Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Maintain Your Attitude, and Be Sure to Complain About Me at the Base

As she packed the suitcases, Sierra Sullivan also took advantage of the moment when no one was looking to continuously put things into her space.

After all, these were all things Candice Tate’s mother had prepared for her. If she could help save them, they could serve as keepsakes.

Even though she had already lost her mother, Sierra hoped that when Candice grew up, she would see these things and feel her mother’s love for her.

The two suitcases were quickly filled.

Sierra pushed the suitcases out and closed the door behind her.

She had pretty much emptied out the children’s room.

"Let’s go!" Sierra said.

Luke Warren immediately walked over. "Let me take one of the suitcases. I’ll carry it down!"

Sierra didn’t object, letting him take one.

Jayce took the other one.

Holding Candice, Sierra was the last one out, closing the apartment door behind her.

The door to the opposite apartment was wide open. The inside was a mess, as if it had been ransacked, but there was no one left inside.

They were the only ones left in the entire building.

They made their way downstairs quickly and were in the vehicle within minutes.

The vehicle, which had been empty just moments ago, was now more than half full.

People were streaming out from the entrances of the nearby buildings.

Each person ran faster than the last, and the first thing they did upon boarding was to urge the driver to close the vehicle doors.

Clearly, they had all witnessed the horrors of various Aberrant Beasts and were terrified that one would suddenly appear and eat them.

But closing the doors was out of the question.

They had to wait until the vehicle was full before they could close the doors!

Fortunately, all the survivors had a strong will to live.

More and more people ran out from the building entrances, and the vehicle filled with more and more survivors.

The ones who had boarded early still had seats.

Those who boarded later had to stand.

But not a single person complained.

Being able to leave this place, to go to the base, meant they could survive.

Whether they got there sitting or standing, what did it matter?

As the vehicle filled up, conversation inevitably broke out.

Voices rose and fell, the chaotic din making it sound like a crowded market.

Sierra sat at the front holding Candice. Worried the girl might be hungry but too afraid to say so, she took out some candy and chocolate.

"If you’re hungry, Candice, you can have some of this," Sierra whispered.

’What about candy and chocolate being bad for kids?’

Sierra didn’t give it a second thought.

’Compared to staying alive, everything else was trivial.’

’No matter how bad it was, could it be worse than starving to death?’

"Thank you, sister!"

Perhaps because of the milk she’d had earlier, Candice’s voice was no longer hoarse. It had recovered its uniquely childlike quality, soft and sweet.

"Don’t mention it!"

Sierra opened Candice’s small satchel and put the candy and chocolate inside.

The small satchel wasn’t very big to begin with, and there weren’t many wheat grains left inside.

Sierra looked at the few remaining wheat grains, and her breath caught for a moment.

’If the wheat had run out, and they hadn’t come...’

Sierra quickly closed her eyes, suppressing the thought.

’No what-ifs.’

’Only the reality.’

’The wheat hadn’t run out.’

’They had arrived!’

Candice unwrapped a piece of chocolate and nibbled on it, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

Seeing her eating so happily, Sierra smiled as well.

Just then, a somewhat familiar, yet shrill voice, cut through the noise.

"You there, why are you playing favorites?"

Although Sierra heard it, she didn’t turn around. She didn’t think the person was talking to her.

"I’m talking to you! Are you pretending you can’t hear me? We’re all survivors, so why are you only being so nice to her? You gave her chocolate and candy, why not my son?"

It was only when she heard "chocolate and candy" that Sierra knew the woman was talking to her.

Sierra looked in the direction of the voice and saw a face she vaguely remembered.

It was the woman who lived across from Candice’s family!

Next to the woman sat a boy who looked to be about eight or nine, and was very fat.

The apocalypse had been going on for so many days now.

’For this child to still be so fat...’

His face was pale, his lips were colorless, and he looked lethargic. He had obviously been going hungry.

Starvation inevitably leads to weight loss, yet he was still this fat, which meant he must have been even fatter before.

Aside from some special metabolism that made him gain weight easily, there was only one other explanation: he was incredibly spoiled.

But how other people raised their children was their own business, and Sierra had no intention of commenting.

"Why aren’t you talking?" the woman demanded again, her voice rising considerably and attracting the attention of everyone in the vehicle. "Give my son exactly what you gave that little wench, or this isn’t over."

Hearing the woman’s entitled words, Sierra’s gaze turned cold. "They’re my things. I’ll give them to whomever I please."

The woman seemed unprepared for that answer and looked ready to jump out of her seat. "What kind of attitude is that? Don’t you believe I’ll file a complaint against you?"

"A complaint?"

Hearing those two words, Sierra was completely bewildered.

’What is this person talking about?’

’Does she think things are still the same as before?’

Sierra had been a little angry just a moment ago, but now, all feeling of anger was gone; she just found it laughable.

"Go ahead, then!"

"You, you, you!" The woman exploded with rage. "How dare you talk like that? Is that any way to act? Just you wait! When we get to the base, I’m going to find your superior! I’m going to ask them if this high-and-mighty attitude is what we get after we taxpayers worked so hard to support you people!"

"Fine!" Sierra nodded. "Keep that attitude. When we get to the base, you’d better report me. Otherwise, I’ll look down on you!"

The woman’s face flushed with various emotions, finally settling on pure rage. "Where is your leader? I want to see your leader right now! I want to ask them just what kind of attitude this is!"

Dominic Crawford had just gotten on the vehicle at that moment. Hearing this, he instinctively looked toward the woman. "What’s all the commotion?"

’To be raising such a fuss at a time like this.’

When the woman saw the tall and imposing Dominic Crawford, she instinctively assumed he was the leader. Pointing at Sierra, she began her tirade. "You must be her leader, right? I want to report her! How can a staff member like her just do things based on her own preferences? On what grounds does she only give candy to that little wench in her arms? Why not my son? You have to give me an explanation for this, or it’s not over! Even when we get to the base, I will definitely continue to file complaints!"

Dominic Crawford frowned, looking at the woman as if she were an idiot.

"Is there something wrong with your head?" Dominic shot back bluntly. "We’re risking our lives to rescue people, so we can give our own things to whomever we want. What is there for you to be unhappy about? Keep shouting and you can get off the vehicle!"