As autumn gradually set in, Gotham's temperature began to drop, and the mornings were especially cold. Yet the conference room on the top floor of Wayne Tower was packed with sharply dressed mob bosses.
Bruce stood at the front and said, "I'm sorry, but Wayne Enterprises only accepts cash investments..."
The Whole Audience Was Shocked. Lawrence immediately rose to his feet and said, "Wayne! Are you playing us? How could urban and transportation construction possibly accept only cash investments? Don't you need raw materials and transportation costs?"
Bruce cleared his throat and looked down at the document in his hands. There was actually nothing written on it; all the technical data was in his head. Still, he put on a show, reading from it as though it were a speech drafted by an advisory team:
"Please remain calm, everyone. There are ample reasons why I only accept cash investments. The reason is that Wayne Enterprises' construction capabilities have now reached a technological level far beyond yours. The raw materials and transportation costs you can provide are insignificant to us."
"Please look at the television screen. It displays the materials used in our first- and second-phase projects. Every section marked as blurred involves technical trade secrets..."
A long list of technical terms that the heads of the Twelve Families could not understand appeared on the screen. The unfamiliar English words could only be guessed at through roots and affixes, yet most professional terms used obscure roots and affixes. If one did not recognize them at all, there was no way even to make a guess.
Bruce raised his voice. "As you can see, the materials I use to build houses are not ordinary concrete and steel reinforcement. The entire structure is integrated—earthquake-resistant, fireproof, even capable of withstanding tsunamis."
"The raw materials