Chương 10: A New Ambition III

Arc 1: A Second Beginning November 8–12, 1970 The following week marked the true beginning of Thompson Manufacturing's transformation. No newspapers reported it. No television station covered it. No politician congratulated the company. From the outside... Nothing appeared different. Inside the factory... Everything had begun to change.

One entire corner of the second warehouse had been partitioned off with temporary wooden walls. A freshly painted sign hung above the entrance. AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY Behind those walls... The Prototype Division had officially come to life. Only seven people had unrestricted access. Marcus Carter. William Daniels. Helen Brooks. George Miller. Samuel Ortiz. Peter Collins. Linda Foster. Even Enzo only entered after knocking. It wasn't about authority. It was about respect.

The atmosphere inside differed greatly from the rest of the factory. Military production followed strict blueprints. There was very little room for creativity. Here... Ideas covered every wall. Rolls of fabric leaned against one another. Cardboard mock-ups were stacked in corners. Half-finished backpacks lay open on workbenches. Patterns had been pinned across large corkboards. It looked less like a factory... And more like an inventor's workshop.

Linda held up the first completed backpack.

"We finally have Prototype Number One." Everyone gathered around. It wasn't beautiful. Far from it. The canvas was too stiff. The shoulder straps sat unevenly. The buckles felt oversized. Marcus lifted it.

"... Heavy." George nodded.

"Almost five pounds." William shook his head.

"Nobody wants to carry five pounds before putting anything inside." Helen was already writing notes.

"Shoulder straps rub too much."

"Pocket placement awkward."

"Frame shifts under weight." Linda sighed.

"I suppose that's why it's called a prototype." Marcus smiled.

"If the first version were perfect..."

"... I'd be unemployed." The room laughed.

Enzo arrived shortly afterward. Marcus handed him the backpack.

"The first civilian product." Enzo inspected every stitch. Every buckle. Every seam. He didn't speak for nearly a minute. Finally... He looked toward the team.

"Excellent." Linda blinked.

"... Excellent?" She sounded genuinely surprised.

"It has dozens of problems." Enzo nodded.

"It does." He pointed toward the backpack.

"But yesterday..."

"... it didn't exist." The room fell silent. He smiled warmly.

"Today..."

"... it does."

"Tomorrow..."

"... it'll be better."

"And next month..."

"... someone will buy it." Linda couldn't help smiling. That simple statement renewed everyone's energy.

Over the next several days... Prototype after prototype emerged. Number Two. Lighter. Still uncomfortable. Number Three. Better shoulder straps. Poor balance. Number Four. Excellent balance. Weak stitching around the top handle. Each failure taught the team something new. Nobody complained. In fact... The excitement inside the workshop only grew stronger.

Meanwhile... James continued living the ordinary life of a ten-year-old. At least... From everyone else's perspective. On Tuesday afternoon, his class visited the school library. Most students headed toward adventure novels. Others chose comic books. James walked directly to the history and current events section. Mrs. Anderson, the librarian, smiled as she watched him.

"You certainly have unusual tastes." James returned the smile.

"I like learning how the world works." She chuckled.

"I wish more children your age said that." He checked out three newspapers that had been preserved on microfilm from earlier in the year, along with two business magazines. He wasn't looking for entertainment. He was searching for forgotten memories. Sometimes... A single headline was enough to unlock another piece of the future.

That evening, he spread newspapers across his bedroom floor. He drew lines between events. Circled names. Marked dates. His notebook had become far more organized.

Future Opportunities Business Continue studying consumer trends. Watch emerging companies. Monitor retail growth. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Sports Continue rebuilding timeline. Never rely on uncertain memories. Only bet on events remembered with complete certainty.

Investments Impossible until sufficient capital exists.

James stared at the final section for several minutes. Then he quietly added another sentence. > Capital first. Investments later. He underlined it once. Patience. That was something his sixty-four-year-old self possessed in abundance. His ten-year-old body... Not nearly as much.

The next morning... While eating breakfast, Enzo noticed James reading the business section instead of the comics. He raised an eyebrow.

"You know..."

"When I was your age..."

"I hated newspapers." James smiled.

"When you were my age..."

"You also lived in Italy." Enzo laughed.

"That's true." James folded the newspaper.

"I found something interesting."

"Oh?"

"The number of Americans going camping has been increasing every year." Enzo leaned forward.

"You found that?" James nodded.

"More families own cars now."

"They're traveling more."

"National parks are becoming more popular."

"So people need equipment." Enzo stared at his grandson for a moment. Then slowly smiled.

"You've become my youngest market analyst." James laughed.

"I'll work cheap."

"Oh?"

"One scoop of chocolate ice cream." Enzo burst into laughter.

"Wahaha!"

"Done." The two shared a warm smile. For a brief moment... They weren't discussing business. They were simply a grandfather and his grandson enjoying breakfast together. Neither of them knew it yet... But before November came to an end, the first civilian product carrying the Thompson Manufacturing name would leave the factory floor. And with it... The company would take its first true step toward escaping the fate that had once destroyed it.

☆☆☆☆☆☆ Arc 1: A Second Beginning November 13–18, 1970 The prototype workshop had become the busiest room in Thompson Manufacturing. Every morning, before the factory whistle announced the beginning of the workday, Marcus Carter was already inside reviewing the previous day's notes. By eight o'clock... The room came alive. Fabric was cut. Patterns were adjusted. Buckles were replaced. Measurements were taken. No one complained about the long hours.

There was a feeling inside the workshop that many hadn't experienced in years. They weren't simply manufacturing.

They were creating.

One Monday morning, Linda Foster walked into the workshop carrying another backpack. She placed it on the table with a confident smile.

"Prototype Number Nine." William Daniels looked up from his drafting table.

"Already?" She nodded.

"I barely slept." Marcus chuckled.

"I can tell." George Miller lifted the backpack. Immediately... His eyebrows rose.

"This..."

"... is much lighter." Helen Brooks inspected the seams.

"The stitching is cleaner." Samuel Ortiz tested the zippers repeatedly. Smooth. No resistance. Peter Collins adjusted the shoulder straps before putting it on. He walked around the room for nearly a minute. Then stopped. He smiled.

"I'd actually buy this." The room became quiet. Marcus looked toward Peter.

"You mean that?" Peter nodded.

"I do."

"It feels comfortable."

"The weight is balanced."

"If I were going camping..."

"... I'd take this." Marcus looked around the room. No one disagreed. For the first time... They had something that no longer looked like a military pack pretending to be civilian. It looked... Like a civilian backpack.

That afternoon... Enzo entered the workshop once again. Marcus handed him Prototype Number Nine. The Chairman didn't speak immediately. He placed it on a table. Opened every compartment. Pulled every strap. Examined every stitch. Then... Without warning... He slipped both arms through the shoulder straps. The room watched silently. Enzo walked across the workshop. Turned. Walked back. Then smiled.

"... Comfortable." Marcus grinned.

"I thought you'd say that." Enzo looked toward Linda.

"How many hours?"

"Approximately twelve." He nodded.

"Good." George stepped forward.

"The canvas blend also reduced the overall weight by nearly twenty percent." Enzo looked genuinely impressed.

"Without sacrificing durability?" George smiled.

"Not according to our stress tests." Helen immediately added,"We've been dragging it across concrete."

"Throwing it from loading docks."

"Filling it with bricks." Samuel laughed.

"I've become emotionally attached to that backpack." Everyone laughed.

Enzo placed the backpack back on the table. Then looked around the room.

"I think..." He paused.

"... it's time." Marcus understood immediately.

"You want to show retailers." Enzo nodded.

"Yes."

Preparing for New York The following morning, Leslie Carter entered the Chairman's office carrying a leather planner.

"I've confirmed five appointments." Enzo looked up.

"Only five?" She smiled.

"I scheduled seven."

"Two cancelled." Anthony chuckled.

"Retailers."

"They're always busy." Leslie opened the planner.

"The remaining meetings are with some of the largest department stores in Manhattan." She continued reading.

"One outdoor equipment wholesaler."

"One workwear distributor."

"And two independent retailers." Marcus nodded approvingly.

"That's enough." Enzo looked at everyone gathered in the room.

"This isn't about signing contracts." Anthony smiled.

"It's about opening doors."

"Exactly."

Anthony then unfolded several legal documents.

"I've prepared preliminary supplier agreements." Enzo glanced through them.

"Already?" Anthony shrugged.

"I prefer being ready."

"If negotiations go well..."

"... we won't lose time." Marcus laughed.

"You lawyers really don't waste paper." Anthony smiled.

"I waste plenty."

"I simply bill other people for it." The room erupted in laughter. Even Leslie had to cover her mouth to hide a smile.

James Remembers Something That same evening... James sat alone in his bedroom once again. The business magazine he had purchased days earlier remained open on his desk. Beside it lay several newspapers. A map of the United States. A legal pad filled with notes. He wasn't searching randomly anymore. He had developed a method. Read. Pause. Think. Write. Repeat. Suddenly... His pencil stopped moving. His eyes focused on a small article discussing horse racing. Not because he cared about horse racing.

But because the article mentioned... Las Vegas sportsbooks expanding betting menus. James frowned. He closed his eyes. A faint memory surfaced. Not complete. Just fragments. Neon lights. Casino floors. Large betting boards. People lining up with betting slips. He opened his eyes again.

"... Sportsbooks..." He whispered.

"They don't all use identical odds." That thought immediately caught his attention. He grabbed another sheet of paper.

Notes If the same sporting event offers different odds... Then... Different sportsbooks may pay different amounts. Meaning... It isn't enough to know the winner. I need to know where to place each bet.

He stared at the sentence. Another problem had revealed itself. Future knowledge alone wasn't enough. He also needed information. Real information. Current information. Odds. Casinos. Betting limits. Operating procedures. He couldn't afford mistakes. Not even one.

James leaned back in his chair.

"... Looks like I'll have to study gambling..." He sighed.

"... without becoming a gambler." A strange contradiction. But an important one. He had watched enough lives ruined by addiction during his first lifetime. He had no intention of becoming one of those people. To him... Sports betting wasn't entertainment. It was simply another investment vehicle—one that his unique knowledge could exploit for a limited time. Once he had enough capital to pursue legitimate investments... He intended to leave that world behind forever.

He quietly wrote one final line beneath his notes. > Never confuse strategy with addiction. Then he closed the notebook. Outside his bedroom window, Manhattan's lights shimmered in the cool November night. Inside Thompson Manufacturing, a new backpack was ready to be shown to the world. And inside James's mind...

A second, far more ambitious plan was slowly taking shape—one that, if executed correctly, could provide him with the financial independence he would one day need to protect not only his grandfather's company, but every opportunity the future had yet to offer. ☆☆☆☆☆☆ Arc 1: A Second Beginning November 19, 1970 By the third week of November, Thompson Manufacturing no longer felt like the same company. The military production lines still occupied most of the factory floor.

Wooden crates stamped with government contract numbers continued leaving the loading docks every day. Workers still assembled field packs. Canvas tents. Protective equipment. Everything promised under the existing contracts was still being produced on schedule. Enzo had made one thing abundantly clear. > "A Lombardi keeps his word."

Every contract signed... Would be fulfilled. Only after the last shipment left the factory would Thompson Manufacturing officially close that chapter of its history. At the same time... A quiet revolution was taking place behind the walls of the Prototype Division. Every day, another civilian product emerged. Every day, another design was improved. Every day, the future looked a little clearer.

That Thursday afternoon... James arrived at Thompson Manufacturing after school. He wore his school uniform, his backpack hanging loosely over one shoulder. As soon as he entered the administrative building, Leslie looked up from her typewriter. She smiled warmly.

"Well, look who's here." James smiled back.

"Good afternoon, Miss Leslie."

"I haven't seen you since the Chairman's big announcement."

"I've been busy." She laughed.

"Busy being ten years old?" James shrugged.

"Something like that." Leslie stood up and walked around her desk.

"The Chairman is upstairs with Anthony." She leaned closer.

"But Marcus is in the prototype workshop." James' eyes brightened.

"Can I see it?"

"I think Marcus would be disappointed if you didn't."

A few minutes later... James stepped through the workshop doors for the very first time. Immediately... He noticed how different it felt from the rest of the factory. The air smelled of fresh canvas instead of machine oil. Large tables were covered with sketches. Dozens of fabric samples were pinned to corkboards. Different buckles, straps, buttons and zippers were neatly arranged in wooden trays. Several unfinished backpacks hung from metal hooks. It reminded James less of a factory... And more of a design studio.

Marcus looked up from a workbench.

"There he is." James smiled.

"Good afternoon." Marcus walked over and shook his hand.

"You started all this." James chuckled.

"I don't think that's entirely true."

"No?"

"I only planted an idea." Marcus laughed.

"And now you've created extra work for all of us."

"I'll apologize later."

"Don't." Marcus looked around the workshop.

"I haven't enjoyed work this much in years."

William Daniels noticed James and waved.

"So this is the famous young businessman." James scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"I don't know about famous." Linda Foster smiled.

"Chairman Lombardi talks about you quite a bit." James looked toward Marcus.

"... Really?" Marcus grinned.

"Every meeting.""'James suggested this.'""'James noticed that.'""'James thinks ahead.'" The room laughed. James couldn't help feeling embarrassed.

Marcus walked toward one of the workbenches.

"I want your opinion." He lifted the latest backpack prototype.

"This is Number Twelve." James accepted it carefully. The moment it touched his hands... His expression became focused. The room fell silent. Nobody interrupted him. They all knew... This boy had seen something the rest of them hadn't.

James slowly examined every detail. The stitching. The shoulder straps. The buckles. The frame. The pockets. He turned the backpack around several times. Then... He put it on. Marcus watched carefully.

"So?" James remained silent for nearly a full minute. Finally...

"It's good." The team smiled. Then James added,"But..." Everyone laughed.

"There was always going to be a 'but.'" Marcus said.

James removed the backpack and laid it on the table.

"The shoulder straps are much better." He pointed toward them.

"But they'll still become uncomfortable after several hours." Marcus frowned slightly.

"What would you change?" James looked around the workshop.

"Do you have some scrap foam?" The room became quiet. William blinked.

"Foam?" James nodded.

"Soft padding."

"We have some." George answered.

"But we've never considered putting it inside shoulder straps." James smiled.

"I think you should." Marcus folded his arms.

"Explain." James picked up a pencil.

"If the straps remain flat..."

"The entire weight presses directly onto the shoulders." He sketched a simple cross-section.

"But if you place padding inside..." He shaded part of the drawing.

"The pressure spreads over a larger surface."

"It'll feel lighter..."

"... even if the backpack weighs exactly the same." The room fell silent. Marcus looked at George.

"Can we do that?" George rubbed his chin.

"... Yes."

"I think we can." William smiled.

"I like it." Helen had already begun writing notes. Foam-padded shoulder straps.

James wasn't finished. He pointed toward the sides of the backpack.

"There should also be adjustable side straps." Marcus tilted his head.

"What for?"

"So the backpack doesn't become loose when it's half empty." He demonstrated by squeezing the sides inward.

"If someone only carries a jacket..."

"The load won't shift while walking." Peter slowly nodded.

"That makes sense." Marcus looked impressed.

"... It actually does."

James continued examining the prototype. Then... He looked toward Marcus.

"May I?" Marcus smiled.

"Go ahead." James picked up another pencil. At the center of the shoulder straps... He drew a simple horizontal strap connecting both sides. Marcus stared at the sketch.

"... What's that?"

"A chest strap." Silence. James explained calmly.

"When someone walks for hours..."

"The shoulder straps slowly spread outward." He mimicked the movement.

"This keeps them together."

"It also makes the backpack feel more stable." William looked toward George.

"Have you ever seen anything like that?" George slowly shook his head.

"No." Marcus smiled.

"I haven't either." He looked at James.

"But now I want one." The entire workshop burst into laughter. For the next hour... The prototype team wasn't simply listening to James. They were discussing his suggestions. Questioning them. Testing them. Sketching improvements. Exactly the way engineers should. And James welcomed every challenge. He wasn't there to tell them what the future looked like. He was there to help them build it. ☆☆☆☆☆☆ Arc 1: A Second Beginning November 19, 1970 The discussion surrounding the backpack continued for nearly another hour.

Marcus had a habit of questioning everything. Not because he doubted James. Because that was how good products were built.

"If we're adding foam padding..." He looked at George.

"How much will production costs increase?" George thought for a moment.

"Not much."

"Foam isn't particularly expensive."

"The labor will increase slightly." Anthony, who had quietly entered the workshop with Enzo a few minutes earlier, spoke for the first time.

"And how much can we reasonably increase the retail price?" Marcus answered.

"If the backpack becomes noticeably more comfortable..."

"Customers won't mind paying another dollar or two." Anthony smiled.

"So we're increasing value more than cost."

"Exactly." James nodded.

"That's always a good trade." Enzo glanced at his grandson. He couldn't help smiling. That wasn't the sort of sentence a ten-year-old normally said.

James picked up the backpack again. He looked inside. Then looked at Marcus.

"Do people usually put wet clothes inside after camping?" Marcus shrugged.

"I suppose."

"Sometimes." James nodded.

"Then..." He grabbed another sheet of paper.

"There should be small metal holes at the bottom." George frowned.

"Holes?"

"So water can drain." James drew two tiny circles.

"If water gets trapped..."

"The backpack becomes heavier."

"It smells."

"And the fabric deteriorates faster." William looked toward George.

"... Can we do that?" George nodded.

"Brass eyelets."

"We already use them on some military equipment." Marcus smiled.

"Simple."

"Cheap."

"Useful." He wrote another note.

James then walked over to one of the jacket prototypes hanging on a rack. It was an olive-green field jacket inspired by military designs but with a cleaner civilian appearance. He slipped it on. The sleeves fit surprisingly well. The fabric felt sturdy. He buttoned the front. Walked around. Bent his arms. Then frowned slightly. Marcus immediately noticed.

"What is it?" James rolled one sleeve upward.

"The elbows." Helen looked confused.

"What about them?" James bent his arm several times.

"This area wears out first." George nodded.

"Usually." James pointed directly at the elbow.

"Then reinforce it." Marcus looked thoughtful.

"A second layer?" James nodded.

"Exactly."

"If people use these jackets for work..."

"They'll spend hours bending their arms."

"The elbows should last longer than the rest." William quietly smiled.

"I've repaired enough work clothes to know he's right." Marcus turned toward Helen.

"Add reinforced elbows." Helen was already writing before he finished speaking.

James continued examining the jacket. He reached inside. Then looked disappointed.

"Only one inner pocket?" Linda blinked.

"Is that bad?" James nodded.

"I'd make two."

"What for?"

"A wallet."

"And important documents." Anthony crossed his arms.

"Interesting." James continued.

"If people travel..."

"They'll want valuables inside the jacket."

"Not outside." Marcus looked at Linda.

"What do you think?" She nodded immediately.

"It wouldn't be difficult." James smiled.

"Then I'd do it."

Enzo had remained silent for most of the afternoon. He simply observed. Every suggestion James made... Was met with questions. Calculations. Discussion. Nobody accepted an idea simply because James proposed it. And James never became offended when someone challenged him. Quite the opposite. He welcomed it. That impressed Enzo more than the ideas themselves. A good businessman... Didn't fear criticism. He used it.

Eventually, Enzo walked over.

"So..." James looked up.

"So?"

"I've been watching you." James laughed.

"I noticed." Enzo smiled.

"I've stopped wondering where you learned all this." James raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"I've accepted that asking won't get me an answer." The workshop laughed. James smiled sheepishly.

"Probably not." Enzo placed a hand on his shoulder.

"But I do have another question." James waited.

"Are there any products we're forgetting?" The room immediately became quiet again. Everyone looked toward James. He thought for several moments. Then... His eyes slowly widened.

"... Boots." Marcus frowned.

"Boots?" James nodded.

"Eventually."

"Not immediately." He quickly clarified.

"Our factory isn't equipped for footwear." George agreed.

"We'd need completely different machinery." James nodded.

"I know."

"But one day..."

"We should." Anthony smiled.

"Thinking five years ahead again?" James returned the smile.

"More like ten." Enzo laughed loudly.

"Wahaha!"

"I should've known."

Marcus unfolded a large sheet of paper showing the planned civilian product lineup. At the top were the company's proposed launch products. Hiking Backpack Canvas Duffel Bag Heavy Work Jacket Rugged Work Pants Wool Pea Coat Nylon Bomber Jacket James studied the list. Then pointed at the bomber jacket.

"I'd wait." Marcus looked surprised.

"You would?" James nodded.

"I would launch the workwear first." Anthony leaned forward.

"Explain." James pointed to the list.

"Construction workers."

"Mechanics."

"Farmers."

"Warehouse workers."

"They already need durable clothing."

"They'll buy based on usefulness." He then pointed at the bomber jacket.

"This..."

"... is more fashion." The room became thoughtful. James continued.

"If the company is entering a completely new market..."

"I'd rather earn a reputation for reliability first."

"Fashion can come later." Marcus slowly nodded.

"... That's a good point." Anthony smiled.

"I agree." Enzo looked around the room.

"So..."

"Our launch changes." Marcus crossed the bomber jacket off the list. Then rewrote the order. 1. Hiking Backpack. 2. Work Jacket. 3. Work Pants. 4. Canvas Duffel Bag. He looked at James.

"Better?" James smiled.

"Much."

As the meeting drew to a close, Enzo looked around the workshop. Less than a month ago... None of this had existed. Now... Engineers debated new designs. Managers discussed retail strategies. Prototype products filled the room. And in the center of it all... A ten-year-old boy quietly examined every product as though he had spent a lifetime designing them. In a way... He had. Not as an engineer. But as someone who had lived long enough to know what customers would eventually come to value.

Enzo rested a hand on James's shoulder as they prepared to leave.

"I think you've just saved us from making several expensive mistakes." James smiled.

"I hope so." Enzo looked back at the prototype team.

"So do I." As grandfather and grandson walked out of the workshop together, neither noticed Marcus watching them from the doorway. He folded his arms and smiled to himself.

"I've met talented engineers."

"I've met brilliant businessmen." He quietly murmured.

"But I've never met a ten-year-old who could think like both." And somehow... He had a feeling this was only the beginning.