18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 173

Stepping out from Arcadia, the night had already cast its dark blanket over everything.

Jasper docked the yacht close to the shore, not hurrying Stella to pull it back into Arcadia.

They were quite a distance away from the fishing village and the dock. It was unlikely anyone would be around at this hour, but out of caution, Jasper donned his night vision goggles and scanned the dark for a while, ensuring there were no issues. To avoid drawing attention with the motorboat, they paddled their rubber dinghy to shore.

Once ashore, they faced an incline leading to the coastal highway. There was no path, just brambles and reeds taller than a person.

Jasper led the way with his machete, shielding Stella behind him and flattening a path before allowing her to follow. "Watch your step," he cautioned.

After some time, they made it to the highway. Stella got into their car, flicking on the headlights. "Are you okay?"

Jasper was fine, save for a few scratches on his hands from the brambles and reeds. They were bleeding a little but were not serious. Stella took out an iodine solution to disinfect his wounds before applying band-aids.

In the darkness, they slowly drove along the highway. One drove, and the other kept vigil.

Upon safely returning to the villa, Stella's mood brightened. She took out some premium food from Arcadia to celebrate.

With the addition of a yacht, they felt more secure about potential sea survival scenarios.

The trip to the coast was worth it. They had been stocking up on dry goods and, with the 3,000 pounds they just acquired, they now had over 10,000 pounds of seafood.

Not only was it enough to last them a lifetime, but it could also be used for trading in the future.

Despite the abundance of seafood, they knew they couldn't eat it recklessly. Stella contemplated that it was time to stock up on fresh goods.

After dinner, the trio and the dog enjoyed the moonlight, stargazing and munching on watermelon on the rooftop.

marveled at the starry sky. "It's so beautiful here. I wish

Whether it was the environment or the resources, it was

meant a higher standard of living and less worry about others with ill intentions. Walking the dog became easier too. Cooper could run

"If you guys like it here, we can stay. We can

it was a good idea, but there was no rush. She had stocked up a lot of hay, enough for the rabbits to last a

As more and more refugees gathered on the coast,

days, they brought back 1,200 pounds of fresh goods each

and

on food. They tried every recipe they could with the abundant

had passed. They had stocked up enough food to last for years and wouldn't

to feast. Just as they were starting to eat, Austin showed up again. Rosie quickly hid the

Stella almost burst out laughing. Still, they saved some oysters for Austin. They didn't dare give him any fruit though,

for you to visit. Is there another big deal in the

he praised their cooking skills. "Your barbecuing skills are even better than those before the

for us, Austin.

that, she couldn't think of any other reason for Austin

medicine, but this time it's not for Warren. It's

Base had not been fair in their dealings. "Aren't you afraid of offending Odeberg International

work, we're neutral. We don't favor anyone

are to get exploited. They have plenty of trading materials, while those at the bottom are more dangerous. In this post-apocalyptic world, no one can guarantee that there's no risk in doing business. If you guys have

here, they had to show some courtesy. Stella was somewhat curious. "What kind of

"Insulin."

was a common drug for lowering blood sugar. Someone still needing it after so long in the apocalypse indicated a

few days for someone completely deficient, requiring about 60 units per day. It might not

while ago, and in retaliation, Warren had his men steal the leader's medicine. Odeberg International is heavily guarded, so it's not easy for Aqua Base to get the medicine back. They're temporarily reaching out to their contacts to find some." Stella pondered. "If they don't inject insulin in time, they'll die