Chapter 82: New Osborn's First Press Conference
"Thank you to all members of the media for attending today's Osborn Group press conference. As you all are likely aware of recent events, I ask everyone to observe a three-minute moment of silence for Mr. Norman Osborn."
Uchiha Akira's statement brought an abrupt stillness to the atmosphere. The new chairman was publicly mourning the former chairman in front of the press?
"I am Uchiha Akira, the new owner of Osborn Group. I'm sure most of you have heard of me by now. I hereby announce that with me taking over, a new chapter for the Osborn Group will begin."
"First of all, I announce that the Osborn Group will initiate a delisting process and withdraw from the New York Stock Exchange. From now on, the Osborn Group will become my private company."
"Whoa!" Uchiha Akira's delisting declaration shocked all the journalists present. Flashes from cameras lit up the room, turning the scene into a blinding sea of magnesium lights.
"Alright, there's no need for everyone to be so surprised. That's the main content of today's press conference." Just as Uchiha Akira was about to leave the stage, he was interrupted by a question from an entertainment reporter.
"Mr. Uchiha Akira, I'm Ben Fleming from the Daily Bugle. I'd like to ask—what will happen to the shares left by Mr. Norman Osborn?"
"I've already reached an agreement with Norman's legal heir, Harry Osborn, and acquired his shares. Of course, Harry will retain a small portion of the Osborn Group's shares. That is my promise to him, and Harry's way of honoring his father's memory."
"Mr. Uchiha Akira, I've heard that many of the Osborn Group's research projects have failed repeatedly. Is that what pushed you to delist the company?"
This unfriendly question caught Uchiha Akira off guard. Most of the invited media had been carefully screened—a common practice for any company. Clearly, however, a small oversight had slipped through.
"And who might you be?"
"Hello, Mr. Uchiha Akira. I'm Eddie Brock from the Daily Globe." Eddie had recently been investigating the mysterious deaths of Billy Osborn and several others. His instincts told him something shady was going on.
Chasing explosive news was Eddie Brock's way of life. Whether for himself or his girlfriend, Eddie loved money with a burning passion.
"Eddie, your question is meaningless. The old Osborn is not the future Osborn. The Osborn Group will continue with new research plans. The delisting is purely because I have a strong desire to control the company completely."
Uchiha Akira smiled, concluding the brief press conference with style and simplicity.
"Ridiculous? The Osborn Group must be hiding something!" Eddie Brock's gut told him there were secrets buried deep in the Osborn share struggle.
Glancing at the swiftly departing Uchiha Akira, Eddie casually began to follow.
"Meow~" A fat orange cat meowed at Uchiha Akira.
"Hey, Big Orange, how'd you get here?" Uchiha Akira gently picked up the heavy cat. "Looks like I've been feeding you too much lately—you're gaining weight."
"Meow~!"
Big Orange seemed quite unhappy with Uchiha Akira's teasing and tried hard to protest that it wasn't fat at all.
Then the cat licked Uchiha Akira's palm and pointed its tail behind him.
"You're alerting me to the reporter behind me? Or do you think you're hiding well, Eddie Brock?"
"Mr. Uchiha Akira, I just happened to have a, uh, personal emergency. Needed to find a restroom." Despite being caught red-handed, Eddie showed no shame and tried to bluff his way out.
"Eddie Brock? The restroom is in the opposite direction."
"Big Orange, give Eddie a bath. I think he'll enjoy your saliva."
Uchiha Akira's command didn't surprise Big Orange—it wasn't the first time Akira had asked it to play this kind of cat-and-mouse game. Upon hearing the order, Big Orange locked eyes on Eddie and opened its gaping jaws.
Huge, spiked tentacles exploded out and filled the entire hallway. Over a dozen tongue-like tendrils wrapped around the stunned Eddie Brock and gave him a full-body lick.
Eddie screamed the moment he saw the monstrous tentacles. Unfortunately, this part of the Osborn building was so deep inside that not only were there no people nearby, but the soundproofing was state-of-the-art. His screams couldn't get out.
By the time Eddie's voice went hoarse, Big Orange finally retracted its tentacles, reverting to its seemingly harmless fat-cat form.
"Monster! Monster! You're keeping a monster as a pet!"
Eddie Brock turned and fled in panic, shouting "Monster! Monster!" as he ran.
"Eddie Brock, when the day comes that you become a monster yourself, come find me. I'll tell you the secret to taming the monster."
Uchiha Akira shouted after him, letting Eddie escape.
"Meow~"
"Alright, don't be mad. I wasn't calling you a monster—I was talking about that little reporter. If I'm not wrong, he'll be dealing with a monster for the rest of his life."
Big Orange purred contentedly on Uchiha Akira's shoulder, curling up and humming with satisfaction.
Another beautiful day.
S.H.I.E.L.D. New York Division Base.
"Director, Uchiha Akira has successfully become the head of the Osborn Group. Should we intervene?"
"No, why would we?" responded Nick Fury's holographic image.
"While Uchiha Akira is an unstable factor, my main concern is still with the mutants."
"In the process of acquiring Osborn Industrial's shares, Uchiha's methods weren't exactly clean, but he still operated within legal boundaries. No need for us to step in."
There are no secrets that last forever. Uchiha Akira never expected his rather crude plans to escape S.H.I.E.L.D.'s watchful eyes.
"William Stryker has been making a lot of moves recently. Coulson, keep a close eye on him. That guy's unpredictable, and I'm afraid he'll try to spark another war between humans and mutants."
"As for Uchiha Akira, see if there's a chance to cooperate. If it works out, great. If not, don't push it. Just keep monitoring."
"Yes, Director."
"Oh, and you might have a new female agent joining you soon. Take her on a few missions and help her get used to how we operate."
After disconnecting the hologram, Nick Fury rubbed his tired eyes. On the screen in front of him, footage of Norman Osborn invading Uchiha Medical Center played on loop.
The strange water-screen defense, the sudden and vanishing mobility, and the sudden appearance of a giant golden semi-transparent hand—all of it gave Nick Fury a headache.
"After injecting the super serum, Norman had several tons of strength, and he was still crushed to death in one move… High mobility and power—looks like we've got a little monster on our hands!"
These were satellite shots S.H.I.E.L.D. had managed to catch by chance. The footage was grainy, but Uchiha Akira's ghost-like abilities and overwhelming strength made Nick Fury wary.
Nick's strongest trait was his constant suspicion. Living in this conspiracy-filled country of America, Nick had learned long ago to trust his own judgment above all else.
"Troubled times ahead…"