18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 121

And so, they spent five whole days making pie.

In apartment 1801, where they worked side by side, each contributing half the ingredients to the cause. To prevent the crust and filling from freezing, they kept a lively coal fire burning.

Jasper contributed the coal while Rosie helped, and Stella provided generous helpings of chives, cabbage, and parsley.

Jasper was in charge of the filling, sneaking in the chopped vegetables without Rosie noticing, and then mixing it with a bit of pepper.

Rosie, only six years old, was clever but not enough to realize the trick. She was thoroughly fooled.

Each household received a whopping 200 pies, enough to last for quite a while.

Stella's share was kept in Arcadia for preservation, while Jasper's was left out on the balcony to freeze for an hour, after which they were harder than rocks.

No need for a refrigerator, they just stored them in boxes and cooked them whenever they felt like having some.

Stella had wanted to make some bread as well, but the cold weather made it difficult for the dough to ferment, so she gave up on the idea.

After spending some time together, Stella realized that Jasper not only had good fighting skills, he was also a boy who loved reading and learning. He was actually reading books on automotive repair, and he seemed to be enjoying it thoroughly. Stella, while a good driver, knew next to nothing about car repair, so she couldn't help but ask, "Why are you reading that?"

She felt a bit sorry for his old truck, even if it hadn't been swept away, the months of submersion in water and extreme cold weather had drastically deteriorated its material properties, making it practically useless.

Once the flood had receded, all vehicles were practically written off, getting another one would be no easy task.

"Just passing time," was his response.

Stella didn't believe it, there was no such thing as "just passing time" for a man who had been in the military.

Days crawled by, but they also flew past.

Stella didn't have a six-pack yet, but the constant training with Jasper had managed to bring out her abs, making the daily grind seem worth it. She also no longer felt sick and dizzy when using her mind to farm in Arcadia.

In a month, their potato sprouts had grown lush and green.

Rosie, who was craving some vegetables, asked, "Stella, can we eat the sprouts?"

"No," Stella took the opportunity to give them a lecture, "Potato sprouts contain solanine, eating too much of it can lead to dizziness, vomiting, and in severe cases, death."

Rosie was curious, "What's solanine?"

"Poison, it can kill you," Stella figured explaining wouldn't make sense to her, so she simply warned, "Just remember, don't eat it."

"I don't want to die. I want to be with Jasper, Stella, and Cooper."

After successfully scaring the two, Stella left with a sense of satisfaction. She pondered that Angela and the others had been working for a month, and there had been no news. She wondered how they were doing and realized it was almost time for their break. She was woken up early one morning by a loud knocking at the door.

Cooper was there, looking fierce, scratching at the door incessantly.

Stella opened the inner door, and the fierce-looking dog suddenly started wagging its tail. As soon as the outer door opened, he darted out.

Lukas' voice could be heard, "Cooper, did you miss us?"

The three of them had returned as planned, carrying their bedding and fresh clothes.

It had been a month since they had last seen each other, and they seemed to have changed a lot. Lukas and Cody were still joking around, but there was a new maturity about them. They seemed hardened.

The temperature had dropped to minus sixty degrees, and their faces were wrapped tightly. Their eyes were filled with exhaustion and bloodshot veins. They had had to walk for seven hours to get back home. "You guys go have a rest, I've just boiled some water, I'll bring you a pot in a bit."

Closing the door, Stella brushed her teeth and washed her face. She carried a hot water kettle to Room 1803, noticing how tired they were and, on a whim, cooked a pot of soup for them.

After a hot bowl of soup, their stiff bodies finally started to warm up, and Cody couldn't help but express his gratitude, "Stella's cooking really is the best. The food at the canteen was terrible, not a hint of meat." "How was work?" she asked.

Cody showed her his bandaged hand, "I almost lost my life."

Eight pounds of grain, really hard-earned.

Cody was alright. Having had some experience with the harsh realities of life, he was prepared for the job. But Lukas was different. For the first time in his twenty years of life, he was working hard for his food. If it wasn't for the fact that he and Cody were assigned to the same group, he might have broken down.

The three of them were on the night shift, but Angela was in a different group, so the two of them had to stick together to survive.

During the day, things were relatively calm, but at night, all hell broke loose.

On the third day of work, the two of them tried to stop a robbery, and Lukas got slashed by a knife. If it wasn't for the protective gear they were wearing, he might have lost his arm.

There were people who were careless, relying on their size and strength, carrying their grain without a care in the world. But as soon as they left the company, they were robbed, and they were dragged across the ice for several meters.

"Where's my grain!" a burly man cried like a child, his tears freezing immediately.

Working as a security patrol was indeed risking your life.

Of course, there were unexpected benefits to the job. As long as they weren't too greedy, the higher-ups would turn a blind eye, considering the risks involved.

Cody opened his quilt, revealing cigarettes, matches, a gold chain, canned food, and several pounds of grain. Lukas and Angela had the same, along with their wages, they had a pretty good haul for the month. Unexpected windfalls, all from criminals.

When criminals met security, they first tried to fight. If they couldn't, they ran. If they couldn't run, they tossed their things to distract the guards and escape. Anything found on them after they were caught was also included. Anything that belonged to a victim was returned. As for unclaimed items, they were silently divided up.

The three of them, being new to the job, honestly handed everything in at first. It was only when their seniors gave them a hint that they realized what was going on.

At first, they had a hard time overcoming their conscience, but when they saw everyone else doing the same, they gradually started to follow suit.

There was no choice. The job was too dangerous, and who would risk their lives without some kind of incentive?

That was how it was; there was nothing to criticize.

Stella asked Cody, "What happened to your hand?"

"I was quick to dodge, or else the tendons in my hand would have been severed."

The half a year of physical training had paid off. His reactions were swift. If it were before, he wouldn't have been able to dodge in time.

Luckily, they had brought medicine with them, and were able to stop the bleeding and bandage the wound immediately. Otherwise, the grain they had earned wouldn't have been enough to cover the medical expenses. Stella checked his wound and found no signs of infection. It had already started to scab, "It's so dangerous. Are you guys planning to continue working?"