18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 130

To have a proper conversation, sometimes you needed to beat the other person first.

Jasper gave Cooper some advice. "You don't need to be so quick to deny me, and certainly not yourself. You hold a special place in her heart, even if I'm with her, it won't change how she feels about you. "Besides, Stella and I have a deal. If I ever mistreat you, she won't talk to me anymore. If you can't even beat me, how can you hope to protect her? Why not give me a chance and we can protect her together? "And don't worry. I'll treat you the same as I treat Rosie. You won't be left out in the cold once she has a boyfriend."

The dog, Cooper, gave him a silent stare.

"Don't believe me? We can pinky swear." With that, he lifted Cooper's paw and completed the pinky swear.

Cooper, the reluctant participant in the pinky swear, continued to stare at him silently.

"Be a good boy, finish your food and keep fit." Jasper patted Cooper's head, "If you starve, I'll be the only one left to look after her, and you won't get another chance."

Cooper's eyes widened in surprise and he took a few steps back.

Jasper left him alone to ponder over things in his cosy dog bed. He then joined Stella, "Cooper is smart, just a bit jealous. He's been hurt before and needs a sense of security. He'll come around in time." "And if he doesn't?"

Jasper didn't want to pressure her, "We'll replace a solution."

After a while, Stella opened the door to her room. Cooper came over, with a melancholic look in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Stella asked, "The butcher's shops are closed, and I'm not that kind of person."

She poured some dog food into his bowl, and she also added a chicken drumstick.

Cooper ate hungrily, occasionally lifting his head to look at Stella as if worried she might disappear.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll always take you with me."

Later, Jasper called Stella over the intercom, "Stella, bring Cooper over for dinner."

Stella covered the intercom and asked Cooper, "There's food next door. Should we go?"

Cooper hesitated but eventually picked up his food bowl.

Stella laughed, "We'll be right over."

There was roast duck for dinner, with two drumsticks: one for Rosie and the other for Cooper, both served by Jasper.

As they chatted and ate, Jasper asked, "The community center is giving out potatoes for the winter tomorrow. They're running short so it's a lottery. Should we go?" "No need."

By the time the next batch was ready, winter would be almost over.

After dinner, they settled on the couch to watch a show on the tablet. Cooper insisted on squeezing in between Stella and Jasper.

Every time Jasper so much as touched Stella, Cooper would put his paw over her. Stella couldn't help but laugh as she cuddled with her jealous dog while watching the show.

As they were about to leave, Jasper stopped her. He opened the door to his room, "Stella, you can take these."

Stella was puzzled.

"I hope this can give you peace of mind."

Stella was taken aback, "I can't take your things."

"I know." Jasper understood, "But I hope they can give you a sense of security."

"These are things you risked your life for. I can't take them."

"I'm not giving them to you, rather keeping them in your care."

He was being tactful, but Stella understood, "If I take them, they will be mine."

"Stella, I trust you." Jasper's gaze was deep, "Besides, it's not easy to store supplies during the harsh winter. Some things will spoil if frozen for too long."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Can I really take them?"

"Yes."

Despite his assurances, Stella couldn't possibly take everything. But she was curious about his supplies, especially those wrapped tightly in insulation. She noticed a few items in the corner, "What are those?" "An engine, compressor, and some spare parts from my car."

Stella was surprised, "You still have your car?"

"It's in the parking lot." He had just taken off the parts that were prone to damage.

Thinking about his car, Stella was almost drooling. If only she had more space in her Arcadia, she would have stored more cars.

"Isn't it freezing in the parking lot? Won't the car get damaged?"

"I've prepared for that. Hopefully, it won't be damaged."

Stella moved the car parts into her Arcadia, letting them thaw on the balcony before moving them inside.

She took two-thirds of the food, oil, grains, condiments, and snacks. After all, she couldn't guarantee her own safety and didn't want to put all her eggs in one basket.

She did the same with the medicines, taking all of the ones she didn't use often and leaving a third of the ones she did.

Stella found that not only did he have a lot of gasoline, but also a solar generator and a storage box that could hold 50 degrees of electricity. No wonder he could charge the fish trap.

She took everything.

Seeing his master perform the magic trick, Cooper gave Jasper a triumphant grin. Humph, all of these were hers now.

Jasper laughed, "So, can you drop your hostility towards me?

Cooper turned his head away. 'Never!'

When Stella saw the acid-resistant protective suit, she couldn't help but ask, 'Is there acid rain?'

"Yes," came the reply.

Not only acid rain, but also heavy fog, polar day, polar night, ancient glacier viruses, tectonic collisions, and so on.

Stella felt anxious. She didn't expect the challenges to become increasingly difficult, and her preparations were far from enough.

"It's okay. We'll figure out a way to gather what we need."

Jasper woke up late. The retirement process takes time, and most of the supplies in the room were purchased online in advance. He had stocked up on supplies for adventurous outings during storm days, but who knew how long the natural disasters would last? These supplies were far from sufficient.

Stella counted his gas canisters. "Did you take them from the houses near the entrance of the neighborhood?"

Jasper smiled. "You're really smart."

With so many things, the second-floor room in Arcadia was packed to the brim. They felt the need to expand, as they were lacking so many things.

The second batch of potatoes was harvested, and all three of them, along with the dog, didn't slack off. Cooper kept digging and biting into the soil, putting each mouthful into the basket.

They harvested over a thousand pounds, leaving them with sore waists and tired legs. These potatoes were enough to last them for a long time.

Additionally, the corn, peanuts, and wheat in Arcadia were ripening one after another and needed to be harvested soon.

Stella liked to eat them fresh, so she threw the corn into Arcadia while the peanuts and wheat had to be threshed. Due to the need to save time, they were taken out, and they froze quickly due to the cold weather.

They didn't plant much, only about a hundred square meters of each crop, but it still took Stella a whole day, and she ended up mentally and physically exhausted, lying motionless in bed.

Jasper brought her food and asked, "Is there anything I can help with?"

Stella was still concerned, "What if Rosie replaces out?"

He was a good teacher, but at the end of the day, she was just six. Who could guarantee she wouldn't let something slip?

After mulling it over for a moment, Jasper said, "You don't have to mention anything to Rosie. If she gets too curious one day, I'll just tell her that Arcadia is mine."

Stella thought this was fair enough. After all, compared to him, she was just an outsider. There was a difference between what was yours and what was someone else's.

So, while Rosie was taking her afternoon nap, Stella unloaded all the peanuts and wheat into the living room of 1801.

When Rosie woke up from her nap, she opened the door whilst rubbing her eyes.