Chapter 12: Change vest to teach

Tommy had no idea if his good friend was in Purgatory Island's jungle, being beaten by the great demon Yao Fei. All Tommy knew was that he had just had an awful day.

Malcolm, perhaps inspired by Thea, wanted to see how his son handled challenges and kept sending his men to find Tommy with various documents.

"Assistant, the president needs you to review this document and provide comments."

"Assistant, here's the budget allocation for next year. After reading, please report to the treasurer."

"Assistant, one of our employees has been arrested. The Legal Department is asking if bail is needed."

Tommy was almost buried under these questions. He was completely lost. Why did his company have so many issues? Wasn't it supposed to be his responsibility to find someone else to handle this?

He grit his teeth and got to work, planning to report to the president—his own father, no less. He didn't feel like dealing with it, but he had no choice. As for the budget allocation, he picked it up, flipped through the pages, but fell asleep before even finishing the first one.

After splashing cold water on his face, Tommy found the bail document and decided to handle it himself. At the same time, he wanted to take a break. Detective Lance, Laurel's father, was involved, and since they were technically sons-in-law, it felt better to take care of it.

When Tommy arrived at the police station, the scene he expected—Detective Lance with his head in his hands, crying—wasn't there. Lance had no intention of pulling strings. When he saw Tommy, he immediately thought of his daughter, Laurel, who was still alive, despite what he believed about her being dead. Tommy, who was staying close to his eldest daughter, wasn't exactly on Lance's good side. If it weren't for Lance's integrity, he might have arrested Tommy on the spot.

In short, Tommy had a very tough day.

Malcolm, on the other hand, was undeterred by his son's failures. He set a small goal for himself. With his wealth and power, he wasn't too worried about losing money or the group's future. He had the luxury of waiting a month to see what his son could achieve, and at the same time, he wanted to test his daughter's courage.

Tommy's day was looking worse, and Thea had been incredibly tired lately. Merging the two souls had dramatically enhanced her memory and mental abilities, making her learn faster than in the original timeline. However, she was still struggling to keep up with everything in the company. Thea's version 2.0 could barely handle the load. Meanwhile, Moira, ever the taskmaster, was determined to test her daughter's limits. The work was being organized for three people, with Thea expected to keep up or at least perform at her best. Moira became more and more impressed by her.

. . . . 

Later, as Thea walked down a small road after returning from a branch in Star City, she felt close to home and decided to walk, thinking about tasks to resolve tomorrow.

Suddenly, she felt like she was being watched. The atmosphere around her became unnervingly quiet. Realizing something was wrong ahead, she whispered to her bodyguard, "Stop," signaling that something was off near a tree ahead.

Malcolm, who was hiding in the grass with a black bow and arrow, was surprised. His ninja-like hiding skills were on full display, and despite being skilled, he couldn't believe his daughter had detected him. His stealth had been flawless, but Thea's sharp senses had revealed his position.

Malcolm, impressed by her intuition, stunned the bodyguard with two darts and then activated a voice changer, planning to test his daughter's courage. He hid behind a tree and said, "It doesn't matter who I am. Do you know how much your little life is worth?"

Thea, initially confused, took a closer look and recognized her father. Despite his disguise, she couldn't help but acknowledge him. She calmly responded, "I can feel you're not malicious, at least you're not here to kill me."

"Very perceptive," Malcolm commented. "Do you have any wishes?"

Thea, having grown up with him, knew how to respond. She was clever and answered, "I need strength to protect my family and myself. It's very difficult for a woman to survive in this world. I need strength."

Her response was calculated, based on her understanding of Malcolm's past and his motivations.

Malcolm, impressed by her wisdom, asked, "Strength requires learning. Will you give up your wealth for that? I've heard you've been doing well at the company. Can you give all of that up?"

Thea hesitated. She understood the gravity of the question, but she wasn't ready to give a clear answer. She said, "Money can be turned into strength, but I need my own strength more. I'm fragile. A bullet or a knife could take everything from me. I must change that."

Malcolm, recalling his wife's death while she was doing a free clinic in a slum—killed for only a few hundred dollars—felt a pang in his chest. He saw the harsh reality of the world and understood his daughter's desire to change her circumstances. Her words struck a chord, reminding him of his wife's tragic death. He left, saying, "I'll teach you tomorrow," before disappearing into the shadows.