Webb called Earl Yates that evening. He introduced himself, explained his background, and asked whether he might help Russell pursue formal study without forcing him to abandon the practical knowledge that made him unusual. Earl listened skeptically, asking pointed questions about laboratory access, academic prerequisites, and whether anyone expected his grandson to become a television personality instead of an engineer. The professor answered every question as directly as he could.
"You sound like someone who has spent a lot of time in classrooms," Earl said at last.
"Guilty," Webb replied.
"Well, he needs those too. Just don't teach him that the instruments are smarter than the men who know what the instruments are measuring."
Webb smiled. "I spend most of my lectures trying to teach exactly that."
Their first conversation lasted almost an hour. By the end they had agreed on an academic plan involving mathematics preparation, engineering coursework, marine systems research, and continued hands-on laboratory work. Russell would be admitted on the basis of the university's actual requirements, with appropriate bridging courses and support where needed. No one would manufacture a degree because a video clip had gone viral, and no one would pretend that ten years in a repair shop counted for nothing.
Russell found this prospect unexpectedly exciting. He had taught himself enough mathematics to solve practical problems, but there were gaps he wanted to fill, and for the first time he had someone offering to help without demanding that he erase his past. He bought new notebooks, then worried that buying them might be a frivolous use of prize money. Denise laughed when he asked her opinion. "Baby, if ten million dollars doesn't buy you a stack of notebooks, I'm not sure what it's for."
The money itself arrived only after weeks of paperwork. Cole's counsel arranged the formal award, Russell retained a lawyer of his own, and a financial adviser explained taxes, trusts, investment risk, and the difference between having money and knowing how to protect it. Earl attended one meeting on the telephone and interrupted the adviser to ask why a fee was listed twice. The adviser corrected the error and afterward began preparing every page as though Earl would inspect it.
Denise insisted that Russell not make promises to every person who suddenly found his phone number. She had relatives she loved and neighbors she wanted to help, but she also knew how money could change the way people listened to one another. She suggested setting aside funds for family security, education, business development, and charitable work rather than handing out impulsive gifts. Russell listened, relieved to have someone say what he had been afraid to suggest.