Chapter 386 No Other Option but War!
Back at the shelter, Cindy and Aubrey managed to talk Lily down.
Her initial rage—the kind that had her ready to storm Emberwick Base with a broadsword—slowly faded.
Instead, she took a deep breath and sat down with Steven to figure out a plan to get her students back.
Steven immediately expressed his willingness to use his resources to exchange for her students.
"Emberwick Base has no use for your students. I think they will accept my terms," Steven said to Lily.
Lily sat on the sofa, quickly averting her eyes when Steven looked at her, not daring to meet his gaze.
Ever since Cindy had that talk with Lily, she had been feeling a strange emotion inside.
Even when Steven said something simple to her, she would have many thoughts.
"If that's the case, that would be best! I'm just worried they might cruelly torture my students," Lily sighed softly, her tone still full of concern.
Steven secretly curled his lips. He knew those students wouldn't live to see Lily again.
He was just curious, once those students were confirmed dead, how would Lily react?
Steven couldn't understand Lily's inner thoughts, but putting himself in her shoes, he thought it would be a great relief for her.
At the very least, she could shed her burdens without any moral guilt.
After talking with Lily, Steven began to quietly wait for Emberwick Base to contact him.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before he received a call request from Emberwick Base.
This time it was a video call.
After Cindy called Steven to the control room, he shut the door, leaving just the two of them for the call.
When Steven connected, he saw the other guy for the first time.
It wasn't Megan, but a tall, skinny dude with long hair and icy eyes.
"Steven, it's been a day. Made up your mind yet? I'm calling to send you a little gift—something to help you decide faster," Byron said with a smirk, then dropped a video into the call.
It was a recording of him torturing Warren and the others.
Steven sat on the sofa watching quietly, his face showing no emotion.
When it was over, he simply asked, "Are they still alive?"
Byron was caught off guard. This cold, detached Steven was a far cry from the guy who'd been practically begging for the students' safety just yesterday.
Back then, Steven had been all urgency and concern. But now, he sounded like he couldn't care less.
Byron's voice dropped low. "They're alive for now, but who knows how long they'll last? Steven, our boss had a change of heart. Keeping these deadweights around is just wasting grub, so we're handing them back to you! But here's the deal—you trade us resources. One ton of food per head."
Despite Byron's excessive demands, Steven's expression remained indifferent.
"It's not impossible. But I need to confirm they are still alive! Otherwise, if I give you the resources and only get back a bunch of corpses, wouldn't that be a huge loss?"
The amount of drug he added to their food, according to Elinor, would take effect in a week.
But to be safe, he wanted to personally confirm they were all dead before he could be at ease.
Byron's gaze darkened.
Many of the students were already dead, and the remaining ones were barely hanging on.
If Steven saw them, he definitely wouldn't accept the exchange terms.
"You've seen them; they're still alive."
"This is just a recording. I need to see them alive—right now. Take me to them, pronto." Steven narrowed his eyes, his voice unwavering. "Once I confirm they're breathing, you'll get your food. No stalling."
Byron stared at Steven on the screen and said, "Emberwick Base doesn't play boring games. We have no use for these people's lives, so how could we kill them! Your worry is unnecessary."
Steven spread his hands. "If that's the case, then what's the harm in letting me see them? Just one look, that's all I need."
But how could Byron let him see?
"Mr. Rogers, I don't feel any sincerity from you..."
Byron wanted to say more, but Steven had already reached out and pressed the end call button.
He leaned back in his chair and said to Cindy beside him, "They're already dead."
Byron's actions proved it.
Cindy curiously asked, "Steven, how did you do it?"
Steven calmly said, "I added some drugs to their food."
Cindy breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "That's great! Now we won't be burdened."
Steven patted her head. "These days, make sure to give Lily some psychological support! Don't let that silly woman do something stupid."
Women, after all, just need some comforting.
Cindy tilted her head and looked at Steven playfully. "Actually, Steven, you'd be more effective than me."
Steven raised an eyebrow. "You mean I should explain to her?"
Cindy giggled, "That would definitely work!"
Steven quipped, "But I'm worried my kids might end up dumb." Then he changed the topic. "Anyway, keep this call on the down-low. Don't spill it to anyone."
Cindy nodded, "Don't worry, I understand."
In the following days, the shelter remained as peaceful and harmonious as usual.
The women kept things light, chatting and laughing, but they made sure to pull Lily into the mix, trying to ease the weight on her shoulders.
The guys, though, were on edge. They acted casual, but everyone was on high alert, waiting for the storm to hit.
As the defending side, they were already well-prepared, with little room for improvement.
If a war did break out, they could only respond based on the opponent's attack methods.
Without more intelligence, a conservative strategy was the best.
Emberwick Base side.
The toxins in the students' bodies finally took full effect, and one by one, they died in very painful ways.
Byron helplessly reported this to Megan. "Now that they're all dead, we've lost our leverage over Steven."
Megan frowned. Although she had anticipated this outcome, she was still somewhat frustrated.
She slowly raised her head, her beautiful and intimidating eyes staring at Byron.
"Then there's no other option but war!"
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