Ethan dad, meanwhile, was in his element. He had sold the toy shop to a happy, young family who had promised to keep its spirit alive, and he was now a man possessed, spending his days visiting potential locations for the new gaming cafe, a tape measure in one hand and a dog-eared notebook full of dreams in the other.
TWO WEEKS LATER
The pre-season was a new kind of challenge.
Apex United was no longer the plucky underdog from League One.
Ethan stood in his virtual office, the gleaming EFL Trophy and the LeagueOne Championship shield sitting proudly on a shelf behind him.
But he wasn't looking at them. He was looking at the number on his main screen, a number that still made his brain feel a little bit fuzzy.
Transfer Budget: £10,375,000
The million-pound prize from the cup win, plus the championship bonus, and a small, initial budget from the board.
The key to building a team that could not just survive in the Championship, but dominate it.
