Stella Sterling paused for a moment, then she smiled. "Well, that is quite a coincidence. Weâve already made an enemy of Sanctyr Base, so adding a grudge involving you two to the list doesnât change a thing."
When she agreed to let the two of them join Caeluna, she had already prepared herself to make an enemy of another power.
Talented people, after all, always deserve special treatment. What did it matter if recruiting two such talents meant making another enemy? She wasnât afraid.
But she never expected it to be just as they saidâsome things really are that coincidental. These two were the very people who had been driven out of Sanctyr Base.
Well, that solved that problem. It saved her the trouble of making a new enemy.
As for Sanctyr Base, since sheâd already crossed them, she wasnât afraid to cross them even more thoroughly.
Besides, her feud with that base had started back in the Kryllian Mountains.
Even if this hadnât happened today, she would have gone looking for that base to settle the score sooner or later.
She wouldnât even wait for the base to come knocking. Sheâd deliver herself right to their doorstep and settle everything at once. Much more efficient.
And this Sanctyr Base... its grunts on the outside commit such beastly acts, while inside, they have laboratories using people for experiments. Nothing they did could be considered good.
Even Stella Sterling, who considered herself far from a good person, felt the baseâs actions were utterly inhumane.
Now she was genuinely curious about this base. She wanted to pay them a visit.
The two brothers were also delighted. The reason they hadnât said anything at first was that they wanted to see if Sterling would dare.
They were very happy with this result. They could see that while Sterlingâs methods were a bit unorthodox, she still had principles.
Joining a base like this was far better than being in a place like Sanctyr Base.
Stella Sterling then turned to the other two people: a man in his sixties and a woman in her forties.
Compared to the brothersâ enthusiasm, these two were silent and downcast, saying nothing.
Seeing Stella Sterling look their way, the old man let out a soft chuckle. "Young lady, thank you for your kindness, but I donât really have any special skills."
His former profession was completely useless in the apocalypse. If he were younger, he could at least offer his strength for manual labor, but now he was old. He had no combat ability and no technical skills.
A person like him would be of no use to anyone who took him in.
He wasnât like those two young men. They were still young, with limitless futures ahead of them. He, on the other hand, was just a burden.
The woman in her forties beside him also spoke up. "Itâs the same for me. Before all this, I was just a housewife. The only reason Iâm still alive is my sheer determination to see my son again. Otherwise, I wouldâve died long ago."
"Iâd love to join your base, but... forget it. I doubt I meet the qualifications."
She lowered her head as she spoke, her heart filled with disappointment.
Stella Sterling showed no reaction to their words, nor did she seem disappointed. "How would you know if youâre useful to me or not if you donât even say anything?" she asked coolly.
âShe was in a good mood after recruiting two talented individuals, and she could tell these people were decent at heart.â
âSo why not perform a rare good deed and take these two back with her? They had hands and feet, after all. Even if they only did odd jobs, they would still be useful.â
The two of them seemed surprised that Stella Sterling would say such a thing.
They quickly realized she was genuinely offering to take them in out of kindness.
The old man thought for a moment before saying, "Before the apocalypse, I was a retired teacher."
Stella Sterling nodded. "A teacher. Perfect. You can continue teaching at our base and put your experience to good use."
This wasnât just empty comfort. While combat strength and food were paramount in the apocalypse...
...once things stabilized, knowledge would be just as crucial. The base needed to grow, and it couldnât be populated entirely by illiterates who knew nothing.
The old man never expected to be valued like this. He was so moved that his eyes began to well up with tears.
He had been a man who valued his dignity his entire life, yet he had spent the last three years in utter disgrace. His former profession had offered him no advantage whatsoever. This was the first time he felt validated again.
He nodded. "Alright. As long as you donât find this old man useless, young lady, I will certainly do my best."
Stella Sterling smiled. "Knowledge is never useless."
Then she glanced at the woman in her forties. "I imagine youâre a decent cook. You can make meals for us."
âThe base already has cooks, but weâre always eating the same things. Itâs time for a little variety!â
The woman nodded excitedly. She understood that, compared to the others, she was just getting lucky, recruited as an afterthought.
After sorting things out with them, Stella Sterling waved her hand, signaling that it was time to leave.
As for the remaining two men, they were completely ignored.
The two men were resentful. Seeing how easily the others were accepted by the group, they wanted to try their luck as well. They stepped forward. "We..."
But before they could get the words out, Shane Lawrence blocked their path, his eyes filled with warning.
The two menâs faces turned ugly. The groupâs attitude was clear: they were not welcome.
In this situation, nothing they said would likely make a difference.
They didnât understand. They had been saved by that woman just like everyone else, so why werenât they getting the same favorable treatment?
âWas it just because the others said thank you to her? But the two brothers didnât say anything either! Why are we the only ones being treated this way?â
The two men looked completely indignant.
This group was obviously powerful. If they could join whatever faction they belonged to, they would no longer have to live in fear out here.
But they couldnât figure out what they had done. It was as if they had offended the group without doing a thing.
Shane Lawrence couldnât care less whether they accepted it or not. Sterling clearly didnât like them, and that being the case, he wasnât about to let them get close enough to bother her.
In the end, the two men could only watch as the other six people followed the group, boarded their ship, and departed, leaving them behind.
"Dammit! Who the hell do they think they are?"
After the group was gone, the two men finally vented their frustration, cursing up a storm.
Then they threw themselves upon the bodies on the ground and began to rummage through their belongings.