Reborn Rich: Prices Dropped, My Savings Didn't novel Chapter 60

Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Ethan Sterling

It was past midnight again when Ethan tiptoed through the front door.

The lights in the dark living room flashed on. Cecilia Sterling sat on the sofa, watching him with an expressionless face.

"Sis."

When Ethan saw his sister, an awkward smile touched his lips. But upon sensing the anger rolling off her, he lowered his head like a guilty child.

Cecilia had been furious, but in the two hours she’d spent waiting, she’d had time to reflect on her brother’s situation. She wasn’t nearly as angry anymore. Her mind was calm; she just wanted to have a serious talk with him.

"Follow me."

Their mother was already asleep, and Cecilia didn’t want to talk in the living room. She stood and headed for her brother’s bedroom.

Seeing this, Ethan quickly and obediently followed.

His bedroom was the smallest room in the house, containing only a single bed, a desk, and a small wardrobe.

The walls were covered with award certificates, and a dozen or so trophies of various sizes were displayed on the desk and windowsill. The trophies were all spotless; it was clear Ethan cherished them.

Cecilia pulled a chair over and sat. Ethan closed the door and stood by it with his head lowered, sneaking glances at his sister’s face.

A tense silence filled the room. Finally, Ethan broke it, admitting his mistake. "I’m sorry, Sis. I know I’m late."

Cecilia looked at her brother’s pitiful expression, took a deep breath, and said, "I’m not going to yell at you just yet. I’ll give you a chance to explain, but don’t lie to me. I want the truth."

"So, tell me. Is the game really that much fun?"

Ethan subconsciously nodded, then quickly shook his head. "It’s not that, Sis," he explained in a low voice. "It’s because I’m playing with other people. We’re a team, you know? We... we set a time every day to get online and practice together. We have to build up our team’s synergy. If I don’t show up, we’re a man down. I don’t want to be the one to let everyone else down."

Cecilia listened intently. She didn’t play games much, but she wasn’t a complete stranger to them, so she understood what her brother was talking about.

’What surprised her was that her brother was already on a team?’

"Did you sign with a pro team?" Cecilia pressed.

Ethan quickly shook his head. "No, not at all. It’s not that easy to sign with a pro team. We’re just a few guys who met in-game. We want to form a team and enter the fall national tournament. If we place well, we might get a shot at next year’s Youth Training Competition."

"Only by getting into the Youth Training Competition do you get a chance to be scouted by pro teams and maybe get a contract."

To many outsiders, professional esports was just playing games—a waste of ambition and not a real career. But in reality, the path was incredibly difficult. A pro gamer’s career was short-lived. If they weren’t signed by a team during their prime, those years of their youth were essentially thrown away.

Cecilia remembered clearly: last time, her brother had only gotten addicted to gaming after getting into a top university. He later signed with a pro team, just as he’d wanted, but unfortunately, only as a substitute.

Calling him a substitute was being generous; in reality, he was just warming the bench. He sat on the sidelines for two whole years before finally getting one chance to play, but his lack of tournament experience meant he performed poorly.

A five-year contract, a single appearance on stage, and all he got for it was ridicule from the entire internet.

He was also forced to drop out of college for neglecting his studies. Afterward, he scraped by as a streamer, but making a living online wasn’t easy. He streamed for more than ten hours a day, never made much money, and the grind wore his body down long before its time.

In Cecilia’s memories, her younger brother and sister had been the same. They had both poured their hearts and souls into chasing the careers they loved, but in the end, they never achieved any of their dreams.

As she looked at her brother standing before her, she couldn’t summon even a trace of her earlier anger. All that remained was a deep sigh.

"I don’t want to guilt-trip you, but you’ve always been a sensible kid. You should understand that no matter what you want to do in the future, you have to get into college."

Ethan nodded emphatically. "I understand, Sis. I won’t let you and Mom down."

Cecilia gently ruffled her brother’s hair. "Get some sleep. You have to be up early tomorrow."

"Sis, I haven’t eaten yet."

"Good. Then you can go hungry," Cecilia said, turning and closing the door behind her.

Ethan: ...

Cecilia was up early the next day. Their mother was in the kitchen making breakfast.

"Why are you up so early? You should sleep in a little!"

"I’m up now. Did Ethan already leave for school?" Cecilia walked into the kitchen and hugged her mother from behind. She glanced at the plain noodles in the pot, sniffed the air, and said, "Add a little vinegar."

Jasmine Sterling smiled and nodded, then turned to ask her daughter, "Did you talk to him last night?"

"Mhm. I told him he should aim for Lorcain University, and he said he’s sure he can get in."

"And... what about the gaming?"

Cecilia gave her mother’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Mom, don’t worry so much," she said reassuringly. "Ethan said he’s only going to play until the middle of next month. Once his team finishes their tournament, he’ll focus completely on studying. All told, it’s only about twenty days."