Chapter 82 – Funds Received, All Goes Smoothly!

As the proud silhouette of Gotham's richest man vanished from sight, the leather sofa beside Leo gave a soft thud.

He turned his head and saw Alfred sitting prim and proper directly across from him.

Today, the butler was dressed in a full formal suit. His hair was slicked back, impeccably neat. Gone was the usual cheerful, witty air—this Alfred looked like a polished corporate elite.

"Alfred… you're the professional representative?"

"Indeed. To be honest, Master Bruce isn't well-suited for business negotiations. His attitude toward money is far too indifferent."

Leo nodded in agreement.

"I actually thought Lucius Fox would handle this. The internet says he's the CEO and CTO of Wayne Enterprises."

Alfred chuckled.

"Lucius would certainly be more appropriate. He manages the commercial operations of Wayne Enterprises, and he's a technical expert. But in this case… there's a small difference."

He placed a folder on the table and slid it across.

Leo picked it up. Bold letters across the front read:

[Home Surveillance System – Business Plan]

"...?"

Wasn't this something he was supposed to prepare?

Bruce already had this ready, so why did he pretend to ask for Leo's version?

Leo narrowed his eyes—then realization struck.

I get it now… He was waiting for me to pull out some half-assed draft so he could smash me with this version and PUA me into submission!

Batman, you devious bastard—always setting traps!

Good thing he didn't prepare anything. Now Bruce's clever little plan had nowhere to land!

Victory: Leo!

Suppressing his internal screaming, Leo summoned PureWhite in his mind and began reviewing the business plan together. Before long, they understood why Alfred was handling this instead of Lucius.

"The company partners are just Bruce and me?"

"Correct. More precisely, just the two of you—no Wayne Enterprises, no other parties involved. If you ever plan to sell shares, Master Bruce reserves the right to buy back any offered shares at twice the market value."

Leo was stunned.

Bruce had cut Wayne Enterprises out entirely. He was going in as a private individual.

Alfred seemed to read his mind and patiently explained.

"Master Bruce may be the chairman of Wayne Enterprises, but he doesn't own it alone. There are other shareholders. For tech that could influence public safety, he believes the fewer people involved, the better."

"I see now. He gave me 51%… but if I sell even a little, the whole thing basically becomes his."

Alfred smiled without responding.

Leo discussed it with PureWhite. In truth, they didn't mind. This surveillance tech was just something they pulled out casually to generate startup funds and build a data center.

The real money-makers were things like Ethanol-2 grain, cybernetic implants, and anti-gravity tech used in flying vehicles. Any of those could trigger an industrial revolution—or a world war.

They quickly agreed on the minor details.

The final debate was over initial investment.

"Mr. Leo, since you're new to business, let me be blunt.

What you've provided is essentially a prototype—more concept than finished product. We don't know if it can scale or generate consistent revenue. In business terms, this is called a seed round. It rarely attracts large sums."

"We're prepared to offer $20 million to build an internet data center. We'll handle staffing, facilities, and all miscellaneous needs. All you need to manage is the server room and the software. Sound fair?"

Honestly, Leo thought it was… quite generous—more than he'd expected.

His only regret? Calling it a "seed round." If he'd known, he would've handed over a slightly more complete version, not this EA0.1 beta-tier prototype.

Seeing his hesitation, Alfred sweetened the deal.

"Frankly, we'd consider investing up to $1 billion—but only if you develop a stable, production-ready version of the software. Show us the revenue potential, and we'll invest further."

Leo was reassured.

He'd prepared multiple "EA" versions just so he could fake progress and prove his "importance."

If he released a full version right away, Batman wouldn't be so easy to trick again…

The business deal wrapped up quickly.

Alfred, representing Bruce, made a firm promise: show real progress, and more money would follow.

With that, they struck a deal.

Leo's total Gotham assets now totaled $20.63 million.

He was now officially upper-middle class.

"Let's get started then, Mr. Leo. I'll show you the site Master Bruce picked out. After that, we'll talk equipment purchases.

Oh, and your suit's been cleaned—it's in the entry closet. Though I'd suggest not wearing that one out."

"Fair. I'll go change into something a little more casual."

15 minutes later, Leo exited the elevator wearing a sleek, casual suit.

He stepped into the underground parking garage. Alfred was already waiting by the car—a sapphire-blue convertible sports car.

Leo bounced up to the driver's side.

"I'll drive. Been cooped up so long I think my limbs are rusting."

Alfred handed him the keys without a word and settled into the passenger seat.

VROOOM—

The engine roared as the luxury car blazed out of the garage.

After 72 hours of soft house arrest, Leo was finally back under the sun.

He felt like a man released from prison.

The car sped north along the highway.

Only about ten minutes later, the navigation system pinged—destination reached.

Leo pulled over and looked to the right.

Ahead stood a small industrial park surrounded by electrified fencing and a guard booth. Inside were a few low buildings and warehouses, their outer walls freshly painted.

"This is one of Master Bruce's properties—just recently renovated. Since you need a data center, he's assigned it to you."

"Looks great. For now, I probably don't even need this much space."

"Then just pick a building you like."

Now that negotiations were over, Alfred returned to his cheerful self.

Leo didn't hesitate. After a quick look around, he picked a three-story factory building to house the future server room.

Each floor was over 2,000 square meters, giving him a total of 6,000 square meters—more than enough.

Inside his mind, PureWhite was buzzing with excitement, urging him to buy equipment immediately and start construction today if possible.

Leo, a former programmer, had no clue how to do that.

So he took a page out of Bruce's book and… delegated everything to the master butler.

"No problem. Wayne Enterprises has businesses in this field. We can source top-tier equipment through internal channels and start building right away."

Alfred was all in, and Leo was already feeling the joy of being a hands-off boss.

Everything was in motion.

Now there was just one thing left: the company name.

Leo, plagued by naming anxiety, tilted his head skyward, deep in thought…