[1-200] THE MECH TOUCH

Chapter 59: Package

As Ves debarked from his shuttle with a curious Lucky in tow, his heart weighed down his mood. The articles he read about Vincent Ricklin all painted an ugly image of an irresponsible wastrel.

As a serious mech designer, Ves preferred his mechs be used in the purpose they had been built. He was okay with them collecting dust in a warehouse or put on display in some kind of private garage, but to play around with them and take them too lightly was pushing it. No mech designer liked to earn a reputation for making flashy mechs that lacked substance.

"Though it's not as if I have a choice."

That someone like Vincent considered buying a mech from a newbie was miraculous. Ves should thank the heavens for giving him another opportunity to fabricate and sell his variant.

Ves took a smaller shuttle to Marcella's brokerage. She owned a nice office in downtown Dorum amid many other offices of major mech manufacturers and salesmen.

BOLLINGER'S MECHS

The giant name plastered on the small five-story office made it clear that Marcella staked her claim on the entire building. Entering it, Ves was impressed by the interior. It managed to look upscale without trying too hard at it. Subtle touches such as abstract paintings and authentic leather seats gave the place a swanky casino-like look. Simply put, the decor encouraged spending.

A receptionist at the lobby directed Ves to take a private lift. It seems like all bosses took the top floor, as Ves shot straight up to the fifth story. After exiting the lift, he navigated a small hall and had security bots scan his possessions. As Ves recently learned of the importance of security, he took the precautions in stride.

He finally met Marcella in person again after entering past the double doors.

"Ves, good to see you again!" She smiled at him from behind her desk. A pile of secure data-slates sat in front of her messy desk. "Take a seat. We need to talk."

After Ves took his seat, he let out the thoughts bottling up in his mind. "I thought you'd work hard to get a customer. I did not expect you to deliver me a human form bomb."

"There are many kinds of customers in this business. As long as they have the ability to pay, you'd better get used to serving their whims."

The broker had a point, of course. Ves needed money and couldn't afford to be picky.

"So tell me about the client. I take it he's the playboy that's on the news all the time?"

She nodded at that. "Vincent is... a character. You shouldn't take everything that's on the news for granted. There's a lot going on in the Ricklin family, but they've done a good job suppressing leaks. In any case, you just need to know that while his allowance has been curbed, he won't have any problems paying for your mech."

Naturally that should be the case. Ves wasn't about to trade his mechs for favors instead of money. "Do I need to pay attention to politics while I'm meeting with Vincent?"

"That goes without saying. Now, don't get scared. I've been in this business for over twenty years and I'm still in one hide. As long as you keep your curiosity in check there's nothing wrong with doing business in the big leagues."

Marcella enumerated a couple of things to watch out for when talking to Vincent. Above all else, Ves had to avoid talking about the family succession. He particularly should avoid any mention of Vincent's siblings. The broker also mentioned a couple of major players who had hostile relations with the Ricklin family.

Frankly, Ves found it ridiculous that he had to avoid so many topics. Still, he tried his best to remember all of the names. The last thing he wanted to do was to commit a faux pas and lose his precious commission.