Football Dynasty-Chapter 190: Vs NCSA

Urbana, Illinois.

A warm spring afternoon bathed the University of Illinois campus in golden sunlight. The sprawling green lawns stretched out, dotted with red brick buildings that whispered stories from the university’s long past.

Tall, ancient trees lined the pathways, standing steady and proud, while students lounged on benches reading or cruised by on bicycles, heading to their next class.

Richard sat in the backseat of a car, staring out the window at the lively campus scene.

Just a year ago, he’d bought Nestcape, and now the company had finally decided to go public!

There was still one hurdle to clear though: NCSA. But if they could get past that, then at the latest by next month, his fortune was set to take off.

"This is the NCSA," Adam Lewis said, suddenly getting the attention of the person beside him.

Richard slowly turned his head and looked up at the building.

The University of Illinois campus was huge—almost like a small city—and it had tons of research facilities. The NCSA was one of the biggest.

They then stepped out of the car and walked inside together.

At the entrance, a security guard in uniform with a holstered gun stopped them.

"How can I help you?" he asked.

"We have an appointment with Mr. Robert Reid," Lewis said, naming the research institute’s deputy director.

The guard’s serious look softened a bit.

"Can I get your name?"

"Adam Lewis. He’ll know it’s about the web browser," Lewis said confidently.

"Wait right here," the guard said.

He walked over to the information desk and made a quick call. After a short conversation, he came back.

"Someone will be down to escort you shortly," he said.

"Thanks," they replied.

They nodded and sat down on a sofa in the lobby. A few minutes later, a lean man stepped out of the elevator, scanned the lobby, spotted them, and walked over.

"Are you the Netscape people?"

"Yes, that’s us," Lewis answered.

"I’ll take you to the meeting room. Follow me."

They got up and followed him into the elevator.

The conference room was on the fourth floor. Big windows showed a stunning view of the perfectly kept campus outside. A long table stretched across the room, with chairs lined up on both sides. Each spot had a glass and a small bottle of water, ready for the meeting.

"The deputy director will be here shortly," their guide said.

Both Richard and Lewis nodded and took seats by the window.

Soon, the door opened and a middle-aged man with a touch of gray in his black hair walked in, followed by another well-dressed man. After a quick look around, the older man came forward.

"I’m Robert Reid, deputy director of the NCSA."

Lewis pulled out a business card and handed it to Reid.

"I’m Adam Lewis—the one who reached out to you," he said, nodding toward Richard.

"This is Richard Maddox, CEO of Maddox Capital and a major Netscape shareholder."

"I’m Richard Maddox," Richard said.

Robert Reid looked surprised, then extended his hand with a calm smile. "Oh, sorry about this—I thought you’d be older. Didn’t mean to offend."

Richard smiled softly and shook his hand in response.

Then the legal showdown began: Richard & Adam Lewis vs Robert Reid & his lawyer, Tony Hall.

There was an awkward silence before Attorney Hall cleared his throat and spoke first.

"You wanted to talk about the lawsuit, right?"

"Yeah. If this goes to trial, it’ll be tough for both sides. Wouldn’t it be better to settle now, on fair terms?" Lewis spoke for Richard, calm and steady, getting straight to the point.

"There’s a big mistake in what you just said," Attorney Hall replied.

Lewis frowned and looked at him. "What do you mean?"

Hall met his gaze confidently. "When the trial starts, Netscape will be the one in trouble—not us."

Robert Reid, sitting next to him, nodded in agreement, as if thinking the same. In short, the urgency was on their side, not ours.

"Is that really the case?"

"..."

"The intellectual property rights to Mosaic are entirely held by NCSA, so if this goes to trial, we would certainly be at a disadvantage."

Attorney Hall, wearing a smug expression, twitched his eyebrows at the following remark.

"However, even if you win, it will be a Pyrrhic victory."

Lewis, sensing the skeptical look, calmly continued, "First of all, we will also counter-sue NCSA in the California Federal Court, so the trial won’t end quickly."

Reid, who had been leaning back arrogantly, immediately frowned and couldn’t help but ask, "Did you just say you’re going to counter-sue us?"

Lewis nodded slightly. "Yes, that’s right. What we need to make clear here is that Netscape has never infringed on any intellectual property rights."

"Huh...?"

Both Reid and Attorney Hall exhaled in disbelief when they heard this, while Lewis remained unfazed and continued calmly.

"There may be some similarities between NCSA’s Mosaic and Netscape, but that’s simply because the key developer was Jim Clark."

"Unbelievable!" Reid scowled, glaring at Landon, but Lewis stood his ground.

"Well, I’m simply stating the truth. It’s a fact that Jim Clark came up with the original idea and played a pivotal role in developing Mosaic," Lewis shrugged, stating the fact plainly.

Reid snapped back defiantly, "Mosaic wasn’t created by an individual; it was a collaborative effort by NCSA researchers! That’s why the intellectual property rights belong to NCSA!"

"Well, we see it differently."

At Lewis’s calm demeanor, Reid’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. At that moment, Attorney Hall silently cursed his clients for taking the bait.

He clicked his tongue inwardly and stepped in. "The merits of the case can be settled in court. Please remain calm."

However, despite Attorney Hall’s attempt to calm his client, Lewis stirred things up once more. frёewebηovel.cѳm

"NCSA may not acknowledge it, but everyone who’s in the know understands where the idea for Mosaic really came from."

"If you’re going to keep making statements like that, I don’t see any reason to continue this conversation," Attorney Hall said, cutting him off sharply.

But Lewis remained completely composed, not even flinching, as he continued logically.

"I recall you mentioned that if we win, it would be a Pyrrhic victory, right?"

"..."

"The idea for the project came from a young researcher who worked hard to develop it, only for NCSA to unjustly seize everything and then dismiss him."

"Hah!" Reid let out a half-laugh, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Then he continued, "Well then, let’s see who wins. That should settle it!"

But Lewis didn’t care. He pressed on, "Especially if it becomes known that NCSA—a public research institute established for the public good—engaged in such vile actions, it will be criticized from every side. Its reputation will plummet. I wonder if you’re prepared to handle that."

"...!"

Attorney Hall’s expression changed drastically, while Reid, his face turned crimson—he looked like he was about to explode.

"Are you threatening my client right now?"

"It’s not a threat, it’s a warning," Lewis replied, shrugging casually but his gaze never left Robert Reid.

"...You are truly the most disrespectful bunch!" Reid finally exploded in anger, standing up abruptly before turning around.

Well, to be honest, that judgmental look felt like a sharp poke to his pride—a senior researcher at the director level, now forced to listen to a brat giving instructions. And here they were, dragged into this legal battle all because their former employee had copied the same product. He bristled but held his composure, barely hiding his irritation.

But just as Reid was about to leave, Richard—who’d been quiet the whole time—finally spoke up. "If you walk away now, you’re going to regret it."

Reid stopped and looked at Richard, sneering. "Oh yeah? Why’s that?"

"Because if these talks fall apart, everything Lewis just said will end up in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Washington Post."

Reid’s eyes widened, clearly caught off guard.

Those three papers weren’t just big in the U.S.—they were global heavyweights. No wonder he looked so shaken.

Trying to hide it, Reid scowled. "You really think I’d fall for that bluff?"

"Go ahead and try me."

Reid glared hard, but Richard didn’t flinch. He held his ground, locking eyes with Reid.

The room went quiet. Richard sighed. "If we keep fighting like this, nobody wins. All that’s left are wounds. Isn’t it better to end this before it gets worse?"

"Then accept our terms," Attorney Hall jumped in, trying to take control.

But Richard shook his head right away. "NCSA knows 50% royalties is a crazy demand. We can’t accept that."

"So what do you suggest?"

Richard leaned in. "I want to offer a realistic solution. Something we can actually agree on."

Everyone perked up, curious. Richard laid out his plan:

"Instead of paying royalties, we want to buy all the rights to Mosaic."