18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 174

Stella shook her head, "We can't fish, and a fishing boat won't do us any good."

Truth be told, she longed for a cruise ship, and Aqua Base just happened to have one that looked fairly new.

Jasper frowned, "We already have a yacht."

Coming from an orphanage, she might lack certain skills, but she had learned to prepare for the worst far earlier than most.

Stella's sense of crisis was even stronger, "A yacht can help us survive at sea, but if we encounter a major storm or a super earthquake and tsunami caused by a massive plate collision, a giant wave could swallow the yacht."

Indeed, Aqua Base had a tarnished reputation and might cheat them, but Stella felt it was worth the gamble, "If we lose, we just lose a batch of insulin; if we win, we get a cruise ship, which might save us when the world turns upside down." Sensing her determination, Jasper didn't object, "We should plan for the long term and minimize the risk."

His agreement made Stella feel good, "You're good at strategizing. I'll follow your lead."

Her flattery made Jasper laugh, but he was also pleased.

Stella sat on the sofa, chatting with him while munching on snacks. They discussed their plans late into the night.

The next day, Austin came over early, "So, what's the news? Do we have a deal?"

Stella hesitated, "We have insulin, but how much does Aqua Base need?"

"For them, the more the merrier."

Austin, the savvy businessman, had already informed Aqua Base of Stella's rough demand, guessing it was either a fishing boat or a cruise ship.

Odeberg International also had fishing boats, but since Stella didn't ask for one, it was unlikely she would ask for one from Aqua Base, so her target must be the cruise ship.

Austin had considered all possible scenarios to save time and trouble.

Austin cut to the chase, "What does your seller want, a fishing boat or a cruise ship?"

"My seller doesn't compete for others' livelihood. What he wants is a cruise ship."

Austin breathed a sigh of relief. After all, in the current environment, a fishing boat was much more valuable than a cruise ship, being a tool for Aqua Base to grow and prosper.

He was really worried that Stella would ask for a fishing boat. They would have to exchange the life-saving medicine for it, no matter what. But who could guarantee they wouldn't cheat?

The base leader also seemed to want to exchange for a cruise ship, which should significantly reduce the risk. Austin was relieved, "The cruise ship is no problem, but they want 60 units of insulin."

Stella had it, but she didn't want to give that many, "Who can cough up 60 units after nearly two years of disaster? My provider can provide at most 30."

If insulin wasn't easier to replace than the vaccine, and if the cruise ship's value wasn't incomparable to a yacht, she wouldn't be willing to give up so much. In addition to the rarity of the drug, the large quantity could attract unwanted attention. Austin thought 30 units were a bit too few, but it should be buy them enough time to replace more drugs.

However, with half less than expected, he didn't dare to make the decision on his own.

Stella spoke bluntly, "Austin, I'm not afraid to tell you the truth, we're actually hesitating about this deal, considering Aqua Base's reputation on the street."

As a middleman, Austin was just making a small profit, and he didn't force them, "I owe you two a favor. I've told you everything I know about Aqua Base, but I haven't revealed any information about you to them. I just said you're in the same line of work. If you have any concerns, you can tell me directly. If it really can't be solved, we can just drop the deal."

Stella voiced their plan, "We will not have any direct contact with Aqua Base. You will deliver the drugs in batches. The cruise ship will be docked in the designated sea area, where someone will come to take it away. In addition, we want two containers of fresh seafood as a compensation for replaceing the drugs. What do you think?"

First, they would give Aqua Base 2 units of insulin. Aqua Base would put the containers at the designated place. After Stella received the goods, she would give 14 more units of insulin, and then went to the sea area to pick up the cruise ship. On the second morning after receiving the ship, she would deliever the last 14 units of drugs.

In this deal, Aqua Base cannot send anyone to follow them all the way. If they break the agreement, the deal would be canceled.

Business inherently came with risks, and Austin admired their caution, "Okay, I'll go talk to them and get back to you later."

To ease their worry, he added as he was leaving, "Don't worry, ever since I met you two, I've been more careful in this line of work, making sure I'm not being followed."

He said his part, and Jasper did his own. After sending him off, he took Cooper out to patrol the area, making sure no strangers approached the mountaintop villa.

Nearly two years of training had made Cooper not only a fighting dog, but an excellent police dog as well, able to execute high-level commands from its instructor, especially in search and scent tracking.

More importantly, it had gotten used to training, and would do so even without its instructor's orders. Several times, Stella was stunned to see him hanging in the air in the hallway.

Austin quickly responded, agreeing to exchange a cruise ship for 30 units of insulin. Even the second-hand dealer Austin gave Stella a thumbs up, "You're ruthless, cutting people to the bone."

Odeberg International was fighting a life-and-death battle with Aqua Base, and in the end, Stella profits.

It was a pity he was just a transporter, otherwise he'd have to learn from Stella and Jasper.

"They're really short on drugs. I'll take 2 units of insulin first, and the two containers of seafood will be placed at the junction of General's Valley at 3 a.m. tomorrow morning as per your request. You just need to go there on time and pick them up."

Stella had no objection, and went upstairs to get 2 units of insulin for him, "When we receive the seafood, we'll go get the second batch of drugs. We'll set the exact transaction time then."

After he left, Jasper took the dog to patrol the hill.

At midnight, the alarm clock rang. Jasper woke Stella, and they drove in the dark to General's Valley, hid the car in Arcadia, and found a position where they could monitor the valley entrance.

It wasn't easy. They came to collect seafood, but it felt like they were setting an ambush.

Jasper spread his coat on the ground, "Stella, you should get some sleep. I'll keep watch."

Stella was no-nonsense. She lay down, closed her eyes, and said, "Wake me if you need me."

Perhaps it was genuine exhaustion, or maybe it was the security of his presence, but she quickly fell into a deep sleep.

After an unknown period of time, she was gently roused from her slumber. Sitting up, Stella noticed a light at the mouth of the valley. She pulled out her binoculars, and saw two trucks approaching, hauling shipping containers. Several people disembarked from the trucks, directing the unloading of the containers. It took them about half an hour to finish.

They didn't stick around, and all left with the trucks.

Stella and Jasper didn't rush to show themselves. Instead, they used their binoculars to repeatedly scout the area, ensuring no one was lying in wait before they went to collect their goods.

Even in the dead of night, they donned wigs and masks and threw on trench coats.

At three in the morning, it was pitch dark. They didn't use flashlights for illumination, instead relying on night vision goggles. With utmost caution, they descended the hillside.