He took advantage of the security guards' attention being completely drawn to Tony and the brief congestion of people at the entrance.
He quickly squeezed through the gaps in the crowd like a nimble fish, blending into the group of reporters following Tony Stark into the building.
His movements were clean and swift, not attracting anyone's attention.
The press conference was held in a large, multi-functional conference hall within Stark Industries.
William discreetly chose a seat in the back row, by the aisle.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the tension and excitement in his heart.
He carefully observed every detail inside and outside the venue.
He was evaluating potential "intervention points."
Tony Stark, accompanied by Pepper Potts, walked onto the stage and sat in the central chair at the head table.
He looked a bit nervous, even restless.
This was rarely seen at his previous press conferences.
He habitually reached to adjust his tie, only to realize he was wearing a casual shirt today.
"Ladies and gentlemen,"
Tony cleared his somewhat hoarse throat and began,
"I know everyone is curious about my recent 'vacation' experience. But what I want to say today might be different from what you expect."
He paused.
He seemed to be organizing his thoughts.
His gaze swept over the dense crowd below the stage.
Finally, it settled on a point in the void.
"I witnessed firsthand our weapons, weapons manufactured by Stark Industries, being used to harm innocent people.
I witnessed young U.S. soldiers… fall because of weapons I personally designed and built, the light gone from their eyes."
His voice carried a subtle tremor.
The hall erupted in an uproar.
Reporters whispered to each other, camera shutters clicking incessantly, like a rapid hailstorm.
William held his breath.
He knew.
A historic moment.
And it was the crucial moment he had been waiting for.
It had arrived.
Tony Stark was undergoing a soul-searching ordeal.
And such an ordeal often gives rise to immense change and immense risk.
"So,"
Tony took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly firm.
"I've made a decision. Effective today, Stark Industries will indefinitely close its weapons manufacturing division."
The scene instantly exploded!
Reporters, like fish thrown into a depth charge, excitedly stood up, eager to raise their hands and ask questions first.
The flashlights flashed even more intensely.
They almost merged into a single white light.
The entire conference hall descended into complete chaos.
His assistant, Pepper Potts, was anxiously trying to maintain order through the microphone, but her voice was quickly drowned out by the surging noise.
Just then, a reporter sitting in the front row, who looked like he represented a financial institution, suddenly shouted:
"Mr. Stark!
Have you considered the catastrophic impact of this decision on the company's shareholder interests, employee livelihoods, and defense contracts?
Is this not too hasty and irresponsible?"
"Hasty?"
Tony suddenly stood up.
His eyes became exceptionally sharp.
As if to pierce the questioner.
"I was locked in that damned cave in Afghanistan for two or three months!
Every day I thought about how to survive!
I saw with my own eyes how my weapons, my inventions that I was so proud of, razed villages to the ground.
I saw those children lose their parents, lose their homes, because of my 'genius creations'!
And now you tell me, is this decision hasty?!"
His voice rose with emotion, carrying suppressed anger and pain.
The hall once again plunged into greater chaos.
Some shareholder representatives and individuals closely associated with the Military began to protest loudly, arguing that Tony's decision was entirely emotional and catastrophic.
William seized the opportunity.
Just as the chaos and skepticism reached their peak, he suddenly stood up and, using the penetrating voice he had honed from street sales, loudly declared:
"Mr. Stark is right!
The first principle of risk management is to cut losses in time before an identifiable major risk erupts!
Not to gloss over the truth!"
Everyone's gaze, including Tony Stark's grim face on the stage, instantly turned to this unfamiliar person who had suddenly spoken.
William felt countless eyes, mixed with surprise, scrutiny, and doubt, staring at him, and he was actually a bit flustered.
Sweat seeped into his palms.
But his demeanor remained maximally calm and professional.
He cleared his throat.
He continued in a clear and forceful voice: "I am William Rodriguez, Senior Risk Assessment Consultant at the New York Insurance Association.
Mr. Stark's decision, from a humanitarian and long-term corporate social responsibility perspective, is courageous and farsighted.
But from a purely commercial risk analysis perspective, this is also a wise move, under specific conditions, to reduce immeasurable future losses!"
The press conference ended abruptly.
The scene remained chaotic.
Reporters scrambled for interviews.
Shareholders' faces were ashen.
Security guards were busy maintaining order.
William stood in the corner, taking several deep breaths.
He tried to make himself look like an experienced risk assessor, rather than an insurance salesman who had just completed the boldest adventure of his life and whose pockets were emptier than his face.
"Mr. Rodriguez?"
A clear, calm female voice sounded behind him.
William turned and saw Pepper Potts.
Tony Stark's capable right-hand woman.
The future CEO of Stark Industries.
"I'm Pepper Potts, Mr. Stark's assistant."
She extended her hand.
Her eyes held a hint of professional scrutiny.
"Mr. Stark would like to speak with you."
William noticed a slight dampness in her palm as they shook hands.
It seemed this sudden press conference had caught everyone at Stark Industries off guard.
"Of course, it's an honor."
William followed Pepper through the noisy crowd, silently reviewing his understanding of Tony Stark… information from another World, which now served as his greatest trump card.
Proud, intelligent, wealthy.
But also lonely, and deeply burdened by guilt.
He had just returned from the brink of death in Afghanistan.
An Arc Reactor sustained his life in his chest.
He was at a major turning point in his life, and also at his most vulnerable, when he most needed "guidance."
They arrived at a small conference room.
Tony was leaning by the window.
He looked out at the still-noisy crowd through the glass, his brow slightly furrowed.
Hearing footsteps, he turned around.
"Mr. Rodriguez, your comments just now were excellent."
Tony walked over, with a hint of inquiry.
"Frankly, I didn't expect an expert from the insurance industry to defend my 'crazy' decision."
"Because it is indeed a wise decision based on rational analysis, Mr. Stark."
William tried to make his voice sound steady and reliable.
"However, I think what you truly need is not someone else's defense, but how to professionally manage the visible and invisible immense risks during the transition process."
Tony raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Go on."
"Mr. Stark, your announcement to close the weapons division will trigger a series of chain reactions."
"The stock market crash is just the beginning.
Next, you will also face a series of thorny issues such as lawsuits from angry shareholders, unemployment arrangements for a large number of employees, and tense relations with the Military and the government."
"I know all this."
Tony seemed a bit impatient; these were all clichés.
He had originally thought this guy would have a different perspective.
But it turned out he was no different from anyone else.
"What exactly do you want to say?"
"What I want to say is," William looked directly at Tony, "you need a special kind of insurance."
Tony was stunned for a moment.
Then he burst into laughter as if he had heard the greatest joke: "Insurance? You're selling insurance to me, Tony Stark?"