Reborn in 1994: Internet Empire

14 Making friends in high places

       “So alright we need a plan,” Trae said, as the first official meeting began with all three members present. 

       Jules sat on the bed, while Max took his usual position at his desk. 

       “I think the first order of business should be getting me a damn chair, don’t you think?” Jules said, sitting uncomfortably on the bed. 

       “Right, the first order of business is getting a spare chair,” Max said. “Do I hear seconds?”

       “Seconded!” Jules yelled from the bed. 

       “Third-ed?” Trae said as he leaned back on his chair. 

       “Alright, so what kind of chair do you want?” Max asked Jules.

       “Hmmm, well I think I’d like-”

       “You guys! The plan?” Trae interrupted. 

       Jules pouted at Trae, with puppy dog eyes.

       “Don’t give me that Jules, we already said we’d get you a chair. That s**t ain’t gonna work on me. I ain’t Max,” Trae said, kicking Max in the shin.

       “Ow, ok I get it!” Max replied as he started up his computer. “We’ll get to the plan now ok?”

       Trae nodded his head in satisfaction. Jules threw a pillow at Trae’s face, which he chucked back in retaliation. 

       “Children, please calm down. I’m not starting it otherwise,” Max said, eyes glued to the desktop of the computer. 

       The two straightened up while he loaded up the file. A well-prepared intelligence file on their VIP schoolmates popped up on the screen, complete with pictures and schedules. Upon loading the file, Max turned back toward his associates. 

       “Alright so here is a list of people that could potentially help us further our plans,” Max started. 

       He zoomed in on one of the faces of the people there. It was a skinny, brunette haired student with glasses. 

       “Alright. This is Charlie Landers.”

       Jules’ eyes widened, as she pointed at the screen. 

       “I remember him! Ugh, from where… I can’t remember,”

       “That’s alright Jules, I’ll help you,” Max said, as he turned back to the screen. “Charles Landers, aka Charlie, is the son of the richest man on the West Coast. His father is Magnus Lander, the owner of Landco.”

       “The real estate company?” Trae asked, leaning in to get a closer look. 

       “Yeah, that’s him. Magnus’ company is THE biggest office and residential real estate company in the US. That company is worth billions,”

       “Ah, I get it! Is he gonna help us with Capital?” Trae asked excitedly. 

       “Well that’s the thing, Charlie had been living away from their main family in California, due to his refusal to inherit the company after his father. The last time he had been seen together with his family was during the party hosted by Thompson Motors incorporated, for only the highest of VIPs.”

       He looked at Jules who finally pieced the puzzle together. 

       “Oh! That’s where I’ve seen him before! We actually talked for a bit, but never got in contact again,” she said. 

       “I see. Well anyway, his relationship with his family is complex,” Max said, as he shrugged. 

       “Wait, wait! So if we aren’t trying to get his money for capital, then what is he gonna do for us then?” Trae asked, clearly confused. 

       “Well after digging a little deeper, I realized that Emily Banner has close ties with his father, Magnus. Since Charlie doesn’t get along with his father, then maybe he will get along with us!”

       “There's no proof of that though, Max,” Trae said, crossing his arms. 

       “Oh really? I beg to differ,” as Max tossed a magazine over to Trae. 

       The magazine landed in his lap. It was a school magazine for the NYIU bulletin. On the cover was Charlie Landers, in front of a computer. The title read, “The NYIU’s up and coming tech powerhouse.”

       “Charlie just so happens to be one of us Trae, except on a whole other level. His technological prowess is geared toward innovation and invention. Where we are focused on intel gathering and traversing internet roads that were already built, this guy is the one building those roads,”

       The two looked at Max in awe, as he readied the next picture.

       “Alright, our next target is this guy. Ivan Perez,” Max said, as he zoomed in on a picture of a Latino youth with spiked black hair. 

       “This guy happens to be a genius with regard to business ventures. He grew up kinda like us Trae, except he carried on with what we stopped midway. Instead of using our money for starting a company, he kept up his small business ventures and earned a sizeable passive income,”

       Trae nodded his head as he looked at the picture. 

       “This guy is who we need as a consultant. Business plans, where to put our money, when to be stingy or when to be extravagant. He is our man,” Max said, tapping on the screen. “He had been featured in magazines and several other media outlets. The way he would do things is he would have his parents sign for licenses, and then run everything under their names. In 1994, he was already labeled as one of the world’s most influential young minds. If there is anyone we want on our site, it’s him.”

       Finally, Max loaded up another picture. 

       “And this is our last prospect for help,” he said, gesturing to the screen. 

       The picture that had been loaded was that of an Asian girl, with dyed red hair. 

       “This is Lina Kusonoki, from the Fine Arts school,” Max said. 

       “What is she gonna paint us some money or something?” Trae said.

       “Ahaha, no-no. But that isn’t that far off from the truth though. What we need her for is design,” Max said, as he zoomed in on a list of her accolades. “This girl won several Graphic Design events and has spoken in several Marketing related events across the school. She knows how to get people in on something, by making it look not only appealing but also effective and necessary,”

       “Please Max, I could draw up stuff and we would still make money,” Trae said, shaking his head. 

       “Trae, as much as that would save us money, you gotta understand that if people don’t like branding, then it won’t take off. And if usability is abysmal, then people won’t stay,”

       “Hmm, aight I get it.”

       “Good,” Max said. “Anyway those are our three prospects at the moment. Any questions?”

       Jules raised her hand and spoke up immediately.

       “With everything that has been said, it looks as if we are looking to start a company with these guys,” she said, as she crossed her legs. “That being said, I have a few questions. One, where are we going to find the money for this? I’m sure you guys have some saved up for sure, but that is a temporary fallback. We need a source of capital. Second, even if we had the capital, what kind of product would we be giving to the general public?”

       “Yeah, come to think of it, we haven’t really gotten on a certain product to be given,” Trae said, seconding the thoughts of Jules. 

       Max nodded his head. 

       “Our product is going to be Tech Security,” Max said with a smile. 

       Given that Max’s past life was that from the year 2020, he knows every kind of bug, rat and method of hacking there is up until that point. With that knowledge, he knows how to make programs to counter those. Plus, he thought that if he focused on developing those programs and timed them as those new kinds of hacking emerged, he would always be in business. Those are the perks of being from the future. He smiled and continued his speech. 

       “The world is coming into an age of technology that we have never seen before, you guys. Me and Trae are hackers. That being said, we aren’t the only ones around. There are more. And so this puts companies at risk of being hacked. Be it bank accounts, or security systems, they are at risk. If we develop these programs and sell them to companies, then it would surely make us ridiculous amounts of money,” Max said, clenching his fist. 

       Jules looked at him and smiled. 

       “And, I’m guessing this is where I come in?” she said, knowing exactly what Max had in mind. 

       “Good to see we are on the same wavelength, Jules. Yes, once we have developed this program, we are going to ask your dad to see if he could use it, and put out a good name for it. Not only will your company be secure with your information, but if our company is backed by one of the biggest companies in the market, then we will be off to a flying start. Plus, this could be a chance to prove to your father that you’re capable of making the big decisions, in the eventuality that you take over,” Max said, as he reached over and squeezed her hand. 

       Her eyes met his with a newfound resolve. She knew that this was her chance to prove that she was not some maiden. If she was able to associate herself with the success of a company, it would definitely prove to her father that she can be a strong woman. Max smiled at her and moved on. 

       “As for the capital, it just so happens that I have a plan for that,” he said. “I just need some help from Charlie,” Max said, as he looked at his picture. 

       “Alright so what is the game plan for getting him on board,” Trae asked. 

       “It’s simple you guys… we are gonna go to a party!”