Chapter 178: You Owe Me a Favor

The two of them spent the entire morning wandering around the base. They were probably the most idle people in the entire base at the moment.

Stella Sterling now had a general understanding of the situation inside.

The base had an armed forces department and field personnel.

In addition, there were logistics personnel who managed the base’s operations.

Inside the base, there were dedicated office buildings—more than one, in fact—as well as a medical zone, a research and development zone, and an agricultural zone.

Overall, the division of labor was quite clear, with each area having its own person in charge.

There was also a rather special place: the Mission Hall.

People often posted jobs or away missions here, and those who wanted to earn points would come.

It wasn’t just for posting missions. Residents could also trade items with each other and connect here.

They could trade with or buy from one another to get what they needed, or fulfill other personal requests.

It could be considered the liveliest place in the base.

There were other core areas, but the two of them couldn’t enter, and they certainly weren’t about to force their way in.

When they got tired of walking, they found a place to rest.

"See that? The hospital is right up ahead. It’s full of doctors recruited by the base."

Louis Grant said to Stella Sterling, pointing at a three-story building in front of them.

Stella Sterling looked over and saw many people coming and going from the hospital, most of them wearing the base’s work uniform.

Louis Grant, standing beside her, continued his explanation. "The ones in those uniforms are the base’s field personnel. They go outside to search for special materials, gather supplies, and handle other matters."

"Judging by their condition, they must have run into trouble and gotten injured on a mission. I heard that when the base was first established, they went all out to recruit anyone with medical skills. Even people who only knew the basics were prime targets. After all, people get sick, and in the current situation, injuries are even more common. That makes medical staff especially crucial."

Stella Sterling asked curiously, "Are there any top-tier medical talents there, like experts in various fields?"

"Top-tier talents and experts? Of course, there are some, but they’re few and far between. You can’t have them handle every little thing. That’s why the base mostly recruits regular doctors. That’s the norm, after all."

"Besides that, the base is also preparing to train a new batch of medical personnel. Anyone with an interest or aptitude for it can come and study for free."

Stella Sterling nodded. ’The base is building up its human resources,’ she thought.

"Make way! Make way!"

Just then, several people in white coats were seen in the distance, hurriedly pushing a stretcher inside.

Louis Grant looked over. "Looks like someone else got seriously injured on a mission and was brought back."

Stella Sterling also looked in that direction. In that moment, it suddenly dawned on her that the peace within the base was just a veneer, providing a stable place to live.

In reality, the impact of the cataclysm was immense for everyone.

Behind this stability lay the sacrifices of many people.

Even a place like Meridia Base had to venture out to search for supplies and compete, even fight, with others.

"Wait, that person is..."

At that moment, the expression on Louis Grant’s face changed. He shot to his feet and, without even a word to Stella Sterling, bolted in that direction.

Seeing this, Stella Sterling followed behind him.

"Cousin! That’s my cousin! He’s the one who’s injured!"

When Louis Grant saw Stella Sterling following, he gave her a quick explanation and then hurried after the group.

Stella Sterling thought for a moment and continued to follow.

Louis Grant’s cousin was rushed into an emergency room on the first floor. A doctor hurried in, and Stella noticed it was a familiar face—the female doctor from the ship.

"Please let him be okay."

Louis Grant paced anxiously outside. Stella Sterling began asking the people nearby for information.

The person was likely one of Titus Grant’s friends who had been on the mission with him. Although he didn’t know Stella Sterling, seeing how anxious one of the two followers was, he figured they must know Titus Grant and explained the situation.

It turned out that people from Meridia Base had discovered a small coal mine nearby, but another faction had found it as well.

Meridia Base won the conflict, but Titus Grant had been shot and a vital area was hit. The few of them had escorted him back.

Although Louis Grant was worried sick, he still heard what the man said. He suppressed his anxiety and said to him, "Thank you for bringing my cousin back."

"Your cousin?"

The man was surprised for a moment. Then, looking at Louis Grant, he got a better sense of who he was.

He shook his head. "Don’t mention it. Titus Grant and I are comrades-in-arms. It was the least I could do. Besides, his status is special—we can’t let anything happen to him."

Preoccupied with worry, none of them said much after that.

Stella Sterling had nothing else to do anyway, so she didn’t leave.

Louis Grant had calmed down a little by now. He sat next to Stella Sterling, not as talkative as usual, but silently staring toward the emergency room without a word.

Stella Sterling didn’t disturb him. She didn’t know what to say to comfort him, so she remained silent.

After some time, the door to the emergency room opened, and Louis Grant rushed forward.

"How is he? What’s the situation?"

"The patient was shot in a tricky spot, making it difficult to extract the bullet. The main issue is that our tools aren’t adequate for the procedure. Forcing it out would be too risky, but if we delay any longer, his condition will also become critical."

The doctor’s expression was grim; the situation wasn’t optimistic.

The color drained from Louis Grant’s face, and his slightly chubby frame nearly collapsed. Fortunately, Stella Sterling caught him.

Just then, the female doctor saw Stella Sterling standing next to Louis Grant. Her eyes lit up. "It’s you!"

She said hurriedly, "This is great, you’re here! I remember your technique for removing the bullet for that gentleman the other day was flawless. The injury today is very similar to that one. Maybe you could give it a try."

Then she said to Louis Grant, "If it’s this young lady, she might have a way."

Stella Sterling frowned, about to refuse.

Louis Grant, however, looked at her with a pleading expression. "Could you—"

He stopped halfway, not knowing how to finish the sentence. Stella Sterling wasn’t a member of the base’s medical staff; she had no obligation. Besides, his relationship with her wasn’t even that close.

Stella Sterling looked down and thought for a moment. When she looked up again, her gaze was calm. "I can give it a try. Consider it a favor you owe me. But I can’t guarantee I’ll succeed."