18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 564

When Stella walked in, Daniel's face lit up with a warm smile. "Stella, you're back."

Stella nodded, "Yeah."

There was a brief, awkward pause before Daniel continued, "You've lost some weight."

Team missions often meant you couldn't just feast all the time.

But Stella was upbeat, "I'm doing alright."

She led him inside and asked with genuine concern, "How have you been feeling lately?"

"Your Aunt Sue has been giving me acupuncture daily, and the medicine you left has kept me in check. I'm almost back to my old self."

Stella took him to Arcadia for a follow-up. The CT scans showed the pneumonia was gone, but some damage was irreversible. They'd have to be careful moving forward.

After running all the necessary tests and treatments, Daniel couldn't hide his good mood. "How was your trip?"

"Eventful but safe."

Stella gave a brief rundown of the mission, including how they'd salvaged 26 crates of fabric.

The fate of the 21 trucks' worth of essential supplies they'd collected before the land sank would depend on how the military handled these materials. Deciding whether to hand them over could wait.

Daniel had returned early, so the special team's salvage report hadn't reached him yet.

But it was clear that these supplies were key for Australia's recovery. Whoever collected them deserved generous compensation, including those who gathered resources on land.

Over the past month, his workload had lightened, but his concern for his daughter and son-in-law had only grown.

Seeing Stella safe now, he could finally relax.

Not one for emotional displays, Daniel said, "I've learned to cook a few dishes. Come over for dinner tonight."

Stella didn't argue, "Do you need anything? I can bring it."

"No need, Rosie drops off supplies every few days."

the question, "Dad, Bran hasn't been too

of

in embarrassment, "he can be quite blunt, and I was

He's quite measured in his words. He's a sharp and entertaining young

Measured?

silent. What

returned from

rushed over, hugging Stella tightly.

carried the scent of sweat,

sunshine, utterly warm and

the work on the

hardworking, admitted, "It was tough at first, but I'm used to

you work the

I have to

remembered their last conversation.

years, wouldn't easily respect her, not

just jealousy but

for

to the fields herself. Despite her age, she worked as hard as anyone, ensuring no one could slack

inside and out, challenging the old

drink of water and sat down to report on the farm. "Sis, I've started two acres of mulberry seedlings, medicinal herbs, hay, and five acres of greens. We're also growing potatoes, cotton, sweet potatoes, and corn. Everything's sprouted, and we've already harvested the greens once. We've traded the excess for credits at the base, which we can use to buy more land. When the mulberries are mature enough,

might seem large, but for the base, it was a drop in the bucket. They needed to

cycles, integrating greens with root crops like sweet

managed well, they could harvest

excitement mixed with a hint of anxiety. "Sis,

calm,

partnership with the food factory to farm maggots. They're keen but want a stake in it, offering land and maggots and help

could only envy, while the military, who ran

Stella's status, the 20-acre greenhouse, and

strange if

factory was military-operated, presenting them

for a moment, "Have you told my dad

Uncle Daniel. He's in

exact share with the military

military wasn't just