After seeing the contract and the paperwork Nick's team signed with the Air Force, the Tech Park Committee held up their end of the deal and assigned them a four-story "Corporate Villa."
Even though they called it a villa, it was a straight-up office building. It just looked so much like a luxury estate from the outside that everyone jokingly used the nickname.
There were about a hundred of these units in the area, mixed in with high-rise towers and busy commercial hubs. The neighborhood was prime, and the local amenities were top-tier.
The building had been leased out before, so it already had some basic work done. Nick's crew checked it out and found the interior was in solid shape. There were only a few spots that needed a touch-up, so they figured they could move in within two weeks. They could use that time to knock out the core hiring and prep work.
Tyler took the lead on the logistics, while Nick's main job was to play host to the corporate suits who were flying in to see them.
The first one to land was Bezos, he's been curious about these kids and wanted to meet them himself again. He'd actually made it to Tampa a day before Nick even got back, which was exactly why Nick had been in such a rush.
The morning after he got home, he sat down with Bezos.
Bezos and his team looked pretty jet-lagged and were clearly anxious to get things moving.
"Nicholas, good to see you again," Bezos said with plenty of energy.
Nick smiled back. "Hey, President Bezos, welcome to Tampa."
"Haha, Tampa's always been a lucky spot for us at Amazon."
Bezos laughed, though he turned serious pretty quickly. "I should've seen this coming. Your tech is a perfect fit for the military. It's really impressive stuff."
"Hehe, we definitely had a few scares along the way because of it," Nick said, playing it down.
Bezos nodded. "I heard about that mess in Miami. People are getting way too bold lately."
After some small talk, Nick cut to the chase. "President Bezos, I'm sure you've heard the news—we can't do a full buyout of the tech or the systems right now. But a patent licensing deal? That's still on the table."
"We figured as much. That's why I'm here. We see a ton of potential for a partnership, whether it's in warehouse sorting robots or drone delivery."
"Nicholas, we're coming to the table with a very serious offer," Bezos said, looking him in the eye.
Nick just smiled and nodded. "Of course. We'd be thrilled to work with a giant like Amazon. We're still the new kids on the block, so we're looking to learn from the pros."
"Haha, Amazon's reputation speaks for itself. You're in good hands."
Bezos smiled and slid a folder across the table. "Given your current situation, we've put together a specific plan. Take a look."
As Nick grabbed it, Bezos continued, "You'll help develop and build out our projects by providing the tech and support services. In exchange, we'll pay you licensing and service fees."
Nick flipped through the pages. It was clear the contract had been custom-tailored for them, and the terms were spelled out in plain English, not legaleese.
However, he definitely wasn't vibing with the price: "Twelve million upfront, plus four million a year for support and licensing?"
Bezos nodded. "It's a fair market price. That's pretty much the going rate for international cutting-edge patents."
"No," Nick said, shaking his head. "But those other patents aren't what you need, right? And as for how much this tech means to you—I think the fact that you beat me back to Tampa says it all."
"With this tech, you'll own the logistics industry and set the standard for everyone else."
"Our logistics network is already the industry leader," Bezos shot back.
Nick leaned back in his chair and gave him a playful smirk. "Is that right? Look, maybe we should just skip the sales pitch."
"Fine, I'll be blunt. We want an exclusive tech license for the logistics sector," Bezos said, dead serious.
Nick rested his chin on his hands and gave a light smile. "But zero competition means we lose our leverage and a lot of potential profit."
"Still, since we aren't planning on entering the logistics game ourselves, I don't mind giving you the exclusive. But you've gotta show me enough green to make it worth my while."
Bezos smiled and pulled another contract from his assistant. "Don't worry, you're gonna like this one better."
"Three percent equity in Amazon Tech, plus thirty million cash, and five million a year in fees?"
Nick scanned the pages and shook his head. "Three percent is peanuts. You're still lowballing the impact of this tech. I'll give you my real price: twenty percent equity, a hundred million cash, and twenty million a year in fees."
"You're asking for the moon; that's physically impossible," Bezos said, shaking his head hard.
"Nothing's impossible."
Nick smiled. "With this tech, you're looking at a total overhaul of your entire logistics chain—true autonomous delivery."
"Imagine everything from pickup and sorting to long-haul transport and drone delivery being fully intelligent. Your labor costs would simply vanish."
"You know better than anyone that the two biggest drains on logistics are shipping and labor. Solve those, and you can take over the whole market with lower prices and a faster, safer network."
"Compared to that, twenty percent plus a hundred million and change is a total steal."
Bezos stared at him for a long beat. "What you're describing is just a best-case scenario. We don't actually know how far this tech can go yet."
"I think your team has already run the numbers and you know exactly how far it can go. And what's my price to you, really? Compared to a few shares and some cash, Amazon values the dominance this system brings to e-commerce."
"A smart logistics network is the foundation for everything you do online and offline. That's exactly why Amazon has spent so much money over the last few years trying to integrate the entire industry," Nick said with a grin.
Bezos looked pained. "Since you know so much, you should know we aren't the only ones calling the shots on the logistics network; there are other shareholders. Twenty percent is just too much."