18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 230

Curses were flying, but no one dared to advance, fearing that a blazing torch might suddenly be hurled their way. The crowd quickly dispersed, keeping a safe distance from building No.5. The leader acted swiftly, diverting the mob to attack other buildings instead. Buildings 1-3 were filled with people, many armed and standing on the balconies, anxiously watching building No.5. They had binoculars and had heard the rioters loudly discussing gasoline.

Seeing the thugs retreat from building No.5, they realized that the thugs had been doused with gasoline. The residents didn't expect that Jasper and Stella were so capable, they'd stored gasoline and managed to repel the mob. Mark reacted quickly, "Quick, make torches."

Residents with firewood quickly fashioned several torches and lit them. Buildings 1-3 were soon illuminated with torchlight.

The rioters were all soaked. If they caught fire, they would go up in flames.

Mark commanded through the walkie-talkie, "Everyone, don't be afraid. If they attack, we will throw torches."

Most rioters were ordinary people who joined only in the past few days, thinking they would get plenty of food and drink. They never expected to fail to take building No.5, which only housed one family.

Suddenly, a shrill siren sounded in the distance. Police sirens!

In the darkness, not only police cars were moving, but also several large trucks were rapidly advancing towards Eastwood Eden.

No, not trucks, military vehicles. Damn, the military was here.

The mobsters panicked, quietly retreating and then turning to run.

Once one started running, others followed. Soon, half had fled. Some returned to the camp pretending to be innocent, while others ran aimlessly in the dark.

With the team dispersed, it was hard to keep them under control. The leaders were furious. As they watched the police cars and military forces getting closer and closer, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and reluctantly give up the Eastwood Eden that was within arm's reach.

They'd thought it would be easy to take over Eastwood Eden with over a hundred people. But they ended up like this.

Where could they run to?

In the darkness, gunshots rang out from all directions, like fireworks on the 4th of July. Although late, help had arrived.

Stella packed up her things. Jasper used the walkie-talkie to contact Mark and expressed in a tactful manner that he didn't want to be in the limelight and simply wished for a peaceful life.

Mark got it, "Okay, I'll handle what happened tonight."

The sound of gunfire continued intermittently, sometimes near, sometimes far, all night long. It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that the sound finally subsided.

Stella turned off the light and went to bed, paying no attention to the events outside. When she opened her eyes again, it was already past seven o'clock.

The bodies on the ground had been removed. Mark was walking through the community with Evan, chatting under building No.5.

After a few minutes of conversation, Mark returned to Eastwood Eden, while Evan returned to the camp through the broken barricade.

Two of the camp staff and security patrollers who stayed behind last night were killed, and the remaining eight were tied up.

The government had anticipated the potential risks of the camp, but they couldn't just abandon the countless disaster-stricken people because of the risks.

Most of the refugees were cooperative, but there were always a few bad apples who incited and tempted the refugees, turning many into devils.

Regardless, conflict was inevitable, but once lives were lost, the situation changed. There was no room for leniency in handling this situation, especially during such a critical period.

The police and military worked tirelessly through the night, not only apprehending all the fleeing mobsters but also conducting thorough interrogations.

After a night of hard work, over thirty instigators were identified. After their interrogations, they were publicly executed outside the camp.

Like a firecracker show, their execution was swift and decisive.

This was only for the instigators. And the others who participated were all under arrest. They were doused in gasoline, and even after removing their clothes, they still had gasoline on their skin and hair. Without water, there was no way to remove the evidence. In total, over 300 individuals were apprehended and transported away by truck. The coal mines were already at full capacity, so they were sent to do other dangerous labor.

Troubles broke out not only in Eastwood Eden's camp but also in other places. Evan was stretched thin, having not slept for two days already. He had barely managed to handle the disturbance during the day.

Now that the situation in Eastwood Eden had been pacified, he didn't have time to investigate further. He handed the case over to the military and left to deal with more urgent matters.

The military left a squad behind, and the rest were distributed to other camps and to maintain peace in Griffith.

After Evan left, Mark contacted Jasper via walkie-talkie and briefed him on the general handling of the situation.

The story from Mark was that, the gasoline was stockpiled by Eastwood Eden during previous supply runs. They noticed the unusual activities in the camp and reported them several times, but without any timely response, they had no choice but to organize a defense. They were preparing for the worst, never expecting the worst to actually happen.

Evan was a seasoned cop with sharp eyes, but Mark was no pushover either, and his responses were watertight and reasonable.

Evan was quite impressed with the situation in Eastwood Eden. It was rare to see someone like Mark maintain a positive attitude and organize community survival in the apocalypse. If there were more people like him, the police wouldn't be so overwhelmed. With them nearby, anyone thinking about attacking Eastwood Eden would have to think twice.

Reflecting on last night's ordeal, the community members looked at Jasper and Stella with renewed respect and admiration. Their gratitude and adoration were beyond words. The two of them had saved the entire community.

When Stella went downstairs to fetch water, she noticed the change in the way the community members looked at her.

While others queued up and barely got 10 liters of water, the well-guard was willing to give her half a bucket.

Stella, being honest and generous, said, "Sir, you've given too much."

"It's alright. We don't want you to run out," the well-guard replied cheerfully. "You've contributed a lot to the community. No one will mind."

Others in the queue agreed, "Yes, yes. If it weren't for you two last night, we would have been swallowed alive by those rioters."

Embarrassed, Stella quickly left with her bucket. On the way, she bumped into Mark. He was going to the camp with the well-digger, offering help if needed.

They wanted to maintain good relations with their neighbors and help solve their water crisis, hoping this would deter the refugees from coveting the well in Eastwood Eden and prevent any malicious intentions.

Mark indeed knew how to handle things.

...

Since the earthquake rescue, Cooper had officially ended his life in hiding, now freely roaming around the neighborhood in broad daylight.

Even when the residents' stomach growled with hunger, they dared not give in to their cravings. After all, if Jasper and Stella could easily intimidate three to four hundred ruffians, who would dare to even think about harming their beloved pooch? Freedom came with its joys, but it wasn't long before Cooper encountered new troubles.