Chapter 122
Lukas, who earned his own keep, was incredibly tough and resilient. “Sure, next time we get the
day shift and it’s not too far from the apartment. We can reassess the situation after the shift.”
Ang was worried sick at the thought of Lukas getting hurt, “If things get too dangerous, we’ll just
quit. For now, it’s best to keep earning.”
The trio did a quick inventory. Their stash, including the rationed food from their workce, added
up to almost fifty pounds. That included canned goods and frozen potatoes.
They handed all the remaining goods to Ste for safekeeping, hoping to barter them for food when
the opportunity arose.
Cody tucked away the cigarettes gratefully. Those woulde in handy for socializing at work,
breaking the ice with colleagues or buttering up the bosses. He might even score some easier
duties with these.
Ste left with her things, not wanting to disturb their rest.
The usually quiet hallway became lively again in the afternoon. For some reason, Ste felt a
strange sense of peace.
The weather was getting colder and colder. If it wasn’t for their thermal clothing, Ste feared that
even breathing in the cold outside air could choke her.
Ang knocked on the door, holding two pounds of rice, which she offered Ste as a token for
guarding their ce.
Ste refused, “Even when you guys aren’t around, I still need to live here right? The reputation of
the 18th floor precedes it. As long as there’s no trouble, I don’t need your protection rations.”
She didn’t take it, and neither did Jasper.
Finally, Ang proposed, “Come over for dinner today, our treat.”
That was a tempting offer.
Ste was starting to feel the silence of the 18th floor unnerving. Jasper, although a living, breathing
human, was not much of a talker. asionally, he would strike up a conversation with her, but it
was always a bit awkward.
She felt awkward, and Jasper did too.
Their daily interactions were limited to a few words, making the atmosphere ufortable.
Perhaps it was the aftermath of the bikini party and her previously brash words that made things
weird between them.
Regardless, the return of the people in apartment 1803 was a wee change for Ste.
She brought over a frozen fish, but Ang insisted she didn’t need to contribute anything. “Just
come over, and if you like, you can help with the cooking.”
Honestly, they were tired of eating the same old stew.
Ste had no objections since she wasn’t going to be the one cooking. The next generation of
cooks was already being groomed.
Jasper cooked two dishes: bacon stewed with pickled greens and lean meat stir-fried with
dehydrated cabbage.
The pickled greens and dehydrated cabbage were all scavenged by Ste from the trading market.
“I traded several pounds of them. If you like them, you can have some.”
Though she said she scavenged them, they were actually from Arcadia.
N?velDrama.Org content rights.
She had dried greens and stuffed them into a stic bottle tightly. After sealing it for three months,
they tasted just like pickles.
The cabbage was sun-dried since she didn’t have freeze-drying technology. It tasted pretty good
stir-fried with a bit of oil after being rehydrated. Although it couldn''tpare to fresh vegetables,
having something to eat in this freezing weather was already a luxury.
Ang was delighted, “We’ll take as much as you can give.”
The struggle of not having any vegetables was something the restroom visitors would understand.
Cody was excited too, “Ste, how much can you give us?”
Ste thought for a moment, “Three or four pounds?”
“Sounds good,” he nodded in satisfaction, “In the future, if you have more, bring it back for us.”
They could trade any unwanted items for it. If that wasn’t enough, they could use food or dog food
to barter.
Ste knew what to do. She turned to Jasper and asked, “Do you want some?”
Jasper stared at her for a moment before saying, “Sure.”
After dinner, Ste gave 5 pounds of pickled greens, cabbage, and frozen potatoes to the 1803
crew. In return, she received a gold chain, two packs of cigarettes, and a box of insulin from them.
In reality, these things hardly had any impact on Arcadia, but she needed a source for the supplies.
It not only ensured they ate with a clear conscience but also helped Ste keep her secrets
guarded.
All three of them were pleased with the trade, “Ste, you really know how to barter.”
Ste replied modestly and proudly, “That’s because we have good stuff to trade, which just
happens to be what they need. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be easy.”
Indeed, if they hadn’t found pharmaceuticals and other valuable items early on, they might have run
out of resources by now.
“It’s all my fault.” Ang regretted missing out on the opportunity to hoard resources when the
apocalypse came, “If we knew it was the end of the world, we should have grabbed everything we
could. Now others are benefiting from our mistake.”
Lukas quickly consoled her, “Don’t beat yourself up, honey. No one could have predicted the
apocalypse. Compared to most people, we’re doing quite well.”
Ste felt a bit guilty and quickly changed the subject, “What do you think about me bing a
second-hand dealer?” Otherwise, she wouldn’t have a good reason to barter things for them.
Being a second-hand dealer could be profitable if you had a good eye for valuable goods and
sources. However, the risk was high. Not only were there dangerous robbers and thieves, but the
authorities also cracked down heavily on it.
Specting and manipting the market, once caught, can lead to severe consequences, with
serious offenders facing death penalties, while others may be sent to work in coal mines.
Cody didn’t approve, “I don''t think that’s a good idea, just barter enough for us to live on.”
Lukas shared the same concern, “Didn’t we nt potatoes? We won’t starve. If necessary, we can
trade the alcohol and meds.”
The three of them were working now and contributed nothing to the 18th floor, so they had no
intention of sharing the cold-resistant potatoes.
“Ok, I’ll listen to you guys.” Ste agreed readily, “Let me know if you need anything else, and I’ll try
to barter it for you if I can.”
They had enough clothing and bedding, and couldn’t think of anything specific they needed, “Just
do what you can. Get more dried veggies or something. If you can find meat, that’s even better.”
After delivering the goods to apartment 1803, Ste went to deliver to 1801, giving them 2 pounds
each of pickled greens, cabbage, and frozen potatoes.
After thanking her, Jasper asked, “What do you want in return?”
Ste hadn’t really thought about it, “You decide.”
Back at home, she crawled into bed to read.
Before long, Cooper came back holding a box in his mouth.
Jasper had actually traded her choctes, and they were from the same expensive brand as before
– the heart-shaped luxury choctes.
Well, might as well eat them. They tasted great, and they were a brand she couldn’t afford before
the disaster. Now, they had lost much of their value.
The people in apartment 1803 only had two days off. On the night before their departure, Ste
went over to help them pack and prepared a first aid kit for them. She also taught them some
emergency wound care techniques.
Rosie brought over a drawing, “Cody, I finished the drawing.” She had drawn the family of 1803 on a
single sheet of paper.
Cody looked at the drawing and teased her, “Why are there only three people?”
Rosie was confused, “But there are only three people in your family.”
“What about Ste?”
“Ste is at my ce.”
Cody, being the little prankster he was, retorted, "No, Ste is part of our family. Your old drawing
was incorrect."
"No." Rosie was getting a bit flustered. "Ste always ys with me. She is part of our family."