Chapter 334


    Buddy chose to stay.


    Ste didn''t mind one bit. She figured he''d leave when he got bored, saving her the hassle of


    dealing with him thinking her ce was some sort of paradise, showing up whenever he felt like it.


    After Austin and the others took their second dose of the treatment, the government finally


    announced a breakthrough: a medicine tobat the toxic smog had been developed.


    Looks like Mark really pushed for it because Griffith got a bigger share of the meds than other


    towns, probably thanks to some strings he pulled.


    Since the drugs were delivered in batches, they couldn''t cover all the survivors at once. So, they


    had to resort to a lottery system, with one representative from each householding to draw.


    Ste, out of curiosity, tuned into the Swan Hill channel and found out that the officials there hadn''t


    shared the news with the lower-ss citizens. Not surprising, considering Swan Hill was a provincial


    capital with more government and corporate employees, so there was even less to go around for


    themon folk there.


    The sess of the antiviral drugs breathed some life back into the ghost town that the vi


    neighborhood had be.


    Homeowners started venturing out, hoping to get lucky in the draw. Before leaving, they''d wash


    their hands religiously and mutter a little prayer for good luck.


    Only then Ste realized that nearly half of the residents had sumbed to the virus. She didn''t


    even want to think about the slums or other areas.


    "Hey Ste, where''s my dog?"


    Through the haze, Bran approached, wearing a breathing helmet that looked like a motorcycle


    helmet,plete with its own oxygen supply. The rich really did live differently.


    Like owner, like dog. The cured Buddy didn''t even look back as he followed Bran. Ste wasn''t


    upset. She couldn''t very well hold a grudge against a dog, right?


    Just as she was about to close the door, arge head squeezed its way in. He was back, dragging


    his own doghouse, along with two bags of premium dog food and toys.


    Buddy, looking pitiful as ever, dragged his bed to a corner of the yard, offering his food and toys to


    Cooper.


    Ste had tough, "Do you think he thinks he''s human?"


    Jasper nodded in agreement, "I think so."


    "It''s like I''m mistreating him or something."


    In the end, she gave Buddy the first floor, but the second floor was off-limits.


    It wasn''t that Ste disagreed; it was Cooper who bared his teeth. Only the ''big brother'' was worthy


    of the second floor. Did this little grunt know what overstepping meant?


    As the weather turned scorching hot, with no breeze and temperatures nearing 45°C, the air grew


    stifling. Ste gave up on the idea of air conditioning, considering the volcanic ash outside, and


    instead used a fan with ice cubes for cooling.


    Experts were actually pleased with the rising temperatures as it could potentially inhibit the spread


    of the virus. The suspended ash particles could heat up under sunlight, which wasn''t ideal for the


    virus''s survival.


    Despite the intense heat, the survivors, having been tested by extreme conditions, had grown more


    resilient.


    As people began to recover, many tried to restart their gardens, but no matter how carefully they


    tended to them, the seeds either failed to sprout or the nts quickly wilted.


    Panic set in among the survivors.


    The government soon exined that the ash and smog, being slightly acidic, contaminated the soil,


    making outdoor cultivation impossible for the time being. They rmended digging deeper where


    the soil was likely still uncontaminated and trying indoor nting.


    This led to a soil hoarding craze. People went out with hoes and shovels to dig up soil and lugged it


    back home in bags, thinking who knew what disaster might strike next, so might as well stockpile.


    Those without ss greenhouses on their rooftops envied thest two vis more than ever.


    Even Austin, the king of copycats, had to admire Vi 50. Those residents must have had some


    serious clout to have predicted the disaster so urately. He quickly summoned his crew, "Think


    hard about what Ste might have hoarded from you or others. If you can''t remember, then no


    dinner tonight."


    He gave Monkey a pointed look, "Especially you. She always went to you for supplies. Think!"


    Monkey looked pitiful, "Boss, that was years ago. How can I remember all that?"


    Austin took off his shiny gold boots, "Need me to jog your memory?"


    Monkey cringed, "No, no, no, I''ll think, I''ll think hard. Just got over the sickness, still feeling the


    effects. Give me a minute."


    A boot to the head and he''d be a goner. He hurriedly polished the boots, "Boss, let''s talk. My


    memory''s fine, just give me some time."


    "What''s everybody standing around for?" Austin eased up and put his boots back on. "Don''t you all


    get hungry? Get those rooftop greenhouses nted."


    While others were bustling about, Ste took her time. She''d already stockpiled nutrient-rich soil at


    Eastwood Eden, ready to use when needed.


    Lukas radioed over, inviting Ste and Jasper for a meal and to lend a hand with something, though


    he didn''t specify what over the radio. He sounded pretty upbeat.


    More people recovered from the virus. The smog was still thick but manageable with antibodies.


    Ste decided to ept the invitation. Considering both families weren''t exactly well-off, she didn''t


    want to bring along two dogs that could eat them out of house and home. Even Buddy seemed


    ashamed of its appetite, skulking around Vi 50 and only asionally returning to the Porras


    family for a hefty meal before waddling back.


    The Porras family didn''t mind the dog''s dual allegiance; as long as it showed up, they''d feed it.


    Ste and Jasper took Rosie over to Vi 42 for a meal. To her surprise, there were two cars parked


    in the yard - a sedan and an SUV.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    From the rooftop came the sound of Cody and Lukas figuring out how to install sr panels.


    Ste was amused. While other families were brought low by illness, these folks seemed to be


    thriving. She remembered the shy red Ferrari, a status symbol that seemed to belong to a high-


    society debutante. If her hunch was right, the two families were scavenging the belongings of the


    deceased.


    Hearing themotion, Ang emerged, "Come on in, the fog is too thick out there."


    Being old friends who knew each other well, there was no need for secrecy. Ang even offered up,


    "Ever since the virus hit, many in the neighborhood have passed on. When we were disinfecting


    and removing bodies, we took whatever useful items we could find."


    Both families had only taken from the homes of those who had no survivors, loading up two cars, a


    sr generator, and various items like clothes, shoes, and furniture. Anything of use was fair game.


    Even if they didn''t need it for themselves, they could always trade with others in need.


    Many people were doing the same, not just taking from empty homes, but even from the homes of


    widows and orphans. In the fog, visibility was poor, but all you needed to do was cover your face to


    manage.