Chapter 611 - 607: Is This Still Chinese?

Two days later, Cecilia Sterling showed up at Solara Tower.

2706.

A member of the property management staff led the way, unlocking the door and explaining, "Miss Sterling, this was the training base for the Republic University team. They moved out less than two months ago, so a lot of the furnishings are already here. It’ll be ready to use after a quick cleanup."

The Sterling siblings followed him inside. A noticeable layer of dust hung in the air. Cecilia gently fanned it away with her hand before looking at her brother. "Take a look around," she said. "If you’re not satisfied, we can check out the others."

The property manager quickly added, "To be honest, the layouts are all quite similar. This unit is one of the larger ones, actually—over two hundred square meters."

Cecilia said nothing, leaving the decision entirely up to her brother.

Ethan gave the place a quick look. The layout was indeed identical to the Lorcain U team’s training base, but it was just too close for comfort. The proximity rubbed him the wrong way.

The Lorcain U team was in 2708, and this was 2706—only one unit apart.

And as if on cue, just as he was thinking this, Gideon Kent and Owen Lawson happened to walk right past the open door.

Standing near the entrance, Cecilia’s stunning beauty immediately caught their attention. Owen Lawson nudged Gideon Kent with his elbow and whispered excitedly, "Captain, look. She’s gorgeous!"

A moment later, they noticed Ethan Sterling standing next to Cecilia. The smiles on their faces instantly froze, and their expressions soured in unison.

"Ethan Sterling?"

Owen Lawson stopped in his tracks, then strode right into the unit. He glanced around curiously before his eyes settled back on Ethan. "You didn’t check in yesterday or today. Instead of going to the Lorcain U training base, what are you doing here?"

In their eyes, no matter how skilled Ethan was, he was still just a substitute player for the Lorcain University Team.

And as official members, they felt they had every right to lord it over a substitute.

Hearing him speak to her brother in such a hostile tone, Cecilia’s expression instantly darkened. She glared at Owen Lawson, her voice cold. "If you know how to speak, then speak. If not, go learn to bark like a dog. Use that tone with him again, and see if I don’t slap you."

The sheer force of her presence startled Owen Lawson.

’How could such a stunning woman say something so crude?’

Ethan didn’t want to start a fight; forming a second university team wasn’t a direct conflict with them. He gently tugged on his sister’s sleeve and looked at Owen Lawson. "What’s the point of me checking in? I can’t join team practice, and I have zero chance of playing in a match. All you guys need is for me to fill the substitute roster spot. Me not quitting the team is already a favor to you."

Owen Lawson opened his mouth to retort, but one look at Cecilia’s terrifying glare made him lose his nerve.

Just then, Gideon Kent stepped forward and asked Ethan, "So what are you doing here?"

’This place used to be the Republic University team’s base,’ Gideon thought. ’It’s been empty for a month now.’

"The club president asked me to form another university team, so I’m planning to rent a training base," Ethan answered honestly.

There was no way to hide it, nor any reason to. It was a decision made by the club president, Riley Kent, and something Ethan himself wanted to do.

"Form another university team?"

Gideon Kent and Owen Lawson looked shocked. Owen turned to Gideon. "Did you know about this?"

Gideon shook his head, his expression serious.

Owen exclaimed, "You didn’t know? You’re the team captain! And you’re Riley Kent’s cousin! How could you not know?"

Gideon shot him an irritated glare. "I said I didn’t know! Why would I lie to you? She never told me!"

Seeing that Gideon was getting angry, Owen didn’t dare press him. Instead, thinking back on what Ethan had just said, he couldn’t help but sneer. "Forming another university team? With just you?"

Ethan’s brow furrowed slightly as Owen continued his mockery. "So what’s this? You’re planning to rent this place for your training base?"

"Is there a problem?" Ethan asked.

Owen Lawson shrugged and scoffed. "The problem is that university teams have sponsors. This is a professional-grade training facility. Do you have any idea what the rent is for a single month? Do you know the monthly operating costs? Do you know how much money it takes to outfit a team with top-of-the-line computers?"

Ethan watched him with a blank expression, as if he were watching a clown perform.

Beside him, Cecilia let out an impatient sigh.

"You don’t know any of that, do you!" Owen continued his smug tirade. "My advice? Figure out your budget, then find a sponsor with deep pockets, and only then should you worry about anything else. Teams burn through cash. I’m just giving you a friendly reminder."

"Thanks for the reminder," Ethan said, "but I already have a sponsor."

Before Owen could say another word, Ethan looked to his sister. "My sister is going to bankroll my team."

Gideon Kent and Owen Lawson turned to look at Cecilia again.

Cecilia smiled, but her eyes were filled with pure contempt.

"Your sister?"

Owen couldn’t believe it. Every university team, and even the pro teams, were sponsored by major domestic or international corporations. Individual sponsorship was practically unheard of.

Teams were money pits. The big expenses were obvious and burned through cash quickly, but the endless stream of smaller costs was like a leaky faucet, constantly draining funds.

’Ethan’s sister is the sponsor?’

Their shocked and suspicious gazes lingered on her. Ignoring them, Cecilia turned to her brother. "So, this is the one?"

Ethan had been a little hesitant before, but now, he felt a surge of unprecedented resolve. He wanted this place.

"Excuse me," Ethan said, turning to the property manager. "We’ll take this one."

The man nodded eagerly, clearly a fan of decisive clients. "Excellent choice, sir. This is honestly the best unit we have available. If you’re willing to pay the rent for the full year upfront, I can probably get you a bit of a discount."

As he spoke, his eyes instinctively flickered toward Cecilia.

’A little perk for a beautiful customer,’ he thought. He had that much authority, and he certainly wasn’t shy about using it for someone like her.

But then he heard Cecilia ask calmly, "Can we skip the rental? I’d like to buy it."

"Huh?" The manager stared, stunned. "Buy?"

Everyone else was shocked too.

Cecilia nodded calmly. "Is it not for sale? Only for rent?"

"No, that’s not it!" the manager quickly denied. "It’s possible to buy. We do have sponsors who’ve purchased units outright, but they’re always major corporations with long-term investments in the e-sports industry."

"Ma’am, are you planning to buy this training base under your own name?"

Cecilia shook her head, then raised a slender finger to point at her brother. "Buy it in my brother’s name."

Gideon Kent and Owen Lawson both whipped their heads around to stare at Ethan.

Ethan, snapping out of his own shock, broke into an excited grin. "Sis, you’re really buying it for me?"

"Of course. Renting is such a hassle. Buying it is much simpler." Cecilia patted her brother’s head indulgently. "Besides, it’s not that much money."

The property manager audibly swallowed.

’This is Solara Tower,’ he thought. ’"Not that much money"?’

Were they even speaking the same language?