Apocalypse Rebirth: Crazy from Day One

Besides the handsome man, several others echoed his sentiment.

"That’s right. Sending all our people away... I find it hard not to suspect that you people from Meridia Base have ulterior motives."

"If you at Meridia Base weren’t going to allow us to bring our people, why didn’t you say so from the start? If I’d known it would be this much trouble, I wouldn’t have come in the first place!"

"What’s the big idea? The people I brought aren’t just subordinates, they’re my brothers! Why can’t my other brothers be here?"

The leaders of several bases spoke up, one after another, to express their dissatisfaction.

But most remained silent. They didn’t immediately send their people out, either. They seemed to be watching how things would unfold, waiting for an outcome before making their own decision.

Stella Sterling noticed that among those who objected, aside from one or two who were genuinely unhappy with the decision, the others all glanced at the man in black before and after speaking.

It was obvious these people were following his lead, taking their cues from him.

She clapped her hands from her seat. "I don’t particularly mind either way, but if you’re making this decision, you do need to provide a proper explanation."

The man in black looked over. Seeing that Stella Sterling shared his opinion, he shot her a meaningful glance.

Ethan Young maintained his stern, unsmiling expression. He didn’t seem angered or flustered by the crowd’s reaction. His face was calm as he once again scanned the room.

When his gaze passed over Stella Sterling, he froze for a second.

Although Stella Sterling had changed quite a bit from a year ago, his impression of her had been strong, so he still remembered her.

’I hadn’t expected to see Stella Sterling here. Is she with another base? Or is she the leader of her own base?’ he wondered.

In his mind, Ethan Young leaned toward the first possibility.

After all, he and Stella Sterling were acquaintances. Just over a year ago, she had been a mere survivor.

It was only because she was friends with Louis Grant and had saved Basil Xavier’s life that he had personally invited her into the base.

Later, because of her superb medical skills, he had sincerely wanted her to stay, but she had ended up leaving quietly without a word.

’But regardless, just over a year ago she was an ordinary person. There’s no way she could have become a base leader in such a short time.’

Establishing a base isn’t something you can do just by being powerful yourself.

There are also supplies, equipment, military strength, and many other factors.

’How could Stella Sterling have accomplished all that in just over a year?’

Stella Sterling’s eyes met Ethan Young’s for two seconds before she gave a slight nod.

Though surprised, Ethan Young didn’t lose his composure. He quickly looked away and then addressed the crowd again.

"Everyone, you’ve misunderstood. It’s not that we don’t welcome you to bring your people. It’s just that space is limited, so we have to ask some to leave. This was poor planning on our part, and for that, we apologize to you all."

"But we will not neglect any of our friends."

"Secondly, the main decisions at this summit will be made by you, the leaders. Whether the others are present isn’t crucial."

"Large crowds can lead to trouble, so we must control the numbers to ensure this summit proceeds smoothly."

"Of course, if you are truly unwilling, we won’t force the issue."

Ethan Young spoke calmly, not forcefully. He simply stated his reasons and didn’t respond to the man in black’s deliberately provocative words.

Most people didn’t really care about the issue, so after hearing Ethan Young’s explanation, many of them had their subordinates withdraw.

Stella Sterling spoke up. "As I said, I don’t mind. As long as the reason is valid, I’ll happily follow the host’s arrangements."

With that, Stella Sterling had Julian Fletcher and her other people withdraw.

Seeing Stella Sterling do this, those who knew who she was followed suit.

In an instant, only the man in black and a few other leaders still had their people in the room.

It was only then that Ethan Young realized the person who had spoken earlier was also Stella Sterling, and now she was acting like this...

’Could it be? Is Stella Sterling really a base leader?’

For her to have come this far in just over a year was enough to truly surprise even Ethan Young.

’No wonder she was unmoved back then, no matter how I invited her or what terms Mr. Magnus offered.’

’It turns out she already had her own plans for the future.’

At that moment, Ethan Young felt a certain admiration for Stella Sterling.

"Since everyone else is doing it, we’ll let the minority yield to the majority. It’s not like we’re trying to be nonconformists."

After a moment of consideration, the man in black made his decision and had his people leave as well.

The moment he made his decision, the few bases that followed him immediately did the same.

Soon, the meeting hall was suddenly much less crowded, feeling far more spacious.

Stella Sterling glanced around and saw there were about eighty or ninety people left.

These eighty or ninety people included men and women, old and young. Each one represented a base, and every single one was likely a figure of considerable influence in their own right.

And anyone invited here by Meridia Base must have come from a base that was at least decent.

Of course, some powerful bases had not attended. This was only a portion of the total; not everyone had accepted Meridia Base’s invitation.

Looking at the people in the room, Stella Sterling gave a wicked arch of her eyebrow.

’If something happened to all these people today, the world would probably descend into chaos all over again.’

The thought flashed through her mind for just an instant before she suppressed it.

’I don’t want to become someone who kills without reason. My principle has always been simple: I don’t bother anyone who doesn’t bother me. As long as there are no interests at stake, I won’t make a move recklessly.’

’After all, I don’t want the apocalypse to turn me into a mindless killing machine.’

The others in the room had no idea that they had just narrowly escaped death because of a fleeting thought from Stella Sterling.

They were all still murmuring amongst themselves.

Just then, Ethan Young spoke again. "To ensure everyone’s safety, we hope you will all surrender your weapons. Of course, for the sake of fairness, our people from Meridia Base will also turn in their weapons."

As he finished speaking, someone approached the crowd carrying a large bag.

This time, everyone was much more cooperative.

They had already come this far; surrendering their weapons didn’t seem like a big deal anymore.

Besides, they didn’t believe Meridia Base would dare to do anything to them here.

Otherwise, as soon as this summit was over, Meridia Base would surely face a siege from all sides. They trusted they wouldn’t be so foolish as to risk that.