18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 141

It was real popcorn, still warm and aromatic. If you drizzled some caramel on it, there would be no difference between this and those sold at the movie theaters. Unlike those two idiots, Stella and Angela found no humor in it.

Especially when they heard the radio announcement that the city council was advising residents not to go out for the next few days and to close doors and windows when the sanitation workers came to disinfect. While promoting hygiene, they also reminded people to guard against pests and gave tips on how to treat heatstroke.

Just a few days and the temperature had already risen to over 40 degrees Celsius. How was anyone supposed to survive that?

It were not just the heat; it was the combination of heat and humidity.

The entire city was soaked, and the merciless sun was boiling the water. Buildings felt like ovens, and the survivors were like hot dogs or pretzels inside, sooner or later they would be cooked thoroughly. With the heat, people's tempers flared, like they were all on edge, ready to explode or pick a fight.

Compared to extreme cold, extreme heat was more devastating. You could layer up against the cold, but there was no escaping the heat.

It's said there was an elderly man in the neighborhood who survived the extreme cold, but unfortunately, he passed away yesterday due to heatstroke.

Stella popped some popcorn and shared it with Rosie and Cooper. Rosie was hot too, but with a fan blowing cold air and an iced coffee in hand, she was in a considerably good mood. She was eating and sharing with Cooper.

Around two in the afternoon, Stella started to sweat.

Living on the top floor had its disadvantage, the indoor temperature had reached 45 degrees Celsius.

Her temperature regulating clothing had failed. Stella suspected that 45 degrees Celsius was the upper limit for the temperature regulating clothing. Beyond this, it would lose its effectiveness. But it still had some effect. With the help of temperature regulating clothing, the temperature she felt should be around 30 degrees, about 15 degrees less than the actual temperature.

In other words, if the temperature continued to rise, even with the temperature regulating clothing, she would feel hotter and hotter.

The same was true for extreme cold, as she almost turned into a popsicle last time.

The top floor temperature during extreme heat was at least 10 degrees higher than the lower floors. If she couldn't handle it, how could the other residents of the 18th floor?

Never underestimate a difference of 10 degrees. When it came to the human body's limit, even a difference of one degree could be fatal.

Stella thought for a moment and darted into Arcadia. She brought out two pieces of cloth, one temperature regulating and the other normal.

The regular cloth could be used as curtains, hanging on the balcony to block the sun and heat, the rest could be used for practice. After all, the temperature regulating fabric was limited, and it was non-renewable.

Stella took out a portable multifunctional electric mini sewing machine and started to tinker with it according to the manual. After ruining seven or eight pieces, she finally got the hang of it.

Stella decided to make a set of temperature regulating clothes for everyone. There was not enough fabric for more.

The sizes were all large, all long-sleeved and long pants, similar to sun protection clothing, and included a hood. Jasper came over to help her put up the curtains and saw her busying herself, "Why are you making clothes?"

Stella didn't look up, "Secret."

Jasper called her over to help with the curtain installation.

When the sun was about to set, the quiet neighborhood was filled with the sound of motors. A storm boat drove into the neighborhood, full of workers in protective suits. They not only removed corpses and garbage but also sprayed disinfectant and insecticides. The smell was truly unbearable, and they had to quickly close the doors and windows.

The workers were really hardworking though, doing high-risk work in non-breathable protective suits in such hot weather.

This had never happened in her previous lives, and it appeared so timely now. It was clear that adequate preparations had been made.

It was not that the city council didn't want to do these things, but that natural disasters were unpredictable. No matter how hard they tried, it was in vain. They could only doing what they could after the natural disaster happened.

What they were doing would save countless lives.

When it got dark, Amber went to the rooftop to fetch water and gave Stella some wilting, yellowing sweet potato sprouts.

"These are heat-resistant sweet potatoes developed by the Swan Hill Agricultural Institute. There are not enough sweet potatoes, so we can only grow sprouts. Many cities are waiting, and Griffith didn't get many. Priority is given to institutions for cultivation and trial planting, it will probably take some time before they are widely distributed."

She had quit her job and had no benefits, these were what Mikey and his son got, and Katie decided to give half to the 18th floor.

Afraid that young people would waste it, Katie specifically reminded, "Don't pour the water used for washing faces and vegetables. You can rinse your mouth over the sweet potato sprouts. Don't waste clean water."

Stella thanked her, "How come I haven't seen Katie these past few days?"

Amber looked worried, "It's too hot, and she can't stand it. She's resting at home and dares not go out."

Since the disaster, the Moore family had been doing well.

Stella went to the 17th floor, Katie didn't have any major health problems, but showed signs of heatstroke. She gave Katie some medicine and some Honeysuckle, both were for reducing heat.

Katie didn't want to take her things for free; she instructed her daughter-in-law to give something in return.

Stella refused, "It's for the sweet potato sprouts."

After saying this, she quickly left.

After two days of work, she finally finished making five sets of clothes, choosing a silver-grey fabric.

Jasper was tall and long, consuming the most fabric. Next was Angela, not only was she sturdy, but she was also not short.

Rosie was doing her homework when Stella beckoned her over to try. Children grew fast, and it was not possible to make a set every year, so she had to make the size larger. So, the trouser legs were dragging on the ground. Well, she had to pulled up the pants and rolled them up.

At first, Rosie didn't feel anything when she put it on, but after a while, she was surprised, "Wow, it's so cool."

Compared to the humid and hot feeling before, it was indeed a lot cooler.

Under her brother's instruction, Rosie wouldn't easily express her curiosity. She didn't ask a million questions, but she couldn't resist showing off to Cooper, "Cooper, look at the new clothes Stella made for me."

Cooper grinned, his owner had already made two sets for him.

It was easy to fool a child, but adults needed an explanation.

Jasper's fit perfectly; it looked quite suitable on him, adding a touch of laziness. He was in a good mood and took advantage of Cooper's inattention to hug her, "Stella, thank you."

Apart from his parents, whether in his previous life or this one, Stella was the first person to care about him this much.

He didn't ask anything, but since they were together, she still had to explain, "I found it last time when I went to the office building. I thought it was just a promotional gimmick, but I didn't expect it to actually regulate temperature." Wearing temperature regulating clothes and turning on the fan to cool down, they should be able to endure the heat.

The highest record for extreme heat in her previous life was 59 degrees Celsius; whether there would be changes this time was unknown.

The crackle of the walkie-talkie cut through the air, and despite the blessed relief of a fan, people from 1803 were still whining. "Stella, Jasper, the penthouse is unbearable. Can we move downstairs?"

But moving was out of the question. The apartments that were unoccupied had been ransacked many times. The doors and windows had been pried open, and the balconies were not sealed. How were they supposed to keep out the roaches and rats? They'd be chewed up by the critters before the heat could even take them.

Besides, they had plenty stashed away on the 18th floor. Would they risk exposing their treasure trove by moving?