18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 264

Stella heard but didn't pay much attention to it.

Walking Cooper at the doorstep, the security patrol happened to pass by. The captain stopped to say hello, "Stella, your household hasn't done the homeowner registration yet. We need to take a photograph and input it into the system. When you get a chance, could you

come by the security booth?"

He also gave her the frequency for the walkie-talkie at the security booth. If homeowners needed help, they could open the channel and communicate promptly.

His attitude was nice, so Stella agreed.

With such contrasting attitudes, Jasper was suspicious of a catch. "I'll go and register first, to see what they're up to." Stella didn't object. "Just be careful."

It should have taken no more than 15 minutes, but Jasper spent half an hour. Stella was puzzled. "What took you so long?"

"The registration was quick, and I didn't notice anything unusual about them. I walked around the villa before I came back."

There were those who scrutinized them subtly, but it was noticeably more restrained than before. Without any surprises, the unit 50 became famous in one go.

Pets also needed to be entered into the system. Jasper didn't feel comfortable letting Stella take Cooper and Rosie out alone. "I'll come with you."

Getting ready for the photo, they didn't forget to groom Cooper and Rosie a bit. The three of them and the dog set out to the security booth to handle the entry and exit procedures.

Halfway there, they bumped into the patrolling security team. Suddenly someone in the team exclaimed, "Mr. Jasper, Ms. Stella?"

The patrol team was in uniform, looking extra energetic.

Stella was startled. "Samuel?"

They didn't expect to meet Christian's son, formerly a resident of Eastwood Eden, in this way.

Samuel asked for permission to leave the formation, and the captain approved.

"How come you're working here?"

Samuel happily said: "Not just me, several of us are from Eastwood Eden. They're on duty with me."

Thanks to Jasper's selfless teaching, the students he personally trained were quite skilled. After moving to Newtown, Samuel hadn't found a suitable job and originally planned to apply for a patrol officer at the police station. He accidentally saw that Hopefield was also recruiting, and the conditions were very tempting.

Mark suggested that since Hopefield was a place with less work but more food, and safety was guaranteed, they could give it a try.

A total of 8 people were hired, with food and housing provided, and even 10 pounds of rice or flour every month.

Samuel cherished this hard-earned job opportunity, especially being able to meet Jasper and Stella.

Stella asked, "How are Mark and the others doing?"

"They're doing alright, the new neighbors on the fifth and sixth floors are quite easy going. We installed a solar generator on the rooftop and planted potatoes and vegetables.

"Also, the city government came to replace Mark and offered him a government job. He'll get trade coins every month, which can be used to purchase supplies.

"Mark initially refused, but the city government came several times, and he agreed to take the job. It seems like his position isn't low."

After numerous natural disasters, the number of government employees drastically reduced. Mark was indeed a talent. With years of dealing with the higher-ups, it was not surprising that he was discovered. People like him, with firm determination, were worth benefiting

more survivors.

Stella couldn't help but admire him.

After a brief chat, Samuel ran back to his team, and Stella headed to the security booth. Newcomers brought a fresh approach, this batch of securities was noticeably more polite.

Registering names and house numbers, taking photos for records, the whole process took only a few minutes. After that, they took Cooper for a walk.

There were saplings, including wildflowers and weeds, to restore life to the land as soon as possible.

Some lady celebrated her birthday in unit 36, and many attractive men and beautiful women came to join the lively pet party. There were all kinds of pets like corgi, Papillon, Persian cat, British Shorthair, and... alpaca?

Cooper's eyes widened as if he had discovered a new world. His bloodline awakening made him somewhat uncontrollable. However, under Jasper's soothing touch, he immediately entered guard dog mode - mature and stable, striding forward with vigor and courage. The party was lively, especially when Bran made an appearance, the whole crowd was screaming. No one noticed the alpaca walking out of the yard.

As Stella was walking, something suddenly appeared on her face, wet and warm. By the time she realized what it was, she was stunned.

Then, the alpaca let out a yelp like a puppy. Cooper had already knocked down the alpaca, biting and tugging at its leg.

Jasper called out, "Cooper."

The dog didn't listen, biting the alpaca's leg and not letting go. Blood quickly seeped out.

Stella quickly intervened, "Cooper!"

Cooper finally let go, but he was still filled with resentment, and lifted his leg to relieve himself on the alpaca's head and face.

The party was interrupted by the alpaca's screams, and a group of young men and women came out.

Seeing the scene, everyone gasped and covered their mouths, "Oh, My God!"

A girl rushed over, intending to hit the dog with a bag, "Mimi."

The dog dodged, bared his teeth at her.

Stella intervened again, "Cooper, come here."

Cooper finally returned to his owner's side, but the vigilance in his eyes did not diminish.

The girl turned to Stella and started shouting, "Are you sick, walking your dog without a leash. It hurt my Mimi. My Mimi is of precious bloodline, an exotic pet from overseas, not something you commoners can afford. Its life is worth much more than yours!" Seeing Stella dressed in ordinary sportswear, she was even more rude, "If anything happens to Mimi, your whole family won't be enough to compensate."

Her beloved pet was bitten and bleeding, her heartache was indescribable. She came up to Stella and tried to slap her, "You and your cheap dog, I can't even look at you. Can you afford this?"

Jasper reached out to stop her, but Stella was faster. Before she could slap Stella, Stella slapped her right back. Caught off guard, the girl was knocked to the ground, "Ah!"

"First of all, I did leash my dog, you didn't see it because you're blind. Secondly, your alpaca spat on me first, and that's why my dog bit it."

Stella stared at her coldly, "If your alpaca is so noble, why don't you leash it, instead of letting it spit on people? No matter how low my life is, it's not as cheap as yours."

Alpacas spit as a stress response. Dogs protecting their owners was instinctive, but indeed, Cooper overreacted.

There was no absolute right or wrong in this situation. Both parties should understand each other and talk it out, and Stella could even compensate for the medical expenses. But no, this girl came up with personal attacks and even tried to hit Stella. If she didn't teach her a lesson, she'd feel as though she was doing her a disservice.

Three years into the apocalypse and she still had the audacity to play this high and mighty act? Who the hell was she fooling?

The girl scrambled up, still spouting off. "What kind of proof do you have that Mimi spat on you?"

Stella felt a surge of fury. She yanked the girl to her feet by her collar, wiped her hand on her face, and smeared it onto the girl's mouth. "You want proof? Here, take a good whiff."

Mimi's saliva was not just saliva, but a mix of her stomach's contents and her own spit. The smell was overpowering. The stench hit her nostrils and the girl gagged immediately.

She tried to push Stella away, but when Stella got a good look at her face, she was taken aback.

Stella recognized that face. She had seen it somewhere before.