The Mech Touch

　　ZZR Industries therefore provided the greatest assurances in solving the shipbuilding company's most acute problems.

　　As long as it received enough help to stave off its creditors and bring its imported shipyard to an operational state, then Murphy & Sons would no longer be so close to bankruptcy!

　　Its situation would be massively improved and could immediately start producing starships with the help of the suppliers that ZZR promised to introduce.

　　Even if Tyana Delcrost offered no further significant aid, it wouldn't matter too much at that point. Murphy & Sons would be back in business and could begin to solve its own problems.

　　However, Tyana went a step further and addressed future considerations as well with her commitment to tailor her industrial plant's production to the specialized needs of Murphy's shipyard operations.

　　As a mech designer who occasionally supervised the production operations of the Spirit of Bentheim, Ves understood how attractive this offer sounded.

　　While mech production was quite different from ship production, Ves still possessed a shallow impression on how ships were typically built.

　　While shipyards were capable of producing large and technically-advanced ship parts in-house, it was much more convenient if they could outsource these activities to more specialized manufacturers.

　　If ZZR Industries took over this role entirely, then Murphy & Sons would have to waste less effort on making parts and have a lot more time and personnel to spare for assembling the massive hulls.

　　Opportunities like this didn't come easy. The way that Gelly Murphy directed a notable amount of interest towards Tyana Delcrost indicated that she was already leaning towards the industrial company.

　　Ves took a deep breath before he stood up. He looked at Vivian, Shederin, Calabast and Lucky one last time before he strode forward.

　　Though his patriarch uniform wasn't designed and tailored by a famed designer house or anything, it was nonetheless sufficient to enhance the confidence and stature that he had developed after successfully leading his clan through numerous crises.

　　At first glance, his demeanor formed a cross between that of Horance Redfield and Tyana Delcrost.

　　He possessed the confident swagger that came from leading an organization with strong martial strength.

　　At the same time, he also possessed the slickness that characterized individuals that had persuaded many people in the past and was confident that he could do it again.

　　As he faced the panel of Murphy dignitaries, he directed most of his attention to Gelly Murphy.

　　He knew that the outcome of this bidding war largely depended on whether he could persuade the CEO of Murphy & Sons. Her grip on the company and the Murphy Family was strong and her daughters all deferred to their mother in important matters.

　　It was too bad that the intelligence collected by Calabast indicated that Gelly Murphy was a rather shrewd and conservative leader.

　　Aside from her risky decision to relocate her shipbuilding company to the Red Ocean for whatever reasons, the general trend of her decisions tended to be risk averse.

　　That made life a lot more difficult for Ves. It also explained why Gelly Murphy currently showed a lot of favor towards the offer from ZZR Industries.

　　In order to overcome this bias, Ves had to perform above and beyond in order to succeed.

　　"My peers have each laid out attractive arguments why you should cooperate with them. No matter whether you prioritize security or prosperity, both of them offer a path forward for your shipbuilding company. Yet… do you really wish to go in this direction?"

　　His opening might not be strong, but he was just starting at the moment.

　　"Think deeper about what Redfield Security and ZZR Industries actually want from you. They do not merely want to join hands with you. They also want to pull you to their sides. This means that once you sign a contract with them, you will form an open alliance with another entity that can easily drag you into its own problems. Have you ever considered whether you are willing to allow another party to dictate your friends and enemies?"

　　The Murphies began to look a bit more troubled when Ves brought up this sensitive issue. It was one he worried about a lot in his free time.

　　"While I do not presume to know the reasons why Murphy & Sons decided to pack up its bags and leave for this dwarf galaxy, part of my guess is that you seek to become your own master. That is understandable. My clan and I share the same goal. Starting anew in a region of space where there are no existing states provides us with a new start, one where we can establish ourselves without binding ourselves to whims of tyrants, governors or overbearing 'allies'."

　　Ves briefly swept his gaze towards the Redfields and the ZZRs.

　　"If you have kept up with the regional news, then you should be aware that consolidation is the current trend at the moment. Larger groups seek to absorb smaller groups. Smaller groups are banding together to seek safety in numbers. Developing long-term partnerships with supposedly equal partners sounds like a good way to combine forces while maintaining sufficient independence, but is that truly the case? Let me tell you that the problem of one alliance partner quickly becomes the problem of every alliance partner. The alliance my clan is a part of has experienced several of such cases."

　　Much to the detriment of his other two alliance partners, but Ves didn't mention that specific detail.

　　"What our clan can offer to Murphy & Sons is a form of cooperation that conveys the greatest respect to you. We won't seek to bind you in shackles. We won't expect you to back us up whenever we get into trouble. We won't demand you to dance to our tune. As long as you become a member of our soon-to-be-founded trade consortium, we will treat you as a business partner, nothing more, nothing less."

　　Ves took a deep breath. His clan couldn't provide everything, and it was better to voice them now so that he could control the narrative.

　　"While we are willing to extend favorable treatment to Murphy & Sons, our clan will not give you a free handout. Instead, we will give you the opportunity to solve your problems on your own terms. We have confidence that a shipbuilding company such as yours can easily collect payment or amass loans from the many members in our trade consortium. I think that many of them are willing to extend generous terms to you in order to secure a promise to produce a starship in a timely manner."

　　The Murphies actually looked interested in this offer. While it wasn't as convenient as receiving 20,000 MTA credits right away, there was no stigma attached to this alternative course of action.

　　Their pride and honor as shipbuilders made it difficult for them to accept the fact that they had sunk low enough that they needed to rely on other people to render aid.

　　Perhaps it might be a greater burden for the Murphies to borrow money and accept a lot of pre-payments for the delivery of future products, but it was also a more honest and guilt-free way of paying their debts!

　　In contrast, the supposedly 'free' money that the Redfields and ZZRs were willing to give would always hang over the Murphy Family's head like an invisible axe!

　　Unless the Murphies were truly shameless and cared nothing about its business reputation, they would surely torment themselves in their attempt to repay the huge amount of generosity they received in their hour of need!

　　Instead of making the Murphies deal with quandary, Ves provided them with an alternative that neatly avoided this invisible trap.

　　Ves smiled when he saw that his argument took effect.

　　"Don't fall for the polite facades of Redfield Security and ZZR Industries. Deep underneath, they are burning with greed and ambition. While these elements are common in everyone in the Red Ocean, the difference between our Larkinson Clan and them is that we are the only ones who are showing actual sincerity and goodwill towards you. We genuinely wish that Murphy & Sons becomes successful again, because that will benefit anyone who is a part of our trade consortium. The others might not have the same ideas as you. The greater the trouble you are in, the more leverage they have over you. The balance of power between your alliance might get more and more skewed if you are not careful."

　　Although it sounded a bit preposterous, the scenario presented by Ves sounded realistic enough to make the Murphies suspicious towards the Redfields and the ZZRs.

　　This also tied in with what Ves had previously said about lacking sincerity. How could Murphy & Sons truly feel secure about partnering up with a duplicitous company that has a greater interest in taking over the foundation of the Murphy Family!

　　Ves began to close his case.

　　"You do not have to harbor these concerns if you maintain your independence. Our trade consortium is not a political or military alliance, so your obligations to its members are not great. If you regret joining it, then you can just leave. We won't try to keep you because we can't. The rules are clearly and unambiguously composed to make companies like you feel as free as possible. If you accept our offer, then you will retain the greatest degree of autonomy to make your own choices. Make the right choice and do not trade away your freedom for short-term gains."

　　Ves felt quite good about his performance when he rejoined his own delegation. While he could have added more weight to his speech by employing more passion or pulling off one of his many glow tricks, he judged that the Murphies would not take well to them. It was better to make his case the old-fashioned way.

　　The Murphies privately deliberated among themselves behind a privacy screen. This went on for several minutes, making everyone else nervous.

　　Ves couldn't see or hear the members of Murphy Family as they argued with each other, but he could vaguely sense their emotional fluctuations from this distance.

　　Excitement, caution, fear, hope and several other emotions kept fluctuating between the Murphies. Each of them responded differently to the three bids.

　　One of them remained remarkably stable, however. Gelly Murphy was akin to a rock as she maintained tight control over her own emotions.

　　Once the Murphies finished their discussion, the privacy screen dropped, allowing the leader of Murphy & Sons to reveal their decision.

　　"Mr. Horace Redfield, I thank you for your effort. Your mercenary company is truly strong and professional, but we do not particularly require your protection. The Davute System is highly-guarded and is already defended by those who have far greater stakes in the local economy."

　　The Redfield CEO knew that he had no more chances today. He stood up and bowed gracefully towards the Murphies.

　　"We understand. We hope we can maintain friendly relations with each other. You can always call upon our services if you ever need more guards."

　　"We shall remember that." Gelly Murphy said before she turned to the Larkinsons. "Patriarch Ves Larkinson, you have indeed shown great sincerity in your offer towards us. It is true that I do not want to see Murphy & Sons falling into the hands of others. Yet we can do that without entering into a new and uncertain collective such as the one you are proposing. Murphy & Sons has dealt with more than enough uncertainties in the last number of years. Our personnel are stressed and our tolerance for risks has reached a limit. Certainty is the last thing that you can offer to us, so I am afraid I will have to decline your invitation."

　　The verdict was clear. Neither Redfield Security nor the Larkinson Clan had managed to win the Murphies over. That meant that there was only one party left!

　　Tyana Delcrost smiled as if she was the cat that got the canary. Murphy & Sons could not afford to go alone at this junction so there was no other choice but to get in bed with the only contender that was left!

　　"Miss Tyana Delcrost." Gelly Murphy said towards the much younger woman. "While your proposal is not perfect, it is simple, direct and certain enough to meet our needs. Congratulations. If the contract between us reflects the concessions that you have made, then our company is immediately ready to work with yours on a long-term basis."

　　The CEO of ZZR Industries happily rose to her feet. "We are grateful that you have valued our offer the most. My company is ready to render aid to Murphy & Sons even before we finalized our contract. We should start rectifying your company's problems right away. The sooner your shipyard becomes operational, the sooner we can work towards common prosperity."

　　As the two women chatted amiably with each other, the Larkinsons looked pretty devastated.

　　Minister Shederin placed his hand on a glum-looking Ves. "You presented your case well, sir. You did nothing wrong. Our clan merely isn't able to offer the benefits that Gelly Murphy values more."

　　Calabast nodded.

　　"You tried your best, Ves. That old woman is simply too afraid of ruining her legacy and the future of her heirs. You could never beat the certainty and guarantees that ZZR Industries is able to provide."

　　Their words hardly made Ves feel better. He felt this failure was a personal defeat on his part. If he tried harder to appeal to Gelly Murphy's personal sensibilities, perhaps he might have been able to tip the scales in his favor.

　　During this time, Tyana Delcrost and Gelly Murphy finished their initial exchange of pleasantries.

　　While the Murphies began to wrap up this session, the CEO of ZZR Industries couldn't help but wander over to the Larkinson Clan with a smug expression.

　　"Nice try, Patriarch Larkinson, but you never stood a chance against us. You jumped-up third-raters are far too poor and simple to be of use to the Murphies. Now get out and return to your shabby fleet. Vagabonds like you will only dirty the air purity of this settlement."

　　Ves looked up at Tyana and only saw pure arrogance and condescension towards his people.

　　While he tried his best to stay calm, he could already feel his control slipping away. He was tired of getting talked down by this insufferable CEO.

　　Why should he continue to suppress his emotions and let Tyana get away with insulting the Larkinson Clan? It wasn't worth it for him to maintain his restraint anymore. Clearly, his approach hadn't worked this time. Perhaps it was time to go for another tack!

　　Besides, there was still plan B.

　　"Enough!" Ves boomed as he abruptly stood up! "You need a lesson in manners, girl!"

　　Everyone else abruptly stopped and stared at Ves as he completely lost his composure!