Ethan leaned against the graffiti-covered alley wall behind Star Combat Club. Vincent Cross, his mentor-turned-adversary, blew cigar smoke into the humid night air.

"That Cheng kid's got claws," Vincent growled. "TigerShark Group blacklisted you across all platforms."

The neon sign above them flickered – TIGERSHARK LIVE: 3.2 Billion Users Online. Ethan traced the logo's glowing jaws. "Lucas Cheng still mad about his failed esports league?"

"Mad?" Vincent barked a laugh. "You humiliated his prototype combat drones on live stream! Twelve million viewers saw the 'Spear Demon' dismantle his billion-dollar toys!"

Ethan's knuckles whitened around his cane. That night flashed through his memory – Lucas' sneer as mechanical gladiators surrounded him, the crowd's roar when he'd jammed a practice spear into their central processors.

"Springvale City," Ethan said suddenly. "My old man's Krav Maga gym needs instructors."

"You'd waste those reflexes teaching rich brats?" Vincent's gold tooth gleamed. "The Vegas Invitational's six months away. Qualify, and even TigerShark can't touch you."

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Later - Riverside Loft

The smell of microwave popcorn greeted Ethan. His girlfriend Mia Li lay cocooned in LED-lit gaming gear, fingers dancing across holographic controls. A VR headset's blue glow illuminated her Korean-American features.

"Two minutes!" Mia called, digital gunfire echoing from her headset. "Almost beat my killstreak record!"

Ethan plucked a controller from the charging dock. "When's your next StreamCon appearance?"

"Canceled." Mia's avatar dodged a rocket blast. "Funny how sponsors vanish when your boyfriend trends as #DroneKiller."

The microwave beeped. Ethan caught the popcorn bag mid-air – 87% butter flavor, Mia's combat fuel. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, TigerShark Tower's laser searchlights swept the harbor like prison spotlights.

"Springvale's nice this time of year," he offered.

Mia paused her game. The headset slid down, revealing determined eyes. "We fight here. My 2.7 million subscribers didn't bail when I dated a has-been gladiator."

Ethan's phone buzzed – an encrypted alert from his former coach. Attached footage showed Lucas Cheng inspecting next-gen battle drones at a private facility. The timestamp: 3 AM. Location: TigerShark R&D Center.

"Change of plans." Ethan grabbed his combat jacket. "Feel like some corporate espionage?"

Mia's grin lit the room brighter than her gaming rig. "Do I get to livestream it?"