Chapter 36


    The dog had a human-like understanding. Its unflinching gaze was unnerving.


    “We''re dog lovers. Surely we won''t eat dogs,” Cody was the first one to back down. “Ste, can you


    ask him to stop staring at me like this? It''s freaking me out!”


    Ang totally understood her, but as a friend, she had some advice for Ste, “Normally, I''d back


    you up, Ste. But times are tough. Most of our food got soaked and ruined in the water. We were


    smart enough to stock up, but what you have will onlyst six or seven months. And who knows


    what the future holds? Plus, this sort ofrge breed dog needs a lot of food. You need to think this


    through.”


    Ste gently soothed the anxious Cooper. “To me, he''s not just a dog. He''s family. If we run out of


    supplies, we''ll find more. I won''t abandon him no matter what.”


    Ang decided not to meddle anymore. She knew Ste would make the right decision.


    Once inside, Ste took some dog food from Arcadia and soaked it in goat''s milk. She had found


    the milk from a supermarket. She couldn''t stand the strong taste, and now it''s perfect for Cooper.


    After finishing arge bowl of food, Cooper''s sunken belly finally filled out. He stood in front of the


    couch, staring intently at Ste. Tears started to well up in his eyes. There was not vignce in his


    eyes, but some anticipation.


    His cryingpletely broke the heart of Ste who was sitting on the sofa. She held Cooper and


    cried, crying out her fear, unwillingness, loneliness and despair from thest life.


    The dog''s heady on her shoulder, making a whimpering sound. He was crying, because he felt


    relieved that she hadn''t abandoned him like his previous owner. Not only did she feed him, but she


    also cuddled him. Could he trust humans again?


    Ste and Cooper hugged and cried together for a while.


    Afterwards, Ste felt moreposed. She had initially stockpiled supplies just to survive, to


    endure as long as possible. But now, she had not only herself to worry about, but also Cooper.


    She began to examine Cooper''s body and was horrified at the sight of his wounds, new and old


    alike.


    Ste gave him some antibiotics, shaved his fur off, disinfected his wounds with iodine, and applied


    some balm. She found a t-shirt from her old basketball days and put it on Cooper. “Once we fatten


    you up, you''ll be handsome again.”


    Ste wasn''t worried about supplies. She had enough to feed both her and Cooper quite some time,


    and she could always grow more in her garden.


    Sheid out some cardboard boxes on the damp floor and ced a sturdy old couch on top for


    Cooper to sleep on. He seemed to know instantly that this was his bed. It was soft andfortable,


    a ce he could finally call home. He soon fell into a peaceful sleep.


    Ste knocked on the door of apartment 1801 and then gathered everyone in 1803. In front of


    everyone, she opened a heavy backpack.


    Cody and Lukas were shocked. “A million dors?”


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Ste nodded. “I found it in an office building.”


    In normal times, they would be ecstatic. But now, they couldn''t spend it. The price of grain had


    skyrocketed, and they could only buy a pound a day. And the grain was even salvaged from the


    water, so it was questionable whether it was safe to eat.


    Ste warned them, "We can still buy food now, but in the future, things could get worse."


    "We can''t buy it now either." Lukas, always keen on the news, said, "They said it was rationing, but


    actually the amount they put out every day is very small. People who queue up in the middle of the


    night can''t even get it."


    However, there are people selling food underground. Even the grain dried from the water, could be


    sold at 2000 per kilogram. How ironic was it that one million can only buy 500 pund of food.


    "Do you have a way?"


    The government was catching those who were specting and hoarding. If caught, they would


    confiscate and confiscate.


    "Money will only be less and less valuable. More and more bartering is happening, and it''s


    unpredictable when money will be obsolete. We need to find a way to spend it tomorrow."


    "We can''t buy food. How can we spend it?"


    "Well, we''ll buy whatever is sold in the department store." Ste directed towards the extreme cold,


    "It''s October now. We used to wear short sleeves, but now we have to cover ourselves with a quilt


    to sleep. What if this rain doesn''t stop until winter. How are we supposed to cope?"


    The others agreed, “Okay, we''ll go to the department store tomorrow and grab everything we can.”


    Jasper from 1801 had been quiet the whole time. His deep eyes didn''t reveal any emotions. He


    seemed to be a part of the group, but he was always alert and distant. His sharp eyes seemed to


    prate people''s hearts, making Ste uneasy.


    After leaving 1803, Ste was about to enter her apartment when Jasper suddenly spoke, “Ste,


    can I talk to you about something?”


    “Go ahead.”


    “I used to be a SWAT officer. I moved here after I was injured and retired,” he exined. “The dog


    you brought back is a breed used by the police. They''re physically strong and obedient. If trained


    properly, he could be very useful.”


    Ste was surprised. She had guessed that he might have a military or police background, but his


    cold demeanor had led her to think he was a professional hitman or bodyguard. She had not


    expected him to be a former SWAT officer.


    Everyone had secrets. As long as he didn''t harm her, Ste wouldn''t pry. She asked him, “What''s


    your condition?”