Unaware that his best friend was in the Lian Yu jungle, being beaten by Yao Fei, Tommy only knew that he was having a terrible day.
Perhaps inspired by Thea's side, Malcolm wanted to see his son's problem-solving abilities and kept sending his subordinates with files to find Tommy.
"Assistant, the CEO wants you to review and provide feedback on this document."
"Assistant, this is the budget allocation for the next fiscal year. After reviewing it, make sure to report to the CFO."
"Assistant, one of our employees has been detained by the police. The legal department is asking if we need to post bail."
With a plethora of problems coming his way, Tommy was overwhelmed and completely lost. How could there be so many issues in his own company? How were they usually handled? Shouldn't it be whoever is responsible for handling them?
Forcing himself to start working, reporting to the CEO? That meant dealing with his own father, right? He couldn't be bothered to see him, so he left it until last. Looking at the financial allocations? He picked up the documents, flipping through the fifteen pages. He was already dozing off before he even finished the first page.
After washing his face, he found the document regarding bail and decided to handle it himself. On one hand, it was a chance to get some fresh air, and on the other, Detective Lance was Laurel's father, so he considered himself somewhat of a future son-in-law. It should be easy to deal with!
However, the scene of a distraught father-in-law embracing him and crying at the police station didn't happen. Detective Lance didn't show any favoritism and, upon seeing Tommy, he only remembered Oliver, who had seduced his youngest daughter, sending her to a watery grave (though she was actually alive). He didn't have an ounce of goodwill towards Tommy, who was now trying to seduce his eldest daughter. Forget about bail; if it weren't for his upright character, Tommy might have been arrested on the spot.
In short, Tommy had a very gloomy day.
Upon learning of his son's plight, Malcolm didn't lose heart either. He set himself a small goal – after all, he had illicit funds and didn't value the company much, so he wasn't afraid of losing money. He decided to endure for a month to see what his son could achieve. At the same time, he prepared to test his daughter's courage.
Tommy wasn't having a good time, and in fact, Thea had been feeling quite exhausted these past few days. The fusion of two souls had significantly boosted her memory and mental strength. While she was learning things faster than in the original storyline, the multitude and complexity of tasks at the company were somewhat overwhelming. Even this version 2.0 of herself could only just manage to cope. This highlighted Moira's ruthless side – she loved her daughter but also wanted to see where her limits lay. So, the tasks assigned were challenging, and Thea's ability to surpass them only deepened Moira's affection for her.
Walking along a small path with two bodyguards, Thea had just returned from a subsidiary company in Starling City and felt that home was close enough to walk. As she pondered the tasks for the next day, she suddenly sensed being watched. The surroundings were unusually quiet, and she immediately noticed something amiss up ahead. She quietly said, "Stop," and signaled one of the bodyguards to check out the tree ahead.
Malcolm, dressed in black and hiding in the bushes, was astonished. He was a master of stealth, having trained by Ra's al Ghul, and believed his hiding skills were impeccable. The fact that Thea had spotted him indicated her exceptional intuition – she could surpass even special forces without formal training. This quality reminded him of a person he had only heard of – the world-renowned assassin, Shiva, who had trained under the same master. (In this timeline, Prometheus hadn't emerged yet, so Shiva maintained her undefeated record).
Impressed by his daughter's abilities, Malcolm knocked out the bodyguards with two darts, then stepped out from behind the tree with a voice modulator. He intended to test Thea's courage, knowing that talent alone wouldn't suffice if her character was lacking.
With a sudden thud, Thea saw the bodyguards fall, and when a figure in black emerged from behind the tree, she was startled. Was this a League of Assassin member? But upon closer inspection, she recognized him – her estranged father. Having seen him on TV, even with this new disguise, she knew who he was. What was he up to?
She knew his identity but couldn't reveal it outright. She couldn't just walk up and say, "Hey, Dad, how's it going?". Pretending not to recognize him, she calmly asked, "Who are you?"
"It doesn't matter who I am. Do you know how much your life is worth?" Malcolm's voice sounded hoarse through the voice modulator.
'The voice modulator is really a treasure; I should get one for myself in the future. As far as I remember, except for superheroes who don't wear masks like Superman, almost every hero or villain has one. I wonder if it's expensive; I don't have much pocket money.'
But seeing Malcolm still waiting for her response, Thea thought for a moment and said, "I can feel that you don't have any malicious intent, at least not murderous." Yeah, most hero and villain types were familiar to her. As long as she knew their names, she could identify them. This gauge was unique to her. It's the best way to judge goodwill or malice.
"You're a very intuitive child, very good. Do you have any wishes?"
This question seemed rather pointless to Thea, who guessed that Malcolm was here to teach her skills. He just wanted to maintain the illusion that Malcolm didn't have any martial arts skills by wearing this disguise. After waiting for over a month for this moment, she answered confidently, "I need strength to protect my family and myself! Being a woman in this world is too difficult; I need strong power!"
This answer was tailored by Thea based on Malcolm's previous experience of losing his wife. But hearing these words, Malcolm felt differently. At that moment, he felt that his daughter was too much like him, even though their thoughts were so similar to the point of being almost the same. If he had had this kind of realization when he was young, perhaps his wife wouldn't have died.
He had one final question to confirm if Thea, like him, would abandon her wealth and company to pursue power. "Power requires learning. Would you give up your wealth for it? I heard you've been doing well at the company this month, even receiving praise. Could you give up all of that?"
Hearing this, Thea rolled her eyes inwardly. That company would be hers sooner or later. Wasn't she working so hard these past few days just to catch your attention? Did you really think she was here to liberate productivity, develop it, and carry out spiritual civilization construction?
But she couldn't give a straightforward answer to this question right away; that would seem fake. So, Thea hesitated for a moment and said, "Money can also be transformed into power, but I need my own strength more. I am too fragile. A bullet or a knife could take everything away from me. I must change this situation."
Malcolm's wife was shot and killed in the slums while providing free medical care, just for a few hundred dollars. Similarly, Batman's parents had the same experience. It was the reality of impoverished areas. Whether they were short-sighted or lacked knowledge, they indeed harmed many wealthy people who wanted to help the poor. The wealthy people with a conscience were all killed off, leaving behind only the villains.
Hearing his daughter's answer in contrast to his late wife's experience, Malcolm's heart pounded wildly. He could barely control his emotions and simply muttered, "Come here tomorrow, and I'll teach you," before turning and running off.