Truncated

After he returned to the hotel, he lingered at Cinach VIII for a few more days. He occasionally and deliberately showed up in public for various reasons in order to reinforce his alibi.

In particular, he visited the offices or residences of various Journeyman Mech Designers who worked at one of the many universities and research institutions on the planet.

The impromptu exchanges he conducted didn't yield much fruit to Ves. Regardless of his gains or lack thereof, Ves already achieved his goal by acting in a way that did not invite suspicion.

If Ves immediately left Cinach VIII after departing from the Circle of Mota's underground marketplace, then someone might be able to form a connection between Rho-Sigma to Ves Larkinson!

Therefore, even if Ves wanted to leave the planet as soon as possible in order to study his newly-obtained goods, he restrained his urges and acted as if he still had a lot of time on his hands.