"System, the items in the beginner's package are fixed, right? I'm not wrong, am I?"
"Host, you've misunderstood. Except for the system manual, the rewards in the beginner's package are distributed randomly."
Listening to the system stubbornly arguing in his mind, Reid didn't want to say anything more.
Why did he realize the items in the beginner's package were fixed?
It was because, when he came to his senses, he discovered that Alfred's character mission was to maintain Wayne Enterprises.
If the items in the beginner's package weren't fixed, and he happened to draw Alfred along with the Paradise Island environment card, then what? Was he supposed to go to Paradise Island and build Wayne Enterprises from scratch? A seventy-year-old man's journey to the Land of Amazons?
However, dwelling on it any further was pointless. Whether everything was truly random or prearranged by the system, the only thing he could do was to make the most of the resources at hand and develop in this world.
Even without acquiring the Gotham City environment card, he was determined to use Alfred's abilities to establish his own influence.
"That said, considering the current situation, the state of Wayne Enterprises isn't looking great. How should I, as a butler, go about maintaining it?"
After stepping into the role of Alfred, a flood of information started surfacing in Reid's mind.
According to the information in his mind, the current timeline seems to be during the period when Bruce Wayne has gone abroad to train, leaving Alfred to deal with the massive mess he left behind.
Although Reid doesn't yet have the role card for Batman, the name Bruce Wayne has already etched itself into the minds of everyone, as if it emerged naturally with the birth of Gotham City.
People know that such a person exists, but as for when Bruce Wayne will appear, that entirely depends on when he manages to acquire the Batman card.
"Sigh!"
After thinking for a long time, Reid could only let out a deep sigh.
Back when he read the comics, he always admired Alfred's unwavering loyalty. During those years when Bruce Wayne wandered off, Alfred managed to stabilize the entire Wayne Enterprises. But now that he's become Alfred, he has come to realize just how difficult this task really is.
Wayne Enterprises isn't publicly traded, so he doesn't have to worry about the company's stock prices plummeting due to Bruce Wayne's absence.
However, that doesn't mean the company is completely under the control of the Wayne family.
Some high-ranking executives who hold a portion of the shares have already publicly announced the supposed death of Bruce Wayne, the last heir of the Wayne family. Using this as justification, they're pushing to take the company public under the pretense of ensuring its future.
If the company goes public, even if Alfred still holds the Wayne family's shares, it will be a hopeless situation.
That's because these shares don't legally belong to Alfred. He can safeguard them, but he has no rights to exercise shareholder privileges.
"This is such a mess!"
No matter how hard Reid thought about it, he couldn't come up with a way to stop Wayne Enterprises from going public.
Bang!
Just as Reid was sitting in the car—now modified by the system into an exclusive luxury vehicle for the Wayne family—pondering the issue, a loud noise reached his ears.
"The sound of shattering glass... and brakes screeching?"
It was clear that something had happened on the road ahead.
"Maybe... I should go check it out?"
In his past life, Reid was of mixed heritage but had grown up entirely in China, where the habit of watching from the sidelines was deeply ingrained in his culture—and, naturally, he'd inherited it as well.
Whether it was a car accident or a terrorist attack, as long as the guns weren't pointed at him, he always felt an urge to see what was going on.
With that thought in mind, Reid didn't hesitate. He started the car and drove toward the commotion up ahead.
But as he got closer, he began hearing other noises.
"Help... someone help!"
Cries for help!
For a brief moment, Reid hesitated. But then it hit him—this was an opportunity. Alfred wasn't just the loyal butler of the Wayne family; he was also a retired soldier with a strong sense of justice.
If someone was truly in danger and he stepped in to help, wouldn't that boost his role-playing progress?
With that thought, Reid brushed off the last bit of hesitation. He started the car and quickly drove toward the source of the cries for help.
However, what unfolded before him left him utterly stunned.
The scene was all too familiar: a man with long, unkempt hair-likely untouched for a decade-sporting a metal arm, was dragging an older man out of a car. Adding to the unsettling image was the unmistakable Stark Industries logo on the vehicle.
This... wasn't this the scene where the Winter Soldier kills Tony Stark's parents?
Was his starting village boss the Winter Soldier? And he was supposed to face him as Alfred? How was Alfred, a butler, supposed to take down the Winter Soldier?
While Reid was still frozen in shock, the Winter Soldier noticed him. Realizing there was now a witness to his actions, he released the injured Howard Stark. Without hesitation, he drew his handgun and aimed it directly at Alfred.
"Not good! He's going to shoot!"
Bang!
The moment the Winter Soldier pulled the trigger, Alfred's instincts kicked in. Reid's body moved on its own, slamming the car door open and using it as cover to avoid the incoming bullet.
The shot shattered the car window, but Reid managed to roll out of the way just in time, narrowly avoiding the deadly attack.
But it wasn't over. The Winter Soldier, a Hydra assassin with impeccable marksmanship, kept his gun trained on Reid, firing relentlessly with precise aim. The muzzle never strayed far from Reid's position, each pull of the trigger forcing him into desperate evasive maneuvers.
"Danger! Danger! Danger!"
Reid's mind screamed as the assassin closed in, step by step. The relentless barrage left him no choice but to roll behind the car for cover, barely evading the specialized handgun's deadly rounds.
"Had I known it was the Winter Soldier, I wouldn't have gotten involved!" Reid grumbled internally.
Regret began to creep into his thoughts. Sure, Alfred was formidable for a regular human, but at the end of the day, he was still just that—a regular human. Like Batman, he excelled at tactical thinking and preparation, but in a chaotic, street-level fight against someone like the Winter Soldier? The odds weren't in his favor.
Sure, there existed a version of Alfred in a parallel world who once turned Gotham City into a stage, orchestrating a Joker versus Batman game with his eccentric young master. But even that performance showcased Alfred's intellect more than his combat prowess.
When it came to raw fighting ability, Alfred couldn't be considered outstanding.
But now, Reid had no other choice. Gently twisting the handle of the cane he held, he revealed the hidden weapon within—a concealed rapier, his only means of defense.
At the same time, Reid noticed that under the relentless gunfire of the Winter Soldier, the car door he had slammed open earlier had now fallen to the ground.
A plan began to form in his mind. As he crouched behind the car, he started counting the bullets fired from the Winter Soldier's handgun.
"9... 10... 11... 12... Now!"
The moment the twelfth shot rang out, Reid burst out from behind the car. In one hand, he held the rapier disguised as a cane, and with the other, he effortlessly lifted the fallen car door as an improvised shield.
However, when Reid looked at the Winter Soldier, he was once again stunned.
The assassin had already tossed his empty pistol into the air with his left hand while smoothly pulling out a spare magazine. At the same time, his right hand retrieved a second handgun, which was now pointed squarely at Reid, ready to fire.
Reid's heart sank. "Are you kidding me? This guy dual-wields?!"