The jurors and spectators—including Old Joe and the others—burst into applause. Bella and attorney Hogarth clapped as well, wearing expressions of humane concern and shared joy.
Seeing even his two clerks applauding, the bearded judge—who had secretly received a tidy sum from Stark Industries—felt utterly speechless, yet still forced himself to clap twice.
The defendant's representative was in tears. He grabbed the doctor's hand, trying to stall for time. "Oh God! Dr. Brandon, thank you for saving my life!"
"You're welcome. It's a doctor's duty."
"No! Please let me thank you properly!" The adrenaline had fully kicked in; he was so energized he probably could have done two backflips on the spot.
The doctor helped him up and examined him with satisfaction. The patient had looked so critical just moments ago—yet he had been pulled back from the brink by his superb medical skills.
He said proudly, "Well then, let's continue the trial."
You're trying to kill me! The defendant's representative had no choice but to return to his seat and once again face Hogarth's questioning.
Total defeat.
The defendant's representative was completely crushed. And their lawyer—who had all but defected—asked only a few irrelevant questions throughout.
After a half-day recess, at 2 p.m., the jury delivered an informal verdict: Stark Industries and Wexler Steel were guilty of breach of contract. The judge followed the jury's recommendation and issued the final ruling in accordance with Arizona law.
Stark Industries and Wexler Steel were ordered to pay all outstanding pensions to the retired steelworkers within ninety days.
Bella and Old Joe had discussed it beforehand. The old monthly pension system was unreliable, so they demanded a lump-sum payment instead.
Using age one hundred as the baseline, they subtracted each person's current age and multiplied the remaining years by their annual pension amount. The result would be the total owed.
If someone lived past one hundred, that loss was on them. If inflation eroded the value, that was also their risk.
In reality, after working in the steel mill all their lives, none of the old workers believed they would reach one hundred anyway. Reaching ninety would already be a blessing. Being able to take more money upfront made everyone extremely happy.
Even if the money lost value later, they accepted it.
Stark Industries and the steel mill were, of course, extremely unwilling. Not everyone's pension was forty-five thousand dollars a year; Old Joe's was among the highest. Even so, adding up the payouts for all fifty-nine workers, the total exceeded fifty million dollars.
A rundown steel factory—on top of the acquisition cost—being forced to pay fifty million in pensions? Who would accept that?
Bella understood their reluctance. Appeals and delays were expected, so the protests did not stop.
Previously, the bank robbery had put them on shaky moral ground. Under Bella's guidance, the three elderly robbers donated most of the stolen money, keeping only enough for basic living expenses.
Now, with a legal victory and moral legitimacy, whether they protested outside the Stark branch office or rallied media support, the elderly workers stood firmly on the right side of public opinion.
The elderly were a vulnerable group. This vulnerability had nothing to do with race or gender. Everyone would reach that stage someday. Today it was Old Joe and Old Willie. Tomorrow it would be you.
Public sympathy was already there. With the court ruling as backing, Bella and Natasha mobilized many students and amplified the issue on social media, while Stark's competitors worked behind the scenes.
The protests drew massive public attention.
Politicians, members of Congress, media reporters—everyone began covering the issue, and the situation grew increasingly unfavorable for Stark Industries.
"Everyone grows old. Today it's Old Joe and Old Willie. Tomorrow it's us. Maybe Mr. Tony Stark has enough money not to worry about retirement, but we do. And so does Mr. Obadiah Stane, the acting CEO of Stark Industries—after all, he's just an employee like the rest of us. Ninety-nine percent of this country has to think about pensions.
"I'm just an ordinary person, using what little influence I have to call on everyone to stand together and say no to capitalists who think they can swallow our pensions."
Obadiah stared at Bella speaking confidently in front of CNN cameras and nearly put his fist through the monitor.
I'm seventy years old and still working! After all these years, you think I haven't saved enough money? I don't need a damn pension!
The speed of escalation stunned him. This was no longer about Bella, a shabby steel mill, and a few dozen elderly workers.
The ripple spread nationwide. Many Stark employees, at multiple levels, began voicing concern.
From Obadiah's personal assistants to the janitors cleaning the toilets, everyone was worried: What about my pension? Will it get suspended too?
Their relationship with Stark Industries was employment, not slavery. If pensions stopped, who would keep working?
The entire corporation fell into turmoil. Obadiah held meeting after meeting to stabilize morale. He was ruthless and decisive, and when his subordinates proposed continuing to fight Bella in court, he shut it down completely.
Throw money at it. Settle with the instigators first.
Fifty million dollars in pensions was blatant extortion. Stark Industries could not set that precedent—the amount was far too large. Who lived to be a hundred? Show him one.
They lowered the age cap to ninety and recalculated the pensions accordingly.
A week later, the elderly workers received their payments from Stark Industries—a total of fifteen million dollars.
Individually, some received three hundred thousand dollars, others at least tens of thousands.
The holes left by their failed bank investments could finally be filled. Their homes would not be taken. They still had enough left to cover future family expenses.
But their children, neighbors, and friends had all endured pressure—persuasion, threats, bribes. After receiving the money, they politely told Bella that they wished to end things here.
"Okay. I respect your decision."
Bella and Natasha left Old Joe's house. The old man felt embarrassed and personally escorted them out, watching until their car disappeared down the road before slowly heading back inside.
Natasha felt a little dejected. She thought the ending wasn't perfect.
Bella, however, was satisfied. Reaching this point was already more than enough.
Tony Stark wasn't necessarily a good person, and Stark Industries certainly wasn't full of saints.
For now, everyone was still playing by the rules. But if pushed too far, murder and kidnapping were absolutely on the table. Bella wasn't afraid—but that didn't mean others weren't.
She had already gained the reputation and recognition she needed. The elderly workers had received fair compensation.
The matter could end here.