18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 149

Before the big chop, Jasper made sure to snap a few pictures of Stella with his phone. As the buzz of the electric razor filled the air, a growing pile of hair littered the floor. Rosie scampered over, eyes widened as she took in Stella's newly shaved head. "Wow, Stella, you look like a boy."

Stella took a look at herself in the mirror, and... well, she didn't look bad. The buzz cut suited her, even. It gave her a certain edge, a dash of toughness she hadn't had before.

In this post-apocalyptic world, where smiles were far and few between, this new look gave her a certain 'don't mess with me' vibe. With her buzz cut, whenever Stella didn't smile, she looked like she was ready to throw down.

The next day, she went out to the rooftop to fetch some water and bumped into Cody and Lukas, who were popping some popcorn. Both of them were taken aback. "Good lord, when did we get a girl gangster on the 18th floor?" Stella decided to play along, flipping her water bucket at them. "Stick 'em up."

They handed over half a bowl of popcorn to her. "You know, Stella, that haircut really suits you. It's cool, badass, and refreshing."

"Are you guys just buttering me up?"

As the sun set, three buzz-cut figures were having a jovial time on the rooftop. Cody went downstairs and came back with three cold beers. They sat on the rooftop, enjoy beers.

As they drank, Stella noticed that Cody was downing his beer pretty fast. Lukas was a bit slower, but he too looked troubled. Having practically grown up together, Stella could tell when something was bothering them. "What's up?" She asked.

They didn't answer, and Stella didn't push.

...

finally long enough to be cut into two sections. Just

Today was one of those days, with Cooper busy munching

thriving. It would be suspicious if she gave them to 1803 in such good condition. She decided to bag them and let them wilt a bit before giving them away. After finishing her chores, Stella sat on the couch, tuning the radio. The local government announced

were two bases - an official one and a military one. Each base could accommodate up to 300,000 people. The first phase of both bases was

into the apocalypse, the bases were

in the northeastern direction of the province. It was a

base was in Lincoln, located in the northern direction of the province. It was a semi-industrial city, boasting the province's most abundant water resources, Lincoln River and Echo Lake. It was around 300 kilometers from Griffith. The two bases were about 200 kilometers apart,

the

the official base, each person needed to pay 20 kilos of grain. The military base required 50

couldn't understand, "Why is there such

couldn't even afford 20 kilos of

hosted by the provincial government and jointly established and managed

arranged by the state. Soldiers establish and manage it entirely, so

"The military base, also known as Kindle Society, is humanity's last hope in a crisis. The 50 kilos of grain is only a basic requirement.

Whether you were low class or high class, if you were capable, getting 50 kilos

You also need a clean record. Those involved in illegal activities or who have a criminal record won't stand a chance. Survivors who enter will be under military management. Those who don't follow orders or cause trouble will be

made sense. Even though it seemed harsh, special times called for special measures. The military's mission

would inevitably lead to chaos. As the apocalypse worsened, the outside world would become increasingly