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Chapter 64: Furious Obadiah
"It seems someone wants you to meet them in Gotham City," Jean warned, reminding Tony to be careful. No matter the situation, someone in Gotham City definitely wanted to do something to Tony.
"And I investigated the group who threw the phone at you. I found no trace of them whatsoever. It's a group of people operating very discreetly and shrewdly, keeping an eye on you," Jean said.
"I understand... Thank you, Jean. Please give my regards to Professor X and the others." Tony exchanged a few more pleasantries with Jean before thoughtfully putting down his phone. The fact that they were from Gotham City was truly beyond his expectations.
After so long, he hadn't really given much thought to the phone incident. No matter who the other party was, he only needed to steadily grow stronger. Everything besides his fists was fleeting; only true strength was something that would forever belong to him.
But if the other party was from Gotham City...
Who could it be? Joker? Wayne? Or some of the Gangs? It made no sense; Tony had no conflict with any of them.
"Tony, what are you thinking about? Come drink!" A group of people shouted, calling Tony over to continue drinking.
The Old Bartender put his arm around Tony's neck, forcing drinks down him, roaring with laughter.
...
Stark Industries.
Tony and his revered uncle, Obadiah, were having a fierce argument. This scene was incredibly rare; for so many years, the uncle and nephew had supported each other, building Stark Industries step by step into a powerful empire. Their relationship was very close, almost to the point of sharing everything.
But today, their argument had erupted, leaving many staff members trembling with fear, not daring to even breathe loudly.
"Tony, why didn't you discuss this with me beforehand?! Do you have any idea how dangerous a signal you're sending by doing this?" Obadiah was a bald, burly man whose face exuded an aura of authority, inspiring awe at first glance. Indeed, Obadiah deserved this esteemed reputation and temperament; for years, he had been responsible for the entire operation of Stark Industries and cleaning up after Tony's romantic escapades.
In Tony's eyes, Obadiah was a respected elder.
"So what? They're my shares. I'll give them to whoever I want," Tony said, holding a wine glass, maintaining the elegance of a high-ranking executive. He was charmingly flirting with a female employee, occasionally responding to Obadiah.
Obadiah was absolutely furious. Tony had been acting recklessly for years, and he couldn't count how many times he had handled public relations for him. If it weren't for Tony's genius mind constantly bringing in better military weapons and economic benefits, he would have long since stopped caring about Tony, finding a way to kick him out and go solo.
But this time, it was too much! The most crucial thing was that Tony's actions had crossed a line!
"I'm not trying to interfere with your decisions, but giving shares to others is one thing, yet you actually gave your shares to a Mutant! Don't you know that the relationship between Mutants and the Human Government is rapidly deteriorating?!"
"So what? They're my shares. Is it illegal? There's no federal law prohibiting giving shares to a Mutant." Tony dismissed it; sometimes he could be stubborn, and never easily admitting defeat was one manifestation of his personality.
He had promised Tony and the others one percent of the shares and had no intention of backing out. A mere one percent wasn't much to Tony.
Obadiah's old face flushed crimson with anger. He irritably stroked his meticulously trimmed beard, realizing he couldn't reason with Tony on certain matters. It wasn't the first time Tony had acted recklessly, but this time, he had truly gone too far.
The news that Tony was to receive shares in Stark Industries garnered immediate attention from the senior management the moment Tony returned. Other executives might have had some complaints, but they were useless; they simply held shares and collected dividends, so it didn't matter how Tony chose to manage his own shares. But Obadiah was different; his position dictated that he would come into contact with certain distinct circles.
A highly influential figure in the Military was very concerned about this, calling him specifically to insist that he put a stop to this ridiculous and foolish act.
That person was named Stryker, rumored to be secretly conducting some kind of research. What exactly it was, Obadiah didn't know Stryker well, but he knew without a doubt that it certainly wasn't anything good, and definitely something that couldn't see the light of day.
Furthermore, once this news got out, how would people view Stark Industries? Publicly and prominently giving shares to a Mutant who could communicate with Professor X and Old Man Magneto—what did that action mean? Was Stark Industries using this method to express its dissatisfaction to the public and The Government? Are you pressuring The Government, pressuring public opinion?
Stark Industries was a multi-trillion-dollar conglomerate, involving interests from all sides. If Tony's actions succeeded, all stakeholders connected to Stark Industries would effectively be passively hijacked by Tony, becoming a quintessential representative of Mutant supporters. The Mutant Community would also widely publicize this event; it was a ready-made leverage and example, and only a fool wouldn't seize it tightly.
"Listen, Obadiah, my respected uncle, they saved my life, and I promised them a generous reward, which is this one percent of the shares." Tony was serious; he understood that doing this would have a significant impact, but his pride wouldn't allow him to renege on a life-saving favor.
Obadiah suggested that a lump sum of enormous compensation could be paid, an amount they could never spend in a lifetime, eliminating the need for shares.
But Tony still refused, which truly infuriated Obadiah.
Their conversation ended on bad terms, a situation that hadn't occurred in many years.
Obadiah's face was grim. He gnashed his teeth, harboring a secret resentment, always believing that Tony's series of foolish actions were pushing Stark Industries into an abyss. Obadiah also had his ambitions; for thirty years, he had yearned to completely control Stark Industries, to seize this behemoth from the Stark family and make it his own, for example, transforming it into the Obadiah Group.
Obadiah left the meeting room, pulled out his phone, and made a call.
"Did it succeed?"
"It failed, Mr. Stryker. Tony refused to listen to me; I had no other choice," Obadiah said.
"You're a veteran of Stark Industries, and for all these years, it's thanks to you that Stark Industries is in this position, yet you say you can't persuade Tony?" Stryker's voice was grim.
"Watch your tone! You're just a petty colonel!" Obadiah paused, "Besides, Tony is the controlling shareholder and helmsman of this company. Whatever final decision he makes, I will fully support him."
Obadiah's tone was cautious; no matter what he thought inwardly, he had to outwardly project a united front. Internal conflicts could never be known by outsiders.
The phone went silent for a moment, then the call was disconnected.
Obadiah's face had already turned utterly sinister, veins bulging on his hands.
(end of chapter)
"It seems someone wants you to meet them in Gotham City," Jean warned, reminding Tony to be careful. No matter the situation, someone in Gotham City definitely wanted to do something to Tony.
"And I investigated the group who threw the phone at you. I found no trace of them whatsoever. It's a group of people operating very discreetly and shrewdly, keeping an eye on you," Jean said.
"I understand... Thank you, Jean. Please give my regards to Professor X and the others." Tony exchanged a few more pleasantries with Jean before thoughtfully putting down his phone. The fact that they were from Gotham City was truly beyond his expectations.
After so long, he hadn't really given much thought to the phone incident. No matter who the other party was, he only needed to steadily grow stronger. Everything besides his fists was fleeting; only true strength was something that would forever belong to him.
But if the other party was from Gotham City...
Who could it be? Joker? Wayne? Or some of the Gangs? It made no sense; Tony had no conflict with any of them.
"Tony, what are you thinking about? Come drink!" A group of people shouted, calling Tony over to continue drinking.
The Old Bartender put his arm around Tony's neck, forcing drinks down him, roaring with laughter.
...
Stark Industries.
Tony and his revered uncle, Obadiah, were having a fierce argument. This scene was incredibly rare; for so many years, the uncle and nephew had supported each other, building Stark Industries step by step into a powerful empire. Their relationship was very close, almost to the point of sharing everything.
But today, their argument had erupted, leaving many staff members trembling with fear, not daring to even breathe loudly.
"Tony, why didn't you discuss this with me beforehand?! Do you have any idea how dangerous a signal you're sending by doing this?" Obadiah was a bald, burly man whose face exuded an aura of authority, inspiring awe at first glance. Indeed, Obadiah deserved this esteemed reputation and temperament; for years, he had been responsible for the entire operation of Stark Industries and cleaning up after Tony's romantic escapades.
In Tony's eyes, Obadiah was a respected elder.
"So what? They're my shares. I'll give them to whoever I want," Tony said, holding a wine glass, maintaining the elegance of a high-ranking executive. He was charmingly flirting with a female employee, occasionally responding to Obadiah.
Obadiah was absolutely furious. Tony had been acting recklessly for years, and he couldn't count how many times he had handled public relations for him. If it weren't for Tony's genius mind constantly bringing in better military weapons and economic benefits, he would have long since stopped caring about Tony, finding a way to kick him out and go solo.
But this time, it was too much! The most crucial thing was that Tony's actions had crossed a line!
"I'm not trying to interfere with your decisions, but giving shares to others is one thing, yet you actually gave your shares to a Mutant! Don't you know that the relationship between Mutants and the Human Government is rapidly deteriorating?!"
"So what? They're my shares. Is it illegal? There's no federal law prohibiting giving shares to a Mutant." Tony dismissed it; sometimes he could be stubborn, and never easily admitting defeat was one manifestation of his personality.
He had promised Tony and the others one percent of the shares and had no intention of backing out. A mere one percent wasn't much to Tony.
Obadiah's old face flushed crimson with anger. He irritably stroked his meticulously trimmed beard, realizing he couldn't reason with Tony on certain matters. It wasn't the first time Tony had acted recklessly, but this time, he had truly gone too far.
The news that Tony was to receive shares in Stark Industries garnered immediate attention from the senior management the moment Tony returned. Other executives might have had some complaints, but they were useless; they simply held shares and collected dividends, so it didn't matter how Tony chose to manage his own shares. But Obadiah was different; his position dictated that he would come into contact with certain distinct circles.
A highly influential figure in the Military was very concerned about this, calling him specifically to insist that he put a stop to this ridiculous and foolish act.
That person was named Stryker, rumored to be secretly conducting some kind of research. What exactly it was, Obadiah didn't know Stryker well, but he knew without a doubt that it certainly wasn't anything good, and definitely something that couldn't see the light of day.
Furthermore, once this news got out, how would people view Stark Industries? Publicly and prominently giving shares to a Mutant who could communicate with Professor X and Old Man Magneto—what did that action mean? Was Stark Industries using this method to express its dissatisfaction to the public and The Government? Are you pressuring The Government, pressuring public opinion?
Stark Industries was a multi-trillion-dollar conglomerate, involving interests from all sides. If Tony's actions succeeded, all stakeholders connected to Stark Industries would effectively be passively hijacked by Tony, becoming a quintessential representative of Mutant supporters. The Mutant Community would also widely publicize this event; it was a ready-made leverage and example, and only a fool wouldn't seize it tightly.
"Listen, Obadiah, my respected uncle, they saved my life, and I promised them a generous reward, which is this one percent of the shares." Tony was serious; he understood that doing this would have a significant impact, but his pride wouldn't allow him to renege on a life-saving favor.
Obadiah suggested that a lump sum of enormous compensation could be paid, an amount they could never spend in a lifetime, eliminating the need for shares.
But Tony still refused, which truly infuriated Obadiah.
Their conversation ended on bad terms, a situation that hadn't occurred in many years.
Obadiah's face was grim. He gnashed his teeth, harboring a secret resentment, always believing that Tony's series of foolish actions were pushing Stark Industries into an abyss. Obadiah also had his ambitions; for thirty years, he had yearned to completely control Stark Industries, to seize this behemoth from the Stark family and make it his own, for example, transforming it into the Obadiah Group.
Obadiah left the meeting room, pulled out his phone, and made a call.
"Did it succeed?"
"It failed, Mr. Stryker. Tony refused to listen to me; I had no other choice," Obadiah said.
"You're a veteran of Stark Industries, and for all these years, it's thanks to you that Stark Industries is in this position, yet you say you can't persuade Tony?" Stryker's voice was grim.
"Watch your tone! You're just a petty colonel!" Obadiah paused, "Besides, Tony is the controlling shareholder and helmsman of this company. Whatever final decision he makes, I will fully support him."
Obadiah's tone was cautious; no matter what he thought inwardly, he had to outwardly project a united front. Internal conflicts could never be known by outsiders.
The phone went silent for a moment, then the call was disconnected.
Obadiah's face had already turned utterly sinister, veins bulging on his hands.
(end of chapter)
