Chương 40: How to Resolve This?

Thanking her future sister-in-law Laurel for the heads-up, Thea hurriedly made her way to find the client, Derek. She didn't even dare to call Felicity along, despite her being a backup, she was also one of the strong-willed heroines with a strong sense of justice and it was better if she didn't know.

Navigating through a maze of streets according to the address provided in the file, Thea finally arrived at Derek's house. It was a small house, surrounded by scattered residences.

Upon her arrival, Thea saw a group of people gathered in front of the house, engaging in a conversation with some individuals inside.

The individuals outside had tattoos on their arms and wore unfriendly expressions. Leading the group was a young man in a suit and tie who spoke with a smirk, "Mr. Derek, if you can't pay off your mortgage on time, we'll have to take some drastic measures. I'm sure you wouldn't want to see that scene."

Inside the house, Derek and the others remained silent, silently protesting. Under Derek's leadership, they formed a human barrier to prevent the intruders from entering their home. Meanwhile, several neighbors opened their doors in support.

"Mr. Derek, we support you."

"Hang in there, we'll find jobs."

The young man in charge of collecting the debt smirked contemptuously and pointed at Derek, "I'll give you three more days. If you don't vacate the house by then, Mr. Frank Bertinelli will be very displeased!" He glanced around, and the neighbors who met his gaze all lowered their heads. With a disdainful huff, the young man and his thugs left.

This seemed like a big issue. Frank Bertinelli, on the surface, was a businessman specializing in construction, but in reality, he was the head of the local mafia, ranking high within the Italian family.

She recalled that he had killed his daughter's fiancé later on, and his daughter had gone mad and wanted to kill him. The woman seemed to have had a run-in with Oliver too. What was her name again? She couldn't remember. All she remembered she was quite attractive. She'd have Felicity look into it later.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Thea approached the house. "Mr. Derek Reston, may I have a word with you?"

Derek, a middle-aged man, was thinking about where to get the money when he saw the teenage girl suddenly approaching him. His first reaction was that another debt collector had come, but he quickly realized that it wasn't the case. "What is it?" he asked in a deep voice.

Thea had deliberately dressed professionally today. To make herself look older, she even wore reading glasses. She handed him a business card.

"I'm Thea Queen from Queen Consolidated."

"What brings you here?" Derek's tone shifted from initial confusion to hostility.

"Do you want me to discuss it here, or would you prefer to find a more private place?" Thea gestured around at the surrounding environment. Several neighbors, seeing that the matter was not over yet, had stuck their heads out again. Apparently, curiosity knows no national or ethnic boundaries.

Derek glanced at the expressions of the surrounding crowd. He knew his own affairs, and it seemed like they knew about his intention to sue Queen Consolidated. With the heiress herself coming in person, it was definitely for negotiations. Many conditions couldn't be brought up in public.

"Follow me." Leading Thea to an outdoor café, they sat under a canopy. "Miss Queen, speak your mind."

"I've reviewed the company's annual report, and it's true that the company's handling of certain matters has been excessive. I apologize for that." Thea certainly couldn't reveal Laurel's involvement. Whether he believed it or not, that was the explanation.

"The company will rearrange your work within three days. . If you still want to work as a foreman, that can be arranged too, but it would mean relocating to another city. You should know that there are hardly any factories left in Starling City."

Thea wished she could send this ticking time bomb as far away as possible. Judging from the support the neighbors showed earlier, this man held some sway among the workers. Once he stirred up trouble, Queen Consolidated would be in a difficult position. If only she had the authority, she'd send him off to Russia with a factory manager position as bait.

"If you choose not to work, we will also compensate you for your severance pay and pension. Regardless of your final decision, as a gesture of the company's apology, we will also offer you compensation. Do you have any other questions?" Thea wasted no time, aiming to resolve this matter swiftly and decisively.

Derek lowered his head in thought. Should he work or take the severance pay? It was definitely better to work; the severance pay was just a small amount of money! But if he accepted this money, he would have to keep quiet about everything.

Ultimately, he had some conscience left and didn't rashly agree. Instead, he asked, "Miss Queen, if I may ask, is this offer for me personally, or is it for everyone?"

Seeing his change in attitude upon hearing that returning to work was a possibility, Thea inwardly chuckled at his pragmatism. As for his question, Thea also found it troubling. While she could arrange for one or two people, she certainly couldn't handle 1,500. She'd have to go back and discuss with Moira.

However, she still needed to use some diplomatic language. "It's for everyone. If Mr. Derek is interested in current affairs, you will receive news within a few days."

Derek immediately expressed his satisfaction. Queen Consolidated had always treated him well, and he would definitely rejoin the company and contribute to its success.

Thea nodded in acknowledgment of his loyalty and instructed him to wait for further instructions. She then left the café. The matter had not been settled, and neither of them mentioned the lawsuit.

Back at the company headquarters, Thea approached the CEO's office. She even used her perception to check inside, just in case her mother and Walter were up to something sneaky. It would be embarrassing if she saw anything. The result showed that both of them were behaving properly. This incident proved the benefits of learning a few extra skills.

After knocking on the door and waiting for a few seconds, Thea entered the office. Seeing Walter grinning from ear to ear, she knew that although they hadn't done anything, they definitely weren't discussing work.

"Ahem," since they were all familiar with each other, Thea didn't bother with pleasantries and recounted the situation straightforwardly.

Upon hearing that someone was planning to sue the company, Thea noticed a flash of severity in Moira's eyes. But when she learned that there were fifteen hundred people involved, hesitation filled her gaze.

Indeed, it was easy to resolve one or two cases, but dealing with fifteen hundred was like trying to use a machine gun to shoot down flies. Moreover, these were people, not pigs; they could run and hide. If one or two of them decided to expose the situation to the media, the company would be in trouble.

Of course, it wasn't that violence couldn't solve the problem. If they had someone as powerful as Darkseid or Thanos, who needed forty heroes to team up to defeat, then sure, they could handle it. But for now, they had to use a relatively more ethical approach.

Thea had been pondering this issue all along. Finding a clean and perfect solution was currently the company's top priority. While Derek might be easily swayed, who's to say another Derek wouldn't pop up tomorrow?

Moira also urgently needed political achievements as support. The interconnected job positions of fifteen hundred people could provide her with at least half a neighborhood's worth of votes, which was crucial for someone like her with a relatively shallow political base.