18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 584

Jake was practically worshipping the ground Stella walked on for her

"extraordinary abilities." "Stella, why don't we go scouting for oil reserves in other countries? Maybe we can strike it lucky again."

"Think it's that easy to strike gold?" Amelia rolled her eyes at him. "The lands sunk a decade ago. The oil's been sucked dry, buddy. We just got lucky this time."

Stella couldn't help but giggle. "If you guys thought of it, you can bet the brass at HQ are already on it."

The higher-ups had dispatched a fleet of submarines with a three-fold mission: first, to gauge the depths of the sunken Kindle Chests that were beyond salvage; second, to scout for undiscovered chests; and third, to secure any potential resources. Anything salvageable had to be reported back.

This plan would significantly cut down on the work for the special salvage team.

The initiative had been in motion for half a year, and it was likely nearing completion.

"Who needs oil when there are countless Kindle Chests waiting for Stella's touch?"

Stella was used to their reverence by now.

The mission wrapped up, and the crew headed back in their nuclear submarine.

They hadn't traveled far when alarms blared—a massive submarine was barreling toward them.

The other vessel approached with reckless speed, and had they not dodged in time, a head-on collision would have been imminent.

The crew bristled with tension. "Who the heck is looking for an early grave?"

They all had long lives ahead of them, thank you very much.

But after the other sub turned around, it charged back toward them.

This was getting under their skin.

Their submarine issued a warning and readied for attack.

Missile silos opened.

Just as they were locked and loaded, the other sub halted its advance.

It seemed to lose its nerve.

After a tense wait, the other vessel signaled for a surface meeting.

Well, that was cocky. Stella was curious to see who dared such bravado.

The two leviathan subs began their ascent...

Case closed, folks!

There aren't many with the gall to strut around in nuclear subs.

China!

was intrigued. What was China's

surface, the Chinese

The rabbits

to coddle them. "None of your

over others, the Chinese delegation was

throats.

"What oil?" Stella parried.

also after the oil and had the brains to approach Camelot,

they were half a year

the rabbits to know their mission and blustered, "This sea

or we won't be

how do you

all had attack subs,

talking from a position of

started showing

shoulder-launched missiles,

but laugh. "As if we don't have

special salvage team had unique weapons, including

it, or if they did, it

base's equipment was legit or actually

the railgun turned the

Swindlers, all of them!

China now had to sit down and

"What are you

now, but still

and the crew were eager to get home and

don't believe you."

or not." They were all

insisted, "This sea is

"On what grounds?"

lied through their teeth, "Finder's

could see it—a mix of arrogance and a desperate

wouldn't dare start a fight, the crew unanimously agreed, "Sure,

value had already

ordered them away with a squawk,

our territory.

feigned deafness. "What's

"Please... leave immediately."

have fun dredging the ocean

until they were well out of sonar range, then burst

never catch

Time to head home!

out the Kindle Chest that didn't fit earlier, along with a container collected from South Base before the land sank. She only took the one with medical

antiques, books-all the stuff they didn't

she swapped

and Nicholas had been much quieter since his