Stella Sterling agreed to the meeting.
Often, one personās strength is limited. Some things require a collective effort to accomplish.
At three in the afternoon, she arrived promptly on the 23rd floor.
She was bundled up from head to toe, wearing an incredibly thick down coat and a scarf around her neck, her long hair coiled up inside her hat.
Even though the meeting was just in their own building, she figured that with so many people gathering, there was no way they would all fit inside someoneās apartment. They would probably end up in the hallway, and there was no telling how long theyād have to stay. It was better to be prepared.
With the issue of warmth sorted, Stella Sterling grabbed her large blade and headed out. Since she was going to someone elseās territory, it was best to be cautious.
On her way downstairs, she ran into other people also heading down.
There were quite a few familiar faces among them, including several people she had taught a lesson to before.
When those people saw Stella Sterling, a flicker of fear crossed their eyes. Upon seeing the large blade in her hand, they let out a yelp and hurried down the stairs. They didnāt dare walk anywhere near her.
They knew all about that blade in her hand. Quite a few people had died on it. It had taken so many lives that they felt their courage fail just looking at it.
Yasmine Holloway saw Stella Sterling. A hint of joy mixed with hesitation appeared on her face. She wanted to approach Stella and say hello, but she was afraid of getting a cold reception.
While Yasmine agonized over it, Stella Sterling didnāt even spare her a glance. By the time Yasmine came to her senses, Stella had already disappeared down the stairwell.
On the 23rd floor, a large crowd had gathered. Even from the floor above, she could hear the clamor from below.
As Stella Sterling descended, she saw that the 23rd-floor hallway was filled with stools, which looked like they had been brought from peopleās own apartments.
Many of the seats were already taken.
Their building had 56 units, of which 52 had been sold. Seven or eight of the owners didnāt live here, leaving just over 40 resident households. But in the two or three months since the apocalypse began, many people had died. Some units were now completely empty, while others were down to a single person.
There were about 30 households with people still living in them. Including the elderly and children, the buildingās total population was still over eighty people. It was impossible for everyone to attend, so most families had sent a single representative.
These representatives were either young adults or middle-aged men and women in their thirties and fortiesāin other words, the pillars of their families.
And today, about 40 people had shown up.
The hallway outside Felix Lawrenceās apartment and the one across from his were both lined with stools.
The whole thing was quite organized. There were even two people specifically assigned to guide everyone to their seats.
When Stella Sterling arrived, the area by the apartment opposite Felix Lawrenceās and the rest of the hallway were almost completely full. Hearing her approach, people looked over. The moment they saw Stella, they fell silent in unison. No one said a word.
They all stared at Stella Sterling with a mixture of expressions, but everyone quieted down upon seeing the large blade in her hand.
Even if some of them were displeased, they didnāt dare to criticize her to her face.
Just then, Felix Lawrence came out of his apartment and personally greeted her. "Miss Sterling, youāre here!"
The next moment, upon seeing that Stella Sterling was actually carrying a large blade, the warm smile on his face stiffened. He looked at her, confused. "Miss Sterling, whatās this?"
Stella Sterling didnāt mince words, stating frankly, "Everyone in the building looks to you as the leader now. While I trust your character, Iām here by myself. I need some way to protect myself. You donāt mind, do you?"
āFelix Lawrenceās character seems decent enough for nowāat least he isnāt some great villain. But people can be treacherous, and Iām on my own.ā Stella Sterling felt she had to be careful.
āI have my dimensional space and could have put the blade inside,ā she thought, ābut if any trouble really started, it would be difficult to pull something out of my space with everyone watching!ā
āItās better to carry it openly and be upfront about it. If he minds, then I just wonāt attend the meeting. I can just turn around and leave.ā
Felix Lawrence was taken aback for a moment, but then he showed his understanding with a hearty laugh. "To be so cautious at such a young age, Miss Sterling, I have to say Iām impressed!"
"Itās only natural. Of course, itās not a problem. This way, Miss Sterling, please!"
He led Stella Sterling into his apartment.
Interestingly, her seat had been placed right next to his.
"Alright, since everyoneās here, letās officially begin. You all should know why Iāve invited you here today. I hope youāll all speak your minds without any hesitation. Even if someone says something you donāt agree with, letās be tolerant of each other. As long as itās a proposal thatās genuinely for everyoneās benefit, we should hear it."
Felix Lawrence didnāt waste time with a long-winded speech to establish his authority; instead, he got straight to the point.
This made Stella Sterling see him in a new, more impressive light.
Moreover, she didnāt fail to notice that most of the people present looked at Felix Lawrence with expressions of admiration and awe.
This admiration and awe were different from the fear that Bell and his cronies had commanded through brute force. These people submitted to Felix Lawrence willingly, from the bottom of their hearts.
With Felix Lawrence having broken the ice, everyone began to chime in, and the discussion quickly became lively.
But after a long discussion, very few genuinely useful suggestions had actually been made.
Many people had nice ideas, and some were driven by a kind of passionate, impulsive fantasy.
But the biggest problem now facing them was that they simply couldnāt leave the building.
The hailstorm outside was relentless, showing no sign of stopping. They didnāt even dare to step outsideātheyād be smashed to death the moment they did. How were they supposed to go out and find food?
While they were deliberating, Stella Sterling was surveying her surroundings.
She noticed that the windowpanes in Felix Lawrenceās apartment were already covered in countless cracks. Although the glass hadnāt shattered yet, it looked precarious.
The people living in this complex were mostly elites or high-level corporate executives before the apocalypse. They had a bit of money, so their apartments were all well-furnished.
Thatās why the glass was still holding up under the relentless pounding of the hail, but only just barely.
By the looks of it, it wouldnāt last much longer.
And if Felix Lawrenceās apartment was like this, the situation in the other homes was probably no better.
"Miss Sterling, I was wondering if you had any thoughts to share."
As Stella Sterling was lost in thought, Felix Lawrence turned to ask her a question.
Stella Sterling was about to turn and look at him when her gaze suddenly sharpened. "Look out!"