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Beyond the Bottom The Pitch To remember
---Chapter 64The day of the pitch competition had arrived. The energy in the air was palpable, a mix of nerves and excitement, as students and entrepreneurs from all walks of life filled the venue. The sleek, modern space was filled with bright lights, large screens, and rows of tables where teams were prepping their final presentations.Jamal stood at the back of the room, pacing back and forth. His team was ready, and yet his heart raced, not from the pressure of the competition itself, but from the feeling he couldn’t shake—his growing feelings for Leah.Leah had always been there for him, a steady force in the chaos that was his life. She had a sharp mind, a strong sense of justice, and an unwavering loyalty to her friends. Over the past few weeks, as they worked tirelessly on their pitch, Jamal found himself thinking about her more and more. It wasn’t just admiration anymore. It was something deeper.He watched her now, standing confidently with Zoe, both discussing their prese
Beyond the Bottom A subtle shift
---Chapter 65: The excitement from the pitch competition still buzzed in the air, but Jamal couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted. As the day wore on, Leah was all smiles, recounting how well their presentation had gone, but Jamal’s thoughts were elsewhere—his eyes often drifting to where Max had stood earlier, or to Leah’s subtle glances in his direction.The competition had gone well. The investors were intrigued, the judges seemed impressed with their ideas, and for a moment, Jamal felt a sense of pride swell within him. But beneath that pride, there was something else—a gnawing uncertainty he couldn’t ignore.Leah had been so focused on the pitch, on getting their startup off the ground, that Jamal had barely had a chance to tell her how much she meant to him. His feelings for her had only deepened over the past few weeks, and every time they shared a moment—whether it was working on the project together or just talking between classes—he felt a pull, a connectio
Beyond the Bottom Dinner, Decisions,and New Beginnings
---Chapter 66The restaurant was buzzing with energy as Jamal, Leah, and Zoe settled into a booth near the back. The dim lighting gave the place a cozy vibe, and the scent of sizzling burgers and fries filled the air. Jamal was still reeling from the competition results, but it was a different kind of energy now—one that felt lighter, like the weight he’d been carrying all day had started to lift.Leah slid into the seat across from Jamal, smiling at him with that warm, genuine smile that made his heart race. Zoe, ever the instigator, sat beside Leah, clearly happy to be out of the dorm room and into a space where they could all breathe a little easier.“So,” Zoe began, tapping the menu lightly on the table, “now that we’ve conquered the pitch competition, what’s next for Team Empire? I vote we get the biggest burger they have and celebrate in style.”Leah chuckled. “I like that idea. We definitely earned it.”Jamal took a deep breath, trying to push past the nervousness swirling in
Beyond the Bottom The Prize and the Messages
Chapter 67The morning after the pitch competition was unusually quiet. The surge of adrenaline had faded, leaving Jamal in a restless calm as he sat at his desk, fingers drumming against the wooden surface. His laptop was open, but the screen blurred in his vision.Stacks of notebooks, pitch drafts, and empty energy drink cans still littered the desk—remnants of the late nights that had led up to yesterday’s event. His phone lay silent beside him, face up, the screen dark. No notification yet.The results were supposed to arrive by noon. It was already 12:17 p.m.A soft knock echoed from the dorm door before Ethan stepped inside. He was in his usual laid-back hoodie and jeans, a cup of coffee in hand, his brown hair slightly tousled as if he’d been up late too."Still nothing?" Ethan asked, glancing at Jamal's phone.Jamal shook his head. "Nope. Not yet."Ethan set his coffee down on the dresser, then leaned against the wall with a grin. "Dude, chill. You nailed that pitch. Trust me,
Beyond the Bottom In the Spotlight
Chapter 68The pizzeria buzzed with life, the scent of melted cheese and fresh dough hanging in the air. A neon "Open" sign flickered in the window, casting a soft glow over the small group crowded around a corner booth.Jamal sat at the head of the table, Ethan to his right and Leah to his left, while Zoe leaned casually against the wall, her hand wrapped around a soda cup. A stack of steaming pizzas lay before them, the grease pooling on the cardboard boxes. Jamal looked at the group, his friends laughing and arguing over the best toppings, and felt something stir in him—a rare lightness."Alright, alright," Zoe said, lifting her drink in the air. "Here’s to Jamal and his Skilbridge Empire in the making! To apps, pitches, and—let’s be real—free pizza!""To Skilbridge Empire" Ethan echoed, clinking his soda against hers.Jamal hesitated for a moment, then raised his glass too. "To all of us," he said, his voice soft but steady. "We did this together."The group cheered, though Leah i
Beyond the Bottom Cracks in the Foundation
Chapter 69The next morning, sunlight streamed through the dorm window, falling across Jamal's desk, still cluttered with notebooks and empty coffee cups. His laptop sat closed, but the anonymous email lingered in his mind like a whisper he couldn’t ignore.By 8 a.m., he was already dressed and pacing the common room. Ethan stumbled out of his bedroom, rubbing his eyes and squinting at the early activity.“Man, why are you up so early?” Ethan mumbled, scratching his head.“Got some stuff on my mind,” Jamal replied, avoiding Ethan’s gaze. “Thought I’d get a head start on things.”“‘Stuff’ as in the business, or ‘stuff’ as in the weird email?”Jamal paused, caught off guard. “How do you—”Ethan held up his hands, yawning. “Relax, bro. Zoe mentioned it when I got back last night. She’s worried about you.”Jamal exhaled sharply. He hadn’t realized how much Zoe picked up on. “It’s nothing,” he said quickly. “Just some hater trying to mess with me.”“Maybe,” Ethan said, grabbing a bottle of
Beyond the Bottom The Weight of Success
Chapter 70 The quad buzzed with activity as students shuffled between classes, coffee cups in hand and backpacks slung over shoulders. The crisp January air bit at Jamal’s cheeks as he walked across campus, his thoughts a storm of plans and possibilities.It had been only two days since the pitch competition win, but the whirlwind of emails, meetings, and planning sessions had already taken over his life. Between grant guidelines, investor interest, and beta testing for the app, Jamal barely had time to breathe.As he approached the entrepreneurship lab, the smell of brewing coffee hit him, and he spotted Ethan hunched over a computer in the corner. A pair of noise-canceling headphones sat over his messy brown hair, his fingers flying over the keyboard.Jamal slid into the chair next to him and knocked lightly on the desk. Ethan pulled off his headphones, grinning.“Finally,” Ethan said. “Thought you’d be late again.”“Late?” Jamal raised a brow. “I was up before you this morning.”E
Beyond the Bottom The Shadows of Ambition
Chapter 71The cold wind bit against Jamal’s face as he jogged up the steps to Hamilton Hall, where the entrepreneurship program’s weekly seminar was held. Inside, the sound of muffled chatter filled the hallway. Students stood in small groups, their energy electric as they traded ideas about upcoming projects and competitions.Jamal adjusted the strap of his backpack and scanned the room. Leah stood at the far end, gesturing animatedly as she debated with another law student over something he couldn’t quite make out. Ethan leaned against the wall nearby, his ever-present laptop open on one arm, scrolling through lines of code with his free hand.“Morning,” Jamal said, stepping up to Ethan.“Barely,” Ethan replied without looking up. “I’ve been up since five debugging this integration. If I see another API error, I might lose it.”Jamal laughed, nudging him. “You signed up for this, remember? Genius comes with a price.”“Yeah, yeah,” Ethan muttered. “Anyway, I’ve got good news. I twea
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Sliver Lining at Last
Chapter 113 The media storm surrounding ByteEdge’s corruption sent shockwaves through the university. News stations aired reports on their monopolistic practices, and students flooded online forums with outrage. ByteEdge’s once-infallible reputation was crumbling, and the momentum was shifting in Skilbridge’s favor.Jamal Davenport sat in the Skilbridge workspace, exhaustion evident in his eyes, but there was no time to rest. The fight wasn’t over yet."We’re seeing record-breaking sign-ups," Zoe announced, staring at the analytics on her screen. "In the past 24 hours, over 20,000 new users have joined Skilbridge."Leah whistled. "That’s insane. Can our servers handle that?"Ethan nodded. "For now. But if this keeps up, we’ll need a serious upgrade."Jamal leaned forward. "Good. The more students we help, the harder it’ll be for the university to ignore us."Leah smirked. "Speaking of which… The board just announced an emergency town hall. They’re opening the floor for discussion abo
The Tides of War
Chapter 112 The days that followed were a whirlwind of meetings, legal consultations, and sleepless nights. Jamal Davenport had always known that challenging a corporate giant like ByteEdge would come with consequences, but he never imagined they would escalate this quickly.Sitting in the Skilbridge workspace—a small, converted student lounge in the university’s co-working hub—Jamal rubbed his temples as he scrolled through the latest news articles. The lawsuit had made national headlines."ByteEdge vs. Student Innovators: The Battle Over Digital Education""A Campus Rebellion: Students Fight Back Against Corporate Monopoly"Skilbridge had become more than a startup. It was now a symbol of student empowerment.Leah walked in, dropping a thick folder on the desk. "Legal just sent over an updated breakdown of ByteEdge’s claims. They’re arguing that we reverse-engineered their platform."Jamal scoffed. "That’s ridiculous. Our code is original.""Yeah, but proving that in court takes ti
The Breaking Point
Chapter 111 Jamal Davenport sat in front of his laptop, fingers hovering over the keyboard. The email from ByteEdge’s former corporate partner was still on the screen, the offer staring back at him. It was an opportunity—one that could cement Skilbridge’s place in the industry.But there was a catch.“They want exclusivity,” Leah said, pacing the room. “If we take their deal, we won’t be able to work with any of their competitors.”Ethan frowned. “That sounds like a trap. ByteEdge lost them, and now they’re trying to lock us in before we grow any bigger.”Jamal exhaled slowly. He knew Leah and Ethan were right. ByteEdge played dirty, and even if this company had pulled away from them, it didn’t mean they wouldn’t try to control Skilbridge in the same way.“We need to negotiate,” Jamal finally said. “We can’t afford to get boxed in.”Zoe tapped her phone, scanning through their latest engagement numbers. “We have leverage,” she said. “Skilbridge’s user base has tripled since the unive
The Turning point
Chapter 110 Jamal Davenport sat at his desk, his fingers drumming against the wood as he waited for the call. This was it. The meeting with the university board would determine whether Skilbridge could survive ByteEdge’s onslaught or be crushed under corporate pressure.The room was tense. Leah, Ethan, Zoe, and Evan sat around him, their eyes locked on the laptop screen.“You sure they’ll go for it?” Ethan asked.Jamal exhaled. “They don’t just want a scholarship. They want something sustainable. And that’s what we’re offering.”The laptop screen lit up with an incoming call. Jamal straightened his posture and clicked accept.“Mr. Davenport,” the university administrator’s voice came through, steady but unreadable. “We’ve reviewed your proposal.”The tension in the room thickened.“And?” Jamal asked, keeping his tone professional.The administrator paused. “The board is impressed. Your career development pipeline is innovative, and we believe it could provide real value to our studen
The War for Dominance
Chapter 109 Jamal Davenport had always known that running a startup wouldn’t be easy, but this was a full-on war. ByteEdge wasn’t just moving aggressively; they were dominating.Their latest move—securing exclusive deals with two universities—was a brutal blow. Skilbridge was fighting against a corporate giant with deep pockets and powerful connections. If they didn’t strike back fast, they’d be buried before they even had a chance to grow.As soon as Jamal ended the call with Ethan, he headed straight for their dorm. Leah, Ethan, Zoe, and Evan were already waiting inside, tension thick in the air.“We need a new plan,” Leah said, arms crossed. “ByteEdge isn’t playing fair.”Jamal dropped his bag onto the chair and ran a hand through his hair. “We knew this would happen. We just didn’t expect them to move this fast.”“They’re leveraging money,” Ethan muttered. “Universities can’t say no to a fat check.”“But that’s their weakness,” Zoe said, adjusting her glasses. “They’re focusing o
Battling for Survival
Chapter 108 Jamal Davenport had faced challenges before—balancing Skilbridge with university, securing funding, and dealing with relentless coursework. But this? This was different.ByteEdge was a monster, a competitor with deep pockets and industry influence. If Skilbridge didn’t act fast, they’d be crushed before they even got a chance to thrive.The emergency meeting in Jamal’s dorm had ended with a plan, but now came the hard part—execution.By the next morning, Skilbridge’s team was already in motion. Ethan was coding new features, Zoe was reaching out to student organizations, and Evan—true to his word—was spreading the word across campus.Leah, on the other hand, had taken control of the marketing strategy.“We need to hit every major university event,” she told Jamal as they walked through the campus courtyard. “Tech fairs, career expos, student meet-ups—anything that gets people talking about Skilbridge.”Jamal nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. His inbox was full of emails
Pressure Building
Chapter 107 Jamal Davenport had thought securing an investor would be the hardest part of the journey. He was wrong.With the ink barely dry on the contract, the real challenge began—balancing Skilbridge, university, and life. Columbus University was unforgiving; professors didn’t care about his startup, deadlines didn’t wait for board meetings, and exams loomed like an unstoppable storm.It was just past midnight, and Jamal sat hunched over his laptop in the student lounge, eyes scanning Skilbridge’s latest analytics report. The numbers weren’t bad, but they weren’t great either. Growth had to be faster if they were going to meet Langford’s targets.“Still at it?” Leah’s voice cut through the quiet.Jamal looked up to see her standing by the vending machine, a bottle of water in hand. She wore an oversized hoodie and sweatpants—her unofficial study attire.“I have to be,” he muttered, rubbing his temples. “If these numbers don’t improve, Langford might start thinking we aren’t worth
The Waiting Game
Chapter 106 The days that followed were agonizing. Patience had never been Jamal Davenport’s strong suit, and now, with everything on the line, waiting for a response from Langford and Hayes felt like torture. The uncertainty gnawed at him, making it impossible to focus on anything else.He sat in the student lounge at Columbus University, his phone in his hand, refreshing his emails for what felt like the hundredth time. Nothing. Leah sat beside him, flipping through her notes, while Ethan and Zoe occupied the opposite couch, discussing an upcoming project.“You’re going to burn a hole through that screen if you keep staring at it,” Leah muttered, not looking up.Jamal exhaled sharply. “What if they back out? What if they decide Skilbridge isn’t worth the risk?”Leah sighed and closed her notebook. “Jamal, you need to breathe. We presented the best possible pitch. If they’re interested, they’ll call. If they’re not… we’ll find another way.”“You say that like we have a backup plan.”
Racing Against Time
Chapter 105 Jamal Davenport sat at the head of the table in Leah’s apartment, surrounded by his closest allies—Leah, Ethan, Zoe, and even Evan, who had surprisingly decided to stick around. Their expressions were serious, their gazes fixed on the documents and laptop screens before them. The weight of saving Skilbridge rested on their shoulders, and there was no room for hesitation.“We don’t have time to waste,” Jamal began, his voice steady but firm. “If we’re going to rebrand Skilbridge and attract investors, we need a full plan in motion by the end of the week.”Leah tapped her pen against the table. “That’s ambitious, but necessary. What’s our first step?”Jamal took a deep breath, knowing the next part would be the most difficult. “We need a pitch that sells Skilbridge as a must-have investment. Not just another start-up struggling to survive, but a company with real potential.”Ethan leaned forward. “We need success stories. Testimonials. Something that proves Skilbridge isn’t
