Chapter 224
The faint movement didn''t set off the rm.
Ste cocked an ear, recognizing the familiar footsteps. Jasper returned, Cooper trailing behind,
both covered head to tail in dust and reeking of sweat.
"How''d it go?" Ste fetched a bottle of water for him to freshen up, "Did you manage to save
anyone?"
"Yeah, over a dozen." Jasper stripped off his dust-coated shirt, revealing a muscr torso. "Mark
organized it well, forced breaks every hour. Cooper was great. He detected the scent of survivors,
which helped us focus our rescue efforts. Saved us a lot of time and energy."
Ste had assessed the dog as soon as he entered. He seemed quite energetic, and his anti-cut
protective gear was intact. His paws were also uninjured.
Jasper chuckled, "Cooper''s a clever one. He only does the searching, doesn''t lift a paw more than
necessary."
Ste gave him a yful shove, "Are you saying, like owner, like dog?"
"No, I just think he''s doing a great job."
"I noticed you''ve be quite the smooth talker." Ste gave him a mock re. "Our Cooper is so
capable. How about Mark''s Luna?"
Don''t get him started. What could that little dog do? All it did was tail Cooper around. A pet dog
without special training, how could it handle rescue work?
As Jasper bathed, Ste checked his backpack. All the water was gone, but he had not used any of
the emergency medical supplies.
Seemed like he had the situation under control. Ste breathed a sigh of relief.
After his shower, Jasper soaked his dirty clothes in disinfectant before washing them.
Ste brought out a pot of chicken soup and some cornbread and biscuits for breakfast, a
comforting treat for the two heroes.
After breakfast, Ste thought Jasper would rest and was about to leave the room to him, but he
swiftly locked the door, scooping her up in his arms. Wasn''t he tired after a whole night''s work?
After a few rounds of passionate lovemaking, he fell asleep.
Ste felt tired but strangely energized and rxed. The stifling post-apocalyptic atmosphere could
be eased by physicalfort.
She woke upte, lounging on the couch with a cob of corn, watching TV.
Jasper woke up in the evening, had dinner with Ste and Rosie, then left for his duty with Cooper.
The next morning, Jasper returned with a finger injured by a rock, but it wasn''t serious. He had
promptly disinfected and bandaged it.
Ste, worried, advised him, "You should take some antibiotics."
She also checked Cooper, who had no visible injuries, but was struggling with the heat. She quickly
turned on the air conditioning and gave him plenty of iced lemonade for hydration.
The rescue missionsted three days, after which Mark called it off.
Not that they didn''t want to continue the rescue efforts, but for regr people, being without water
for three days was already extremely dangerous. Additionally, the severe earthquake struck amidst
sweltering heat, making it feel as though people were tossed into a zing oven. Not only did they
face high temperatures and dehydration, but also the risk of suffocation. What were the chances of
survival? The number of people rescued on the second day was half of the first day, and on the third
day, none at all.
With the swift dposition of bodies in the heat, Mark didn’t want to risk the lives of the
community members, so he pragmatically called it quits.
They''d done their best.
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"For this disaster relief effort, I have already reported to the neighborhoodmittee. Everyone has
worked hard, so go back and rest for a couple of days," Mark patted on the relief team members’
back, while reminding them, "This earthquake was severe; few buildings remains standing. Many
survivors have lost their homes, their supplies buried beneath the rubble.
“People need to eat and drink to survive, but the government can''t arrange for so many victims in a
short time. We can''t harm people but we have to beware of people''s intentions. It''s likely to get
chaotic outside, so it''s best not to go out if it''s not necessary, especially alone."
After wrapping up the disaster relief, Mark didn''t take a moment''s rest and immediately started well
repairs with his team. If the water source wasn''t secured soon, the residents of Eastwood Eden
would face great danger.
The morning after, Ste was chilling on the couch with a book when a loudspeaker downstairs
announced, "Ste from building 5, someone''s here for you at the main gate."
Ste was confused. Who could it be in this post-apocalyptic world?
She shouted from her balcony, "Who is it?"
"Don''t know, a bunch of guys."
Well, that sounded ominous. Did she owe someone something?
"Who would it be?" Jasper was equally puzzled, "I''ll go with you."
"No need, you should rest."
Just a few men, what could they do to her? If they didn''t have any business with her, she would give
them a piece of her mind.
The man who called her was still waiting downstairs, "Ste, those guys look like trouble, riding their
old-fashioned bicycles, one of them even smoking. Doesn''t seem like good news. Watch out."
Trouble? She didn''t have any friends or enemies like that.
Unless the tattooed guys from Silver Asylum or Alpha Outpost survived and were looking for
trouble?
No problem, she was ready.
Despite her bravado, Ste was cautious. She didn''t rush out but hid in the shadows, trying to get a
good look at the men.
When she recognized them, she grimaced. How on earth did Monkey find her?
And what was Austin doing with a blood-soaked bandage on his head, smoking like he was on
vacation?
Two old bikes, and four suspicious-looking men, no wonder the man had been concerned.
Ste approached them, "You were here to see me?"
At the sight of her, Monkey''s eyes lit up, "We were worried about you."
Ste didn''t buy it, "How did you find me?"
"Rob," Monkey pointed at the bald man, "He recognized Jasper when the Eastwood Eden rescuers
came to his building yesterday."
Ste nced at Rob. She must have seen him before when trading water.
Noticing her eyes on the bikes, Monkey hurriedly exined, "The earthquake ruined the roads.
These bikes are more reliable than cars."
Ste turned to Austin, "Austin, what happened?"