Chapter 748 - 744: No One Can Always Win

A hot pot restaurant near Solara Tower.

Ethan Sterling sat at his table, flipping through a photo album of his trip abroad and reliving the happy memories.

A timid voice suddenly spoke up beside him. "Ethan Sterling?"

Ethan instinctively looked up and saw a girl in a white down jacket looking at him uncertainly.

The girl was dressed in simple, clean clothes, her hair tied back in a ponytail. She had a slender build, but her eyes were exceptionally bright.

"That’s me. Are you Holly?"

"Yes, that’s me."

"Please, have a seat! You must’ve come a long way."

"It wasn’t too bad. Have you been waiting long?"

"Not at all. I happened to be in the neighborhood today, so I figured this place would be convenient." Ethan could tell Holly was a bit shy, so he took the initiative, scanned the QR code with his phone, and handed it to her. "Take a look and see what you want. I wasn’t sure if you liked spicy food, so I haven’t ordered anything yet. I’m not picky, so you decide."

"I’m fine with anything, too." Holly pushed the phone back to Ethan. "But I said this was my treat, so you should order. Don’t worry about me."

"Alright, I’ll order then. Let’s go with a mild-spicy soup base. I’ve been eating bland Western food for a month; I’m worried my stomach isn’t ready for anything more."

Holly nodded. "I saw your post. It must’ve been amazing to watch the World Championship live."

While ordering, Ethan smiled. "You’re a bit different in person. From watching your streams and chatting with you on WhatsApp, I thought you’d be really outgoing, but you seem a little introverted."

"This is my first time meeting someone from online, so I’m a little nervous," Holly admitted. "But you’ve gifted so much to my stream, and we go to the same university, so I felt it was okay to meet."

Ethan said, "I even suggested meeting at Spicewright by the Lorcain University North Gate, right next to the police station."

"I knew you were joking. But why did you want to meet around here? Do you live nearby?"

Ethan finished putting in the order, then gave Holly a mysterious smile. "You’ll find out in a little while."

They chatted as they ate, talking about school and Holly’s stream—topics they had in common. As they talked, Holly began to open up, and her true personality emerged. She was actually quite outgoing and talkative, not introverted at all.

Now that the ice was broken, Ethan seized the opportunity. "Holly, do you know about the Lorcain U Esports Club’s team?"

"Of course." Holly’s eyes brightened as she looked at Ethan, a smile playing on her lips. "I recognized you the moment I saw you. You’re Ethan Sterling, the one who led the university team to the Collegiate League last year, right?"

"You recognized me? Why didn’t you say anything?"

"I figured you wanted to keep a low profile." Holly bit her lip. "You’re such a good player, yet you were gifting my stream. Does that mean you think I’m skilled, too?"

"Exactly!" Ethan nodded seriously, his gaze fixed on Holly. "I don’t just recognize your skill—I need it."

Holly froze. Ethan cut right to the chase with his invitation: "Holly, I’m putting together a new team for Lorcain U. I want you to join us as our Support!"

"Huh?" Holly’s surprise turned to shock. She pointed at herself. "Me?"

"Yes. I really need you!"

"No, no way. I can’t do it." Holly refused instantly, without a moment’s hesitation.

"Yes, you can. I’ve watched your streams—you’re really good. Your rank and your hero’s national server ranking are proof enough of your skill. Why do you think you can’t do it?"

"I can’t play competitively. How many female pro players do you even see?" Holly looked down at her food, avoiding his gaze.

Ethan’s head was starting to ache. ’First, there’s Helen White, who’s completely confident in her skills but doesn’t want to join a team.’

’Then there’s Holly, who has zero confidence in her skills and is too afraid to join.’

’Why is putting a five-person team together so difficult?’

"What are you afraid of? So what if you’re a girl? A girl who can play well can wipe the floor with the guys just the same. I think you’re incredible—none of the Support players in the Collegiate League are as good as you!"

"So... you only gifted me on my stream because you wanted to recruit me for your team?" Holly latched onto the key point, looking straight at Ethan.

Ethan hesitated, but he didn’t want to lie. "Yes. I’ll admit I was a little forward with my intentions, but I also genuinely believe in your talent and need you on the team. Please don’t be mad."

"I’m not mad. I’m actually happy that you see my potential." Holly’s tone suddenly grew calm. "Growing up, I’ve never really felt acknowledged by anyone. Even when I got into Lorcain U, my parents just took it for granted."

"But to be honest, the thought of joining a team... it scares me." She looked at Ethan, her gaze frank. "I can hide behind a screen and stream, no problem. But if I had to stand on a stage, under the scrutiny of so many people, my hands would be shaking so bad from nerves. I’d just mess everything up."

"Ethan, I don’t want to hold you back. I can refund you for all the gifts you sent."

"There’s no need for that. Think of it as a necessary expense for my plan; once it’s spent, there’s no getting it back." Ethan slowed his pace, sensing Holly’s true feelings. "I understand being afraid, and I respect that fear. But what I’m trying to say is, if you can admit you’re scared, why can’t you try to face that fear? Take one step forward. Sometimes, being brave just once is all it takes to overcome it for good."

"I..."

"Don’t say no just yet. Let me finish." Ethan gently interrupted her. "You stream to make some money, right? Well, if you join the team, you’ll have a stable income. Not just a salary from sponsors, but also a stipend from the university. Plus, there’s prize money from winning tournaments. It’ll be much more than what you make from streaming, and a lot more consistent."

"More importantly, you’re a woman. I know a lot of girls love esports, but like you said, female players on the competitive stage are few and far between. This is your chance to step up. Countless people would kill for this opportunity, and it’s right here in front of you. You should grab it. Stepping onto that stage as a female competitor would undoubtedly inspire so many other girls."

"Anything guys can do, you can do too. In fact, you can not only do it, you can do it even better!"

Holly began hesitantly, "But... what if we lose?"

"So what if we lose? No one wins all the time. Even this year’s world champions didn’t have a perfect winning streak. Everyone loses. Losing isn’t the scary part. What’s scary is giving up your chance to win just because you’re afraid to lose!"

Those last words struck her like a clap of thunder, leaving Holly completely stunned.

"Besides, you won’t be the only girl on the team. We have another woman joining us. She plays the Shooter position. The synergy between you two is going to be incredible to watch!"