Chapter 557: Chapter 566: A Temporary Calm

To be honest, the standard of living at Meridia Base was already quite good. One could say they did their utmost to provide for every resident.

However, the provided meals consisted of little more than congee and steamed buns.

Meat was completely out of the question. Forget the ordinary residents—even the higher-ups rarely got to eat any.

Over time, some people couldn’t stand it and naturally began to harbor other ideas.

Mr. Magnus understood this. Although Meridia Base was managed with a strict hand, once the population swelled, many things would spiral out of control.

He understood, but it still pained him.

After a long moment, he said to Stella Sterling, "Sterling, we really owe you our thanks."

If not for her, Chief Ford’s situation would have been dire. He couldn’t bear the thought of taking action against him, but if forced into a corner, he would have had no choice but to open fire in the end.

But if he had killed Chief Ford with his own hands, he would never have been able to live with himself.

And then there was the situation outside. When he learned of Stella Sterling’s arrangements, he was immensely relieved. ’Thank goodness for you, Sterling.’ Otherwise, people wouldn’t have known what was happening. Caught completely off guard, many would have been injured by the transformed individuals, which would have been a devastating blow to the base.

It wouldn’t just be Meridia Base, but the surrounding populace as well.

Meridia Base’s reputation had drawn in many residents, making the population immense. If everyone here were to be infected, the civilians in the nearby settlements wouldn’t be able to escape death either.

"Mr. Magnus, you’ve thanked me more than enough. There’s no need for more. Right now, we should be thinking about how to handle the current situation."

Stella Sterling rubbed her temples. An incident like this at Meridia Base was completely unexpected.

Seeing her expression, Mr. Magnus tried to comfort her. "Don’t worry, Sterling. Thanks to your warning, the men outside will spread the word quickly. Once people are prepared, we’ll get the situation under control in no time."

Stella Sterling nodded, saying nothing more.

’He’s right. This is Meridia Base, after all. Their strength shouldn’t be underestimated. With ample firepower, dealing with a few people who have just transformed shouldn’t be too difficult.’

Sure enough, the commotion outside Meridia Base quickly died down.

A moment later, one of the guards from outside knocked on the door. "Miss Sterling, Mr. Magnus, the situation is mostly under control. The frenzied individuals have all been eliminated. Those they bit or wounded have been gathered in one place under guard. Dr. Grant and his team are discussing what to do now."

Hearing this, Stella Sterling turned to Mr. Magnus. "Those who were scratched or injured must be dealt with. Otherwise, in time, they’ll end up just like Chief Ford. That will be the start of a whole new set of problems."

Mr. Magnus nodded. "I’ll go tell them."

’Although Sterling understands this situation better than I do, she isn’t part of Meridia Base,’ he thought. ’If she’s the one to give the orders, our people might not listen. They might even grow to resent her.’

’So, I have to be the one to do it. I have to be the one to give the command.’

’Besides, with the Chief like this, I need Sterling to stay here and watch him. I wouldn’t be able to handle it on my own.’

Mr. Magnus stepped out and gave a few orders to the guards. He returned quickly, but when he did, his face was grim.

Just moments before, he had gotten a summary of the incident from his men.

The situation was even more serious than he had imagined. The number of people who had transformed within Meridia Base wasn’t high—only seven—and those seven had been dispatched on the spot.

However, because no one had been on guard against them, they had managed to injure many others. Over 100 people were scratched or bitten, and another twenty or so had been killed outright.

More than twenty people dead in an instant. Mr. Magnus’s heart grew heavy with grief.

And then there were the hundred-plus wounded. They would have to die, too.

But how innocent were all those people?

For a moment, the two of them fell silent.

Mr. Magnus was tempted to ask Stella if they could spare the wounded for now—to quarantine and watch over them. Perhaps, in time, a cure could be found and they could still be saved.

But in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to say the words.

He glanced at Chief Ford in the cage.

He knew it was just wishful thinking. The Chief’s condition had already proven it: anyone scratched or bitten would inevitably transform, their state worsening day by day.

Eventually, they would lose all sense of self and become mindless monsters that only knew how to attack, just like the others.

So, those people had to be killed. If they weren’t, their transformation would mark the beginning of another disaster. Even if they were put under guard, a single escapee could injure others and cause even more deaths.

He couldn’t afford to be soft-hearted.

Therefore, until a cure was found, anyone who was scratched or bitten had to die.

Of course, they could treat the others the way they were treating Chief Ford, but doing so would require an enormous amount of effort from the entire base.

The problem was, with so much happening, they simply didn’t have the manpower to watch over all of them.

Chief Ford was different. The lives of many more people hinged on his survival.

As for the others... he was powerless to help them.

Mr. Magnus understood this clearly, so he didn’t put Stella Sterling in a difficult position by asking. He knew her judgment was absolutely correct.

A short while later, two people in full tactical gear entered. They showed no surprise at the sight of Chief Ford’s condition. Wordlessly, they lifted the cage and carried it out.

The cage was covered by a black cloth, so no one could see what was inside, preventing any leaks about Chief Ford’s condition.

Mr. Magnus said to Stella Sterling, "These two are absolutely loyal to the Chief, so we don’t have to worry about his condition being exposed. He’ll be moved into the experimental glass enclosure shortly."

Stella Sterling nodded, then said to Mr. Magnus, "Now that things here are settled and there are no new leads regarding the Chief, I’ll be taking my leave."

Mr. Magnus nodded. He desperately wanted to keep Sterling there to study the Chief’s condition with him, but he knew he couldn’t be so selfish.

After all, Sterling was the one in charge of Caeluna Base. With an incident like this at Meridia Base, who knew what the situation was like back at her own base. Naturally, she needed to return and see for herself.

’I can’t ask her to neglect her own duties for the sake of ours.’

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