Chapter 242: I Am a Person of My Word

"Is what you’re saying really true?"

The man snapped his head up as if he had just seen a glimmer of hope.

His eyes were fixed on Stella Sterling, trying to determine if she was telling the truth.

"Of course it’s true. You can also choose not to believe me and say nothing. But I guarantee if you do that, you’ll be signing your own death warrant."

Stella Sterling crossed her arms and looked down at him, her tone casual and unconcerned.

Her nonchalant attitude made it impossible for the man to tell whether she was telling the truth or if he could really count on her.

He fell silent for a moment, deep in thought. When he looked up again, he had made his decision.

He began to speak, slowly revealing everything he knew.

This included the exact location of Sanctyr Base, who was in charge, the high-level personnel, their strength, and how powerful their weapons were.

He explained everything he knew in detail, without Stella Sterling even needing to ask specific questions.

He knew exactly what she wanted to hear from him, and this was his only chance to prove his worth. His life depended on it.

He spoke without hesitation or any sense of guilt. He had lived well enough at Sanctyr Base, but he was just a minor squad leader. He had only joined the base to survive and felt no deep loyalty to it.

As for whether the information he was leaking would endanger the base, he couldn’t bring himself to care at that moment.

As long as he could save his own skin, nothing else mattered.

Stella Sterling listened and nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. You’ve been very thorough. I’ve taken note of it all. Thank you."

Hearing Stella Sterling’s words and seeing her attitude, the man breathed a sigh of relief.

’Looks like I’m going to live.’

But in the next instant, he heard a loud BANG. Before he could even react, he collapsed to the ground.

A bloody hole had appeared on his forehead, blood gushing out of it.

It was Nathan Cheney, standing to the side, who had fired the shot!

Stella Sterling’s expression was calm. She looked at Shane Lawrence as if asking a question. "I wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger. I didn’t kill him. That doesn’t count as me breaking my word, right?"

Shane Lawrence smiled, his reply perfectly sincere. "Sterling, you didn’t kill him, so of course it doesn’t count."

Stella Sterling clapped her hands, very pleased with this answer. "I’m a person who values integrity. I always keep my promises. I said I wouldn’t kill him if he told me everything, and I absolutely did not kill him personally."

After saying this, she patted Nathan Cheney on the shoulder in praise. "Well done. Killing scum like that is a great service."

Having his shoulder patted and being praised aloud by Sterling, Nathan Cheney’s face suddenly turned beet red. He was thrilled, and his voice stammered, "Th-Thank you for the praise, Sterling."

Seeing how nervous he was, Stella Sterling felt a little confused. She comforted him, "No need to be tense. I was the one who promised not to kill him. You didn’t make any promises. You didn’t break your word, so you don’t need to feel guilty."

Nathan Cheney nodded. "You’re right, Sterling. Besides, anyone would find scum like that unbearable."

After dealing with those men, Stella Sterling looked over at the seven or eight people who were tied up.

The little girl and little boy had already untied their ropes, but they hadn’t left. Instead, they watched from a distance while helping untie the others.

When they saw Stella Sterling looking their way, the people trembled with fear.

This woman had solved their immediate problem, but they weren’t sure if she was good or bad.

Based on what just happened, this woman didn’t seem like a saint. They were afraid she might kill them too.

However, Stella Sterling paid them no mind. After dealing with the men, she motioned for her group to get on the boat and prepare to leave.

The people let out a collective sigh of relief. They had originally hoped this woman would rescue them and, ideally, take them with her.

But after seeing her methods, they no longer dared to entertain such a thought. It was a blessing that she hadn’t killed them.

They wouldn’t dare ask her for any more help!

Besides, even though she had ignored them, she had taken care of those dozen or so brutes, which had resolved their crisis. In a way, she had saved their lives.

So, as Stella Sterling was about to leave, an old man in his sixties, a woman in her forties, and the two children shouted in her direction, "Thank you! Thank you!"

As they spoke, they bowed toward Stella Sterling to show their gratitude.

The other four people watched them. Two remained silent, but their gazes toward Stella Sterling were also filled with gratitude. The other two, however, looked disdainful.

Those two couldn’t help but mutter to themselves, ’This woman didn’t really help us with anything. What’s there to thank her for?’

But they didn’t dare say it out loud, afraid of provoking her.

"I wasn’t helping you, so you don’t need to thank me."

Stella Sterling shook her head, then added, "However, since you’ve already thanked me, I suppose I should do something to deserve it."

Before anyone could process what she meant, she gave a few instructions to Shane Lawrence, who was standing beside her.

Shane Lawrence nodded and hurried toward their boat.

A moment later, he came back down from the boat carrying a box and walked toward the group.

Inside the box were several loaves of bread, a few cans of food, and two bottles of water.

"This is what Stella asked us to give you."

Shane Lawrence placed the items in the old man’s hands.

The old man’s expression was dazed. He swallowed instinctively.

Then, the small group turned back toward Stella Sterling and thanked her profusely again.

"Quick, eat!"

After receiving the supplies, the old man shared them with the woman and two children beside him. After a moment’s thought, he also gave some to the other two men nearby.

Then they all quickly tore open the packages and began to eat, their movements swift.

Only two people seemed to have been ignored; the old man didn’t give them anything.

"Hey, what about..."

One of them, displeased, stepped forward to argue, but the person next to him pulled him back, gesturing toward Stella’s group, who were still there.

The two could only stand aside discontentedly and watch the others eat, their faces sour. They never imagined that simply saying "thank you" would yield such a reward. ’If I’d known,’ one thought, ’I would’ve said it too.’

The nine-year-old boy had also been excitedly tearing open a loaf of bread, but he suddenly seemed to think of something and put it down.

He took his little sister’s hand, walked toward Stella Sterling’s group, and fell to his knees with a THUD. "We don’t want the food. Can you let us follow you?"