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Chapter 367: A Gift of a Top 500 Company
This wasn't Orin Vale's first Christmas in this world.
But in the past, it had never been anything special to him. His identity, this coffee shop—they were all just tools for him to get by. He was all alone in a foreign world. He didn't belong here, and he knew he would have to go back one day.
Beyond the distant Multiverse, a warm place and people who cared for him were waiting for his return. Perhaps even at this very moment, that certain unreliable Blue-skinned Director was still racking his brains trying to find a way here.
It was precisely because he felt he would always be going back that Orin Vale found it difficult to get into the festive spirit. To him, Christmas just meant that the paper cups at the coffee chain changed color, now featuring a little snowman on a sky-blue background.
But this year was different.
On Kara's strong recommendation and with the decision of the Justice League's chairman, Superman, this year's Justice League Christmas party was moved from the Watchtower to the cafe. It wasn't even Christmas yet, but the place was already decked out in colorful lights, and a giant Christmas tree—one that had been carried over from the Watchtower—stood by the entrance.
The timing was perfect, not long after the Sinestro Corps invasion. In that war, many people with superpowers had stepped up to join the fight and played a huge role. Coincidentally, The League had been discussing expansion for the past year, so some newcomers deemed reliable by Batman were recruited on this occasion.
This Christmas party was also seen as a welcoming ceremony for the new members to integrate into the group.
"This is awesome!"
Shazam exclaimed in delight.
"I mean, can you believe it? I joined the Justice League! The Justice League, eh! My family was supposed to have a party today too, but I had them postpone it.
Who could miss a Justice League party?"
As he spoke, he remembered something and asked his new friends beside him.
"By the way, do your families not throw parties?"
Beside him, Martian Manhunter said glumly, "My family is gone. My race is extinct."
"Me too," Superman added.
Shazam let out an "Ah," exclaiming in shock, "Is everyone in the Justice League an orphan?"
The others stared at him in silence, their gazes seeming to say, "Since you're so good at talking, why don't you say some more?"
Shazam quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. "Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to... Hey! Look, it seems Batman isn't here."
He looked around, his eyes lighting up as if he'd made a brilliant discovery. "I bet Batman must have a family!"
The others exchanged glances again, the atmosphere turning a bit strange.
"Uh... what is it?" Shazam asked, confused.
"Um, we strongly advise against you mentioning the word 'family' in front of Batman," Kara said hesitantly. "Otherwise, you're going to have a very hard time in The League."
Shazam: "..."
Though he didn't understand what was going on, young Billy wisely avoided the topic. He ate a couple of cookies, and as his eyes darted to the side, they lit up again as he discovered something else.
"You!"
He appeared in a flash in front of the Old Wizard, who had just poked his head out of the kitchen.
"You-you-you-you're the Wizard who gave me my power, aren't you? Aren't you dead?"
The Old Wizard froze, his heart sinking.
Crap, I forgot about that. Right, I'm supposed to be dead...
He had been so focused on finding a successor so he could finally clock out and slack off that he'd directed and acted out a scene of dying on the spot in front of Billy. But after so long, he'd forgotten about this part of the script.
After stammering for a moment, the Old Wizard cleared his throat, stroked his great beard, and said, "Yes, it's true I died. But I thought it over and just couldn't let go, so I come back to check on things once in a while..."
Shazam stared blankly for two seconds, then shrieked, "A ghost—!"
"..."
Orin Vale glanced at the commotion but paid it no mind. He had already mentally prepared himself for the cafe to be turned upside down in any manner of ways today. You couldn't have high expectations when a bunch of god-like beings were throwing a party. Anyway, as long as they didn't break into his Laboratory, it was fine.
At the moment, he was holding a small, impromptu meeting with the Multiverse Travel Research Group, which consisted of Power Girl, Huntress, and The Flash.
"The Flash and I have completed all the calibrations," Orin Vale said. "The Cosmic Treadmill has been successfully connected to the Quantum Tunnel developed by your S.T.A.R. Labs. The coordinates of the target world have also been locked in. The Flash can now open a gate to your universe at any time."
Helena and Karen exchanged a look. Then, Karen bowed slightly to them and said sincerely, "Thank you so much."
"So, when are you planning to hit the road?" The Flash asked while stuffing a candy cane into his mouth. "I'm ready whenever... Um... as long as some lunatic isn't trying to freeze Central City and there isn't an army of talking gorillas invading."
The two girls hesitated.
"We... um... need to do some final packing," Karen said. "I need to hand over my company here to someone I trust. After all, I built it from the ground up, so I have some attachment to it."
"I get it," Orin Vale nodded.
They needed to pack their things and prepare to say goodbye to this world. Even though it was a temporary stay, they had lived here for so long that they had developed an emotional connection to the place.
"In fact," Karen smiled, "I'm currently looking for a successor for the company. But to be honest, since coming to this world, I haven't made any new friends besides Helena... until I met you all.
There are many people eyeing the Chairman's position, but there isn't a single one I trust. I don't want to hand it over to those profit-driven sharks on the Board of Directors. Besides, suddenly announcing my resignation and a replacement would definitely have a negative impact on the Starr Company.
So I'm considering..."
Orin Vale raised an eyebrow, suddenly seeming to understand what she meant.
"You're not serious, are you?" he asked.
"I've considered it carefully," Karen said seriously. "There really isn't a better option... Of course, that's assuming she doesn't object. Oh, and of course, if you agree as well."
Their gazes simultaneously shifted to Kara at the party, who was giggling at a joke from Firestorm while holding Stryker in her arms and petting him.
It was true. Kara and Karen were essentially the same person from different worlds; even a DNA test would confirm it. They had identical faces, and Kara's scientific knowledge and expertise had already reached a sufficient level.
However, in the DC Universe, knowledge and wisdom are two different things. It was truly uncertain whether she could manage such a massive conglomerate.
"I remain skeptical," Helena shrugged. "Putting other things aside, there are still differences between you two. Someone paying attention... alright, even someone not paying close attention could tell."
Although they were the same person, the decisive difference between them was age. Kara obviously hadn't reached puberty yet, and even with an identical face, the scale of certain parts was a far cry from Karen's.
Unfortunately, those "certain parts" were often what left the biggest first impression on people. It seemed being too exceptionally gifted wasn't always a good thing...
"That's a small problem, she can just pad it," Karen said, placing her hands on her hips and proudly puffing out her chest. "Besides, she's not far from developing anyway. Back in my day, I also had my sudden... awakening... around her age."
"Okay, stop. I don't need to know that part."
Orin Vale made a 'stop' hand gesture.
"Fine, I have no objections. Go ask her yourself."
A moment later, a confused Kara walked over.
"What's up?"
"Oh, it's nothing much."
Karen was all smiles.
"It's just that your older sister is about to leave, and I was thinking of giving you a Top 500 Global Company to play with. Are you interested?"
Kara tilted her head, and the ahoge on top of her head stood on end.
"Huh?"
(end of chapter)
This wasn't Orin Vale's first Christmas in this world.
But in the past, it had never been anything special to him. His identity, this coffee shop—they were all just tools for him to get by. He was all alone in a foreign world. He didn't belong here, and he knew he would have to go back one day.
Beyond the distant Multiverse, a warm place and people who cared for him were waiting for his return. Perhaps even at this very moment, that certain unreliable Blue-skinned Director was still racking his brains trying to find a way here.
It was precisely because he felt he would always be going back that Orin Vale found it difficult to get into the festive spirit. To him, Christmas just meant that the paper cups at the coffee chain changed color, now featuring a little snowman on a sky-blue background.
But this year was different.
On Kara's strong recommendation and with the decision of the Justice League's chairman, Superman, this year's Justice League Christmas party was moved from the Watchtower to the cafe. It wasn't even Christmas yet, but the place was already decked out in colorful lights, and a giant Christmas tree—one that had been carried over from the Watchtower—stood by the entrance.
The timing was perfect, not long after the Sinestro Corps invasion. In that war, many people with superpowers had stepped up to join the fight and played a huge role. Coincidentally, The League had been discussing expansion for the past year, so some newcomers deemed reliable by Batman were recruited on this occasion.
This Christmas party was also seen as a welcoming ceremony for the new members to integrate into the group.
"This is awesome!"
Shazam exclaimed in delight.
"I mean, can you believe it? I joined the Justice League! The Justice League, eh! My family was supposed to have a party today too, but I had them postpone it.
Who could miss a Justice League party?"
As he spoke, he remembered something and asked his new friends beside him.
"By the way, do your families not throw parties?"
Beside him, Martian Manhunter said glumly, "My family is gone. My race is extinct."
"Me too," Superman added.
Shazam let out an "Ah," exclaiming in shock, "Is everyone in the Justice League an orphan?"
The others stared at him in silence, their gazes seeming to say, "Since you're so good at talking, why don't you say some more?"
Shazam quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. "Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to... Hey! Look, it seems Batman isn't here."
He looked around, his eyes lighting up as if he'd made a brilliant discovery. "I bet Batman must have a family!"
The others exchanged glances again, the atmosphere turning a bit strange.
"Uh... what is it?" Shazam asked, confused.
"Um, we strongly advise against you mentioning the word 'family' in front of Batman," Kara said hesitantly. "Otherwise, you're going to have a very hard time in The League."
Shazam: "..."
Though he didn't understand what was going on, young Billy wisely avoided the topic. He ate a couple of cookies, and as his eyes darted to the side, they lit up again as he discovered something else.
"You!"
He appeared in a flash in front of the Old Wizard, who had just poked his head out of the kitchen.
"You-you-you-you're the Wizard who gave me my power, aren't you? Aren't you dead?"
The Old Wizard froze, his heart sinking.
Crap, I forgot about that. Right, I'm supposed to be dead...
He had been so focused on finding a successor so he could finally clock out and slack off that he'd directed and acted out a scene of dying on the spot in front of Billy. But after so long, he'd forgotten about this part of the script.
After stammering for a moment, the Old Wizard cleared his throat, stroked his great beard, and said, "Yes, it's true I died. But I thought it over and just couldn't let go, so I come back to check on things once in a while..."
Shazam stared blankly for two seconds, then shrieked, "A ghost—!"
"..."
Orin Vale glanced at the commotion but paid it no mind. He had already mentally prepared himself for the cafe to be turned upside down in any manner of ways today. You couldn't have high expectations when a bunch of god-like beings were throwing a party. Anyway, as long as they didn't break into his Laboratory, it was fine.
At the moment, he was holding a small, impromptu meeting with the Multiverse Travel Research Group, which consisted of Power Girl, Huntress, and The Flash.
"The Flash and I have completed all the calibrations," Orin Vale said. "The Cosmic Treadmill has been successfully connected to the Quantum Tunnel developed by your S.T.A.R. Labs. The coordinates of the target world have also been locked in. The Flash can now open a gate to your universe at any time."
Helena and Karen exchanged a look. Then, Karen bowed slightly to them and said sincerely, "Thank you so much."
"So, when are you planning to hit the road?" The Flash asked while stuffing a candy cane into his mouth. "I'm ready whenever... Um... as long as some lunatic isn't trying to freeze Central City and there isn't an army of talking gorillas invading."
The two girls hesitated.
"We... um... need to do some final packing," Karen said. "I need to hand over my company here to someone I trust. After all, I built it from the ground up, so I have some attachment to it."
"I get it," Orin Vale nodded.
They needed to pack their things and prepare to say goodbye to this world. Even though it was a temporary stay, they had lived here for so long that they had developed an emotional connection to the place.
"In fact," Karen smiled, "I'm currently looking for a successor for the company. But to be honest, since coming to this world, I haven't made any new friends besides Helena... until I met you all.
There are many people eyeing the Chairman's position, but there isn't a single one I trust. I don't want to hand it over to those profit-driven sharks on the Board of Directors. Besides, suddenly announcing my resignation and a replacement would definitely have a negative impact on the Starr Company.
So I'm considering..."
Orin Vale raised an eyebrow, suddenly seeming to understand what she meant.
"You're not serious, are you?" he asked.
"I've considered it carefully," Karen said seriously. "There really isn't a better option... Of course, that's assuming she doesn't object. Oh, and of course, if you agree as well."
Their gazes simultaneously shifted to Kara at the party, who was giggling at a joke from Firestorm while holding Stryker in her arms and petting him.
It was true. Kara and Karen were essentially the same person from different worlds; even a DNA test would confirm it. They had identical faces, and Kara's scientific knowledge and expertise had already reached a sufficient level.
However, in the DC Universe, knowledge and wisdom are two different things. It was truly uncertain whether she could manage such a massive conglomerate.
"I remain skeptical," Helena shrugged. "Putting other things aside, there are still differences between you two. Someone paying attention... alright, even someone not paying close attention could tell."
Although they were the same person, the decisive difference between them was age. Kara obviously hadn't reached puberty yet, and even with an identical face, the scale of certain parts was a far cry from Karen's.
Unfortunately, those "certain parts" were often what left the biggest first impression on people. It seemed being too exceptionally gifted wasn't always a good thing...
"That's a small problem, she can just pad it," Karen said, placing her hands on her hips and proudly puffing out her chest. "Besides, she's not far from developing anyway. Back in my day, I also had my sudden... awakening... around her age."
"Okay, stop. I don't need to know that part."
Orin Vale made a 'stop' hand gesture.
"Fine, I have no objections. Go ask her yourself."
A moment later, a confused Kara walked over.
"What's up?"
"Oh, it's nothing much."
Karen was all smiles.
"It's just that your older sister is about to leave, and I was thinking of giving you a Top 500 Global Company to play with. Are you interested?"
Kara tilted her head, and the ahoge on top of her head stood on end.
"Huh?"
(end of chapter)
