Chapter 279


    The past couple of years had not been kind to them, especially to Ang. Ste knew better than to


    pry, so she left it at that.


    Jasper was already waiting for her at the curb. As they all piled into the car – the three of them and


    Cooper – Ste filled Jasper in on the situation. "Cody''s doing alright, considering. But Ang''s in a


    bad way because of her depression. Lukas might seem like he''s all jokes andughter, but I think


    he''s swallowing a lot of pain. He looks like he''s on the verge of a breakdown himself."


    Without Cody''sforting presence, Lukas might all be following in Ang''s footsteps. End of the


    world or not, the brutality of reality, the torment of one''s own mind – how many could maintain their


    mental health through all that?


    Back in their gatedmunity, a new notice was posted at the security booth. The Homeowners


    Association was holding its first ever meeting to discuss maintenance fees and ns for improving


    the green spaces. The meeting would be held promptly at eight in the evening.


    No one was going to overlook Building 50 this time around.


    After dinner, Ste and Jasper attended the meeting. Most of the other homeowners were already


    there, congratting andplimenting each other. The atmosphere was so pleasant that one


    might mistake it for a cocktail party.


    The couple wasn''t one for crowds, so they found a quiet spot in a corner.


    From the corner of her eye, Ste spotted a familiar figure. Tracy, dressed in a ssic dress, was


    arm-in-arm with a middle-aged man in a suit and tie, ck leather shoes, and a slight beer belly. He


    was making small talk with everyone.


    This must be Asher, Julia''s father.


    "Jasper," Austin joined them at the meeting, settling down next to the couple.


    The second-hand dealer had always loved gossip, using it as a way to quickly bring each other


    closer. Particrly, upon learning that Ste had fed shit to Julia, he was even more excited.


    He nced towards the crowd, lowered his voice, and started spilling the beans. "See that guy in


    the suit with sses? That''s the head of the Riley household. He might look decent, but he''s a wolf


    in sheep''s clothing. He has a mistress and even brought his illegitimate child back home for his wife


    to raise."


    Ste frowned. "How do you know all this?"


    "Heh, in our line of work, there''s nothing we don''t know."


    Austin continued his gossip. "Poor Tracy. She used to be a spoiled rich girl, but her family fell on


    hard times. She married into the Riley family to save her family’spany. Unfortunately, she had


    complications during childbirth and can''t have any more kids. She has to turn a blind eye to her


    husband''s affairs."


    Most wealthy people were like that. They put on a show of being a loving couple, but behind the


    scenes, they had no rules.


    Ste smiled but didn''t say anything.


    Most of the homeowners had arrived by now. Bran made ate entrance, all eyes on him as he


    walked in. He was wearing a floral shirt, capris, slide sandals, and a coat.


    Bran, despite his entric appearance, was the object of adoration for all the women in the room.


    Their faces were flushed with infatuation, and they seemed ready to throw themselves at him.


    Bran looked around the room and then casually walked over to the corner where Ste and Jasper


    were sitting. He plopped down in the seat in front of them and turned around to greet Ste with a


    grin. "Ste."


    If only he would sober up a bit. Ste really didn''t want her doorstep to be defiled again.


    They say you shouldn''t hit a man who''s smiling at you, but Ste didn''t return his smile. "Sorry, but I


    don’t think we know each other that well."


    Branughed. "It doesn''t matter. I remember you pretty well."


    Back when she worked under him, she''de close to being humiliated. She hadn''t expected to


    turn the tables in the apocalypse.


    Ste couldn''t be bothered with Bran. Her attention was drawn to the man sitting next to him. He


    was in his early thirties, with a cold and aloof look on his face. He was wearing gold-rimmed sses


    and a custom-made Armani suit. His long legs were stretched out in front of him, and his


    immacte leather shoes reflected the cold light.


    The domineering CEO aura was overwhelming, and Ste felt a bit dizzy. No, it couldn''t be. It had


    been three years since the apocalypse, and that rich CEO was still going strong? Clearly, the end of


    the world was only for ordinary people.


    The homeowners'' meeting was chaired by the vice-chair of the association. She was dressed in a


    dress and a fox fur shawl, looking both luxurious and elegant. Her words were also pleasing to the


    ear. Ste remembered her. She had led the ostracization incidentst time.


    The meeting was simple, focusing on the calction of maintenance fees.


    Where there were people, there would be disputes. Even the upper ss had hierarchies. In the


    past, the members of the Homeowners Association made decisions together, and the maintenance


    fees were charged per household, with each household paying 20 pounds of rice and flour per


    month.


    The one-size-fits-all approach from above naturally met with objections from below. It wasn''t that


    they cared about the resources, but they were unhappy that Building 50 was gaining power. So,


    they proposed that the maintenance fees should be calcted based on the size of the mansion.


    Even the Porras family was keeping a low profile, and the vice-chair didn''t dare make a decision on


    her own. After a discussion, they decided to hold a meeting.


    Since Ste was ignoring him, Bran started idly chatting with the man next to him. "Cousin, could


    you help me get a few off-road vehicles?"


    The man was generous. "I have a Land Rover. It''s yours."


    Bran was picky. "At least get me a Hummer."


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The man adjusted his sses, and his sharp eyes nced over. "If I recall correctly, you had a


    Raider." It was the only one in the country. He had pulled some strings to get all the paperwork


    done. Don''t remind him. It was a heart-wrenching story.


    Bran''s heart was aching, and he was about to have an aneurysm. "Some son of a bitch stole my


    two huge shipping containers."


    His cherished off-roaders and a whole container of top-quality parts, he hadn''t even had a chance to


    touch them. The thief not only took the valuable stuff but even stole his flip-flops. Damn it!


    "Bentley, o you think it''s a ghost? The club''s front door was locked, and only the window in the


    second-floor bathroom was broken. How the hell did two suchrge containers disappear?"


    Bentley didn''t even blink. "I suspect it''s the work of your employees. Breaking the bathroom window


    was just a diversion."


    "No way!" Bran was very confident. "The club''s front door requires my fingerprint, face, and iris


    recognition. All three have to match to open it. Otherwise, it''s imprable. No one could possibly


    break in."


    "These three things require the presence of electronic devices to be identifiable." Bentley expressed


    his concerns for his intelligence. "If you''re so certain, would you mind telling me how you managed


    to unlock the door after the flood?"


    Feeling insulted, Bran felt silent.


    Unwilling to admit defeat, he suddenly changed the subject. "I''ve heard that your office has also


    been broken into. Could it be the work of an inside job?"


    "It was broken into."


    Bentley adjusted his gold-rimmed sses, "But it wasn''t an insider. It was survivors scavenging for


    resources."


    Bran, took pleasure in Bentley''s misfortune. "What did you lose? Give me something to cheer


    about."