18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 167

Evening was the liveliest time, when countless survivors would come out to mingle. Some would set up stalls selling barbecued food, grilled squid, octopus, seaweed, and fish. Without oil or seasoning, the taste was so pungent it could make you retch.

The barbecue was tolerable compared to the seafood soup stalls, which were even more overwhelming. They'd crush various seafood into a pot and cook it. The smell would waft three miles in the wind.

Stella may not be used to it now but in her past life, she didn't even have the opportunity to eat such food. This life was simply a stroke of luck.

There were many who could not afford to eat, their hunger gnawing at them due to their limited supplies.

Many villagers from nearby fishing villages sold water by the roadside. Even though it had the salty taste of the sea, it was still much better than directly drinking filtered seawater. However, the number of potential buyers was few compared to those who inquired. In the distance there were many people lined up at the relief station to receive relief food with their passes.

The beach was crowded with people. Whether for safety or mood, Stella didn't want to go there, opting instead to line up for rations.

The rice balls were the size of a fist, and you could get one per day for the first seven days with the card. They were made from crushed fresh seafood mixed with flour or cornmeal, shaped into balls. They didn't look appetizing, but they could fill one's stomach. Stella, Jasper, Rosie each got one.

The taste was truly unpleasant, and eating it was hard on the throat, but no one complained. This was life-saving food, after all.

Just as Jasper was about to eat, he noticed a child running towards the soldier distributing the relief food. The kid looked at him pitifully and pleaded, "Sir, I'm so hungry."

The soldier was young, barely in his twenties and looked rather thin. He held the last rice ball in his hand. It was his own meal.

Seeing the child before him, he handed over his rice ball without hesitation, giving the kid a small smile. "Eat up."

The child grabbed the rice ball, stuffing it into his mouth without even saying thank you, and then turned and ran off.

At the same time, several other children ran up, surrounding the soldier and begging for food. "Sir, I'm hungry too, please give me something to eat." They clung to him, refusing to let him go.

was no way he could produce food out of thin air. He could only look helplessly at the children, his voice choking.

eyes reflected guilt, as if

minutes, the children finally gave

rice ball to the soldier. At first, he refused. But whatever Jasper said convinced him,

her rice ball, turned to Stella, her

her. "If you

rice ball. Then she gently hugged him. Only when he had finished the rice

her rice ball into four parts.

one wasted it. Jasper accepted his portion, chewing slowly, and after a

"There are many ways to serve. It doesn't have to be the way you

that shot in Unity Village? If it weren't for your decisive action in killing the leader of The Chaos, who knows how many soldiers and survivors would have been sacrificed, and the food seized

him, giving up his own food, and likely his own safety

is Mikey, who seems weak but designed the mousetrap, preventing many survivors from being bitten by rats.

believe that even if you don't walk the old path, you will have your own way of doing things, and because

and you can't bear the burden of this apocalypse alone. Don't put too much

left is to live well, for yourself, for your family, and for those who love you

like him. If she hadn't met Jasper, her character might have been sharper,

crowded at night. It seemed lively but danger was lurking everywhere. Stella and the others didn't linger. They got into

They handed over the guarding task to Cooper and Rosie, while Stella and Jasper went to the rooftop to install solar

to the docks early the next morning to check

quick to learn, reading the manual and installing the system while Stella assisted. After several hours of hard work, they

villa on a six-figure comfy bed, Stella still found it surreal. Oh well, she thought, just enjoy it while it lasts. Who knows how long they have left? Live every day as

alarm clock rang on time. Stella