How to Legally Smuggle Water

015.M40, near the Ultima Segmentum, A-310-7 Trade Station.

"Sir, your offer is truly too low. I'm afraid I can't accept it."

The 102-year-old merchant Jako stepped down from his floating chair with great difficulty, and the two bodyguards beside him immediately raised their hands to support him.

The reason was simple: their boss had suffered severe postoperative complications after his fourth life-extension surgery.

Ever since that damned operation, every day, the moment he woke from the drugged sleep brought on by anesthetics, the terrible pain returned at once.

How painful was it? Jako couldn't even describe it. He only knew that unless he injected himself with all kinds of drugs, he would keep screaming.

He had thought the condition would gradually improve with time, but a full month had passed, and it had not eased in the slightest.

Now, he regretted it deeply. He often thought that if he hadn't gone looking for that cheap underground quack, and had instead spent the money to get in touch with the Mechanicum, things would have been better.

But there were no ifs in this world.

"Please reconsider," his guest replied from in front of the counter.

His voice was low, but it lacked the coarse hostility Jako had come to expect from the people he dealt with. Instead, it carried a calm steadiness—as though he did not care whether Jako truly rejected the offer or merely wanted to drive up the price.

The merchant immediately sensed trouble. Instinctively, he gripped his bodyguards' hands tighter, then forced himself upright, moved closer to the counter, and squeezed out a wrinkled smile.

"It's like this, sir. Please allow me to explain."

Jako spoke slowly, intending to appeal to both emotion and reason. He could already tell that lies would not work on this guest.

"You