"Yes, that's Chris."

  Grace nodded lightly but didn't elaborate further.

  She had only met Uncle Chris twice, and one of those times was when he was unconscious. She wasn't sure she could successfully connect with him, so she didn't want to give Richard and the others false hope just yet.

  But after the team dinner ended, Grace immediately contacted her mother.

  Audrey was at home practicing dance. When she answered her daughter's video call, a thin sheen of sweat still clung to her forehead.

  "Oh, practicing?"

  Grace looked at her mother's firm, radiant skin through the screen and couldn't help but comment, "You look great lately. You've aged backwards again. Sending you to dance classes was definitely the right call."

  Audrey wiped her sweat with a towel before replying, "The beauty salon treatments help too. And you—recharging that beauty card with so much money, then signing me up for dance classes with another huge prepayment. You made it so I had to go, otherwise it'd be wasteful!"

  "How is it wasteful? Look at yourself now. No one would believe you're over forty. If you said you were thirty, people would buy it."

  Audrey laughed at her daughter's flattery. Noticing Grace was still outside, she changed the subject. "It's late. Why are you still out?"

  "Dinner with the team. Mom, I have a serious question for you."

  Before her mother could ask, Grace pressed on. "That business card Uncle Chris left on our table last time—do you still have it?"

  "Uncle Chris?" Audrey looked momentarily blank, as if she couldn't place him.

  "The man you saved from anaphylactic shock at the restaurant not long ago," Grace reminded her.

  Audrey's face lit up with recognition. "Oh, him! The business card, right? I think I put it away somewhere. Let me find it!"

  She got up and started rummaging through the storage area in the living room, still chatting with her daughter. "Why do you need his card?"

  "Our team's new project wants to connect with East River Group. I thought I'd try contacting Uncle Chris and see if there's an opportunity."

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  Audrey knew her daughter was investing and starting businesses in Aethelburg, but she didn't understand the specifics. Hearing this, she asked hesitantly, "His group is enormous. Can you really negotiate with him?"

  Grace wasn't sure herself. But business was like that—you couldn't afford to miss a single possible opportunity. Success or failure, you only found out by trying.

  "Found it!"

  Audrey held up the card and waved it at the camera. "I'll take a photo and send it to you, okay?"

  "Perfect." Grace paused, then quickly added, "Oh, Mom, is Tony's tournament over yet? He promised me—once this competition's done, he'd focus entirely on studying for the college entrance exam!"

  "Tomorrow's the big day. He insisted I come to the venue to cheer him on. I don't even understand the game. Your aunt also wants to come watch—like she understands it any better. I'll film it and send you videos!"

  Grace smiled and nodded, chatting a bit more before hanging up.

  Her mother quickly sent photos of both sides of the business card. Grace saved the phone number, hesitating whether to contact him tomorrow or wait until after the project's first successful test.

  October 17th. The "Gods United" National Autumn Tournament was held at the Novastra Sports Center Arena.

  This was a globally popular team-based competitive online game, testing both individual skill and awareness as well as team coordination and strategy. Each major region held four national tournaments—Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter—with teams ranked by cumulative points. The top three teams by total points represented the country in international competitions against other regions' best.

  The international tournaments drew worldwide attention. Championship titles carried immense prestige, and the MVP could earn a personal prize of up to 300 Dollars.

  However, Tony's team was currently just a "wild" team—unaffiliated with any professional esports club. Unlike professional teams that registered through their clubs, wild teams had to register independently and pay their own entry fees.

  Such teams weren't uncommon. Wild teams had to compete in online preliminaries and knockout rounds first. Only the top eight surviving teams earned the right to face professional club teams in today's offline finals.

  Making their Autumn Tournament debut meant they had no points from Spring or Summer. This year, they were just here for the experience and practice, with no real expectation of ranking.

  When Audrey and Aurelia arrived outside the Arena, they were stunned by the massive crowd.

  Surrounded entirely by young people—both guys and girls—they saw fan clubs holding light-up signs and posters. Some popular pro players even had full-scale fan support events outside the venue.

  Support trucks, banners, flags—everywhere. It was like idol fandom!

  "What do these young people do with all their time? How much energy and money goes into this?" Aurelia was overwhelmed, genuinely puzzled.

  Lisa followed some celebrities too, but at most she bought magazines or posters. Nothing like this.

  Audrey naturally didn't understand either. But they were older now—plenty of youthful behaviors escaped them. They'd simply fallen behind the times.

  Holding the tickets Tony had bought for them, they followed the crowd through the gates and searched for their seats.

  By the time the event started, the arena was packed. Team fans began chanting synchronized slogans, shaking the very roof.

  One group finished, another started—wave after wave!

  The two sisters gradually shifted from initial discomfort to something like acceptance. They even found the youthful energy and passion rather stirring.

  Almost moving, even.

  They didn't understand competition rules or game mechanics. They only knew Tony had said their team was in the second group. The team name: "SYBF".

  Translated, it meant "Subdues You, But Fine" —or more idiomatically, "Never Say Die".

  The four floating screens in the arena displayed intense match footage. The sisters tried desperately to understand the game, to grasp the rules. Ultimately, they gave up. The only way to tell who won was by following the commentators' passionate explanations.

  "Sis, just watching these screens makes me dizzy. How can these kids play such a complicated game?"

  Audrey smiled. "Young people have fast reflexes. Not like us."

  Just then, the second match's teams took the stage. Tony's team drew bad luck in the first round—they were matched against a professional team.

  Spotting her son walking onto the stage, Audrey got swept up in the excitement, cheering and shouting along with the surrounding young crowd.

  Aurelia stood up and waved both arms wildly. "Tony! Tony!"

  Tony spotted them in the stands and grinned broadly, looking completely at ease.