Chapter 725: Spending Money Is My Favorite Thing

Walter Lane stressed the word “must,” making it clear there was no room for argument.

Shawn Lane opened his mouth, but ultimately, he didn’t dare say anything more. The idea of staying had only been a fleeting impulse.

His father was right. He had to finish his studies.

The acquisitions of Cirrus Palace and the Kartel Go-Kart Club were completed back-to-back. The agreements for both stipulated that employees would not be affected; all current staff, including management, would be retained to ensure the businesses could continue to operate normally.

In the club’s lounge, the group threw a private party to celebrate, attended only by their inner circle.

Everyone gathered on the sofas, sipping drinks and chatting idly.

“My company’s winter revenue is up nearly seven percent from last quarter,” Julian Summers boasted smugly. “This has been the most profitable quarter since I took over.”

“Congratulations. A nice rebound. I was starting to think The Sullivans were about to go under,” Cecilia Sterling said, raising her glass with a teasing smile.

Julian Summers’s eyes widened. “Don’t be so dramatic. Our family has enough money for me to squander for years. Besides, I’ve actually been trying to run things properly.”

The others shot him skeptical looks.

Julian’s confidence wavered, and he corrected himself, “Okay, I only really started taking it seriously in the second half of last year.”

He then looked at Cecilia and said sincerely, “Cecilia, and I’m not exaggerating, you’re the one who inspired my ambition.”

“Me?” Cecilia was taken aback. It was the first time she’d heard Julian say anything of the sort, and she found it rather novel. “Ambition? You’ve got to be kidding.”

‘Speaking of ambition, in her past life, she had been single-mindedly focused on working hard and climbing the corporate ladder.’

‘But in this life, she couldn’t recall a single moment when she felt particularly ambitious.’

‘She was even getting lazy about spending money now.’

“It’s true!” Julian insisted, his expression earnest. “I was inspired by watching you make money, money, money. From my perspective, it seems so easy for you, like you can make a profit from anything you touch. So I told myself I had to get to work, and that’s when I started taking the company seriously.”

“Not that I didn’t care at all before, mind you. I just started caring *more* after you inspired me,” Julian added, trying to save face.

Cecilia couldn’t help but laugh. She found his logic peculiar but accepted it graciously. “Alright. Even though I wasn’t aware of it, having a positive influence on you, however subtle, is a good outcome.”

The two of them clinked glasses and took a sip.

“Blair, what have you been up to all break? You’ve barely been out. I noticed you even cut your streams down to two hours a day,” Estelle asked, turning to Blair.

Blair nodded. “I’ve been a little busy. My streams helped my master’s martial arts school get some recognition, and we enrolled a lot of new students after the New Year. I’ve been spending most of my time helping out there.”

“That’s great!”

Blair smiled. “My master is thrilled. It’s just… there are so many kids, and they’re so rowdy.”

“Any cute guys?” Jane Sterling leaned in to ask, her eyes lighting up. “Last time I came to see you, I noticed your school had a lot of students in their twenties.”

Blair shot her a look and asked with a grin, “Why? You thinking of signing up? If you do, I can find a cute guy to give you one-on-one lessons.”

“Now that you mention it, I just might!”

“Come on over. I’m always happy to help a friend with her… hobbies. You can even have a new one every day.”

Hearing that, Cecilia couldn’t help but chime in, “The way you’re describing it, even I’m getting a little tempted.”

Jane Sterling immediately shot her a warning look. “You have a boyfriend! No thinking about things like that!”

Cecilia glanced at Emeric Grant, who was sitting beside her. He just smiled without a word, knowing it was just friendly banter between the girls.

“I’m going to use the restroom,” he whispered in Cecilia’s ear before getting up and heading out.

All eyes followed Emeric Grant until he was out of sight. Then, they all exchanged meaningful glances, clearly very pleased with Cecilia’s new boyfriend.

“Cecilia, he’s hot,” Jane Sterling said with a nod. “He’s my type, too.”

Estelle snorted. “Please. You like *every* type.”

Jane Sterling remained noncommittal, simply raising an eyebrow. “Different types of men have their own unique appeal. You’re still inexperienced. You’ll understand eventually.”

Estelle, who was a bit sensitive to such comments, quickly changed the subject by turning to Cecilia. “Honey, what were you so busy with over winter break?”

The others also looked over. Blair nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I think I’ve only seen you twice.”

Estelle added, “I live right near her and I’ve barely seen her. The few times I did, I had to go hunt her down at her house.”

Jane Sterling chimed in, “Don’t tell me you and Emeric have been at it night after night? Honey, even if you have a lot of stamina, you need to know some restraint!”

Julian Summers asked, “You’re not secretly cooking up some new business venture, are you? Remember to include me!”

Cecilia’s head was starting to spin. She quickly explained, “I really wasn’t that busy. I just wanted to take advantage of the rare time off to be with my family. But if you have to know what I did… I bought an island in Atollia.”

Everyone stared at her, completely baffled. “Huh?”

How could something so out of left field happen?

It sounded absurd, but somehow, for Cecilia, it also seemed perfectly reasonable.

Julian, a bit slow on the uptake, asked instinctively, “An island? That’s a… pretty exotic business venture. Can you make money off it?”

Cecilia gave him a weary look. “It’s purely for spending money. I can’t be thinking about profits all day, every day. Spending money is my favorite part.”

“The island was already a developed resort, and the facilities are pretty comprehensive. I’m planning a complete upgrade to turn it into a luxury hotel island. Once it’s done, you can all come visit, relax, and soak up the sun.”

“See? You say it’s not about profit, but you’re still developing it,” Julian said. “I know the hotel industry! You should bring me in on it.”

“Do you have any money left?” Cecilia asked earnestly.

Julian: “…”

Buying into the club had wiped out almost all his liquid assets. He had barely scraped together enough for a 50-50 split with Cecilia, and that was only because she had cut him a deal. Otherwise, it would have been a 60-40 split.

Cecilia smiled sweetly and raised her glass. “What’s mine is yours. In the future, if any of you want to vacation in Atollia, feel free to bring friends and family. It’s all on the house at my island.”

A cheer went up from the group. Having a friend as wealthy and generous as Cecilia was truly one of life’s great blessings.

When Emeric Grant returned from the restroom, Cecilia stood up to leave. “You guys carry on. I have to go, I’ve got something to do.”

“Oh? You’re not staying for dinner?”

Cecilia shook her head apologetically. “Not today. I already have dinner plans. Next time.”

With that, she and Emeric Grant left the club, hand in hand.