Marvel Salted Fish Kryptonian

"We can transfer employees to other units that are short on staff or preparing for expansion, but they can also choose to leave with a generous severance package. We don't force them to do so."

Both lists were densely packed, even on both sides, and neither Obadiah nor Jarvis could make sense of them.

Tony continued, "I also plan to list all of my companies that are capable of going public. I will also prepare for the listing of those that are ready for sale."

"Master," Jarvis said, "although a stock market listing is good for raising funds, it's not conducive to control. This is why Master has always rejected Wall Street."

"I know. But we can use the public markets to divest some of these deadweight companies. Just keep our focus on future growth."

Hearing the salient point, Obadiah leaned forward and asked, "What are our priorities for future development?"

Tony placed the last piece of paper on the table and explained, "Stark Industries' most powerful ally has always been the US military. But I don't think they're reliable. As long as we can't provide what the military needs, they won't hesitate to turn to others."

"So I think this supporter shouldn't give up easily. In my opinion, Stark Industries will focus on military-related industries in the future.

"Manufacturing of consumer products, as long as they are related to the military industry, will be reduced to manufacturing departments as appropriate and incorporated into the main industry. Then, the marketing department will be eliminated and the R&D department will be merged.

"It's irrelevant. If someone is willing to take it over, we'll sell it. If no one wants to take it over, we'll keep it and no longer focus on supporting its development. This way, the market share that is ceded should be able to confuse and satisfy most business competitors.

"What we need to do is to build an iron wall around the key areas we hold before others react, so that no one can interfere. We must concentrate our efforts on key development. We don't need to worry about the rest of the petty gains."

After listening to Tony's explanation, Obadiah and Jarvis looked at the four lists he gave them and realized the value of them.

This young master had clearly understood the current situation of Stark Industries before making this list and judgment, rather than making these decisions impulsively and without hesitation.

Obadiah, in particular, had had enough of Old Stark's haphazard approach. Following that genius who exuded brilliant ideas all day long was truly tiring for a mere mortal like him.

Jarvis was considering another issue and said, "In this case, it's very urgent to get everything done before the inheritance tax payment deadline within nine months."

"No," Tony said. "We shouldn't have to wait until the entire plan is complete before we can raise enough money to solve the estate tax problem. But Stark Industries' transformation won't stop there."

"Why don't you consider retaining equity in those key industries, not entering the public market, and introducing too many shareholders to avoid losing control?" Jarvis asked.

Tony shook his head and said, "Today we want to disrupt the situation and make it difficult for people to see our true intentions so as to avoid being sniped.

"As for those military industries that we plan to retain and develop, the stocks we issue can be dispersed to attract key individuals and tie them to our chariot. This way, we can ensure that everything goes smoothly.

"For this part, you'll have to rely heavily on Uncle. Once the group's restructuring is complete, your shares will be converted into group stock. I believe this is a good reward."

Jarvis was fine with it, but for Obadiah, it was like a shot of chicken blood, and his face flushed with excitement.

"Okay. I'll find trustworthy people and form a strategic team right now. I'll have a draft plan for you in a few days."

Tony nodded, turned to look at his old butler, and said, "Jarvis, phone call, please."

Jarvis immediately stood up and pulled the phone from his desk to the reception table. At the same time, he asked, "Master, do you need me to contact someone?"

"No need, I'm calling an old classmate." He then dialed the number himself and soon heard the greeting from the other party who answered the phone.

Tony said happily, "Hey, Rhodey, it's Tony here."

"I called you because I want you to come and help me with my work. Don't keep counting on going to the front. In the British Empire, that was called letters of marque; in modern times, it's called overseas garrisons. They're all about killing, burning, and looting people's things."

"No, no, no, I'm not asking you to retire. I want you to be Stark Industries' liaison within the military. If the US military can't send a blonde with a nice ass, I hope to at least find someone I know."

"What! Watching the news? What's so interesting about the news?"

"Okay, okay, let me see."

Tony gestured to Jarvis to turn on the television on the low cabinet in the office. CNN was reporting a breaking news report about the disintegration of the Red Empire!

Even Tony Stark, whose father had just died unexpectedly a few days ago and whose funeral had just ended, was so shocked by the report that he didn't know what to say.

He, Obadiah, and Jarvis looked at each other, all thinking the same thing: what a stroke of luck!

Chapter 140 The Essence of Social Banquets

The news of Howard Stark's funeral has been a hot topic for several days. All talk shows, talk shows, print and television media have never left this topic, and it seems that this news will be used until the end of next year.

But in fact, just a few days later, another bigger and more important international news quickly replaced Howard Stark's death and became the headline dominating the entire page.

On December 25, 1991, the president of the Red Empire announced his resignation. The next day, on the 26th, the Red Empire collapsed!

Players who could afford to enter the game were all eager to plunder the interests of those who had lost control during this feast of imperial collapse. Before the empire's remaining domestic order was reestablished, this was a carnival for capital.

In comparison, Stark Industries' size is like a chicken rib. It's tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw it away.

Those who are qualified to intervene in Stark Industries will find a bigger and easier-to-eat piece of cake next to them. Even those who are not qualified to intervene will find an opportunity to fish in troubled waters with the piece of cake next to them.

Naturally, everyone's attention shifted from Stark Industries to the disintegrating Red Empire.

News about Stark Industries seemed to have fallen silent, disappearing from the newspapers and media without a trace. Even if Henry wanted to care, he had no way of knowing the actual situation.

What makes Henry curious is, if there is no Red Empire as a shield, what will happen to Stark Industries in the end?

However, this hypothetical question has no practical significance.

Those who want to use Howard Stark's death to attack Stark Industries will probably cry in the toilet.

Who knew the Red Empire was so ineffective that the top management was fooled into disbanding it on their own initiative? No one could give up the Red Empire and continue to target Stark Industries.

Henry had originally thought that with these two major events, the fundraising party initiated by Audrey Hepburn would be quieter. But who knew it would become even more lively!

One night, while driving back to the hotel after a banquet, Robert Wards complained about this matter in the car, saying, "Hey, you know, the people who come to the banquet recently are really crazy, constantly talking about the Red Empire.

"They're still discussing how to profit from this. Everyone is testing the waters, asking who's interested in participating, their own strengths, the other side's weaknesses, how much profit they can expect, and what the risks are."

Robert's main target of these complaints was certainly not Audrey Hepburn. Although the retired actress did not reject such topics, she also did not like to talk behind others' backs.

The only one who could complain with Robert was Henry who was sitting in the driver's seat.

Robert liked banquets and the feeling of moving among important people, as if he was an important person like them.

If there was anything that could be compared to this feeling, it was showing off in front of others. So the new assistant made a good audience, and Henry was also very interested in these things.

Henry's interest wasn't because he wanted to be like Robert, to participate in it and eventually become a member of this class. He just wanted to watch a reality movie, to see the lifestyle of these rich people and broaden his horizons.

For those who enjoy watching the show, this attitude has never changed.

So after hearing Robert's complaint, Henry followed suit and said, "Yeah, I think their behavior is really exaggerated. I almost thought this was some pre-war mobilization, not a fundraising banquet for the Children's Fund."

"Henry, don't be surprised. That's the original purpose of social gatherings."

"Oh. Aren't these banquets just for a bunch of bored, rich tycoons to gather together, eat, drink, chat, and gossip?"

"Haha. Using your words, they make hundreds of thousands of dollars a minute, so why would they waste time on meaningless things? Even the women of upper-class families don't just dress up beautifully and display their feathers like peacocks. That's all just superficial."

"Oh, Robert, tell me. Enlighten me."

Having an audience was more exciting than anything else. Audrey Hepburn, who was in the same car, couldn't stop the two excited boys and could only serve as a background.

Robert said excitedly, "To put it bluntly, every public banquet is the perfect opportunity for these bigwigs to collude, connect, and communicate. Because the banquet theme serves as a cover, it conceals their personal motives.

"Plus, with so many people at the banquet, it's easy to recruit other helpers to join in the fun. Even those with some extra money will use this occasion to look for suitable business opportunities.

"On the other hand, if every issue requires a centralized meeting for discussion, then even just one incident caught by the media would easily reveal the purpose of the meeting based on the attendees, which would actually be detrimental to progress.

“Even those ladies may have served as messengers, brokers, and so on, conveying messages between people who were not convenient to stand together.

"A woman who wants to drag a rich man into a small room when she sees him is just a decorative vase at a party like this. She can't even be a microphone and is not worth mentioning at all."

Henry looked at the silent Ms. Hepburn and asked, "Boss, do you know about this? I see you're just warmly welcoming every guest and constantly persuading them to donate more to UNICEF. Should we change our conversation strategy?"

This experienced lady was no naive fool. With a wise smile, he said, "Son, I certainly know the real purpose of those people attending the banquet.

"I even know what they mean when I talk to them. If I wanted to, I could easily become a broker, introducing people with similar goals to each other.

"But I don't need to do that, and it's not appropriate. Our main purpose is to raise funds for UNICEF. Whatever their purpose is, they can't just say nothing. At least they'll provide an 'entrance ticket,' right?"

Henry thought for a moment and said with relief, "Yes, there are quite a few people who show up for almost every banquet. If you don't know them, you might think they love children very much. But when you look at the amount they donate, it's just a decent amount."

Simply put, Audrey Hepburn meant that each party should take what it needs. Since neither party would be in the way and the other party wasn't conspiring to commit a crime, why not turn a blind eye?

Many things are like this. If you think about it, it's nothing. There's no conflict of interest with you anyway, so why bother with it?

+1 for the daily fun of the fun-loving people. It turns out that rich people have more tricks up their sleeves.

Chapter 141 Busy Visit Schedule

Of course, fundraising banquets can't be held indefinitely; the money raised must be spent. So after the New Year holiday, UNICEF's aid activities were back on schedule.

With Henry's help in handling trivial matters, Audrey Hepburn burst out with energy that surprised many young people, constantly promoting visits to Africa, South Asia, Central and South America, and personally participating in them.

This is because the number of people working on the UNICEF project is large enough, so they can be divided into several batches to organize and plan activities. Otherwise, they would not be able to cope with Ms. Audrey Hepburn, who only needs to attend and make a report afterwards.

In particular, whenever they visit a country on the African continent, they are accompanied by UN peacekeeping forces. This will more or less have an impact on the local situation. They don't have this kind of treatment in other places.

How to control this influence has become the most vexing issue for UN members concerned with African affairs.

The number of peacekeeping forces is not unlimited, and the United Nations cannot deploy a large number of troops to help Africa maintain order. In fact, it is better for the entire Western world if this dark continent is in a little chaos.

There is already an Islamic world confronting Europe. If the Black people rise again, Europe will be attacked from both sides and it will be finished.

But the key is to have some chaos, but not to lose control. If a place is too peaceful, then they need chaos.

Therefore, Audrey Hepburn's child care activities actually hid dirty political intentions behind the scenes.

UN personnel had let the cat out of the bag in front of Henry and Ms. Hepburn more than once, but at the moment, everyone just laughed it off.

During the night break, Henry couldn't help but ask Audrey Hepburn, who was reviewing the draft of the report. He said, "Boss, is it normal for people at the United Nations to mess around like this?"

"I'm surprised that you would feel unfair about such a thing." During the time they spent together, Audrey Hepburn knew very well that this young assistant was not keen on charity activities, and of course she would not care about the dirtiness that happened under the table.

Henry said honestly: "I'm just curious about your thoughts."

"Do you think I'm Mother Teresa?" Audrey Hepburn smiled meaningfully and said, "I know Mother Teresa and we're good friends, but I can't be like him.

"You can't expect a woman who has seen Hollywood to be like a saint and not tolerate even a speck of dust in her eyes. At least these children are being helped, right?"

Henry then asked, "So as long as the final result is good, even if there are some minor flaws in the middle, it's okay?"

Audrey Hepburn said helplessly: "It is impossible to expect all the people who participate in charity activities to be saints, and everyone to bring their own food and participate for free."

“But you didn’t receive any payment for these activities, and sometimes you even paid out of your own pocket to increase the aid supplies,” Henry said.

"But my travel expenses, including food and accommodation expenses and those of other participants, are all covered by UNICEF. Even you enjoy the same public travel treatment." Ms. Hepburn spoke the truth.

Looking at Henry, who looked troubled, the lady continued, "We hope that all the funds raised will be used for the children. This is of course the best outcome. But you have to understand that the purpose of our coming here is not just to provide aid."

"A few days ago, there were local warlords harassing the area. But after the peacekeeping force arrived, the harassment stopped temporarily. This is what we brought, in addition to supplies and medical assistance, there was also a brief period of peace.

"Although it's a bit disheartening to say, isn't this brief peace precious? I know I can't save the entire world, and I'm also aware that those who came with us probably have other missions. But at least we saved the child in front of us.

"Even if it seems like a false hope, some people will accuse us of hypocrisy. But perhaps this brief peace is a chance for a child to change their future, even if most people end up back to where they were before."

This is what Emperor Zhaolie of Shu Han said when he entrusted his son to the care of others in Baidi City: "Do not let a good deed go unrewarded."

After understanding, Henry also understood why he was willing to follow Ms. Hepburn and carry out these charity activities.

This certainly wasn't because I coveted his sixty-year-old body. Perhaps I was initially drawn in by his star power, but now I'm still willing to be driven by it, simply out of admiration and respect.

Although I don't want to become that kind of person at all, it doesn't stop me from admiring the other person for being able to do something that I can't do.

After thinking for a moment, Ms. Hepburn added, “Having said that, it would still be disappointing if none of the money raised was used for the children.

"Or perhaps they make certain demands that the other party must meet before they can receive help. But this is no longer an act of goodwill, but a transaction.

"It's just that everyone has their own ideas about where to draw the line. For me, even if the money isn't used for aid, it should at least be spent with the goal of saving children."

Simply put, people who work are human beings, not saints who don't need food or drink. How to strike the right balance between the two is a difficult question with no correct answer.

This is also why superheroes are great, because each of them is the poor guy in the story of "Buddha cutting off his flesh to feed the eagle".

Henry admitted that helping others was a noble act of kindness, but he was only willing to help others when he had the means to do so, rather than sacrificing himself to illuminate others.

For a cowherd who is so familiar with all kinds of PUA routines, Henry feels that his ability as a Kryptonian in this life is to have the ability to walk away without any hesitation.

As long as you lie flat enough, wind resistance will be low. This is common sense in physics! If there were not so many hardships, life would be happy!

So he just wants to do things that make him happy, instead of struggling to chase endless desires within the rules set by others.

Because that's no different than a donkey chasing a carrot dangled in front of it, except you're a Kryptonian donkey.

Reaffirming his principle of living a lazy life, Henry started to get busy again...

This string of words looks magical, but it is just like a dog who has two different faces in front of his brothers and in front of his goddess. Although he says no with his mouth, his body is very honest.

At least Henry felt he was doing something that made him happy. Helping Ms. Audrey Hepburn made him happy.

If the lady said to him, "Let's destroy the Earth," Henry would definitely smile and blow the Earth up with one punch. He wouldn't care if this is the Marvel Universe or if the Celestials are just cats hatching eggs in the center of the Earth.

If the Earth hadn't been blown up, the only possibility was that he couldn't do it. After all, to this day, Henry still has no evidence to prove that he is really a Kryptonian, let alone one who can rival Superman.

So, I wonder if the Russians have dismantled the escape pod I brought to Earth? Given the Russian way of doing things, Henry doubts he'll be able to find even a single screw...