In the reception hall, the atmosphere was much calmer than before.
As Chen Guoli patiently explained Marvel's current situation, the tension on Liu Xiaoli's face slowly faded. By the time he finished, even a faint smile had returned to her lips.
So that was the truth.
She had been wondering how Luo Zheng could suddenly become so lucky. A company with a market value of three hundred million dollars sounded impressive on the surface, but beneath that glamorous title was a massive problem.
Marvel had been losing money for years.
Even after restructuring, it still lacked any stable long-term source of profit. The company was surviving only by selling off comic and film copyrights. Worse still, the entire board of directors was against Luo Zheng taking control.
If he failed to handle things properly, he would become nothing more than a figurehead chairman—a mascot placed at the top with no real authority.
Given Marvel's current financial state, even the annual dividends would be limited. At best, he would be able to live a comfortable middle-class life in the United States. Buying a house in their wealthy district was almost impossible.
Thinking of this, Liu Xiaoli finally felt much more balanced.
So what if that brat got lucky?
His fate was still flawed, just like his character.
A faint smile unknowingly appeared on her face.
Beside her, Liu Xixi had a completely different reaction. The more she listened, the more anxious she became. Her delicate brows furrowed tightly as she looked at Chen Guoli.
"Uncle Chen, is there really nothing we can do to help Cousin?"
Her voice was soft, but the worry in it was impossible to hide.
Chen Guoli sighed heavily and shook his head.
"This isn't something we can solve with just a few words. It's a problem caused by years of poor management. Even if I wanted to help, it wouldn't be easy."
Xixi lowered her head, her expression instantly dimming. Although she didn't fully understand the corporate side of things, one thing was clear to her—her cousin was in trouble.
And there was nothing she could do.
Seeing this, Liu Xiaoli frowned again. This was exactly what worried her the most.
Xixi cared far too much about Luo Zheng.
But then she remembered that her daughter would soon be returning to China for development. They wouldn't be spending much time together anymore.
At that thought, the worry in her heart eased slightly.
Meanwhile, inside Marvel's conference room, the atmosphere had turned suffocating.
Carl Icahn's heavy breathing echoed through the room as silence pressed down on everyone present.
Everyone knew one thing.
Luo Zheng's proposal was correct.
Cutting weak comic lines would save millions of dollars every year. It was drastic and risky, but necessary.
Yet this was no longer just about business strategy.
This was about power.
Icahn's face flushed red as he glared at everyone in the room.
"What are you all looking at me like that for?!"
He knew the proposal made sense.
But if Luo Zheng gained control, everything would be out of his hands.
That was unacceptable.
Luo Zheng leaned back in his chair calmly, his expression relaxed.
"Mr. Icahn," he said in an almost casual tone, "arguing is something children do. Let's vote."
Simple.
Direct.
No wasted words.
"I oppose!"
Icahn slammed his hand against the table without hesitation.
Beside him, Bill Jemas hesitated for a brief moment before speaking as well.
"I oppose too."
Then two voices followed almost immediately.
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
The room froze.
A tie.
Which meant the final decision rested entirely with Luo Zheng.
Icahn's expression instantly darkened.
Another defector.
Even Avi Arad had switched sides.
Luo Zheng's lips curled into a faint smile.
Everything was moving exactly as he had planned.
He slowly stood up, straightened his suit, and said in a calm but commanding voice,
"By board resolution, we will cut underperforming comic lines and immediately establish a film division under Marvel Entertainment."
"Wait!"
Icahn slammed the table again.
Luo Zheng's eyes instantly turned cold.
He hated being interrupted.
But Icahn had already regained his composure.
"I have no objection to the layoffs," he said in a steady voice, "but I strongly oppose entering the film industry."
He leaned forward.
"We are a comic company. We have no experience in film production, and the market is already dominated by the major studios. Trying to break into that space is impossible."
This time, even the previously supportive shareholders hesitated.
Because what he said made sense.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
Lilith entered quickly and handed a folder to Luo Zheng.
"Boss, the documents you requested."
Luo Zheng slowly pushed the folder across the polished conference table until it stopped right in front of Karl.
"A wager," he said calmly.
His tone was steady, but the pressure behind those two words made everyone in the room tense.
Karl looked down at the document, and the moment his eyes landed on the title, the veins on his forehead began to bulge.
Share Transfer Wager Agreement.
This damned brat was not only trying to take away his influence on the board, but he was also targeting the shares in his hands.
And he wanted to do it without spending a single cent.
Just one bet.
Franklin and the other shareholders exchanged glances, their eyes filled with surprise.
Even they had not expected Luo Zheng to push things this far.
Luo Zheng leaned back in his chair, his expression calm and confident.
"After the film division is established, I will be fully responsible for it."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"I only need one hundred thousand dollars."
The room went silent.
Even Karl's breathing seemed to pause.
"One hundred thousand?" Franklin frowned.
Luo Zheng nodded and continued in an even voice, "Yes. I will use one hundred thousand dollars to produce a film. If the return exceeds one hundred times the investment, Mr. Karl will transfer all the Marvel shares in his possession to me."
He then looked directly at Karl.
"But if I fail, I will transfer an equivalent amount of shares to him, resign from the chairman position, and never interfere in Marvel's decision-making again."
The room instantly fell into dead silence.
No one spoke.
No one even moved.
This was madness.
A gamble with everything on the line.
Karl's fingers tightened around the edge of the table.
Reason screamed at him to refuse.
This was clearly a trap.
But pride would not allow it.
He was Karl Icahn.
A Wall Street legend.
A billionaire investor.
How could he back down in front of a twenty-one-year-old boy?
Especially in front of other shareholders.
If he refused now, he would lose face completely.
He raised his head and stared straight into Luo Zheng's eyes.
The young man's gaze was calm.
Confident.
Almost predatory.
It was as if he had already seen the outcome.
Karl suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.
His breathing grew heavier.
For a moment, logic and ego clashed violently inside him.
Then—
he made the worst decision of his life.
"I accept."
The words left his mouth slowly, but once spoken, there was no turning back.
A faint smile appeared on Luo Zheng's lips.
Exactly as expected.
At that moment, the cold mechanical voice of the system sounded in his mind.
[Ding! Side mission triggered.]
[Mission Objective: Use Marvel's first film project to defeat Karl and seize full control of the board.]
[Reward: Additional company shares + film production bonus.]
Luo Zheng's smile deepened.
Everything was proceeding perfectly.
Two days later, the news of Marvel's young Chinese chairman had already begun spreading throughout the entertainment industry.
Originally, Marvel was not large enough to attract significant media attention.
But Luo Zheng's age, race, and sudden rise made him a controversial topic.
A twenty-one-year-old Chinese man becoming the controlling chairman of an American comic company was more than enough to spark discussion.
Inside a luxury apartment, Angelina Jolie stared at the newspaper in disbelief.
Her beautiful eyes remained fixed on the photo.
Luo Zheng.
The same young man who had almost seemed homeless just two nights ago.
Now he was wearing a sharp suit, standing in front of Marvel's headquarters with an expression of absolute confidence.
Chairman of Marvel.
Even for someone like her, the sudden shift felt almost unreal.
Then she remembered what he had said before she left.
"I have a feeling our fate hasn't ended yet. Maybe we'll meet again soon."
At the time, she had treated it as nothing more than flirtatious talk.
But now—
it sounded completely different.
A slow smile curved across her lips.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The poor handsome boy had suddenly become a powerful man.
And that made him even more attractive.
More importantly—
she still vividly remembered that night.
The confidence.
The intensity.
The way he had completely taken control.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Julie reached for her phone.
Her fingers moved quickly through her contacts until she found his number.
She stared at it for a few seconds.
Then pressed call.