Chapter 79: No Hesitation... I’m In

"The next player is actually really good—and super kind," Amanda said, scrolling through her phone as I merged onto the expressway. "I’ve known him since I started playing high-elo. Plus, he’s family. My cousin."

We pulled up to a cozy, quiet residential neighborhood. Instead of knocking like a normal guest, Amanda walked straight up to the front door, lifted the doormat, grabbed a spare key, and unlocked it herself.

I paused at the threshold, keeping my hands in my jacket pockets and leaning casually against the doorframe. "Are you sure walking into your recruit’s house unannounced is standard procedure?" I asked dryly.

Before she could answer, a gentle, quiet voice echoed from the living room.

"Big sis?"

A young guy stepped into the hallway. He looked right around Amanda’s age, but the moment he saw us, he offered a polite bow. "Welcome in! Please, come inside." He turned to me, giving another respectful nod. "Hello, sir."

He called her ’big sis’ despite looking like her peer, his demeanour incredibly humbled and polite. I stepped inside, taking in the interior. The apartment had a striking Asian-traditional aesthetic—sliding wooden screens, muted earth tones, low floor seating, and a sleek glass center table neatly stacked with translated manga volumes. It was surprisingly calm and stylish.

Amanda didn’t waste a single second on small talk. She crossed her arms, instantly shifting into stern older-cousin mode. "Why haven’t you been picking up my calls? I tried reaching you all morning!"

"Ah... I’m really sorry, big sis," he said sheepishly, holding up a phone with a completely shattered, black screen. "My phone broke yesterday, and I haven’t had the chance to fix it yet."

"Unbelievable," Amanda sighed, tossing her head back before glancing over at me. "Don’t worry, we’re getting you a new one today."

I caught her look and gave a smooth, single nod. "If you’re on this roster, all your high-tier gear, mobile devices, and gaming tech are 100% covered on my tab."

The boy blinked, looking between my tailored suit and Amanda’s determined face. "Um... I forgot to ask. Who is he, big sis?"

"He’s our financial backing," Amanda declared, clapping her hands together. "We’re starting a pro esports team, and you’re our support player. You’re on the roster now. Pack your stuff."

She didn’t even give the poor guy a second to think it through or digest the offer. But instead of pushing back, he just smiled warmly and gave another humble nod.

"Okay, big sis. If you say so, I’ll do my best for the team."

I raised an eyebrow, genuinely impressed by how smoothly that went. "Well," I smirked, watching him head toward his room to grab his setup. "That was easily the fastest recruitment on the list."

"Alright," I said, putting the car into gear as we pulled away from her cousin’s place. "We need one more player to lock in the starting five. Who’s the final target?"

Amanda checked her watch. "Her tag is NightEye. She works afternoon shifts at a convenience store downtown. If my timing’s right, she just clocked in. But wait—before we left..."

I remembered I had slipped her cousin a business card and a small advance check on our way out to cover his immediate expenses and get his broken phone replaced. The kid had practically bowed to the floor, deeply grateful, making the transition seamless.

Now, it was time for the final drive.

We pulled up to a neat little storefront on the edge of the commercial district. Parked right in front, my supercar naturally drew eyes, but we just strolled inside like regular customers. Amanda grabbed a couple of energy drinks and snacks from the aisles, and we headed straight to the register.

The cashier was a girl with her hair tied back, efficiently scanning our items without even glancing up.

"NightEye," Amanda called out with a grin.

The girl froze, her head snapping up. "Oh—hey... Luna?"

Then her eyes drifted past Amanda and landed square on me. Her eyebrows raised in instant recognition. "Wait... hi, Ethan. You probably don’t remember me, but we go to the same college. I don’t really see you around campus anymore, though."

I shrugged casually. "Don’t go anymore."

She leaned over the high counter, looking out the glass storefront straight at my car parked on the curb. Her jaw dropped slightly. "Wait... so that car outside is actually yours? Julian told everyone on campus that you were just renting it to flex!"

"Julian said that because his ego was bruised," I said smoothly, not giving the campus gossip a single second of weight.

NightEye completely forgot about scanning the rest of the snacks, leaning further across the counter, her eyes glued to me. "Man... what do you even do? Is it forex? Crypto? You have to teach me."

"I’m an investor," I replied, taking a step forward. "And we’re not here for financial advice. We’re here for you. Amanda wants you as our final starter on a pro esports roster."

NightEye’s enthusiastic expression instantly flicked into a weary sigh. She shook her head, sliding another box over the scanner. "Look, guys... I quit gaming. It was fun, but it doesn’t pay the rent. I have real bills to cover now. I need actual money, not fun."

I didn’t utter a word of persuasion. Instead, I reached inside my tailored jacket, pulled out a neat, crisp stack of bills—ten thousand dollars in cold cash—and dropped it right onto the counter next to the scanner.

"How about a twenty-thousand-dollar weekly salary?" I asked, my baritone steady and absolute.

NightEye stared at the massive stack of cash, then up at me, then back at the cash. She didn’t hesitate for even a fraction of a second. She slammed her scanner down on the counter and stripped off her store apron on the spot.

"I’m in."

Amanda burst out laughing as NightEye tossed her apron into the back room, completely abandoned her shift, and walked out to the street with us.

Just like that, the final piece of the puzzle fell into place. The starting line-up was complete.