Jason stepped into Lucky Joe's Sports Bar like a man with a mission.
It smelled of cheap beer and stale fries, just like he remembered. On the far wall, TVs flashed pregame commentary for Super Bowl XXXIV—Rams vs. Titans. Nobody knew it yet, but this game would end in one of the most unforgettable plays in football history.
And Jason already knew the score.
He walked past tables of yelling fans, straight to a booth in the back where a thick-necked man in a leather jacket nursed a bourbon.
"Benny," Jason said smoothly. "Heard you were still taking bets."
The man glanced up. "You a student? Beat it. Minimum's a hundred."
Jason sat down anyway. "Put me down for $500. Rams to win. Final score: 23–16."
Benny raised an eyebrow. "You psychic, kid?"
Jason smiled. "Let's just say I read the future this morning."
Benny narrowed his eyes, but greed overrode caution. "You're crazy—but I like crazy. If you're right, I'll see you again. If not... I don't want to."
Jason pushed over the cash, stood, and added, "You'll be seeing me a lot. Next week, Patriots vs. Ravens. Trust me."
As he exited into the frosty evening air, Jason's heart raced—not from fear, but excitement. That one bet would snowball into his startup capital. And the moment that happened, he'd make his first real investment:
Google.
It hadn't gone public yet, but he remembered the IPO: 2004. If he played it right, he could get in on seed rounds. He could be one of those early investors who put in $100K and walk out with billions.
But there was another problem brewing. A big one.
Jason had forgotten how powerless you were when you were broke. He needed allies. Contacts. Maybe even someone with connections to early Silicon Valley circles.
And the one person who came to mind?
Amy Rodriguez.
Brilliant. Ruthless. Back in 2000, she'd been a shy tech blogger in Boston. But in Jason's original timeline, she'd go on to co-found a unicorn company in 2014.
This time, she wouldn't just found one.
She'd build it with him.