For convenience, Stella Sterling had previously instructed Stephen Lawrence to set up a place to store food. She then took out a portion of the food from her spatial inventory to serve as Caeluna’s granary.

This way, she wouldn’t have to retrieve things from her space every single time—a process that was not only a hassle but also risked exposing her secret.

"I get to make all the decisions?"

Stephen Lawrence asked excitedly.

"Go on. You’ve been with me the longest, so start acting like it. Just look at you!"

Stella Sterling waved a hand at Stephen Lawrence, dismissing him.

She had originally planned to give Stephen Lawrence a bottle of Infinite Water, telling him to dilute a small amount for the new people to drink.

But on second thought, she dismissed the idea.

’It’s not the right time yet. These people aren’t loyal enough. I should wait a while longer.’

"Thank you, Ms. Sterling!" Stephen Lawrence said, beaming as he withdrew.

That evening, he stewed a large pot of chicken soup, roasted over a dozen fish, cooked a huge pot of rice, and prepared several other dishes.

The portion for each dish was quite generous, all of them cooked in large pots.

It was more than enough for everyone.

Staring at the feast laid out on the tables, the others gulped in astonishment.

They had assumed that joining Caeluna would, at best, mean getting a meal and not having to starve. They never imagined that not only would there be enough to fill their stomachs, but there would be proper dishes too.

There was meat, vegetables, and even soup.

A meal like this was something they wouldn’t have dared to even dream of before.

It made them wonder if there was some kind of catch. Otherwise, why would they be fed so well?

This was the apocalypse, after all, with one natural disaster after another.

The old stockpiles were nearly depleted. For the past two years, everyone had been forced to scavenge for supplies. It was a well-known fact that resources were growing scarcer by the day. Even if a few supermarkets or wholesale markets had yet to be discovered, their contents were still out of reach.

But after so much time, with all the rain and snow, most things had long since spoiled and were inedible.

The few resources that remained were fiercely contested, and their numbers were only shrinking.

And most of them didn’t know how to farm, nor did they have any seeds.

Besides, in this weather, even if they planted something, neither grains nor vegetables would survive.

With no new food being produced, everyone’s situation would only grow more desperate.

Even those with stockpiles were rationing carefully for the future; no one dared to eat their fill.

As for ordinary people like them, they had been barely surviving for the past two years. If it weren’t for the fish that had mysteriously appeared on the water’s surface, who knows how many would have starved to death.

But even with the fish, people were just getting by. No one had known a truly full stomach in ages.

Worse still, the fish in the waters had almost been completely fished out. Many people now toiled for hours only to come back empty-handed.

Many of them had been hungry for a very long time. Now, looking at the sumptuous dinner before them, they could hardly believe their eyes.

’Is Caeluna really this extravagant? They’re feeding us this well?’

During the meal, Stella Sterling, as the leader of Caeluna, came out to say a few words. Her message was simple: as long as they followed her without betrayal, then as long as she had food to eat, they would never go hungry.

Her simple words ignited a fire in everyone’s hearts. Deep within the silent mountains, their voices thundered, echoing across the sky.

Every single person looked at Stella Sterling with eyes full of passionate worship.

After her speech, Stella Sterling offered them further reassurance. "Today is your first day as members of Caeluna, and tonight is a celebration in your honor. Please, eat your fill."

"You don’t need to worry that this is your last good meal, either. I have a batch of seeds, and they’ve already been tested. They’re capable of adapting to the current extreme weather. When the time is right, those of you with agricultural skills can plant them, and soon we’ll have a continuous source of food."

Stella Sterling hadn’t even finished speaking when the crowd erupted in excitement. A single good meal was one thing, but their real worry was whether they would have food in the future.

No matter how large the stockpile, it would eventually run out one day. But seeds that could survive in this weather were different. It meant that they could be self-sufficient in the future.

The crowd cheered and roared, and the last shred of worry in their hearts completely vanished.

Having said her piece, Stella Sterling returned to her room, leaving the others to their celebration.

With plenty of hands on deck, the work began in earnest the very next day.

Now they had the people, the tools, and the materials. The base could finally be established.

This was going to be a massive undertaking. The base needed to help everyone survive the natural disasters, and she was considering not just the current rain and thunderstorms, but also future droughts, insect plagues, and everything else she could think of. She instructed Stephen Lawrence to make the plans as comprehensive as possible in this regard.

To her pleasant surprise, among the group of people they found yesterday, there were several experts in this field. One of them, in particular, had done extensive research on building post-apocalyptic bases but had previously lacked the resources to put his knowledge into practice.

Stella Sterling summoned these people to confer with Stephen Lawrence.

The others were also assigned tasks according to their abilities. Of course, the top priority right now was to get the base built.

All anyone wanted these days was a safe place to live with enough to eat and drink. After the previous day, everyone was committed to staying in Caeluna.

They understood that Caeluna’s success was their success, so everyone worked incredibly hard, and not a single person slacked off.

Stella Sterling primarily entrusted this matter to Stephen Lawrence, with Shane Lawrence assisting him.

She, on the other hand, stayed in her room and rarely came out.

Whenever she had a free moment these days, she was studying the Space Manipulation Technique.

Forget the others; even Stephen Lawrence rarely saw her.

Occasionally, when she grew tired or weary from studying, she would leave Mount Caeluna to wander through the surrounding cities.

One day, while passing a small mountain village, she discovered that quite a few people had gathered there.

Due to its high ground, the place hadn’t been flooded.

She saw many people in the village, some of them shouting and hawking wares. Many of the survivors drifting on the floodwaters would pull over to browse, often leaving with a few items.

Because of its unique terrain, this small mountain village had become something of a trading hub for the surrounding area.

Out of curiosity, Stella Sterling piloted her speedboat over to take a look, wanting to see what was there and if there was anything she needed.

The continuous downpour had left the village streets thick with mud and covered in puddles.

Wearing a raincoat and rain boots and carrying a black backpack, Stella Sterling headed toward the most crowded area. After just a few steps, her boots and clothes were already spattered with mud.