18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 162

In a show of good faith, Austin had handpicked only the finest goods, each one personally inspected by himself.

Stella responded with a smile, "My family has been passionate about antiques for three generations, so I have some knowledge in this area."

Austin was taken aback, but he wasn't an expert in the field, "I may have been mistaken. I'll replace them with new ones tomorrow."

All of his books and antiques were traded from wealthy individuals, and he never thought that there could be counterfeits among them. He took his mistake in stride. He would review his records when he returned and then cease collaboration. After the transaction, Stella left with her bag.

At that time, it was approaching dawn,. The eastern sky was slowly brightening, dispelling the darkness and a new day was beginning. Ignoring the harsh, dry heat, the sight of a clear blue sky bathed in the red light of dawn was indeed a rare beauty. On their way back to the neighbourhood, the streets were getting crowded. Some were returning home from work, others were out seeking food and resources, and some... were robbers. "Help me."

A frail girl, who had somehow found a dead snake, was being targeted by a similarly emaciated man with a knife, demanding her to hand over the snake.

This was happening in broad daylight, with many passersby around, each with an indifferent expression. None stepped in to help, instead quickening their pace, eager to avoid any trouble.

Stella initially didn't want to get involved, but the desperate girl reminded her of herself three years ago. At that time, she had caught a rat, but was immediately surrounded by a group of people wanting to snatch it away. Their eyes glowed with greed, fixated on the dead rat.

Watching the girl struggle, Stella picked up a stone and threw it at them. Despite the distance, her aim was accurate, the stone hitting the man in the back. He stumbled and fell to the ground.

The girl, holding the snake, didn't even thank Stella or look back. She just quickly fled.

The man got up, looking around for the person who had attacked him. Upon seeing Stella and Jasper across the street and realizing he was no match for them, he left in a huff.

In the sweltering heat, it was impossible to hide the truth about your circumstances.

Even though Stella and Jasper were in disguise, they stood out, and were attracting more and more attention. As they neared the city, Jasper turned to look at their followers. Without a word, he drew his weapon. Immediately, their followers scattered like birds. They managed to reach home safely before the sun was fully up.

Rosie was already awake, diligently going about her morning routine of brushing her teeth, washing her face, and practicing boxing and archery. Cooper was also busy, hanging around in the corridor.

After freshening up and changing clothes, they brought out some cereal and bagels, calling Rosie and the dog over for breakfast.

This time, they managed to add two more rooms to the third floor and expanded The Garden by a hundred square feet. Quite a profitable deal. After a hearty breakfast, Stella went to bed to catch up on sleep. Jasper tutored Rosie and after assigning her homework, he also went to rest.

Cooper was tasked with overseeing Rosie. Only when she finished her homework could she watch cartoons.

In the afternoon, Stella woke up to spar with Jasper, followed by dinner, watching a show, and petting the dog.

When the time was right, they went to the agreed spot to pick up the car. This time, neither Austin nor Monkey had come, but the man who had come with the car was familiar - the one who had collected the condoms.

He had brought a different vase with him. After verification by Arcadia, it was found to be genuine.

Stella began to lead a nocturnal lifestyle, sleeping during the day at home and releasing water at Arcadia at night.

It had to be said, there were a lot of counterfeits in this business. Almost every time, there were one or two fake items. But Austin was a good sport, always taking the counterfeits back without any argument.

Under Stella's generous feeding, the fourth floor of Arcadia finally came into existence, but it only had two storage rooms.

The house was no longer expanding. It seemed like it was a three-and-a-half-story villa. Fortunately, The Garden was still growing.

One night, Monkey finally showed up, "Could you spare two cars of water in a few days?"

Stella frowned, "That much?"

Stella was silent for a moment before saying, "I'll think of a way. Shouldn't be a problem."

Monkey pushed his luck further, "Can you get some ice?"

"That wouldn't be easy."

"Yeah. But the rich kids are so extravagant, not only throwing a party but also having an ice banquet."

The boss was eager to secure this deal, not only for the potential earnings but also for the opportunity to establish a new connection. The reward offered was not small.

Just for providing a car of ice, they were offering a piece of diamond raw stone.

The boss had made it clear that if Stella could provide the ice, she could keep the raw stone.

Diamond raw stone? Stella was somewhat tempted. She had stockpiled a lot of ice in Arcadia, enough for several years' use. Even without that, she could produce ice with an ice machine.

She looked at Jasper, should they take this deal?

After several transactions, The Garden had expanded by about 1000 square feet, and Austin had given a heads up that he didn't have many antiques and paintings left, and subsequent trades could be done with gold.

A car of water for 2 pounds of gold. Compared to antiques and paintings, gold seemed to be less attractive to Arcadia. So Stella planned to exchange all the antiques and paintings in Austin's possession, and then set off for Swan Hill Beach. Diamond raw stone, maybe they could give it a try.

Stella played coy, "I'll look into it, and I'll give you an answer tomorrow."

Monkey was especially happy and hurried back to report to the boss.

When they got back home, they decided after some discussion that they would wrap up their dealings after this one.

Both parties were cautious, but they still had been targeted several times. Jasper and Stella had to make detours and use the cover of night and Arcadia to shake off their tails.

Once, they even played a game of chicken on the road. Jasper didn't stop the car, he just rammed right into them.

They hid the car, and the two of them made a counterattack. It was a gang of experienced carjackers, as many as ten people, and they all had weapons.

Fortunately, both of them had rich combat experience and were always on guard, so they didn't give them any opportunity to take advantage of. They realized, it was important to quit while you were ahead.

They now had an extra water tanker truck to fill, and they didn't sleep all night. It was almost time for the transaction before they managed to fill the truck with water.

Austin came in person. There were only 18 paintings and 12 antiques. The rest were made up with jewels. The value of antiques and paintings depreciated quickly. Thanks to Stella, he was finally able to clear all the goods he had accumulated. "Stella, Jasper, gold is more stable in value right now, how about we trade with gold from now on?"

Stella declined his proposal, "Austin, I'm sorry, but we're going to have to suspend our trades for a while. We're planning a trip to Swan Hill."

"Swan Hill?" Austin asked, surprise coloring his voice. "You're heading to the coast?"

"We have a client interested in sea produce, we're planning on checking it out."

Austin felt a twinge of disappointment, but he didn't try to dissuade them. "Alright, then. We'll catch up when you get back. But be careful around Swan Hill. There's a toll booth, and they're not to be trifled with. Any problem that can be solved with goods isn't a problem. Don't pick a fight you don't need to."

After sharing their gratitude, they returned home for some rest before a hard afternoon of ice delivery.