The Mech Touch novel Chapter 908

As Ves exited the medical bay garbed in his CFA uniform, he thought over his priorities. His foremost goal was to look out for himself. Cooperating with Miss Calabast served his interest because they each required something from each other. As long as they worked together in good faith, Ves held hope that he could find a way out of this cursed planet.

"However, since I’m already here, I should maximize my benefits while I can."

The priming agent and gene optimization treatment both sounded incredibly attractive to him. He did not plan to let them slip away from his grasp.

Nonetheless, Ves couldn’t neglect his duty for the Bright Republic either. He still intended to find a way to rescue Ketis and the remnants of the Vandals and the Swordmaidens. As long as he lent them a hand and helped them complete their secretive mission, Ves would earn an unimaginable amount of kudos from the Bright Republic, the Mech Corps and Flashlight.

With their gratitude, Ves would be able to cash in all of those favors after the war, removing some of the roadblocks that stifled the development of his Living Mech Company.

Nonetheless, it wouldn’t be easy to meet all of these objectives! Just like when he first started off as a mech designer, he was short on money!

He needed to earn lots of merits. Not only did he require merits to make him eligible for promotion, he also needed them to exchange for all of the goodies in his wish list.

Not only that, but he needed to do so quickly! Time was against his side. He needed to complete as many of his goals as possible before the Vesians or hostile virtual officers turned against him and the rest of the Flagrant Swordmaidens!

Shortly after Ves left the medical bay, Miss Calabast turned up again in her identity as Lieutenant Summer of the Intelligence Department. She still wore her infiltrator suit and all of her gear, and made for a very stark contrast against his standard-issue CFA officer uniform with ensign rank insignia.

As soon as she sought him out, Ves remembered to stand at attention and salute her. "Good day, ma’am."

She grinned. "Don’t be so stiff. Even a bot can tell your salute is insincere."

"A viper like you doesn’t deserve sincerity."

"Haven’t you ever heard that you’re saluting the rank, not the person?"

"I must have missed that lesson in my time at a CFA bootcamp."

Of course, Ves never went through a CFA bootcamp as stated on his forged identity’s record.

"Enough joking around." Miss Calabast dropped her smirk and turned serious. "I’ve got two pieces of news for you. First, I’ve ’arranged’ the matter we’ve spoken about before. I expect a positive result when you take your next promotion test. How much time do you need before you are eligible for promotion?"

"Not very much. The Research Department is a gold mine for earning merits. I’m confident enough with my capabilities that I can complete many different stalled research projects. I’ve also obtained some extra merits by allowing the chief armorer from the Marine Detachment to study my gear."

"You are doing better than expected. I’m glad to see my choice in you is vindicated. I always knew that you are more than meets the eye." She smiled in a pleasing fashion. "Still, don’t get complacent too soon. Besides informing you about your promotion test, I also have some bad news for you. The expert pilot of the Hostland Warriors has succeeded in passing the recruitment test!"

His heart shook a little. Although he expected such a result, it was still a shock to hear she passed so quickly and decisively. "What is Venerable Foster’s status in the Starlight Megalodon?"

"She succeeded against all odds and managed to pass the recruitment test for non-CFA personnel. The ability she demonstrated has caught the Mech Department’s attention. She’s on a fast-track for promotion and development right now, and with how the Mech Department prizes her, it’s not out of the question that she will be able to promote with rapid speed. She’s already a lieutenant, which grants her numerous privileges."

Ves cursed in his heart. A lieutenant already outranked an ensign like him. Technically speaking, Venerable Foster would be able to boss him around in many ways if they ever encountered each other. That made his upcoming shift in the Mech Department a very precarious affair!

"Will she be able to harm me if we ever meet?"

"Not so easily." Miss Calabast shook her head, reassuring him a little. "You’re not under her chain of command and CFA officers aren’t allowed to lay their hands on each other on purpose. She can still make your life miserable in many ways, though, so stay on your ties and bear with it. You can give me a call on your CFA comm if she steps over the line."

"Thanks."

"No problem. I’m relying you to access certain sensitive research projects under the Research Department. There is no way I’m letting those Vesians lay a hand on you. For now, just focus on staying alive and promoting your rank. Your promotion to Senior Apprentice Mech Designer should be in the bag soon. I’ll be away to lay the groundwork for the promotion after that. As long as you succeed in becoming a Senior Mech Designer and a lieutenant commander of the CFA, your authority and security clearance will meet the requirements to access the research projects."

"Understood. I’ll do my best to cooperate as long as you keep your end of the bargain."

Miss Calabast nodded to him and strutted away after a short farewell. Obviously, hacking the promotion test to Senior Mech Designer wouldn’t be as easy as her last hacking attempts.

He watched her leave with a spark of suspicion glinting in his eyes. Even though they both depended on each other to get what they wanted, as soon as she got what she wanted, she had no more incentive to lend a hand to him. At that time, what might greet him next was not a smirk, but a stab in the back.

After the short meeting with Calabast, Ves raced down to the lower decks to start his shift with the Mech Department. The Mech Department occupied an expansive section of the ship, consisting of numerous workshops, mech stables and hangar bays.