And so, Stella Sterling strode away, laughing heartily amidst their awkward stares.

Her booming laughter could be heard from a great distance, mocking the three members of the Sterling family and making their faces darken.

CRACK—

Just as she stepped out of the Sterling family’s main gate, a bolt of lightning struck down right in front of her, startling Stella Sterling. ’You’ve got to be kidding me, God. Surely I don’t deserve to be smitten by lightning!’

’Sure, what I said to my parents was infuriating, but it wasn’t some heinous crime against humanity.’

’And besides, what I did was nothing compared to what they’ve done.’

The thunder only cracked once and then fell silent. The sun was still shining brightly outside. Stella Sterling stood by the gate for a moment before leaving.

"Miss Sterling, you appear to be in a good mood. Has something good happened? I wonder if you would share it with me?"

On the outskirts of the villa complex, Stella Sterling was leaning against a wall when the blue-haired Mike jumped out of a Buick, speaking in stilted Chinese.

Stella Sterling looked up. "Mike?"

’Why did he come in person?’

"It is I. Are you happy to see me, Miss Sterling?!"

Stella Sterling glanced at the cargo trucks behind him and smiled faintly. "Happy. Of course, I’m happy."

The goods and price had been negotiated the previous night, so the transaction went quickly and smoothly—a simple exchange of cash for goods. Mike was even generous enough to throw in the several delivery trucks, which Stella Sterling accepted without hesitation. The two also exchanged contact information and added each other on WeChat.

She hired a few drivers from a gig platform and had them drive the trucks to a deserted location before dismissing them.

Stella stored everything, trucks and cargo alike, directly into her space. She was very satisfied looking at the cases upon cases of ammunition. Mike had even thrown in a box of bombs, which Stella placed in a corner. ’I won’t be using these casually,’ she thought.

The moment she exited her space, thunder began to crackle across the sky. The roaring was quite frightening to hear.

The sky had gone completely dark, and it looked like a heavy rain was imminent. Stella didn’t dally. With most of her supplies gathered and nothing else to do, she decided to head home rather than linger outside.

Halfway there, it began to pour. The rain was torrential, as if the sky itself had sprung a leak. The ground was quickly covered in a sheet of water, and the downpour blurred her vision, making it difficult to see the road ahead.

On the road, car horns blared incessantly. Now and then, a car would crash, and terrified screams were everywhere.

’I can’t keep driving like this!’ Stella Sterling frowned, pulling her car to the side of the road and finding a place to shelter from the rain.

She stood in the doorway of a clothing store. A number of other people were also taking shelter beside her. Stella shuffled to the side, keeping a safe distance from them.

As she watched the hurried, chaotic scene unfold, her eyes remained calm, betraying no emotion. It was as if she and the frantic people beside her existed in two separate worlds.

Once the rain let up a bit, she immediately got in her car to leave, but someone called out to her. "Wait, hold on..."

Stella Sterling glanced out the window and saw it was the girl who lived across the hall from her. Next to her stood a young man in his twenties.

She looked at the girl, waiting for her to speak.

The girl looked at her and said, "We live in the same complex. Since you have a car, you should give us a ride!"

Stella Sterling smiled. Just as the girl started to smile back, Stella slammed on the gas. She sped off, leaving them in her spray as they watched, dumbfounded, the girl’s angry shouts fading behind her.