Chapter 283
The mastiff was not deterred, showing up every day.
Cooper had no shortage of bunny minions and had been deeply brainwashed by his owner.
“Cooper, don''t leave home without permission. You’ll get trapped or poisoned. Then you won''t have
any steak to eat and won''t be able to y with us anymore.”
So, even though the mastiff was persistent, Cooper stayed within the boundaries set by his owner.
asionally, he would yfight with the mastiff, but it was always harmless. He had some sense of
decorum as long as the other dog didn’t push him too far.
One day, Ste was walking the dog and the mastiff followed her. It was the epitome of loyalty.
"Ste." A voice came from behind.
Tracy was not far away, her eyes filled withplexity.
Ste frowned, "What do you want?"
Tracy took a deep breath, nervously saying, “Did you grow up in an orphanage? Do you have a
pendant?”
Ste stared at her, her eyes sharp and icy. The cutting gaze made Tracy feel ufortable.
“Woof!” Cooper snarled, ready to attack.
“Woof!” The mastiff followed suit, looking much more ferocious.
Tracy was scared and stepped back.
“Tracy, there are some things that once said, you have to pay a price.” Ste coldly warned, “If you
can''t afford the price, it''s better to keep them to yourself.”
Tracy was shocked and stood speechless.
Ste walked away without looking back.
Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
Tracy clutched her chest, feeling suffocated. She watched as the young woman disappeared from
her sight.
Days passed and Ste continued to provide Ang with medication. Ang condition improved
slightly, and she continued to work. Working was tiring, and Ste wanted to suggest rest, but
knowing that being alone in a small apartment could worsen depression, she kept quiet. However,
she did get Austin to provide a pair of boxing gloves.
Seeing the new gloves, Ang broke down crying, hugging Ste.
Ste patted her shoulder, “It''s okay. We need to look forward. We will survive the disaster.”
She wondered whether Ang had survived in her previous life, but she hoped this time Ang
could make it till the end.
The antibiotics and anti-inmmatory drugs were effective initially, andter the herbal remedies
helped Ang recover from her miscarriage.
The herbal remedies weren’t free, butpared to the ck market, they were almost a giveaway.
Lukas and others didn’t need to exchange a lot of resources for medicine. They saved all the gray
ie from work, and their difficult lives gradually improved.
Both families soon moved out of the slum and got better living conditions. They moved to a ce
closer to the city center. The rent was three times higher, but each family rented an apartment. It felt
like a breath of fresh air, away from the prying eyes of others.
The two rented apartments were still close to each other for mutual support.
Cody called on the walkie-talkie, saying he and Lukas were off work and invited Ste for ate-
night snack. Yes, there werete-night snacks even in the apocalypse, avable in both official and
private stores.
This was an orphanage reunion, and Ste didn''t n to bring her family, but she still mentioned it
to Jasper.
Jasper kindly reminded, “BBQ is quite expensive, especially meat and alcohol.”
In his previous life, he had tried it when Evan invited everyone after a disaster relief work. A meal
had consumed a month''s sry, and it was not even satisfying.
So he suggested that Ste could bring some food, to not burden Cody and Lukas, and to have a
pleasant and happy get-together.
Ste agreed and brought some food from Arcadia. For meat, she had bacon and dried squid. She
didn’t dare to bring the fresh ones. She also brought three bottles of beer. She packed them into a
large insted lunch box and set off on her bicycle.
Cody chose an official store. They were tired after work, but they were excited about the get-
together.
Lukas was lucky that day. He got a dozen pounds of sweet potatoes when chasing a robber,
“Thanks to Ste''s careful treatment and precious medicine, Ang''s getting better. My treat
tonight.”
Cody knew that Lukas was not just physically tired, but also emotionally drained. Lukas held back
his tears and kept everything to himself.
Seeing Lukas gradually lighten up, Cody was relieved, “It feels like Ste saved us again.”
Just like when they were kids, if they hadn''t followed Ste, they might not have been able to afford
college. After all the twists and turns, they were back to Griffith, seeing the light of life. And this light
came from Ste.
Lukas ordered quite a lot and was about to pay when he was sessfully intercepted. Just in time,
Ste came. She took back the bacon, dried fish, and dried squid.
Bringing your own food to a restaurant and not ordering was a sure way to get kicked out, so Ste
ordered some greens and two servings of fried noodles.
The apocalypse had been going on for over three years, and they didn’t have much of a choice
regarding food.
The waitress looked at Ste with resentment for stealing hermission.
Ste smiled at her and handed her a candy, “Thank you.”
The three of them found a corner and sat down. Ste took out the BBQ she brought, “Did you
forget what I used to do? I don''t have much left, but I can still share.”
Smelling the familiar BBQ, Lukas and Cody salivated, “Ste, you’re the best.”
Savoring the taste from before the disaster, it felt like their souls were instantly uplifted. The two
were in a state of bliss, as if they were on drugs.
Ste smiled helplessly and said, “Look at you two, so easily satisfied.”
She motivated them, “Hang in there, take it one step at a time, and someday you’ll have meat, wine,
and a big house.”
Funny enough, they both had that ns.
Ang was getting better, and although being a patrol officer was dangerous, if they were lucky,
they could earn more in one outing than others in a month.
They were renting now, but they hoped to buy a house in the future, to call it home. Dreaming of a
mansion was too much, but they were certainly aiming for a cozy little house.
Ste pulled out barbecue and beer, and their eyes nearly popped out of their heads. Beer, oh,
glorious beer!
If they wanted to feast on delicious food and drink, they had to stick with her.
Just as the three of them were about to dig in, the door to the shop suddenly swung open, and a tall
figure strode in. "What a coincidence, you guys are here too?"