Her calm voice reached everyone’s ears, and they all heard her loud and clear.
So people’s expressions changed drastically, while others remained placid.
Her words were blunt, but deep down, they all knew she was speaking the truth.
They weren’t companions traveling together. They had joined a faction established by soone else. That made her the boss and them the subordinates. There was nothing wrong with what she said.
Even before the apocalypse, when people talked about equality for all, power still dictated who had the final say.
And this was the apocalypse!
The handso man who had asked the question, Nathan Cheney, had a series of expressions flash across his face before he finally cald down. He said no more and returned to his spot, not even attempting to rebut Stella Sterling.
The rest of them, after so internal struggle, also slowly regained their composure.
As for the original mbers of Caeluna, they showed no reaction at all.
In their hearts, Stella Sterling was their master, a figure they looked up to, soone on a pedestal they could never reach.
Stella Sterling didn’t care what they were thinking. She continued, "As for the second question, it’s simple: because my Caeluna has the strength to back it up."
The woman before him was speaking so calmly, yet at that mont, Nathan Cheney felt a profound shock.
It was as if she possessed an absolute confidence—confidence in her own strength, and confidence in the strength of Caeluna.
It was this confidence that allowed her to speak the way she did.
After a long mont of silence, he stepped forward again and nodded. "Thank you for the explanation, Sterling. I understand."
After speaking, he gave a respectful bow before backing away. Although he said nothing more, his actions clearly stated his attitude: he was willing to submit.
Stella Sterling once again swept her gaze over the others. "And you? Does anyone else have anything to say?"
This ti, no one spoke. Nathan Cheney had just asked the question on all their minds, so they had nothing left to ask.
Though so of them didn’t agree with what Stella Sterling had just said, there was nothing they could do about it.
They understood perfectly well that unless they chose to strike out on their own or build their own faction, it would be the sa situation no matter where they went.
The only difference was that so leaders would be more tactful, while others would be as blunt as Stella Sterling.
’Go it alone? How is that even possible?’
The competition for resources out there was so fierce that finding a scrap of food could lead to a fight to the death.
And with their individual strength alone, how could they possibly contend with organized, disciplined groups?
’As for building our own faction... we can’t even guarantee our own next al. Who would follow us?’
Here in Caeluna, at least for now, they were given sothing to eat.
Stella Sterling’s voice continued, "I have made myself clear. I told you all that today you would have a chance to choose. If any of you do not wish to stay, you may choose to leave today."
Below, not a single person moved. They all chose to stay.
A corner of Stella Sterling’s mouth curved up. "Very good. Since you have all made your choice, I hope you will all remain firm in it. From this day forward, you are all people of Caeluna. Betrayal will not be tolerated."
Having said what needed to be said, Stella Sterling stood up and offered the new mbers a sincere smile. "Welco to Caeluna. Truly."
With new mbers ca new problems.
Her actions today were a deliberate provocation, forcing them to voice any dissent or dissatisfaction they might have. It was better to resolve everything at once, lest they fall apart at a critical mont down the line.
At the sa ti, she used this opportunity to make her own stance perfectly clear.
And just as she said, today was also their last chance to choose. Once the choice was made, there was no going back.
The person on the stage now wore a sincere smile, looking like a completely different person from the arrogant woman who had looked down on them monts ago.
This left the new mbers stunned for a mont.
Finally, soone started a chant: "Caeluna! Caeluna! Sterling! Sterling!"
As the first voice rang out, one person after another joined in.
Even the new mbers, after a mont of dazed surprise, looked at the smiling woman on the stage, then at the enthusiastic and excited crowd around them, and began to pump their fists and shout along.
In an instant, the atmosphere reached a fever pitch.
Just monts before, they had been resentful of Stella Sterling’s arrogant words. But now, even the newest mbers felt a strange surge of passion, their shouts growing louder and louder.
Everyone’s emotions were inexplicably stirred up. Only the eight people who had been preparing to leave stood off to the side, looking awkward.
If they didn’t join the chant, they would stick out like sore thumbs. But if they did, well, they had already announced they were leaving Caeluna...
At this mont, it seed they would be embarrassed no matter what they did.
Having said what needed saying and made her attitude clear, Stella Sterling seed to transform into another person. She beca gentle and polite, calm and easygoing. Even her voice was much more pleasant. "Rest assured, everyone. By joining Caeluna, your talents will absolutely not be wasted."
"You give your all for Caeluna, and Caeluna will absolutely not let you down. I can’t say you’ll be eating lavishly here, but I will do my best to ensure everyone gets to eat and doesn’t have to worry about their next al."
Food was everyone’s biggest worry right now, so for the new recruits, the weight of Stella Sterling’s words was imnse.
At that mont, any lingering dissatisfaction they might have had completely vanished.
’Who cares what kind of leader she is? As long as we get to eat, isn’t that our greatest ambition?’
Besides, she was the supre commander of Caeluna. What kind of status was that? They would normally never have a chance to even interact with soone like her.
So no matter what she was like, it wouldn’t really affect them much. They just needed to do their own jobs.
Once they ca to this realization, those who stayed grew cheerful, their bodies and minds buzzing with excitent.
Only those who have truly starved know just how tempting the promise of no longer going hungry can be.
Stella Sterling had climbed her way up from the bottom in her past life, so she knew exactly how to handle people.
She was actually being very conservative with her words. With the food she currently had stored, she could feed them for a very, very long ti. They wouldn’t have to worry about food at all.
Most importantly, she could grow crops in her personal dinsion. This gave her a continuous supply of food—an advantage no other base possessed.
No matter how harsh the apocalyptic environnt beca in the future, as long as she had her dinsion, she could continue to plant endlessly.
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