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Clearly, as the immersion level increased, simple role-playing actions no longer contributed much to its improvement. To make further progress, he would need to take actions that were even more in line with his character.
"Haha!"
Hearing Reid's sharp remark, Earle's brow twitched, but he didn't immediately snap. Instead, he feigned a warm demeanor and gestured for Reid to take a seat.
"Alfred, you truly are a loyal butler to the Wayne family, but there are things we must face, aren't there?"
Seeing no change in Reid's expression, Earle continued.
"The young Master Wayne has been missing for some time. Although it's heartbreaking, we must accept the possibility..."
Before Earle could finish, Reid immediately interrupted.
"Mr. Earle, you also know this is merely a possibility, and there is no evidence to prove that Master Wayne is dead. There's no need to say anything further."
Once again interrupted, Earle's temper was clearly reaching its breaking point. His tone was no longer gentle but instead direct and sharp.
"Yes, perhaps young Master Wayne is indeed dead, or simply missing, but what about Wayne Enterprises? Are you suggesting that all these people should lose their jobs because of his disappearance? You, Alfred, know better than anyone how important Wayne Enterprises is to Gotham. If you are truly loyal to the Wayne family, you shouldn't let the company deteriorate like this."
Undoubtedly, Reid had to admit that Earl made a valid point.
Although Wayne Enterprises wasn't publicly listed and wouldn't suffer an immediate impact on its stock value due to Bruce Wayne's disappearance, it was still the disappearance of the leader.
A company, when deprived of its leader, would inevitably start to decline.
This was something Reid couldn't allow. Wayne Enterprises was now his stronghold, and even without Alfred's role, he had to ensure the company kept moving forward.
Seeing Reid remain silent, Earle's tone became even more arrogant. He no longer attempted to mask his intentions with flattering words.
"Alfred, I hope you can recognize the current situation. Going public with Wayne Enterprises is good for everyone. Even though the Wayne family's position in the company may diminish, once your young master returns, at least you'll be able to hand him an even bigger Wayne Enterprises. You can't stop this. I hope, after considering it carefully, you will allow us to take the Wayne family's shares and develop Wayne Enterprises together."
After speaking, Earle left with his supporters, leaving Reid alone in the meeting room.
After a long while, Reid slowly stood up and left, driving toward Wayne Manor.
As he passed over Thomas Bridge, Reid let out a sigh.
"Mixed feelings, I suppose..."
The good news was that Alfred's role-playing progress had risen to 30% due to his persistence in the meeting room. The bad news, however, was that he still hadn't found a way to stabilize Wayne Enterprises.
If he were playing as Bruce Wayne, he might not refuse to let the company go public, because as Earle had pointed out, there were many benefits to that for Wayne Enterprises.
But since he was playing as Alfred, once Wayne Enterprises went public, his mission to preserve the company would definitely fail.
If the mission failed, he wouldn't be able to get a new role card. Would he really have to struggle to survive in the Marvel world with Alfred, a low-tier card?
He wouldn't even know when he might be replaced by a Skrull.
Thinking of this, Reid decided to keep fighting. He turned the car around and headed toward the Falcone family building in Gotham's criminal underworld.
"....."