Chapter 80: The Full Team Ready

With NightEye officially on board, the system pinged in my mind, flashing a bright notification across my vision:

[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ] TEAM FORMATION MILESTONE: COMPLETED

The starting lineup was officially locked: Amanda as Team Captain, PiercerXI on main assault, her cousin handling support, NightEye holding down the flex role, and our fifth filling out the unit.

"Alright," Amanda said, stepping out of the store into the afternoon sun and clapping her hands together. "Now that the roster is filled, we have a huge problem. The regional qualifier tournament starts in exactly one week."

NightEye raised her eyebrows. "One week? We haven’t even practiced together as a full squad!"

"That’s why we don’t have time to waste," Amanda turned to me, her eyes shining with excitement. "We need a complete brand identity—team name, logos, jerseys, media releases—and we need to submit our official roster registration before the portal closes."

"Agreed," I said, checking the time on my watch. "We do this right. Tomorrow morning, everyone gathers at Zenith Headquarters. We’re locking down the branding, setting up the hardware, and getting this squad ready for their debut."

Everyone agreed on the spot. I sent out the location pin to the entire team’s phones, making sure they knew where to be bright and early.

The $7.4M milestone payout was right on the horizon, but it wouldn’t fully unlock until the team officially debuted on stage and made their mark. The core squad was assembled; now came the actual glow-up, the high-tier facility reveal, and the rapid training arc before stepping out onto the big stage.

"Get some rest tonight," I told Amanda as we walked back to the car. "Tomorrow, your pro career actually begins."

---

I was the first to pull up to Zenith Headquarters, stepping out to admire the sleek, towering glass facade before the rest of the squad showed up.

A few minutes later, an SUV pulled up to the curb, and Piercer stepped out. She looked like she had literally rolled straight out of bed—oversized hoodie, messy hair, and half-asleep eyes. She stopped, looked up at the massive building, and gave a tiny nod. "Hmm. Cool."

"Good, you got the text," I said, leaning back slightly.

"Yeah," she drawled. Then she snapped her fingers, eyeing my fit. "Nice outfit. Definitely better than that suit yesterday."

I was rocking a smart casual look—a sharp blazer over a crisp white shirt and tie, paired with relaxed baggy trousers, clean loafers, and, of course, my $50k watch gleaming on my wrist.

"Cool," she added, looking around. "Where are the others?"

"Right on time," I said, nodding toward the entrance.

Amanda and her cousin arrived together next. She finally introduced him properly—his name was Angelo. He gave me another polite, respectful bow as they walked up.

Lastly, NightEye pulled up, looking sharp, refreshed, and clearly hyped to be out of that convenience store uniform.

We all exchanged quick pleasantries right outside the main glass doors, the energy of the full squad finally coming together for the first time.

"Alright," I said, sweeping my gaze over all four of them. "Now that everyone’s here, let’s go inside."

We walked into the grand lobby, and Tiana came straight over to greet us. As the owner of Zenith, she carried a warm, motherly energy in her mid-thirties, her face instantly lighting up the moment she spotted me.

"Ethan! It’s been far too long," she said, giving me a genuine, welcoming smile.

I introduced the squad briefly before getting straight to business. I explained our push for the upcoming regional qualifier tournament in one week. "Most top-tier rosters need an established brand behind them," I told her. "We want this team to compete under the Zenith banner, serving as the official esports branch of the organization."

Tiana looked intrigued, her eyes sparkling at the concept. "Expanding from traditional sports into esports? That’s actually a brilliant move to elevate the brand."

Without hesitating, she called her PA over and instructed them to contact the tournament directors immediately so the Zenith roster could be entered.

While her PA stepped away to make the call, Tiana motioned for me to walk with her slightly to the side. "Speaking of growth, Zenith has had an incredible quarter. We’ve made around 300 million, and I was actually preparing to pay out your investor shares."

"Put it straight back into expanding the brand," I replied smoothly.

Tiana chuckled, shaking her head. "Ethan, 300 million is way too much to just dump back into operations without adjusting equity. You already own nearly half the company! Your ownership stake would skyrocket."

"I’m not doing it for more shares," I said, leaning in slightly. "Consider it a zero-stress business loan. Use the capital for aggressive expansion, and you can pay me back with interest down the line."

She stared at me for a second, clearly impressed by the move, before smiling warmly. "Alright, deal. I’ll have legal draft up the paperwork today."

Just then, her PA hurried back into the lobby, holding a tablet. "Ma’am, the tournament directors said official team registrations closed yesterday. However... once I mentioned that Zenith wanted to sponsor a flagship roster, they immediately cleared an exception. A major brand entering the circuit is a golden opportunity for their broadcast."

"Perfect," I said, stepping back toward the squad. Amanda, Piercer, Angelo, and NightEye were all watching us with wide eyes. "Let’s get their official registration forms processed right now."

Once the paperwork was squared away, Piercer walked out into the waiting room first, flopping dramatically onto one of the leather couches with a long sigh.

"You liar," she drawled, throwing her arm over her eyes. "’Everything will be taken care of,’ you said! Nobody told me ’everything’ included filling out twenty pages of legal forms and identity verification."

"You literally just had to write your name and handle," I said dryly, leaning back with a smirk. "The corporate team did the rest."

"Still grueling," she grumbled, though her lips twitched upward.

The rest of the squad filed out right behind her, looking relieved to be done with the administrative side of things. With the official roster registered under the Zenith banner, I immediately called down to Zenith’s design department. I gave them explicit direction to craft custom, high-tier team jerseys—complete with modern aesthetic cuts, neon trim, and the Zenith emblem across the chest—ensuring they’d be delivered before their stage debut.

"So," NightEye asked, folding her arms. "Do we just sit around and do nothing until match day?"

"Not a chance," I replied smoothly. "Starting today, you’re on a strict, high-intensity boot camp. Six hours of scrims, tactical breakdowns, and target practice every single day until we hit the stage."

As I said that, a translucent screen flashed in my peripheral vision, updating the system calculations:

[ CASHBACK INVESTMENT LOG ]

Previous Setup: $142,000

Team Salaries (5x $20k/wk): $100,000

Gear & Facility Outfitting: $110,000

Operations & Overheads: $48,000

TOTAL DEDICATED: $400,000 MULTIPLIER APPLIED: 50x [ PENDING CASHBACK UNLOCK: $20,000,000 STATUS: LOCKED (Unlocks Upon Competitive Debut)]

"Actually," I said, pausing right as they turned toward the elevator, "you guys need a dedicated, private gaming facility separate from your personal setups."