18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 173

Stepping out from Arcadia, the night had already cast its dark blanket over everything.

Jasper docked the yacht close to the shore, not hurrying Stella to pull it back into Arcadia.

They were quite a distance away from the fishing village and the dock. It was unlikely anyone would be around at this hour, but out of caution, Jasper donned his night vision goggles and scanned the dark for a while, ensuring there were no issues. To avoid drawing attention with the motorboat, they paddled their rubber dinghy to shore.

Once ashore, they faced an incline leading to the coastal highway. There was no path, just brambles and reeds taller than a person.

Jasper led the way with his machete, shielding Stella behind him and flattening a path before allowing her to follow. "Watch your step," he cautioned.

After some time, they made it to the highway. Stella got into their car, flicking on the headlights. "Are you okay?"

Jasper was fine, save for a few scratches on his hands from the brambles and reeds. They were bleeding a little but were not serious. Stella took out an iodine solution to disinfect his wounds before applying band-aids.

In the darkness, they slowly drove along the highway. One drove, and the other kept vigil.

Upon safely returning to the villa, Stella's mood brightened. She took out some premium food from Arcadia to celebrate.

With the addition of a yacht, they felt more secure about potential sea survival scenarios.

The trip to the coast was worth it. They had been stocking up on dry goods and, with the 3,000 pounds they just acquired, they now had over 10,000 pounds of seafood.

Not only was it enough to last them a lifetime, but it could also be used for trading in the future.

Despite the abundance of seafood, they knew they couldn't eat it recklessly. Stella contemplated that it was time to stock up on fresh goods.

After dinner, the trio and the dog enjoyed the moonlight, stargazing and munching on watermelon on the rooftop.

Rosie, propped on her elbows, marveled at the starry sky. "It's so beautiful here. I wish we could stay here forever."

Stella agreed. Whether it was the environment or the resources, it was far superior to what they had in Griffith.

Trading their two-bedroom apartment for a spacious villa was a no-brainer. Living near the rich meant a higher standard of living and less worry about others with ill intentions. Walking the dog became easier too. Cooper could run up and down the stairs freely, getting plenty of exercise.

Jasper had no objections. "If you guys like it here, we can stay. We can bring the rabbits over when we replace the time."

Stella thought it was a good idea, but there was no rush. She had stocked up a lot of hay, enough for the rabbits to last a couple of months.

They could decide whether to stay or leave after they had stocked up enough supplies. After all, there were no entirely safe places in the post-apocalyptic world. As more and more refugees gathered on the coast, their villa could become a juicy steak, and a few dozen security guards would be no match for a horde of desperate people.

Over the next few days, they brought back 1,200 pounds of fresh goods each day. The bounty was glorious.

Shrimp, squid, crabs, salmon, trout, octopus, sea urchins, oysters, scallops, mussels, snails, and more. There were many other exotic seafood they had never seen before.

In addition to trading, they continued to stock up on food. They tried every recipe they could with the abundant ingredients, constantly exploring new dishes.

Before they knew it, a month had passed. They had stocked up enough food to last for years and wouldn't need to cook anymore.

They enjoyed the sea breeze, sipped on beer, and brought out the barbecue to the rooftop to feast. Just as they were starting to eat, Austin showed up again. Rosie quickly hid the food and even helped wipe the dog's mouth.

The kid was quick-witted, and Stella almost burst out laughing. Still, they saved some oysters for Austin. They didn't dare give him any fruit though, fearing it would give away their secret.

Stella welcomed him in. "Austin, it's rare for you to visit. Is there another big deal in the works?"

"You bet." Austin savored the oysters as he praised their cooking skills. "Your barbecuing skills are even better than those before the apocalypse."

"Thanks for looking out for us, Austin. Is Warren looking for medicine again?"

Apart from that, she couldn't think of any other reason for Austin to make a special trip.

"It's about medicine, but this time it's not for Warren. It's for the leader of Aqua Base."

Stella was puzzled. Aqua Base had not been fair in their dealings. "Aren't you afraid of offending Odeberg International by replaceing medicine for Aqua Base?"

Austin explained, "In our line of work, we're neutral. We don't favor anyone as long as the benefits are good enough.

Aqua Base may not be as generous as Odeberg International, but the larger the organization, the less likely we are to get exploited. They have plenty of trading materials, while those at the bottom are more dangerous. In this post-apocalyptic world, no one can guarantee that there's no risk in doing business. If you guys have any reservations and don't want to cooperate with Aqua Base, you can pretend I didn't come today."

Since he was already here, they had to show some courtesy. Stella was somewhat curious. "What kind of medicine are they looking for?"

"Insulin."

Insulin was a common drug for lowering blood sugar. Someone still needing it after so long in the apocalypse indicated a complete lack of insulin, requiring lifelong administration.

A vial of 300 units would last only a few days for someone completely deficient, requiring about 60 units per day. It might not have been a burden before the apocalypse, but now, it was a luxury most people could not afford.

Austin got straight to the point. "Aqua Base kidnapped Dexter a while ago, and in retaliation, Warren had his men steal the leader's medicine. Odeberg International is heavily guarded, so it's not easy for Aqua Base to get the medicine back. They're temporarily reaching out to their contacts to replace some." Stella pondered. "If they don't inject insulin in time, they'll die too."

However, with advancements in medical technology, the storage issue for insulin had been solved. It no longer required a special refrigerator.

In other words, insulin was not as rare as the tetanus vaccine. As long as one had a wide network of contacts, it could still be found. Otherwise, the leader of the base would have died long ago.

Of course, Stella wasn't going to reveal all that. "Insulin is hard to replace. What can they offer in exchange? My supplier has a big appetite and won't settle for less."

"Gems and jewelry, seafood, grains, whatever you need. I can act as a mediator and negotiate."

Austin even hinted at something else weapons.

Sorry, but these were not what Stella wanted. She had a hunch that Arcadia's expansion had reached its limit. Even if it hadn't, it was already big enough for her, and she did not need to expand further. Seafood was readily available, they had stocked up on grains, and Arcadia could be used for cultivation.

As for armaments, if Aqua Base had any heavy artillery, they would have blown Odeberg International to smithereens long ago. There would have been no need for this heated conflict.

However, the two places weren't particularly far from each other, and Stella had made careful observations and comparisons.

After much thought, she finally spoke, "Austin, we've been working together for quite some time now. I'm not afraid to tell you the truth. My seller had quite a bit of clout in the pharmaceutical industry. It's probably not a problem to replace a few vials of insulin for emergencies, but I'll have to check to be sure. All I can say is, if we can really replace the medication, my seller would probably want more than just a yacht in return. If you're sure the other side is willing to trade, I can help you ask."

Austin contemplated. Aqua Base had several large fishing boats, aside from the yachts. They even had cruise ships. This was about saving the life of the base's leader, who had said he would spare no expense in replaceing the medicine.

"It shouldn't be a problem if you guys are sure you can get the insulin. I'll discuss the details with them once we've confirmed, but we need to act fast. I doubt they have much insulin left."

Stella nodded, "Okay, for your sake, Austin, we'll give you an answer tomorrow."

Jasper saw Austin out, making sure the gates and electric fences were secure before returning.

He sat down beside Stella, "You want a fishing boat?"