Chapter 218


    Ste had given him barley seeds, fresh and well-preserved. Barley was pretty easy to grow,


    requiring far less water than rice. Monkey was thrilled, knowing the seeds could be sold for a good


    price.


    Storing the seeds in Arcadia, Ste rode back home on her bike.


    When she got back, she ryed all the information she had gathered from Monkey to Jasper, "It


    seems not just the middlemen know about the mutation of seafood, but many wealthy folks are in


    the know as well. They just keep quiet to protect their own interests and safety."


    Jasper nodded in agreement, "In these times of disaster, everyone is just trying to survive. They


    aren''t going to worry about others."


    Leaning on his shoulder, Ste asked, "We''ve stocked up on so much seafood, should we still eat


    it?"


    With his arm around her, Jasper replied, "Haven''t we been eating it for months now?"


    That was true, but they decided to be more cautious in the future, avoiding anything that looked


    abnormal.


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    Despite the extreme heat, the sweet potatoes on therge terrace had managed to survive under


    the shade and regr watering.


    Rosie had been taking care of them enthusiastically. Though she was still recovering from her


    concussion, she was always finding things to keep herself busy.


    The terrace''s sweet potatoes were just a cover, though. If they had to rely on them, they would have


    starved.


    Ste expended a considerable amount of mental energy, and the six acres of cornfields in Arcadia


    were finally nted.


    While they were having lunch, the radio announced thetest city government news, advising


    people to stop consuming mutated seafood.


    Due to the extreme heat catastrophe, the melting of pr ice caps, and the contamination of the


    oceans by ancient viruses, sea creatures underwent mutations. Mutated marine products grew


    rapidly, expanding in size several times or bing deformed.


    Not only seafood, but seaweed was affected as well. The safety of sea salt was still being


    researched, and it was also not rmended for consumption.


    The virus types were diverse, and the risks were still unclear. Some could cause acute


    gastroenteritis, neuralgia, organ infection, etc., mainly spreading through food. The government


    urged citizens to be careful when buying seafood to avoid harm.


    The broadcast had just ended when Mark repeated the message over the loudspeaker, reminding


    everyone to be safe and avoid seafood unless necessary.


    This news was bound to cause a stir, cutting off the survival route of many coastal survivors. Life


    was only going to get harder.


    Cooper was happily munching on arge, fat crab when Mark''s announcement about the dangers of


    seafood made him drop the crab in fright.


    Laughing, Ste reassured him, "Ours is safe. Don''t eat what others give you. It could be


    dangerous."


    After thinking for a bit, Cooper couldn''t resist the temptation of the crab and started eating again.


    Life in Eastwood Eden had been peacefultely. Mark had put past grudges aside, helping vigers


    find locations to dig wells. After half a month of hard work, they finally found a water source not far


    from Griffith River. A single well could sustain the vige.


    The mayor was a sneaky operator but responsible. He immediately offered some potatoes as a


    token of apology.


    Mark was gracious, "It was just a misunderstanding. We''re all just trying to survive. We should all


    protect our water sources."


    To prevent further disputes, Mark had the old man teach the vigers their ancestral craft. If one


    well wasn''t enough, they could find another location to dig.


    After the people of Eastwood Eden left, a viger suggested, "Mayor, we''re running out of water and


    our crops are dying. Now that we know how to dig wells, why don''t we dig for other viges in


    exchange for supplies?"


    The mayor nced at him, "Mark is so smart, why doesn''t he use this skill to make money?"


    "He''s just dumb. If it were me, I wouldn''t teach others this skill."


    "You''re the dumb one. Your head''s full of crap."


    "Mayor, why are you insulting me?"


    "Who else should I insult? Wake up, or you won''t even know how you died."


    Digging wells could indeed earn them a lot of supplies, but who had an easy life now?


    The disaster only affected the poor, while the rich continued to live in luxury. Being alive was the


    most important thing right now. They could be killed after digging the well, and wouldn''t even get


    their promised supplies.


    Even if they managed to get the supplies, could they protect them? Everyone around was starving,


    but they were well-fed. Who wouldn''t target them?


    Mark was willing to teach them just to spread the risk.


    "You all keep your mouths shut about our water source. Whoever leaks it, get out of the vige."


    Eastwood Eden had walls, but they didn''t. If someone came to steal, they''d be the first to suffer.


    The conflict was temporarily resolved, but Jasper was still restless. He frequently drove out, trying


    to find a spacious and secluded ce before the earthquake.


    There were too many people around. If they hid in Arcadia during the earthquake, they could easily


    be discovered.


    Moreover, Rosie was still recovering from her concussion. Sometimes she would be lost in thought,


    and Jasper didn''t dare give her sleeping pills anymore.


    She was growing up and had even made friends in Eastwood Eden. This was good for Rosie, but it


    increased the risk for him and Ste. They couldn''t expose Arcadia.


    After several days of searching, Jasper finally found a safe ce.


    An abandoned factory in the suburbs, with arge piece ofnd behind it and far from the woods.


    It would take about 20 minutes to get there by car. He observed the area for a few days and found


    no signs of people.


    A month passed in a sh. The extreme heat continued, and the water level in Eastwood Eden kept


    dropping. From two buckets per household after the heavy rain, it had dropped to less than half a


    bucket.


    This time was very close to the earthquake from Ste''s past life, which made her feel anxious.


    Jasper got up early to fetch water, but there was less than a quarter bucket''s worth. Ste frowned,


    "It''s so murky." It was no different from muddy water.


    The weather was extraordinarily sultry, and even wearing thermal suit didn''t help. Sweat kept


    pouring out.


    Jasper had a bad feeling, "The water was murky yesterday, but not as much as today. I met Tommy


    when I came up. He was out walking his pet rat, but the rat was squeaking non-stop. It was very


    anxious. Could it be that an earthquake ising?"


    Ste''s heart skipped a beat when he mentioned it, "Cooper was also very restless today. He was


    frantically biting the couch, and I scolded him."


    Look at him, he was tearing up the sofa again, letting out low growls from time to time.


    Ste was having her period and her stomach was hurting a lot, so she didn''t notice his unusual


    behavior.


    The water was murky, and the rats were squeaking in the distance. Cooper was agitated. Wasn''t


    this the typical premonition of an earthquake?


    Regardless, it wouldn''t hurt to get things packed. Ste was tossing stuff into Arcadia while Jasper


    grabbed the walkie-talkie to check on Mark. "Mark, how''s Luna?"


    Luna was Mark''s little poodle.


    Instead of a reply, Jasper heard Luna''s barks through the walkie-talkie. At the sound of Luna''s bark,


    Cooper let out a howl towards the walkie-talkie.


    The back and forth between the dogs was almostical.