1991 — Chicago
Lockhart & Gardner Law Firm
Two boys, around eleven or twelve years old, sat quietly in a corner, watching the flurry of suits and ties moving around the office.
"Leonard, this is Auntie's law firm… this is what lawyers look like," said one of them, the younger, waving his hand excitedly toward his brother.
"I'm going to be a lawyer too, just like Auntie! A great lawyer!"
"I want that too, Mike," Leonard replied.
Leonard, small for his age, already wore black-rimmed glasses and a physics-themed T-shirt. His eyes followed his aunt's every move in her office, noting how she carried herself exactly like his mother. His gaze sparkled, nodding repeatedly.
"You?"
Mike glanced at his brother, chuckling. "You should stick with science, just like Mom."
Leonard's expression darkened instantly.
Of course he wanted to be like Mom. But for years, his mother's attention had focused on his sister. Now, finally, his sister had gone off to college… only for a newcomer named Sheldon, someone the same age as him, to immediately become Mom's favorite test subject—smart, obedient, and "perfect" in her eyes.
He hated that smug little kid.
Meanwhile, his younger brother, Mike, seemed to have Auntie's favor.
Leonard had no one—no one to be close to, no one to notice him.
"Look!"
Mike, oblivious to his brother's thoughts, pointed excitedly.
"Who is she?"
Leonard followed Mike's gaze and saw a poised, striking Indian woman walking into Auntie's office to speak with her.
"That's Kalinda. She's an investigator at the firm—very capable," Mike said, matter-of-factly. "And pretty, right?"
"Mm."
Leonard immediately pushed aside his self-pity and, drawn to her exotic beauty, allowed a small smile to curl his lips.
"And him?"
As Kalinda left the office, clicking heels on the floor, Leonard's attention shifted to a tall, handsome young man.
What made him captivating wasn't just his looks, but his aura: calm, refined, detached, as if nothing could rattle him.
"Never seen him before. Probably not from the firm," Mike said, uninterested.
Leonard, however, was transfixed.
His IQ of 173 immediately sensed… this might be his kindred spirit.
The ultimate evolution of himself.
As Leonard watched, the man completely ignored Kalinda's greeting, intercepting her attempt to speak—but somehow, Leonard felt the woman's attention remain fixed on him.
Leonard's blood raced. Instinctively, he adjusted his glasses, feeling a strange kinship.
At that moment, another sharp, professional woman entered—the one Mike had mentioned, Alicia Florrick, carrying a stack of files.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Dr. Chuck Wolf," she said politely, taking a seat. "The night before trial is always difficult. I believe you've met Kalinda?"
"I'm Kalinda," said the Indian woman, forcing a smile when Chuck's gaze landed on her.
Chuck nodded subtly, catching sight of the small boy staring eagerly at him. His mind wandered briefly.
He recognized him—the prodigious "Little Genius" from that American sitcom, The Big Bang Theory. Though young, his appearance and stature perfectly matched his prior memories.
Indeed, the precocious had matured early.
Time-traveling to this hybrid TV-world, it seemed The Big Bang Theory also existed here—though in this timeline, he was now "Young Sheldon."
"Peterman praised your assistance on the Michigan River homicide case," Alicia continued. "So our client recommended we meet you."
Chuck returned to focus. "Two options. $60,000 per week, or $250,000 for full engagement."
"What?"
Kalinda froze.
"Sorry, we haven't decided to hire you yet," Alicia said, a little stunned.
"I'm not a jury consultant," Chuck replied, shaking his head. "The hiring decision isn't yours to make. I'm not here to waste time—your firm only needs to decide how to hire me. Two options, that's it."
"What do you do to deserve such fees?" Kalinda blurted.
"My card," Chuck said, producing two business cards. "I'll read jurors' microexpressions to gauge whether they believe your arguments, allowing you to craft the best case for Mr. Bauer."
"Microexpressions? That's it?"
Kalinda laughed. "Can we test it? What does this expression of mine mean?"
"You think you're a great investigator," he said calmly, "and that my work is just a fraction of your domain—yet my weekly rate exceeds six months of your labor. Ridiculous, right?"
Looking into her eyes, he continued, "You may think I'm charming—but deeper, you admire Mrs. Florrick more. That's fine. No need for me to reject you. Shall we continue?"
"I… I don't!" Kalinda stood abruptly, glancing at Alicia, but avoiding eye contact.
"Alright, Dr. Wolf," Alicia interjected, saving her friend from embarrassment. "We understand your skills. May I ask a question?"
Chuck relaxed. "Why AC?"
Alicia examined the card: "Accounting, Detective… Microexpressions seem like detective work, right?"
Small firms usually use the founders' names. Lockhart & Gardner came from Diane Lockhart and Will Gardner. So AC… C is Chuck, but who's A?
Chuck nodded, adjusting his gaze to Kalinda. "Interpreting jurors' microexpressions falls under investigators' duties. Investigators are a subset of detectives. As for 'AC'—I once heard an Eastern saying: Don't let your mind lack some AC… profound, so I used it."
"…?"
Kalinda's face darkened. She hadn't heard this saying, but she felt… it was subtly mocking her.