18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 256

Cooper's antics almost made Stella spray her coffee with laughter as he and Rosie seemed increasingly in sync.

The first floor living room was simple, furnished with items from Sunrise Sanctuary, appearing plain and unassuming.

Noticing Dylan's restraint, Stella suggested, "Rosie, didn't you mention wanting to plant something in the backyard? Why don't you take Dylan along?" Rosie, a sweet-faced, bubbly little girl with twinkling eyes, reached out to take Dylan's hand, "Dylan, I'll take you to plow the land and plant vegetables."

Dylan, meeting such an amiable and cheerful girl for the first time, relaxed a bit, "Okay." He set down his backpack and followed Rosie into the backyard, with Cooper tagging along to ensure Rosie was safe.

Before long, the laughter of the two children filled the air.

When Stella went to check on them, she found Rosie instructing Dylan on how to till the soil, "Dylan, you're doing it wrong."

She didn't interfere and instead went to the greenhouse to plant some lotus roots.

She filled a pot with water and soil, stirring it before planting a couple of lotus roots. She didn't have many lotus roots stored from before the apocalypse and they were mostly used for cooking, so she hoped the planting would be successful.

As Stella emerged from the greenhouse, Jasper was about to head out, "I'm off to Eastwood Eden to see if Patrick can make the door."

Initially, the plan was for all three of them, plus Cooper, to go, but they needed an adult to stay home with Dylan around.

Stella cautioned him, "Things are getting chaotic out there. Be careful on the way."

Yesterday, while exercising on the rooftop, Stella coincidentally encountered a wealthy lady taking a stroll. When the wealthy lady saw the towering exterior walls and the cement-plastered houses, her smile instantly vanished, replaced by an expression barely able to conceal a strong sense of disdain.

"Ever since this apocalypse, any Tom, Dick, or Harry can come here. I fear there will be no peace in the future."

"You said it. We were promised safety by the authorities, but look at the state of things now. All sorts of riffraff can buy houses here."

"You all won't believe who I bumped into earlier. That Austin, the second-hand dealer. What has the world come to? Even he can afford to live here."

"It's all because you all give him too much business. Otherwise, he wouldn't have the means to live here. He's sucking the blood out of us."

Stella noted their faces through a telescope. Now three years into the apocalypse, and these people still looked down on others. They were still able to lead a fine life only because of their wealth. If they were tossed out, they wouldn't survive half a day. Stella was disgusted by their behavior; they even had bodyguards for a simple walk in the villa area.

By noon, Austin came to pick up his son for lunch. Seeing Dylan covered in mud and dust, he first looked surprised, then burst into laughter, "It's rare to see you getting dirty, son. Good job."

His son was extremely introverted. Even when Austin invited his subordinates' children over to play, Dylan would barely utter a word, let alone play in the mud.

Dylan was reluctant to leave. "Dad, I haven't finished tilling the soil. I still need to plant potatoes and sweet potatoes."

"Go have lunch first," Austin patted his son's head. "We have a garden at home too. You can plant potatoes every day."

After sending his son off, he turned to Stella, "Dylan has mild autism. He's shy and barely speaks. How did you manage to bring him out of his shell?"

For years, they had tried various methods, but to no avail.

"You may have overprotected him," Stella pondered. "I didn't do much. It was just Rosie playing with him and Cooper messing around."

"It's rare that he gets along with someone so well. What do you say if Rosie spends more time with him?"

Stella didn't refuse, knowing that Rosie also needed friends.

After everyone had left, she asked Rosie, "How do you get along with Dylan?"

"Dylan's very nice."

"Do you want to play with him again?"

Rosie thought for a moment, "Stella, can I?"

Stella understood her concern, "You can make friends, but remember to be cautious. Don't blindly trust someone just because you've spent a lot of time together." "Okay, I'll play with him sometimes."

Jasper arrived right on time, and the three of them, along with Cooper, sat down to eat.

"Patrick says the door can be made from oak. It's stable, resistant to impact, and the wood is hard. It's perfect for a door," he informed.

Stella wasn't familiar with oak.

After dinner, they went into Arcadia to select wood. After a lot of knocking and tapping, they picked the sturdiest ones they could replace.

After Jasper delivered the wood, he came back to pick up Stella to head to the apartment area.

The apartments were for backup. Although they didn't plan to renovate them, the basic doors and windows were essential.

The residents of the fifth and sixth floors hadn't moved in yet, but there were sounds of activity, probably the families of Monkey and others.

With practice comes perfection. In less than half a day, they had installed the doors and windows.

To be safe, they first installed iron bars on the windows before fixing the glass panes.

Upon entering the room, there was another room inside.

Stella was not accustomed to the small space. Mark and others would have to share rooms. The difficulty was foreseeable. Living in close quarters could lead to conflicts, but it depended on how Mark resolved them.

As they locked up and left, they heard footsteps above. A woman in a floral dress appeared.

Seeing her face, Stella paused. Apart from the wealthy district, Stella couldn't recall the last time she had seen a woman with makeup.

The woman had bright red lips, a svelte figure, a beautiful face, and large eyes that reflected shrewdness and audacity. Being able to live so flamboyantly in the apocalypse was no easy task. Either she was very capable herself, or she had found a strong man to rely on. Stella glanced at her fair and delicate hands, having an idea of whose wife she was.

The woman also examined Stella, looking quite surprised.

Stella didn't linger and went downstairs.

The renovation of Austin's house progressed quickly, and the glass of the two houses was also installed. They erected the steel frame, set up the glass roof, and covered the whole rooftop.

The two glass rooms, each about a hundred square feet, were spacious. Despite some of the wealthy residents looking down on them, they were still amazed by the rooftop glass rooms. Surprisingly, someone came to inquire, but Stella pretended not to hear, not uttering a word.

Austin, ever the business-minded one, was looking to make a deal with the wealthy folks in town. He asked Stella if he could secure a supply of glass. If she had any, he'd prefer to get it from her.

Sure, Arcadia had plenty, but Stella wasn't interested in profiting. "Nope, you got the last batch," she told him.

Austin still took the deal, but he made sure to charge a hefty price. He wasn't stupid. He could always spot that air of superiority those people carried around. There was no way that he was not going to profit from it.

He also brought back some electrical wires, but Stella wasn't in a rush to install them. These were consumable items, and the days were still long and safe. They could wait till the dark days to set them up.

"Are you guys free the day after tomorrow?" Austin invited, "I'm throwing a housewarming party. Come over for a drink or two."