Reactor Explosion

After chatting for a while, Obadiah suddenly asked Elena to leave.

"Ms. Luna, I believe we should strike while the iron is hot and immediately proceed with our next collaboration."

He was eager to begin the collaboration, as he had promised the board that he could restore the stock price to its peak within a year, so he was a bit impatient.

Upon hearing this, Luna set down her wine glass, glanced at the people not far away, and then headed toward the garden.

Obadiah immediately understood that this crowded place was not suitable for further conversation.

He quickly followed Luna into the garden.

After a short walk, the two reached a secluded spot in the garden.

"The collaboration will definitely happen, but there's no need to rush."

"Why not?"

"Are you certain that once the stock price recovers, those shareholders will still follow your lead?"

Hearing this, Obadiah fell silent.

He knew that Stark Industries would always belong to the Stark family, not the Stane family.

Moreover, today's victory was perilous—40 votes to 39.

Many of the company's veterans were deeply loyal to Howard Stark and could betray him at any moment.

There was not much he could do about it, except hope that his achievements would convince everyone.

But if Tony Stark ever decided to change his mind, promising not to shut down the weapons development and manufacturing department and continuing to do business with the military, then Obadiah knew he would stand no chance.

Seeing Obadiah lower his head in thought, Luna continued, "What we need to do now is not to raise the stock price immediately, but to suppress it. Then, we can subscribe to the newly issued shares and acquire as many shares as possible from others."

Obadiah was slightly taken aback.

"Suppress the stock price? But I promised them I would raise it..."

Although he was the antagonist, he was still a villain who cared deeply for the company, not just a crooked businessman.

"A promise?"

Luna's eyes flashed with a hint of disdain.

"You promised them the stock would rise in a year, but there's still plenty of time before that."

After thinking for a moment, Obadiah gritted his teeth.

"I understand, Ms. Luna. What should we do now?"

"Don't rush, Mr. Stane. I'll guide you step by step, but first, I want to collect some interest. Tomorrow, have the Ark Reactor's data prepared for me."

"Understood."

..............

The next morning, In Tony's villa~

Pepper stood in the living room, looking at the documents before her. The more she read, the more her brows furrowed, and the greater the pressure she felt.

After a while, Tony, dressed in his pajamas, came downstairs.

"Good morning, Pepper..."

After greeting her, he walked to the refrigerator, took out a carton of cold milk, and drank directly from it, then grabbed a few cookies nearby to eat.

After a light snack, he put down the milk carton and noticed Pepper standing in front of him.

"Whew... you startled me."

Pepper had a grave expression on her face.

"Tony, the situation is far more serious than we thought!"

Tony, still unconcerned, sat down on the couch.

"Let's hear it."

"Last night and this morning, I used JARVIS to thoroughly investigate Umbrella. Do you know what I found?"

Before Tony could ask, Pepper continued, "Umbrella's main industries are in two areas: cosmetics and pharmaceuticals."

"Their most famous cosmetics are skin lotions and whitening creams, holding 30% of the global market share. Their masks, serums, and lipsticks are particularly popular."

"But the medical field is even more impressive. You know the emergency spray that's been so popular in recent years? The one that stops bleeding with just a spritz? That's an Umbrella product. They also hold over 150 drug patents, including anti-cancer and anti-leukemia drugs."

"One of the most common cold medicines on the market is also produced by Umbrella."

"Their market share in pharmaceuticals accounts for 11% globally."

"No wonder the Osborn Group has been shouting every day about not letting Umbrella overtake them. If it weren't for the American market, Osborn would have been overtaken long ago."

The reason Pepper placed more importance on the 11% pharmaceutical market share than the 30% cosmetic market share was due to the difference in market size.

Currently, the global market for cosmetics is around $80 billion, while the pharmaceutical market is around $740 billion.

With nearly ten times the difference, 11% of the pharmaceutical market is almost equivalent to 90% of the cosmetics market.

After hearing Pepper's explanation, Tony still appeared indifferent.

"Pepper, you're worrying too much. We don't have any major conflicts with Umbrella; they're just collaborating with Obadiah. But who knows how long that collaboration will last?"

"Besides, without my new weapons research, Stark Industries won't get many military contracts. Eventually, they'll have to come back to me."

He finished with a confident smile.

Although the shareholders and executives had shaken him yesterday, as the man who would become Iron Man, Tony Stark was not easily defeated.

He knew that the reason Stark Industries could consistently outperform other arms dealers and become the U.S. military's top supplier was not only due to their superior quality but also because of his genius mind.

The powerful, modern weapons he designed were unmatched by any other company.

And now, with Stark Industries stuck selling old equipment without his innovations, they wouldn't be able to hold their lead for long and would soon be overtaken by other arms dealers.

After hearing Tony's explanation, Pepper thought it over and agreed, feeling somewhat relieved.

Just as the room fell silent, JARVIS's voice suddenly interrupted.

"Mr. Stark, there's a piece of news I think you should see."

"Oh? What news?"

"I'll broadcast it for you."

The next second, a projection appeared in front of Tony and Pepper.

The image was of Obadiah.

He was dressed in a very formal suit, wearing a tie, and his bald head was polished to a shine.

"Ladies and gentlemen, good morning."

"As the CEO of Stark Industries, I regret to inform you of some unfortunate news."

"Last night, an explosion occurred at the Ark Reactor due to an operator's error. The reactor was started prematurely without adequate safety measures. Although there have been no fatalities, seven people were severely injured and are currently hospitalized."

In front of Obadiah, the reporters frantically clicked their cameras, taking as many pictures as possible.

After a while, it was time for the reporters to ask questions.

At that moment, the reporters were most concerned with two things.

First, when would the Ark Reactor be fully developed, and second, whether Tony Stark had truly left Stark Industries.

Regarding the first question, Obadiah expressed concerns about the Ark Reactor's technology and indicated that they might consider terminating the project.

As for Tony's departure, he confirmed it.

With the release of this news, Stark Industries' stock price plummeted when the market opened that morning, a sharp drop not seen since Tony announced the end of weapons sales.

_____________________

Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon:)

patreon.com/ShadySmuggler