Chapter 203


    The vigers initially had a bold front, but the sight of the two formidable figures quickly silenced


    them. After all, two of their own had already been injured. Who would want to risk being next?


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    Mark stepped forward, “Rex, let me repeat myself. We dug this well with our own hands. If anyone


    dares to try and take it, we will fight to thest man standing. We will not back down.”


    The sweltering heat continued, and the two groups had already shed five or six times. Rex,


    realizing his disadvantage, decided not to waste any more time, “Fine, let''s see how things unfold.”


    The two young individuals had made a strong impression on him. He would have to find an


    opportunity to deal with them if he wanted to secure the water source.


    The vigers had arrived with high spirits, but they left dejected, facing yet another day of severe


    water shortage.


    Expecting a fierce battle, the residents of Eastwood Eden were surprised when Jasper and Ste


    easily repelled the vigers. The locals looked at the duo in awe and gratitude.


    The man was handsome, and the woman was beautiful. More importantly, they were skilled and


    armed. They had managed to scare off the vigers effortlessly.


    “Guys, we are truly grateful for your help today,” an olddy said warmly. “You two are looking for a


    ce to stay, aren’t you? Eastwood Eden is a great ce. Not only do we havend and water


    sources, but also ces for charging. You should stay here.”


    The vigers chimed in, all hoping that the two would join theirmunity and help defend


    Eastwood Eden. There was no jealousy in their hopeful gazes, only admiration and respect.


    Some people were like that. They became envious and tried to drag you down if you outshone


    them, but they would only admire and respect you if you were significantly better. This was why


    Ste had stepped in to help. She knew that their support would be beneficial in the long run.


    Mark called out, “Alright everyone, back to your stations.”


    One by one, the vigers dispersed, returning to their duties or homes.


    Mark invited Jasper and Ste to the security booth, “Thank you both for your help today. It could


    have turned ugly without you.”


    Ste responded calmly, “It was nothing.”


    Mark exined, “This doesn’t happen often. We’ve always managed to handle such situations. It’s


    only because of the water shortage that things have escted to this point.”


    Ste asked, “Mark, they''ve been showing up more frequently. What do you n to do?”


    "Actually, our neighborhood is a river-view property, and not far from it is the Griffith River. Even


    though it''s dried up now, the groundwater here should be more abundant than other ces.


    “I''ve talked to their vige chief, suggesting they should dig a well somewhere. If they don''t know


    how to, our workers can teach them. But they''re locals and always feel like we''re encroaching on


    their territory. They wouldn''t even take our kind gesture of helping dig a well, and that''s why things


    have turned out so bad today.


    “However, now that you''ve put them in their ce today, I think Rex should be able to calm down. I''ll


    talk to him again in a couple of days. If they''re willing to let go of their biases, we can guide them on


    digging a well. If they have a water source, then we here can truly be safe. Don''t you think?"


    Mark shared his n, which left Ste slightly surprised. Even after all the shes, he was still


    willing to extend an olive branch.


    This actually was the best solution. After all, the vigers were all struggling survivors at the bottom


    of the society, and their fights and quarrels were merely for survival resources. They couldn’t simply


    act like criminal forces and use guns to silence them all.


    Mark''s willingness to put himself in harm''s way and not simply give orders was probably why the


    residents of Eastwood Eden respected him.


    As Jasper and Ste stayed silent, Mark thought they were still hesitant and offered, “You both are


    incredibly skilled and have helped us a lot today. How about this, we can give you a discount on the


    rent. Five pounds of staple food, such as corn or potatoes per month. What do you think?”


    This was already a good deal, considering that the residents of Eastwood Eden received a daily


    ration of water and could also charge their appliances.


    After exchanging a nce with Jasper, Ste said, “Mark, although I am a medical student, I can


    only provide basic medical aid without proper equipment and medication. We can pay 20 pounds of


    staple food per month for rent and participate in daily patrols. However, we prefer to live alone in


    Building 5. Is that alright?”


    “Building 5?” Mark looked surprised. “That ce is still under construction.”


    “No problem, we will figure it out,” Ste said. “But we would like to request that no other residents


    move into Building 5 until the rest of the buildings are full.”


    Mark hadn''t expected this request. He took some time to consider it before responding, “You can


    have the entire Building 5. But I would like Jasper to teach self-defense to the residents. It''s always


    better to have more people who can defend themselves and themunity. Jasper won''t need to


    join patrols. He can teach at themunity center.”


    Stepromised, “How about teaching once every three days?”


    If they were to maintain a god-like image, they should distance ourselves from them. Getting too


    close could lead to their fall from grace.


    What if, once they get close, the residents took this as an opportunity to make unreasonable


    demands? By keeping our distance, they could stay alert. They would live in harmony for a year,


    and once Newtown is built, they could move away.


    “Sounds good to me,” Mark extended his hand to them, smiling, “Wee to Eastwood Eden.”


    He then added, “There are some construction materials left in Building 5. You can use them if they


    are still in good condition. If you need any help, feel free to ask.”


    Mark was willing to negotiate with the residents to help the duo with the renovation free of charge as


    a token of gratitude for their help today.


    Ste expressed her gratitude, "Alright, we''ll let you know when the timees."


    Mark informed them, "The sr panels are installed on the rooftop of Building 1. Each building gets


    a turn to charge every day. You and Building 3 are grouped together, so it''ll be your turn tomorrow."