18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 582

Poppy strolled over with a confident swagger, "Hey, Stella."

Stella had taken quite a liking to her. "Poppy, you're looking more formidable every day."

"These folks, if you don't keep them in check, they start acting up. We've already had to let go of a few for sticky fingers."

Some people just can't help themselves, thinking they're too slick to get caught. But losing their job over a couple of eggs? Not worth it.

As Poppy led Stella and her husband around the farm, she gave a quick rundown. "Stella, bro-in-law, we've got 42 egg-laying hens, 6 roosters, 36 ducks, 5

drakes..."

There were also geese, quails, and even some guinea fowls.

The numbers weren't massive, but with hundreds of chicks and ducklings growing up, they'd be multiplying tenfold in no time.

Stella was thrilled but didn't forget her advice. "Keep the farm clean, alright? Regular disinfecting, so we don't get any nasty bugs."

"Don't worry, Stella. We've got a regular lime-spreading schedule for disinfecting," Poppy said, beaming with pride. "And a bit of lime in their diet boosts egg production too."

Stella nodded, impressed. Poppy was getting more professional by the day, putting her unreliable uncle to shame.

As Stella stepped out, the family dogs, with their traitorous hearts, bounded over from next door.

"Bark! Bark!"

"Howl! Howl!"

Stella gave each of them a couple of pats.

These scamps would ditch their own pups as quick as tossing out the trash, not even worried about them getting snatched.

Snowflake, the picked-on pooch, settled down promptly to nurse her litter after a light scolding.

Cooper, the shameless hound, came begging for a treat only to receive Stella's reproachful swat, his tail drooping in dismay.

Being a pet parent was a thankless job sometimes, and when Cooper tried buttering up the new trainer Jasper, he quickly learned flattery would get him nowhere.

fed, Stella and her

and now

yellowed, but the cotton stood out,

them from the whims of soil and weather, the

the fact that they had a harvest at all was enough to

were meticulous, yet they'd be

back at Arcadia, which was faring better than their greenhouse

and mix it in -

team members, idle and available, would

was over at the herb greenhouse, directing workers as they picked the

staffers were waiting to cart the herbs back for drying and processing, so they pitched in with

seemed to have

potatoes, only a few acres' worth, had turned a rich green

and her husband return, Rosie

her skin less

door and dished out treats to

couple decided to stick around and lend a hand on the

a mere 20 acres

and honeysuckles, the city was planning

the saplings thrived as the melting snow nourished

up and the wet soil, germination was successful. Later, once the desalination systems

had begun

the newly allocated land, workers were busy planting trees and interspersing them

change was palpable, growing visibly with each passing

out over the expanse of the farm, Stella

was in the

had her reservations, but if he was happy to cook,

door, they wisely hydrated

dinner was

managed

find his groove, and now he's got

was bursting with pride, but hey, if

the others retreated to the study

would scatter, leaving the fate of any remaining oil