The Mech Touch

　　"…Not necessary." Ves replied. "I'm sure that our style could use some work in your perspective, but it all reflects who we are. If we employ your designers to give my clan a makeover, will it still be our clan? I'm not so sure about that. The way we look defines who we are. It's not worth it to compromise our identity just because we want to look better. I'm sorry, Mr. Barach, but I am not interested in your offer."

　　That caused Cefigo to look as if he hit a wall. "Uhm, we can still help you in other ways! We still have pieces of first-class tech that we can exchange for your hammer or an object like it! Although we have sold or scrapped much of the legacy possessions we brought out of the Yarman Republic, we can still offer an object of commensurate value."

　　"And what do you plan on giving me? A rusted shield generator? A horribly-outdated starship? I don't believe you can give me anything that is truly worth the price of my hammer. Your house is in bad shape and its financial position must be nearing rock-bottom after you have entered the Red Ocean, am I correct in my guess? Whatever junk you have left may be of sentimental value to your house, but I seriously question whether it holds any practical value!"

　　The difficult expression on Cefigo's face showed that Ves was close to the truth.

　　"Then… we still retain a handful of legacy rights and properties. Our house may have fallen, but it used to enjoy a much greater status. That has granted us special privileges, some of which we have retained."

　　"What kind of privileges are we talking about, here?" Ves finally showed more interest in the negation.

　　"We… can give you the right to refuel your starships for free at any MTA outpost or base, for example!"

　　"How often?"

　　"Err… once per twenty years?"

　　"USELESS!" Ves roared. "Either show some sincerity, or get out of my office! I'm not running a charity here! Do you have anything concrete and valuable to offer to our clan or are you just here to beg for handouts?!"

　　The Barach craftsman looked increasingly more panicked. The hammer that Ves had placed on the desk kept attracting him, but he clearly recognized that he and his house didn't have the capital to negotiate with the Larkinsons!

　　The House of Barach of one of two centuries ago was a lot more prosperous than the house in the current state. The Barachs of the past could have easily come up with a concession that was sure to interest the Larkinson patriarch.

　　In fact, if Cefigo had met the Larkinsons just a year ago, his house would have been able to pass on some if not all of the valuables that were originally purposed to pay for passage to the Red Ocean.

　　Unfortunately, they had already drained most of their assets in order to settle in the Red Ocean! Aside from offering the services of his fellow Barach craftsmen, Cefigo truly couldn't think of anything that might be enough to satisfy the other man's appetite!

　　As Cefigo continued to stew over his inability to get what he wanted, Ves finally gave him a lifeline.

　　"You know… you guys aren't completely worthless in my eyes." He said with an intriguing smile. "Sure, your house is almost hollowed out, but it can still make a comeback in the Red Ocean. It might take time and your house might stumble along the way, but there is a non-zero probability that the House of Barach might return to its former glory one day, if not in the Yarman Republic, then here in the new frontier."

　　The tailor looked hopeful again. "Then…"

　　Ves grinned as he leaned forward. "I don't generally invest in other companies, but I feel like taking a gamble today. Here's my offer. I won't hand you this hammer. It's too precious to me. What I will provide are… totems that can assist you and your fellow artisans in your craft. They're quite easy to use, though they will probably not give you any instant boosts like my hammer. You'll have to be earnest in your thoughts and create a truly good work of art in order to gain his approval."

　　"Whose approval?" Cefigo looked confused.

　　"I'm not finished yet." Ves waved his arm. "The point is that I am the only person who can help your house regain its creative edge that it needs to grow as a successful brand. I'm not willing to do this for free, though. As I stated earlier, your house probably doesn't have anything of immediate value, but as long as we work together to get it back on its feet, that will change. I'm not asking for much. I just want a 49 percent ownership stake in the House of Barach."

　　"49 percent!?" Cefigo almost stood up in shock and outrage! "We can't do that, sir! Our house has always remained in Barach hands! We have never sold our craftsmanship and heritage to outside investors and I do not see that changing. We may not be Yarmans anymore, but we still hold true to the rules and traditions of our ancestral state and culture whenever possible. Outsiders must never compromise the integrity of our traditional craft!"

　　Ves inwardly snorted. No wonder the House of Barach continued to decline and fall over the past two centuries. The Barachs were so fixated on their precious customs and traditions that they rejected a lot of obvious solutions to their problem!

　　"Only a significant stake in your house will make it worthwhile for me to facilitate its rise." He said in a factual tone. "Don't bother trying to come up with feeble offers. Anything below this threshold will not interest me the slightest."

　　Ves' stern demand put Cefigo in a difficult spot. Giving away shares of the house was taboo with the Barachs. It was their heritage and a core part of their identity. Giving away half of the ownership of the house was nothing less than cutting away half of their bodies!

　　"You can't even decide this matter on your own, do you?" Ves narrowed his eyes. "Then either persuade one of your elders to negotiate with me or forget about coveting my stuff."

　　"Wait, sir! Can't you give us a chance? I do not think I can convince the rest of our house to break our tradition. There has to be something else we can do. What other requests do you have?"

　　Ves thought for a moment. "Well, the service I can provide is of great value. I am reluctant to extend this service to outsiders such as your house. What I am not as hesitant about is offering this service to my fellow Larkinsons. Although I haven't given my clansmen the opportunity to draw on this benefit, I can see that changing in the near future. There are many artists, craftsmen and mech designers who could benefit from a good whack in the head. I am glad to oblige them provided they are useful and have contributed to my clan."

　　The message was pretty clear.

　　"You… want us to join the Larkinson Clan?"

　　"Yes." Ves grinned. "If you won't give me half of your shares, then give me half of your artisans. As long as you can muster enough volunteers, then our clan would be happy to absorb you all. However, I'm only willing to extend this benefit to the Barachs that have decided to become Larkinsons. Anyone who is stubborn enough to stick to their traditions can keep them all. We don't need to entertain those fools."

　　Cefigo looked scandalized. Some of those stubborn fools that Ves was talking about also happened to be the greatest artisans of the House of Barach! Without their efforts, the house would have never been able to last up to this point!

　　"You're not giving me a choice at all, sir. While I am personally attracted to your strong and prosperous clan, I cannot turn my back on the heritage of my house. I simply can't. None of my other relatives will agree either. We will not disrespect our predecessors who have fought and worked so hard to keep it alive."

　　Ves did not relent at all. "Your red lines are too restrictive. If you keep your stubborn position, then I do not see how we can come to an agreement. I don't mean to be greedy, but you of all people should know what I can do for craftsmen such as you. In addition, as someone who is in the business of selling coveted and desirable luxury goods, you should understand that you should never devalue your own products. Everything has a given value, and to undercut it for bad reasons will only undermine your position in the long term. So no, I won't cut you any slack. If you can't come up with anything better, then you have two choices here. You can give me 49 percent ownership of your house or 49 percent of your artisans."

　　A heavy silence ensued as Cefigo weighed his options. He desperately tried to come up with a better alternative but he couldn't think of anything that would satisfy this greedy patriarch!

　　He eventually closed his eyes. "Between the two suggestions you have made, both are unacceptable to us, but… my fellow Barachs may feel better if you lower your first demand. 49 percent ownership of our house is too excessive, but my stubborn relatives may be able to stomach a smaller percentage."

　　"It's 49 percent or nothing." Ves stated with an unyielding voice. "Your house doesn't have leverage over me. I hold all of the cards here. You either come to me and accept my terms or we will go our separate ways. I won't lose anything by rejecting an opportunity to cooperate, but your house might very well lose the only chance to rise to your old height!"

　　"That's not true, sir. We can still achieve success by relying on our own efforts. We just need time."

　　Ves laughed. "Hahahaha! That's funny. According to my research, the House of Barach has grown weaker and poorer with each passing year. Sure, you may have found your footing in the Red Ocean, but do you really think the THZ Consortium will just let you recover on their turf for free? The profits generated by your house will fall in someone else's hands sooner or later. At least by cooperating with me, I can give you a tangible benefit that can quickly improve your craftsmanship. That is something that all of the other business partners in this dwarf galaxy can never provide!"

　　The meeting ended shortly after that. Cefigo left the office in a heavy and dejected mood.

　　Ves on the other hand looked like he was the cat who got the canary.

　　This unexpected talk made him realize that he actually had another way to earn money and influence for his clan!

　　He could commercialize Vulcan!

　　By turning Vulcan's power into a product, Ves could attract the desires of every serious and passionate artisan! Cefigo's clear need to get hit by the hammer showed how desperate people like him could be. The ability to obtain supreme inspiration through a more controlled method could be life-changing!

　　Although Ves initially thought about spreading a fake religion centered around Vulcan in the new frontier, he realized that this was a stupid idea.

　　"Why give away religion for free when I can package it into a valuable product?"

　　It was a genius idea, especially since it was attached to a real and tangible service!

　　Whether the House of Barach would follow up on his offers was not important. Even if he couldn't close a deal with these folk, there were always other suckers out there that were willing to sell out their foundation for an opportunity to obtain Vulcan's blessing.

　　"Hehehehe…"