The Master Programmer-Chapter 174: Scared Money Don’t Make Money 2

Jason worked diligently through the morning, his focus unbroken as he orchestrated the many moving parts of his life. By lunchtime, he leaned back in his chair, checked his phone, and saw Angela’s message. She was already at the location for her daily work—a coffee shop downtown.

Jason smirked. He grabbed his tailored suit jacket and stepped out into the brisk noon air. The city bustled, the cold wind weaving between buildings, nipping at passersby. Jason descended to the underground parking lot, where his sleek black car awaited. As he started the engine, the low growl echoed in the confined space.

*Vroom!!*

Angela arrived first, sitting by the large window of the quaint coffee shop. She stared out, fingers idly tracing the rim of her cup. Her dark, wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing her striking green eyes and the faintest smirk on her full lips.

Her outfit, a fitted black leather jacket and matching skirt, radiated edgy confidence. She was lost in thought, her mind swirling with equal parts excitement and nerves. Her trusty laptop was on the table next to her, and it was open. It seemed she had been working but after receiving Jason’s text, she had almost been unable to focus.

Jason’s text that he was on the way had set her pulse racing.

She had met him at the club just like she met most men, and yet he had not been like most men. She had taken him to a cute little corner where they were going to have a bit of fun, but he had talked to her, telling her that he saw more in her than whatever she was and it would be a shame if she didn’t see that too.

Nobody had said that to her. Ever. And it struck a chord deep inside her, making her realise that she really needed to take herself seriously, otherwise if she played out the rest of her life like that, with fleeting relationships,would she not end up alone having accomplished nothing at all in her life? Would she not have done nothing?

Back then she had begun crying, and it was because Jason was telling the truth. She was an intelligent woman, with so much to give, and so much she wanted to accomplish, but because of one incident, everything had gone to shit for her.

She just was using all this, to run away. She had so much more in life to focus on. After that meeting, she had dug into the project she had been working on for months now, and ever since then she had been getting epiphany after epiphany and it was all because of one man, of her need to chase after him, to be with him, around him.

She didnt know why, but she felt like being around Jason was going to change her life. It already had, and it was going to do so much more! She just knew it.

When Jason’s car pulled up outside, its polished exterior glinting in the pale sunlight, Angela couldn’t help but sigh. What a nice car. Would she one day own a car that looked that good? No, she liked those big SUV types that glided in the light of day, presidential, very lady like... Ironically, she had not been very lady like recently.

As he stepped out, fixing his suit with a practised flick of his hands, his commanding presence turned heads. Even the barista paused mid-pour, captivated by his effortless dominance. And Angela, she was beside herself, her eyes wide. She had been admiring the car, but the man was even better!

Even Angela couldnt help but gulp as she saw him. He looked so different. Or maybe it was the feeling he gave her? Whatever it was, it was way too much for her, and clearly for everyone in the room. Even the men were looking at him in awe. It made sense though, he was the most handsome man in this place, and that alone with the car and the clothes, made him have even more status in the hearts of others.

She couldn’t help but feel some excitement thinking about the fact that this handsome man was going to see her right then. Not anyone else, but her. That was the one thing that excited her, to be seen with this man, who was going to talk to her. She smirked and chuckled gleefully.

Jason’s eyes scanned the shop briefly before locking onto Angela. His faint smile as he approached sent a shiver down her spine. He moved with the ease of someone who knew the world bent to his will, drawing the gaze of every patron in the shop.

As he slid into the seat opposite Angela, a waitress appeared almost instantly and her hair was a bit frazzled as if she had been fighting to get here first against another waitress. She leaned forward as she spoke, the buttons of her blouse straining to contain her breasts.

"Hello, sir. May I get you anything?" she asked, her voice dripping with a mix of nervousness and flirtation.

Jason barely glanced at her, his tone polite but detached. "Lunch special. You have them here, right? And coffee. Black. No sugar. Nothing else."

Her smile faltered for a split second before she nodded eagerly. As she walked away, her hips swayed exaggeratedly, but Jason’s focus was already back on Angela.

"Well?" he asked, his voice warm but probing. "How’s life treating you, silly girl?"

Angela smirked, leaning back in her chair. "Better now," she teased. "Though looking at you, I’m reminded I’ve got a long way to go."

Jason chuckled, his eyes narrowing with amusement. She was wearing something great casual looking but still stylish. "Comparisons are traps, Angela. Focus on your vision. Define your goals clearly, and work on them. The rest will align. Purpose drives power. Remember that."

His words were deliberate, and his tone was measured to emphasize authority and inspire trust. By embedding the command "Focus on your vision" within a broader context, Jason subtly influenced Angela’s mindset, making her want to focus more on the thing in her vision... Him.

Angela’s gaze softened, and she looked away from Jason’s intense gaze, having almost lost herself. "Easier said than done. You make it sound so simple."

Jason leaned forward slightly, his presence intensifying. "It is simple. Not easy, but simple. Complexity is an excuse for inaction. What do you want, Angela? Just ask yourself that, and I promise as long as you concentrate on the goal, solutions will come to you and as long as you act on it all, everything will begin making total sense to you."

"I want…" She hesitated, biting her lip. "To build something that matters. My AI company—it’s not just a business. It’s a revolution waiting to happen. AI agents that work smarter, faster, and around the clock. There might never be a need to have human employees ever again."

Jason listened, taken aback by the passion she was showing. It was surface-level like that night. It was real. He could tell. She genuinely loved the things she was building.

"Think onboarding clients in any language, solving problems before they arise—a world where efficiency doesn’t sleep. That’s the world I want to build. And that’s why I’m here right now…"

Her passion lit up her features, and Jason’s smile deepened, causing her to blush. "Show me," he said simply.

Angela pulled a portfolio from her bag and turned her laptop towards him, an act that would have been called stupid by most because she was effectively showing off her work to Jason, someone who might steal it, but she didnt care. Her hands trembled slightly as she handed the portfolio over.

Jason’s sharp eyes scanned the documents, absorbing every detail. It was clear she had prepared this for someone else, and still had a copy. So she had been pitching, but none of it worked out, huh...

Idiots. Or maybe Jason should call them Geniuses. Thank you.

The waitress returned with his coffee and a decadent plate of waffles. "Anything else, sir? Anything at all. I promise I will do my best to give it to you." she asked, her voice lower now, dripping with invitation.

Jason met her gaze briefly, his smile polite but dismissive. "This is perfect. Thank you so much."

The waitress lingered for a beat before retreating, her scent lingering in the air. A new scent… so she had been back there putting on some perfume. How funny. Angela watched the interaction with a bemused smirk.

Heh, he was not there for you. He was there for me and that was going to be the truth no matter what.

"You have a way of commanding attention," she said turning back to him as Jason turned his attention to the pages.

Jason glanced up from the portfolio, his smirk playful. "It’s not about seeking attention. It’s about earning respect. There’s a difference. She’s doing it wrong… I like women who are being themselves, not paying some roles they think the other party would like to see."

Angela laughed softly. "Always the philosopher." Jason chuckled too, shaking his head. Only when he was with her. AT times he was a raving wolf, at others, a sweet kind kind-hearted bastard of a man. He played roles too. But they were genuine to him, not foisted upon him by the world.

Jason set the portfolio down, tapping it thoughtfully. "You’re asking for ten million to scale, hire, and market. That’s doable. But what if I did more than that?" He looked at her, and she narrowed her eyes.

Was this… was he agreeing?

Wait, how rich was Jason exactly?

"Wait… are you? Are you saying you’ll give me all that money? How rich are you exactly? I thought you were a salesman at the company you and Oliver worked at."

"Things change, people change. Don’t stay stuck in the past. I... have a bigger pull in that company than Oliver might ever know. I am also involved in other ventures too. So what do you think?"

"Uh.." Angela’s eyes had a difficult time focusing and her breathing was a bit heavy by now. "How much more are we talking?"

Jason smirked… "Fifty Million."

Angela’s eyes widened. "Fifty million? Jason, I… that would change everything. The reach we’d have, the innovation we could fund…"

Jason’s tone turned serious. "Fifty million for a forty-nine per cent stake. I don’t just invest in ideas; I build empires. If we do this, I’m all in. And so are you."

Angela’s breath caught. The weight of his words, the sheer audacity of the offer, left her momentarily speechless. But Jason wasn’t done.

"You said you wanted to build something that matters. Here’s your chance to do it on a scale you never dreamed of. But you’ll need to trust me, Angela. Completely."

His eyes bore into hers, challenging, inviting. By aligning with her vision and then introducing a bold new direction, Jason led Angela into accepting a path she might not have considered on her own.

Angela’s lips curved into a slow, determined smile. "Alright, Jason. Let’s do it. Let’s build an empire."

Jason raised his coffee cup in a mock toast. "To shining brightly. Together this time."

Angela laughed at the reference. He was bringing that thing up again. Last time she said she would look up to him and then find him, even if he shone brighter than a star. Jason had said he was going to shine so brightly that she might never see him up there in the sky. She had said she would wear goggles, making Jason laugh.

Now it seemed Jaosn was looking to shine brightly together. What did those words mean exactly… together…

As they clinked coffee cups only in the way nerds would, Angela felt a surge of excitement and trepidation. She knew this partnership would change everything. But she also knew Jason’s world was as thrilling as it was dangerous. It seemed Jason was well moneyed. And she was just an investment he was making.

She had to work harder.

After talking a bit more, Jason stood up, and walked out. "Come to me with the contract after a bit more time. We’ll set things up perfectly."

He didnt wait for her to respond leaving after flashing a smile at the waitress who seemed to want to fall on their feet by now. Jason then walked out and landed himself in his car, before finally driving out of there and leaving. It was at that moment that he realised he needed to go back to the office. Luckily it was pretty close too.

Jason then left and when he did that he was looking to make that happen at that moment, and when that happened he saw himself looking at the life he was living an the things he was doing. It was way too cool, way too funny, But Jason had not lost all interest. On the contrary he was looking forward to it all. He was going to make something good come out of this no matter what.

Jason then looked at the window where Angela was standing up, her portfolio held next to her chest, he smiled. This too was not bad. Changing someone’s life, helping her make a living. It was a pretty good feeling too. That genuine smile on her face, the light in her eyes... she was really pretty when she talked about her passions.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёnovelkiss.com.

Jason shook his head, starting the car. Without waiting anymore, Jason drove back to the office. He had work to do, and it would not wait for him.