18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 569

Evan took a good look at Stella. From her fresh-faced youth to her confident thirties, her appearance hadn't changed much, but her aura was something else entirely.

"Were you just on the supply ship?"

Even after all these years, his gaze was as sharp as ever-nothing escaped him.

Stella nodded, "Yeah, my team ran into a group of survivors from Goldbridge while looking for the Kindle Chest a few days ago. Must've been you guys."

Evan nodded, "Thanks for the assist. We might not have made it to the base otherwise."

Stella, curious, asked, "Ocean Point Naval Station is pretty advanced. So why Griffith?"

Evan smiled, "Just a hunch."

Stella paused, then burst out laughing, "Ocean Point is definitely high-tech, but your hunch was spot on. There are old friends here, the kind you can really look forward to."

She extended her hand warmly, "Evan, welcome to Griffith."

Evan had met all kinds of people, and from her demeanor, he figured she held some serious sway in Griffith. She wasn't the same person she used to be.

She had transformed.

Evan reached out, and their hands clasped together.

Just as they let go, another figure approached, "Evan."

A hand clapped his shoulder.

Evan looked closely, "Bran?"

Was this the old friend Stella mentioned? The spark of hope quickly fizzled out.

But Bran in uniform was a far cry from his past self.

Bran's flattery was always on full blast, "Sis, Evan's arrival is like adding wings to a tiger for us here in Griffith. The good times are just around the corner."

He boasted without a filter, "Evan, I was just telling Mark about you yesterday. He said you're a whiz at keeping the peace and handling criminal cases. Griffith could really use someone like you. And here you are!"

how he managed

time to get to know each other. After some small talk,

retreating figure, lost in

at home, Jasper was there when Stella mentioned running

Evan in both their lives-an upstanding yet

had always turned a blind eye to their

and Jasper held him in high regard, "I'm sure Mark won't let this chance slip

in Griffith was definitely something

survivors. She believed many were still alive, just scattered around the

transfer of supplies from the Kindle Chest took ten days, and the team's container modifications were also complete, all

houses, but still much better than

but a shade on the roof

lot of time out at sea salvaging,

their contributions to the base, they managed an unprecedented haul of

greens-they got a good

meat was wishful thinking-only pricey canned

missions that allowed them to

their brains to make these exchanges, but

cans, Spam, cured

a successful mission, nothing Stella did surprised

preparing a hearty housewarming

rice, salted fish and eggplant wraps, sauerkraut dumplings, greens,

།

shoot cans, Amelia couldn't hold back her tears, "As a kid at boarding school, I'd

and even Jake and the others marveled, "It tastes just

and running, canned food will be the least of our worries-fresh food until you're sick

but the folks weren't convinced it wasn't just pie

sky.

poultry farming, and the Kindle Chest treasures promising a fresh start for

was

times were yet to come, so this

to avoid freeloaders, and the other was the inexplicable preservation of the bamboo shoot

but they knew better than to

the