Chapter 316


    Pre-apocalypse, Bran wouldn''t nce at a stew under five grand, but now, the spicy aroma of the


    chili-oil broth stirred memories long buried.


    "Girl, you''ve outdone yourself."


    Ste beckoned everyone to the table. "I made the seasoning myself. Try it."


    Austin, the smooth-talker, showered Bran withpliments, buttering him up without a single


    stutter.


    Ste smiled contentedly; her ears were spared from ttery as she enjoyed her meal.


    "Bran, you''re too kind. This isn''t just booze, it''s a treasure," Austin said as he opened a vintage


    bottle, fearing he might regret it in a moment. "Let''s all taste the vor of art."


    A sip of the $150,000 liquor cost a few thousand,vish enough to make one''s heart race. The


    aroma filled the air, a rich vor that lingered on the lips. Ste teared up after two sses. She


    finally had it.


    Austin kept praising, "Man, this is the spirit of the nation. Drink a bit more of this, and you feel like


    ascending to heaven."


    He could talk a big game. But Bran had his own boasts. "What''s the big deal? I used to use this stuff


    as mouthwash."


    It was a contest of one-upmanship.


    But as the expensive liquor went down, Ste''s mind conjured up the image of Bentley, perhaps


    feeling guilty for having taken a few cases of his stash. She feigned concern, "How''s your cousin''s


    condition?"


    "Still on meds," Bran sighed with a mix of sympathy and relentless meat stuffing. "It''s official, it is


    deep delusional disorder."


    Bran couldn''t understand how his brilliant cousin could be so tortured by love. Perhaps Lindsay''s


    tragic death haunted him so much that not even in death did she leave him be.


    "Is there a cure?" Ste wondered if it wouldn''t be better for Bentley to join Lindsay in the Pacific


    than to live without valuing life.


    "In truth, I wish he wouldn''t take his meds," Bran admitted. With rity came pain, but Bentley’s


    mum was unyielding.


    Maybe those who were heartless were the luckiest. Bran''s voracious appetite didn''t wane even as


    he pitied Bentley.


    Ste nced at him. "Bran, are you sure you weren''t a starving ghost in your past life?"


    "You don''t get it." Bran was on cloud nine with the spicy thrill. "My dad''s diet is nd, no oil, no salt.


    It''s like I''m being tortured every meal."


    Whatever the old man ate, the family had to follow suit. Bran had protested but earned nothing but


    eye rolls and the threat of his father''s cane.


    With that thought, he took another scoop of Ste''s homemade chili sauce. "Amazing! Send me two


    jars!"


    His tone was not of asking but of expecting.


    Not just the privileged kid was enjoying themselves. Buddy, too, was no exception, polishing off a


    basin-sized bowl of food.


    Full and content, Bran lingered. Ste relented and gave Bran the chili sauce partially because he''d


    brought the vintage liquor.


    But before two days passed, he was back. "My dad says the chili sauce is good. I need a batch of


    that sauce."


    Bran didn''te empty-handed. He brought two sets of surgical tools and alcohol – top-notch stuff


    from the Porras family stash.


    Generously, Ste handed over a jar of chili sauce, enough for several meals.


    Cody and Lukas settled in, bringing tobo, spirits, and poultry with their chicks, along with some


    vegetable seeds.


    Ste didn''t pass them on but tossed them into Arcadia. Five years since the disaster, Arcadia


    preserved its goods well, but their quality could raise suspicions. She stored the items in her vi,


    letting them sit for a while, ready to disy should outsiders need convincing.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    The eternal night dragged on, each day a struggle.


    The three empty vis were rented out within half a year, all backed by reliable owners.


    Despite Bran''s carefree facade, he had done his homework and sought to maintain his presence


    with Ste. "When you and Jasper are on duty, keep an eye on the new tenants. If there''s trouble,


    it''ll be my head on the line."


    Ste agreed. It was a matter of mutual survival. She might not have been a pro, but Jasper had the


    chops, and Cody and Lukas were getting there.


    After months of watchful eyes, no suspicious activity was noted. They kept their distance but stayed


    alert.


    Two years into the eternal night, as themunity''s efforts began to bear fruit, lights once again


    lined the streets.


    Robberies urred now and then, and some tried to scale the walls, only to meet their end at the


    jaws of the guard dogs. Buddy might’ve seemed dopey in front of Cooper, but he had a fierce side.


    He''d snap off a burr''s fingers without a second thought and proudly present the bloody digits.


    Cooper praised his canine friend. "Well done, big guy!"


    As security improved, reconstruction efforts didn''t pause.


    Ste stayed in, but Bran, the human megaphone, always had thetest news.


    The official ss factory was up and running. It couldn''tpare to pre-disaster standards, but


    things were looking up.


    Countless times on duty, Bran would stand in the dark, gazing at the triangr sshouse atop vi


    number 50. It seemed to grow herbs, but was that the only purpose?


    He suspected a link between the official ss factory and the sshouse. Did Ste know


    something, and was building it to protect her home from smog and acid rain?


    The Porras family had built their wall before the darkness, providing a sense of security over the


    years.


    Shane, ever-watchful of official moves, considered using the same materials for their rooftop upon


    hearing of the factory''s production. It might’ve dented the Porras family''s pride to be trailing behind


    number 50, but survival was now more precious than vanity.


    Despite the ss factory chugging along, resources and machinery were in such short supply that


    production was a trickle at best. Even with Shane stepping in, there was no skipping the line.


    Priority had to be given to the Agricultural Science Institute. They needed to erect more


    greenhouses to brace for any potential natural disasters that could be on the horizon, aiming to


    secure as much food as possible for the survivors.


    Ste was terrified of the smog, a murky cloud that carried unknown viruses, and was potent


    enough to make one''s lungs feel like they were being coughed out.


    Just as she was about to inquire about the origins of the smog, her walkie-talkie crackled to life with


    the voice of the duty patrol informing her that someone at themunity gate was asking for Ste.