"Mike, James instructed me to inform you that the dividend payment for this poster distribution cycle has been wired. It's approximately ten thousand dollars. You can verify the transaction at your convenience..." Jack's voice came through the phone.
"Ten thousand dollars?" Mike paused for a moment on his end. "Understood. I will verify."
It was now early May. More than a month had passed since the Spring Invitational ended.
Mike had already received three previous dividend payments from the poster sales.
This current payment of ten thousand dollars was significantly lower than the previous amounts.
Clearly, after all this time, the profit margin on the posters had peaked and was now trending downward.
However, having accumulated nearly fifty thousand dollars in total from the newspaper deal, Mike was satisfied.
This exceeded his initial revenue projections by a significant margin.
Generating this much capital by doing nothing more than posing for a few photos was arguably the most efficient business model possible.
Moreover, Mike's primary financial strategy lay in the stock market.
Previously lacking seed capital, this fifty thousand dollars would now serve as leverage, allowing him to compound his gains exponentially in the market.
"By the way, Mike. Have you seen this morning's paper?" Jack asked.
"Affirmative. It appears I have secured the color front page once again," Mike replied.
Over a month later, Mike was back on the front page of the state newspaper.
And this time, the feature was massive—a systematic retrospective of his high school football career thus far.
"Actually, the newspaper is executing one final promotional push for you. After next week, 'Project Star Maker' will likely conclude..." Jack revealed the newspaper's internal schedule.
Then, he grumbled in frustration, "James is such a miser. The newspaper made a killing on this project, yet he only distributed crumbs to us employees..."
The poster distribution was essentially found money.
If Jack were just a regular employee, getting any bonus would have been a win.
However, this was originally his business idea. Seeing Manager James pocket the lion's share while he got scraps naturally created a sense of inequity.
Even though he had anticipated this outcome, seeing the cash flow into James's pockets still stung.
Jack grew more agitated as he vented.
"Alright, Jack. Is there any other data to impart? I am about to consume my evening meal..." Mike interrupted the negative emotional dump.
To be honest, having secured his fair share of the profits, Mike had little interest in the internal politics of the newspaper office.
Furthermore, everyone in the Cooper dining room was waiting for him.
"Oh, right. Sorry. I actually do have good news to share..." Jack realized he was intruding on Mike's personal time.
He quickly added, "Someone from the TV Division contacted me. Given my recent performance metrics, they are willing to transfer me back as a team leader."
"As my friend, I wanted you to be the first to know."
Jack's career had been a rollercoaster, but the successful execution of "Project Star Maker" had played a pivotal role in his return to the TV Division.
Having bet on the right horse again, he felt a genuine sense of gratitude toward Mike.
"Congratulations, Jack. You have achieved your objective." Mike offered his congratulations upon hearing the cheerful tone.
"Thanks. Anyway, I won't keep you from dinner. Let's chat later..."
"Affirmative. Goodbye." Mike hung up the phone.
Since George was reinstated as head coach, the culinary standards in the Cooper household had improved significantly.
The table was currently laden with a feast.
However, despite the delicious spread, the Coopers and Paige hadn't touched their cutlery.
Clearly, they were waiting for the full roster to assemble.
"Mike, did the negotiation conclude successfully?" Meemaw asked with a smile as Mike returned.
"Yes." Mike returned the smile, sat down at the table, and asked curiously, "What is the status of those two?"
While most of the table looked harmonious, Missy and Georgie were locked in a staring contest, looking like they had just had a heated argument.
"This pertains to you..." Meemaw teased, holding back the answer as grace was about to begin. "You'll find out shortly."
Everyone joined hands and closed their eyes as Mary led the prayer.
"Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts... Amen."
"Alright, dig in!" Grace concluded, Mary cheerfully announced the start of dinner.
"Mike, how do you feel about 'The Tiger' as your designated moniker?" Missy asked immediately as forks hit the plates.
"No, 'The Lion' is objectively superior," Georgie countered instantly. "Mike is the Lion King, and the rest of the team are the lion cubs..."
Ah. As the finale of "Project Star Maker," the newspaper was soliciting nicknames for Mike from the general public.
This interactive element was designed to boost engagement.
And naturally, Missy and Georgie were fiercely debating the options.
"The Tiger is the King of the Jungle. It is the most formidable animal on Earth..." Missy tried to persuade Georgie.
"Incorrect. The Lion is the apex predator," Georgie shot back.
"Tiger!"
"Lion!"
The two siblings refused to yield, stuck in a loop of unscientific assertions.
Mary listened to the bickering, shook her head helplessly, and focused on her food. Life was good right now; she didn't want to spoil the mood by scolding them at the table.
Meemaw and George, on the other hand, watched the drama with amusement.
As for Paige, she seemed uninterested in the nickname debate, diligently transferring food onto Mike's plate.
Sheldon, having remained silent for too long, finally reached his breaking point. "For the record, the colony of army ants found in the Arizona basin is statistically the most formidable species on the planet. No animal can withstand their collective assault..."
"Shut up!" x2
To the average person, a tiny ant hardly qualified as "powerful."
Missy and Georgie, fueled by their argument, united instantly to shut down Sheldon's pedantic interruption.
"I..." Sheldon jumped at the rebuke.
Then, remembering he was in the safety of his own home with his parents present, he realized his physical safety was guaranteed.
Emboldened, he continued his lecture. "In terms of individual capability relative to size, an ant can lift objects dozens, even hundreds of times its own body weight. Therefore, the ostensibly powerful lion and tiger are statistically inferior to the ant."
He finished with a look of disdain directed at his siblings.
"Mike! Which one is stronger? Tiger, Lion, or Ant?" Unable to refute Sheldon's logic but still annoyed, Missy sought external arbitration.
Just then, Mike's phone rang again.
"Excuse me." Mike stood up, signaling to the group, and prepared to take the call in the living room.
However, seeing Missy's expectant gaze, he paused before leaving. "I assume you are debating my nickname. But why must the selection be limited to the animal kingdom?"
Truth be told, Mike found titles like Tiger, Lion, or Ant to be aesthetically underwhelming.
Having dropped that question, he went to the living room to answer the phone.
"Mike, it's me, SJ (Sean Jr.). Do you remember me?" The voice of the little Tuohy boy came through the line.
"Of course, SJ. What can I do for you?" Mike recalled his little "anti-fan" turned ally quite well.
"Nothing specific. I just wanted to inquire: it has been a significant amount of time. Why haven't you called my sister?"
The precocious SJ was apparently losing sleep over Collins' love life.
He failed to realize that with Collins' beauty and social standing, she hardly needed a middle-schooler managing her romantic portfolio.
Clearly, SJ's concern was redundant.