Part 1: A New Case
A guy named Michael sues Matthew for a secret rule he didn't have them read, but there is a longer history than that.
Michael: Matthew, I didn't agree to have my name pulled off the patent or give up 40% of my share.
Matthew: Look in Addendum 7, Page 45, bottom footnote.
Michael read it, then felt betrayed.
Michael: Did you just bury a case at the bottom footnote and tell me not to read it?
Matthew: It was part of the business.
Michael: Well, that's not fair, and it's rigged for your employees. I'm about to sue you for this.
Matthew: Why? Because of a hidden note I hid that is part of the policy?
Michael: Breaking promises in business is damaging to your reputation.
Matthew: I could be earning billions more money with this policy,
Michael: Wrong advantage = wrong move. Now I'm going to court to file this.
Part 2: Benjamin's Court
Benjamin: I read your file. You got steamrolled. Contracts like these are drafted by people who assume you'll never read past page ten.
Michael: Can we fight it?
Benjamin: It depends. Are you trying to win the case or settle it?
Michael hesitantly answers.
Michael: Both.
Benjamin looks into the files and sees a shell company linked to the company.
Benjamin: Oh wow, not only Matthew is screwing you over, he's running a network. One of my contacts thinks espionage is involved.
Michael: Espionage? That was supposed to be a business?
Benjamin: Look, you've been playing checkers. He's been playing chess with a loaded briefcase. Time to change the game.
Michael leaned over the laptop in Benjamin's office, eyes narrowed.
Michael: That's Matthew?
Benjamin: That's not Matthew. That's someone else. He shows up once a week, stays for three hours, then vanishes. No company records, no ID in the building logs. We believe he's a fixer. Maybe even ex-intelligence.
Michael: All of this is attached to espionage? Crazy. What records am I going to find with that? A checkered flag or... uhh, let's get to the point, man.
Benjamin: Yeah, we can do that. I'll send you on your way.
Part 3: To Intelligence and Back
Michael arrives at the espionage only to find Johnny on the case already.
Johnny: Hey, man, Benjamin just sent me information about someone who was betraying your money with stuff. I got some information about what Matthew planned to keep straight through.
Michael: Yeah, I talked to Benjamin, and I see what he's been looking at.
Johnny: I found some shocking information (and I talked to security guard Howard and private investigator Alan about it).
Michael: Who are they? People you know?
Johnny: Yes, from an alliance called "Five on Crime."
Michael: I see. If you guys can find the secrets of what happened when I wasn't looking, then I'll appreciate it.
Johnny: No worries. I'll do it for the job. Let me find what they can find.
Part 4: Where the Shock Begins
Johnny found a deep past recorded in plain sight.
Johnny: When was this taking place? 2010! 15 years ago! And I'm 53. Why did nobody tell me it'll be this many years? He wrote this rule, then told NOBODY, because he made it to greed himself from gaining money.
Michael: Oh dang, I see.
Johnny: And one more thing. If people are going to be greedy, that's secretly putting the business down. I'm going to make you talk to Alan about this. He has some evidence that he found who shared with me important business.
Michael: Yeah, of course.
Alan: Hello, guys.
Johnny: Hey, I was about to send a client over to you. The man's name is Michael, and he's looking for evidence to say that Matthew is a criminal for having "to have Michael's name pulled off the patent or give up 40% of his share."
Alan: Well, yeah, I've found your video share earlier today, but it was cutting out the date, besides it being from 2010. Well, I found a clue from the archive station, maybe I'll help Michael find the exact date or search.
Johnny: Brilliant idea, man. I'll let you help the man uncover some information from this.
Michael: 2010? Oh yeah, it was either my last semester in college or my first days at work with the company. I joined on June 30, 2010.
Johnny: Yeah. I remember you told me that at one point.
Alan: No worries. I get it.
Howard comes in
Howard: Hey, Johnny, I forgot to say I gave you the paperwork for the next case.
Johnny: Thanks.
Howard: And tell them we'll be ready as soon as possible.
Johnny: Alright, thanks for communicating this.
Howard: We got plans, so let's serve them.
Part 5: A Night at the Archives
Alan: Here. Oh, I see, searching files is so complex.
Michael: So, where do we start?
Alan: It says "which decade," and yeah, it's the 2010s.
Michael: Then it's in year order?
Alan: Well, yeah. We then go to 2010.
Michael: Yeah, Johnny mentioned 2010.
Alan: Then it goes by company order. What's your company's name?
Michael: Motion of Drones.
Alan: So, it's alphabetical order. So we go to M, then to the category that has the company's name. So, there it is. Motion of Drones.
Michael: Yeah.
Alan: Now, here it is.
Michael: Yeah. Anyways, here is the original change stating "September 22, 2010," so yeah, I was working 13 weeks when the change was stated. They did not tell me about the rule until earlier this week, when Matthew, the CEO, told me about the rule. He said that it wasn't enforced until then.
Alan: Oh wow, dang. I see now. Yeah, that is considered fraud. You can return. I'll send this info to Benjamin and Sean.
Part 6: Expanded Information
Michael comes back from the others.
Michael: I'm here again. Oh, hey Sean's here too.
Benjamin: Oh, hello. Yeah, I saw you and Alan working on the case more.
Sean: Oh, hey, I didn't even know this was the case.
Benjamin: Oh well, you know.
Benjamin explains the case.
Sean: I see.
Benjamin: So yeah, and I'm going to say that according to my research, "to have your name pulled off the patent or give up 40% of your share" is fraud, and would be considered illegal. Let's say Matthew has to pay the damages, and has to pay $250,000.
Sean: Should he go back to school to learn more about that kind of fraud?
Benjamin: It would make sense.
Sean: So, I'm going to have to research more on how I can resolve the fraud.
Benjamin: Whatever floats the boat.
Sean: Okay, thanks.
Benjamin: And case done. Thank you Michael.
Michael: No problem.
Conclusion
And Matthew pays damages for a hidden rule. Things like this is considered fraudatual, damging to companies, unfaithful, and untrustworthy to customers.