18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 453

Chapter 453

Cooper sniffed Rosie's clothes and immediately backed away, shaking his head with a look of utter disdain.

"Ugh, no way I'm touching that!"

Rosie's heart shattered like a fragile glass ornament, her spirits plummeting to rock bottom.

Stella came over and tugged Cooper's ear, "Off you go, chill out elsewhere. Stop picking on Rosie."

After a brief scolding for Cooper, she turned to the sensitive Rosie, chuckling with a hint of exasperation, "There's no smell, neither your brother nor I can smell anything. Cooper's just yanking your chain." Rosie took another sniff of her clothes, and her mood brightened like a sun piercing through storm clouds, "Cooper, you're such a mischief-maker."

Cooper wagged his tail with a grin, playfully tugging at Rosie's pant leg.

"Come on, let's play!"

By noon, hunger struck like an unwelcome guest, demanding attention even when the appetite was half of its usual size.

Area B boasted a seawater filtration system, but fresh water was still a luxury, rationed to half a bucket per person per day, with strict timings for its availability.

For a shower, one had to hoard water, with communal baths and toilets on the first floor.

With water being such a precious commodity, using it for showers seemed wasteful. A quick wipe-down was a luxury, and any surplus could be bartered.

To save on Arcadia time, the trio and their dog had a pact - they'd digest their meal and then all head in together for a quick wash, wrapping up within thirty minutes, no exceptions. Cooper didn't need a shower; he had The Garden upstairs and downstairs to run and catch the breeze to his heart's content.

If he got dirty, they'd wash him afterwards, dumping the dirty water back into Arcadia.

Towel-drying her hair, Jasper asked with concern, "Rosie, how's the job?"

Don't ask. Just the thought brings up a stench with every breath.

Fresh into the workforce, Rosie's worldview was crumbling, "Brother, some folks in the Maggot Crew are sneaking bites."

"Sneaking bites?" Stella almost choked on her words.

clean and stuff them into their mouths when the boss isn't

didn't judge, "What did you do

"I pretended

"Why?"

her reasoning, "If

and

who cares about

day, didn't it stand

a case of turning a blind eye because

to expose them

these were peaceful times, their actions would be wrong. But in

if it's wrong, it's forgivable. As long as it doesn't affect you,

approval, Rosie finally breathed

did whatever it took, and as long as it didn't threaten one's own survival, it was acceptable.

a moment, "Brother, I can

We have a base to live in, where we can defer rent or

country gives us a home, but we can't just lie back and wait for others to

with our country. It's only through the hard work of every survivor that

nodded with resolve,

if work gets tough or you're

sister-in-law and I

with her brother, Rosie felt even more determined, "Brother, I'll do

"I'll look for a job tomorrow. I need to set the right example for Rosie. Can't have her thinking it's okay to loaf around all day." Stella rewarded his dedication with

and she'd definitely enjoy her

rose with the sun, and Jasper accompanied her, aiming to find a job with light duties and close

together, with the doting brother continuing

indulged in a lazy morning, waking up at nine to freshen

even cheerful, "Sister-in-law, I can take care of the

with the adorable image of

with good news. His striking looks landed him a job at Area A's administrative center, maintaining law

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