18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 463

Monkey was quick on his feet, topping up everyone's plates with generous servings. Without the usual spicy hotpot base, Bran simply mixed his seasonings into his bowl of rice and couldn't help but praise, "Mmm, sis, everything you make is just delicious." The flattery was so thick it set off alarm bells for Monkey. This was his only sister, after all. Not to be outdone, Monkey chimed in, "Of course, sis's cooking is top-notch, and her medical skills are out of this world - she's the reason our family looks so good." Stella rolled her eyes at the two of them. "Rosie made it."

Bran flashed a toothy grin and wolfed down his meal. Monkey made sure to slip some extra slices of meat onto his wife and son's plates. The two most precious people in his life sang Rosie's praises in unison, "Brilliant, fantastic, simply top-notch!" Rosie blushed, her eyes curling into crescent moons. They all gathered around the table, looking for a good time and avoiding any memories that might bring on the blues, focusing instead on the present and future.

After several work-related injuries at the hospital, Stella casually reminded Bran, "I don't want to be stitching you up one day. Be careful at work."

Bran shoveled in another mouthful. "Sis, neither do I, but these days oil is more precious than life. We're saving it for the big lifts. Anything we can handle without it, we have to."

"You should've seen the number of ships docked lately, jets grounded unless absolutely necessary. Oil is the lifeblood of industry. If the base wants to reclaim its glory, we're going to have to strike oil."

Despite their best efforts, the remnants of industrial civilization were but a drop in the bucket. If their generation wanted to relive the prosperity before the calamity, it would only be in their dreams. Stella frowned. "So, the platforms you're building now are mainly for agriculture?"

"The plan is for habitation, with the extra space for crops."

Despite the positive developments, the more survivors arrived at the base, the more complex the issues they faced, such as food supplies. Real sustenance came from grains, not just vegetables or meat. Looking to the future, Stella asked, "Once the platforms are complete, what's the next goal?"

"Probably land reclamation from the sea."

Bran's privileged background had always set him apart. In the past, people gravitated towards him, but that didn't mean he lacked social graces. On the contrary, he was quite adept, especially once he let his guard down. In less than a month, he'd already made inroads with the top brass. "Originally, land reclamation was the priority. But they lost key components for the dredging ships, rendering the machinery useless. So, building the base became the immediate focus."

was curious. "Lost

coy. "Take

you're going to

brother, having just polished off his third bowl, didn't dare to show off. "It's ridiculous, really. We lost screws and rivets, shaft housings, that sort of thing. Not critical

"What now?"

Bran's problem to worry about. "Who knows, maybe we'll all end

by their own

the

personnel; while some civilians

might concoct schemes, they

with the Kindle Society. After ten years of hustling, Monkey had developed a keen eye for trouble and steered clear of risky deals. Diving for soil was out of the question. le planned

shrewd trading.

to return the sea-bottom containers to the base without drawing any attention. She and Jasper would circle the base periodically, but as the number of survivors increased, so did the military patrols, making

wasn't

it bluntly, the military had its own, protocols and didn't turn a blind eye as easily as the more political bases did.

Stella had no plans to leave the base. How could she explain the sudden

from the

Stella wasn't alone; she had her partner, her family, and her dogs. She had

good required the right opportunity; haste wouldn't help. Her safety was paramount. If the disasters ceased, a chance to return what was taken would come. If disaster struck again, not returning might be