"I still prefer you to be a bit more proper."

Then, the system immediately became serious: "Host has 227 rogue points left, one free newbie lottery draw, 73 superstar points, and three free book lottery draws. Would you like to continue using them?"

"Use the rogue points for three draws."

Of course, Ethan Brooks had to use them. To avoid being so miserable next time, he had to make use of everything he had.

Three things came out. The first was called Typing Expert, which basically meant fast typing. In this era, computers were already widespread in America, even when the internet was still mediocre.

The second thing was... Fried Rice Master? Are they trying to make me a chef?

The last item, Ethan Brooks was instantly attracted to at first glance.

Discord Card: Designate two people, and for a short period, anything will make them find each other unpleasant.

This system is truly rogue! Nothing good ever comes out of it!

However, Ethan Brooks felt that being a rogue had its perks! Maybe at other times, this Discord Card would just be for laughs, but if it's for tomorrow's back-to-back game! It could be really useful!

Chapter 9 Francis's Hostility

Bang bang...

"Ace, Ace, wake up, come have breakfast, you have a game tonight..."

Along with the knocking came a gentle call...

Ethan Brooks was instantly jolted awake by the voice.

Is it time to collect rent again?

Wait, why does the voice sound so gentle today?

Ethan Brooks looked at himself—sure enough, he was still much taller. Sleeping wouldn't just send him back to his original world.

His clothes were still on properly. He'd been too excited last night and fell asleep just like that.

Makes sense.

Ethan Brooks tidied up his clothes and walked out of the room into the small living room.

Ethan Brooks was renting an apartment less than three kilometers from Atlanta's Philips Arena. It wasn't big, just over 40 square meters, with a living room, a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a balcony—just enough.

Ethan Brooks came out and opened the door—it was his landlord.

"Oh, Lydia, I just paid the rent two days ago! And I had to borrow the money! You're not raising the rent now, are you? You said you'd wait until I got my salary before raising it." Ethan Brooks spoke quickly, but without much confidence.

Coming to the US for college, Ethan Brooks rented this place. Back then, the rent wasn't expensive, and the landlady, Miss Lydia·沙维希亚, saw he was a student and didn't charge much—$300 a month, less than half what other tenants paid.

But the rent collection was strict. Ethan Brooks's family wasn't well-off; they could only cover his tuition, so he had to work part-time for living expenses. Sometimes, he could barely scrape together the $300 rent each month.

As for living on campus... international student dorm fees were ridiculously high. In fact, not many Chinese students studying in the US lived on campus. Not to mention the potential for racial discrimination, just the $5,000 annual dorm fee at Georgia Tech, where Ethan Brooks studied, was more than most international students could afford.

Most international students rented places for about $200 a month, or $1,500 to $2,500 a year if paid annually. The apartment Ethan Brooks rented was considered quite luxurious—so much so that his classmates sometimes thought he was rich. Normally, suites above the second floor would cost up to $10,000 a year, but Ethan Brooks only paid $3,600 a year, which was a real bargain.

But after less than half a year, Ethan Brooks wanted to move into a single room like his classmates.

No other reason—just wanted something cheaper. Almost all the residents in this building were couples; he was the only single guy renting a suite.

But one thing was for sure—the rent was much cheaper than for other tenants, and he'd been enjoying this deal for two years...

The beautiful landlady now looked hurt: "Oh, Ace, in your eyes, am I just a woman who only cares about money?"

"...If you didn't remind me to pay rent on the 30th of every month, and didn't talk about raising the rent unless I made it to the NBA, I probably wouldn't think that." Ethan Brooks said helplessly. "So you're not here to collect rent? Then why are you waking me up so early, Lydia?"

He really couldn't figure it out! Why did this woman, who owned a seven-story apartment building with over 20 suites, always act like a rent-collecting landlady every month? Is it that even beautiful women become like this once they're landladies?

"In the future, Ace, you'll be a big star. You won't care about this little bit of rent—you'll probably pay a whole year's rent at once, then go buy yourself a villa, and you won't even ask me for a refund, right?"

Ethan Brooks looked at the beautiful landlady, who still had that money-loving look, and felt helpless.

"Alright, alright, come on, Ace, today your big sister made you breakfast."

With the beautiful landlady being so attentive, Ethan Brooks really wasn't used to it.

These days, people in America are just as materialistic! When he dropped to the second round, the landlady almost raised the rent and threatened to kick him out if he didn't pay. Then, after he signed a contract with a guaranteed first year, she let him stay. After he played a good game and scored 10 points in his debut, suddenly he became a bit famous, and she instantly became so friendly.