18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 56

Stella knew it was Katie who had sent Mikey to bring her news. Although it didn't make much difference, she appreciated the effort. As a reward, she waived the fees for three treatment sessions, and gifted her half a bottle of soothing whiskey.

Although it was only 50mL, in the post-apocalyptic world they now lived in, it was quite a generous gift.

Of course, Stella didn't rule out the chance that there was an ulterior motive. After all, everyone had their eyes on the 18th floor, and it was never wise to assume the best of people. If the Moore family was willing to share information, it could save her a lot of trouble. "Katie, it's getting colder these days. Your lower back should not be exposed to cold or dampness. Use the whiskey to massage it at night, and then wrap yourself up in a quilt. It'll heal faster."

In her previous life, Katie had died from the cold, leaving only Mikey behind, but he didn't last much longer. If Katie took Stella's advice this time, she might survive.

"Thank you, Stella. I'll give it a try tonight."

She introduced a new patient to Stella. "The family living above me, their son has eczema all over his body. He's scratched himself raw, and the hospital trip was a waste since they had no medication. They want to bring their son here for treatment. They don't know you well, so they didn't dare to come directly. They asked me to speak to you first. Don't worry, they're good people. They don't associate with Drew and his crew, and they didn't join in the intimidation attempt a few days ago." Eczema was a complex condition, and acupuncture alone wouldn't cure it. Herbal remedies took time to work.

Stella had medication in her Arcadia, but she wasn't going to give it away. "This condition is difficult to treat without medication. Try to sweat more to detoxify, and by improving the immune system, it'll get better over time."

Katie didn't push the issue. She wrapped the bottle of whiskey in cloth and put it in her pocket, so that others wouldn't get a smell of it and become suspicious.

"Stella, did your dog bite a boy?" Katie asked as she was leaving. "The girl next door is stirring up trouble again. I can tell they're not happy about it."

Young people these days were so complicated. They claimed to be friends, but they talked behind each other's backs, always craving for what others had.

During the recent attack on the 18th floor, several men had participated, and instead of reflecting on their actions, they were badmouthing Stella behind her back. If she were Stella, even if she did have supplies, she'd rather feed them to her dog than give them to these ingrates.

After Katie left, Stella went back into Arcadia, and harvested the vegetables from her black soil garden.

She took the planting pots out of Arcadia and placed them on the balcony, and sat down on a small stool to dig out the potatoes. The soil in Arcadia was fertile, and the pots were full of round, plump potatoes. There were dozens of planting pots, and she harvested over 100 pounds of potatoes. The sense of achievement was indescribable.

Rabbits didn't eat potato tops, so Stella had to throw them into Arcadia to use as fertilizer.

After replanting the potatoes and moving the pots back into the black soil garden, she heard a knock on the door.

Cooper, clad in what looked like armor, returned from the trip, standing proudly at the door, carrying two black plastic bags in his mouth. The others were carrying firewood, and apart from the stern Jasper, everyone else was smiling. Cooper raised his paw, his black eyes shining brightly. What was Stella waiting for? She needed to come and take the bags from him, his teeth were getting sore.

Stella could smell the fish. There was no doubt about it, Cooper had been in the water again.

Taking the heavy bags from him, she patted Cooper's head in praise. "Good job, Cooper. You're the best."

He wasn't just good, he was great. The bags contained five fish, weighing nearly 20 pounds in total. The other bag contained two wild rabbits, which Cooper had dug out of their burrows on the mountain. After changing into dry clothes, everyone gathered in apartment 1803.

The city buildings had been picked clean of supplies, so they had ventured towards the previous villa cluster. There wasn't much to be found in the villas; they had gone there with the intention of heading into the mountains.

They were hoping to replace wild boars, but instead, they discovered a reservoir in the deep mountains. The reservoir was teeming with fish, many of which had been swept out by the current and were swimming in the mountain streams. The water was muddy, and they couldn't see the fish with their naked eyes. It was Cooper who had discovered and caught them. They didn't know how many fish had been swept away, but they were certain there were still plenty left in the reservoir. "If we can replace a way to catch the fish, we can trade with Monkey for more food. We won't have to worry about food and drink for years."

However, they had to act fast. Supplies in the city were scarce, and it was likely that others would start searching in the mountains soon. If the reservoir was discovered, they wouldn't be able to catch anything.

With water everywhere, and varying depths posing dangers, it wasn't feasible for Cooper to catch the fish one by one.

Cody muttered, "If only we had a fishing machine."

The fish were right there, but they couldn't catch them. It was frustrating.

"Lukas, can you make one?"

"Sorry, I can't."

A whole reservoir of fish? Stella was drooling at the thought. She only had 100 fish in her Arcadia, and Cooper was a fish lover. It wasn't enough.

"Katie mentioned to me that her grandson Mikey works at the Physics Research Institute. I wonder if he can help?"

A fishing machine relied on ultrasonic waves, which Mikey should be familiar with.

Jasper spoke up, "Can he be trusted?"

"I think the Moore family are decent people, and Mikey is a good lad. It doesn't hurt to ask."

Even if it didn't work out, it wouldn't be a loss for them. Everyone else agreed. After all, the Moore family didn't know where the reservoir was, and Mikey might not be able to build a fishing machine. Without further delay, they decided to ask.

Katie and Mikey lived next to Sadie, who kept a close eye on them day and night. Stella didn't want to participate.

It wasn't appropriate for the men to go, either. In order to get food, Sadie would flirt shamelessly. Last time, she had tried to seduce Jasper, and Cody and Lukas might not have his self-control. So Angela was chosen to go.

Stella's guess was correct. As soon as she knocked on the Moore family's door, the door of the neighboring apartment swung open.

Seeing Angela, Sadie put on a sweet and innocent smile, "Hi, Angela." Unfortunately, it was late at night and there was no electricity. Plus, she was so thin that her face was pale, making her look like a ghost.

Angela despised women like Sadie. "Don't call me that. We're not close."

Sadie didn't get angry. "Angela, what are you doing here so late at night?"

Angela wished she could punch her. She ignored Sadie and continued knocking on the door.

Hearing the sound, Katie quickly opened the door. Angela pulled something from her pocket and handed it over, "Katie, you left something behind after your acupuncture session this afternoon. Stella didn't want you to worry, so she sent me to deliver it." Katie, wise with age, knew Angela wouldn't come over late at night without a reason, "Alright, thank you both. Oh dear, there's water all over the place at home, I almost slipped and twisted my back again.

Is Stella available now? Could she help me with some muscle stretching? I'm also out of groceries at home, but Mikey has a new digital watch. Would that cover the acupuncture fee?" "That should work."

Angela didn't stay long, she left as soon as the conversation ended.

With her smile still intact, Sadie said, "Angela, do you want to come in?"