When Thea finally found Felicity, she was sitting on a swivel chair, frantically tapping on three keyboards at once.
Leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed, Thea watched Felicity's intense focus and felt a bit embarrassed by her dedication.
"Hey, let's go get some coffee," Thea suggested.
Without turning her head, Felicity replied, "No, I'm busy. You go ahead and have fun."
Even though she wanted to relax, Thea couldn't leave Felicity to work alone. She pulled up a chair beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Take a break, I need to talk to you."
Stopping her work, Felicity looked at her with concern. "You're not going to make me do more physical labor, are you?"
"It's about the company."
She gestured towards the empty factory floor, now the Software Department's office area.
"Shouldn't we find something to do? As the heir, I can't just sit idly by without any achievements," Thea said pitifully.
"Then what can we do?"
Thea whispered, "Aren't you supposed to be amazing at that stuff? Can you sell me some basic software to keep those people outside busy, and it will also help me to justify my actions?"
Felicity tapped her right hand against her left, and her petite nose lifted slightly. "You've got an eye for opportunities! Just wait and see!"
She pulled up a document on her computer, clicked a few times, and the nearby printer started working.
After a while, she handed three sheets of paper to Thea. "I compiled some of the research I did in college. See if there's anything useful, though I doubt it."
Initially excited, Felicity's voice grew quieter as she continued speaking.
Thea carefully examined the papers and realized a harsh reality. She recognized every letter individually but couldn't make sense of them when combined. What's all this? Are you really that impressive as a master's student?
"Computer Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Calculation Formula."
"Tracking Movement and Taste-Linked Framework Protocol."
"String Algorithm and Wavelength Recognition Method."
Remembering a detail from the plot, Thea began searching more carefully.
'Clap!' She found it. "Facial Recognition Cross-Algorithm!"
Her sudden clap startled Felicity, who turned to look at her like she was crazy.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine. About this..." Thea pointed at the algorithm. "How far have you researched this?"
"It's a tool used by hackers. Little Thea, don't misuse it; releasing it could cause chaos," Felicity warned.
"My plan is like this: I'm not planning to commercialize it. I intend to develop it and either sell or give it to the police for combating criminals. How far have you researched it? Can it accurately identify suspects?"
Facial recognition software was Felicity Smoak's pride in the series, shining in both Arrow and The Flash. While it worked best when combined with phone location services, Thea didn't plan to release everything and had concerns about the privacy issues related to phone tracking. Her limbs were still too small to step into that minefield.
Using the software for commercial purposes was indeed risky, but providing it to the police or military could boost the company's reputation. Thea had even bigger ambitions: if she could take over Queen Consolidated, her mother could run for senator or mayor. The current political influence of her family was too weak. Moira was impeccable in her dealings with others, possessing political charm and charisma, but staying in the company was too restrictive for her talents.
Talking about these plans might be premature, but a good reputation required gradual development. Perhaps one day, these plans could be put into action.
Felicity felt Thea's suggestion was feasible, and as someone kind-hearted who couldn't stand various crimes, hearing that the software she developed as a hacker could be used to fight crime made her ecstatic.
After some discussion, they decided that Felicity would provide the initial version of the facial recognition algorithm. Thea, on behalf of the company, would purchase the algorithm, specifying that it should not be used for commercial purposes.
The specific pricing still needed to be estimated by the company. Initially, Felicity wasn't interested in money, but Thea ruthlessly exposed her decadent behavior of changing clothes three times a day and earrings daily, making her realize the importance of money. Most importantly, this money could be used for the construction of their secret base.
"Isn't this money for me!?" Felicity's mouth gaped wide open. She thought Thea's earnest advice was an attempt to get her more money. She said she didn't want it, but in her heart, she was already thinking about how to spend the money once she got it.
"Um, it's for you, at least most of it is," Thea replied, feeling a bit embarrassed. Moira was strict with her daughter, and she had too little money to handle. Thea rarely had the opportunity to do anything shady. The Red Arrow Glider seemed simple, but there were too many places to spend money. Now that she had a golden opportunity, she had to take advantage of it. It's like seizing an opportunity given by the heavens; she had to seize it fiercely!
After persuading Felicity, Thea hurriedly went to the CEO's office. She praised the advanced nature of facial recognition, vaguely pointing out the importance of donating it to the police for the company's image.
Moira's ideological awareness was exceptionally high, and she immediately understood Thea's intentions. There was no need to discuss this matter at all; nobody would refuse an opportunity to enhance their own image. With a generous stroke of the pen, she approved a budget of one million. As for the amount of money Thea privately gave to Felicity, Moira didn't inquire. She also knew that her daughter had made a good friend recently. In her eyes, this was a positive sign of Thea's normalization. Moira and Walter's matters could gradually move up the agenda.