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🕑 Added 2025-04-26 07:07:41 +0000 UTCThe Supreme State of Science
Chapter 40 – This Is the Day
A few days later, New York, Shark Tank Offices.
Jimmy adjusted his red tie in front of the dressing room mirror. It wasn’t necessary, but it gave him an air of importance he found useful. Next to him, an adult producer gave him a look that was somewhere between curious and amused—like someone unsure whether the kid was there by mistake… or because he was a genius.
When the double doors to the set opened, Jimmy walked confidently across the polished floor. In front of him, five investors seated behind a long table watched him with interest. Men and women in expensive suits, shiny watches, and sharp gazes. They were the sharks, and he was the small fish come to stir the waters.
“Good afternoon, everyone,” Jimmy greeted with a clear voice. “My name is James Isaac Neutron, I’m thirteen years old, and I’ve come from Texas with a proposal that will change the way companies use their computers.”
There was a general murmur. One of the investors, a bald man with thick eyebrows, narrowed his eyes.
“A kid?” another shark muttered, surprised.
Jimmy wasn’t intimidated. In a steady voice, he said, “I’m asking for an investment of two hundred thousand dollars for ten percent of my company: Neutron Technologies Ae. My product: an invisible defense system that will protect future companies from cyberattacks they don’t even know exist yet.”
After he said that, a long silence followed.
A blonde woman with a skeptical expression raised an eyebrow. “Attacks? Are we talking about physical security? Guards?”
“No, ma’am…” Jimmy replied, then pressed a button on his remote control. A screen behind him lit up. “I’m talking about viruses. Not biological ones. Computer viruses that can be created through code.”
As Jimmy finished speaking, a cartoon popped up on the screen: a sad-looking computer with green snot dripping from its floppy drive.
“Imagine your computer—that wonderful device you’ve just started using to manage files, accounts, and contacts—is like a super-efficient, highly organized employee. Now imagine that suddenly, that 200%-productive employee starts acting strangely: deleting files, sending information to strangers, shutting down by itself. What happened?”
“Did it go crazy?” one investor said, prompting some laughs.
Jimmy smiled. Naturally, these mind games meant to test his composure didn’t faze him, so he replied, “No. It was attacked. By a virus—a malicious program that hides inside other files and can steal, destroy, or confuse. It’s like invisible mice sneaking into your office at night and gnawing on your important papers.”
The bald shark frowned. “And that really exists?”
“It’s not common yet…” Jimmy answered. “But it will be. The competition is growing. Some companies are preparing. Others will be the first to fall, taken down by enemies using undetectable things like this. If you install my system now, you’ll have a competitive edge no one else can match.”
The enormous room fell silent. Jimmy knew he had to keep going—he had their attention.
“My program is called FireGuard. It detects strange behaviors in the system: files duplicating themselves, messages being sent without permission, programs running without anyone opening them. When that happens, FireGuard blocks it, deletes it, and leaves a log. Like a night watchman writing everything he sees in his notebook.”
The blonde woman spoke again. “How can you be sure it works?”
Jimmy pulled a hand-labeled floppy disk from his backpack. “I tested it in three local businesses in Texas. It stopped a contaminated file from spreading across the entire network. Just the other day, an employee downloaded something called ‘Free Photos of Girls.’ They weren’t photos. They were invisible mice.”
A wave of laughter came from the sharks. But now, their looks had changed—more focused. One of the investors, a middle-aged man with a perfectly trimmed mustache, leaned forward.
“You say this gives an edge over the competition. Can you explain more?”
Jimmy nodded and elaborated, “Companies that use FireGuard will avoid data loss, fraud, industrial espionage, and wasted time. They’ll have confidence in their systems. And most importantly: they’ll look modern. They’ll be ready for a future that’s already knocking on the door.”
The man with the mustache nodded. “I get it. Just today we had a network failure at one of my companies… We lost two hours of work. No idea what caused it.”
“And tomorrow!” Jimmy looked at the man and said calmly, “Your competitor could send a corrupt file by accident. Or on purpose—completely wiping out all the information you use online.”
The atmosphere turned more serious. The threat was invisible, but fear had seeped into the room like a ghost.
The bald shark spoke for the first time, his tone measured. “Two hundred thousand dollars for ten percent is a high valuation for such a young company.”
Jimmy smiled, as if he’d been waiting for that objection.
“Yes. But you’re not buying what I have now. You’re investing in what I know is coming. You’re helping me build the wall before the arrows start flying. And when the rest start falling, we’ll still be standing.”
The metaphor pleased the sharks. One of them even clicked his tongue in approval.
“Do you have a patent?” the blonde woman asked.
“It’s in process. My mom signed the papers as my legal guardian.”
“Do you have a team?”
“For now, it’s just me with my parents’ support. But I can scale. I have a version for large companies and a lighter one for small offices. I even have ideas for an audible alert in case of intrusion—we could even expand into national defense if we get the right funding.”
The man with the mustache leaned in further.
“I’ll make an offer.” He said this with complete confidence. “One hundred thousand dollars now, and another hundred thousand in six months if you hit certain milestones. But I want twenty percent.”
Jimmy took his time. “And the others?”
Silence.
“I won’t sell more than 5% of this product, but that’s more than enough. As the sole owner of my product, there won’t be any more investors than the ones I get today.” Jimmy wasn’t tied to something that could be maintained with his artificial intelligence.
But he knew one thing—too many investors is bad for companies. The changes they can force if they hold too much power are too great, and Jimmy didn’t want to take that risk.
“That’s…” The investor fell silent, taken aback by the young boy’s sudden rejection.
“I could go to the bank and get that money in a few months. What I’m looking for from you is guidance. If you agree to buy 5% of my company, you won’t regret it.”
Once outside, if his appearance on the show worked, Jimmy would gain visibility—and once he exposed his virus, companies would seek him out to protect their interests.
In any scenario, Jimmy would win.
“How about ten percent?”
“Then you’ll give me double the money—and also the chance to buy back the 5% in the future.” Jimmy wasn’t a fool. He knew exactly where he stood.
“Then we have a deal.”
“Good… As long as you help me get in touch with the five biggest companies in the country.”
The man smiled. “Deal.”
Judy, from behind the cameras, brought a hand to her chest. She was thrilled. And, although no one else knew it, also a little scared.
Jimmy stepped off the stage with the floppy disk in his pocket and a smile on his face. He hadn’t just been a kid pretending to be an entrepreneur. He had been a pioneer. And this time, FireGuard wasn’t just protecting computers—it was clearing paths.
Comments
Jesus Cardenas
It's just 20% of a company that focuses solely on security. Jimmy will create another company where he'll sell all his inventions.
JL
MC is an idiot. Author is an idiot. This valuation is such bullshit. If it was only 20% of fireguard than fine but nooooooo he gave away 20% of everything for only $200k like a complete idiot
JL
What a god awful investment, you could’ve done better at practically any bank
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