Chapter 202
It had been over a half month since the interview, and Mark assumed the two wouldn''t show. He felt
a twinge of regret. He could see that these two young men had some chops, and the neighborhood
was in dire need of such people.
But then, out of the blue, they showed up.
Driving into the neighborhood, Mark personally showed them around the houses.
"We have plenty of vacancies here. The houses in Phase One are all fully furnished, but the lower
floors are upied. For safety and to avoid conflicts with the neighbors, each floor is only upied
by one family. They just lock up the fire doors and it''s fine. The upper floors are empty. It''s very
quiet, but it also tends to be hotter there. The third building in Phase Two was renovated by
ourselves, so it''s a bit rough, but there are vacancies on the lower floors. Would you like me to show
you around?"
Ste wasn''t interested in the first three buildings. "Mark, we have a dog, and it''s not very
convenient living in a multi-story building. Having our own space would be better for everyone. Can
we check out Building 4 or 5?"
The dog weighed around 90 pounds, always wagging its tail in front of people. People were gonna
drool in envy.
If it wasn''t for the severe earthquake that cracked open the whole of Griffith, causing most of the
buildings to copse, Ste wouldn''t have thought about moving into this neighborhood.
Mark was surprised, "Buildings 4 and 5 only have the exterior renovated, and the interiors are still in
the rough state. They''re not very suitable for living."
Ste insisted, "That''s okay. We can do the interior ourselves."
Sensing their concerns, Mark didn''t push it. "Alright, it is up to you."
Just as he was about to show them around, suddenly his walkie-talkie buzzed with an anxious
voice, "Mark, Mark, those vigers are here again to seize the water source. There are more people
this time thanst."
Immediately after, the sound of a horn rang out.
"Jasper, Ste, both buildings are unlocked. You can go up and have a look," Mark said hurriedly.
"There is a little issue in the neighborhood. I need to go handle it. Excuse me."
And with that, he rushed off.
In this heat, water was the most valuable resource. It was necessary for survival, and for growing
precious crops.
Eastwood Eden had a lot of unplowednd, which was gradually being cultivated by the residents to
grow sweet potatoes, irrigated with the precious water. The crop looked ready to harvest.
During this time, many residents were getting by on the sweet potato sprouts, plucking them when
they grew long enough.
Ste even noticed several types of drought-resistant pigweed, which would thrive with just a bit of
water. In the past, it was used to feed pigs or as pig food, but now considered precious food.
It might give you a sore throat, but if you chop it up finely, it was a hundred times better than
gnawing on tree bark or eating y.
Watching Mark''s retreating figure, Ste asked, "Should we go see the houses or watch the
commotion?"
Jasper thought for a moment, "Mark was able to form a rescue team after the earthquake and
defend Eastwood Eden. He should be fine. But since we''re going to live here, it wouldn''t hurt to get
to know the other residents."
Ste thought about it and agreed.
When Ste and Jasper drove to the neighborhood entrance, both sides were already at a
standstill. The issue was about the water source, and tensions were high.
There were noticeably more people on the other side thanst time.
The well that Eastwood Eden dug was the only water source in the vicinity. The defeated vigers
fromst time had rallied more locals. Each one armed with a hoe or a club, their faces twisted with
rage. They were determined to drive out the people of Eastwood Eden.
"Thisnd was originally confiscated from our vige, so the water source naturally belongs to us.
You''re not the owners here. Stop hoarding the water. If you know what''s good for you, get lost. Or
we will show you who’s the real owner here."
"What do you mean ''yournd''? If the developer didn''t pay you, would you have given up thend?
What a joke!"
"Shut up, thend use right has a term limit. Now that the developer is gone, thend naturally
belongs to us. You didn''t pay for the house and you think you have a say?"
The argument escted, both sides shouting at each other.
The other side had arger force. Hearing the emergency rm, the residents of Eastwood Eden
rushed out with their weapons.
Men, women, the elderly, and even children showed up.
Iron rods, tree branches, hoes, bricks, kitchen knives... All primitive weapons, not a single firearm.
In this country, guns were strictly controlled. It was almost impossible for an ordinary person to get
one. Ste wouldn''t have had a firearm if it wasn''t for her run-ins with some shady characters.
This time, the vigers came prepared, fully armed. In terms of numbers and momentum, Eastwood
Eden seemed to be at disadvantage.
After all, the vigers had been pushed to the brink by the heat. If they didn''t seize the water source,
it meant death.
This was a fight for survival. People, with boodshot eyes filled with hatred and jealousy, wished they
could devour the residents of Eastwood Eden.
In the midst of the scuffle, a man suddenly pulled out a sharp knife from his back and stabbed at
Mark''s heart. If they can take this man down, Eastwood Eden will crumble. After driving these
people out, the water source and sweet potatoes would be theirs.
Ste hadn''t nned on getting involved in the conflict since they hadn''t moved in yet. But seeing
the knife stabbing towards Mark, she changed her mind.
Despite Mark''s gentle appearance, he was a psychologist after all. When he saw the man''s sudden
aggression, he sensed danger and quickly stepped back.
The knife missed, but the man didn''t hesitate and stabbed again.
Using the motion of rummaging in her bag as a cover, Ste took out a crossbow from the Arcadia
and shot at the man. She didn''t aim for his heart, but his knife-wielding arm. The man screamed and
dropped the knife.
Seeing this, the other vigers swung their hoes and clubs at the people of Eastwood Eden,
determined to seize the water source.
"Bang!"
A loud noise echoed, making everyone''s ears ring.
Everyone froze, looking around, but no one had fallen. Only the brick held high by one of the
vigers had shattered.
They had a gun!
The vigers were stunned, and none dared to charge forward.
"Stop." A stern voice rang out. Jasper aimed his gun at the leading vige chief. "If you don''t stop,
I’m not gonna be so polite anymore."
Faced with the crossbow and the ominous barrel of a gun, even the angry vige chief didn''t dare to
act rashly. After all, they couldn''t outrun a bullet.
A young hothead from the vige egged on, "Chief, don''t be afraid. We outnumber them. They only
have a few bullets. We could drown them with our fists."
But the vige chief, staring down the barrel of a gun, wasn''t so sure. When he heard what the punk
was saying, he instantly red up, "Come on then, you give it a shot!"
This good-for-nothing was all talk, no action. He was always the loudest, but the first to hide when
things got physical.
Ste raised her crossbow and aimed directly at the punk. The arrow grazed his face, causing him
to howl in pain.
Ste warned him, "I wouldn''t even waste a bullet on you."
The punk clutched his wound, his legs shaking terribly, too scared to utter a single word.
Ste could tell that the vige chief didn''t want to die either. "We''re running low on bullets, but
we''ve got enough to take out a few troublemakers. Whoever wants to die, step right up. We''ll
oblige."Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.