Theresa looked at this stubborn Professor K and knew there was no talking him into anything. He was the kind of man who didn't budge no matter how a person pushed. Even dog pot stew couldn't sway him, so she stopped trying. She picked up the chunk of meat and packed it up for the dog, then looped it around his neck. "Alright, you two can head back." "Woof woof!" The dog trotted in circles around her feet with the meat hanging from his neck, tail wagging like she was his new favorite person. Dogs always loved Theresa. No matter big or small, they all warmed up to her. She told Elias to drive Professor K home and log in a few of the new residents in town while he was at it. Once they were gone, she glanced at her people standing guard inside and outside the courtyard. She gave a single big wave and announced a round of rewards. Everyone got a thousand points, plus 50 pounds of pork tickets and 100 pounds of grain tickets. The dogs at home got an upgraded meal too. They ate better than Professor K's dog that day. Her own people always received the best treatment. Guests never ranked above her own. When everyone heard that Tania had woken up safely, the whole place finally relaxed. The tension on their expressions eased all at once. "Theresa, does this mean we won't have to deal with the Starborn Order anymore?" Kyle came up to her and asked. "Of course. Who cares about them?" Theresa had nothing holding her back now. Their schemes didn't mean anything to her. She only planned to build up her own camp. She wasn't going to let the Starborn Order drag her around again. Still, she couldn't pretend they didn't exist at all. Theresa's eyes shifted and she said to Kyle, "Tell Bennie to come find me." "Yes." Kyle broke into a smile. As long as Theresa stayed home, he was the happiest. Every time she went out, he worried himself sick. The worst part was she never took him with her. If she no longer had to leave, Kyle couldn't be happier.… Half an hour later, the bunker came alive again as the kitchen fired up. Tyger, Landon, and the others washed vegetables and got the food started. Theresa was eating at home that night, so she told them to go all out. Fresh fish, chicken, shrimp, whatever they had. The bunker hadn't felt this warm and lively in a long time. Ever since she took the city, she rarely ate at home. Most days she had boxed meals cooked by the city's chefs. They were fresh enough, but nothing ever beat a home-cooked meal. One dish after another hit the table: garlic butter shrimp, chicken and mushroom stew, baked fish with herbs, roasted pork ribs with garlic seasoning. They added fresh zucchini, cauliflower, tender baby green, and tomato scrambled eggs from her greenhouse. Theresa's bunker had everything and it was always the freshest. After running around outside for so long, she still felt her bunker was perfect. Once the table was packed with food, Bennie finally arrived. "Theresa, how is Aunt Tania?" That was the first thing he asked when he stepped in. "She's detoxed and sleeping." The hard edge on Bennie's expression eased a little. He took in the smell of the food and breathed in deep. "So what did you call me for? Did you want me to eat with you?" "Write a report." Bennie went silent. He stared at the entire table of food and said, "If you want a report, you couldn't just tell me? You dragged me all the way here just so I could write a report?" "I want you to write it for me right here." Bennie had nothing left to say. I've never met anyone like Theresa in my life. She's more cutthroat than me! She exploits people better than I do! She's even more ruthless than I am! He just walked straight over to Theresa's table, grabbed an empty seat, and picked up a fork and spoon to eat along with everyone else. "What, you skipping the report?" "I can't write it if I'm starving."This time, Theresa was left speechless. Fine. Theresa was in a good mood today. She beamed at Bennie while he ate. "Then eat up, and later I want ten development reports from you. Let's turn the Blazing Sun Alliance into number one—not just on Earth, but across the whole universe." Bennie nearly choked on his soup. It felt like she was piling impossible expectations on him and acting like it was no big deal. "Bennie, you've got to believe in yourself. You're the best I've ever seen, and I have total faith in you. Is there anything you can't handle?" Theresa's way of talking about it had Bennie feeling totally swept away. He snorted. "Alright, I'll give you some credit. You've got an eye for this." Theresa's nosy, sure, but she actually knows what she's doing. After all, she didn't send Lucas, the guy who's only good at running the house, to handle it.