Chapter 12: Chapter 12: A New Dorm Room
The young intern froze for a moment, then nodded excitedly.
The sales manager standing to the side couldn’t help but look shocked as well. The clients who bought houses here were certainly all very well-off, but no one had ever bought two at once.
The price for a single villa here was very high, so two at once would cost nearly twenty thousand dollars. Not only did few people have that kind of liquid cash, but even for a bank loan, twenty thousand dollars was too high for a standard risk assessment!
"Ma’am, please have a seat. Let me get you a refill of hot water, or would you prefer coffee or juice?" The manager snapped back to reality, her service attitude instantly becoming ten times more enthusiastic.
"Coffee would be fine."
"Of course, right away."
A short while later, the male salesperson returned first with the prepared contracts. Cecilia Sterling didn’t even give him a proper look, simply reaching out to take the contracts and flip through them.
The manager came over with the coffee. "Ma’am, please take your time reviewing the contracts."
With that, she pulled the male salesperson aside.
"Miller, what is wrong with you? The mistake you made today was extremely serious. We nearly lost a major client because of you!"
"Manager, I... I just wasn’t thinking straight."
"The owner originally bought this house through you, which is why they entrusted you with selling it. That was a sign of their confidence in your professional abilities. If you had failed to sell this house because of your own negligence, you would have betrayed the owner’s trust and lost your own commission."
"I know I was wrong, Manager. It won’t happen again."
"Aren’t you usually quick on your feet? The sales authorization is in your hands. No matter who you sell it to, the commission is yours. Do I really need to remind you of that?"
The male salesperson nodded repeatedly, filled with regret.
Cecilia Sterling finished reviewing both contracts and found no issues. She signed the young intern’s contract first. The moment she finished, the intern’s eyes lit up.
’For a nine-thousand-dollar house, my commission will be several dozen dollars! I never expected to close such a huge deal during my internship.’
But when it came to signing the second contract, Cecilia Sterling paused.
She looked up at the manager and said, "This one counts as hers, too."
Raising a slender finger, Cecilia Sterling pointed at the young intern.
Everyone froze. The most anxious of them was the male salesperson, Miller. He opened his mouth but didn’t dare to speak, instead looking at the manager with a pleading expression.
Cecilia Sterling preempted him, looking at Miller. "I know you’re anxious, but don’t be. Whoever provides me with service is the one who earns my money. I think that’s perfectly reasonable."
She then turned to the manager with a slight smile and continued, "This salesperson’s attitude was dismissive. While he was supposed to be helping me, he left me stranded in the sales hall to go serve his ’potential client.’ If this intern hadn’t proactively come to assist me, I most likely would have just walked out."
"As the manager, I assume you have a fair and just system of rewards and punishments. He’s an adult; he should be held accountable for his negligence."
The manager listened and nodded. It was perfectly reasonable for a client who had been treated poorly to complain directly about a salesperson. Besides, this was a major client buying two villas at once.
Even though the owner had given the sales rights to Miller, as an employee of the sales department, Miller’s priority should always be the department and the company.
"Of course, Ms. Sterling. Rest assured, we have no objection to your request. The credit for both houses will go to her."
The manager then looked at the young intern and said with satisfaction, "You did very well. You can become a full-time employee today. Go to HR this afternoon to complete the paperwork."
"Thank you, Manager! Thank you, Miss Sterling!" The intern was so emotional she was on the verge of tears, bowing gratefully to Cecilia Sterling.
Only then did Cecilia Sterling sign the second contract with a satisfied expression.
Miller looked like he wanted to cry but had no tears left. The commission of several dozen dollars that had been in his grasp was gone just like that. He could feel the sting of the loss.
As she was leaving the sales center, her academic advisor happened to send her a message.
"Cecilia, the staff at the logistics office said that room 336 in West Campus, Women’s Dorm C, is vacant. I applied for you. You can move in today."
"Thank you, Director Lawson."
"You’re welcome. If you run into any trouble at school, remember to tell me right away. Try to get along with your new roommates. Be patient and understanding with each other."
It was clear from his message that Director Lawson was still worried Cecilia Sterling would be bullied by her roommates.
Cecilia Sterling felt a warmth in her heart as she read the message. She replied, "I understand, Director Lawson. Don’t worry."
Back at the hotel, because she had bought so many things while out shopping with her sister, she now needed an extra bag for what would have originally fit in a single suitcase.
Luckily, she had bought a large travel bag when she was at the LV store.
Placing the bag on top of her suitcase, Cecilia Sterling dragged it toward the West Campus women’s dorms, happening to pass the basketball courts along the way.
"Hey, look! It’s Cecilia Sterling!"
"She’s so beautiful! Her skin is so pale it’s glowing!"
"Yannick, I heard Cecilia Sterling and Shawn Lane broke up. Is that true?"
The guys playing on the basketball court couldn’t help but stop and stare at Cecilia Sterling. One of them walked over, draped an arm over Yannick’s shoulder, and asked about the gossip he’d just heard.
Yannick was also looking at Cecilia Sterling, but he wasn’t the type to gossip about others. He simply replied, "I don’t know."
One of the other guys grinned. "Hey, you think I’d have a shot if I went after her?"
His words immediately drew a wave of ridicule from his friends.
Someone said, "Who do you think you are? You, going after Cecilia Sterling?"
"Yeah, stop daydreaming."
"You can’t just admire her looks; you should take a good look at yourself, too."
Yannick shot the guy a look and deliberately tossed the basketball at his head. "Keep playing!"
The basketball bounced off the guy’s head, making him cry out in pain. Seeing that Cecilia Sterling had walked further away, they finally turned their attention back to the game.
Only Yannick’s gaze kept drifting, intentionally or not, toward Cecilia Sterling’s retreating figure, his eyes glinting with an unreadable expression.
In dorm room 336, Cecilia Sterling pushed the door open to find it was indeed empty. The four bed frames were just bare wooden boards; there was no one else there.
The floor was filthy, and so were the desks and chairs under the beds. It was clear no one had cleaned up after the room was vacated.
Cecilia Sterling chose the spot on the left, near the balcony—her usual preferred spot. But being the only person in a four-person room felt strangely desolate.
Just then, the dorm room door was pushed open again. A tall, slender girl with exquisite makeup appeared at the entrance.
She frowned at the state of the room, subconsciously waving a hand to clear the dust from in front of her face.
Then her eyes lifted, and she looked visibly surprised to see Cecilia Sterling standing in the room. "Huh? I was told this was an empty dorm."
"I just got here too." Cecilia Sterling took the initiative to greet her. "Hi, I’m Cecilia Sterling, a sophomore in the astronomy department."
"Hi, I’m Estelle Goodman, a sophomore in the bioengineering department."
As Estelle Goodman spoke, she walked inside. Only then did Cecilia Sterling notice a boy following behind her, pulling two large suitcases for her.
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