The tent’s material was sturdy, and she had pitched it securely, but the flood had been so violent. If it had been washed away, she would have no way of finding it.

’As for the others? Being targeted by so many people is a bit of a hassle.’

’But it isn’t enough to make me wary. If they really push me, I’ll just pull out a machine gun and go RAT-A-TAT-TAT. Then no one will dare to mess with me again.’

The thought actually made Stella Sterling a little excited. She wasn’t in the best of moods, and if these people were so eager to help her relieve her boredom, she was more than happy to oblige.

To her slight disappointment, however, it seemed she’d been too ruthless the previous night. The others were wary of her and didn’t dare to make a move.

But their covetous stares were really starting to annoy her.

"Hey, miss. Looks like you’re in a bit of trouble. How about it? Need a hand? I don’t have many hobbies, but I just love to help people."

A gentle voice sounded by her ear. She glanced to the side and saw the slightly chubby man from yesterday with the simple, honest smile.

Stella Sterling didn’t say a word, but the man was already talking, as if to himself. "Of course, all I’d ask for in return is a small bag of crackers. Pretty good deal, right?"

His eyes were also fixed on Stella Sterling’s backpack, just as tempted by its contents as everyone else. He had simply chosen a different approach.

He looked at the woman’s face. She was wearing a black mask, which made it impossible to see her features.

Of course, after two years of torment from natural disasters, most people were starving. Faces were gaunt and haggard; good-looking people were a rarity.

But judging from her clear, bright eyes, she must have been a beauty before all this. ’With a chance to fatten her up and get her cleaned up, she’d probably be quite a sight,’ he thought.

Stella Sterling surveyed the crowd, then looked back at the chubby man, a smirk playing on her lips. "Alright. Then kill them all for me!"

*Hiss—*

Louis Grant sucked in a sharp breath. The surrounding crowd did the same.

The crowd stared at Stella as if she were a madwoman.

There were so many of them, yet she chose to have them all killed. The woman was too ruthless, especially since they hadn’t even made a move yet.

In an instant, their gazes on Stella Sterling grew even darker.

’If we rob someone this cruel, she’ll only be getting what she deserves,’ they reasoned. ’It won’t be our fault.’

Louis Grant was simply stunned for a moment. He clutched his chest. "Miss, was that really necessary?"

Stella Sterling chuckled mockingly. "Didn’t you offer to solve my problem? And isn’t killing them the solution?"

Louis Grant fell silent for a moment, studying Stella Sterling carefully. "While I may not be able to kill that many people, I can still make them back off."

Stella Sterling looked at him, her expression instantly turning cold. "Sorry, I don’t need your help. Stay away from me."

The man had been trying to get close to her, intentionally or not, since yesterday. She was always wary of anyone who proactively tried to get on her good side.

Of course, there was no shortage of genuinely kind people in the world, but she wasn’t about to bet on her luck in meeting one.

Rather than blindly trusting in others’ goodwill, she preferred to treat everyone with a healthy dose of suspicion.

With that said, Stella Sterling walked around him and headed in another direction.

"Well now, looks like I’m not very popular."

Louis Grant muttered to himself. He took the hint and didn’t pester Stella Sterling any further, turning to scavenge elsewhere.

The people who coveted Stella Sterling’s belongings hadn’t given up. They continued to tail her, looking for an opportunity to strike.

’Found it! It’s here.’

Stella Sterling found her tent in a filthy corner.

It had gotten wedged into a corner and was left behind, not washed away by the flood.

’Looks like my luck isn’t half bad.’

Stella Sterling was in high spirits. The tent had been scraped up by debris, but it wasn’t torn, just marked up. It was still usable, at least.

’When you’re on the road, you have to rough it a bit,’ she thought. ’Once I find a place to settle down, I’ll treat myself properly.’

"This is mine!"

Just as Stella Sterling was bending over to pick up the tent, someone rushed in from the side and snatched it up a step ahead of her.

Stella Sterling’s hand landed on the other side of the tent. She looked up at the man. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. I grabbed it first, didn’t I? That makes it mine. You’re not going to try and fight me for it, are you? There’s plenty of other stuff around. Just go find something else."

The man’s tone was firm. He shot a glance at Stella Sterling. He’d arrived late last night and hadn’t seen her in action. Seeing that she was just a young woman, he didn’t pay her much mind.

The men tailing Stella Sterling saw this, and their eyes lit up. Sensing an opportunity, they began to close in on her.

They even exchanged a look of tacit understanding. It was clear they had formed a temporary alliance.

"Alright. If you say it’s yours, it’s yours."

Stella Sterling nodded and let go.

The man was taken aback that she was so agreeable. He was at a loss for a moment, then stammered out, "Thanks!"

"You’re welcome."

Stella Sterling’s lips curled into a smirk. She reached a hand into her backpack—but in reality, she was pulling a machine gun from her dimensional storage. She spun around to face the men rushing at her from behind. RAT-A-TAT-TAT—

The sudden roar of the machine gun filled the air. Before anyone else could react, the men in front of Stella Sterling had already dropped to the ground, one after another.

By now, Stella Sterling had already put the machine gun away, but not before plenty of people had seen what happened.

Someone screamed, and everyone scrambled back, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and Stella Sterling.

"That girl has a gun!"

It was unclear who shouted it, but even those who had been engrossed in rummaging through the trash looked over in her direction, a flicker of fear on their faces.

"She’s a real killer!"

Louis Grant said in a tone of surprise.

"My gut was right. That chick is bad news."

Timothy Chase, also in a corner, muttered darkly.

He had been watching the woman the whole time, but instead of making a move himself, he had waited for others to test her strength.

Now, he couldn’t help but feel relieved.

Quite a few people were gathered in this area. Stella Sterling’s actions were meant to intimidate them, so she didn’t mind if they saw her gun. In fact, she had intentionally let them see it. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

She turned to look at the man who had snatched the tent. His legs were trembling, and before she could even speak, he blurted out, his face deathly pale, "I-I made a mistake. This tent is yours. H-here, take it."