18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 209

Mark was elated, "Stella, we've reached an agreement with the neighboring village. We're going to teach them how to drill wells."

Had it not been for their impressive display of strength that day, it would have been impossible to bring the village's arrogance down a notch and negotiate peacefully.

After the discussion, they had come to believe that the Eastwood Eden community genuinely wanted to help them drill wells.

Stella admired Mark's approach. Instead of resorting to brute force, he had chosen to negotiate the issue even when they held the upper hand. He might look weak physically, but he knew how to use his wit.

"Good job," Stella said, her joy undimmed. "Just remember to stay safe."

"We wouldn't have been able to turn things around so quickly without your help."

Stella smiled. "Mark, you said it yourself - once you join Eastwood Eden, you're family. No need for formalities."

She later shared the news with Jasper.

Jasper wasn't surprised. "In a post-apocalyptic world, it's survival of the fittest. It's rare for someone like Mark to choose kindness over retaliation. We can not blame the villagers for being skeptical. We took our time before deciding to join Eastwood Eden too." By helping the villagers secure a water source, they could put their safety concerns to rest.

But what about after the earthquake? With buildings collapsing everywhere, the living conditions were rapidly deteriorating, and Stella couldn't help but worry. "Do you know what happened to Eastwood Eden after the earthquake?"

Jasper shook his head. "We'll have to wait and see. If it's too dangerous, we'll leave."

Stella agreed. There were no safe havens in a post-apocalyptic world.

When it was time to pick up their supplies, Stella had arranged for a late-night pick-up.

After getting out of the Eastwood Eden, she had specifically chosen an open truck. Upon reaching the agreed-upon location, Monkey was already waiting, and surprisingly, Austin was there too.

"Stella," Austin greeted, a cigarette hanging from his lips. "How are you and Jasper doing?"

Stella explained, "We're doing fine. We were worried about Aqua Base acting up, so we left an hour early. Just as we were reaching the foot of the mountain, we noticed the weather changing. We decided to leave immediately, and that's how we narrowly escaped the disaster."

Austin mused, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

Stella's order was complete, and Austin was curious about her request for iodine tablets. He knew her supplier could even get access to tetanus vaccines.

When Stella mentioned her supplier, her face darkened. "My supplier was arrested following a tip-off. He's now mining coal in the western mountains."

Austin was stunned. He had hoped to tap into this supply line to earn some supplies. Not willing to give up, he asked, "Can you think of any other way to get freshwater?"

Stella feigned anger. "Austin, your clients aren't very decent. They buy water from you and then turn around to report you for rewards. If it weren't for my previous supplier's strong connections, he would have been dead by now. Water is becoming scarcer, and their internal checks are getting stricter. I can't smuggle it out anymore. This half truck load was only possible because I bribed my way through, and I promised them this was a one-off."

"Who the hell reported me?" Austin was taken aback. "My clients are all wealthy. Who would be interested in the reward?"

Stella shook her head. "I have no idea. But if you're caught, you're going to be in deep trouble."

Sensing that she was unwilling to make more money, Austin didn't push it. "Alright, we'll work together when the opportunity arises."

Austin signaled his men to move the supplies over to Stella's truck. They agreed to pick up the water truck the next day, and Austin would have it delivered that night. Austin readily agreed to replace iodine tablets for her, "But it's not a common medication, so it might take me some time to replace it."

"Alright, I'll trade you some grain when the time comes."

With the mention of grain, Stella had a new idea. "Austin, can you get your hands on some grain seeds? The kind that can be replanted." Austin was skeptical. "It's been two years since the disaster. It won't be easy to replace such seeds, and even if you do, they might not germinate." Stella left in her truck, "Just do your best."

Once she was in a secluded area, Stella transferred the water tower into Arcadia, and the rest of the supplies were openly transported back to Eastwood Eden.

After delivering Austin's half truck load of water, Stella stopped going out. She spent her days seemingly lounging at home, but in reality, she was working in Arcadia, preparing to plant corn.

Jasper and Rosie weren't idle either. Apart from their thrice-weekly classes, they spent their time digging up soil from the ground beneath the building and transferring it to the rooftop. With the iron gate installed and the sunshade pulled up, the rooftop started to look like a real garden. Rosie crushed the clumps of soil and placed them into the planting trays. "Stella, what should we plant?"

Stella teased her, "What do you want to plant?"

"I want to plant sweet potatoes, peanuts, greens, beans, and mushrooms."

Mushrooms wouldn't grow well in the heat, but the rest were possible.

Stella gave her some seeds and asked Jasper to teach her how to plant them, only to replace out that neither of them knew how to. Stella ended up having to demonstrate it herself.

Planting was easy, but protecting the plants in such high temperatures would be a challenge.

While planting the seeds and listening to the local government's broadcast about earthquake prevention and emergency response, Stella reminded Rosie, "Did you understand the broadcast?"

"I did, Jasper also taught me."

Stella quizzed her, "What should you do?"

"Grab the emergency bag and water and food and immediately leave the house. Go to an open area and stay away from crowded or dangerous places."

Just as she finished her sentence, the community loudspeakers came on.

Mark broadcasted the news from the radio through the loudspeaker, making sure families without radios would also receive the information. At the same time, he posted the news and emergency procedures in conspicuous places around the community. The heat and water shortage were already unbearable, and now the news of the impending earthquake had everyone on edge.

But what could they do? Nobody knew when the earthquake would strike. If they chose to conceal the information to prevent panic, there wouldn't be enough time to react when the disaster strikes, resulting in even more casualties. "Rosie, are you scared?"

She was scared, but she felt safer with her brother and Stella around.

After class, Jasper sipped on the green smoothie Stella had made him. "Tomorrow's the 14th, and we're due to go to the local community center to update our residence information. Mark suggested I bring some of the neighborhood folks along." "Did you agree?"

Jasper nodded. "Someone has to stay and watch over the neighborhood, so we'll have to go in two groups. He's worried that the food and water we'll be given might get stolen on the way back." Who would willingly choose to play the bad guy if given a choice?

Stella didn't object. Water was scarce these days. Going downstairs every day to fetch well water while ignoring the food and water provided by the neighborhood committee would only raise suspicions.