The Mech Touch novel Chapter 4717

As Ves and Yenames Clive continued to hold a discussion that took place over multiple layers, Lucky continued to observe and listen as he settled down on top of the head of the Superior Mother totem.

"Meow…" The gem cat yawned as his senses also kept an eye on the guards and mechs that quietly watched over the most powerful man in Davute.

The tour itself did not last too long. Ves briefly introduced Yenames Clive to a handful of other totems tied to different design spirits.

The prospective president at least had a good eye for excellent artwork. He did not hold back in praising the craftsmanship and the unique artistic fingerprint that made these totems stand out from many other works that he had seen in his life.

"Even without these glows, your sculptures are already good enough to be put on display in our better museums for modern art." The 120-year old man gently praised. "If not for your lack of reputation in the art scene and your unusual background, I would have offered to admit your work in a top museum right away. This way, your art will most assuredly be able to reach the widest audience."

Ves smiled at the praise. No one disliked being complimented on their earnest work. "These works are not purely ornamental in nature, and their glows make them unsuitable to be housed in the same exhibition halls. The works of other sincere and earnest artists will just get overshadowed by the glows. It is better to put them in a dedicated venue like this Ascension Gallery so that they can be enjoyed without any distractions or disruption."

"That is an interesting name you have chosen for this grand hall." Yenames Clive pointed out. "Does the name express your personal hope of elevating yourself through your work? Or does it apply to these fascinating existences who by all rights can be described as gods?"

That was another loaded question. Ves had already grown tired of getting his thoughts picked apart as he tried his best to answer in a manner that was internally consistent.

"I let my works speak for themselves." He eventually said. "Whatever message I wanted to convey is already embedded in the artwork themselves. It's up to you to decide how you interpret them all. I don't have the right to override and invalidate the unique impressions that you have made. Just like how you aim to turn Davute into a free haven that is accommodating to all sorts of people and cultures, I prefer my work to be enjoyed by the widest possible audience. We both know that we cannot impose too much of ourselves onto others."

They briefly exchanged glances at each other. Despite their vastly diverging backgrounds and vocations, both of them needed to appeal to a broad swathe of humans for similar reasons.

Ves wanted to sell more mechs and make his design philosophy become the new standard of the mech community. That meant he needed to design many different mechs, of which at least a portion of them had to achieve mass market acceptance.

Yenames Clive wanted to transform his upcoming colonial state into an economic juggernaut, but that was impossible if he tried to push too many of his own rules and directives down the throats of many unwilling immigrants and trading partners.

It was the recognition that they were on similar boats that brought them a bit closer together. After all, it was natural for people who suffered from the challenges to sympathize with each other and lend a hand if convenient.

Of course, Ves eventually became clued into this unconscious bias after receiving a helpful reminder from Shederin.

He never let down his guard for a single second, but even he could slip up every now and then. It was only now that he became cognizant that the opposite man gently steered the conversation in a more favorable direction to Davute.

Knowing was one thing. Calling it out was another. _{freewёbn૦νeɭ.com}

Due to various reasons, Ves did not find it convenient to confront the future leader of a colonial state on his clever conversation tricks.

This was one of the many games that people played against each other. The consequences of losing were incredibly serious, so Ves needed to keep navigating the currents with exceeding care.

Fortunately, he was not completely on his own. Minister Shederin Purnesse remained constantly within his field of view.

If Ves ever became stumped or if he happened to overlook a rhetorical trap, then the highly seasoned diplomat would make a subtle signal that the two had agreed upon beforehand.

It did not take much to clue Ves in. A shift in posture. A slight turn on the foot. The raising of a specific finger. Looking away for a specific amount of seconds.

All of these subtle signals each conveyed a short meaning that Ves could easily decipher and contextualize by himself.

So far, he did not have to rely on Shederin's help too often. Ves had already spent enough time in the upper levels of human civilization to gain a lot of proficiency in the social arena.

As the group ended their tour and made their way back to the central hall, Lucky decided to float down and land on Ves' shoulder.

"Meow."

"Oh hey, buddy. Do you want to join the party as well?"

"Meow meow."

"I see."

For his part, Yenames Clive did not comment on the strange sight. He was well aware of the many eccentricities of the Larkinson Patriarch.

It was clear to see from the decision to put a giant totem of the Golden Cat in the center of the Ascension Gallery that he had an incredibly soft spot for felines!

Now that they were done with probing each other over the short tour through one of the wings of the massive structure, it was time to take a more substantive turn in their talks.

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