18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 484

Stella gazed at the figures in the distance, a wry smile crossing her lips as she was reminded of characters from her favorite drama series-the traitorous collaborators, only now they seemed to have taken on a more global flair. When they realized Stella was from the East, they sent three of their own to probe the situation.

Stella didn't mince words. "Beat it!"

Instead of anger, the trio seemed oddly pleased at her dismissal.

Dillyn, a master of appearances, nodded and bowed, the picture of polite attentiveness. "Folks, all comers are friends here. We're just looking to make connections."

Vietnam, visibly uncomfortable, stood as still as a statue, while Belarus wore a look of smug superiority, as if the world was theirs for the taking.

To Stella, they were nothing but a bunch of creeps. "I said, beat it!"

Belarus was fuming, ready to spew profanity, but Dillyn clamped a hand over his mouth, muttering a frustrated "Damn it."

Vietnam whispered a word of caution, "Ease up a bit, will you? We're all part of the same cultural sphere."

Belarus, unable to contain their disdain, spat out, "Psh, Confucius is ours, they dare to pilfer and still have the gall..."

Dillyn and Vietnam could only share a look of disbelief at their self-deluding companion. "Do you even care about the mission our leader entrusted us with?"

The mention of the 'big brother' made Belarus grudgingly fall silent.

Dillyn continued with a servile smile, "Friends from Australia, we come with sincere intentions. In times of hardship, those from the East should stick together for survival."

Stella almost laughed, "Who's 'us,' and where's 'there'?"

Sensing a sliver of hope, Dillyn proudly shared, "We represent Union Base, aiming to band together all survivors worldwide to weather this catastrophe. We have individuals from seventeen nations so far." Stella was not interested in his rosy rhetoric, "And who calls the shots at this base?"

"We believe in peace, democracy, freedom, solidarity..."

Stella was losing patience. "Who's in charge, talk or get lost!"

Dillyn's expression soured, but he still managed a smile: "It's China."

"What's required to join?"

Union Base, surrender all your supplies and weapons.

before admitting,

to eat

the line, you'll

last time you

confused, unsure of

and bones. How long's it been since your daddy

himself to hold back.

for survival. So why are you all kowtowing

plate clean? Or maybe you three are supposed to fight over

to explode, fists clenched. "The world's flooded, lands have sunk; there's no East or West anymore, we're all

the shots-China is? They send you, and you come

forced smile was now a grimace,

your thing, don't drag us into it." Stella's gaze was icy as she scoffed, "I've no

dogs!" Belarus

are folks from your place in the base too, spineless curs, obeying every command. Left, right, eat this,

meat every day, but at least

from a communal pot, those Aussies in the base didn't even

Australia be any better? Deluding

fired a shot that

burning pain and the shock sent Belarus tumbling to the ground, a

knew they were in deep

was as good as dead-a loose tongue and thinking that clinging to 'big brother' meant the world had

faced with someone who didn't play by their rules, he

Belarus's frozen trousers made the panicked curses even more

with pretense, threatened, "You

left, ignoring Belarus-better to save the food than waste it on the doomed. Vietnam, pensive,

was about uniting all survivors. Why leave your buddy behind?"

"Shut up. The

the drama over, Stella and Jasper returned inside

the three stooges from the East likely to exaggerate their story, and with Russia's recent trouble, they anticipated their own confrontation

gaze icy and intent. Approaching