The Rocket Assembles

In just a few days, Double Click Advertising Company at Skyline Business Plaza was no longer the empty shell it once was.

When James Calloway walked into the office that morning, the transformation was startling. Gone was the stale air of unused office space; now, the rooms buzzed with life. Desks filled every corner, cubicles divided sections neatly, and phones rang constantly. Although the decorations were simple—secondhand furniture, rented computers, bare walls—each department had already begun to take shape.

The most impressive sight of all was Marcus's creation: the sales department.It occupied nearly half the entire office floor, a sprawling sea of desks and headsets and fast-talking salespeople hunched over phones.

In less than four days, Marcus had expanded the team to nearly sixty people.Fifty-nine, to be exact, James noted with pride.

And this was only the beginning.According to Lane's projections, before the end of the year, Double Click needed to scale the sales team to over three hundred strong if they wanted to dominate the market. An aggressive target—but ambition was James's fuel.

Double Click's generous paychecks helped.The base salary offered to salespeople was already better than traditional media firms, but the real kicker was the commission structure: higher than anything the industry had ever dared.It was bold, dangerous even, but it worked. Talent flocked to them like moths to a flame.

Of course, it came at a heavy cost.

James's bank account felt the impact.Leasing servers, setting up a technical department, paying salaries—especially in San Francisco—burned through cash faster than he ever imagined.Labor and server costs were cheaper here than in Silicon Valley proper, sure, but they still added up into six-digit numbers almost overnight.

The sales and tech departments were essentials, not luxuries.But besides them, James also had to staff personnel, customer service, finance, after-sales support, legal affairs... Each department was a new open mouth demanding to be fed.

Money flowed out like water.

In less than a week, James had already spent half of the loan he borrowed from Wells Fargo Bank.

Chris, the representative from Wells Fargo, hadn't stepped into Double Click's office yet—but that didn't mean he wasn't watching.James had gotten a tense phone call the night before. Chris didn't tell him to stop spending, but the warning was clear:

"James, control your burn rate. I don't want to be the guy Wells Fargo sends to audit your books."

James reassured him with jokes and promises, but the pressure gnawed at the back of his mind.He needed more cash—soon—or Double Click's rocket would flame out before it cleared the launch pad.

Still, it wasn't all bad news.

James had made one brilliant move.He invited Dr. Ethan Caldwell, a renowned computer science professor from Stanford, to join Double Click as a technical advisor. Ethan wasn't just a big name; he was a bridge to talent.Through him, James recruited a team of fresh Stanford graduates—sharp, hungry minds ready to build something new.

With their help, the company's secret weapon—the world's most advanced advertising system, AdNova—was beginning to take shape.

Meanwhile, Marcus proved why James had trusted him.

In just a few days, Marcus had brought in nearly $300,000 in advertising contracts.It wasn't just dumb luck, either.Marcus adapted quickly. He learned the new language of digital marketing with frightening speed.

Click-through rates.Conversion metrics.Brand exposure in a digital world.

Marcus didn't fully understand every technical nuance, but it didn't matter.He sold the dream—the future—and advertisers, wary but curious, began to nibble.

James knew one thing: Marcus could sell snow in a blizzard if he had to.

That morning, James dressed carefully.A dark navy suit, crisp white shirt, polished black shoes.Today was Double Click's first official management meeting.

As he entered the bustling office, he allowed himself a rare moment to breathe.

It was real.Phones rang off the hook in the sales department as James walked past.Salespeople cold-called businesses, pitching internet advertising on Netscape and Yahoo with relentless energy.

James grinned.It reminded him of The Wolf of Wall Street—minus the fraud and water guns, hopefully.

The hustle here was pure, fueled by ambition and caffeine.

James pushed open the conference room door.

Inside, nearly two dozen people were waiting: team leads, department heads, key hires.The faces were a mixture of excitement and nerves.

James took his place at the head of the battered conference table.

He smiled, wide and genuine.

"Welcome to Double Click," he said, voice cutting through the room. "Someone once said: if you see a spaceship about to launch—don't hesitate. Jump in and grab a seat."

He looked around, meeting each person's gaze.

"Congratulations. You've boarded one hell of a spaceship."

A ripple of chuckles broke the tension.James rolled forward.

He had read enough biographies of Steve Jobs, Jack Welch, and other titans.He knew today wasn't just about updates.It was about setting the culture.

"Today," James continued, "we are standing at the beginning of something enormous.The Internet isn't a fad. It's the next civilization. And Double Click is going to be the guide, the pioneer, the dominant force in this new world."

He paused, letting the words settle.

"Years from now, you'll tell people: I was there. I helped build it."

Applause broke out—awkward at first, then genuine.

James grinned.Chicken soup and big dreams cost nothing, but they bought loyalty at wholesale prices.

After the applause died down, he dove into the real agenda.

First up: Sales.

"Marcus," James said. "Update us."

Marcus stood, calm and sharp.

"The sales department is operational. We're scaling aggressively. Initial advertiser interest is solid but cautious—most companies are still unsure about digital advertising."

He leaned forward slightly.

"I recommend two strategies:First, aggressive education—teach them the value.Second, seek partnerships with major PC and Internet companies to boost credibility."

James nodded thoughtfully.

"How's revenue?"

Marcus smiled faintly.

"Better than expected. Profits are nearly a third higher than traditional ad sales."

The room buzzed with quiet excitement.

But Marcus wasn't finished.

"However, to accelerate growth, we'll need promotion—outdoor ads, newspapers, maybe even TV."

James winced.

More money down the drain.

He coughed. "We'll revisit that after the next funding round."

Then he asked, "Can we lock in a major PC manufacturer? Someone big?"

Marcus nodded.

"I'm working on it. IBM is possible. Compaq, too."

James leaned back, tapping his pen.

He knew getting giants like IBM to invest major marketing dollars into a tiny startup would be a Herculean task.But Marcus had the fire. If anyone could pull it off, it was him.

Next, the Tech Department.

Dr. Ethan Caldwell gave a short but inspiring report.

"The AdNova system is in early beta," he said. "It's stable under light loads. We're optimizing for scale. We expect the first version to be fully operational within three months."

James clapped him on the back.

"If AdNova works," he said to the room, "Double Click won't just compete. We'll dominate."

After two hours of spirited discussion, the meeting adjourned.

People filtered out, excited and energized.

But Lillian lingered behind.

She closed the door gently and turned to James, arms crossed.

"You're planning to raise money through stocks, aren't you?" she asked quietly.

James sighed.He knew this conversation was coming.

"Yeah," he admitted. "We need the capital."

Lillian frowned, stepping closer.

"James... you don't know anything about the stock market! Why not seek private investments? Netscape is going public in two days. Investors are hungry. You could ride that wave."

James smiled, a little sadly.

"I thought about it," he said. "But the valuations they're offering are pathetic. Underrated and small. Netscape's IPO will help the market—but it'll also make VCs greedy. They'll want a bigger chunk of Double Click."

He exhaled slowly.

"I already mortgaged 20% to Wells Fargo. If I give up more equity, I lose control. I can't let that happen."

"But stocks—" Lillian started.

"Are my best chance," James said firmly. "Quick, aggressive funding without ceding my company."

Lillian shook her head, worry clouding her features.

"You're gambling, James."

James chuckled, but it wasn't entirely humorous.

"I've been gambling since the day I I didn't follow father arrangement," he said. "Might as well go all-in."

She stared at him for a long moment.

Finally, she muttered, "Just promise me you'll be careful."

James smiled and pulled her into a quick hug.

"Always," he said.

Even if, deep down, they both knew that wasn't true.

As the sun set over San Francisco, James stood at the windows of Double Click's new office, watching the city light up.

The road ahead was treacherous.

Funding shortages.Technical hurdles.Market skepticism.

But none of it scared him.

He could feel it in his bones.

DoubleClick was going to change the world.

And nothing—nothing—was going to stop him.