The Wayne Enterprises Meeting

The day after Christmas.

On a day like this, people are supposed to stay home and reunite with their families. But for the executives of Wayne Enterprises, especially those who own shares, it wasn't a good day.

They had already received word that their main supporter, Earle, and his advisor, Edward, had been attacked by the Joker at his villa. Dozens of people, including bodyguards, were killed.

Of course, that wasn't the most important part. The Joker Gang, being a criminal organization, could justify attacking anyone.

What was truly critical, however, was that nearly at the same time, on Christmas night, they all received a message from Alfred, inviting them to Wayne Enterprises the following day to discuss some important matters.

In fact, they didn't want to go.

It was clear to anyone with a sharp eye that Earle's death had to be connected to Alfred in some way.

Even the notorious Joker Gang, known for its madness, could very well have been secretly supported by Alfred, this so-called "honest" man.

But they didn't dare not show up.

Once they arrived, they could at least chat a little in the meeting room. If they didn't come, they might be the next one to meet their end.

As these executives sat in the meeting room, trembling in fear, Reid was driving with Tony, heading towards Wayne Enterprises.

After getting out of the car, Tony immediately looked up at the Wayne Tower. After a brief moment, he nodded as if satisfied.

"Not bad... not bad. Wayne Tower isn't as tall as Stark Tower, which is good."

Reid didn't comment on Tony's odd sense of competition and quickly led him to the elevator, bringing him to the door of the meeting room.

"Please wait a moment."

After signaling Tony to wait, Reid pushed the door open and entered the meeting room.

As Reid's footsteps echoed, the murmur of conversations immediately stopped. Everyone in the room gave him a stiff smile as he walked in.

Reid didn't say a word at first. He simply made his way to the main seat, placed the

nameplate with Bruce Wayne's name on it, and indicated that he was there to represent

Bruce Wayne in the meeting. Then he sat down and began observing the increasingly tense expressions of the others in the room.

"Well... Alfred, now that everyone is here, why don't you go ahead and tell us about the so-called important matters?"

Finally, someone couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up.

If they kept dragging this out, they'd start suspecting that the Joker's gang had used this time to hold their families hostage.

"Apologies, I was just lost in thought." After someone spoke up, Reid responded with a slightly sarcastic tone.

"I thought no one would care about an old man's words, but to my surprise, all the

executives are present. Very good... very good..." Although his words were sarcastic, for some reason, when Alfred spoke them, they carried an air of elegance.

"Since you all are willing to listen, I'll speak plainly. Starting today, Wayne Enterprises will halt all preparations for the listing. Until the largest shareholder, Bruce Wayne, returns, we will not discuss these matters again."

"You must be dreaming! Alfred!"

Finally, someone couldn't take the pressure and stood up in anger, shouting loudly.

"You only care about protecting your master's interests, but do you realize that with the disappearance of Bruce Wayne, Wayne Enterprises isn't just stagnant anymore? The company is in rapid decline. Going public is the only way to save it. If things go the way you're suggesting, Bruce Wayne might not even return before Wayne Enterprises goes bankrupt!"

Just as Reid had always said, Earle's suggestion to take the company public wasn't driven solely by personal greed.

The bigger reason was the desperate situation after losing the company's pillar.

So, as he listened to the angry accusations directed at him, Reid didn't show any anger. He simply looked at the speaker calmly.

"Sir... have you finished speaking?"

"Y-Yes, I'm done."

After the outburst, the executive expected Alfred to respond with anger, but to his surprise, Alfred seemed completely unfazed, simply listening quietly. This behavior made the executive feel uneasy.

"Everyone..." Reid sighed, then continued.

"Please don't treat me like a foolish old man. I understand the crisis Wayne Enterprises is facing. That's why I've found a way to help the company survive without going public." With that, Reid turned to the door and called out.

"Mr. Stark, please come in."

As soon as he finished speaking, Tony pushed open the meeting room door and swaggered in. He then sat down directly in Earle's chair.

"I never expected that such a large company would have such a useless group of executives. All they can think of is going public, and they can't find any other way out. At least Alfred is smarter."

Reid's eye twitched slightly. Although Tony was praising him, for some reason, it didn't feel pleasant. But luckily, after the mockery, Tony got straight to the point.

At 21, he was young and brash, but he wasn't as arrogant as the man he would become years later.

The partnership with Wayne Enterprises wasn't charity; it was mutual benefit, so Tony wasn't about to burn bridges with them.

While Alfred could ensure the stability of the partnership, it was these people who would actually carry out the work.

"Alfred and I have already reached a consensus, and here are the documents for the cooperation between Stark Industries and Wayne Enterprises."

With that, Tony tossed the same documents he had shown Reid the day before to the executives in the room.

The executives, no longer in the mood to be angry, immediately began reviewing the materials.

With their experience, they quickly assessed the potential benefits of the partnership.

"Is this for real, Mr. Stark?"

It wasn't that no one had wondered whether Stark Industries was approaching with ill intentions, perhaps planning to secretly control Wayne Enterprises from within.

However, when they considered Tony Stark's current situation, along with Alfred's attitude, they quickly dismissed that thought.

Things could change in the future, but at least for now, they felt that Tony was genuinely interested in a partnership.

Like Stark Industries, Wayne Enterprises was involved in the arms trade.

But unlike Stark Industries, Wayne Enterprises didn't just focus on arms.

In Gotham, Wayne Enterprises had a hand in various industries—electricity, water supply, and more. Wayne's influence could be seen in almost every sector.

This was also the reason why the four major families of Gotham held such weight.

"Alright, this cooperation looks good. We agree!"

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