18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 106

Even if she witnessed their fate in the previous life, Stella still wanted to participate one more time.

For a while, folks on the 18th floor hadn't ventured out. When they heard about a public trial, they were rubbing their hands in anticipation, expressing their eagerness to join. This presented a problem as someone had to stay behind to look after the place. Katie chuckled, "You go ahead, we'll stay and hold the fort."

Fortunately, the Moore family had a day off. They were usually busy at work and seldom got a break. So it was only natural they wanted to rest at home on their days off.

On top of that, the public trial was brutal; the worst criminals would be executed on the spot. The Moores, being refined folks, didn't have the stomach for such bloodshed. The people from the 18th floor were tempted. The Moores might be a tad weaker, but now their place was secured with three electric gates. Not just anyone could barge in.

Moreover, Griffith had no permanent military presence. The troops fighting The Chaos were deployed from the neighboring town of Swan Hill. During the crackdown on The Chaos, these borrowed troops weren't idle. They delivered heavy blows, dismantling several criminal gangs, and significantly improving the security in the area.

The people living on the 18th floor had a notorious reputation in Sunrise Sanctuary. Even if they opened their doors now, no one would dare to enter.

As for the external criminal forces, unless someone went nuts, no one would dare to commit a crime during a crackdown. So the 18th floor was still quite safe.

Thus, everyone agreed to attend the public trial, looking forward to the spectacle.

Their excitement wasn't alone; other survivors felt the same. They saw the government's effort to maintain order, giving them a glimmer of hope in the bleak apocalypse, motivating them to continue the struggle for survival. To make it to the day when the apocalypse finally ended.

The public trial was to start at ten. The folks at the 18th floor planned to get up at seven, freshen up, have breakfast, and bid The Chaos their last farewell.

Cooper, noticing his owner's departure, became a clingy dog, even following Stella to the bathroom. With so many survivors attending the trial, Stella was quite worried. What if the dog was taken away by someone?

However, Cody shrugged it off, "Cooper is part of the 18th floor. We can't give him special treatment. Besides, we've gained some leverage now, enough to take Cooper out for a walk."

Jasper was taking Rosie, so she couldn't just leave Cooper alone on the 18th floor. Stella agreed, "Cooper, bring the leash."

The leash again? Cooper felt wronged, but for the chance to be outside, he tolerated it and fetched the leash.

Once leashed, he didn't need anyone to lead him. He held the leash in his mouth.

This was the first time everyone from the 18th floor was going out together. Before leaving, Stella bid the Moores goodbye and gifted Mikey the toy gun Angela had returned. If anyone dared to approach, this toy was enough to deter them.

Griffith had suffered from criminal forces for a long time, especially in the surrounding communities. Upon hearing about the public trial of The Chaos and several other criminal gangs, survivors were flocking to Peace Square. Anyone who could handle the cold weather was heading there to witness the deserved fate of these groups.

Besides, they were desperate to know if their looted supplies could be returned. These days, they frequented the police station, but there weren't enough officers to provide any answers. Hence, they couldn't afford to miss today's trial, hoping to hear how the government planned to deal with the confiscated goods, which were their life-saving provisions.

Many survivors also left Sunrise Sanctuary. But as soon as they stepped out, they saw the devils leading the way-the infamous 18th floor was up to no good again.

Such a grand spectacle! Angelic faces, devilish hearts, and ruthless strides.

How cruel could they be to raise such a savage dog, baring its teeth and seeing red at the sight of people. The dog approached, strutting with a swagger. Even from a distance, they could feel its ruthless aura.

"Granny, the dog, the dog!" a child hid behind his grandmother in fear, "I'm...I'm scared."

Scared? Cooper smirked, good, finally learning to fear. No one dared to eat him now.

Baring his teeth menacingly, he seemed ready to charge at them and tear them to shreds any second.

The child screamed in terror, and the grandmother ran away, holding her grandson while silencing him, "Don't cry, or you'll attract it."

Now, they wouldn't dare to mess with not just the people of the 18th floor, but even their dog.

The feeling of swaggering and dominating was simply wonderful, Cody and Lukas were laughing maniacally. Stella, however, frowned. She crouched down to pull Cooper's mouth, "Who taught you to smirk? Dogs should act like dogs, not some smirking guy."

It was her fault for watching videos of guys who smirk with Cooper. She hadn't expected the dog to pick up that trait. Now, he was smirking all the time. Anyone who didn't know better might think it had gone mad.

Sigh, raising an intelligent dog was indeed challenging.

Cooper pressed its ears against its head and moved closer to her. To prevent it from causing trouble, Stella led Cooper on a leash.

Cooper, the most attractive pup in the area, held everyone's attention.

Shock, envy, and greed...

But when they saw who the owner was, they instantly dropped the idea of stealing it.

In a few months, they had gone through heaven and hell. The survivors had experienced too much and could easily tell this group wasn't to be messed with. They had to swallow their ambition. What they wanted the most now was to reclaim their protective supplies.

Peace Square wasn't far, but walking on ice was strenuous. They barely made it in time for the trial.

There was a sea of people at the venue. Despite the freezing cold, survivors were bundled up, revealing just their eyes.

Armed soldiers were maintaining order around the perimeter, and the local police and SWAT were in the inner circle. The order was quite good; no one dared to cause a commotion.

Despite this, Stella reminded her companions, "Watch out for pickpocket. Keep your pockets and bags close."

As she spoke, she moved her bag to the front.

Cooper was on high alert, watching the crowd, and staying close to Stella for protection.

They circled half of the square, replaceing a spot that was distant but had a higher vantage point, patiently waiting for the public trial to commence.

Several large trucks slowly drove into the square. First off were the prisoners in orange vests, their hands bound by ropes. They were followed by prisoners in yellow vests, equally numerous.

Stella glanced over. There were more people than in her past life. It was a testament to the power of public reporting.

Those in orange were going to be shot today. Those in yellow vests were destined to be shipped off for coal mining.

As the grand event's inauguration drew closer, not only the military and police heads were present but even the bigwigs of the city administration made their appearances, showing the extent of their emphasis on the eradication of organized crime.

When the leader stepped up to speak, he narrated the adversities endured by the masses since the onslaught of the natural disaster. His voice choked with emotion several times during his passionate speech.

Regardless of the circumstances, the country would never abandon any of its citizens. They would exert their utmost efforts to preserve the sparks of human civilization.

Next, the head of the police department stepped onto the stage.

Was that Evan? The man who grabbed the walkie-talkie that night, determined to investigate the anonymous tip-off letter?