Corporate Maneuvering

"Since you all oppose it, what if Mr. Wayne returns and agrees? Would he be angry that we decided on his behalf without consulting him?" Thea asked, observing their determined expressions. She hoped Bruce Wayne wouldn't hold it against them.

"Do you have a solution? You don't need to worry about Bruce. He won't agree. Even if he does, our opposition would still stand," Lucius replied. Having served as CEO for so many years, Lucius was adept at reading between the lines. Seeing how composed Thea was, he couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope.

As for whether Bruce would hold a grudge against him, Lucius wasn't afraid at all. Everyone in the room was either a friend or a comrade, and he wouldn't go against their collective opinion.

"Um, actually, I don't think this is a big deal." Thea pondered for a moment and genuinely felt that it wasn't a significant issue. She thought that Lucius was overreacting due to his rigid mindset.

"Did you know that I own shares in Wayne Enterprises?" Thea raised a finger and calmly stated, revealing something she had only recently learned.

"My father bought 0.5% and 0.7% of Wayne Enterprises shares for my brother and me before he passed away. After my brother's passing, his shares automatically transferred to me, so I have a total of 1.2% of the shares."

"Do you intend to initiate a shareholder vote of no confidence to veto Talia's legal inheritance rights? However, your shares are still too few." Lucius didn't bother to speculate on how Thea came to possess Wayne Enterprises shares. Having worked tirelessly for years and with Bruce's assistance, he held about 1% of the company's shares himself. Although it seemed like a small percentage, considering the scale of Wayne Enterprises, it amounted to a substantial sum of money.

"My shares are indeed limited, but our Queen Consolidated holds 3.5% of Wayne Enterprises' shares. Additionally, Merlyn Group has a similar stake. I can help you secure these shares as well. Mr. Lucius Fox, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Thea Queen."

The old man felt that the world was changing too quickly. He took off his reading glasses and looked at the girl in front of him, whom he had never seen before. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Is Moira Queen your mother?"

"Yes, she is," Thea replied straightforwardly, as this was common knowledge on Earth.

"Oh, I've met your mother and Mr. Steele before. I didn't expect..." Lucius and Moira had only interacted in passing, but he had a good relationship with Mr. Steele, who had almost become Thea's stepfather.

Thea didn't know how to respond to this almost parental behavior. Thea simply nodded and smiled to indicate that he could continue.

"But it's still a bit short. We need to hold 15% of the shares for the board's veto power to be effective," Lucius said, returning to the problem at hand.

"That's not difficult. Let me introduce Miss Lyla Michaels here. She is a government official and can indirectly influence some companies. They should also hold some shares in Wayne Enterprises." Thea pointed to Lyla, who was watching the show nearby but didn't mention her identity as a special agent, ambiguously referring to her as a government official.

Lyla had been serving in the military and was unfamiliar with the intricacies of modern corporate systems, where 'you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours' was common practice. She hadn't realized her potential role in this matter before, but now that Thea mentioned it, she immediately grasped the situation. Influencing businesses is essentially influencing the government's enterprises. With a simple phone call, while not every company would comply, she could easily get a few on board. Moreover, if she couldn't handle it, there was always Amanda to rely on.

It was a straightforward task, with plenty of goodwill to go around. It simply required making a few phone calls, and there was no need to risk one's life. This perfectly aligned with her current mission of providing timely assistance. She didn't even need to consult Amanda. She nodded in response to Lucius' plea for help, indicating that she was fully capable of handling it.

Next, under the watchful eyes of everyone in the room, Thea made two phone calls, one to her mother and the other to Malcolm. Although both had some questions, they didn't waste time and provided her with several Wayne Enterprises shareholders' phone numbers, assuring her that they were trustworthy contacts.

Meanwhile, Lyla acted even faster, contacting three or four companies. The two women, along with Lucius, counted their combined shares. They easily exceeded the 15% threshold. It's worth noting that Alfred, as a longtime steward of the Wayne family, also held a small number of shares.

The group managed to complete the task through a combined effort. "Mr. Fox, you'll need to propose the motion yourself. Our role is simply to support you. You need to understand that." Thea handed him two phone numbers, allowing him to make the arrangements himself.

Speaking out too much in someone else's company could easily trigger a chain reaction. She didn't want to give the impression that Queen Consolidated was trying to expand its influence or engage in hostile takeovers. It was a delicate balance.

"I understand," Lucius replied. After all these years, he knew how to play the game.

Thea saw Lucius off, who had arrived in a flurry and left with a light step.

The roomful of people stared at Thea with a mix of awe and disbelief as she casually resolved the previously daunting problem. In a matter of minutes, she had accomplished what seemed impossible.

"Why are you all staring at me? Isn't this just a normal thing? This is how things work in our country. Mr. Wayne also holds shares in our Queen Consolidated. Stop staring and let's get back to work!" Thea quickly reminded them that the citizens were waiting to be rescued from the hands of criminals.

With that, the group dispersed, each going about their tasks.

Selina felt even more motivated and increasingly determined to strive for success. After this incident, she planned to work extra hard to accumulate wealth.

Robin whispered to his girlfriend as they walked to a secluded place, "How much money do you think she has?"

"Definitely more than you," Barbara replied with a smirk. After returning to the campus, she retrieved her equipment and swung her whip a few times, ready to vent her frustrations if the prisoners didn't talk.

Unaware of the invisible envy she had inadvertently caused among her companions, Thea instructed Felicity to control the drones to search for any leads and then calmly retreated to the trailer to rest.

During lunch that day, the group gathered again, not for a meal but to summarize the various pieces of information they had gathered.

Gordon, who had transitioned from team leader to head of intelligence at some point, summarized the information they had received. "There are missing persons in each district, and the specific numbers are difficult to quantify, but their base is not well hidden."

Pointing to a location on the map, Commissioner Gordon continued, "They are here."

The locals in the room gasped in shock at the revelation. Not understanding the significance, Thea, who was not from Gotham, asked, "Why is there no name written on this map? How are we supposed to know where this is? Can you please explain?"

"This is Arkham Asylum," Gordon replied.