When Scott Lang opened his eyes and sat up in bed, he saw a stern old face covered in wrinkles. He instinctively threw back the covers to make sure his clothes were neat and his chastity intact, then let out a relieved sigh.
That string of actions made Hank's face darken. He began to wonder whether choosing this rather unreliable thief had been the right decision.
"Scientific name: Paraponera clavata, the Giant Tropical Bullet Ant. It ranks first on the Schmidt Sting Pain Index. Don't even think about running or trying anything. I'll be waiting downstairs."
After tossing out that brief statement, Hank pushed the door open and left. Looking at the dense swarm of ants covering the floor, Scott could not help feeling intimidated as he carefully climbed out of bed.
He still had not figured out what was going on. As a prisoner who had been incarcerated for grand theft, Scott had only recently completed his sentence at San Quentin Prison and been released, busy looking for a new job.
The facts proved that even with a master's degree in electrical engineering, no company was willing to hire someone with a criminal record, not even as a server at an ice cream chain.
In America, most companies conducted background checks when hiring, and employment background-check companies had even sprung up specifically to handle that work. If someone had a criminal record, they were undoubtedly eliminated.
Although the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had repeatedly stated that if an employer refused to hire someone because of a criminal record, the employer had to provide a legitimate business reason—that is, there had to be some connection between the current position and the person's past offense.
Unfortunately, it had achieved little. This invisible discrimination was everywhere. Even though Scott had not committed