Chapter 47: Mall Sweep 1

He had seen what just happened. Stella Sterling had a target on her back now. Since they were all from the same residential complex, he felt they should help where they could.

The men beside the bald leader exchanged uneasy glances. They were clearly reluctant, but none of them voiced an objection.

Stella Sterling was taken aback for a second, then she smiled and shook her head. "Thanks, but I have something to take care of. I won’t be joining you."

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked away.

"See? I told you she’s no good. We didn’t need to do that," Tripp Pence sneered, complaining to the bald leader.

The others began to chime in, but the bald man raised his voice over them. "That’s enough! She wasn’t the one in the wrong those other times. In a world like this, what’s wrong with being a little tough when you’re in the right? We’re all from the same complex. We don’t know what the future holds. We need to stick together!"

As Stella Sterling was leaving, she saw River Larkin slowly dragging himself toward them. He didn’t notice her. She, in turn, merely glanced his way before walking off as if she hadn’t seen him.

’To endure that much pain from a dislocated arm and still make it all the way here... this guy is a tough one.’

After leaving the group, she didn’t head back the way she came. If memory served, there was a small mall near Solara Plaza.

The heavy snow had blocked the roads for some time, making it impossible for anyone to get around. The mall had long since been shut down, with no staff, and its contents couldn’t be moved.

’Since I’m already in the area, it makes no sense to leave empty-handed. It’s a perfect opportunity to do some scavenging.’

’Right now, most people aren’t desperate enough yet. Besides, with the current conditions, many can’t even leave their homes. Few would think to scavenge these places, which works out perfectly for me.’

She pulled out her binoculars and located the mall. It looked to be about three or four hundred meters away.

She put on her snow goggles and set off in that direction.

"That woman is heading that way! Should we follow her?"

In a nearby corner, the man who had tried to trade places with Stella Sterling earlier was watching her with a few of his friends. When they saw she wasn’t heading their way, one of them grew impatient.

The man, who was in his thirties and appeared to be their leader, thought for a moment before speaking in a low voice, "I saw that bitch with the other group—they’re from the same complex. She has to go home eventually. We’ll just wait for her on the only path back!"

...

CRASH! The glass shattered, revealing a pitch-black space inside.

Stella Sterling stood outside the mall, surrounded by deep snow. The original entrance was completely buried. She wasn’t even sure which part of the building this was; it had taken her a long time to find this one point of entry.

She put the hammer and nails from her hand into her pocket—or rather, into her personal space—and then climbed through the broken window.

She could travel by entering her personal space, but it couldn’t phase through walls. Faced with a solid barrier, she had to resort to methods like this.

CLATTER.

Something fell to the floor with a crisp sound. Stella realized she was standing on a table and carefully climbed down.

The power was out, plunging the entire mall into a darkness that felt gloomy and terrifying. The sliver of light from the broken window did almost nothing to pierce the gloom.

She pulled out her phone and switched on the flashlight, slowly revealing the scene before her.

’This is a Chinese restaurant. It’s so familiar. I came here a few times with my classmates back in the day!’

The food used to be good and affordable, making it a favorite among college students.

Back then, before she had been taken in by the Sterling Family, Lydia Magnus used to bring her here often.

At this thought, Stella Sterling seemed to recall something and fell silent for a moment.

A few seconds later, she closed her eyes, pushing aside the past. She put her phone away, took a headlamp from her space, and strapped it to her forehead to survey her surroundings.

The mall had seven floors. She remembered this restaurant was on the fourth, a level dedicated mostly to eateries.

The restaurant was eerily silent. The tables were all neatly arranged, likely straightened up by the staff before they left for good.

Stella Sterling headed straight for the kitchen but sighed in disappointment a moment later. The restaurant must have bought its ingredients fresh every day, as there was hardly any stock in the back.

There was no meat at all and very few vegetables—only a small amount of potatoes and cabbage that could be stored for longer.

However, she did find several bags of rice, four or five jugs of oil, two bags of garlic and ginger, various other spices for stir-frying, and two unused gas canisters—a welcome surprise.

They were all long-lasting supplies. A bit damp, but still usable. Stella Sterling transferred them all into her space.

On her way out, she also swept the woks into her space. After leaving the kitchen, she eyed the wooden tables and chairs. After a moment of thought, she took them too. If she ever found herself in the wild, they could be broken down for firewood. Better to put them to use than let them get buried in snow, only to be ruined by water damage when it all melted.

The fourth floor was entirely food establishments, so Stella Sterling decided to clear the whole level. In another restaurant, she found some pork, beef, and lamb that had been in a freezer. Even with the power out, the freezing weather had kept the meat from spoiling, so it was still edible.

Her biggest score, however, came from a buffet-style hot pot restaurant. It was stocked with a huge variety of ingredients.

There was even seafood—shrimp, crab, sea snails, and more—all perfectly preserved. Stella’s eyes lit up at the sight.

She also found over a dozen large, uncut rolls of fatty beef and lamb. Stella stowed them away in her space, already planning to treat herself to an extra-large meal that night.

Her smile faded slightly, however, when she made an unexpected discovery in the back kitchen: the so-called fatty lamb rolls were actually synthetic, pieced together from other food products.

’This buffet wasn’t even cheap. I can’t believe the owner would stoop to this. What a crook.’

Still, it was edible, so Stella didn’t let it go to waste.

A more thorough search yielded a large stash of hot pot soup bases, which she promptly swept into her space without a second thought.

’Eating hot pot at home while it’s snowing outside in the dead of winter... The thought alone was enough to make my scalp tingle with pleasure.’

In the food display area, there were also some pre-cooked dishes and other leftover ingredients. They hadn’t spoiled, but after a moment of consideration, she decided not to take them.

’For one, they’ve been sitting out for a while, so the texture would be off. I’m not that desperate for food right now, so there’s no need.’

’And for two, it leaves a little hope for the next person. If another survivor makes their way here, at least their trip won’t have been for nothing.’

’It wasn’t that she was kind. She was just thinking of her past self, desperately scrounging for food. Leaving behind something she didn’t really need in exchange for giving someone else a chance to survive... in a way, wasn’t that like giving her former self a chance to survive, too?’