Chapter 10 – The Board Meeting
The moment Tony Stark's appointment announcement echoed through the hall, the vast conference room instantly erupted into noise…
The position of Executive Director was no trivial role. Within a corporate structure as massive as Stark Industries, it sat at the very core of decision-making authority.
Anyone holding that title possessed voting rights over every major policy the company enacted.
Up until now, Stark Industries—a colossal enterprise employing tens of thousands and holding hundreds of world-class technological patents—had only ever had two executive directors:
1. Tony Stark — the largest shareholder
2. Obadiah Stane — the second-largest shareholder
But today, Stark Industries officially welcomed its third executive director in the company's history.
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Amid the whispers and hushed speculation spreading across the room, Tony cleared his throat lightly, preparing to continue his explanation.
Before he could speak, however, a tall, broad-shouldered white man seated in the front row suddenly stood up.
It was Obadiah Stane—the man Tony had always regarded as an uncle, and the company's second-largest shareholder.
With a cigar clenched between his lips, Obadiah looked at Tony and spoke in a tone that sounded as if it were filled with concern for the company's future.
"Tony, I can understand your condition. You just went through a dangerous incident in Afghanistan a few days ago. But even so, you can't just appoint someone as an executive director on a whim, can you? Are you trying to destroy Stark Industries?"
"I'll assume you're still not fully sober after drinking too much lately. But this appointment of yours… not just me—every board member and shareholder here will never approve of it."
"In my opinion, you should go home and rest for a few days. As for the aggressive stock acquisition crisis, we'll handle it. Pepper, please escort Tony… and that young man beside him, back home."
Hearing this, Blake Thorne merely offered Obadiah a faint smile, saying nothing.
Tony's expression, however, subtly changed. He took a deep breath, as if he had just made an important decision.
He turned to Pepper Potts standing beside him and gave a small nod.
Pepper immediately understood. Without a single word, she stepped out of the conference room.
Then Tony looked straight at Obadiah and spoke with calm seriousness.
"Obadiah, I'm not asking for your opinion… As the Chairman of Stark Industries, I'm issuing a formal notice to everyone here."
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Tony's firm words made Obadiah's face flush red with anger. Unable to hold back any longer, he roared:
"You… drunken, flamboyant fool! If Stark Industries continues to be led by someone like you, this company will be ruined sooner or later! Just look at what you've done recently!"
"You've generated negative publicity for the company, recklessly terminated long-term military contracts, angered key officials in Washington, and without even holding a board meeting, you unilaterally shut down every weapons development and trading project!"
"Because of you, our stock price has collapsed to this point! You made every shareholder suffer losses because of one person's stupidity—yours!"
Obadiah paused, took a breath, then raised his voice as he turned to face everyone present.
"I, Obadiah Stane, hereby formally submit a proposal to the board today… to remove Tony Stark from the position of Chairman!"
As he spoke, Obadiah raised his right hand high into the air.
As if responding to a prearranged signal, the board members present—one after another—raised their hands as well. The murmurs in the room turned into a tangible symbol of betrayal.
Seeing this, Obadiah smiled in deep satisfaction. Inside his heart, he cheered.
At last, Stark Industries will be mine…
No—no longer "Stark." From now on, it will be renamed "Stane Industries!"
Truthfully, if Tony hadn't been a genius who had generated enormous profits for the company over the years, Obadiah would have gotten rid of him long ago.
Brimming with confidence, Obadiah looked at Tony and said:
"Tony, I don't think we even need to count the votes, do we? According to company rules, if more than ninety percent of the board agrees, the chairman can be replaced."
"Go home, Tony. The business world isn't a place for a man like you—someone who only knows how to party."
After saying that, Obadiah took a few steps forward and casually sat down in the Chairman's seat.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Soft applause echoed from Tony's direction. He was clapping, wearing a calm smile as he looked at everyone in the room.
He truly hadn't expected this.
The majority of the internal executives—and every single shareholder—had already conspired with Obadiah.
Blake, meanwhile, simply gave a small nod. He understood.
This was the price Tony had to pay for shutting down all of the company's weapons projects.
Not everyone could see the future the way Blake did.
In Blake's eyes, Tony's value as an individual far exceeded the value of Stark Industries itself.
But in the eyes of the board members, Tony without weapons, Stark without weapons… was nothing more than a burden.
If they didn't remove him, they would continue bleeding losses together.
Still, Blake seemed to be getting bored with this cheap drama.
He yawned, then turned to Tony and said,
"Well… you've seen the facts for yourself, so you should wrap this up quickly. I still have afternoon classes today… I've already skipped a few times. If I don't show up again, Vanessa might actually report me to the police."
"What?? Classes? Blake… you're still in school?" Tony froze on that part instead.
Seeing Tony and Blake casually joking around only made Obadiah even angrier. He sprang up from the chair, about to unleash another furious protest…
But Tony suddenly grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back down.
With a calm smile, Tony said,
"Like the chair? If you do, feel free to sit there a little longer. In fact… consider it a gift from me."
Before Obadiah could say anything, Tony suddenly shouted toward the outside,
"Pepper, bring them in."
The moment those words left his mouth—bang!
A military officer with the rank of colonel stormed in at the head of a unit. Hundreds of armed soldiers immediately surrounded the room.
"Obadiah Stane! This is a special arrest order issued by the White House! You and several individuals in this room are suspected of selling advanced U.S. military weapons to hostile parties. Will you come quietly… or do we need to assist you?"
As Obadiah stood frozen in shock, Tony walked over while accepting a contract from Pepper's hands.
He then picked up the microphone on the table, raised the contract high, and declared loudly:
"Sorry—every decision to remove me just now… is invalid."
"This is a power transfer contract from four investment firms: Evergreen, Arclight, Silvercrest, and Pines Group, representing a combined total of twenty percent of Stark Industries' shares."
"When added to my own holdings, I now control fifty-nine percent of the company. With an absolute majority, no one here can remove me!"
After finishing his announcement, Tony turned to the colonel and joked with a mischievous grin:
"Colonel Rhodes, my uncle seems to really like that chair. How about you carry the chair along with him when you take him away? Stark Industries has plenty of chairs left."
"As for the others… please arrest them slowly according to the list I provided. Just don't take everyone at once—otherwise the company might completely shut down."
Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Tony's close friend, merely shook his head with a quiet laugh. He gestured for the soldiers to move according to the list.
And the very first person to be carried away—chair and all…
…was Obadiah Stane.
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