18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 124

For a six-year-old, the kid was doing pretty darn well. Jasper's parenting was a success. However, in this situation, it seemed inappropriate to have outsiders involved.

Stella patted her belly, "I can't eat anymore. I am so full I could sleep. I gotta go lie down. See ya tonight." She grabbed her dog and made a hasty exit.

Rosie clung to her brother's arm, "I'm sorry, Jasper."

He comforted her, "You didn't do anything wrong. But things are different now. People are hungry out there. If they knew we had good stuff, they'd come to steal it with knives. We'd lose not just our goods, but your brother or Stella could get hurt. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

Rosie was frightened and buried herself into her brother's chest, "I don't want you to die. I miss mom and dad."

"Don't worry. Even if mom and dad aren't here, I'll protect you."

Sometimes, pain was the best teacher.

Jasper quietly comforted her, all while teaching her a valuable lesson.

"I won't tell anyone about it, not even Cooper," Rosie promised.

As the temperature continued to drop, their routines consisted of staying warm and practicing survival skills. The potatoes that Stella had planted didn't require her constant attention; Jasper took good care of them.

Even if her secret base, Arcadia, was exposed, Stella had to keep up appearances. Jasper didn't know exactly what she had, after all. So about once a week, she would venture out, "Need anything?"

"No, thanks."

Each time, she would return with her bag full of supplies and her dog in tow.

Just as she was about to head out this time, Jasper suddenly spoke up, "Let's go together."

Caught off guard, Stella tried to protest, "Shouldn't someone stay at the 18th floor? How about we take turns?"

"No need," Jasper dismissed her concern, "The Moore family is off today. We can just tell them."

Rosie ran up to them, "We're going shopping, Stella."

With their gear ready, there was no point in arguing.

But what about the dog? With three members of the 18th floor missing, they couldn't afford to let Cooper roam around.

Jasper asked softly, "Do you want to stay home, or do you want to get in the bag?"

Cooper tilted his head, then turned around and fetched a large backpack.

Reluctantly, Stella sighed. She wasn't thrilled about carrying a dog that weighed nearly 80 pounds through town.

Jasper loaded Cooper into the backpack, leaving a small opening for him to breathe, "Let's go."

Rosie grabbed Stella's hand, "Let's go shopping."

And so, after notifying the Moore family, they left the building with Cooper and Rosie.

The security during the day was decent. As the city constantly announced new job opportunities, those who lacked the skills or the will to rob others chose to earn their living through honest labor.

When Stella and Jasper showed up, they immediately caught the attention of several watchful eyes. Stella was no longer the impulsive girl she once was, and with the improved security measures in place, killing was no longer an option unless absolutely necessary.

With no security patrols around, Stella decided to take out her weapon—a high-quality plastic replica. Without saying a word, she scared away the first group of people, who fled in panic.

The second group, confused by the sudden turn of events, decided to retreat as well.

Rosie admired her, "You're so cool, Stella."

As soon as they arrived at the department store, Monkey, wrapped up in layers of clothing, ran up to them, "Do you have any of that stuff from last time?"

Stella was taken aback. They had already used over a thousand condoms? She firmly declined, "No more."

Monkey pleaded, "You're my life savior. Can you find a way to get some more?"

"I really don't have any more." Stella tried to suppress her fear that Monkey would blurt out something about the "condoms".

Monkey was disappointed, but he quickly offered, "What do you need? I have all sorts of stuff."

After asking about the prices of rice, flour, and oil, Stella found them too expensive. She turned to Jasper, "What do you need?"

Jasper thought for a moment, then asked Monkey, "Do you have any planting pots and fertilizer?"

Monkey was surprised, "What do you need those for?"

Jasper's gazes hardened, "Do you have them or not?"

Under the pressure of his intense gaze, Monkey swallowed nervously, "I do, but the pots are plastic. They won't last long in this weather."

Jasper asked, "We'll take a batch. How much?"

Stella knew that she still had several large planting pots in Arcadia. However, Jasper probably wanted to plant a large quantity of potatoes.

The potatoes were growing well, and they could stock up before the extreme heat arrived, for personal consumption or to trade for other goods.

Monkey did a quick calculation, "I have about 30 pots, 30*80 in size, and 200 pounds of mixed fertilizer. What will you trade for them?"

"Liquor, the kind that improved sex quality."

That's a great deal. The wealthy folks loved that stuff. Monkey was thrilled, “But you're asking for a lot. I'll need 5 bottles of the liquor."

Stella wasn't about to be taken advantage of, "One bottle."

Monkey protested, "That's not how you do business."

"This is helping you clear your inventory. If we don't want this, who are you going to sell it to?"

Monkey was frustrated, but Stella comforted him, "Don't worry. We'll come to you if we have any good stuff in the future."

Finally, Monkey agreed, "Fine, since you're my savior, deal. But remember, if you have any good stuff, you have to come to me."

They agreed on the time and place for the trade, and with that, Jasper, Stella, and Rosie ventured into the market.

They were surprised to find someone secretly selling frost-resistant potatoes and potions, but the price was steep—5 pounds of rice for one portion. Not many people believed in it, and even fewer could afford the price.

Someone was selling handmade woolen shoes with cotton lining. Stella picked up a pair and found them quite warm. The wool was new and didn't smell odd. The sole was waterproof and flexible. The shoes were good, but survivors barely had enough to eat, let alone trade precious food for shoes. Even if they needed shoes, they would likely opt for second-hand ones. As for where the secondhand goods came from, as long as they were cheap enough, it didn't matter. It was best not to think too much about the rest.

A pair of shoes cost a half pound of rice, but through some haggling, they could be traded for a pound of frozen potatoes.

Stella picked out three pairs, and Rosie soon followed suit. "Jasper, I want these," she called out.

Jasper crouched down to pick them for her and got two pairs of the same size.

Men weren't usually known for their attention to detail. Stella suggested, "These shoes are durable; they can last for years. Rosie's growing fast. I suggest you get her a larger size."

Jasper, not understanding, asked, "Can you help Rosie choose two pairs?"

In the spirit of being helpful, and since he had been carrying the dog, Stella did help Rosie choose two pairs. After trying them on, Stella bought a pair two sizes larger, and another suitable for a 10-

year-old.

" Stella, Jasper needs some too," Rosie said, handing Jasper a pair of red shoes. Copyright by Nôv/elDrama.Org.

Stella nearly laughed. "What size?"

Once she had the size, she picked out two pairs of gray shoes. Jasper didn't try them on, but accepted them.

Keeping things low-key, Stella discreetly paid for his share by pretending to dig into her large backpack. In total, they paid 7 pounds of frozen potatoes.

After wandering around without finding what they were looking for and when it was almost time, they went to the agreed-upon location to meet Monkey.