“Understood.”
Olivia smiled.
“Good.”
She walked away.
Samuel continued cleaning.
Ryan stood there awkwardly.
“I’m sorry.”
Samuel looked at him.
“For what?”
“For not saying more.”
Samuel smiled.
“You said enough.”
Then Samuel reached inside his uniform.
He pulled out an old black cellphone.
Ryan watched him dial a number.
“Yes,” Samuel said.
A pause.
“I found someone.”
Ryan frowned.
Samuel continued.
“I think he is the one.”
Another pause.
“Bring the board to the lobby.”
He ended the call.
Ryan stared at him.
“The board?”
Samuel put the phone away.
“Yes.”
Five minutes later, the atmosphere in the lobby changed.
Three senior executives emerged from an elevator.
Behind them came Diane Mercer, chairwoman of Northstar's board.
Ryan recognized her immediately.
He had seen her photograph in company reports.
What happened next left him speechless.
Diane walked directly toward Samuel.
“Samuel.”
Samuel nodded.
“Diane.”
Olivia had just returned from the corridor.
Her expression changed when she saw the board chair standing beside the janitor.
“What's going on?”
Diane ignored her.
Instead, she asked Samuel:
“Is this the person?”
Samuel nodded.
“Yes.”
Olivia looked confused.
“The person for what?”
Samuel finally turned toward her.
“For the Daniel Brooks Leadership Fellowship.”
Ryan frowned.
“What is that?”
Diane answered.
“It is a leadership program established several years ago in memory of Daniel Brooks.”
Samuel's expression softened at the name.
“Daniel was my son.”
Ryan looked at him again.
The elderly janitor wasn't simply a janitor.
Samuel had once been one of the most respected investigators in the company's history.
But that wasn't why he was there.
Diane explained that Daniel had believed Northstar's biggest weakness wasn't technology, money, or competition.
It was character.
Daniel had once written that companies became dangerous when people started believing that only executives mattered.
He had seen talented people humiliate assistants.
Managers intimidate interns.
Executives ignore cleaners.
And employees remain silent because speaking up might cost them something.
Daniel had died young after a long battle with cancer.
Before his death, he had left his father a letter.
Samuel carried a copy with him.
He opened it.
Daniel's words were simple.
If you ever have a chance to help choose the next generation of leaders, don't look first at their résumé.
Watch how they treat people who cannot help them.
Samuel had taken that advice seriously.
For six weeks, he had worked inside Northstar disguised as a maintenance employee.
He wasn't investigating fraud.
He wasn't looking for criminals.
He was looking for character.
And Ryan had just passed the first test.
Ryan shook his head.
“You were testing me?”
Samuel smiled.
“I was observing you.”