Unlike the fawning executives, the shareholders in the room were clearly divided into two camps. Those seated on the left wore smiles and had been greeting Harold warmly ever since he entered, while the four on the right kept their eyes on Bruce.
"Bruce, are you all right? It's been a long time since we last saw each other."
The man speaking sported a neatly groomed mustache.
Jacob Kane, the current head of the Kane Family, was also Martha Wayne's younger brother.
As the second-largest shareholder, he cared little about how much profit his growing stake might bring. He only wanted to understand why Bruce was giving up Wayne Enterprises.
Another woman, her hair graying, also gave him a concerned look. She had been a close friend of Thomas's and one of Wayne Enterprises' earliest investors. Had she not sold off her shares over a decade ago, her stake would now have rivaled Bruce's.
As a businesswoman, she had sold her stock immediately upon hearing of Thomas Wayne's death. But as an old friend, she sincerely hoped Bruce could inherit the empire his father had built.
Harold watched the two calmly. In his eyes, their concern was nothing but an act.
He had made up his mind: as soon as he secured Bruce's shares, he would begin raising capital, diluting everyone else's holdings until Wayne Enterprises was entirely in his grasp.
Bruce ignored their concern and walked straight to the end of the conference table.
Harold smiled in satisfaction and cleared his throat, signaling for the Equity Transfer Ceremony to begin.
When the two contracts were slid in front of him, Bruce began his speech.
"I have to admit that I've let everyone here down. I've let Gotham City down, and I've failed my father... failed to honor his wishes."