Chapter 407 Team
Comics hit me on a whole different level, opening up new doors for my future business ventures.
I was watching the teacher up there, all fired up, and suddenly thought, 'Hey, maybe I should start a small studio and do what I love.'
The next afternoon, Professor Evans gave me a call. He sounded pretty happy, and it got me all excited too. I rushed over to his office to chat.
"Professor Evans!" I greeted him, all smiles.
"I've got good news and bad news. Which one do you want first?"
"Let's go with the good news. That way, no matter how bad the bad news is, it'll be easier to handle," I said.
"Alright, the good news is that the school has approved your project."
Awesome! I almost shouted out loud.
"Hold on, don't get too excited yet. I haven't told you the bad news yet. Hold your applause."
I took a deep breath and asked, "Okay, Professor Evans, what's the bad news?"
"The bad news is that your project isn't covered by the school's funding. Research and development are expensive, so there won't be any subsidies, at least not at the start."
So, the school was cool with me doing the research but wouldn't give me any money? I'd have to pay for it myself?
I'd never heard of a project getting approved like this.
"Or, you could switch gears. The paint project is good, but it's got a lot of challenges. I'm worried you can't handle it alone, and it needs a lot of money. Are you sure you're up for it?"
I went quiet, thinking hard.
I could pivot to a different project, pick something else, but who would help me achieve my dream of giving all artists access to the best paints?
Money's great, but should I let my dream die before it even starts because of it?
I had some cash, but I wasn't sure if it was enough to cover the whole project.
"Professor Evans, I'm a bit confused. How much money are we talking about here? And since it's my own investment, can I publish the paper under just my name if it works out? And if the research is successful, what about the patent? Do I get all the benefits, or do I have to share with the school?"
I needed to clear up the copyright stuff upfront. I didn't want any future drama with the school over this.
The school didn't want to invest, but I was still a student at National Capital University, and they gave me a platform. To be fair, we needed to sort this out and put it in the project proposal, which both the school and I had to agree on.
"If you do the whole experiment by yourself, you can publish it under your name alone. If it's a team effort, then the team needs to decide together. It could get awkward if issues come up. Same goes for patents and benefits."
I nodded. That seemed fair. National Capital University was living up to its reputation, at least not trying to grab all the benefits.
"My skills are limited. Research and development definitely need a team, but I don't want too many people. One or two would be enough. If Brad were here, it would be perfect. Working with Brad would avoid all these issues. God, I hate Jenny."
Thinking about Jenny snapped me awake.
The school approved the project but didn't give any funding. That's a first. Could Jenny have meddled?
I looked at Professor Evans, shocked, and he nodded with a knowing smile.
Realizing my suspicions were right made me furious.
Jenny was such a pain.
"National Capital University graduate projects require a contract. Patent ownership, paper authorship, and benefit distribution will all be outlined. You need to be clear on this. You're my student, so I can't intervene. You should get an experienced legal advisor to avoid getting screwed over in the contract. Once your project takes off, everyone will be clamoring for a piece of the action. A solid contract will be your shield. Got it?" Professor Evans advised.
If Professor Evans called it tough, this project would definitely be a beast, but not an impossible one. Since Jenny was scheming agasinst me with the school, why would she let me keep the patent and benefits? If there was money to be made, Jenny, with the Taylors' blood in her veins, would be all over it.
What was Jenny's angle? Or was this just the start of another one of her plots?
I shared my doubts with Professor Evans, and he laughed, pointing his finger at me. "Rafael said you're too naive and worried you'd get bullied. He's got no clue! You're clearly waiting for an opportunity."
I bit my lip, feeling embarrassed and unsure how to respond.
"Is Jenny pretending to be nice, giving me a way out, or does she think I'm too timid and useless to finish this project, planning to mock and humiliate me later?"
"The latter is very likely," Professor Evans said.
I could almost see Jenny's smug face, waiting to humiliate me.
Professor Evans' words only made me more determined to finish the project. Not only did I have to complete it, but I had to do it well.
Didn't Jenny always imply I was useless and unworthy of Brad? I'd grow through my efforts. When the dust settled, I'd proudly stand beside Brad, becoming the person most worthy of him.
'Jenny, I'm not afraid of you. Every dirty trick you pull just fuels my growth. One day, I'll stand on your shoulders and look down on you,' I vowed to myself.
After saying goodbye to Professor Evans, I wandered around campus, brainstorming potential team members.
I'd seen other project groups recruiting partners on the school forum before, but I wanted to find like-minded, knowledgeable partners on my own.
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