The Mech Touch novel Chapter 4016

Chapter 4016 Over A Barrel

Matriarch Erexi Aduc and Kievenar Aduc were both part of the command layer of the Aduc Family.

The current and future leader of the Aduc Family had not only studied terraforming, but also politics, business, administration and management.

They needed to develop competencies in many different fields in order to make sure the Aduc Family could continue to survive and make a living in a constantly changing galactic human community.

Tierna Aduc and Pesca Aduc did not possess the same broadened perspective. They had both devoted their lives to terraforming and exobiology with all of their hearts, so they were not exposed to the power plays that took place between different parties.

For this reason, they still had a lot of difficulty understanding why the Larkinsons, who the Aducs had approached with plenty of goodwill, could act so vilely all of a sudden!

"These scoundrels!"

"They're worse than scoundrels. They're hypocritical scum! I thought that they were honorable warriors and honest mech providers, but it turns out that they have no limits in what they are willing to do to get ahead!"

"That is not necessarily a bad trait to have these days." Kievenar noted.

"What did you say, brother?!"

"He is correct." Matriarch Erexi Aduc spoke. "What the Larkinsons have done is not unusual among the larger, more powerful and more successful human organizations. The reason why they have all grown considerably faster in size, wealth and power than us is because they are much more willing to make the expedient decisions even if they have to violate rules, conventions and even taboos in the process."

Her younger and more innocent daughters could not accept this kind of conduct. They never heard their mother speak so clearly about the reality of doing business at this level!

"Why did we never hear about this before?" Tierna Aduc asked.

"Because we previously maintained our distance from these ambitious parties. As long as we kept to ourselves and operated within our familiar territory, the chances of coming into conflict with dangerous groups was low. We managed to fly under most people's sensors for many years until we took the initiative to change our strategy. Ever since we entered the Red Ocean, we could no longer remain as uninvolved as before. When we were exposed to the Larkinson Clan, our chances of remaining in our comfort zone had dropped even more."

Kievenar Aduc shook his head in resignation. "To be honest, with the way that pioneers in the Red Ocean have operated, it was only a matter of time before we would attract the predatory gaze of a larger and more powerful group. We should be fairly lucky that we have only attracted the attention of the Larkinson Clan so far. As much as you object to their behavior, they do not fundamentally wish to exploit us or turn us into their vassals. There is still a measure of mutual benefit in their proposals."

Not every Aduc had good feelings about the likely culprits at the moment. There were even those that wished to burn all of their nascent ties with the Larkinson Clan due to this incident regardless of any directives of the Transhumanist Faction! _{ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com}

"The Larkinsons have brought death to the Old Lady! They have attempted to murder the heart of our family! It makes no sense to smile and shake their hands after what they have done! We should leave this cursed star system right away!"

"What would that solve for us?" Matriarch Erexi calmly shot back at the family elder who proposed this course of action. "Our Old Lady is almost terminally ill. We have already failed to reverse her decline when she was still in decent shape, and our chances of saving her have dropped even more since then. The only way we can save her is if we give in to the demands of the Larkinsons. Though they have acted with ill intent, I do not believe they have deliberately brought our living heirloom to the brink of death unless they have a countermeasure in their possession that can bring her back to life."

"We cannot allow our anger to lead us to a worse future. Saving the Old Lady is more important than spitting the Larkinsons in the face." Kievenar concurred. "Besides, if you think about it, the deal offered by the Larkinson Clan is not all that bad. While they are eager to pull us into a dangerous vortex, the payoff is much greater than the profit of completing ten terraforming projects. They have even promised that they can make the Old Lady evolve to a higher state."

"Do you actually believe that, brother?"

"Their work speaks for themselves."

As the higher ups of the Aduc Family evaluated their options and held discussions on how to move forward, most leaders recognized that they had lost this particular game.

When the Aducs next met with the Larkinsons in order to advance their negotiations, Minister Shederin Purnesse no longer encountered as many obstacles as before.

"My condolences to your family." The old man sympathetically said as his expression conveyed genuine sadness. "No group should suffer the pain of losing a beloved symbol and piece of heritage. We cannot imagine how much you and your fellow family members are fearing for the future of your Old Lady. Is she still able to persist for the time being?"

"Our Old Lady has always been resilient. She may surprise us in the future."

"We will be the first to offer our congratulations to your family if that happens." Shederin politely responded.

Kievenar Aduc, who led this round of negotiations on behalf of his mother, resisted the urge to punch the sincere-looking ambassador in the face.

No matter how pleasant and innocent the envoy acted, the Aduc scion knew quite well that the Larkinsons were the chief culprits of this entire calamity! They had by far the strongest motive as they clearly obtained an immense advantage after the change in circumstances.

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