18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 185

Stella finally figured it out that Eastwood Eden only accepted capable individuals who could band together to survive in the face of natural disasters.

Mark paused, then laughed, "Miss Stella, you're sharp. Indeed we do have a well in our community, dug by the capable hands of our residents under the guidance of a member who knows how to dig wells. Each household gets around half a barrel of water a day. Do you still think 10 pounds of grain is expensive?"

After their conversation, Mark had a good sense of them and was hoping they would join.

The Eastwood Eden residents were diverse, but they needed a doctor and its defensive capacity was weak. It was in dire need of people like Jasper and Stella.

"Can we think about it and give you an answer in a couple of days?"

They were always on alert. This post-apocalyptic paradise seemed more like a poison apple. They didn't rush into the community to look for houses, deciding that they would first get a good understanding of Eastwood Eden. They didn't want to end up trapped. Instead of going home, they found an unfinished building with a broad view to patiently observe from.

According to Mark, Eastwood Eden had handed over two buildings in phase one, and three in phase two were only externally decorated with rough interiors. Later, he led the homeowners in the community to decorate the third building for rent.

Jasper observed through binoculars and found that indeed only three buildings showed signs of life, and the other two were empty.

From the clothes hanging on balconies and the plants, it seemed that each floor of every building had residents, except for the top ones.

It seemed that each floor housed one family, with the fire doors of the staircases closed. This meant an extra layer of security. This arrangement seemed reasonable.

Eastwood Eden was largely planned, with many empty spaces waiting for development. However, disaster struck unexpectedly. Now, these spaces had become scattered sunshades, with drought-resistant sweet potatoes planted in the fields.

The community was not far from a river, so groundwater should be more abundant than other places. It made sense that they dug a well; otherwise, where would all these sweet potatoes come from?

This meant life in Eastwood Eden was much better than other places.

But the better the conditions were, the more likely it became a thorn in someone else's side.

Jasper noticed that besides the guard at the gate, there was also a lookout in the rooftop garden of the second building, used for monitoring the surroundings. In addition, there was a patrol team that circled the community every half an hour. Clearly, they were well aware of the dangers outside.

"I think they are okay, but they are weak in combat and not easy to defend. If the environment continues to deteriorate, it's only a matter of time before they fall."

Apart from food, water was now the most precious resource. If outsiders discovered that Eastwood Eden had water, it would lead to a fierce battle.

Ordinary survivors were easy to deal with, as long as the community was united. But what about encountering organized criminal forces?

Stella thought about it. It was true that Eastwood Eden had risks, but if they went elsewhere, it would be equally dangerous with a child and a dog. They would be constantly on edge. There was also the risk of earthquakes and building collapses. Eastwood Eden didn't collapse in the past, and although it didn't guarantee it wouldn't in the future, it was relatively safe.

She said, "Let's observe for a few more days. If we're sure it's okay, we can move in."

Jasper had no objections, "Sure."

For several days, they came on time with their child and dog, observing Eastwood Eden from all angles. They found the community to be quite orderly, with loudspeakers and walkie-talkies at several important positions.

One evening, while Stella was sitting on the unfinished building eating frozen watermelon, Cooper gave a warning.

She picked up the binoculars and saw a group of people carrying hoes and sticks, heading towards Eastwood Eden. There were about 20 of them, probably local residents.

They gathered at the entrance of Eastwood Eden, causing a standoff that soon escalated into physical conflict. The alarm in Eastwood Eden went off, and men and women of all ages came out to fight back.

Stella gave the half-eaten watermelon to Cooper and watched intently.

Mark was the leader. Their combat skills weren't strong, but this was obviously not their first confrontation. They were defending their home turf and used tactics like throwing sand in the eyes and pepper spray, quickly repelling the intruders. Still, it seemed some people got injured. Throughout, they fought with cold weapons.

In the evening, when they returned to their apartment building, they found a van parked at the entrance. The van's door was wide open, with several bald men inside. Some were smoking, others were playing with sharp knives.

Seeing the Hummer stop, the man at the front threw his cigarette on the ground and extinguished it, "From the 18th floor?"

Jasper lowered the car window, his eyes cold, "What's up?"

The man raised an eyebrow, "You guys didn't forget that you killed someone a few days ago, did you?"

"They come to me first, so I killed them." Jasper ignored his threat, "Is there a problem?"

The tattooed man playing with the knife was hot-tempered. He stormed over to teach Jasper a lesson, "You motherfucker killed so many of our buddies."

Jasper's eyes darkened, "Try it."

He was about to stab Jasper, but the man at the front stopped him.

The man put on a smile, "You killed several brothers from Silver Asylum. According to the rules, we need to take revenge. But our boss values talent. If you agree to join our base, we can let bygones be bygones." Jasper refused, "Not interested."

The man's expression froze, "I suggest you think it over. Not only will we not pursue it, but you can also live a life of luxury, and choose any beauty you want. You won't get this treatment outside." Jasper reiterated, "Not interested."

The man's expression changed instantly, "We were polite with you, but you just prefer it the hard way, huh?"

Several men surrounded them, intending to teach Jasper a lesson, but they were stopped by the man again. He looked at Jasper, with a murderous glint in his eyes, "Fine, don't regret your choice today. Let's go." The van roared away.

Several men were not convinced, "Why didn't we kill him just now?"

"Kill?" The man squinted, "Have you forgotten how Rat and the others died?"

The men went quiet, then grumbled again, "Is he really that powerful?"

"Have we been asking around for nothing these past few days?" The man was seething, "Everyone around here is saying that the people living on the 18th floor are not to be messed with. They even dared to fight The Chaos."

"The boss wanted to show him some respect, but he didn't want it. We lost so many buddies and didn't take revenge. Won't people laugh at us? Who will take Silver Asylum seriously in the future? Do we still want to mix in this business?" "Stop grumbling. We just do what the boss tells us to do."

The men stopped talking, and the van roared away.

When they returned to the 18th floor, Stella sent Rosie and Cooper to play, "They won't let it go."