Transformed into the DC World

The facial recognition software was entirely under Felicity's responsibility, and she was informed that she and the team were actually the three subordinates… They had developed an initial version and handed it over to the police.

"Why the original version?" Felicity didn't understand why they wouldn't use the best one. Wasn't this about fighting crime?

If they handed over the most advanced version right away, wouldn't it be impossible to continue cooperating with the police afterward? A one-time deal was never Thea's goal. She needed to maintain a long-term, friendly cooperative relationship with law enforcement. With ongoing collaboration between the police and the Queen Group, her public image would naturally improve.

Of course, these thoughts could not be shared with Felicity, who had a strong sense of justice. Instead, Thea explained another reason: "If we give them the most advanced version, they might suspect that we used this software for illegal activities before. Let's say you didn't… or did you?"

It was obvious. She definitely had. The number of servers Felicity had hacked and which had led to deaths was higher than Malcolm's kill count. Controlling a satellite to spy on people, invading others' privacy, checking on a senator's new lover, and other questionable actions easily added up to a decade in prison.

In reality, she wasn't even afraid of ten years behind bars. Her home was her kingdom, and being confined there or in prison wouldn't make much difference. It wouldn't impact her much—there would still be people to cook and clean for her. But the real problem was U.S. law: the restriction on using computers. That was what would truly drive Felicity crazy. If she went three days without touching a computer, she would definitely start thinking of ways to bypass the restriction!

"Thanks, Thea. You really do care about me," Felicity murmured, a little downcast.

"Come here, give me a hug. No crying, be good!" Thea was growing fonder of her. Even though Felicity was five years older, she still had an almost childlike quality—pure, kind, and just. These were traits Thea admired and, in some ways, envied.

After a brief hug, Felicity rolled her eyes. "I'm not a child. I'm strong!"

The two exchanged a few more lighthearted words before Thea suggested that if the team wasn't big enough, Felicity should recruit more people as soon as possible.

Handing over the software to Felicity didn't mean Thea was off the hook. The million dollars Moira had paid wasn't just for the software itself but also for everything that would come after. It wasn't as if the Queen Group could simply hand something to the police and expect them to accept it without question. There was still work to be done.

Fortunately, Thea had connections at the police station. The constant disputes between Detective Lance and the Queen family could fill an entire book, but at least they knew each other. Having any kind of history was better than being a total stranger.

Going directly to Detective Lance would probably offend him. While there was no direct feud between them, their relationship was far from good. It seemed the only option was to go through Laurel as an intermediary.

She called Tommy and asked him to set up a meeting with Laurel. The three of them would meet at Big Belly Burger to discuss the matter.

Tommy was bored out of his mind—any corporate report longer than ten minutes was enough to make him dizzy and nearly pass out. The ambitious spark in his eyes had long faded, replaced with exhaustion.

As soon as he received Thea's call, he threw on his coat and ran out of the office without even asking what it was about.

The three of them arrived at the diner almost simultaneously, ordered a few drinks, and Thea began explaining her plan to Laurel.

For Laurel, who was determined to pursue a legal career, the difficulty of obtaining evidence had always been a source of frustration. She was furious seeing criminals walk free due to a lack of proof. If this facial recognition software were introduced to law enforcement and prosecutors, case resolution efficiency would improve dramatically.

She didn't understand why something so beneficial needed to be discussed. Was there an obstacle?

"Thea, this is a good thing. How can I help?"

"The issue is that we plan to offer the software to the police for free, but we're afraid your father won't approve. You know how his relationship is with our families…" Thea pointed at herself and then at Tommy.

Laurel thought about her father's recent loss of his daughter and the grief he was going through.

It was hard to predict how he would react. By day, he was a righteous and relentless police officer; by night, he drowned his sorrows in alcohol.

"I think he'll agree. He's the most honest person I've ever met. Thea, come with me. As for you…" Laurel cast a teasing glance at Tommy, who was listening to the conversation intently. "You'd better go find something else to do."

Poor Tommy looked like an abandoned puppy, but the two ignored him and drove to the Star City Police Department.

This was Thea's first time at the police station, and to be honest, she was a little disappointed. The place was rundown, outdated, poorly lit, and nowhere near as imposing as she had imagined. At most, she could see a hundred or two hundred officers.

In reality, the station responsible for managing a city of one million people had over 1,500 employees, but since they were spread throughout the city, the headquarters only housed a handful of administrative personnel. This created the illusion that the department was barely staffed.

TV shows and movies were all lies. The public imagined police officers constantly bustling in and out, but if shows accurately portrayed the real-life death rate of American cops, an entire precinct would be wiped out within three episodes.

Following Laurel, Thea finally met Detective Lance—a major figure in the Arrow series, comparable to Commissioner Gordon in Batman. He was a tragic hero behind the scenes, having endured the repeated deaths and resurrections of his daughters. By season five of Arrow, he was completely bald from the stress.

Laurel detailed Thea's plan, and the two of them watched Detective Lance closely, eagerly awaiting his approval.

"Miss Queen, what's your real motivation for this? This doesn't sound like the Queen Group's usual style," Detective Lance said, crossing his arms skeptically.

"Detective, no one instructed me to do anything. I was born and raised here. This is my home. Star City is dying, and you can see it as clearly as I can."

Thea took a deep breath before continuing: "Maybe in your eyes, the Queen Group is full of corruption, but I see a company that once brought life to this city. At its peak, we employed 50,000 people. Now, with production cuts, many factories have shut down, but we're still keeping 30,000 people employed. We want Star City to improve, and we're doing our part."

Noticing the flicker of consideration on his face, Thea knew her words were making an impact. "Fighting crime isn't just the duty of the Star City Police—it's the responsibility of every citizen. I hope you'll give us the opportunity to prove our value. This isn't for me or the Queen Group; it's for all the good people living in Star City."

"Dad, trust me. This isn't a bad thing," Laurel urged.

Detective Lance studied Thea's face for a long moment before finally exhaling. "Alright. You've convinced me. I'll talk to the commissioner about this. I hope I'm making the right decision."

As he turned to leave, Thea quickly stepped forward and grabbed his arm. With sincerity in her voice, she said:

"Detective, I know you're grieving Sarah's loss… But the shipwreck also took my brother and my father. For the sake of those we've lost, please forgive my brother."

4o