Chapter 559 - 568: Shock
Chapter 559: Chapter 568: Shock
They could tell that the man was utterly loyal to her, not hesitating for a moment even when it meant taking his own life.
This just went to show how much prestige Stella Sterling commanded among her people.
The other leaders of Caeluna Base were also silent. Life at Caeluna Base was harmonious; they’d never had to deal with this kind of scheming and backstabbing. They were all brothers-in-arms who had faced life and death together, and they usually got along very well.
Now, with a brother dead before their very eyes, their hearts were heavy with sorrow.
Moreover, they knew he had taken his own life to avoid implicating anyone else at Caeluna Base, which made the reality of his death even harder to bear.
Stella Sterling closed her eyes. "Clean this up and have him cremated. And make sure the ones handling the body wear protection!"
"And... I believe his name was Leo. He has a wife and child in the base. Tell them exactly what happened. Effective immediately, his family’s benefits will be doubled."
Stella’s voice was calm. Had the man been unwilling, she would have killed him herself. She had already confirmed he was infected; she couldn’t have let him live.
But he had been willing to end his own life, which left Stella Sterling feeling unsettled. Since that was the case, she would see to it that his family was well taken care of.
After dealing with him, Stella Sterling turned to Stephen Lawrence. "We’ve conducted an initial screening, but that doesn’t mean we’re safe. Some who ate it before may not have turned yet. We still have to be extremely careful."
"Go get them. I’ll question them one by one."
Stella Sterling knew that, under these circumstances, people might not admit to it. But that was fine. She had her ways of making them confess.
Questioning them now was her way of giving them one last chance.
’If they confess honestly, I will see them off. And I’ll make sure it’s a dignified departure.’
’But if they lie—if they know the risk and hide the truth, endangering everyone—then I won’t be so courteous.’
Stephen Lawrence nodded. Soon, everyone in the base had gathered in the area.
Stella Sterling questioned them one by one, and in the end, several people actually confessed.
The few of them knelt on the ground, their faces twisted with regret. "Sterling! We’re sorry, Sterling! I didn’t want to, but this was before I joined the base. I was starving... I couldn’t take it anymore, so I just ate a little!"
"Sterling, I’m innocent! I was tricked! My buddy lied to me, said it was pork, and that’s why I ate it!"
The men sat on the ground, their expressions anguished.
Stella Sterling stared at them. "I seem to recall Caeluna Base has a rule: anyone who has consumed that meat is forbidden from joining. So you all concealed this deliberately?"
Their expressions froze. Finally, they looked up at Stella Sterling. "We’re sorry, Sterling. We... we didn’t think it was a big deal back then. That’s why we didn’t tell the truth!"
They were filled with regret. They never knew it would come to this. Now they understood that anyone who ate the meat would eventually become an inhuman monster, bloodthirsty and violent, and would attack their own comrades.
If they had known, they never would have eaten it. But it was too late for regrets now.
After a moment of silence, one man suddenly stood up. "I’m sorry, Sterling, for hiding this from the base. I really didn’t think about it that way before. I’ve been here for a long time now. You’re a good person, Sterling, and so is everyone else here. I don’t want to bring harm to any of you, so I’ll end my own life. I just... I have a thirteen-year-old sister in the base. I only hope that you can look out for her in the future, Sterling!"
He finished speaking and looked at Stella Sterling, his eyes pleading.
He knew Sterling was a good leader, kind to every member of the base. She never treated any of them unfairly. But the thought of his thirteen-year-old sister, left all alone after he was gone, compelled him to try and secure a better future for her.
He paused, then hastily explained, "Don’t worry, Sterling, my sister never touched the meat. I knew it wasn’t right, so I never gave her any!"
His sister watched him from the side, her expression a mixture of fear and confusion.
Seeing the man’s pleading gaze fixed upon her, Stella Sterling nodded.
As soon as Stella Sterling nodded, a smile spread across the man’s face. Then, as if he had no regrets left, he ended his own life with a single knife stroke.
His sister screamed in terror and tried to rush over to her brother, but she was held back by the people beside her.
Stella Sterling had the girl brought over and covered her eyes. "Don’t be afraid."
The girl, though still young, was not entirely oblivious. She leaned against Stella Sterling’s chest, crying softly.
Stella Sterling stiffened for a moment, but ultimately, she didn’t push the girl away.
The remaining men were silent. Then another stood up. "Sterling," he said, "I don’t want to hurt anyone here. And I sure as hell don’t want to turn into some kind of abomination!"
He then looked around at the crowd and a slow smile spread across his face. "It’s been an honor, serving Sterling alongside all of you."
With that said, he, too, took his own life.
Then, one after another, the remaining men all chose to commit suicide.
Watching this unfold, everyone present was silent and fearful.
Andrew Shaw and Zane Xavier watched the scene unfold, an indescribable shock gripping their hearts.
’Are these people not afraid of death? How can they be so willing to die for this base, without a moment’s hesitation?’
Zane Xavier’s gaze shifted to Stella Sterling.
’To inspire such devotion,’ he thought, ’Miss Sterling must be an extraordinary leader. I’m honored to have the chance to follow her.’
’If it meant dying for Miss Sterling, I believe I would be willing as well.’
Andrew Shaw stared at Stella Sterling in shock. He’d never thought a woman could be so charismatic that people would line up to die for her without fear.
He asked himself, ’If that were me, could I do the same?’
’I couldn’t,’ he admitted to himself after a moment’s thought. ’I’m too selfish. In a situation like this, knowing that telling the truth means death... if it were me, I would definitely choose to hide it. I wouldn’t tell a soul.’
’I’d even do whatever it takes to deceive those around me. If I was found out, I’d find a way to escape—I’d claw at any chance to live. I would never just give up and die.’
But the actions of these people had shaken him to his core.
Stella Sterling’s gaze swept over everyone present. She noticed a few people who had lowered their heads after seeing what happened, their bodies trembling. She raised her hand and pointed directly at them. "You. Out."