Stella Sterling looked at him, about to speak, but swallowed her words when she saw his calm expression.

She stepped aside. "Be my guest!"

Timothy Chase hadn’t expected Stella Sterling to actually back off just because of this man’s words.

The two brothers were secretly delighted. It was best if Stella Sterling didn’t get involved.

As for this old geezer, they weren’t afraid of him.

They were wary of Stella Sterling because of her resources. But now that she had backed off, what was there to be afraid of?

At this thought, Timothy Chase’s eyes lit up. This old geezer was so arrogant and disrespectful. He’d like to see what he was really made of.

But just as he was about to make a move, Leo Chase grabbed his arm and shook his head.

Timothy Chase froze for a moment. But he had always known his older brother was smarter than him; he must have a good reason for this. So, he calmed down and didn’t make any rash moves.

Only then did he notice that, in the small mountain village, the villagers who had just been trading so enthusiastically were now holding sharp weapons and had subtly begun to encircle them.

Timothy Chase’s heart sank. The looks in their eyes were anything but friendly. Even the other visiting traders didn’t seem to have noticed.

No wonder the middle-aged man had been so calm and unhurried.

’So he’s not alone. The entire village, this whole trading post—they’re all united against outsiders.’

Standing to the side, Stella Sterling had noticed it as well.

’Come to think of it,’ she thought, ’who would dare to come out and trade in these chaotic times if they were just ordinary people?’

’Without some strength, they would have been robbed of everything long ago. How could they possibly dare to run a trading post here?’

She looked at the middle-aged man and sighed inwardly.

’This man always had wide connections, many friends, and plenty of resources. To think he’s thriving even after the apocalypse.’

At some point, the Chase brothers exchanged a look, shouted to each other, and then, without a moment’s hesitation, bolted.

The small village was surrounded by water, and their boat was moored nearby. The two of them sprinted toward it, several people hot on their heels.

The two brothers got injured in the process but were lucky enough to escape.

"That’s enough, let them go! But remember their faces. If any of our people run into them again, show them no mercy!"

The middle-aged man called out, signaling his men to stop the pursuit and return.

Hearing his command, they all fell back.

The other traders who had come to the area were stunned.

Any who had previously looked down on this small village or entertained notions of robbing them now firmly suppressed those thoughts.

The people of this small village weren’t just individuals; they were an organized group, and every one of them was armed.

United, they were a formidable force. If you tried to rob them, one careless mistake could cost you your life, just like those two brothers. If they hadn’t been so quick to flee, they would have died right here.

And so, the onlookers abandoned any ulterior motives. Some left in a hurry, while others meekly took out their goods to trade before also departing quickly.

As for the men who had just chased the Chase brothers, once they returned, they acted as if nothing had happened. They went back to their business, their faces once again full of welcoming smiles, with no trace of their previous ferocity.

"Interesting."

Stella Sterling took in the scene, raising an eyebrow.

"Young lady, thank you for speaking up just now. I’m Mr. Cheney, and in this apocalypse, I’ve seen all sorts of people. I’ve met plenty of their kind. Thinking they could bully me? In their dreams!"

"But for someone so young to have such a strong sense of justice... that’s truly rare."

The middle-aged man turned to Stella Sterling, speaking with a wide, beaming smile.

In contrast to the calmness he’d shown when facing the Chase brothers, the middle-aged man now seemed much more hearty and frank.

Stella Sterling put her thoughts aside and looked at him. "Mr. Cheney, it’s been two years. You’re as sharp as ever."

Hearing this, Mr. Cheney’s smile faltered for a moment. "You know me?"

He had felt a sense of familiarity from this woman earlier. Now, hearing her words, Mr. Cheney was even more certain they had met before.

He just couldn’t, for the life of him, recall who she was.

"Haha, you don’t remember me, Mr. Cheney? I remember you, though. You helped me acquire quite a lot of things back in the day."

Stella Sterling smiled; seeing an acquaintance from two years ago put her in a good mood.

At first, Mr. Cheney just stared at her in confusion. The more he studied Stella Sterling’s face, the more familiar it seemed. His eyes grew wider and wider, and a moment later, he burst out laughing. "Miss Sterling! So it was you!"

He recalled a huge deal he’d made right before the apocalypse. The client was young but incredibly generous. In the course of their business, he had made a good profit from her and had also sourced many valuable items for her. Of course, he remembered her.

It was just that she had changed quite a bit in the past two years. More importantly, he never would have imagined that Miss Sterling, a young woman all by herself, could have survived this long in the apocalypse, let alone dared to venture out on her own like this.

The surrounding villagers heard the commotion and glanced over. Seeing Mr. Cheney’s happy expression, they knew she wasn’t there to cause trouble, so they averted their gazes and went back to what they were doing.

Stella Sterling, however, noticed their subtle movements and understood perfectly. ’So, these people really are led by Mr. Cheney.’

"It’s so good to see you’re still alive! Come, sit down. Let’s talk."

Mr. Cheney packed up his stall and led Stella Sterling into a house in the village. Using an old teapot, he poured her a cup of tea.

"Miss Sterling, all those supplies you stockpiled back then... I suppose you were preparing for the apocalypse, weren’t you?"

Mr. Cheney asked frankly.

The reason she’d given back then was different, of course, but the apocalypse had arrived not long after. When it did, he had immediately thought of the young woman who had bought a massive amount of grain from him.

For her to have prepared so much food, she must have had some inkling that the apocalypse was coming and started getting ready early.

He remembered that during their conversations, she had, whether intentionally or not, reminded him to keep some things in reserve and make his own preparations.

Back then, there were a lot of posts online about the end of the world. He had just assumed she was a young girl who got scared by things she read on the internet, and that’s why she was hoarding so many supplies. He hadn’t paid it much mind.

Still, he had taken it somewhat to heart and made some preparations of his own. It was those very preparations that allowed him to survive the past few years. Now, he and his old crew were back in business.

"Haha, the weather was already so strange back then. A person had to make some preparations to have peace of mind!"