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Beyond the Bottom Fractures and Frameworks
Chapter 72The cafeteria hummed with its usual mix of laughter, clinking dishes, and muffled conversation. Jamal slid into the booth with his tray, glancing at Leah, who was already seated. She had her hair tied back in a neat bun, her blazer crisp and sharp, and her focus entirely on the thick law textbook open in front of her."Don’t you ever take a break?" Jamal teased, setting his tray down beside her.Leah looked up, her lips curving into a small smile. "I’ll take a break when this case brief is finished.""Knowing you, that’ll be in, what—ten minutes?" Jamal said, his tone playful.She rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the hint of a smirk. It was moments like these that reminded Jamal how much he appreciated her. Even when she was buried in work, Leah had a way of grounding him. Their relationship was still in its early stages—a mutual decision to take things slow given how busy they both were—but the connection between them felt solid.Before he could say more, Ethan dropped in
Beyond the Bottom Building Momentum
Chapter 73The dorm room smelled faintly of old coffee and takeout, a combination Ethan and Jamal had come to accept over the past few months. It wasn’t exactly homey, but it was theirs—two narrow twin beds, a pair of desks littered with notebooks and wires, and a window overlooking the busy quad below.Ethan was hunched over his laptop at his desk, his leg bouncing with the kind of nervous energy Jamal had come to associate with a breakthrough—or a breakdown. Meanwhile, Jamal sat cross-legged on his bed, jotting down ideas in one of the notebooks he always kept close."Do you ever stop writing?" Ethan asked without looking up."Do you ever stop coding?" Jamal shot back, grinning."Touché," Ethan said, typing furiously. "But I’m telling you, this update I’m working on? It’s going to make the app run smoother than anything these other Columbia teams are putting out. We’re talking seamless integration. No bugs, no hiccups.""Sounds like a miracle," Jamal teased.Ethan smirked. "That’s w
Beyond the Bottom Cracks in the Armor
Chapter 74The week started like any other, with a mix of routine classes and frantic team meetings squeezed into the cracks between assignments. Jamal juggled business planning with his coursework, his notebooks growing more cluttered with every passing day.By Wednesday afternoon, he found himself rushing across campus to meet Leah at the student union. The massive glass-paneled building was bustling with activity—students sipping coffee in the lounge, club flyers taped to every available surface, and the faint hum of a cappuccino machine blending with the sound of laughter and chatter.Leah was already there, sitting at a corner table with her laptop open and her legal pad filled with neat, precise notes. Jamal slid into the seat across from her, pulling out his own notebook."Hey," he said, catching his breath. "Sorry I’m late. Ethan’s laptop overheated in the middle of our meeting, and it kind of threw us off."Leah smirked. "I’m sure he handled it with his usual grace and patien
Beyond the Bottom Lines in the Sand
Chapter 75The campus was buzzing with energy as Jamal stepped out of his economics lecture, the crisp January air biting at his face. Students swarmed the quad, some heading to class while others lingered in small groups, chatting and laughing. It was a typical afternoon at Columbia—on the surface, at least.But for Jamal, the day felt anything but ordinary.By the time he reached the dorm, Ethan was already sprawled across his desk chair, headphones on, mumbling under his breath as he typed furiously on his laptop. Jamal didn’t have to ask what he was working on—Ethan had been obsessively fine-tuning the backend of Skilbridge all week, determined to make it as polished as possible before the next round of beta testing."How’s it coming?" Jamal asked, dropping his bag onto his bed.Ethan pulled off his headphones, rubbing his eyes. "Better. I fixed the integration bug that was slowing down the dashboard. And check this out—" He spun his laptop around, showing Jamal the sleek new inte
Beyond the Bottom Tightening the Grip
Chapter 76The library smelled faintly of old books and fresh coffee, the kind of smell that reminded Jamal why he preferred working here over the dorm. It was a little quieter than usual for a Thursday evening, which made it easier for him to focus. He, Zoe, and Leah had snagged a corner booth upstairs, away from the main rush of students.Jamal tapped his pen against his notebook, staring at the screen of his laptop. "Okay," he muttered, "if one more beta tester says ‘easy to use but slow to load,’ I’m going to lose it "Zoe looked up from her tablet, raising an eyebrow. "That’s… oddly specific. Did someone actually say that, or are you just projecting your stress again?"Jamal flipped his laptop toward her. "Here. Read it for yourself. They wrote it twice, in all caps."Leah chuckled softly, glancing over the top of her laptop. "All caps? That’s commitment. Maybe you should take it as a compliment. They care enough to yell at you.""Yell at us," Jamal said, gesturing at the three o
Beyond the Bottom Layers of Competition
Chapter 77The next morning started with chaos, as usual, in Jamal and Ethan’s dorm room. Jamal had just finished brushing his teeth when he returned to find Ethan hunched over his laptop, headphones askew, muttering something about "overwriting variables."Meanwhile, Evan was sprawled on Jamal's bed, scrolling on his phone like it was his full-time job."Yo, Evan, don’t you have your own bed?" Jamal asked, tossing his towel onto his desk chair.Evan didn’t even look up. "My bed doesn’t have a great view of Ethan melting down. This is premium entertainment."Ethan waved him off without missing a beat. "Ignore him. He’s just jealous he doesn’t understand my genius.""Sure, let’s call it genius," Evan said, smirking.Jamal chuckled, grabbing his laptop bag. "You guys play nice. I’ve got a meeting with Professor Clarke in twenty minutes. Leah said she’d meet me there."Ethan finally looked up, pulling his headphones off. "Wait, what’s this meeting about again?""Funding," Jamal replied,
Beyond the Bottom Shadows of Doubt
Chapter 78The next morning, Jamal woke up to the sound of Ethan clattering away on his keyboard. The faint hum of his laptop fan mixed with the sound of Evan snoring on the couch. The dorm room was a chaotic blend of tech and clutter, but for once, it felt like home. Jamal stretched, trying to shake off the stiffness in his neck from a restless night. The pitch meeting had gone well, but the waiting game was taking its toll on him.“Didn’t you sleep at all?” Jamal asked, his voice groggy.Ethan didn’t even glance up. “Sleep is for people who don’t have a server migration to finish. Besides, I’m almost done. Just need to optimize a few things, and we’ll be golden.”“Golden, huh?” Jamal muttered, heading to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face.By the time he returned, Leah had arrived, her notebook in hand and a determined look on her face. She set her things down at the table, surveying the room like a general preparing for battle.“Morning, team,” she said, her voice brisk.
Beyond the Bottom Unexpected Reunion
Chapter 79The campus courtyard was alive with its usual hum of activity—students rushing to class, others sprawled on benches scrolling on their phones, and the occasional group laughing over shared jokes. Jamal sat under the large oak tree near the fountain, scrolling through his tablet as Ethan paced back and forth nearby.“I’m telling you,” Ethan said, his hands slicing through the air, “we should’ve sent a follow-up email by now. Investors like persistence, right?”Jamal didn’t look up. “And desperation is a great way to scare them off. We already did our part—now we wait.”Ethan sighed, stopping mid-pace to glare at him. “You’re way too calm about this. What if they just forget about us? Or worse, what if Milo gets to them first?”“That’s not how this works,” Leah chimed in, approaching with Zoe at her side. Both carried books and notebooks, clearly fresh from the library. “Milo doesn’t own the startup world, Ethan. Let the process play out.”Zoe raised an eyebrow at Ethan. “I’m
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A Shift in Priorities
Chapter 126The tension in Jamal’s life was reaching its peak. Balancing Skilbridge, academics, and personal life was proving to be more than he had bargained for. Every day felt like a ticking clock, each second slipping away faster than the last.The workload at Skilbridge was growing, and with every new challenge came a new obstacle. University obligations were still looming over his head, and now, there was another layer to the chaos—Rachel and Alex’s relationship was crumbling, and though they were miles apart, Jamal could feel the shift in their dynamic.Rachel sat on her dorm room bed, staring at her phone. Alex hadn’t texted her in over a day. Normally, she would have been worried, but at this point, she was just exhausted. Every conversation between them had started feeling like a chore—strained, predictable, and lacking the spark they once had.Her roommate, Melanie, glanced at her over the rim of her laptop screen. “Still waiting for him to text?”Rachel sighed. “I don’t ev
The Threat Becomes Real
Chapter 125 Jamal sat at his desk, fingers tapping rhythmically against the wooden surface. His laptop screen glowed in the dim dorm room, the anonymous email staring back at him like a silent threat. He had read it a dozen times already, trying to decipher any hidden meanings, but its message was simple and direct:You think you’ve won? This is just the beginning.He clenched his jaw. Milo was getting bolder. And now, it seemed, he wasn’t acting alone. Jamal turned to Leah, Zoe, and Ethan, who were sitting on his bed, each of them wearing matching expressions of concern.“This isn’t just some petty campus rivalry anymore,” Jamal muttered. “Milo’s taking this outside Columbus University.”Leah folded her arms. “We need to track down who sent this. If he has outside help, we’re at a disadvantage.”Zoe sighed, running a hand through her hair. “But how do we stop someone we can’t see?”Ethan leaned forward, his eyes sharp with calculation. “Maybe we don’t have to find him. Maybe we make
On the Verge of Collapse
Chapter 123 – Breaking PointJamal sat in front of his laptop, the glow from the screen highlighting the exhaustion on his face. The Skilbridge scandal was spreading faster than he anticipated. Despite their efforts, the accusations kept circulating on campus forums. It didn’t matter that there was no concrete proof—people loved a juicy controversy.Leah’s voice came through the team’s group call. “The livestream is scheduled for tomorrow. We have three professors from the tech department agreeing to watch. If we prove our originality, we kill this rumor.”Ethan exhaled. “Still, we need to be ready for anything. Milo isn’t dumb—he’ll try to discredit us again.”Zoe, who had been eerily silent, suddenly spoke. “Then we do something he won’t expect.”Jamal rubbed his temples. “Like what?”“We go bigger,” Zoe said. “We turn this livestream into a full-fledged demo day. Invite students, industry experts, hell—even potential investors. We force the narrative into something positive.”Leah
Lines Drawn
Chapter 122 Jamal sat at the far end of the library, surrounded by stacks of textbooks and notes, yet his mind refused to focus. The weight of everything pressed against his skull—Skilbridge, his slipping grades, the rumors Milo was spreading. It was too much at once, and no matter how much he tried to block it all out, the anxiety simmered just beneath the surface.Leah tapped her fingers against the table, waiting for him to say something. She had just laid out the latest problem—the false rumors about Skilbridge’s tech. Someone was trying to undermine them, and they both knew exactly who.“We need a plan,” Leah said, her voice low but firm. “If this spreads, we could lose investor confidence.”Jamal exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. “We need proof that Milo’s behind it.”Zoe, who had been scrolling through her phone, suddenly smirked. “Or we can play smarter. If he wants to spread lies, we counter with undeniable facts. Make our work so solid that no one even considers his nons
Tipping Points
Chapter 121 – Tipping PointsThe night air outside Columbus University was crisp, but inside Jamal’s dorm, the air felt thick with stress. His desk was a mess—open textbooks, half-written assignments, and a laptop screen blinking with notifications. He tapped his pen against his notebook, staring at the calculations he needed to finish for his next class.His phone vibrated. Ethan.“Meeting in 10. Lecture Hall.”Jamal exhaled, rubbing his eyes. These late-night strategy sessions were necessary, but they were also draining. Skilbridge was growing at a pace none of them had fully prepared for, and balancing school with running a startup was proving to be more of a nightmare than he had expected.Still, there was no backing out now.He grabbed his hoodie and headed out.A Late-Night Strategy SessionThe lecture hall was mostly empty at this hour, except for Leah, Zoe, and Ethan, who were already inside, gathered around one of the large desks. Leah’s tablet was open, showing analytics, wh
Issues Brewing
Chapter 120 The office was quiet except for the soft tapping of keys. Jamal stared at the engagement report displayed on his laptop, his brows furrowed. The numbers weren’t terrible, but they weren’t great either. Skilbridge was growing, but not at the pace they had hoped. While universities were signing up, user retention was dropping. It was a frustrating plateau, one that could determine the platform’s future.Leah sat across from him, scrolling through her tablet. “We need something more compelling. The AI tutoring feature is promising, but it’s not enough. We need a hook—something that makes Skilbridge essential, not just convenient.”Zoe, who had been quiet until now, leaned forward. “What if we establish a student ambassador program? Get representatives in each school to market the platform directly to their peers. Word of mouth is still the strongest form of promotion.”Ethan, casually spinning a pen between his fingers, nodded. “That could work. Organic marketing has a bette
Cracks
Chapter 119 The weight of responsibility pressed down on everyone, stretching them thin in different ways. Jamal struggled to balance Skilbridge with university, Rachel found herself caught between ambition and love, and Alex—once the most dependable of them—had started slipping away into silence.The bonds that once felt unbreakable were now under strain.Rachel sat cross-legged on her bed, staring at her phone. Alex had been distant lately—more than usual. Their conversations, once filled with laughter and teasing, had turned into brief, one-word replies.She had assumed it was just basketball and school. But now, she wasn’t so sure.Rachel: Hey, are you okay?Minutes passed. Then ten. Then twenty.Finally, a reply came.Alex: Yeah, just busy.Rachel frowned. That was it? No reassurance, no questions about how she was?Her roommate, Ava, glanced over from her desk. "You’re staring at your phone like you’re waiting for it to explode."Rachel exhaled. "It might as well. Alex has been
Diverging Parts
Chapter 118 The weeks following Malcolm Reid’s investment felt like a whirlwind. Contracts were signed, funds were transferred, and Skilbridge began expanding faster than Jamal had anticipated. With Leah and Ethan leading different departments, they had started hiring new developers, refining their marketing strategy, and pushing for university partnerships beyond Columbus. But the real test was just beginning. Jamal sat in the office space they had rented near campus—a modest but functional place filled with whiteboards covered in code, marketing strategies, and expansion plans. It was late, and most of the team had gone home, but he was still there, staring at his laptop screen. "Still here?" Leah’s voice broke the silence. Jamal looked up to see her standing in the doorway, arms crossed, a small smirk on her face. She walked in, setting her laptop on the table beside him. "You’re one to talk," he said with a chuckle. "What’s keeping you up?" Leah sighed, taking a seat. "The
Crossroads and New Beginnings
Chapter 117 Jamal lay awake in his dorm room, staring at the ceiling. The offer from Malcolm Reid weighed heavily on his mind. Five million dollars. That was a life-changing sum, more money than he had ever imagined having access to at this stage of his life. With it came the potential to take Skilbridge from a promising startup to a nationwide brand.But was it worth giving up more control?His phone buzzed. Leah.Leah: Can’t sleep?Jamal: Nope. You?Leah: Same. We’re about to make the biggest decision of our lives.Jamal: And we can’t afford to mess it up.Leah: Let’s talk in the morning. Maybe things will be clearer.Jamal sighed and put his phone away. He hoped Leah was right.By noon, the team reconvened in the same conference room where they had first strategized against ByteEdge. The tension was palpable.Jamal exhaled, looking around the table at Leah, Ethan, Zoe, and the other key team members. "Alright. Let’s vote. Do we take Malcolm Reid’s offer?"Leah leaned forward, her
