LightReader

Chapter 12 - Chapter 12: Hundred Pounds of Heart, Ninety Pounds of Rebellion

"Yo, Jake! Don't just call him Gus—show some respect for the boss!" Luke Bennett grinned, playing the hype man as Jake Rivers walked into the dorm.

Jake blinked, confused. "Huh? What's that about?"

Then his face lit up. "Oh, got it! Gus, you're buying drinks tonight, right?"

"It's bigger than drinks!" Luke waved Jake over to sit, then recapped Gus's pitch about the game company gig.

"No way!" Jake's jaw dropped. "Gus, you're killing it! A company actually hired students like us?"

Gus shrugged. He still didn't get why Zoey Parker picked him—a college kid—over seasoned pros to be game director at WindyPeak. But the job was his, like a lottery win falling out of nowhere.

"Not just hired me," Gus said, smirking. "I'm the game director."

The room erupted. Luke and Jake stared, floored.

All those hundred resumes Gus sent out weren't for nothing. His shotgun approach to interviews snagged a whale.

"But right now, I'm the only project lead," Gus added. "Sole director, sole employee. It's just me."

Luke and Jake nodded. Made sense—it was a startup. A bigger company wouldn't have touched a newbie like Gus for director.

Still, it was unreal.

"I'm short on crew," Gus continued, looking at Jake. "I just told Luke he's in as lead programmer. You want in as lead artist?"

Jake hesitated.

He was a straight shooter, not flashy like Gus or loaded like Luke's family. His parents were regular folks—working-class, no big connections. They'd pulled strings to get him a decent gig at a local ad agency. If he played it right, he could settle down back home, maybe start a family.

For a second, Jake wavered. It wasn't about being scared—it was about responsibility. His whole life, his parents drilled in one rule: pick the safe path. "We don't need you to be a star," they'd say. "Just stay healthy, live steady."

Seeing Jake pause, Luke scoffed. "Come on, Jake, what's the holdup? We're talking about making games!"

"Isn't that why we picked this major?" Luke pressed. "To see people play our stuff? Opportunity's right here, man!"

Gus raised a hand, cutting Luke off. He patted Jake's shoulder. "It's cool, Jake. I get it. You've got family to think about, not like me, just worrying about my own plate. Or Luke, who's got enough family cash to coast forever."

"If you want, I'll hold the lead artist spot for you," Gus said. "Wait till you see the job's solid, then jump in."

Jake looked at Luke, then Gus, and went quiet. The dorm fell silent.

He grabbed Gus's half-smoked cigarette, took a deep drag, and turned red, fighting not to cough. Finally, he exhaled, grinning. "Never smoked before. Thought it'd choke me, but it's nothing."

He pulled out the three packs of instant noodles he'd bought. "Guess we're eating these for lunch. Don't want 'em going to waste."

Gus and Luke burst out laughing.

"I'll boil water," Luke said, heading to the kitchenette.

"I'll grab some sausages," Gus said, clapping Jake's shoulder.

"I'll wait here," Jake said, ripping open a noodle pack. "Don't sneak off to eat without me!"

Sometimes, brotherhood didn't need words. It was messy, but stronger than steel.

The next day, Gus, Luke, and Jake rolled up to WindyPeak Games Inc. in Seattle to report for duty.

Chloe Quinn, the chief of staff, was off handling some paperwork, so only Zoey Parker was there to greet them.

"This is Luke Bennett," Gus said, gesturing. "Programming and engine development major, our new lead programmer."

"And Jake Rivers," he continued. "Art and modeling major, our lead artist."

Zoey eyed the trio, a satisfied smirk spreading across her face.

A director and planner in a goofy graphic tee, looking like a college kid with a head full of wild ideas. A programmer in a loud plaid shirt, oozing rich-kid slacker vibes. An artist built like a linebacker, ready to bench press a desk.

These three? No one would peg them as game company execs. They were a walking recipe for a flop. Perfect.

"Looks great," Zoey said, nodding. "I'm Zoey Parker, CEO of WindyPeak. Per Gus's pitch, we're bringing in two rising stars with serious potential."

"Help Gus out, and let's make WindyPeak the industry's… shining example!" she said, silently adding, The example everyone avoids.

And just like that, with Luke and Jake on board, WindyPeak's core team was set.

Zoey, itching to lose money, fast-tracked their contracts. The speed shocked Luke and Jake.

In Gus's bright, open office—glass walls, coffee machine humming—Jake clutched his contract, a $260,000 annual salary staring back. "Gus, if you'd mentioned this pay, I'd have signed up yesterday!"

Luke, flipping through his $300,000 contract, frowned. "This place legit? They're not shipping us off to some sketchy overseas gig, right?"

Gus snorted. "Jake and I would be more worried about that than you. What, they gonna harvest your kidneys?"

He clapped his hands. "Alright, before we dive in, one thing. You met Zoey, our CEO. She's young, green, and doesn't know much about games."

"But," Gus stressed, "she's got total faith in us. Full funding, no questions asked."

Luke and Jake nodded. Zoey seemed… clueless. The kind of clueless that radiated trust, like she'd greenlight anything Gus pitched.

"So, we don't take advantage of that," Gus said, eyeing them. "Public or private, we don't mess with her. Cool?"

Luke and Jake nodded hard. College kids like them—ninety pounds of rebellion in a hundred-pound frame—thrived on trust. Micromanage them, and they'd slack off. Trust them? They'd go all out.

"No worries, Gus," Luke said. "We get it."

Jake grinned. "For this paycheck, we're not screwing it up."

"That's the spirit!" Gus gave a thumbs-up. "Let's cut the chatter. Check out our new project!"

More Chapters