Diverting Attention

A week later~

The Stark Industries shareholders' meeting was held once again.

However, this time, without Umbrella's participation, Tony Stark garnered the majority of votes in the first round of hand-raising, returning to Stark Industries as the CEO.

Obadiah looked in disbelief at the empty seat beside him.

Neither Umbrella nor Sherlock Fund's representatives had shown up.

Could it be that just because he had pulled Ivan to his side, Umbrella was now retaliating against him?

As he thought about Ivan, who was still waiting for him to get him out of the police station, he felt a headache coming on.

His original plan was to gradually break free from Umbrella's control, starting by pulling Ivan in and obtaining his arc reactor technology.

But he never expected Ivan to act so impulsively and attempt murder.

During the shareholders' meeting, Tony announced Obadiah's dismissal and his intention to file charges concerning Obadiah's illegal arms sales to Middle Eastern terrorists.

After that, it was all about winning over the remaining small shareholders and senior management.

Yes, winning them over, not suppressing them.

Tony remained true to his good-hearted nature.

He believed that these small shareholders and senior managers were merely tools used by Obadiah, not people who genuinely harbored malice towards him.

Those who had been laid off due to their association with Obadiah were, naturally, brought back, even promoted.

.......

"Today, Tony Stark has officially returned to Stark Industries, which has led to a slight increase in the company's stock price."

At the top floor of the Umbrella building, Adam stood by the large floor-to-ceiling window, holding a glass of red wine and gazing at the beautiful night view outside. His ears caught the news from the television.

Indeed, his decision was correct.

Letting Tony return had successfully brought about a rise in the stock price.

"Red Queen, how much stock do we still hold in Stark Industries?"

"Master, Umbrella holds 1.4% of the shares. Sherlock Fund holds 3.4%. Together, they total 4.8%. So far, we've made a profit of 27.3 billion dollars."

"Most of the funds have now been redirected into acquiring shares in Starship Corporation. However, since Life Foundation is also purchasing shares, Starship's stock price has become inflated, exceeding its original value."

"How many shares do I own in Starship now?"

"39.4%."

"And how much does Life Foundation own?"

"Based on public records, about 27%."

"How many shares does Starship Corporation's chairman hold?"

"Based on public data, about 11.2%."

After pondering for a while, Adam turned his gaze away from the window.

"How's the base construction going in Russia?"

"Currently, the foundation is being laid. After dealing with the local gangs, no major issues have arisen."

"Recall Luna and have another manager oversee the project. Then, find a time to meet with the chairman of Starship Corporation."

"Yes, Master."

After arranging a series of tasks, Adam suddenly remembered another matter.

"Sharon should start gathering intelligence on the Osborne Group. It's time to have S.H.I.E.L.D. work for us and divert their attention."

.....

The next morning~

At the top of the Osborne Tower in New York.

Norman Osborn sat in his office, staring at the third-quarter financial report in his hands, feeling a throbbing headache.

At just around forty years old, he didn't appear particularly aged. He was still in the prime of his life, and the hereditary illness of his family hadn't shown any symptoms yet.

But the financial report in his hands made him feel several years older, as if his body had been drained of strength.

Earlier this year, he had confidently developed a wound-healing spray, aiming to compete with Umbrella.

But because of insufficient testing and data, the spray was not only found to be less effective than Umbrella's product, but also to contain carcinogenic substances. As a result, it was pulled from most markets.

It was only available in a few impoverished countries, where the low price had won them over.

After all, Umbrella's drugs weren't cheap.

But even so, it would be difficult to recoup the development costs.

Recently, the board had been using this failure to attack him, with some even hinting at removing him from his position.

Apparently, Obadiah at Stark Industries had set a good example, making some board members restless.

But hadn't they seen Obadiah's fate?

Like a dog, cast aside by Umbrella.

"Knock, knock…"

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door, and before Norman could respond, it was pushed open.

A cute boy, around ten years old, hopped into the office.

"Father, it's Sunday. You promised to take me out today."

Seeing his son, Norman set the financial report aside and forced a smile.

"How about I take you to Disneyland, Harry?"

Harry smiled innocently and nodded happily.

"Thank you, Father! By the way, can I invite my friend to come along?"

Norman affectionately patted his son's head.

"You mean Peter Parker? Of course."

"Yay! Father, you're the best! I'll go tell Peter the good news."

As Harry left the office, Norman picked up the financial report again, his face darkening once more.

"I won't allow anyone to destroy my happy family."

"Knock, knock..."

Moments later, there was another knock at the door.

"Come in."

A long-haired woman, dressed in a black suit and pencil skirt, walked into the office.

"Mr. Osborn, the military has rejected our human enhancement technology proposal. They've stated that Umbrella already has mature technology, and unless we offer something better, there will be no future collaborations."

Hearing this, Norman's face remained stoic, but internally, his anger surged. Yet he also felt powerless.

Umbrella had risen to prominence in just a decade. In the beginning, he hadn't even considered them a competitor—a mere small-scale operation.

Later, when Umbrella started growing, they had even proposed a merger with the Osborne Group, but Norman had coldly rejected the offer.

Who could have predicted that Umbrella would grow to the point of squeezing the Osborne Group out of the market?

"I understand."

Looking at the seductive secretary in front of him, Norman felt a wave of desire.

"Come here."

The secretary, understanding his intent, set down the documents and approached him.

"Mr. Osborn, is there something you need? Wait, no, you shouldn't… I'm married… Ah!"

Ten minutes later~

A satisfied Norman pushed the secretary away.

"Have your husband apply for a job here as my driver."

"Huh?"

The secretary, still dressing herself, was momentarily stunned.

"But I don't have a husband…"

"Then find one. It doesn't have to be real."

"Understood."

With a sly smile, the secretary left, her high heels clicking as she walked out.

Watching her leave, Norman felt his desire reignite.

But being in his forties, his body was no longer what it once was.

______________________

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