Chapter 173


    Stepping out from Arcadia, the night had already cast its dark nket over everything.


    Jasper docked the yacht close to the shore, not hurrying Ste to pull it back into Arcadia.


    They were quite a distance away from the fishing vige and the dock. It was unlikely anyone would


    be around at this hour, but out of caution, Jasper donned his night vision goggles and scanned the


    dark for a while, ensuring there were no issues.


    To avoid drawing attention with the motorboat, they paddled their rubber dinghy to shore.


    Once ashore, they faced an incline leading to the coastal highway. There was no path, just


    brambles and reeds taller than a person.


    Jasper led the way with his machete, shielding Ste behind him and ttening a path before


    allowing her to follow. "Watch your step," he cautioned.


    After some time, they made it to the highway. Ste got into their car, flicking on the headlights. "Are


    you okay?"


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Jasper was fine, save for a few scratches on his hands from the brambles and reeds. They were


    bleeding a little but were not serious. Ste took out an iodine solution to disinfect his wounds


    before applying band-aids.


    In the darkness, they slowly drove along the highway. One drove, and the other kept vigil.


    Upon safely returning to the vi, Ste''s mood brightened. She took out some premium food from


    Arcadia to celebrate.


    With the addition of a yacht, they felt more secure about potential sea survival scenarios.


    The trip to the coast was worth it. They had been stocking up on dry goods and, with the 3,000


    pounds they just acquired, they now had over 10,000 pounds of seafood.


    Not only was it enough tost them a lifetime, but it could also be used for trading in the future.


    Despite the abundance of seafood, they knew they couldn''t eat it recklessly. Ste contemted


    that it was time to stock up on fresh goods.


    After dinner, the trio and the dog enjoyed the moonlight, stargazing and munching on watermelon


    on the rooftop.


    Rosie, propped on her elbows, marveled at the starry sky. "It''s so beautiful here. I wish we could


    stay here forever."


    Ste agreed. Whether it was the environment or the resources, it was far superior to what they had


    in Griffith.


    Trading their two-bedroom apartment for a spacious vi was a no-brainer. Living near the rich


    meant a higher standard of living and less worry about others with ill intentions. Walking the dog


    became easier too. Cooper could run up and down the stairs freely, getting plenty of exercise.


    Jasper had no objections. "If you guys like it here, we can stay. We can bring the rabbits over when


    we find the time."


    Ste thought it was a good idea, but there was no rush. She had stocked up a lot of hay, enough


    for the rabbits tost a couple of months.


    They could decide whether to stay or leave after they had stocked up enough supplies. After all,


    there were no entirely safe ces in the post-apocalyptic world. As more and more refugees


    gathered on the coast, their vi could be a juicy steak, and a few dozen security guards


    would be no match for a horde of desperate people.


    Over the next few days, they brought back 1,200 pounds of fresh goods each day. The bounty was


    glorious.


    Shrimp, squid, crabs, salmon, trout, octopus, sea urchins, oysters, scallops, mussels, snails, and


    more. There were many other exotic seafood they had never seen before.


    In addition to trading, they continued to stock up on food. They tried every recipe they could with the


    abundant ingredients, constantly exploring new dishes.


    Before they knew it, a month had passed. They had stocked up enough food tost for years and


    wouldn''t need to cook anymore.


    They enjoyed the sea breeze, sipped on beer, and brought out the barbecue to the rooftop to feast.


    Just as they were starting to eat, Austin showed up again. Rosie quickly hid the food and even


    helped wipe the dog''s mouth.


    The kid was quick-witted, and Ste almost burst outughing. Still, they saved some oysters for


    Austin. They didn''t dare give him any fruit though, fearing it would give away their secret.


    Ste weed him in. "Austin, it''s rare for you to visit. Is there another big deal in the works?"


    "You bet." Austin savored the oysters as he praised their cooking skills. "Your barbecuing skills are


    even better than those before the apocalypse."


    "Thanks for looking out for us, Austin. Is Warren looking for medicine again?"


    Apart from that, she couldn''t think of any other reason for Austin to make a special trip.


    "It''s about medicine, but this time it''s not for Warren. It''s for the leader of Aqua Base."


    Ste was puzzled. Aqua Base had not been fair in their dealings. "Aren''t you afraid of offending


    Odeberg International by finding medicine for Aqua Base?"


    Austin exined, "In our line of work, we''re neutral. We don''t favor anyone as long as the benefits


    are good enough.


    Aqua Base may not be as generous as Odeberg International, but therger the organization, the


    less likely we are to get exploited. They have plenty of trading materials, while those at the bottom


    are more dangerous. In this post-apocalyptic world, no one can guarantee that there''s no risk in


    doing business. If you guys have any reservations and don''t want to cooperate with Aqua Base, you


    can pretend I didn''te today."


    Since he was already here, they had to show some courtesy. Ste was somewhat curious. "What


    kind of medicine are they looking for?"


    "Insulin."


    Insulin was amon drug for lowering blood sugar. Someone still needing it after so long in the


    apocalypse indicated apleteck of insulin, requiring lifelong administration.


    A vial of 300 units wouldst only a few days for someonepletely deficient, requiring about 60


    units per day. It might not have been a burden before the apocalypse, but now, it was a luxury most


    people could not afford.


    Austin got straight to the point. "Aqua Base kidnapped Dexter a while ago, and in retaliation, Warren


    had his men steal the leader''s medicine. Odeberg International is heavily guarded, so it''s not easy


    for Aqua Base to get the medicine back. They''re temporarily reaching out to their contacts to find


    some."


    Ste pondered. "If they don''t inject insulin in time, they''ll die too."


    However, with advancements in medical technology, the storage issue for insulin had been solved.


    It no longer required a special refrigerator.


    In other words, insulin was not as rare as the tetanus vine. As long as one had a widework


    of contacts, it could still be found. Otherwise, the leader of the base would have died long ago.


    Of course, Ste wasn''t going to reveal all that. "Insulin is hard to find. What can they offer in


    exchange? My supplier has a big appetite and won''t settle for less."


    "Gems and jewelry, seafood, grains, whatever you need. I can act as a mediator and negotiate."


    Austin even hinted at something else — weapons.


    Sorry, but these were not what Ste wanted. She had a hunch that Arcadia''s expansion had


    reached its limit. Even if it hadn''t, it was already big enough for her, and she did not need to expand


    further. Seafood was readily avable, they had stocked up on grains, and Arcadia could be used


    for cultivation.


    As for armaments, if Aqua Base had any heavy artillery, they would have blown Odeberg


    International to smithereens long ago. There would have been no need for this heated conflict.


    However, the two ces weren''t particrly far from each other, and Ste had made careful


    observations andparisons.


    After much thought, she finally spoke, "Austin, we''ve been working together for quite some time


    now. I''m not afraid to tell you the truth. My seller had quite a bit of clout in the pharmaceutical


    industry. It''s probably not a problem to find a few vials of insulin for emergencies, but I''ll have to


    check to be sure. All I can say is, if we can really find the medication, my seller would probably want


    more than just a yacht in return. If you''re sure the other side is willing to trade, I can help you ask."


    Austin contemted. Aqua Base had severalrge fishing boats, aside from the yachts. They even


    had cruise ships. This was about saving the life of the base''s leader, who had said he would spare


    no expense in finding the medicine.


    "It shouldn''t be a problem if you guys are sure you can get the insulin. I''ll discuss the details with


    them once we''ve confirmed, but we need to act fast. I doubt they have much insulin left."


    Ste nodded, "Okay, for your sake, Austin, we''ll give you an answer tomorrow."


    Jasper saw Austin out, making sure the gates and electric fences were secure before returning.


    He sat down beside Ste, "You want a fishing boat?"