18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 268

Stella couldn't quite understand. She had merely bought a house, yet it seemed to have become a thorn in everyone's side. However, things should come to an end when they start looking up. She finally eased up and said, "If it was a misunderstanding, I'll let it slide this

time. But don't expect me to be so forgiving next time."

After saying that, she slammed the accelerator to the floor, and the Hummer roared away at full speed.

Bran was left choking on her exhaust, nearly bursting with rage. Damn it, his last remaining off-road vehicle had been reduced to scrap metal!

Bloody hell!

As they left the neighborhood, Stella expressed her confusion, "What on earth is Bran up to?"

Jasper struggled to understand the mindset of the rich kid. After a while, he spoke up, "He defended you in front of his friends last time, and this time he intentionally crashed into you. He's probably trying to replace a reason to get close."

Stella was equally baffled. Who knew what went on in the head of a rich boy?

"Do you think he knows something? Is that why he's trying to get close?" She was referring to the three cars or the secret of Arcadia.

Perhaps he had learned something about Eastwood Eden through Samuel, or even earlier. The Porras family, with their astounding wealth, had managed to survive the apocalypse for three years, looking even more radiant than before. They were even invited back by the Griffith city government to help with the economic development. They were clearly not simple-minded people. Moreover, upon meeting again, Stella could clearly see that Bran had changed.

Jasper's face was grave, "No matter what he's up to, we need to stay vigilant."

The newly built school hadn't started enrolling students yet. After some discussions with the higher-ups, it was temporarily lent to the Institute of Traditional Medicine for recruiting staff and handling the herbal medicine cultivation. When Stella drove in, there were already many people gathered for interviews and inquiries.

Many lower-class survivors didn't have access to medicine. Learning some medical skills or growing some herbs seemed like a good deal. Unfortunately, not only did the institute require basic knowledge, but they also only offered one meal a day and no salary. This was practically asking them to work for big love, and they were already struggling to fill their stomachs.

Upon learning the situation, many left in disappointment. The staff of the Institute of Traditional Medicine felt equally frustrated. Starting anything without funding was difficult. They wanted to hire people and pay salaries, but the extreme weather was harsh, requiring a great deal of effort to cultivate medicinal herbs.

They had exhausted all their funds on indoor temperature control for growing herbs. They too were working out of love, to preserve a civilization that had existed for thousands of years.

"Dr. Collin, are we going to return empty-handed this time?" A student asked with frustration, "We took such good care of the herbs we brought back last time, like they were precious gems, but still, half of them died. The ones that survived aren't growing well either." Collin was disheartened, but he still tried to reassure the student, "Things will get better. We just have to be patient."

The Hummer was quite conspicuous, and as soon as they entered the school gates, they attracted everyone's attention.

Collin thought the car looked familiar, and then he saw Jasper and Stella getting out of it. He was overjoyed, "Jasper, Stella, what brings you here?"

"We live nearby and we're very interested in growing herbs, so we thought we'd come have a look."

Stella had mentioned during their last herb gathering trip that she was a medical student, and Collin had a good impression of her, "Are you here to apply for a job?"

Stella wasn't interested in working a desk job or growing herbs. She was here primarily to establish a relationship with Collin so that she'd have a reason to interact with him in the future. "Dr. Collin, actually, we're considering making a living by selling herbs. But we're not very good at growing them, so we thought we'd come here and learn from you."

Selling herbs for a living?

Collin was intrigued, "How did the seedlings you gathered last time turn out?"

Stella responded modestly, "Not bad, about seventy to eighty percent of them survived."

The staff were astonished. They had taken great care of their own herbs and only half of them survived. How had Stella and Jasper managed to do so well?

In response to their curiosity, Stella elaborated, "We built a greenhouse. The indoor temperature doesn't fluctuate as much, and if it's too cold we heat it with charcoal."

It made sense. Those who could afford to drive a Hummer in the post-apocalyptic world were obviously well-off.

Despite being a part of the Institute of Traditional Medicine, they found it nearly impossible to build a greenhouse. It wasn't that the government wasn't supportive. It was just that glass was a precious resource after the earthquake. Even if they had any, it would be used primarily for growing food crops to ensure the survivors had enough to eat.

The institute already had one greenhouse, so getting approval for a new one was out of the question. One greenhouse simply couldn't grow enough herbs, let alone mass produce them.

Stella's words gave Collin a new idea. Just because the institute couldn't build a greenhouse didn't mean others couldn't. Three years into the apocalypse, anyone who still had access to medicine had a significant advantage.

Even if it was expensive, people would be willing to buy it. If the government couldn't mass produce it, why not encourage private cultivation? Whether for the sake of preserving civilization or the benefit of the people, it would undoubtedly be a great contribution to society. Especially when he learned that Stella had a greenhouse of over a hundred square meters, Collin was excited. One person didn't want to work a desk job, and the other didn't have a greenhouse. It was a perfect match.

Collin offered, "We can teach you scientific cultivation, basic traditional medicine, acupuncture, acupressure, and related medical knowledge. But you will have to give us twenty percent of the herbs you grow. If you need us to provide seedlings, you'll have to give us an additional ten percent. What do you think?"

Stella pretended to discuss it with Jasper, and after some consideration, she agreed, "That's fine. We'll figure out the seedlings ourselves."

They quickly came to an agreement and signed a contract on the spot.

Collin planned the varieties of herbs they would grow, "Given the unpredictable weather, it's easy to catch a cold. A minor one could lead to a fever, and a serious one could lead to a lung infection. We're currently lacking in herbs that can treat these conditions." He listed nearly thirty types of herbs that could be used to treat diseases, "You can replace the seedlings according to this list. If you encounter any problems during cultivation, you can come to the institute and ask the staff."

Once they had agreed on the details, he detailed the best cultivation methods and growth environments for each herb and tested the three of them on their medical skills.

Jasper and Rosie hardly knew anything, but Stella had a basic understanding and had been self-studying for a few years. She would be able to learn the basics. Stella still had her medical books.

Meanwhile, back with the Porras family, Bran returned to his mansion with a dark expression. The butler quickly sent for a private doctor.

Bran kicked off his shoes and slumped onto the sofa, "I'm not dying, no need for a doctor."

The incident in the neighborhood couldn't be kept from Shane. He quickly returned from outside. Seeing the bruise on his son's forehead, he held back his anger and asked, "What happened?"

"I crashed my car into the one at Building 50."

"What the hell are you thinking?" If it wasn't his own flesh and blood, Shane would have chucked his mug at him by now.

He hadn't even figured out the full story behind the people in Building 50, but Bran was already defending them, riling up most of the neighborhood. They were only keeping their opinions to themselves out of respect for the Porras family.

Well, whatever. They were nothing more than second and third-generation layabouts, living glamorously off their family's legacy, oblivious to the harsh realities of the world. Socializing with them was a surefire way to dumb himself down. On this point, he did agree with his son.

But what the hell was his son thinking, ramming his car into the people from Building 50?

"Are you out of your mind? Those people had the guts to attack bodyguards. They're clearly fearless. Now they're even bringing out dynamite and grenades. If you are so brave, why don't you go and confront them?"