Apocalypse Rebirth: Crazy from Day One

There were over thirty of them. They could hold out for a while. ’If just one person like me disappears, they might not even notice,’ he thought. ’By the time they do, I’ll be long gone.’

"Where’s the boss? How come he’s gone?"

"Don’t tell me he was killed by Caeluna’s people?"

"Damn it! Avenge our boss!"

"Avenge him! Avenge him!"

The men on the inflatable boats shouted with fervor, completely unaware that the boss they spoke of had already pushed them out to die.

Dealing with these men would have been simple, but Sterling had ordered them captured alive, so the Caeluna Base members didn’t shoot to kill.

The man who had already slipped into the water grew even more excited.

’This will buy me even more time. Go on, fight! A full-blown brawl is perfect.’

’I’m almost at the shore. Once I get there, I’ll hide for a bit. After these people leave, I’ll be safe.’

But he had underestimated the strength of the Caeluna members, and he had no idea he’d been targeted from the very beginning.

Even without guns, a dozen Caeluna members fighting bare-handed quickly subdued the more than thirty men.

Stella Sterling watched the scene unfold, inwardly satisfied.

The thirty-odd men were tied up and thrown back onto their inflatable boats. The earlier excitement had vanished from their faces, leaving them looking wretched and incredulous.

Just when the boss thought he was about to see a glimmer of hope, he was yanked out of the water and thrown onto a speedboat.

The excited smile was still on his face, but then it froze solid.

"Sterling gave the order to capture you alive, and that means every last one of you. No one gets to run."

Seven Locke spoke coldly, then had his men confiscate the inflatable boats and everything on them.

Then they headed for Stella Sterling’s boat.

At that moment, a respectful Shane Lawrence stood before Stella Sterling.

Stella Sterling tapped her fingers lightly, her tone casual. "If you have something to say, just say it. Your expression seemed a little off just now."

Shane Lawrence looked up, the rims of his eyes slightly red. "Sterling, is it possible for you to let me deal with one of those men?"

"Why?"

Her tone was even. While it wasn’t a major request, she needed to know the reason behind it.

Anger flashed across Shane Lawrence’s face, and his voice was thick with hatred. "Because... that man was once my friend."

Stella Sterling paused for a moment, then understood.

’When Shane Lawrence first joined the base, he told me about his past!’

’His wife was killed by his so-called friend, and he himself almost died at that man’s hands.’

’Given his tone and expression, the "friend" he mentioned obviously wasn’t a real friend. It must be the one who betrayed him.’

She nodded. "Alright."

The rims of Shane Lawrence’s eyes grew redder. "Thank you, Sterling."

This was out on the water, not a suitable place for a long discussion.

She signaled for Julian Fletcher, Seven Locke, and the others to head back.

Everyone returned to the base with the thirty-plus captives.

The people inside the base were a little surprised to see so many people brought back.

They happily greeted Stella Sterling while trying to find out what happened from the other members.

When they learned what these people had done, their faces filled with indignation.

Caeluna was their home, and Sterling was the person they respected most. For these people to tarnish Caeluna’s reputation and have designs on Sterling was, in their minds, an unforgivable crime.

Stella Sterling had all the captives locked up but didn’t punish them immediately.

Since she had decided to use them to send a warning to the surrounding groups, she couldn’t just deal with them so lightly.

The men were all taken away, except for one who was left behind.

It wasn’t their boss, but a square-faced young man in his twenties.

Seeing everyone else being led away while he alone was left behind, he looked around in confusion.

’I’m not sure what’s happening.’

’But based on how things had gone today, I have a feeling this isn’t going to be anything good.’

’But I don’t understand,’ he thought. ’From the moment I sensed something was wrong, I did my best to be invisible, to divert everyone’s attention to others and minimize my own presence. So why did they single me out?’

Just as he was thinking this, a man walked toward him. He had seen him earlier; he seemed to have been on the fishing boat and looked like one of Caeluna Base’s higher-ups.

’I should practice what to say,’ he thought, planning to offer some flattering words to suck up to the man.

’I’m not expecting to be let go, but maybe I can at least make things a little easier for myself for the time being.’

But as the man drew closer, a feeling of familiarity grew stronger. He felt as if he had seen him somewhere before.

"What’s the matter, Mark Ward? Don’t you recognize me after just over a year?"

Shane Lawrence stopped in front of him, looking down on him.

’A year ago, this man had been so arrogant,’ Shane thought. ’He killed my wife and forced me into a corner with nowhere to run.’

’To think that when we met again a year later, he would be working for someone else and fall right into my hands.’

’Now, he’s tied up, and our situations have been completely reversed.’

Hearing that voice, Mark Ward’s eyes widened, and he stared intently at Shane Lawrence’s face. "You’re Shane Lawrence? How is that possible?"

"That’s right, it’s me. I’m still alive."

Shane Lawrence nodded.

Stella Sterling glanced over. Since she had handed the man over to Shane Lawrence to deal with, she didn’t ask any more questions.

She instructed a base member to arrange accommodations for the few people she had brought back, then led Professor Lawrence further into the base’s interior.

By now, Professor Lawrence’s initial shock had given way to a sense of calm.

’This girl really wasn’t kidding,’ he thought. ’Caeluna Base is incredibly strong.’

’From its external structure, the base’s construction looks indestructible. The internal facilities are also comprehensive and clearly zoned.’

’I’m a bit dazed; for a moment, I almost thought I was back in the time before the apocalypse.’

’And every member of the base is strong, each equipped with powerful weapons.’

’If they were let loose, their destructive power would be immense.’

’Moreover, you can tell from the members’ faces that they all have healthy complexions, which shows that they’re living well and have ample food reserves.’

’Before, when this girl captured me and brought me to the base, I was quite dissatisfied. Now, however, I feel I’m actually lucky.’

’It turned out the girl’s confidence wasn’t just for show.’

’She truly has the ability to back it up.’

’Her own personal strength is terrifying, and even her subordinates are all formidable individuals.’

’In a base like this, my safety can be completely guaranteed. I can focus wholeheartedly on my experiments without constantly worrying for my life.’

"My place isn’t too bad, is it? You won’t regret joining us,"

Stella Sterling said with a grin, noticing his strange expression.

And Professor Lawrence didn’t refute her, simply nodding. "Not bad at all. It’s hard to imagine you founded all of this by yourself."