Chapter 120
Cody was distracted, losing miserably at the game.
Thankfully, they were only gambling with snacks. Otherwise, in his current state, he would have lost
his underwear.
In the afternoon, the Moore family paid a visit, bringing over a local delicacy from their hometown—
deep fried doughnuts.
The residents of room 1803 reciprocated with some snacks. They weren''t overly generous, but they
made sure not to leave the Moore family feeling short-changed.
In the evening, they had dinner, watched some TV, and took the dog for a walk. That was how they
spent Christmas, not bothered about working out.
On the next day, the food drastically deteriorated—overnight mashed potatoes, and pasta mixed
with meat sauce.
Out of sheer boredom, the inhabitants of 1803 started working out. Rosie and Cooper trained
together, while Ste and Jasper practiced with each other.
On the eighth day, bundled up in thick clothing, the upants of 1803 prepared to go out for some
fresh air. They were on the verge of going stir-crazy. "Ste, are youing?"
Having survived three years in the post-apocalyptic world in her past life, Ste was used to the
harsh conditions. "It''s too cold," she replied.
Not long after the trio left, the walkie-talkie rang. "The cold-resistant potatoes are sprouting."
Even the sprouting of potatoes was enough to pique Ste''s interest in these boring times. "I''m on
my way."
Upon reaching Unit 1801''s balcony, she saw the potatoes breaking through the soil, their tiny
sprouts showing a hint of green.
She counted, and about seventy to eighty percent of the potatoes had sprouted. Assuming the rest
would sprout in a few days, the survival rate was satisfactory. This was all thanks to the quality of
the soil. It was fluffy and nutrient-rich.
On the other hand, the Moore family''s potatoes were not faring as well. Their soil, which was dug up
from the outside, was hard, sticky, andcking in nutrients. Even with Katie''s farming expertise, their
sprouts were weaker.
"Do we start giving them light now?"
Ste shook her head. "Let''s wait a few days until the leavese out."
When Ang and the others returned in the evening, they seemed to have something they wanted
to say. Ste, sensing their hesitation, pretended not to notice and tossed a pork bone into the pot
to stew with the radishes.
Tonight was thest gathering during the holiday. From tomorrow, everyone would be eating their
own rations. Ste was looking forward to finally eating the food she had hoarded from Arcadia. She
was practically salivating at the thought.
After dinner, Ang finally spoke up. "Ste, I want to apply for the security patrol job.”
There were new job postings today. The city even set up a procurement department to buy things
like firewood and charcoal.
Giving a man a fish feeds him for a day. Teaching a man to fish feeds him for a lifetime. Handing out
relief food was not a long-term solution. The city was trying to encourage people to be self-
reliant.
There were jobs for farmers, coal miners, woodcutters, and various skilled workers.
Mikey''s words had an impact on the residents of 1803. The disaster was not going to end anytime
soon, and no one knew what the future held. During the holiday, the trio had been doing a lot of
thinking and had decided to face reality.
With careful rationing, their hoarded supplies couldst two years. But what about after that? If the
harsh conditions continued, it would be even more difficult to find supplies. They couldn''t wait
until they had run out of everything before starting to look for more.
Besides, it was unhealthy for three adults to be cooped up at home all the time.
They couldn''t do manualbor, nor did they have any special skills. After considering their options,
they concluded that the security patrol was the best fit. It was a risky job and it only paid eight
pounds of food per month. But at least it included meals and amodation, and they got two
days off every month.
The residents of 1803 knew they couldn''tpare with Ste and Jasper, who could support
themselves even without working. They needed to n ahead.
Patrolling was dangerous, but everyone had to find a way to survive. Ste couldn''t reveal that
Arcadia to provide for them, plus she didn''t have the capacity to support them either.
"It''s good, but remember to stay safe."
She would never work. Not in this lifetime.
Ang breathed a sigh of relief. "I''ll fill out the application form tomorrow and see if I can get the
job. If I do, then you and Jasper will have to guard this floor."
Unit 1803 hadn''t contributed much, so they would make up for it by providing some food. Ste
didn''t say yes or no. She would wait to see how things panned out.
After six months of intensive training, even the most vulnerable person of room 1803 had be
muscr.
The security patrol job was dangerous and required quick reflexes and good physical fitness, so
there was lesspetition for it. When they went for their interview, the police officer and the patrol
captain were quite impressed. "When can you start?"
"Anytime."
The trio passed the interview but unfortunately, they weren''t assigned to the same area as the
Sunrise Sanctuary. It was so far away that they would have to live in the provided amodations.
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They would start work the day after tomorrow. But because of the distance, they would have to set
off early tomorrow.
Ste helped them pack. "Did you all get assigned to the same team?"
"We''re in the same area, but we''ll be assigned to teams after we report for duty."
They took along crossbows, knives, and bulletproof vests made of color-coated steel tes. They
also carried some guns.
For ordinary people, getting hold of guns was not easy. Ang and herpanions had brought
them along just in case, but they wouldn''t use them unless absolutely necessary.
Ste agreed with their decision and reminded them, "Although they now allow us to carry weapons,
guns are still prohibited. Make sure to hide them well. If they''re discovered, they''ll be confiscated."
After discussing, they decided to each carry two bullets and left the rest with Ste for safekeeping.
"If anyone dares to attack the 18th floor, don''t hesitate to fight back."
After that, they handed over a few boxes of unused medicine to Ste. "If you can exchange these
for food, please help us get some."
Ste didn''t refuse. "Sure, I''ll keep an eye out for you."
The next day, before it was even light, the trio quietly left. They were afraid that others would notice
their departure and get ideas about the 18th floor.
With their departure, the hallway of the 18th floor was eerily quiet. Not only was Ste not used to
the silence, even Cooper was whimpering and kept going to the door to listen for noises outside.
Now that there were only Ste and Jasper left to defend the floor, they had to rearrange their
chores. The electric gate consumed power every day, and Ste didn''t want to pedal the bicycle to
generate electricity. So she decided to contract out the electricity supply.
The storage battery was charged in Arcadia, providing not only for the electric gate but also for
Jasper''s srmp, which was used to supplement light for the potatoes.
To avoid attracting attention, Jasper installed ckout curtains on the balcony, allowing them to
provide light to the potatoes during the day.
The potatoes were doing well, sprouting and growing leaves in the freezing temperatures of minus
fifty degrees.
"Ste, my brother has given me the task of looking after the potatoes," Rosie said excitedly. "I bring
them inside every night so that they don''t freeze."
Those were eyes yearning for praise, and Ste readily gave it. "Good job, Rosie. You''re doing
great."
Perhaps reminded by Jasper, Rosie no longer came over looking for dog or rabbits like she used to.
If there was anything, Jasper would call on the walkie-talkie.
For instance, when they ran out of pie.
Jasper took the initiative to call, "Would you like to make some pie?"
Ste thought for a moment, "Sure."
The environment was only going to get worse, so it wouldn''t hurt to stock up more when they had
the chance.