"How much?"
Vincent smiled.
"Enough that I'm not going to tell you while you're driving."
Daniel shook his head.
"I couldn't possibly afford it."
"I didn't ask you to."
"Then why?"
Vincent looked out the window.
"Because once upon a time, someone did something similar for me."
Daniel glanced at him.
"What?"
"Not a car."
Vincent smiled faintly.
"A chance."
They drove for twenty minutes.
Daniel slowly became more comfortable.
The car responded beautifully.
Every turn felt effortless.
Every movement seemed precise.
Eventually, Vincent asked, "Where are you staying?"
Daniel hesitated.
"I've been moving around."
"That's not what I asked."
Daniel stared ahead.
"A shelter sometimes."
Vincent nodded.
"Family?"
"No."
"Friends?"
"Not anymore."
"Wife?"
Daniel's hands tightened around the wheel.
"She died."
Vincent immediately stopped asking questions.
"I'm sorry."
Daniel nodded.
"Her name was Claire."
Vincent waited.
Daniel continued.
"She was the best person I ever knew."
They drove in silence.
After another few minutes, Vincent said, "What did you do before?"
Daniel laughed bitterly.
"Before?"
"Before."
Daniel looked at his hands.
"I was an engineer."
Vincent turned.
"What kind?"
"Mechanical systems."
"Where?"
"Several companies."
"Which one most recently?"
"Northstar Industrial."
Vincent's eyebrows rose.
"You worked at Northstar?"
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"Twelve years."
Vincent stared at him.
"Daniel, Northstar's automated production division?"
"Yes."
"You were part of the Mercer team?"
Daniel frowned.
"You've heard of it?"
Vincent smiled.
"Everyone in manufacturing has."
Daniel shook his head.
"They gave the team a lot more credit than it deserved."
Vincent said nothing.
Daniel continued.
"I was just an engineer."
"Just?"
Daniel smiled.
"I suppose that's what I tell myself now."
When they returned to the dealership, something had changed.
The showroom employees were waiting.
Richard stood near the entrance.
His face was pale.
He had just received a phone call.
He had learned something.
The man he had insulted was not merely a homeless stranger.
He was someone connected to the dealership's largest prospective investor.
Vincent stepped out of the car.
Daniel followed.
Richard approached quickly.
"Mr. Hale, I apologize for the misunderstanding."
Vincent looked at him.
"What misunderstanding?"
"I didn't realize Mr. Mercer was..."
He stopped.
"Was what?"
Richard struggled.
"Someone you knew."
Vincent's eyes narrowed.
"That's your problem."
Richard looked at Daniel.
"Mr. Mercer, I sincerely apologize."
Daniel stared at him.
Only a few minutes earlier, Richard had called him a person who did not belong.
Now his voice was soft.
Daniel understood.
It wasn't respect.
It was fear.
Vincent walked toward Daniel.
"Come tomorrow morning."
Daniel blinked.
"Where?"
Vincent handed him a card.
"That address."
Daniel looked down.
It was the headquarters of Hale Mobility Group.
One of the largest transportation technology companies in the region.
"I don't understand."
"I told you."
Vincent's voice was calm.
"I need someone."
Daniel looked at the card.
"What kind of work?"
"Problem solving."
"I haven't worked in almost a year."
"Then we'll start there."
Daniel looked up.
"Why me?"
Vincent smiled.
"Because I watched you examine that car."
Daniel frowned.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"You didn't look at it like a man who wanted to own it."
Vincent paused.
"You looked at it like a man who understood it."
Daniel said nothing.
Vincent stepped closer.
"Come tomorrow."
Then he turned toward Richard.
"And you."
Richard stiffened.
"Yes, sir?"
"We need to talk."
Daniel walked out.
This time, nobody stopped him.
The Engineer Nobody Saw
At 7:45 the next morning, Daniel stood outside Hale Mobility Group.
He almost turned around.
The building was enormous.
Glass walls.
Security gates.
Employees carrying laptops.
Cars arriving every few seconds.
Daniel looked down at his borrowed shirt.
He had found it at a church clothing center.
It was slightly too large.
His shoes were still worn.
He wondered whether Vincent had made a mistake.
Then the doors opened.
A receptionist smiled.
"Mr. Mercer?"
Daniel froze.
"Yes."
"Mr. Hale is expecting you."
Daniel followed her upstairs.
Vincent was waiting in a conference room.
But he was not alone.
Three senior engineers sat around the table.
One of them, Dr. Miriam Shaw, stared at Daniel with open curiosity.
Vincent introduced them.
"Daniel Mercer."
Miriam stood.
"I've read your papers."
Daniel looked surprised.
"My papers?"
"You published six technical papers between 2014 and 2021."
Daniel laughed.
"Those are old."
"Good engineering doesn't become old."
Vincent placed a tablet on the table.
A complex mechanical diagram appeared.
"Our autonomous fleet division has a problem."
Daniel studied it.