NOVPUB
Chapter 121: City Entered the Internet First
Two days later, Richard met Jim Clark of Netscape again in the business meeting room of the hotel where he was staying.
As they sat down to finalize the investment contract, Jim, dressed in a slightly awkward suit, looked tense. Beside him, a lawyer sat ready to offer legal advice.
Richard was also accompanied by Adam Lewis, who had arrived from New York the day before.
After thoroughly reviewing the contract, the stern-looking lawyer in a black suit with a tightly knotted tie spoke up.
"There are no issues with the content."
Richard smiled and added, "As agreed, $1 million will be invested in exchange for 40% equity in the company. Additionally, there’s a clause granting our representative the right of first refusal if any further investment is required."
Jim, already familiar with the terms, nodded slightly.
"Then, if there are no objections, you may go ahead and sign the contract," the lawyer said.
Jim exhaled deeply, emotions rising within him. He was on the verge of restarting the web browser development project he’d nearly given up on due to the harsh realities he had faced.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Jim took the pen handed to him by the lawyer. With a mix of anticipation and resolve, he signed the contract.
Richard, smiling broadly, stood up and extended his hand.
"Now we’re really in this together. I’m looking forward to seeing you create a fantastic web browser that will leave NCSA in the dust."
"Thanks for believing in me. I won’t let you down," Jim replied, his face flushed with excitement as he shook Richard’s hand, before suddenly realizing something.
"By the way, let’s change the name of your current prototype."
Jim was caught off guard. "What do you mean? Is the name not good?" he asked, puzzled.
"It’s not that, but it could cause problems down the line. Even though you developed the web browser, NCSA owns all the rights to it," Richard pointed out the loophole.
"Ah, I see," Jim said, his face twitching slightly as he nodded, still stung by the realization.
"If you create a new web browser, NCSA will be unhappy. If you use the name ’Mosaic,’ how do you think they’ll react?"
"But ’Mosaic’ is the name I came up with!" Jim snapped, feeling defensive.
"I get it. I understand how you feel, but since NCSA holds the rights, the name is no longer really yours," Richard said sympathetically, but with a firm tone.
"Damn it," Jim cursed, frustrated as he came to terms with the truth of the situation.
Lewis, who had been quietly listening, spoke up.
"The representative is right. NCSA could make things difficult if you continue using the ’Mosaic’ name."
Jim’s lawyer, too, sided with Richard, which caused Jim to bite his lower lip in frustration. After a moment, he sighed, resigned. "You’re right. It would be foolish to hold onto something I can’t reclaim."
He calmed himself, finally accepting the situation.
Relieved that Jim Clark was willing to listen to reason, Richard felt a weight lift off his shoulders. ’Even if we avoid using the Mosaic name, NCSA will likely find other ways to go after us. But it’s better to limit the chances of giving them any ammunition,’ he thought.
Jim’s entire philosophy and approach to web browser development were deeply rooted in his experience with Mosaic, so conflicts with NCSA were likely inevitable. However, Richard was satisfied that they had avoided using the name and the potential legal issues it could bring.
"What do you think about the name Netscape for the browser?"
Jim tilted his head, looking intrigued. "I’ve never heard that word before."
"It’s a combination of ’network,’ meaning the internet, and ’escape,’ as in adventure or exploration. I came up with it," Richard explained, keeping a straight face, even though he knew the real creator was sitting right in front of him. "It symbolizes a gateway to explore new worlds through the internet. What do you think?"
"Netscape..." Jim muttered, repeating the word a few times. His eyes suddenly lit up. "It’s easy to remember, and it rolls off the tongue nicely. More importantly, the idea of exploring new worlds through the internet is perfect for a company developing a web browser. I love it!"
"I’m glad you like it," Richard replied.
"I don’t just like it—it’s much better than Mosaic," Jim said enthusiastically, even clapping his hands.
Given that the real Jim Clark had coined the name Netscape in the original timeline, it was only natural that he would be so pleased with it.
Richard nodded, pleased. "So, the first thing we need to do is find an office, right?"
But Jim shook his head. "No, there’s something we need to do first."
"What’s that?"
"I need to bring over the colleagues who helped create Mosaic."
"..." NCSA is a national research center, and this is a fledgling startup. Do you think they’ll be willing to jump ship so easily?" Richard asked, concerned.
Jim nodded reassuringly. "The people who joined later are just along for the ride. The real core members are the student researchers who worked with me from the beginning. They haven’t left yet, but they’re just as dissatisfied as I was with NCSA’s interference and disregard for our work on Mosaic."
If NCSA had treated even the founder poorly, there was no reason to think they had treated the other early developers any better.
Of course, NCSA would be furious when they found out their people had been poached. But that was NCSA’s fault for not properly valuing and respecting their talent.
"If I go and talk to them, I’m sure they’ll join us," Jim said confidently.
Moreover, with a powerful competitor like Microsoft potentially entering the web browser market at any time, there was no room for hesitation.
Having reached that conclusion, Richard then warned, "Even if they’re dissatisfied, it won’t be an easy decision to leave the security of NCSA for a new startup."
"That’s true... It wasn’t easy for me either," Jim admitted, recalling the difficulties he had faced when he decided to leave NCSA for Silicon Valley.
"Passion is important, but you need to offer them appropriate compensation and incentives. After all, that’s why you left NCSA, isn’t it?" Richard pointed out.
"You’re right. Asking them to join without any guarantees would be selfish," Jim said, nodding heavily as he realized the seriousness of the issue. 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓅𝓊𝓫.𝒸ℴ𝓶
"It would be best to offer stock options so they can share in the company’s growth. That way, they’ll be more motivated to work hard," Richard suggested.
As the company grew, the value of the stock options would also increase, encouraging everyone to work harder and take initiative. So he cleared his throat and said, "You know what? I’m actually willing to part with my shares to provide for the employee stock option pool — in case Netscape decides not to issue new shares."
Jim, and even Marc — his partner — were taken aback. The room instantly grew serious.
Different from Jim, who was purely tech-savvy, Marc had a pure business background, so he definitely knew that Richard was probably trying to bait them.
"The catch?"
Richard leaned forward and said, "I’m only willing to part with my shares when Netscape goes public; that’s the priority here. And..." He cleared his throat. "I want it in writing that Netscape will work with Maddox Capital, but publicly, it’s not Maddox Capital investing in Netscape — it will be Manchester City. Also, Netscape needs to be City’s official sponsor for the next year."
If the timeline is correct, then next year, at the latest, Jim Clark’s Netscape will go public. Doesn’t that mean free exposure?
"Manchester City?"
Both Jim and Marc exchanged confused glances.
For them, the only "Manchester" they knew was United, not City.
Richard saw their confusion, but after explaining, they began to understand.
"You want exposure?" Marc asked, raising an eyebrow.
Richard nodded confidently.
"Of course. The earlier, the better."
Just like how Arsenal.com launched in 1996, becoming the first Premier League club to create an official website — and one of the first football clubs worldwide to do so.
Richard’s idea was for Manchester City to be the first to launch their own site, ManCity.com, with basic news updates, match previews, and results. It would eventually evolve into player bios, fan features, and even early digital revenue models to generate income online.
Richard had done his homework, and he was already ahead of the curve.
This season, Manchester United had already made one of their first major pre-season tours abroad — to Thailand, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.
It was clear they were targeting the Asian market aggressively, trying to compete with Liverpool’s established fanbase in the region — especially in Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore, where Liverpool had a huge following.
Chelsea, still in the pre-Abramovich era, remained relatively quiet on the international stage.
Arsenal, thanks to their established status as one of the "Big 4" clubs, had gained prime coverage in the region over the past two years, ever since the Premier League sold its broadcast rights to Asian networks like Astro (Malaysia), Star Sports (India/SEA), and ESPN Asia.
As for Serie A — no question there. The league had already reached niche markets via stations like TVRI (Indonesia), RTM (Malaysia), and NHK (Japan), thanks to its powerful reputation.
Serie A was massive in Asia, especially AC Milan and Juventus, which were among the most recognized teams in the region, playing in high-profile matches in Asia — mostly via the Toyota Cup.
As for the Spanish giants, Real Madrid and Barcelona, the Galáctico era didn’t begin until the late 90s/early 2000s, so there wasn’t a strong push in the region until then. Similarly, Barcelona, while admired by diehard fans and football purists, saw its branding and global expansion come much later — particularly after the Ronaldinho and Messi eras.
When compared to Manchester City, it can be said that the club, both in its current form and in the years before Sheikh Mansour’s takeover, failed to fully capitalize on its commercial potential.
It’s basically the same as how the Scottish league eventually lost more than 90% of its fanbase in Asia starting in the 2000s.
In countries like Thailand and Malaysia, Celtic and Rangers actually had large pockets of support due to the UK’s cultural influence (ex-colonies, military bases), Scottish expats, and missionaries. However, they never fully commercialized this audience.
Similarly, Manchester City, even in the future, didn’t fully capitalize on the popularity of players like Sun Jihai from China.
After the contract was signed, Richard checked out of the hotel and, along with Lewis, headed to Los Angeles International Airport.
As he leaned back in his seat, gazing out at the passing scenery, Lewis, seated next to him, cautiously broached the subject.
"Richard?"
"What is it?"
Lewis cleared his throat and carefully said, "I think you need to see this."
At first, Richard dismissed it—until he saw the news that made him stop in his tracks.
[...Rivaldo reached an agreement to join PSV Eindhoven in a deal worth £6 million...]
"What the fuck...?"
Richard could only mutter as he picked up his phone, ready to call the current person handling Manchester City — John Maddock.
Just as Richard was about to dial John’s number, his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the screen — a French country code. His heart skipped a beat.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Richard?" came the voice on the other end.
"Madam Vieira? Yes, this is Richard."
There was a long pause. The silence on the other end made Richard uneasy.
"Mada—"
"Mr. Richard, I’m sorry," she finally said, her voice hesitant. "But... it seems I can’t convince Patrick to join your club."
Richard closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had feared this might happen.
"Please, Madam Vieira," he said gently, "tell me exactly what happened."
