Football Dynasty

Chapter 119: Successful Investment

Mosaic had only come to life through the tireless efforts of Jim Clark and another talented programmer, who had spent 18-hour days for three straight months crafting a 9,000-line demo.

The official version 1.0 took even longer—months of additional work by a growing team of researchers. Even now, they’re still patching bugs and refining it.

As the Mosaic team expanded, it was only natural that the senior researchers at NCSA began to resent the fact that a 22-year-old kid was leading the development.

That’s exactly why Jim Clark had recruited Marc Andreessen as co-founder. Andreessen had already stormed out of Illinois in a fit of anger, leaving before he even graduated—fed up with the unfair treatment he received from NCSA.

The moment he arrived in Silicon Valley, companies swarmed him. Everyone wanted the young genius who had helped create the revolutionary Mosaic browser. Offers rolled in—positions, titles, salaries. Recognition was everywhere.

But none of it seemed to excite him.

"This isn’t what I want," he muttered under his breath.

Leaving NCSA had been a bold move, but what he truly wanted was to build something even better than Mosaic—to bring down the arrogant NCSA that had pushed him aside. However, the companies interested in him had no desire to support a non-profitable web browser project.

He had the vision. He even had a prototype. But the thought of crawling back to NCSA—or letting his idea die—was more unbearable than anything.

"Am I just supposed to conform to reality? Just a little more... just a little more and..."

Jim Clark felt torn—caught between chasing his dream and compromising with reality. He knew that if he didn’t find a job soon, he’d be worrying about food expenses by next month.

Lost in thought, his focus snapped back as an envelope slipped under the door of his cramped, rented apartment.

"Maddox Capital?" he murmured, brows furrowing at the bold heading.

But as he read on—and saw their interest in his browser—something sparked inside him. After weeks of rejection and silence, hope stirred once again in his chest.

"At last, you accepted my invitation. My name is Richard Maddox, and I’m very interested in your next project—Netscape."

The opening was direct—almost disarmingly so—and Jim was momentarily taken aback.

He looked up to see a sharply dressed British man standing confidently before him: Richard Maddox. Jim recognized the name immediately—the very man who had shaken up the British automotive industry with his bold acquisition of Rover.

"Uh, yes," Jim replied, nodding slightly.

Richard offered a warm, polished smile that revealed a set of perfectly aligned white teeth. "Pleasure to meet you. I’m Richard Maddox, and this is my assistant, Marina." he teased the future Iron Lady.

Marina’s brow twitched slightly at the introduction—’Who’s your assistant?!’ She glanced at him again, and he responded only with another bright smile at her annoyed look.

Still, she extended her hand politely. Jim, slightly awkward, stood to shake it.

"Shall we sit and talk?" Richard said, gesturing to the table. "Ah, by the way—would you like some coffee?"

"Sure," Jim said with a nod, easing back into his seat just as Marc joined him at the table.

As the waitress left after taking their coffee orders, Richard turned back to Jim. "Why did it take you so long to respond to my invitation? If you’d replied just a little later, I would’ve already been back in the UK by now."

Jim offered a wry smile. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to respond—his time had simply been consumed by developing the new web browser and pitching the idea to every company that came knocking.

The problem was, none of them dared to invest.

His new browser, after all, wasn’t radically different from Mosaic. And from a business perspective, who would want to put money into a product that looked like a rebranded version of his previous work?

Business isn’t some dramatic movie where the underdog always gets revenge and wins in the end.

Seeing no response, Richard wasn’t bothered. "Alright then. By the way, since we’re not that far apart in age, how about we drop the formalities?"

Richard’s friendly approach seemed to put Jim at ease. He nodded slightly. "Yeah, sounds good."

Just then, the waitress returned with their coffee, offering them a bright smile. "Enjoy!"

"Thanks," Richard said, flashing her a warm smile in return.

After taking a sip of his iced latte, Richard leaned forward and asked, "I’ve heard the rumors. Is it true you got kicked out of NCSA?"

"I left, okay? I left them. They didn’t kick me out," Jim emphasized, clearly irritated.

It was obvious NCSA’s treatment of him still struck a nerve.

Richard nodded slowly. "People around here have been talking about your fallout with NCSA. I also heard you’re working on a new web browser. How far along are you now?"

Jim forced a bitter smile. "If things were going well, I wouldn’t be sitting here today."

"Fair enough," Richard said, stirring his coffee before his tone shifted to something more serious. "I’ve heard the gist of it, so I’ll cut to the chase."

Both Jim and Marc gave a small nod, signaling they were ready to listen.

"If you’re still committed to developing this new project, I want to invest in it."

"...I’ve heard of Maddox Capital," Jim replied cautiously. "But building a real, competitive web browser is going to take serious money."

He let out a long sigh.

"If you’re just looking to casually throw around a few tens of thousands of dollars for fun, then honestly, it’s better not to waste your time—or mine. Not that that kind of money is insignificant to me, but still."

He shrugged, his tone edged with dry honesty.

Marina glanced sideways at Richard, half-expecting him to take offense or react defensively. But to her surprise, Richard simply nodded in agreement.

It was fair. Understandable, even.

Why should Jim trust anyone right away?

Maddox Capital had pulled off the bold acquisition of Rover, yes—but that was just an acquisition. The real results hadn’t come in yet.

Although he was young, Jim had led the team that developed Mosaic at NCSA, so he knew better than anyone how much manpower and money it would take to develop a superior web browser. Naturally, he had to be realistic.

"Of course, I understand that enthusiasm alone isn’t enough to achieve our goals," Richard acknowledged.

"Then there’s no point in continuing this conversation, is there?" he replied, looking even more dejected.

As his expression turned bitter, Richard asked, "Are you sure you won’t regret ending it here? Mosaic wouldn’t have seen the light of day without you. Doesn’t it make you angry to see it all taken away?"

Jim frowned, meeting Richard’s gaze. "Of course I’m angry!" he snapped, before slumping back in defeat. "But what can I do against NCSA?"

For developers, their programs are like their children, much like how artists cherish their creations. The truth was, no one was angrier than him. It was just that the harsh reality had forced him to give up.

"The Mosaic that’s out there now isn’t the final product. I’ll help you create something even better—a web browser that’ll make NCSA eat its words. Won’t that be satisfying?" Richard urged.

Jim Clark looked at him, filled with suspicion. "Why are you more upset about this than I am?"

Having been betrayed by NCSA, he couldn’t help but be suspicious.

"I saw the future in your Mosaic web browser."

"..."

"The internet holds endless possibilities, but it’s still too complex—too difficult for the average person to access. You, more than anyone, understand that."

Jim gave a small nod. Mosaic had been built to address exactly that problem.

"In this situation, a web browser that unifies everything—FTP, email, online navigation—into a single, intuitive interface is nothing short of revolutionary. The fact that millions of users flocked to it as soon as it was released proves that I’m not exaggerating. Richard leaned forward slightly, eyes sharp. "If you’ve heard about my acquisition of Rover, then you probably know my background. We’re not so different, you and I."

He paused, then mouthed a single word, almost theatrically: "Visionaries."

Marina and Marc, who were mostly just there for moral support, were instantly hit with secondhand cringe from Richard’s dramatic "visionary" monologue. In perfect, unspoken sync, they both took slow sips of their coffee—almost as if the bitter taste might somehow wash away the memory of what they just heard.

Jim Clark flushed slightly—part embarrassment, part pride. Still carrying the sting of NCSA’s betrayal, he found himself genuinely moved. At last, someone saw his worth and shared his vision. His guarded demeanor began to ease.

Richard chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "The way I see it, the future of the tech industry is going to revolve around the web—and the businesses built on top of it. I’m ready to bet everything on that."

"You’re right," Jim said. "The web browser will be the window to everything on the internet. It’ll be the entry point to the future."

"I couldn’t agree more," Richard replied, nodding with conviction.

However, despite the brief spark of determination in Jim’s eyes, it faded again just as quickly.

"But like I said earlier, it’ll take a lot of money to develop a browser that can surpass Mosaic. And I just don’t have that kind of money," he muttered helplessly. "Even a bank loan wouldn’t be enough."

At that moment, hearing the helplessness in Jim Clark’s voice, Richard raised his hand to catch the attention of a passing waitress.

"Excuse me."

"Yes? How can I help you?"

"Could I get a napkin, please?"

"Just a moment," the waitress replied, quickly fetching one from the counter and handing it to him.

"Thank you."

Even Marina—who had spent the past two years accompanying Abramovich and thought she’d seen it all—was puzzled. What’s with the napkin? she wondered. But then, from her angle, she saw it.

"Just wait a moment," Richard said, pulling out his brand-new Montblanc fountain pen and scribbling something on the napkin. Then, he slid it across the table to Jim Clark.

"If you’re serious about starting a company, I’m willing to invest the amount written here for a 40% stake," Richard said.

"...!"

Marina’s eyes widened in shock as she glanced at the number on the napkin: $3,000,000.

Even Jim and Marc froze. Their throats felt dry as they swallowed hard, eyes locked on the figure before slowly looking up at Richard in disbelief.

"Three million... Are you seriously offering this much?" Jim asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Of course. I’m not here to joke around."

Jim hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously, "Just to be clear, NCSA owns all the rights to Mosaic, and my prototype is basically just the same as Mosaic."

"I know."

"And you’re still willing to invest this much?"

"Hmm," Richard said thoughtfully, "let’s just say I believe in you."

"...!"

Jim was stunned. The spark in his eyes, which had been dimmed by years of frustration and disappointment, suddenly reignited. He looked like the passionate developer who had worked tirelessly on Mosaic, full of hope and determination once again.

"Alright. Let’s do this."

Richard extended his hand, smiling. "So, we’re partners now. I look forward to working with you."

On the outside, Richard remained calm and composed, but inside, he was practically bursting with excitement.

’Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit.’

He could hardly believe it—he was investing in two of the pioneers who would go on to shape the future of the internet.

Jim grinned back, shaking it firmly. "Today is the best day of my life."

"Mine too," Richard agreed, sharing the sentiment.