The Mech Touch novel Chapter 4729

Now that Venerable Ark Larkinson became a formal member of the Larkinson Clan, a few hundred original family members followed suit over the next few days.

As for the original Larkinson Family, a modest group of retirees and stubborn fools agreed to settle down and take care of what little was left of this centuries-old institution.

Whether the original family degenerated into a retirement home or rose from the ashes, nobody could say for certain.

Ves had taken the initiative to force the Larkinson Family to relinquish all of the shares it held into the LMC.

Given the current size and earnings of the Living Mech Corporation, a 1 percent ownership of this lucrative mech company was way too valuable to be left in the hands of a decrepit, hollowed-out family organization!

Though he hated to do this, Ves had to persuade his own grandfather to cooperate with the voluntary handover of most of the shares.

"Without someone like Ark to hold the fort, our original family has lost its ability to protect itself against malicious parties who want to steal those shares." Ves frankly explained to Benjamin during one of his visits. "The best way to go forward is to transfer those shares back into my possession where they will be safe."

"...The family…?"

"Don't worry, grandfather. I am not kicking the old family to the curb. I will replace the dividends they earned in the past with more modest annual cash subsidies. I won't shower them with wealth they haven't earned. I will give the people who are left behind just enough that they will have no worries about maintaining their current quality of life."

Benjamin did not immediately respond. He stared out of the same window for half a minute before he finally gave his answer.

"...Fine. It isn't good… if the family becomes overly dependent on handouts."

As a former expert pilot, Benjamin understood more than most people that true success only came through earnest effort. He did not want to see the remnants of the family degenerate into hedonistic good-for-nothings that only spent their time squandering other people's money.

The two Larkinsons possessed the same stance on this issue. This made it much easier for Ves to get back the shares he had initially granted to the Larkinson Family out of sympathy.

With that, the Larkinson Family truly became hollowed out. Once Benjamin Larkinson succumbed from old age and old war wounds, there would be nothing tying Ves to the family he came from any longer.

The Larkinson Clan completely succeeded the old family from that point onwards!

This development was no secret. Though many family members became indignant upon learning the news, this only encouraged them to hurry up with their applications to transfer to the Larkinson Clan.

There was no need for Ves and his daughter to induct this group into the clan in person, so the ordinary Larkinsons had to get in through the regular process.

Though plenty of family members complained about the lack of special treatment, the clan wanted to make a point that they were not royalty.

As far as Ves and many other clansmen were concerned, the adopted Larkinsons that had joined much earlier and made a lot more contributions over the years earned a lot more respect!

Predictably, the old family members including Melinda Larkinson instantly joined the Davute Branch without showing any further consideration to the main fleet.

As far as these stubborn trueborn Larkinsons were concerned, the main branch of the Larkinson Clan was almost entirely separate from this side branch!

They were practically two different worlds!

Once the old family members got in, they soon experienced numerous difficulties in trying to blend in and take up their new positions.

Pretty much all but their youngest had been born and raised as third-raters. Though the time their family spent in the Garlen Empire had allowed them to be promoted to second-raters, they were not as good as the overwhelming majority of clansmen who were born into this life.

Not only that, but the Larkinsons had also ceased to recruit ordinary second-raters a long time ago. Their recruitment standards had become so strict in the last six or so years that only the younger and flexible elites among their respective professions along with their immediate families could enter the clan!

The differences between the two groups were so much that they found it difficult to get along at first.

The older Larkinsons were not only less skilled and knowledgeable at their jobs, but they also held a lot of old-fashioned principles and ideals that hardly evolved ever since the Larkinson Family had been driven out of the Bright Republic.

A lot of friction came about due to the drastic differences between how the old family and the clan were run. The culture clash became so severe that many original family members had to go through refresher courses and extra schooling in order to become marginally useful to the Davute Branch.

Of course, the more talented and outstanding newcomers received better treatment. Ark was the most emblematic of how generous the Larkinson Clan could be towards those who had the potential to contribute a lot more.

Ves and Raymond Billingsley-Larkinson gathered in the main office of the Davute Branch to promote Ark to a higher position right away.

Raymond pinned a badge on Ark's new clan uniform. "I instate you as the Vice Branch Director of our side branch. You will gain greater authority but you will also have to bear many more responsibilities as a consequence. I hope that we can work together and lead our Davute Branch to a promising future."

Ark shook Raymond's hand. "We can make this branch strong by defending our new home state."

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