18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 116

She was no ordinary woman. Monkey thoughtfully offered, "I've got fresh meat from the butchery this morning, 200 pounds in total, bones and all."

The Boss had given up a lot of supplies, traded through special channels to get this meat. And not a pound had been sold yet.

Just as she said, the rich didn't lack food, the poor couldn't afford it, hence, replaceing customers wasn't easy. Even if someone was interested, they would only buy half a pound or a pound at a time. How long would it take to sell all of it? 200 pounds seemed a lot, but the beef bones were heavy. The pure meat was probably no more than 120 pounds.

Opportunities were rare, and as the day went by, the meat would eventually run out.

Stella was shrewd, she wanted everything up from the cow legs, all 200 pounds of it.

"Wait here. I need to ask the Boss." Monkey didn't want to risk getting beaten up again.

He left hastily and returned about twenty minutes later, accompanied by another person, wrapped up so tight only his eyes were visible.

The Boss agreed, but wanted to check Stella's goods.

Stella pretended to reach into her pocket and pulled out a condom from her Arcadia. It's XXS.

Stella got those condoms from Max King, and they were of a variety of sizes. As a smart girl, she needed to sell the less popular ones first.

The man was professional, he didn't unwrap the condom, just checked the print and seal. "It's genuine."

200 pounds of beef for 200 condoms, but who would carry so many goods around?

Even if Monkey was willing, Stella couldn't carry 200 pounds of beef. For safety's sake, both parties agreed to multiple transactions, fifty pounds at a time.

They each went back to get their goods and met at the appointed place, across from the department store's north entrance.

Stella kept her eyes peeled. There were no signs of being followed. She arrived at the meeting place when the time was right.

Not long after, Monkey arrived carrying a black bag. Stella carefully checked the meat. The frozen beef was a deep red color, not only fresh but also odorless.

She weighed it with a spring scale she brought out from her bag.

Monkey watched her nervously; this woman was really tough to deal with. Thankfully, no weight was missing.

After verifying the beef, Stella pulled out the corresponding condoms.

The verifier frowned, "Why are they all tiny?"

Stella countered, "Is there a problem?"

Monkey stepped in, "Bro, as long as it's genuine, it's fine. You don't know those rich folks, they might be good at making money, but they actually are really small and quick to finish." Stella was speechless. Was she supposed to hear this?

The trade went smoothly, Stella put the beef into her backpack and when she was in a secluded spot, she stored it in Arcadia.

Four trades in two hours, she was a step closer to beef freedom.

Monkey was totally sure she was one of them, as he left he said sentimentally, "Girl, don't forget me if you have good stuff in the future."

"You too."

Now that they were acquainted, Stella took the opportunity to ask, "Do you have fresh vegetables?"

"We have frozen ones, but they're damn expensive, almost as expensive as meat."

Stella probed, "What kinds do you have?"

"Potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and radishes."

Monkey didn't sell these, and if she wanted them she would have to replace someone else, and after a few trades, they wouldn't be worth it.

After asking about the market, Stella left.

As she neared her neighborhood, she took out three 5-pound bags of frozen potatoes from her Arcadia bag, the radishes, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes were frozen too, and she didn't forget to cut two pounds of beef.

When everyone else chipped in with their shares, it would already be a feast compared to what other survivors had.

When she reached the 17th floor, she ran into Katie. Thinking about the wreaths she had, she gave one to Katie, making the old lady extremely happy.

Back on the 18th floor, Rosie and Cooper were having a playdate. The two seemed to be having a great time, with Rosie sneakily slipping cookies into Cooper's mouth. Seeing his owner return, Cooper immediately abandoned his playmate and pounced on Stella enthusiastically.

Instead of going home, she knocked on the door of 1801. She took out the frozen potatoes and handed them to Jasper, "These are for you."

He was smart, and there was no way she could hide it from him. But this was Stella's gestures. He should get it.

Jasper took the black-skinned frozen potatoes and invited her in, "Do you want grains or something else?"

"No need, you and Rosie have been feeding Cooper lots. This is just a small token of my appreciation."

Cooper was a greedy dog; it wasn't easy to tame him without treats. Now that they were acquainted, he even dared to ask for treats from them.

She didn't say anything when they gave him treats, but Stella couldn't pretend not to know. After all, she never fed Rosie secretly.

By the way, she mentioned the Christmas supplies she had hoarded.

She didn't count her personal portion, but the Christmas supplies needed to be shared. Jasper insisted on contributing.

"We've had a few run-ins with the protection grain collectors, and we've collected some gold chains, watches, cigarettes, and stuff. We can trade with these, just let Cody and the others know."

She was being so clear about it, and Jasper didn't say anything else.

Stella felt a bit awkward and touched her nose, "Do you need firewood?"

"No need."

That's true, 1801 was clean and tidy, unlike 1803 which was blackened all over from the firewood. It was obvious he wasn't lacking in fuel.

Stella didn't insist, she planned to go back and rest.

"Stella, are you coming over today?" For their workout.

Stella thought for a moment, "Will it bother you?"

In fact, after years of living as an orphan and three years in an apocalyptic world, her personality wasn't great. She was defensive, selfish, and even cold. Even she didn't like herself, let alone others. Even with Arcadia, she didn't tell Cody and the others. Didn't he think she was selfish?

But having seen the dark side of humanity, even if she was now basking in the sunshine, her inner fear wouldn't fade. So, Stella didn't plan to change.

She hoped Jasper understood that there was no need to force himself to please others, to avoid dissatisfaction in the future.

"You not coming won't affect me. I have to work out anyway. Having a sparring partner can improve flexibility and adaptability."

With 1803 not around, Stella didn't bother pretending, "I don't have much food, and I won't share my vegetables." In other words, don't get any ideas.

Jasper laughed, "You think I'm coveting your stuff?"

"I know you're not, but I'm naturally suspicious."

"Don't worry. I won't want your things." Jasper had a smile in his eyes, "Besides, I still have things at your place. If I really coveted your food and vegetables, you can just take those things as yours." That was also possible, an assault rifle, a handgun, and 500 bullets. Speaking of which, he seemed pretty confident that she wouldn't just snatch them away.

Fine, he's already made it clear. If he turned his back on her, she wouldn't hesitant to take his possessions.

For several consecutive days, Stella ventured out.

The survival conditions were only going to get worse, and since Cody and his crew were not around, she could take the chance to scavenge for useful items.

As soon as she got to the mall, even before she could step through the entrance, Stella was already being eyed.

Monkey pulled her into a corner, "Do you still have that stuff from yesterday?"

That was 200 condoms, was he the second coming of Max King?

Stella was on her guard, "How much do you want?"

Monkey revealed his cards, "I can give you a whole cow. We still have 1200 pounds."