18 Floors Above the Apocalypse
Chapter 58

"Hey, sis Stella, I know." Rosie raised her hand to answer first, "Cooper caught the fish, and he won't let us eat it."

What? That was strange. Stella was utterly confused. How could her adorable puppy be so selfish?

"Woof!" Cooper tugged at her sleeve and pulled her towards the dining table. A big bowl of fried fish fillets sat on the table, their aroma making her mouth water.

Cooper stood on his hind legs, leaning on the table and nudged the bowl of fish forward: 'Here, have some!'

Stella looked puzzled, turning to Angela and the others for answers.

After they finished marinated the fish chunks, Stella hadn't returned. They thought they couldn't rely on her for everything, so they put their heads together and managed to whip up the fried fish.

But then Cooper fiercely guarded the fish, not allowing anyone else to touch it. He was drooling himself, and yet, he wouldn't let anyone else have a bite.

They were usually democratic. After all, Cooper was the one who had caught the fish. And right now, he was the the big boss with maxed-out survival skills in their group, so no one dared to cross him. Despite their hunger, they had to hold back. Cody was so hungry he was pleading, "Hurry up and eat. We're starving."

Stella chuckled, "Our Cooper is so great. He's even taking care of me now."

Cooper barked excitedly, "Woof!" His eyes sparkled as if he were saying: 'Hey, I'm taking care of you!'

Stella grabbed a piece of fried fish and took a bite. It was crispy, fresh, and delicious. Their survival group had finally started to make progress in cooking.

Watching the clever dog, Stella decided to tease him, "Cooper, I've had my share. Who's next?"

"Woof, woof!" Cooper wagged his tail vigorously, drool dripping from his mouth.

Stella understood and put a piece in his bowl, "Who's next?"

Cooper tugged at Rosie's pant leg. One by one, he chose Angela, Cody, Lukas, and finally Jasper. Cooper seemed quite pleased with his decision and started to eat.

Jasper, who was pushed to the back of the line, let out a sigh. He could understand being ranked lower than Stella, and he could understand Cooper favoring the kid. As his trainer, he was strict during their lessons, but he always rewarded Cooper for completing his tasks. He never expected to be Cooper's least favorite person. Jasper was confused and began to question his life.

Everyone laughed as Angela brought out a pot of hot soup. They all enjoyed their meals and discussed their tasks for the next day. Yawning, they all went their separate ways.

Stella, the recipient of Cooper's undivided attention, was in high spirits. She took out two smart bathtubs filled with hot water from Arcadia, sprinkled them with dried rose petals, played some soothing music, and closed her eyes to enjoy her relaxing bath.

Cooper, with bubbles on his head, was lying in the bathtub, cocking his head to look at Stella. His bright dog eyes were full of stars. Yes, he too was a dog who had enjoyed a floral bath.

After the bath, they both snuggled into their blankets and fell asleep.

In her drowsy state, Stella heard a soft buzzing sound, "Stella, are you awake?" Her eyes would not open, and the low voice was intermittent. Ever since Cooper arrived, her quality of sleep had improved.

The alarm clock went off and Stella woke up. It was four thirty in the morning. She got up groggily to change her clothes and the walkie-talkie buzzed again. It was probably Jasper reminding her that it was time to leave.

She searched for the walkie-talkie but couldn't replace it. That was strange, where did it go?

She saw Cooper lying in his dogbed, not moving, and complained, "Cooper, don't just stand there. Help me replace it."

Cooper didn't move, maintaining his lazy and graceful posture.

"Buzz...buzz..."

Where could it be? It was right by her bed. How could it disappear?

Stella started to search under her bed and the doghouse.

"Move aside."

Cooper didn't move, continuing to lounge.

Stella narrowed her eyes in thought. She bent down and picked him up. Sure enough, the walkie-talkie was under his butt.

Cooper blinked his innocent eyes: 'Huh, how did the walkie-talkie grow legs?'

Stella was in a dilemma. The walkie-talkie that had been covered by Cooper had a smell. Should she still use it?

She used alcohol spray to disinfect it, then wiped it clean with a tissue, "Roger that, leaving now."

Facing the mischievous Cooper in the early morning, Stella didn't know how to respond, "Are you staying home or coming with us?"

Cooper ran to the living room and dragged his combat gear over. Stella quickly helped him put it on.

As they rushed out the door, Jasper and Cody were already waiting. Angela was holding a still-sleeping Rosie and whispered to them, "Be careful."

They quietly left the residential area, with Mikey and his family waiting on an inflatable boat.

It was dark and they couldn't see clearly. Their flashlight swept over, vaguely seeing Mikey's parents Joey and Amber, both in their forties, both looking quite refined.

They attached the inflatable boat to their assault boat and set off towards Ivywood Estates. By the time they arrived, it was almost seven o'clock and the sky was starting to light up.

They packed up their things and trekked through the rain in the mountains. Cooper led the way, bounding ahead. 'Another day, another chance for Cooper to feed them!'

The visibility was poor, and the mountain road was rugged. Stella slipped, her body falling backward. Jasper was right behind her, instinctively reaching out to support her waist, "Be careful."

Stella was steadied and quickly clung to a nearby tree. She couldn't help but admire him. What a strong waist. He was carrying the assault boat, and also had to support her and the inflatable boat she was carrying. He truly had a strong waist. Jasper warned the others, "Be careful. The mud slope is slippery."

At the same time, he gave an order to Cooper ahead, "Cooper, don't show off and lead us astray."

The rest of the journey was smooth and easy.

Walking in the rain was slow, and it took them about two hours to finally see the vast reservoir among the mountains.

Cooper, brave as ever, asked Stella to take off his raincoat and dived into the water. A few minutes later, he resurfaced with a struggling fish in his mouth. He walked over to Stella and dropped the fish into her hand. 'Here, have some meat!' "There's fish. There really is fish."

Amber's voice trembled, her eyes fixed on the fish.

"Let's eat first, then we can work."

Exhausted from climbing the mountain, they took shelter from the rain under a tree.

Stella put the fish into a plastic bag and took out some bread to share with Cooper. Jasper ate compressed biscuits, while Cody had toasts.

The Moore family each had a sweet potato, eating slowly, not daring to peel the skin. It seemed that the Moore family was indeed at the end of their rope. But so what? In a world where every grain of rice, every loaf of bread, was a symbol of struggle, Stella had no intentions of seeking charity. They had to earn their own keep.

After finishing their meal and regaining their strength, Mikey hoisted the fish replaceer onto their inflatable raft, "Let's give it a try first. The sound can be a bit harsh. You might want to cover your ears if you're not used to it."

Stella lodged earplugs into her ears, all the while cradling Cooper in her arms. A dog's hearing was highly sensitive; the noise would be even more jarring for them.

She covered Max's ears and held him close, not letting go.