The Mech Touch

5973 Change in Positions

In the days since he returned from his infamous business trip, Ves spent most of his time in the design lab by himself.

Sure, he regularly collaborated with Gloriana. He also offered regular tutoring sessions to both Alexa Streon and the guest mech designers from the Vulcan Empire.

Each of them enabled Ves to remain somewhat connected to the happenings within the Design Department.

Nonetheless, ever since he recruited a whopping 25 Journeyman Mech Designers at once, Ves felt out of touch with the rest of the institution.

He missed the presence of many of the old-timers such as Juliet Stameros and Sara Voiken.

They had all opted to undergo EdNet training for a maximum duration of 4 years, which meant they would be missing out on this crucial development period.

Yet they all felt the need to undergo training in an accelerated virtual learning environment because they knew they would fail to keep up with the development of the clan.

Ves looked forward to reuniting with the new and improved Larkinsons, but there were still a few more years to go before they rejoined the clan.

This should have been an opportune moment for him to forge new friendships with the second-class mech designers that were beginning to assist with updating a lot of old and outdated Larkinson mech designs.

Ves did not need to do a thing. Despite being the man in charge of the Design Department, he rarely involved himself with the management of all of the design teams these days. His time was more valuable than that. The less time he spent on getting bogged down on trivial affairs, the more time he had left for more essential design work.

No one blamed him for this transformation. He was the most successful mech designer by far. He commanded respect far beyond that of a normal Senior Mech Designer. The cute little low-ranking mech designers all stared at him with outright hero worship whenever he walked past their workstations.

Ves had become a living myth to all of the old and new mech designers.

In order to fill up the leadership gap, Gloriana had jumped at the opportunity. By now, she had firmly established herself as the de facto leader in charge of the Design Department.

Whenever mech designers wanted to obtain approval to start a new design project or request additional funding, they turned to Gloriana rather than Ves.

She was the one that allocated resources, approved design projects, set the overall schedule and mandated additional training.

Gloriana did not mind the additional work and responsibilities. She enjoyed the power she held over her subordinates.

The self-worth she gained for becoming the queen of the Design Department subsequently boosted her mood whenever she spent time on her own design projects.

Ves had nothing to complain about her leadership style. She was stern but fair. She always held herself to a higher standard than the others, which made it easier for the mech designers to meet her demands.

Of course, not even Gloriana could handle everything herself. She had learned how to delegate a few responsibilities to more notable mech designers such as Alexa Streon and Kelsey Ampatoch.

It did not take a lot of thinking to understand why Gloriana leaned so much from the two notable Journeymen.

Both Alexa and Kelsey were genuine first-class mech designers. The first was a former Terran scion. The latter was a remarkably talented and ambitious former Rubarthan employee of Isthmus Manufacturing.

Since the pair had studied first-class mech design at renowned and demanding Terran and Rubarthan mech design universities, Ves expected to rely heavily on them when they were finally ready to design the first batch of first-class Larkinson mechs.

In the meantime, what made Alexa and Kelsey so helpful to Gloriana was because their illustrious backgrounds granted them a lot of unique advantages.

Alexa could easily manage relationships between the Premier Branch of the Larkinson Clan and the Terran ancient clans that ran the Terran Alliance. She was able to negotiate favorable deals and utilize her extensive connections to get a lot of useful stuff done on New Constantinople VIII.

Kelsey lacked local connections, but what he brought to the Design Department was a higher standard of professionalism.

He had worked for Isthmus Manufacturing for multiple years. During that time, he participated in many design projects and worked alongside a lot of different mech designers. Even if he was just a cog in the machine, he spent enough time within this well-run institution to understand how it worked!

Gloriana soon learned to appreciate the former Rubarthan's experience. The management of the Design Department began to undergo a noticeable shift.

Everything became a little more structured, formalized and efficient.

Though Gloriana was careful to preserve the customs that made the Design Department a great place to work at, she did not shy away from importing the best practices that Kelsey had learned from his previous employer.

The differences were obvious to Ves. Gloriana ran the Design Department a lot better than Ves had ever done when he was in charge!

When Ves spent a few days observing the leadership dynamic of the Design Department, he decided that his wife had done such a good job that it was time for him to acknowledge the inevitable.

This was why Ves summoned Gloriana, Alexa and Kelsey to his office in the morning of the next workday.

"Why have you called us here?" Gloriana asked as she left Hekkel outside the office door. "And why did you not discuss your intentions with me beforehand?"

Ves waved his hand before him. Three metal plates hovered down from the ceiling and unfolded into a set of chairs.

"Please sit down."

They all did.

Ves folded his hands on his desk. "I won't waste too much of your time. I called you here because I think the Design Department has grown and matured so much over the past years that the time has come to reorganize its leadership structure."

His wife predictably lit up when she heard that. She was not stupid. She instantly deduced what Ves had in store for this meeting.

He glanced at her enthusiastic eyes for a moment before he took a deep breath.

"After contemplating the state of the Design Department and my place in it, I have decided that it is high time for me to implement necessary organizational reforms. In truth, I don't see this as a change in policy. I am merely formalizing a circumstance that has already come into being."

The three Journeyman Mech Designers all looked up to him with expectation. Alexa and Kelsey had also figured out what this meeting was all about.

"My first decision is to step down from the position of head designer after the conclusion of this meeting. I won't leave the Design Department, but I will no longer involve myself in its management. It is an unnecessary distraction to me at this point. I will instead assume the position of elder designer that I have created for myself."

That was a more radical step than the three had predicted!

They already guessed that Ves wanted to hand over leadership responsibilities, but to do so in a decisive fashion was a bit extreme!

"Can you explain the position of elder designer to us?" Gloriana asked. "It is not a standard industry term."

"That's because I came up with it a few hours earlier. My goal is to create a position for myself that allows me to enjoy a great amount of seniority but without the obligations that typically come with a high position. Aside from that, I think that I will not be the only one who has need of this position in the Design Department. When we bring in future mech designers who are much more capable than others, yet do not want to distract themselves with leading a large amount of subordinates, they can assume the position of elder designer and channel all of their productivity in what they do best."

Everyone looked thoughtful at that. The explanation made sense.

"You are planning for the possibility that we may hire other Senior Mech Designers and possibly even Master Mech Designers." Gloriana said.

Ves nodded. "Yes. I am not telling you to go hire a Master right away, but if you ever decide to do so in your new capacity one day, then the Design Department should already be prepared for such an eventuality."

"And what is my new capacity, exactly?"

"While I am still in charge of the Design Department, I will not transfer the title of head designer to you. It is far too understated of a title given your actual importance and responsibilities. I have decided to appoint you as the director instead. This will bring you on par with the directors of other strategically important institutions and make it easier for outsiders to take you seriously."

Gloriana swelled with pride and happiness. Becoming a director of the most critical department of the LMC and the Larkinson Clan was a huge boost in validation!

She could finally brag about it whenever she attended the occasional high-society gathering on New Constantinople VIII!

Ves directed his attention to the other two Journeymen.

"Alexa. Kelsey. The two of you are relatively new to the Larkinson Clan, but you have already made many contributions. One of the key principles of my clan is that merit should be acknowledged. There are many mech designers who have worked with me for a longer time, and while I occasionally favor them at times, that does not stop me from elevating you to greater positions of responsibility. Doing so is best for our clan. I can think of no one else in the Design Department that can do better at your new jobs. Starting from today, each of you will receive the appointment of vice-director of the Design Department. In reality, your work and responsibilities will not change all that much. You have already been fulfilling this role. I am merely making it official."

The former Terran and the former Rubarthan both looked pleased and humbled by his praise.

"Thank you for your trust and confidence in us." Alexa placed her hand on her heart and made a short bow.

"I will endeavor to prove to the entire clan that you have made the right decision to appoint me to the position of vice director." Kelsey Ampatoch eagerly said.

The latter was a lot more enthused about this promotion than the former!

Ves recalled that Kelsey used to work as a low-to-mid level grunt in the much larger Isthmus Manufacturing.

The winner of the Fey Shaper Contest expressly resigned from his old company and caught Ves' attention for a reason. Kelsey wanted nothing more than to break through the societal barrier that stalled his promotions and ascend into a bigshot!

Ves gave the two new vice directors a moment to celebrate their promotions before turning to his wife again.

"Once you become the director, you will be in charge of the Design Department. You don't need to ask for permission to change stuff to your liking. I implicitly trust you that you will not do anything that will lead to severe dysfunctions. Do not forget that I still have effective control over the LMC, so do not think I am unable to override your orders anymore. If there is sufficient cause for alarm, I can use my ownership of the company to force a change in policy. Please do not give me a reason to resort to this measure."

His wife turned serious. "I have not overlooked the fact who is truly in charge. I will not give you any reason to intervene in this fashion. The Design Department shall prosper under my directorship. I will do my best to turn it into the most desirable work environment of our clan!"

A new era had begun for the Design Department.

Ves gracefully resigned from his leadership position while Gloriana officially gained her first fief as its queen!

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