The committee's daily expenses were measured in units of a hundred thousand. The "study materials" currently proposed wouldn't cost much. Everyone agreed to Thea's proposal, though each returned to brief their respective bosses on this "minor matter" with far-reaching implications.
The bigger players saw even further. Perhaps a few among them were entrenched figures interested only in preserving the status quo, but this wasn't subject to their will. When aliens came knocking on the door, they'd be the first to suffer losses.
Compared to Luthor and the military's single-minded focus on building big weapons, Thea's subtler, cultural approach was far more palatable.
The representatives' thoughts weren't hard to guess. If Luthor succeeded, he'd want to use military force to gain greater power. Which politician would give up their position for him? Or let him sweep everyone aside and establish a dictatorship?
Thea's more cultural approach was very popular with the politicians. No one obstructed it at all. The study materials she compiled under the committee chairman's name were quickly manufactured.
Far-sighted people existed everywhere. The initial production of 100,000 teaching material sets never even reached the general market before being snapped up.
Someone like Luthor directly bought a thousand sets to distribute among his company's employees. Those who couldn't learn would be fired immediately.
Bruce Wayne didn't miss out either, purchasing several sets to take back for the Bat-team to study.
National leaders, foreign affairs personnel, spy agencies—whether kings or presidents, everyone bought at least a few sets.
This wasn't some nuclear weapon. The U.S. side, with a mindset of shared risk and collective responsibility, was very open-minded and approved everything.
Afterward, Thea quickly manufactured over a hundred thousand more sets. This time sales were sluggish. Many ordinary people thought it was an April Fool's joke. Only a very small minority realized something, but they were the minority after all. Their opinions were quickly drowned in the crowd's mocking laughter.
Thea wasn't too concerned. Established attitudes weren't easily broken. The seeds of hope had been sown and would gradually grow strong.
Seeing the Bat-team's studious diligence, she didn't forget her own brothers. Although Thea felt the Arrow team—with their uneven educational backgrounds—had no heart for studying, she still brought a pile of study materials back to Star City.
Returning to the secret base she'd originally established, now the Arrow's headquarters, she found one more person on site.
Roy Harper was receiving training from Oliver.
"Quite lively here..." Thea wanted to laugh seeing the scene in the base.
Two Green Arrows, one Black Arrow, and a Red Arrow still in training. It looked more like an archery club than a vigilante base.
When she entered the base, the four were training intensely. Felicity and Laurel, these two "sisters" with no martial skills but who loved watching the action, stood not far away observing their training. However, through subtle observation, Thea noticed Laurel's fingers also bore traces of archery practice. She shook her head in amusement.
"Thea!" Oliver naturally spotted her first.
Everyone greeted her warmly. Roy Harper also nervously thanked her for saving his mother back then.
When she handed the study materials to everyone, their expressions shifted uncomfortably.
Felicity, Laurel, and Shado were all college graduates. The pressure wasn't too great for them. Each seriously flipped through the materials.
Oliver, Tommy, and Roy Harper all looked uncomfortable. The first two hadn't studied properly; the latter's family couldn't afford schooling.
All three had terrible foundations. Even though Thea had written very accessibly, they still looked pained.
Thea believed they could all learn it. Oliver and Tommy's bodies had been transformed by divine blood and genetic serum. Their learning abilities now surpassed ordinary smart people. With dedication, learning would come easily.
They briefly discussed recent events. Thea learned that through Laurel and Barbara's introductions, Oliver had met Batman. They shared similar beliefs and experiences. Plus with Thea's connection, Batman—as a veteran superhero—had shared much of his own journey with Green Arrow.
Green Arrow, who'd been wavering all along, finally committed to the no-killing principle. After seeing how Batman trained his protégés, he'd also gotten the idea of cultivating assistants. Subsequently, the brave and resilient Roy Harper entered his sight. After gaining the team's consent, he began training the young man.
Under the archery club's persistent attacks, Star City's security had improved. Oliver had even defeated Deadshot in single combat, capturing him and handing him over to Amanda Waller when she arrived. Following their series of victories, Star City's underworld forces were forced into dormancy.
Leaving the Green Arrow team, Thea went to see Moira. Her mother had already entered the second year of her second term as Star City mayor.
Mother and daughter chatted affectionately for a bit. Regarding her daughter, Moira had long since let go—she simply flew too far and too high.
"Do you think my next step should be Congress or... the White House?" Moira thoroughly enjoyed wielding power. She knew Thea now had tremendous influence. She wanted to hear her daughter's opinion.
If Moira had asked this question a few years ago, Thea would definitely have told her to stay put in Star City. The outside world was too dangerous.
But now, with broadened horizons and surging personal strength, threats were rapidly decreasing. There were definitely still many stronger than her, but she wasn't too worried anymore. Her whole perspective had shifted.
So she answered Moira decisively: "President. Run for the presidency."
What was the point of being a senator? Though presidential power was also quite limited, it carried prestige! Ordinary citizens basically knew who the president was. Ask them who their state senator was—most people wouldn't be able to answer.
Moira's personal qualifications were strong. After two mayoral terms in Star City ended, her political achievements would dazzle many. Plus she was female—the first female president in U.S. history. That was incredibly attention-grabbing.
Female affinity would be a crucial asset when uniting humanity for the space age. When humanity cautiously stepped into space, they'd need a relatable figure, not some iron-fisted authoritarian—that would be suicide. Moira's background and identity, plus Thea's connections, gave her a high probability of election.
If a mere businessman like Luthor could run for election, her mother definitely could too.
Seeing Thea's firm encouragement to run for the White House, Moira was very tempted. She didn't have any sense of dedication—she just felt this was a crucial step in realizing her life's value. Now with her daughter's support, thoughts instantly surfaced about which allies to court and with whom to make interest exchanges.
Thea had encouraged her mother to become president, so naturally she'd already factored defensive measures into her considerations.