Chapter 325: Chapter 325: Leaving
"You actually finished the whole thing?"
Seeing Stella Sterling’s action, Basil Xavier’s eyes widened in surprise.
No one was making this stuff anymore, and the materials were gone, too.
Every tub eaten was one less in the world.
’Isn’t she going to save some for when she gets a craving later?’
"Of course. If you’re going to eat something, you might as well go all out."
Stella Sterling looked up, the casual extravagance in her voice stunning Basil Xavier.
She had stockpiled a ton of this stuff back in the day. Besides these flavors, she had other similar items and plenty more in her personal space.
She didn’t eat this kind of thing often anyway, so there was no need to be stingy with this one meal.
Basil Xavier’s mouth fell slightly agape, and he was suddenly at a loss for words. Faced with Stella’s attitude, he felt he had no rebuttal.
’This is what confidence from having resources looks like. A poor guy like me can’t compare.’
’When you get right down to it, Caeluna Base’s foundation is just that deep.’
The more Basil Xavier thought about it, the more envious he became.
After that, no one spoke, focusing on chowing down.
Since it had been so long since they’d had anything like this, they ate nonstop, sweating profusely.
They were incredibly hot, and this was *inside* the base, where Stella Sterling had arranged for a central cooling system. Although the electricity and fuel it consumed were no small number, there was no choice—it had to be used when needed.
So, while it wasn’t exactly cool in there, it was still ten or twenty degrees lower than the temperature outside, making it far more bearable.
Otherwise, in this kind of weather, you’d start sweating the moment you stepped outside, and it would evaporate almost instantly. Eating this kind of food outdoors would be sheer torture.
"Delicious!"
After they were done, all three of them drank down the last of the broth, completely abandoning any sense of decorum.
When it came to food, appearances didn’t matter. Filling your stomach was the most important thing.
Afterward, Stella Sterling brought out some fruit for dessert.
As the host, she had treated the two of them very well.
As they were leaving, Stella Sterling had bag after bag of sealed seeds packed into a box and ordered someone to load it onto their vehicle.
Seeing all this, Gordon Ford looked at her. "This much?"
He’d thought that when she said she’d give them "some," she really meant just a little.
But here were bags upon bags, with over a dozen different varieties.
’Where did she even get all these seeds?’
Basil Xavier also looked at Stella Sterling with confusion.
"It’s not that much. Our base’s warehouse has plenty more. Since I’m giving them to you, I can’t just hand over a tiny amount. Go on, go on."
Stella Sterling waved her hand. ’Seeing them off out here under this scorching sun is truly unbearable. I just want to get back inside quickly.’
After hearing Stella Sterling’s words, the two men didn’t say anything more.
Watching the supplies being loaded into their vehicle, their eyes filled with gratitude.
"I’ll come find you again in a while," Gordon Ford said, looking at Stella Sterling. Time had passed too quickly, and he still had so much he wanted to tell her.
But he had only managed to free up this time with great difficulty.
"Don’t. Don’t come in a while. I won’t be here!"
Stella Sterling spoke calmly, facing Gordon Ford’s affectionate gaze.
She was about to leave Caeluna Base for somewhere else. Even if Gordon Ford came, he wouldn’t find her.
So she said, "Go take care of your own business. Don’t always be thinking about me. Just don’t fall too far behind me."
Gordon Ford froze for a moment. "I won’t. I won’t fall behind you."
The two men got into the vehicle, and Stella Sterling had someone load more things onto it.
Facing their confused gazes, she smiled. "I really liked the jade and gems you brought for me. Consider this a return gift."
"It’s some food. Of course, I know you at Crescentia Base aren’t short on food and drink, but these are all rare treats, good for satisfying a craving."
Gordon Ford glanced at the items being loaded in. Recalling the self-heating hot pot he had just eaten, he already understood.
He nodded, unable to suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth.
But it wasn’t because of the items!
He looked straight at Stella Sterling. "I’ve received your kind intentions."
Stella Sterling waved her hand. "It’s not really anything special, just a return gift. After all, you brought me so many things that I really liked."
Gordon Ford smiled. "Next time I see you, I’ll bring you more."
"You should get going. It’s unbearably hot out here."
Stella Sterling nodded. She took a couple of steps but then turned back, just as Gordon Ford leaned out to look at her.
The two of them locked eyes and smiled. Stella Sterling then laughed heartily. "I’m looking forward to our next meeting too, Gordon Ford. Stay alive!"
With that, Stella Sterling truly turned around. She didn’t look back again, just waved at them with her back turned.
Then she strode into the base.
"She’s gone. Snap out of it. She’s already gone back inside."
Basil Xavier said with a teasing smile, signaling that they should get going.
By now, both of their clothes were soaked with sweat. Only when the car windows were rolled up was some of the outside heat blocked out.
Basil Xavier grabbed a large bottle of water and chugged it down, but it still didn’t quench his thirst.
In just that short amount of time, he felt like a significant amount of his body’s moisture had evaporated.
Under these conditions, if you didn’t have anything to cool you down and just stood under the scorching sun, no one could last for long.
The temperature was even higher than it had been two days ago.
Most of the roadside plants were dead.
It was too hot; ordinary people couldn’t stand it. Even though they were inside the vehicle, avoiding direct exposure to the blazing sun, they still felt extremely uncomfortable.
Not to mention those who didn’t even have a place to take shelter.
At this thought, his expression grew somber.
’Back during the torrential rain and lightning, the environment was difficult and the nights were fraught with danger.’
’But at least during the day, people could figure out ways to get some food.’
’But in this situation, forget about going out to find food—just staying outside for too long could be fatal.’
’Even if you stayed perfectly still, you would sweat constantly.’
’How many people can survive this?’
He looked at the seeds Stella Sterling had given them, his gaze like he was looking at a glimmer of hope.
’I hope the survival rate of these seeds is really high.’
’It would be best if they could survive even in this outdoor environment.’
’As soon as I get back to the base, I’ll immediately have someone plant a batch inside, and then have someone else try planting them outside.’
’If that works, we can have the people living near Crescentia Base plant them.’
In this situation, Basil Xavier just wanted to do as much as he could.
But most of the time, he was willing but lacked the power to make a difference.
The greater environment was the cause; many things simply couldn’t be changed by an individual’s strength.
Seeing his expression and how he was staring at the scorching sun outside, Gordon Ford spoke up. "Don’t overthink it. We’re already doing our best to help as many people as we can!"
