Chapter 5606 A Conversation Between Artists

Chapter 5606 A Conversation Between Artists

Cultivators had become something of an open secret in the present day.

Those in the know had begun to practice whatever cultivation method that they could get their hands on. Few if any of them felt inclined to draw attention to what they managed to gain because they were all motivated by selfish intentions.

Human society was very much hierarchical and based on competition. Only a small proportion of people had a chance of occupying the positions at the top.

The more competent and capable they became, the greater the chance they could climb up the ladder.

It became a lot harder to defeat the competition if their rivals started to practice the same cultivation methods that made them smarter or better at their jobs.

This was why the earliest wave of human cultivators all abided by an unspoken rule. Every beneficiary implicitly colluded with each other to prevent the general public from learning about the wonders of cultivation.

Nobody knew how long this would last. The barrier of secrecy could collapse any day now, though Ves privately guessed that the current status quo could probably be maintained for a couple more years.

While the general public still lived their lives as if hardly anything changed from the Age of Mechs, the upper echelon had already begun to take advantage of the cultivation methods that they managed to obtain.Witness the birth of this content, streaming forth from n0v!lbin★

There were two major sources of cultivation methods.

The most common one was that these people managed to dig them up from their dusty archives. The problem with that was that the methods were generally obtuse and filled with strange meanings. The mechanics behind them were also highly inconsistent.

Examples such as the Hunter's Code showed that there were people out there that possessed the ability to formulate their own new cultivation methods. Only genuine high-level cultivators should be able to do this. Since they were exceedingly rare in the Red Ocean, Ves did not expect that many people had access to more modern cultivation methods.

Right now, Ves wondered which category Prince Casevir fell into. Was his background good enough to obtain a modern and much less confusing solution, or had he begun to practice a creation cultivation method that was many ages old?

The answer to this question was extremely important! It could mean the difference between doing business with a rational cultivator or getting involved with a complete nutcase!

Until Ves figured out the answer, he needed to display a lot of restraint and avoid making too many promises.

"Your art is beautiful." Ves complimented. "I can see from the works around us that you have the heart of a true artist. I did not expect that a highborn scion such as yourself would work with low-value pieces of scrap, but you have treated each and every component with a level of care and respect that is rare. It is impressive to see how you have managed to turn these ugly and malformed pieces of salvaged metal into beautiful and surprisingly harmonious pieces of artworks. I especially like how you have successfully generated aesthetically pleasing designs from irregular patterns."

However, Ves did not accept this call to debate about this kind of stuff. He still remembered that he was here to talk about a potential agreement about obtaining partial ownership in a large Rubarthan company.

He coughed. "I am still exploring my craft, Your Highness. It is in the process of doing so that I have gained an interest in Isthmus Manufacturing. I have many ambitions as a mech designer, but I am unable to pursue them as freely as I like due to logistical constraints. I think there are many grounds for cooperation between my mech company and Isthmus Manufacturing. With the help of the latter, I can introduce many of my works to a brand new set of consumers who reside in the Rubarthan Pact."

The Impresario Prince grew a little more serious now that Ves addressed the main topic for this call.

"Good art like yours indeed deserves to be appreciated by a wider audience." The prince nodded in agreement. "I normally do not intervene in person whenever Isthmus Manufacturing has signed a new contract with a mech designer, but your case is different. You are the first to turn what should have been a simple business transaction into a mutual investment deal. It is not unacceptable to grant you shares in Isthmus Manufacturing, but I expect much more from you in order to justify this extreme measure."

Ves grew a little nervous. "Is my work to your satisfaction?"

"I adore your work, as you can already tell, professor. I have few objections to allowing Isthmus Manufacturing to produce your mechs and handle all of the downstream activities related to them within the Rubarthan Pact. The greatest issue I have with your work so far is that they are only limited to second-class mech designs."

"I am working hard to gain the qualifications of a first-class mech designer. I am a quick study, so it should only take a few years before I can present a first-class mech of my own design."

"That is to be expected." The prince nodded in an approving manner. "The other major issue is that your asking price is too excessive. The valuation of Isthmus Manufacturing is astronomical. It is a centuries-old mech manufacturer with a long heritage of stable business and prudent decision-making. It has developed close contacts and partnerships across multiple networks. With my help, the recently reorganized Red Ocean division of this company has not only maintained its footing in the rapidly changing economic situation of the Rubarthan Pact, but it has also managed to increase its footprint by acquiring dozens of distressed smaller mech companies."

"Your Highness, I understand that Isthmus Manufacturing is a valuable mech company, but my value is no less impressive. It is not a loss to give me a 20 percent stake in your company." Ves insisted.

The Impresario Prince shook his head as he began to show the attitude that was expected from a true blood descendant of the current Star Emperor.

"As great as your potential may be, it will take many years for you to live up to your promises. It is not too late for you to acquire more shares by drawing from your own warchest. In the meantime, it is much more appropriate for you to start your long-term cooperation with Isthmus Manufacturing with a more proportionate degree of ownership. It is relatively customary in the mech industry at our level to bestow Master Mech Designers with a 1 to 3 percent stake in a company. Given the high demand and the beautiful artistry of your recent mech designs, I have little objections to granting you the treatment of a Master as opposed to a Senior."

This was a huge step down compared to his initial asking price!

If Prince Casevir thought that Ves was willing to gamble, then he guessed wrong!

"I am afraid I cannot agree with this, Your Highness. I progress quickly, so it takes much less time for me to realize my potential. I do not want my mechs to be controlled by a company that I can hardly influence, so I must insist on meeting my original demand."

It looked like this was going to be a difficult negotiation.