[1-200] THE MECH TOUCH

Chapter 41: Sale

Well, that was awkward. They exchanged a little bit more before Ves was politely sent off like he was a toddler intruding upon adults doing serious business.

He hadn't expected instant success, so his first rejection shouldn't affect him so much. Still, he felt he was being disregarded by the people around him. His youth and lack of track record weighed him down more significantly than he thought.

"We only source our mechs from established suppliers. We signed fixed service contracts with our long-term partners so they can offer the best support for our mech needs."

"I have to admit, for a lastgen mech your Marc Antony variant belongs to the middle-upper tier. Nevertheless, my corps only runs currentgen models. We like getting our hands on the newest toys available in the market, you see. Your Marc Antony is only good for a decade or two at most before it becomes obsolete."

"I collect only the classics and only in their most original form. I have nothing against variants, but the base models are the best."

This suspicion grew stronger as Ves kept approaching different groups of people. Sometimes he got a chance to introduce his product before he was rejected, but most of the time they didn't bother hearing him out. Perhaps most of these people were genuinely unable or unauthorized to purchase a new mech, but for the rest it was simply a lack of confidence in his ability to deliver.

Still, he got close a couple of times. Some retired mech pilots or veteran mercenaries expressed some interest in ordering his mech. Only a few things held them back.

"Our mercenary corps mostly goes out on extended patrols. While the short-term battle performance of your variant is impressive, we can't take it if it fails to keep up on our weeklong patrol routes."

"We're actually in need of plugging a gap in our mech lineup, and if you offered us the original Caesar Augustus I'd be tempted. As it is, while your variant is affordable, even two of your mechs can't fulfill the role of a single well-armored mech."

"Your mech's offensive lineup is a little scattered. It inherits most of the disadvantages of the Caesar Augustus but comes without the base model's excellent armor. I'd rather buy a specialized mech that does one single job perfectly than a machine that purports to cover every area only to fail at most of them."

He noticed that Carlos was off about his prediction that wealthy collectors were more likely to purchase his mechs. These collectors were highly discerning in their choice of mechs. They disdained cheap variants. Instead, they were more likely to chase after vintage base models or highly exclusive variants made with extraordinary materials.

Wealthy mercenaries expressed the most interest in his product so far. They were open to purchasing a functional mech, but poked holes at the Marc Antony's weak points. The detriments outweighed the benefits even with the favorable pricing. Compared to the 65 million credit price tag of an official Augustus, the 24 million credits Ves humbly asked for his product was a steal.

Still, not everyone was willing to accept that bargain bin price point. A flamboyant mercenary who behaved more like a pirate than a legitimate mercenary laughed in Ves' face when he quoted the price.

"Twenty-four million? Twenty-four fucking million?! I'd have to work my ass off for more than five years to earn back such an amount. How about giving me a break? Let's say, hm, twelve million?"

Ves was immune to awkward situations by now. He could maintain his smile even when the universe was ending. "For an advance payment of twelve million credits, I can produce and deliver the mech to you within half a month. You can pay the other half once the MTA certifies my mech."