This Time, Her Turn [Completed]

Chapter 22

When Veeru and the other assistant came in, Geetha asked them to sit. Veeru sat down but the other one did not. He was a little younger than the remaining three. Geetha sighed. When she first met Veeru, she thought he had a competitive spirit. If only she knew he competed with such an inexperienced fellow.

"I'll be distracted if you keep shifting your posture after a while. This meeting will be long, so sit down."

"Sit down," Ramit also nagged the guy.

Soon the meeting started. She had a list of things she wanted to ask on a paper.

"How is the progress with journalists?"

"We are speaking with some young journalists. Some agreed to provide us articles, but.. only if no big company took them," Veeru said.

"Of course. Only investigators would want to stay anonymous. Continue what you are doing, but also try to pull those who gave the last leak in. They will also have news they want to report to the public," she said and turned to Ramit, "That's fine, right?"

"Yeah," he said. He did not think about the journalists wanting credit until that point. "Then, we'll also have to develop the system to let them claim their articles if they want to. Just paying them won't be enough..."

"Yeah. But for those who stay anonymous, you'll have to pay a little more. Or else, they have no incentive in your 'many true narratives derive the whole truth' policy."

Ramit paused. Why did it become his policy? "You don't like the vision of this company?"

"No, wait, that's not the point. Let's first complete this discussion, okay?" she whispered to him. Although it was too idealistic, the concept was fascinating. So they had to try.

Ramit pouted and turned his head away. Here he was trying to make the world a better and more truthful place and she was looking down on it!

"Next, the funds. We know what happened in yesterday's meeting. Why did the Association not show interest?" They fell silent and she further asked, "What did you say our company was about?"

"We said we had a high security platform to share the news and get paid anonymously. Then our team looks into every report of an issue and makes a comprehensive and objective article. These articles and the original ones will be put up on the website for the public," Ramit answered.

"You really said that?" she said to Ramit and turned to Veeru. "Then what were you doing?" She had seen his profile. He should have helped Ramit or better yet, taken over the negotiation. It was like Ramit was showing his highschool project to his teacher. So plain, so truthful, and not a single brag.

"More or less... He said that in a more professional and polished way."

She turned to Ramit and gave him a smile. "Let me say something. Think about it. Yours is the final decision.

"What you said sounds like you're promoting the software. We should promote the brand instead. This is a first of its kind, isn't it? So we have to leverage the first mover advantage. Market it as a new age media network or come up with something new.

"Also, don't tell how the company works, even to someone you are seeking funding from. This is a trade secret!" Geetha really did not understand Ramit. If he was anyway going to start a business, why didn't he listen to his parents and go for an MBA? Here he was with no clue of the plus points of Hidden.

The younger assistant then said, "They also asked if we were going to ensure the authenticity of the news if journalists are given so much power. The power of being hidden." Geetha also remembered reading something like that in the email Ramit sent across the leadership.