The Meetup

The morning after the board exam results were released, Matthew woke up to the buzz of his phone. His group chat with Samantha, Saimon, and Leo was active, their names lighting up his screen. He opened the chat, curious about the flood of notifications.

Samantha: Guys, I've been thinking a lot about the BYD offer. I don't think I'm going to take it.

Leo: What? Why not?

Samantha: It doesn't feel right. The offer was incredible, don't get me wrong, but… it's not me they're really hiring. It's Matthew. He's the one who designed the EV. I just helped with the logistics.

Saimon: Honestly, I feel the same. I was only ever good at sourcing parts and troubleshooting issues. Working at BYD would be way over my head. I think we'd just be setting ourselves up to fail.

Matthew paused for a moment, rereading their messages. He hadn't expected this. The three of them had been ecstatic when BYD first made their offer. He scrolled further as more messages came in.

Leo: Okay, fine. I guess I should be honest too. I wasn't sure about the job either. They're expecting big things from us, but I'm just… average. I don't think I can live up to what they want.

Saimon: Same here. BYD wants top-tier engineers, and that's just not us. It's you, Matt. You're the one who made it all happen. We were just along for the ride.

Matthew typed out a quick reply, trying to reassure them.

Matthew: Don't sell yourselves short. You all played a huge part in getting us this far.

Samantha: Thanks, Matt, but we know our limits. This isn't about self-doubt. It's about knowing what we're good at—and what we're not. You're the only one who truly deserves that position. We're proud of you.

Matthew leaned back, thinking it over. They were right in a way. He had always been the driving force behind their project, and BYD's expectations would weigh heavily on anyone who wasn't fully prepared. Still, he felt a pang of guilt. He didn't want to succeed at their expense.

His phone buzzed again.

Leo: So, Matt, are you really serious about starting your own business?

Saimon: Yeah, man. You've mentioned it before. Is that your plan?

Matthew thought for a moment before replying.

Matthew: I am. I've been looking into a few ideas. It's not going to be easy, but I think it's the right move.

Leo: Alright, then. Saimon and I were just talking, and we think we should meet. Usual spot? Aurora Plaza?

Matthew stared at the screen for a moment, a small smile forming. The thought of meeting up at Aurora Plaza felt nostalgic. It had been their usual gathering spot during college, a place where they brainstormed, laughed, and sometimes vented about professors or life.

Matthew: Alright, Aurora Plaza it is. What time?

Saimon: Let's say 4 PM. Give us time to sort our stuff out.

Leo: And bring snacks. You know the rules.

Matthew chuckled softly, typing his reply.

Matthew: Fine, but I'm not sharing my chips if you eat all of them again, Saimon.

Samantha: Enjoy!

By 4 PM, Matthew arrived at Aurora Plaza, a slight breeze rustling through the trees. The campus was quieter than he remembered, with most of the students gone for the semester break. The sight of the familiar benches and the fountain in the center of the plaza brought back memories of long nights spent discussing ideas and pulling all-nighters before exams.

He spotted Saimon and Leo near their usual bench, Saimon waving a bag of chips in the air like a trophy.

"Look who finally showed up!" Saimon teased as Matthew approached.

"Yeah, yeah," Matthew said, shaking his head. "Didn't you just say to bring snacks? You're already hoarding them."

By 4 PM, Matthew arrived at Aurora Plaza, a slight breeze rustling through the trees. The campus was quieter than he remembered, with most of the students gone for the semester break. The sight of the familiar benches and the fountain in the center of the plaza brought back memories of long nights spent discussing ideas and pulling all-nighters before exams.

He spotted Saimon and Leo near their usual bench, Saimon waving a bag of chips in the air like a trophy.

"Look who finally showed up!" Saimon teased as Matthew approached.

"Yeah, yeah," Matthew said, shaking his head. "Didn't you just say to bring snacks? You're already hoarding them."

Leo laughed, patting the spot on the bench beside him. "We're just keeping the tradition alive. So, let's hear it. What's this big plan of yours?"

Matthew sat down, pulling his bag off his shoulder and placing it beside him. He glanced at the two of them, then leaned back slightly, gathering his thoughts. "Alright, here's the deal. You both know the BYD thing didn't feel right to me either, right? I mean, it's a great company, but it's not where I want to be. I want to build something of my own."

Saimon nodded, crunching on a chip. "Makes sense. So, what are you thinking? Another EV project?"

"Not this time," Matthew said, shaking his head. "I've been thinking about software. Specifically, privacy and security software. It's something that's going to be huge in the coming years. Data breaches, hacking, all of that—it's only getting worse. People are going to need better tools to protect themselves."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Privacy software? Like what? Antivirus programs or something?"

"Not just antivirus," Matthew explained. "I'm talking about multi-layered systems that go beyond the basics. Things like real-time anomaly detection, encrypted communications, even tools that let you reverse damage from ransomware attacks. Stuff that doesn't just react but prevents problems before they even happen."

Saimon let out a low whistle. "That sounds… ambitious. And expensive. How are you planning to pull this off?"

Matthew shrugged. "One step at a time. I've been looking into cloud infrastructure and AI frameworks. I've got enough saved from the BYD deal to hire a small team and start building a prototype. It won't be easy, but it's doable."

Leo leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You're really serious about this, huh?"

"Yeah," Matthew said firmly. "I've been researching the market, and there's a massive gap. People don't trust the big corporations anymore to keep their data safe. If I can create something reliable and easy to use, there's a real chance to make an impact—and build something sustainable."

Saimon nodded slowly. "I gotta admit, Matt, that's pretty solid. But what about us? Do you… need any help?"

Matthew blinked, slightly surprised. "You guys want to be involved?"

Leo grinned. "Why not? Look, I know I said I didn't feel like I was cut out for BYD, but this? Starting something from the ground up? That's different. You'd be the brains, obviously, but I wouldn't mind helping out where I can."

Saimon raised a hand. "Same here. I mean, I'm not exactly a software guy, but if you need someone to handle logistics or operations, I'm in."

Matthew looked between the two of them, a mix of gratitude and relief washing over him. "I… I didn't expect that. Are you sure? This isn't going to be easy. There's a lot of risk involved."

Leo shrugged. "We've been through worse. What's a little more stress?"

Saimon smirked. "And hey, if this thing takes off, we get to say we were there from the start. How cool would that be?"

Matthew couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, fine. Let's do this. But don't blame me if we end up eating instant noodles for a year."

"Deal," Saimon said, holding out his hand.

Leo placed his hand on top of Saimon's. "To the future."

Matthew hesitated for a moment, then placed his hand on theirs. "To the future."

"But first…I want to buy a car," Saimon said.

"Eh?"