in charge?" _{freewebnoveℓ.com}

"I doubt the politicians would like that, Ketis. Maybe it doesn’t matter who gets to rule in the frontier, but in civilized space there’s a strong separation between government and business."

"You sound like you don’t entirely believe that." She said, throwing him a critical eye. She was a lot more perceptive than she appeared sometimes. This tendency increased after she binged on candy. "Look at the people here. They all worship you and your company. If you told them to jump, even the babies would do so! In my eyes, that makes you in charge of this city."

In some way, Ves had to admit that Ketis made sense. Freslin’s city council could only flex their budget so much. Although the taxes they levied on the LMC helped expand their spending power in recent times, they were no match to earnings of a major mech manufacturer!

Slowly but surely, Freslin transitioned into a company city.