It was the same old place, with the same people distributing relief supplies.

The only difference was that the number of armed guards had been cut in half. Otherwise, nothing had changed.

Stella Sterling stood in line, lost in thought.

Unlike last time, when everyone had been overjoyed to receive their supplies, the people leaving with their rations this time didn’t look happy at all.

But despite their grim faces, they didn’t say anything. They just thanked the staff and walked briskly away.

Those still waiting in line didn’t know what was going on, but they could feel a sense of oppression in the air.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged military officer was still organizing the crowd into a line.

Stella Sterling had arrived early. Aside from a few homeless wanderers who had been waiting since dawn, most people hadn’t been as quick. As a result, she was near the front of the line, which was already growing long behind her.

It wasn’t long before it was her turn. She finally understood why the people ahead of her had looked so grim: the relief supplies being distributed this time were a full half less than the last.

The previous rations hadn’t been much, but if you were frugal, you could survive. You wouldn’t be full, but you could eat a little each day and make it last for a while.

But with the amount cut by more than half, it was no wonder everyone was so dejected.

The same middle-aged woman as last time was handing out the supplies. When she gave them to Stella Sterling, she noticed Stella remained calm, unlike the others whose faces fell upon seeing the meager amount. The woman seemed a little surprised.

The woman spoke up. "Times are getting tougher," she said. "It’s not easy to transport these things. Make sure you stretch it out. It’s hard to say what will happen in the future."

Stella Sterling’s hand twitched. ’Her words seem to carry a deeper meaning.’

She thanked the woman as she always did, then asked in a casual tone, "Ma’am, with things like this, do the higher-ups have a plan to deal with it?"

Being addressed so politely, the old woman’s face broke into a wide grin. She waved her hand dismissively and said, "Oh, we’re just common folk. How would we know what the people in charge are up to!"

After she spoke, as Stella Sterling walked past, the woman leaned in and whispered, "Young lady, whatever food you have at home, make it last. I’m afraid... there won’t be any more later on."

Stella Sterling froze for a second, but she wasn’t surprised. She murmured a quiet "thank you" and turned to leave.

"Officer, don’t let her get away! She assaulted someone in public! Arrest her!"

A loud shout rang out as several people moved to block Stella Sterling’s path. She looked up and saw it was the same five men who had tried to stop her that morning.

Four of them now stood in her way, while the fifth ran to get the middle-aged officer.

"What’s going on? What is it now?!" Ethan Young roared as he stomped in their direction. "I told you all, no trouble! Do you people think I have nothing better to do than deal with your damn messes every single day?!"

Even his footsteps were heavy with rage. It was obvious he was furious.

The surrounding crowd held their breath. Some people had been on the verge of questioning why the supplies were cut in half, but seeing Ethan Young in this state, they didn’t dare voice their complaints. They just meekly took their share and left.

The young man who had run to get Ethan Young was also taken aback. He followed quietly behind him, not daring to make a sound.

Inwardly, however, he was gloating. ’The officer is so pissed off now,’ he thought. ’That woman is done for.’

"Who’s causing trouble? Speak up!" Ethan Young stopped in front of them, his hawk-like eyes staring coldly.

His brow furrowed slightly when he saw Stella Sterling. "You again?"

Ethan Young had a naturally severe face. He was tall and burly with a permanent scowl, giving him an intimidating, unapproachable look. That was why almost no one dared to cause trouble on his watch, unlike other distribution points where disturbances were common and had to be suppressed with force before people would listen.

The last time he was on duty, the only incident had been a man threatening a woman to switch places, and it was resolved quickly.

But because there was so little trouble, Stella Sterling, as one of the people involved in that incident, had left an impression on him.

’After all, the girl had some nerve.’

And so, the moment he saw Stella Sterling this time, he recognized her immediately.

’I can’t believe she’s involved in trouble again.’

Hearing this, a flicker of hope sparked in the hearts of Drake and his four men. ’Could it be...’ 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Stella Sterling shrugged helplessly. "Officer, this has nothing to do with me. Last time, someone else was threatening me. And this time, you saw it yourself. They’re the ones who blocked my path to cause trouble. I’ve been innocent from the start!"

Stella Sterling’s face was completely hidden beneath her scarf, leaving only her eyes visible. Her eyes were bright and full of life, and now they held a hint of a smile, making her look utterly innocent.

The woman who had been distributing the supplies turned and added her two cents. "That’s right, I saw the whole thing. The young lady didn’t do anything. She’s a very polite girl!"

Ethan Young’s gaze shifted to Drake and his four men. They faltered for a moment but quickly composed themselves. Drake stepped forward and pointed to the gash on his cheek. "Officer, we’re not talking about what just happened. We’re talking about earlier. This wound on my face—she’s the one who cut me with a knife! It happened on the way here. She hurt me and then ran off. With things as they are, we didn’t know who else to report it to, so we had to come to you!"

The cut on his face was raw and conspicuous—clearly a fresh wound.

And so, all eyes turned back to Stella Sterling.

But Stella Sterling’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. Calmly, she said, "You have no proof. Who’s going to believe you just because you say I hurt you? Officer, I’m truly innocent. Isn’t it more likely that these five saw I was by myself and decided to pick on me?"

Seeing that the alleged incident hadn’t happened here at the distribution site, Ethan Young was already growing impatient. His job was to ensure the supply distribution went smoothly. Other matters were not his concern, and he had no intention of getting involved.

He waved a dismissive hand. "Go on, get out of here. Settle your personal squabbles on your own time. I don’t have time for this crap!"

With that, he turned and walked away.

The faces of Drake and his men fell. They hadn’t expected this outcome.

They were helpless as the woman watched them with a grin.

Finally, Drake was the one who spoke. "Let’s go get in line and grab our supplies first!"

The main priority today was still getting the survival rations; they couldn’t afford to delay that.

Before he left, he shot Stella Sterling a meaningful look. "You’re an interesting one."

Stella Sterling scoffed. "What, is your next line going to be, ’I’ve taken a liking to you?’"

Drake choked on his words and stumbled, turning back to glare at Stella Sterling.

He suddenly realized that she really was gorgeous. Even though he couldn’t see her face, just looking at her eyes was enough to tell he was looking at a beautiful woman.

The next moment, Drake’s face darkened. He whipped his head around and stalked off.