The Mech Touch novel Chapter 1585

Chapter 1585 Smooth-Shaven Skin

After some thought, Ves understood Marcella's position.

She was a Brighter, a veteran and a Bentheimer. Her loyalty towards the Bright Republic was unquestionable. She also cared a lot about Bentheim and supported any solution that made it safer.

Even if she was a shareholder of the LMC, she saw no conflict between supporting the company and supporting her home.

"While it may seem to you that the politicians at Rittersberg have made huge concessions to get the BLM on their side, think about what will happen after the sandmen are defeated."

A short moment passed before Ves came to a realization.

"A lot of real estate has freed up." He murmured. "With the fall of the Coman Federation and the border states, the Bright Republic stands to gain a huge amount of territory as long as we manage to dislodge the sandmen!"

Marcella grinned. "Exactly! Just imagine it! Our state can easily double or even triple our claims!"

"While you're right, I don't think that it will be as easy as it sounds to defeat the sandmen that have taken over the planets and rebuild all of those settlements from scratch. Won't the Bright Republic need even more money to fund this expansion?"

"The bright senate has already thought of that." She retorted. "There's already word of a bill being drafted that will give private individuals and organizations the right to run the newly-resettled planets as long as they cover all of the expenses! It won't strain the government's budget any further while providing everyone who has remained loyal a way to profit from the war!"

The cost of doing so was that the central government surrendered a lot of authority to the people and organizations who were wealthy enough to fund the reconstruction efforts.

If Ves actually cared about becoming a landowner, he might feel tempted to join this race as well.

"It will take a long time for those settlements to generate revenue. Decades, at the very least." Ves guessed.

"The government is patient, and so are the investors. Once these new settlements get up and running, the tax revenue they bring in will compensate for the loss of tax revenue from Bentheim. This is the key argument that Senator Tovar and the other supporters of this plan have put forward."

As far-fetched as it sounded, the plan still had a basis in reality. Though it depended on numerous assumptions, it was evidently enough to placate every faction.

"Even if the government has made nice with the BLM in this fashion, I still can't get over the fact that you're putting me up with Vincent again!"

In her eyes, she probably thought that Ves was making too much of a fuss about his animosity against Vincent Ricklin. Even though the latter was a scumbag, he happened to be a famous scumbag.

Of course, getting Ves to accept the commission was harder than she anticipated.

He had many objections to working for Vincent and the BLM. Aside from getting caught in the aftermath of Vincent's crimes, Ves also had another reason to turn up his nose at this commission.

"This guy had the temerity to demand a ridiculous mech from me." Ves growled with gritted teeth. "Just remembering that shameful mech is enough to ruin my day!"

He regarded the second mech that he had ever built in his career as a black mark on his record. Not only did Vincent abuse it to slaughter a lot of innocents, he also forced Ves to implement a ridiculous cosmetic addition to his custom mech!

A codpiece!

After the disastrous events that took place during that time, Ves did his best to forget the customized Marc Antony Mark I he built and delivered. Who knew that the government and the BLM would one day come together and shake hands!

Now that Vincent Ricklin was on track to receive full amnesty for his deplorable actions, Ves could not use Vincent's fugitive status as an excuse to refuse this commission!

However, as a respectable professional with a reputation for excellence in mech design, Ves simply couldn't stomach the idea of designing another mech that matched Vincent's aesthetic standards.

Ves was 100 percent sure that Vincent hadn't changed in that regard!

"Look, Ves, it's just a simple commission. One mech and you're done. You don't have to do anything else to help the integration of the BLM into society. Don't forget that your allies in the government have given you a lot of cover since your return. Do you think everyone is okay with your Hexer girlfriend and your affiliations with the Hegemony? Do you think the Ministry of Defense would be so lenient to support your Desolate Soldier model to the point of requesting a couple of variants?"

Ves looked at Marcella in the eyes with a measured expression. He was beginning to think that this minority shareholder of his company wasn't purely advocating for herself.

She was still a friend, though. Ves respected her and didn't particularly see anything wrong with her stance. It was just that the details rubbed him in the wrong way.

In the end, Ves thought it was unwise to appear ungrateful for all of the support he enjoyed so far. This was the nature of how connections worked. If someone scratched his back, he needed to return the favor.

Even if the other monkey's back had turned into a stinking, festering cesspool filled with lice, Ves found it difficult to refuse his obligations.

He sighed. "Alright. I'll do this if it keeps everyone happy. Don't expect me to be enthusiastic, though. If Vincent turns out to be a prick who wants to make things difficult, this venture is over, am I clear?"

"I'll pass that on." Marcella smiled in relief. "Thank you, Ves. As long as you do a good job, the Bright Republic will continue to support the LMC. In fact, do you know why the Ministry of Defense requested you to design the Prideful Soldier?"

Ves widened his eyes. "Don't tell me..."