18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 184

The new development probably wasn't updated on the map. That wasn't a surprise.

Jasper had shared the general direction of the rescue efforts, and Stella had a hunch. They headed southwest. The area was a newly developed suburb, a part of the city's expansion, and indeed, new properties were under construction, and the land was rather vast. Jasper drove while Stella navigated. Upon reaching the area, they were met with the sight of abandoned buildings, dried-up riverbeds, and cracked earth.

They drove up an overpass and, using binoculars, Stella spotted a few buildings that showed signs of habitation. After she eliminated the old ones, they drove around, and sure enough, they found the place - it was the Eastwood Eden.

It was a riverfront luxury development, and the main entrance was grand yet artistically designed. There were about a dozen buildings inside, spaced far apart. Had the disaster not struck, the properties here would have started at $5 million. Although the development was massive, it didn't seem to house many people. Surprisingly, it was a whole other world inside.

There was a security booth at the entrance, and there were six guards on duty. Calling them guards might not be accurate. Judging by their clothes, they seemed to be residents of the community. Noticing the Hummer parked at the entrance, they immediately became alert, "What do you want?"

Stella leaned out the window, flashing a friendly smile, "Hey there, we're looking for a place to rent. Do you have any vacancies?"

Renters? The guards didn't let their guard down, "Where did you come from, and why do you need a place?"

"We live near the university town, and our house has developed cracks. It's not safe."

The guards whispered among themselves, "We have places, but you need to pay rent and pass an interview."

An interview for renting? Stella was surprised, but she got it. After all, in a world post-disaster, trust was a rare commodity. Who would dare to let strangers in?

Despite the surprise, Stella noted that the Eastwood Eden seemed united. They even had residents on guard duty. Unlike Sunrise Sanctuary, where anyone could walk in and the gates wide open and unguarded.

Stella couldn't help but become more interested, "How much is the rent?"

"Depending upon the conditions, it ranges from 10 to 20 pounds of grain per month."

"Is it coarse grain?" Stella asked. After receiving an affirmative answer, she inquired, "When is the interview?"

"Wait here. I'll go and inform them now."

Before they arrived, Jasper had already driven around Eastwood Eden. The entire community was enclosed by walls, and the top embedded with shards of glass. Plus, the residents took turns guarding the entrance; they seemed to have a strong sense of security. Even though they were sitting in their car, Stella was observing the guards at the same time.

They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but in a world post-disaster, you often had no choice but to do so.

Their car windows had anti-spy film. Even though the guards were scrutinizing them, Stella only sensed caution and wariness, but no malice. Besides, she had the advantage of having Jasper, an expert lip-reader, by her side.

She found herself looking forward to living in the Eastwood Eden.

After waiting for about half an hour, the interviewer finally arrived. He was a man in his forties, wearing an old but clean gray T-shirt. His lean, square face had a scholarly look.

He stepped out of the community, and they got out of the car. Jasper recognized him. He was the man who had led the community in forming a rescue team after the quake.

The man extended his hand, "Are you two looking to rent a place?"

Jasper shook his hand, "Yes, we'd like to have a look around here."

It was hot, and they were soon sweating. The man invited them into the guard booth and introduced himself, "My name is Mark. May I know your names?"

"My name is Jasper."

Mark invited them to sit down and handed them a couple of palm-leaf fans.

As they fanned themselves, Mark asked them detailed questions - age, gender, address, hometown, family members.

Stella frowned, "We just want to rent a place. Are you conducting a census?"

"I'm sorry if you've misunderstood," Mark explained, "Eastwood Eden was just completed when the disaster struck. A few property owners, including myself, had just moved in, and the rest of the properties were empty.

"We decided to band together for survival and gradually took in more people. Now, our community has over a hundred members.

"Given the harsh living conditions and the unpredictability of people, we are very selective about who we rent to.

"As a former psychologist, I conduct the interviews. My hope is that everyone who moves in here is a good person and can replace a sense of home."

So he was a psychologist. No wonder he questioned them so thoroughly. He could make judgments about their character from their conversations. Just a simple conversation could help him filter out the majority of survivors with ill intentions, keeping danger out of the community.

The interview continued. Mark turned to Jasper, "Mr. Jasper, what did you do before the disaster?"

"I was a SWAT officer, but I retired due to an injury."

Hearing about his profession, Mark became very interested and asked many more related questions.

After about 15 minutes, it was Stella's turn. She introduced herself, "I grew up in an orphanage, and I have no family. I'm a medical student."

Mark looked at Stella for a moment, "If you move in, other than a child, do you have any pets?"

Pets? Stella was taken aback.

Mark smiled, "If I'm not mistaken, you have a dog, specifically a German shepherd."

Despite the heat, Stella felt a chill. How did he know?

Then she remembered that Cooper had brushed against her when they left the house. Sure enough, there were a few dog hairs on her clothes. Right, you can't hide anything from a psychologist.

Afraid she might get the wrong idea, Mark quickly said, "Don't get me wrong. Pets are allowed in our community. I have a dog too, a mini poodle."

Stella was even more confused. Was this a paradise in the post-disaster world? She had Arcadia as a cheat, but what kind of financial conditions would a regular person need to afford a pet in this post-disaster world?

She hoped this wasn't some kind of trap.

When they got around to discussing rent, Stella asked curiously, "How much grain would we need to pay?"

After a moment, Mark said, "Every household needs to provide a worker to patrol the community every day. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No problem."

"For ordinary people, it's 20 pounds of grain."

Stella was a bit surprised, "20 pounds isn't cheap."

"If Mr. Jasper could teach self-defense to the young adults in the neighborhood, and Miss Stella could provide medical care for the residents, we could offer a reduction of ten pounds of groceries."

Stella spoke candidly, "Even ten pounds of groceries is not a small amount."

Mark smiled, "The neighborhood has other perks. Ten pounds of groceries isn't much." Stella also wanted to be a therapist for a change, "Does your neighborhood have a well?"