18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 22

Jasper now had a nail gun in his hand, and not just any kind; it was a modified one.

The raft started deflating at an alarming speed. The burly men aboard were scared out of their wits, and several of them lost their balance and fell into the water. The current was swift, and two of them were swept away in a blink. Others were swimming towards Stella and her group. Stella picked up a baseball bat and swung it at their heads.

"Ah, you crazy woman! You want to die?"

"Help! I can't swim..."

Jasper was not only shooting at the raft but also at the burly men, causing a scene of chaos and misery. The raft deflated and sunk, throwing everyone into the floodwaters. Stella was relentless and broke their heads as if she were playing a game of Whac-a-Mole.

Thugs like these were rampant. They were burning, killing, and looting everywhere, obliterating their humanity. Killing them now would provide a chance for many others to survive.

In the midst of the chaos, her bat was grabbed. A bald, sinister man swam towards her, intending to tear her apart. Stella forcefully pulled him closer, and without hesitation, she swung her sharp knife. With a scream, blood spurted out. The man was in intense pain and let go. He was instantly swept away by the flood.

Lukas was completely shocked and turned as stiff as a statue. He knew Stella was tough, both he and Cody couldn’t beat her together, but he never imagined she would be so ruthless, chopping off heads as if they were watermelons.

The burly men disappeared into the flood, and the world was washed clean by the rain.

After a short rest, Jasper dove back into the water. One person carried, and two people lifted, working together in torrential rain and flood.

Fortunately, they found 12 propane tanks, which would last them a long time if split equally. To their delight, they found three double-burner gas stoves at the propane station. They didn't know if they would work after being submerged for so long, but they decided to take them anyway.

The propane tanks were bulky, and the raft could barely carry them. The tanks rolled easily and would fall into the water at the slightest vibration.

Stella took out an inflatable boat from her backpack, inflated it, and tied it securely to the raft. She moved half of the propane tanks onto the boat and used ropes to secure them.

Exhausted, she took out six chocolate bars and shared them with the others to replenish their energy. They set off back home after recuperating.

Jasper and Lukas led the way, while Stella sat on the inflatable boat. They were carrying so many propane tanks that it was bound to attract attention. Sure enough, on their way back, they ran into others searching for supplies. Seeing their haul of propane tanks, their eyes gleamed with greed. Unfortunately for them, they only had kayaks and couldn't catch up.

They almost collided with a big boat filled with twenty men when they reached the city. Fortunately, Stella was vigilant and used a telescope to observe their surroundings, allowing them to avoid them in time.

Once they reached Sunrise Sanctuary, they didn't slow down. They swiftly unloaded the propane tanks into the building. A few people peeked out of their doors at the commotion, but no one dared to mess with the formidable residents of the 18th floor.

On their way upstairs, they ran into an elderly lady. "Where did you get all these propane tanks?" she asked.

"We found them underwater," Stella replied, not hiding anything. "If you have the means, you can try it too." She hoped that more people would go out and find their own supplies, instead of always eyeing the limited resources of the 18th floor.

After four trips, they finally moved all the propane tanks.

Angela pulled Stella aside. "Lukas told me that Jasper found all of these and even provided the boat and fuel. How should we split these?"

Stella thought for a moment. "I suggest we split them equally."

"But wouldn't that be unfair to him?"

"He did provide the boat and fuel, but without Lukas and me, he wouldn't have been able to retrieve the tanks. And don't forget to include yourself. Without you watching over his sister and the house, his home would've been raided the moment he left."

Angela nodded in agreement. "You're right. But will he agree to this?"

"We'll ask him. If he thinks he should get more, we can negotiate."

Stella wasn't trying to be greedy. She didn't need the propane tanks for Arcadia, but team collaborations couldn't always be perfectly fair. If Jasper asked for two or three more tanks, it would be acceptable since he did contribute more. But what if he demanded seven or eight? If they didn't give in, he would be unhappy. If they did, they would be the ones feeling uncomfortable.

What if next time, she and Lukas contributed more? How would they split the loot, then?

Everyone had different standards, and it was impossible to satisfy everyone. Sooner or later, there would be conflicts. It was better to set the rules from the beginning.

Stella had a point, and Angela agreed. "If his demands are reasonable, we'll continue to collaborate. If he asks for too much, we'll just find our own supplies and remain cordial."

After their discussion, they went out to the hallway. Stella turned to Jasper. "How should we split these?"

"Let's split them equally among the three of us. What do you think?"

Angela and Lukas had no objections, so each family ended up with four propane tanks, enough to last a year if used sparingly.

Rosie, woken by the noise, ran barefoot out from 1803 and leaped into Jasper's arms. "Jasper."

Her clothes were still wet. Jasper stepped back and patted her head. "Have you been good?"

"Yes." Rosie looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. "I've been listening to Angela."

Then she turned to Stella. "Stella, I want to see Bunny."

Stella smiled and opened the door to her apartment, inviting Rosie in. She changed out of her wet clothes, drank some ginger tea to warm up, and rested on the sofa.

In the evening, Drew came to visit them. He returned the inflatable boat with a friendly smile. "Thanks for the tip, Miss Stella. We managed to find a few inflatable boats just in time."

Stella didn't respond, focusing on inspecting the boat. Drew noticed her silence and laughed awkwardly. "I heard you found quite a few propane tanks. Where did you find them?"

"In the water."

"Which part?"

"The propane station."

He laughed again. "Are there any left?"

Stella glanced at him. "Why don't you just ask for one?"

Drew quickly defended himself. "I'm just asking."

He pushed his glasses up his nose. "Anyway, thank you. If you ever need anything, feel free to ask us."

"As long as you don't cause trouble, we can talk," Stella replied.

Stella felt that people downstairs were a bit too busy and was now concerned about Angela's safety. Stella knocked on the door of apartment 1801. "I've got this stainless steel door at my place, how about we install it here?"

Jasper had no objections and it didn't take long for them to install it with an extra pair of hands.

Drawing the curtains and switching on solar-powered lamps, Stella brought out grilled shrimp, skewers, pasta, and beer - a feast to reward her hard work.

She left a propane tank in the kitchen for show, but when it came to actual cooking, she'd use a portable power bank, saving other resources for harder times. She had tested them all. Every power bank could be fast-charged in Arcadia; it was truly impressive.

She then continued to sort out the supplies she'd scavenged from the supermarket, working late into the night before finally turning off the lights to rest. It had been a tiring day, but it was rewarding.

Arcadia wasn't short on supplies, but Stella needed to up her game and gain more survival experience if she was to withstand increasingly harsh disasters.

The next day, the streets came alive.

There were noticeably more inflatable boats and rubber dinghies than the day before. Whether they'd had a taste of the good life or simply out of survival instincts, a lot of people, with their faces masked, were causing disturbances. With no internet or surveillance, their darkest instincts were unleashed.

The noise was overwhelming, punctuated by what sounded like gunshots.

Gunshots? Stella pricked up her ears. She wasn't mistaken. ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Returning residents were buzzing with talk. "There's been a murder. The soldiers have killed someone."