Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Still Need Investment?
"You..."
Shawn Lane stared at Beatrice Lynn, his mouth opening and closing, but the words were caught in his throat. He didn’t know what to say.
They had known each other since childhood only because of their parents, but he had never felt the slightest bit of romantic attraction to her. He had always seen her as a little sister.
"Beatrice, listen to me..."
"I won’t!" Beatrice Lynn shrieked hysterically. "I won’t let you like someone else! I won’t let you be with someone else! I won’t, I won’t, I won’t!"
She was acting like a madwoman. Her shrill, piercing roars attracted countless strange looks, and quite a few people recognized Shawn Lane.
"Isn’t that Shawn Lane? What’s going on?"
"Who’s that girl? Crying and screaming at the cafeteria entrance. Is she crazy?"
"Probably not a proper relationship. No wonder his girlfriend wanted to break up with him."
"Are you blind? This girl is nowhere near Cecilia Sterling’s level."
As the chatter grew, Shawn Lane felt a splitting headache coming on. Cecilia Sterling still refused to get back together with him, and now Beatrice was here stirring up trouble. ’If Cecilia finds out about this, she’ll definitely never forgive me.’
At this thought, Shawn Lane deliberately raised his voice and said to Beatrice Lynn, "I don’t need your permission to find a girlfriend! I love Cecilia Sterling!"
This declaration of loyalty made the eavesdropping onlookers’ eyes go wide.
It only made Beatrice Lynn cry harder. Not to be outdone, she roared back, "You just can’t!"
Shawn Lane couldn’t be bothered to deal with her. He left her standing there and walked away.
Unfortunately, Cecilia Sterling didn’t see this spectacular scene.
After leaving the university, she took a taxi straight to the property transaction center. The sales agent had scheduled an appointment today to transfer the title of the secondhand house.
She had assumed the owner had fully entrusted the transfer to the sales department, but upon arriving, Cecilia Sterling learned that the owner had actually come in person.
"Mr. Lockwood, this is Miss Sterling, the one who bought your house."
As soon as they met, the young saleswoman from that day introduced them. Cecilia Sterling saw the name tag on her work uniform and knew she had successfully passed her probation period.
James Lockwood was a little surprised to see Cecilia Sterling. With her stunning looks and youthful energy, she was completely different from the person he had imagined could buy his house in full.
She very clearly looked like a university student.
Cecilia Sterling caught the astonishment in his eyes and, with a calm smile, extended her hand. "Hello, Mr. Lockwood."
"Hello." James Lockwood reached out and, in a gentlemanly manner, shook only her fingertips. He then couldn’t help but sigh, "I truly didn’t expect Miss Sterling to be so young."
Despite his words, he felt a little disappointed.
His original reason for handling the transfer in person was to meet the person who had thrown down thousands to buy his house. He figured their status must be extraordinary, as the sales agent had told him this person had spent over 20,000 dollars to buy two properties at once—in cash.
Someone with such a strong cash flow had to be a significant figure.
’I hadn’t expected a young woman in her early twenties. It’s probably just her family’s money; it has little to do with the girl herself.’
The sales agent handled the process; the buyer and seller just needed to provide identification and sign.
While they were waiting, Cecilia Sterling looked at James Lockwood and asked casually, "I heard you reserved this house a year before it even opened, Mr. Lockwood. Why sell it less than half a year after buying it?"
James Lockwood chuckled at her question and explained, "Plans can’t always keep up with reality. I’ve had my eye on this villa district for a long time, but my company has set its sights on a project for the second half of the year—one with enormous potential. The company decided to make a major investment, so I had to reluctantly part with this house."
Cecilia Sterling nodded. She remembered the sales agent mentioning that the original owner was selling because his company needed the funds.
James Lockwood, meanwhile, studied Cecilia Sterling for a moment before suddenly asking, "Miss Sterling, do you happen to read web novels?"
The out-of-the-blue question made Cecilia Sterling pause for a second, then she nodded. "I do. I read them to pass the time when I’m bored."
Hearing this, James Lockwood’s eyes lit up. "Then have you read Heavenly Destiny as Phoenix? It’s a huge hit with you young people!"
’Heavenly Destiny as Phoenix?’
’That female-centric web novel?’
"I know that book," Cecilia Sterling nodded. Then a thought flashed in her mind, and she blurted out, "Is your company planning to produce the film adaptation of this novel, Mr. Lockwood?"
James Lockwood nodded. "Yes, this book has a huge online following and an enormous reader base. It’s our company’s key IP for the second half of the year. We’re estimating an investment of nearly 20,000 dollars to create an epic, female-led drama!"
’So he’s the boss of a film production company.’
Twenty thousand dollars was the new equivalent of two hundred million. An investment of that size was definitely considered a massive production.
Moreover, Cecilia Sterling remembered that the adaptation of Heavenly Destiny as Phoenix was incredibly successful. Once it aired, it broke numerous records. The top-tier actress who played the lead became the number one actress of her time, and all the new supporting actors also made their mark in the entertainment industry, gaining widespread public recognition.
Her mind raced. She looked at James Lockwood, a smile playing on her lips. "Mr. Lockwood, are you still looking for investors?"
James Lockwood was visibly stunned. "Miss Sterling, you... you want to invest in our show?"
As he spoke, his voice grew noticeably excited.
"Let’s exchange contact information. I’ll take a closer look at the novel later, and if I feel it has potential, I’ll consider it."
Cecilia Sterling didn’t make a firm commitment. ’I want to first understand the characters in the novel, see which one would suit my sister, and ensure I can secure that role. Only then will I decide to invest.’
James Lockwood nodded eagerly and pulled out his phone. "Miss Sterling, let me scan your code."
The company had poured almost everything it had into this project. Just fighting with other companies for the copyright had taken a full year.
If it succeeded, the company would skyrocket to new heights. But a shortage of funds had always been the project’s biggest obstacle.
The company had been constantly trying to attract investment. Filming was about to begin, but they were still far from their 20,000-dollar goal. So when Cecilia Sterling proactively expressed a potential interest in investing, James Lockwood’s excitement was genuine.
"If you don’t mind my asking, Miss Sterling, what does your family do?" James Lockwood asked casually after adding her on WhatsApp.
Cecilia Sterling replied calmly, "I’m an independent investor. I have a good eye for things, so I’ve made some money."
James Lockwood was visibly startled to hear that Cecilia Sterling was a professional investor.
In all his years in the business world, he’d met hundreds, if not thousands, of investors and financiers. He had even seen some young and promising investment prodigies, but he had never seen one as young as Cecilia Sterling.
"Miss Sterling, this Friday night, we’re holding a reception specifically for the project’s investors. Even though you haven’t decided to invest yet, I’d still like to invite you. Would you be able to attend?"
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