Chapter 211 Apologies Come Too Late
Out of sheer curiosity, a teammate dug up an old video of that retired champion and showed it around.
"Look at this gameplay. Doesn't it resemble how she just played? Both the precision and the execution are identical. And the kicker is, that retired champion was also a woman. I heard she had zero rapport with her teammates, totally lacked team spirit, preferring to fly solo. But she was good, so good she single-handedly decimated a five-player team, breezing through to the global title as if on a green light. Many famous teams courted her, but she just retired out of the blue—a real dark horse."
It was the talk of the sports world back then, although those outside the circle wouldn't know.
"Another thing, that retired player was a mystery—no one even saw her face. Just a girl, they said, young and full of potential. So many coaches thought she was a prodigy and waved big money to recruit her, but she snubbed them all."
Now, Reese gazed at her teammate with newfound respect, impressed by the depth of his knowledge.
This revelation hadn't even come from her own lips, but from Alyssa nearby.
"I remember her; she was insanely good. A hardcore fan here, but never got to meet her in person."
Others might not catch on, or might be slow to react, but Malcolm picked up on something.
He'd watched the livestream too. While not a gaming expert, he knew that confidence like hers, that playing style—it was reserved for the elite.
And his wife, she had the look of someone holding all the aces, as if defeat had never crossed her mind.
Although no concrete evidence had emerged, he was fairly certain of the conclusion.
His delicate wife constantly surprised him with her ability to shake things up, even scooping up a world championship in a casual gaming bout.
Malcolm's lips curled into a proud smile.
While the team hadn't reached a consensus, the coach already received startling news.
"What, they're pulling out their funding? Why?"
The caller scoffed, "You know exactly what's going on. You offended the investor's wife and still expect them to fund you? I'm about to skip town myself."
"What! Are you saying that this guy Malcolm is our team's backer?"
The coach hadn't anticipated that they had actually crossed an influential figure.
"It’s all over, seriously over," he muttered, phone trembling in hand.
He overheard the coach and his face went pale, a mixture of panic and disbelief. He couldn't grasp the scale of the man before him, nor could he believe that one of these women, his own wife, was part of such a powerful family.
His teammates became frantic, bombarding the coach with questions.
"Coach, what do you mean? We can't compete anymore? But why?"
The coach snarled with vexation, "Why do you think? Ask him what he just did!"
Stunned, he stuttered, "I..."
The blow was too sudden; he couldn’t comprehend what had gone wrong.
Now, the coach's attitude toward Malcolm shifted drastically as he hurried forward.
"Mr. Flynn, Mr. Flynn... my apologies. It was our player's fault. I'm sorry. Could you please reconsider your decision? I'll have him apologize to you and Reese, okay?"
Malcolm's gaze was icy and piercing. The mere brush of his eyes sent chills down the coach's spine.
"It's too late. Even if he begged on his knees, I wouldn't retract my words."
The intent was clear; the decision was final.
The coach’s face stiffened, then he urged his player, "What are you waiting for? Apologize, now!"
As the saying goes, when under someone's roof, you've got to play by their rules. The player had no option but to capitulate; his future was at stake.
He had planned to retire in a few years with a hefty severance pay and live on like a legend in the hearts of his fans. That was his dream.
Everything had spiraled out of control so quickly, and he found himself walking on thin ice. No matter how tough he acted or how much he valued his pride, nothing could outweigh the importance of his future. He had no choice but to swallow his pride and apologize.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Flynn. Sorry, Reese. It was my fault. I was out of line earlier and offended you both."
But Reese wouldn't accept his apology. "You owe an apology to this young lady here, not me."
Alyssa felt utterly disillusioned. She had admired this athlete for years, thinking him to be courteous and at least possessing basic decency. Meeting him in person shattered that image; he was nothing short of a jerk.
The situation was clear: either he played by their rules, or he would have nowhere to go, and he wasn't ready to throw his future away.
"I'm really sorry, it’s on me. Please, forgive me," he pleaded.
"You should be apologizing to all your fans, not just to me. Also, about the promise you made earlier, aren't you going to keep it?" Alyssa pressed.
His face had turned ashen. He had rashly made a bet with this woman—losing meant apologizing live to his fans and withdrawing from the competition. Wasn't this setting himself up for failure?
Alyssa watched as he remained silent, and she found herself losing respect for him.
"What's the matter? Are you having trouble following through? You gave your word, and a man should stand by his word, right?"
Reese stayed calm on the sidelines, convinced she and Malcolm would find a way out, promise or no promise.
"Hurry up and agree! Who asked you to boast in the first place? Now you're chickening out. If you don't do what she says, you’ll doom our whole team," one of his teammates chided.
The coach had no time to worry about losing face; protecting their interests was paramount.
He clenched his fists tightly. Ever since he'd gained fame, others had always catered to him. Now the tables had turned, and he was expected to bow down.
But he had no other option; without compliance, his downfall was imminent.
He turned to Malcolm, Reese, and Alyssa. "I'm sorry; it's my fault. Please forgive me."
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